"Einervaene... Stop taking it off." I groan as I place my hand on the piece of armour she is trying to remove. Blind and unfortunately helpless, Einervaene keeps trying to worm her hands under mine awkwardly. No joking shocks, nothing. Neither of us can spare the power for humour and what ended so recently is proof we cannot be jovial until we reach somewhere safe.

"I don't need it." Einervaene practically lies as she turns around to twist her shoulder out of my grip. I frown at her bandaged-up face and move my loose hand near it to apply what magic I can. I won't be able to protect her from anything as we are right now. At the very least, I need her to have the power to run as far as she can.

"Einervaene, stop it!" I snap as a piece of metal hits the wagon floor, with wood and metal thudding into her ears. She looks around pointlessly and her hands clench before she 'stares' at me.

"You... Y-You didn't pay for any of this. You just robbed that family outright!" she complains as my throat grumbles with the eviction of my latest moans.

My hands tighten on the reigns as the oldest pack animal that family had makes its noises, "Not this again, we've been over this!"

"We have the money to have paid them!" she rightly points out as I shake my head.

"And if they refused because we brought assassins to their doorsteps!? Because my fighting of them forced me to upturn their lands potentially irreparably? Not just theirs either, the entire Copper Band Terraces had to be torn up to keep you safe!" I nearly shout were it not for my face being close enough that merely raising it would be enough.

"We have a responsibility to look after these people!"

"My responsibility is to look after you, and, I'm not even sure it's yours. What, with us not even being sure if we're in Bosphama lands yet!?" I point out as my shuffling causes many of my wounds to be provoked by the armour-burdened strain.

"We should've helped them..."

"Einervaene, we were attacked by assassins! Assassins after you! We cannot afford to linger, not with such people after us... NOW PUT THE ARMOUR BACK ON!" I infuriate myself into roaring as I slam the piece of discarded metal back at her.

"Ow..." she shivers as the bandages start to go dark slightly. I sigh my misery and remind myself of why she is so easy to hurt right now. Too much of her magic, of mine, needs to go into healing her eyes. She struggles to sniffle as her build-up of tears only provokes the pain she is already in, reminding me as well of her nose injury.

"Please... Keep it on." I tell her as I fit the piece back onto the makeshift straps I had to make for her. Without anything I can work with on her own outfit, I've had to sacrifice parts of my bag. Thankfully, I guess, the urgency of the fight made me tear rather than take it off. I return my one good remaining eye to the road and cautiously eye anyone on it as some spare a moment to look at us.

Thankfully, I do not need to grab any of them and demand directions, there are enough signs of development to keep us going. There are also a fair few actual signs giving us a metric of distance to work with. However, it's all not good enough, we're going to be in the vulnerable open for some time now. Gods be praised, at the very least, there don't seem to be any assassins immediately after us.

For now.

Coughing into my curled-up hand, I grit my teeth as the enflamed flesh is provoked again. Those cloaked bastards got quite a few good thrusts in. Whatever magic they had, however strong they were, fine-tuned skill carried their efforts most of the way. The science behind my armour could only do so much and it was nearly worthless.

"Ruined as it may be, still better than being bare." I groan under my breath as I try to make a point of avoiding having my thoughts focus on the wound in my side. Both sides of my plate were ruined in that thrust, right on through with what could so easily be seen as no effort at all...

"I just want to get home..." Einervaene sobs as she covers her already hidden eyes. Curling up on herself as she tucks in at the furthest corner of the wagon. Looking towards her, I look away out of shame. I am supposed to protect her and yet, I was barely able to when push came to shove.

We're more vulnerable than ever and so much of it is rooted in my mistakes. Much as I have to get Einervaene home, the look I will come to find on Eratheen's face haunts me. We have what we need to save her, but, the first thing she will find is her daughter blind and incapable. When I first got that desperate letter I promised...

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

I promised...

"Chin up, Einervaene. We're getting there, we're going to get there." I say quietly as her trembles continue to quake my heart as if they're something stronger. Yet, with how this noise is making me, her despair could quite possibly be the most powerful thing out there. My confidence has taken a beating as well as my body far more literally. We only have so many supplies and now they're being taken up far too quickly.

Such grievous wounds we now have to account for. I guess I should be thankful that most of the blood and -ied mud still caking my armour is theirs, not mine. The gap isn't very big, but it's there. So many of them died at my hands throughout that night, if luck will shine on me, that many dead has crippled them.

Yet it probably isn't shining on us and if it is, it will barely make Einervaene glow in the dark with that skin of hers. I frown as I glance at it, the lustre has been going quite a bit recently. Even after all these years beside it, I still do not understand how this power she acquired works. The stuff I have seen it do should've made that night nothing, however.

"How are you doing, Einervaene?"

"..."

"Do you want us to stop for a little while? Find a safe spot to make camp and food?" I ask, though, I doubt my own words. If they can come after us even in the dead of night in such quiet lands. What hope do we have along a busy road or populated town? Whoever is after her, or me even, going by those remarks about my proof I visited Anvil-Peak...

I can't think of anything that would make some group of assassins just come after us unless Einervaene provoked them during her heroics. No, she would've told me about something like that, nothing she spoke of during our time at Farmer Sanoukou's gave the impression. Someone else is after us, someone with the money to hire such capable men and the network to point them our way. Impossible as it seems, I have seen such stuff in the adventuring times long gone.

When the world is as open as it is, the need for trackers and spies grows so exponentially. Einervaene's good deeds gave them all the leads they could want and no doubt my foreign nature made us stand out more. My grip on the reigns tightens as I glance to the daughter I am to protect as she seems to ease on the sobs. I need to keep her safe but my Jherikra-born blood makes her easier to find.

The irony of me being her protector, I attract those after her far easier. Not even my hair, skin or race, really, the very tool I protect her with is what makes their efforts so much simpler. The traces I leave on the wind will stick out to even the most modestly skilled tracker. I cannot leave Einervaene, however, and I will not ever do so.

Such thoughts will remain in this now armoured head of mine and I tighten the strap to emphasise the point. If my looks are the problem, let them be diluted by a trait harder to describe, armoured giant. Withholding a wisp of magic, I frown at my greatest revealed weakness. Something all the more eye-catching due to our current situation.

I always knew I was going to stick out, but, to maybe or without a doubt be the reason she is now blind... I can't help but worry for her, even if her eyes do heal, she is still in danger because of me. I am not strong enough to ward off every threat and even those weaker than me can be smart. In numbers or dark, I can be felled with a clanging thud, the stench of my blood filling the air once brimming with my magic.

Focusing my vision, I spot what appears to be a merchant camp and I put a hand to my chin, "Einervaene, there is a caravan camp up ahead, would you like us to stay there? I might be able to get you some medicine or other sources of magic."

"..."

"Einervaene, I need an answer... Please." I beg quietly before shuffling closer to her. Removing a gauntlet, I place my skin upon hers and rub it carefully with my thumb. She partially manages to follow my arm up to roughly where my head is.

"I-If it is... If it is safe." she eventually answers with a tremor in her voice.

"First sign of trouble and we are out of there." I state in the hopes it maybe help her calm down, but, I don't think it did much of anything. I sigh as I motion the animal to move down the splitting-off road when the time comes. It groans with its aged body and the wagon wheels start to squeak as the limitation in its design becomes apparent. Einervaene's grip snatches onto whatever it can and she holds on for... Dear life.

On the way into this camp, those who can spare a glance can't help but do so upon seeing us. Coming in so freshly injured, many of them clearly get nervous and what I can only assume are their private guards or more general merchant guards are spoken to. Some stiffen up over those around them, others assume me and Einervaene are the problem and give me their best glares. It nearly manages to make me laugh until I pull us into a good spot with a good flat way back onto the road.

Hopping down I unhook the creature that pulled our wagon and gently tap its backside so it can go graze on what it can. Noting how some people are clearly too curious for their own good, I show off despite my wounds. Picking up the wagon firmly, I set it back down without an issue then watch them back off from the corner of my visor. Walking around to Einervaene, I help her down once she manages to find my shoulders.

She goes along the wagon for a little bit until she reaches the back end of it. She stops and sighs her misery as one hand slowly refrains from reaching out for anything it might be able to grab. Moving up to her, I let her take my hand so she can at least walk somewhere. Hopefully, Einervaene will never need the time necessary to get used to her condition...

I am doubting we will find it here with what I am able to sense, but, who knows, maybe there's some kind of doctor around. Some herbal remedies or simply strong booze we can have her swallow. At least with that she'll sleep better given what is likely going through her mind non-stop. Despite my age and the assumptions that go with it, I can handle a lack of sleep far better. All the years of adventuring, got a good few tricks out of it and plenty of experience.

"Mind your steps, Einervaene." I caution before sneaking a stick off of someone else and handing it to my friend's daughter.