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Raven/Lucius drabble for Raphi.
To even out the universal balance of hope, despair, and entropy -- or something like that.
This was supposed to be fluffy pairing fic, but apparently I suck at that forever.
Man, I haven't written this pairing in like six years. Hopefully I've gotten better since then. :P
They had both been awake for over two days. The siege of Castle Caelin had begun shortly before nightfall and its soldiers held the gates for a day – impressive, given their numbers and the element of surprise – before falling to Laus. The two of them were mercenaries. They could have fled. Instead, Raven was prepared to fight to the death until a general held his companion at swordpoint. All their noble efforts placed them at last crammed into a prison cell with three others in the very castle they defended.
With a torn strip of his cape in one hand and a vulnerary flask in the other, Lucius murmured with the last of his patience, “Hold still, milord.”
Raven's scowl never left his face as he silenced his impatient shifting. He was still as Lucius dabbed the stinging salve onto a gash across his upper back, a diagonal slash from the base of his neck down to disappear beneath his left arm. There was so much happening in battle that neither of them could agree how it had happened – a surprise attack, most likely, by another swordsman. It had long crusted over into a crumbling mess of darkened shades of red, purple, brown, and black; Lucius wished that he could have seen to it earlier, as now it might be too late to stave off rot, if it would come.
He wrapped the cloth around Raven's torso as he breathed, the sounds reminding him of a large tired animal. With a neat knot, Lucius whispered into his ear, “I'm done. Rest well.”
“Lucius,” he said in that low tone of voice that always preceded a rash idea. Lucius frowned to himself. “The prison door. It's weak. I could break it from its hinges.”
“Lord Raven!” he replied, exasperated, as if scolding a child. “You are wounded, and unarmed.” Raven's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly; Lucius knew he resented any reminder of his weakness. Still, he continued, “Help will come. Let us save our strength for a better time.” He turned about to investigate what they had been left in the cell. Thin, threadworn blankets in the corner. He picked one up and small bugs leapt away in all directions. Better than the cold, Lucius supposed.
Raven stewed on his words for a moment, gazing with his searing-red eyes at the bars on the door. “You could be right,” he said at last. Lucius smiled to himself and shook a blanket out, laying it across Raven's shoulders. “If they try to hold you hostage again....”
Lucius stared at the back of Raven's head, his disheveled iron-colored hair betraying nothing. Next time, I shall not fall prey to them, he thought to himself. Instead, he said curtly, “Go to sleep.” He was not terribly surprised when Raven did not listen. Lucius settled himself into the corner behind Raven, leaning against the wall and watching his back. Eventually, deep into the night, the torchlit outlines of Raven's shoulders fell into slow patterns, and only then did Lucius give himself to sleep.
This was supposed to be fluffy pairing fic, but apparently I suck at that forever.
Man, I haven't written this pairing in like six years. Hopefully I've gotten better since then. :P
They had both been awake for over two days. The siege of Castle Caelin had begun shortly before nightfall and its soldiers held the gates for a day – impressive, given their numbers and the element of surprise – before falling to Laus. The two of them were mercenaries. They could have fled. Instead, Raven was prepared to fight to the death until a general held his companion at swordpoint. All their noble efforts placed them at last crammed into a prison cell with three others in the very castle they defended.
With a torn strip of his cape in one hand and a vulnerary flask in the other, Lucius murmured with the last of his patience, “Hold still, milord.”
Raven's scowl never left his face as he silenced his impatient shifting. He was still as Lucius dabbed the stinging salve onto a gash across his upper back, a diagonal slash from the base of his neck down to disappear beneath his left arm. There was so much happening in battle that neither of them could agree how it had happened – a surprise attack, most likely, by another swordsman. It had long crusted over into a crumbling mess of darkened shades of red, purple, brown, and black; Lucius wished that he could have seen to it earlier, as now it might be too late to stave off rot, if it would come.
He wrapped the cloth around Raven's torso as he breathed, the sounds reminding him of a large tired animal. With a neat knot, Lucius whispered into his ear, “I'm done. Rest well.”
“Lucius,” he said in that low tone of voice that always preceded a rash idea. Lucius frowned to himself. “The prison door. It's weak. I could break it from its hinges.”
“Lord Raven!” he replied, exasperated, as if scolding a child. “You are wounded, and unarmed.” Raven's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly; Lucius knew he resented any reminder of his weakness. Still, he continued, “Help will come. Let us save our strength for a better time.” He turned about to investigate what they had been left in the cell. Thin, threadworn blankets in the corner. He picked one up and small bugs leapt away in all directions. Better than the cold, Lucius supposed.
Raven stewed on his words for a moment, gazing with his searing-red eyes at the bars on the door. “You could be right,” he said at last. Lucius smiled to himself and shook a blanket out, laying it across Raven's shoulders. “If they try to hold you hostage again....”
Lucius stared at the back of Raven's head, his disheveled iron-colored hair betraying nothing. Next time, I shall not fall prey to them, he thought to himself. Instead, he said curtly, “Go to sleep.” He was not terribly surprised when Raven did not listen. Lucius settled himself into the corner behind Raven, leaning against the wall and watching his back. Eventually, deep into the night, the torchlit outlines of Raven's shoulders fell into slow patterns, and only then did Lucius give himself to sleep.
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Thank you for writing this! I'm probably going to hell or something for liking such grim material but this really is awesome <3
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Anyway, I know I already told you this, but I just wanted leave a comment here too. I like this. Good fic for these two pleases me. :D