The Shadows | Astarion

~ 32 ~

They hadn't found anything to do with the Sun-Walker ring at all in the house, much to their frustration. They figured they may aswell stay in the house, rather than risk exposing Astarion to sunlight.

Astarion held Aelia until she'd stopped shaking and calmed down, he wiped her tears and led her back upstairs, firmly shutting the broken door as well as he could.

She blinked around tiredly, seeing Gale sat in front of the fire, warming himself.

"So the ring isn't anywhere?" The wizard asked, and Astarion nodded tensely, not moving away from Aelia. He stared at her in concern, she looked pale and hadn't spoken.

Gale sighed and then lay back on the sofa, closing his eyes. Shadowheart was already asleep, she'd hugged Aelia tightly to comfort her after Astarion led her back upstairs.

Astarion took her hand and led her to another sofa by the fire, he sat her down and brushed the hair out of her face.

She glanced at him, her eyes soft.

"Thank you." She murmured, leaning against him tiredly.

He kissed her forehead, then rifled through one of their packs, fetching a red apple from it.

"You need to eat something." He whispered and offered her the apple, she took it without opening her eyes. He watched her in amusement as she ate the apple with her eyes closed whilst leaning against him.

She slowly got through the apple, and Astarion sat in silence. He knew that she probably just needed silence and someone there, so she wasn't alone.

Once she'd finished, he put the apple core down and lay her back. She curled up on the sofa and he fetched a blanket from the pack, settling it over her gently.

There wasn't room for him to lie on the sofa, so he simply sat in front of it, leaning his back against the furniture. He grabbed her hand and kissed it gently, he let her keep a hold of his hand.

Aelia kissed his hand in return, and Astarion couldn't help but smile. She then closed her eyes again and soon settled into her meditation, Astarion kept holding her hand.

He stared at her whilst she slept, his eyes round and soft.

He hasn't known the healer for long, but he would do anything for her. He knew what lay in his heart, but was too terrified to say it. Cazador laughed at the idea of love, and destroyed it if necessary. He would laugh at Astarion if he saw him now. His heart pounded rapidly, what would Cazador have done to Aelia if he was still alive. 

Astarion frowned, and chewed the inside of his cheek. But quickly shut the thoughts away, Cazador was gone, he'd killed him and he was forever free.

He was disappointed the ring hadn't been in the house, and going deeper into the swamps would be more difficult and even more dangerous. He didn't want Aelia getting injured, even if he'd throw himself in front of her at any danger.

The fire crackled loudly, and it spurred him out of his thoughts once more.

He couldn't stand to hear Aelia's panic when she was trapped in the basement, the stupid door wouldn't open. He got angry at a door. The thought before would have made him laugh, but that door separated him from her. He wondered to what extent he'd go to in order to protect her.

She murmured in her meditation and Astarion smiled at her. He strained his ears to see if he could pick up what she was saying, but her voice was too muffled.

Kissing her hand again, he reached out for one of his books and balanced it on his lap, spending most of the night reading. He held her hand through the night, not letting it go once.