Eurion couldn’t help but arch his brow in response at the half apology. Considering how firm she had been with her words during yesterdays argument it caught the assassin off guard, staring at her in silence for a moment before he came up with the right response to what Aideen had said.
Because it wasn’t fine, dragging Eurion along on a mission that seemed impossible nearly in his mind. Saying the things she had said yesterday morning to all of them, but in the end, he supposed that he wouldn’t have met Sláine, would have killed him if Aideen hadn’t stopped him and that wouldn’t have been a whole different can of worms he would have had to face at some point. He would have none about the bond - or lack thereof, when he killed him, but now he couldn’t see himself without it.
“As long as by the end of all this it’s not all in vain,” Eurion shrugged, “It’ll be fine.” They weren’t friends, at least not yet, but if they were able to be civil with one another like they were now then maybe they had a chance of getting there. Right now Eurion was still mad at her, but at least they had a semi truce and that was enough. The princes weren’t terrible, Sláine was great, Caoimhe was becoming more likeable and it felt kind of… nice, to maybe have some friends, if that was what they were heading towards. If they didn’t all die along the way.
It was as much of an apology as Eurion was going to get from her, especially at the current point in their relationship. Aideen wasn't much for apologizing for things, with Caoimhe being the only exception most of the time. Even he had to pry some out of her sometimes, usually in the form of the kicked puppy eyes. And considering how stubborn and hard-headed Eurion could be, she didn't expect him to take the half-assed attempt and accept it. His response also surprised her, but she nodded all the same and left it at that. They could revisit this later if all things went to hell.
Time passed with occasional bouts of conversation. Eurion continued to play with and pet Sláine's hair, while Aideen and Caoimhe took the time to rest and snuggle, and the second prince remained cuddled into the assassin's lap, twitching and grunting now and then from the dreams he was stuck in. Aideen let him sleep for two hours, not willing to risk waiting any longer, and when the time came, she extracted herself from Caoimhe's grasp to undo the spell. The Witch knelt by Eurion and held her hands around the prince's head once more, her hands glowing, and removed the fog that had dragged him under and kept him there. Almost instantly, he took a deep breath and shifted, resurfacing. Without a word, she moved back to Caoimhe to begin getting ready to leave and talked quietly with him.
Sláine woke slowly. He groaned at the need to wake up, but blissfully didn't remember any of the dreams he had. Aideen's magic on his mind was a heavy one, but he was used to it at this point. It didn't make the grogginess any better to deal with or face. It took a minute for his eyes to flutter open, and thirty seconds for him to roll onto his back and squint up at the figure above him—his pillow. Just a few seconds for him to smile softly, sleepy, and murmur in a rough, sleep-ridden voice, "Hey, baby." Waking up to Eurion will never get old.
Eurion was already looking at Sláine when he woke, trying his best to hide the worry that shone in his eyes when Aideen lifted the spell. But that worry was quickly changed into one what had his cheeks burning and his eyes widening. Was the prince aware of what he was saying? Sure, Aideen and Caoimhe weren’t necessarily in ear shot unless they were trying really hard to hear Sláine’s sleep ridden words but it didn’t stop the assassin from panicking.
“Hello,” Was his first response, because he didn’t know what to say. Baby? No one had said that, not in the way Sláine had just done with that sleepy, soft smile and how he gazed up at him like that. It made his cheeks darken all the more and he was so glad that he was looking down and not at the other two, “Did you-“ He cleared his throat, “Did you get some rest?”
Obviously the answer would be yes, because as much as it had been nightmare filled at least he had had some sleep and would hopefully be feeling a little better. But Eurion didn’t know what else to say. The prince had him flustered easier than anyone he had ever met with just one single word and it made his heart leap- both from the fluttery feeling that arose at the name but also knowing that if they spoke too loud the others would hear and it would be Eurion taking the brunt of the questioning.
Oh, that reaction was beautiful. Sláine grinned up at Eurion, pride and affection glittering in his eyes. Eurion blushed prettier than anyone the prince had ever seen before, and so quickly at that. Was it the pet name, he wondered? Or the voice? Sláine knew he was attracted to the assassin's voice, so it was a possibility. But the quickness and deep coloring of Eurion's cheeks were too much to just ignore. It was the perfect way to wake up, even if he had been forced into sleep.
"Was that all it took?" he teased. He didn't care about the rest he got—Eurion knew that, and didn't really care either. But the assassin was flustered, and Sláine was so infatuated with this man, and he wanted to take every little sliver of time they could have together before the next stop. He reached out, lazily looking for one of the man's hands, and continued. "Baby? Do you like it when I call you that?" If so, he would start using it as frequently as possible.
Eurion was beyond adorable when this flustered, asking questions that had obvious answers and bright red in the face. Sláine had enough working thoughts to recognize the worry in the man's eyes, so he was sure to keep his voice down to avoid the other two hearing. Vaguely, he could hear them bickering over something random, so they had a low chance of even paying attention to him and the assassin. But Eurion worried, and though Sláine was too tired to care about being caught, he cared about Eurion.
Eurion opened his mouth to reply, closed it again, frowned - although it was more of a pout - and then took Sláine’s hand in one of his own when he noticed the other was reaching for it. It was entirely unfair for him to be teased that way because he was sure it was obvious that no one had ever treated him that way, with sweet, silky kindness and pet names and the way the prince continued on about it just had him flushing darker. It was obvious against his pale skin and there was nothing for him to blame it on considering where they were.
“Sláine…” Eurion mumbled. He lifted the leg that the prince wasn’t resting on up so he could perch his head in his other hand in a very poor attempt to hide the redness, “You- fuck you.” He really didn’t know what else to say.
He was sure if he asked about his rest again it would be ignored in favour of continuing to tease him about his blush and how quickly he became flustered at the simple name, so he didn’t bother. Eurion didn’t have many words at the moment because anything he said would come out broken and hushed and mumbled. The fact it had taken just one name to get him like this was unbelievable, but he wasn’t used to it, and especially when it came from Sláine it made his heart race all the more.
Sláine curled his fingers around Eurion's hand, happy now that he got to have some form of contact that wasn't just him using Eurion as a pillow. He wanted to laugh, and his humor shone in his eyes alongside the unabashed affection, but he also knew that Eurion only reacted so strongly to things that he had been denied during his life. Sláine teasing him that way was fun for the prince, and he thoroughly enjoyed flustering the assassin so easily with the simplest but most heartfelt things he could do, so there was no stopping him from doing it again and again for as long as he could. But he wasn't an ass. Too much, at least.
A tiny snort did slip through. "Not right now," he teased, then gave Eurion just a little bit of mercy. "Yes, baby, I did get some rest. I'm just tired now, is all. It'll pass eventually." Idly, his thumb rubbed against Eurion's hand where he had dropped them against his chest. "Thank you for putting up with me. I put you in a bad position."
When he was crashing, he had known it was a bad idea to go to Eurion for comfort. He knew that there would be suspicions and questions, and so many ways for the seemingly innocent act to backfire on them both. Their relationship was so new, so unknown when looking at the true depths, that they weren't at the right time to be divulging that sort of information to the others. But he had wanted Eurion in that moment, wanted his warmth and his presence, and it made it all the easier for him to fall asleep unguarded when he knew the man would be looking over him.
The name once again had the assassin’s eyes widening and he turned his head into his hand and shut his eyes just for a moment to compose himself just a touch, just to make sure he didn’t stutter to hell and back. Sláine was a menace for using the name again especially after his first reaction but Eurion should have known that the fucker would do something like that considering his nature. When his eyes had returned to their natural state, maybe squinted just slightly, he looked back to his prince, cheeks still flushed.
“I’m glad you got some rest,” He squeezed Sláine’s hand a touch, “It’s not putting up with you if I do these things willingly.”
Because he could have moved Sláine. Eurion could have asked Caoimhe to take his place and move away from him but he didn’t. He chose to stay, to remain as a pillow and give comfort. It ended up helping him, too, considering his idle braiding had helped him earlier from spiralling into a mess of worries and thoughts about the Gods that he was sure to return to later. Right now, though, Sláine was smiling up at him softly, Eurion was blushing madly and it felt like it was only the two of them in the whole world.
Once again, reality always seemed to still for a moment when it was just them, as much as Aideen and Caoimhe were only feet away, they felt worlds apart.
Sláine was having far too much fun with this. He just woke up, he could barely keep his eyes open—let alone function properly—but Eurion was being adorable and so reactive to Sláine's teasings that he couldn't help himself. Aideen and Caoimhe had noticed by now, and they spared the two fleeting glances before giving each other a look and turning the other way to keep themselves busy. They didn't know what was going on, and they didn't really want to find out right at that moment. They'd leave when they were ready and done doing… whatever it was they were doing.
"You look cute trying to look unbothered." So maybe Sláine wasn't quite done teasing his assassin. Eurion's squinted eyes only amused the prince even more when he noticed them, especially considering how wide they went every time he said the word 'baby.' The assassin was playing unruffled, pretending he hadn't reacted the way he did, when he had just needed a moment to compose himself. Not to mention the wild blush on his cheeks.
And maybe Sláine was a tad loopy from the deep, magically induced sleep.
He hummed and considered Eurion's statement. "True," he allowed, then tipped his head back a little in a small jerk, as if he were wanting a kiss. "But I know how much you worry over me, among everything else. You wouldn't have moved me even if you weren't willing." Because then the assassin would fuss over his comfort, if Sláine needed anything, or the inevitable reactions to him dreaming—because as much as he didn't remember them, he knew he dreamed.
It was tempting to give in to the want to kiss his prince when he tilted his head the way he did, but Eurion refrained. As much as they were holding hands he could blame it on Sláine wanting something to ground himself into the conscious world instead of the dreaming one. Totally not because they both simply wanted the touch. A kiss? That was harder to explain and definitely not worth the risk at the moment. Eurion was sure the other two had noticed whatever it was between them by now but he didn’t care because his prince had all his attention.
“I guess so.” Eurion would have worried. It was instinct to worry about his mate, especially when he was having nightmares and clearly uncomfortable. As much as he tired to hide the fact that he didn’t care about him, about any of them but especially Sláine, he was failing miserably.
Eurion moved the hand that his face was resting in, tracing the braids he had made softly with his fingertips, “I’m glad you got some rest. You needed it. You liked so tired and-“ He had worried, a lot, “I’m glad you’re okay now.”
It took a lot to not pout when he didn't get a kiss, even when he knew they couldn't, but Sláine couldn't help himself. It's been far too long since the last kiss they shared, and he wanted one—just one—to tide him over. But it wasn't the time or place for that. The bubble they shared still existed within a space that contained others. A little bit of the pout slipped through, along with a huffy sigh.
But then his face melted into soft affection and sadness, remorse taking the place of his pout. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't—it wasn't a lie, but I didn't want you to know. I was hoping I'd last until we got to our next stop." The prince turned towards the touch to the braids and dropped his gaze from Eurion's eyes. He couldn't face him. "I didn't like lying to you. I don't like making you worry either, though. I'm sorry."
Even if it had just been an oversimplification of the truth, Sláine still felt the sting when he thought about what he had told Eurion back in the inn. The assassin was worried about him, and he didn't want to stress him out even more, but in the end he still likely hurt the other with the untruth. The prince could only imagine how Eurion had felt when Aideen made the observation. He had felt the assassin's accusatory gaze on him. Anger was expected, and as much as he enjoyed the soft moment as he slowly woke up, he welcomed it because Eurion deserved to feel upset.
At Sláine’s words Eurion was reminded that he had been lied to, that his mate had actively and willing lied to his face. He was a hypocrite for getting upset when he knew he would have done the same in a similar situation, but he couldn’t fathom the thought of lying to him, not now that he had spoken more with Aideen and Caoimhe about mates, now that the thought was solidified and that bond glowed at the realisation.
“I don’t like lying, Sláine. We’re-“ Mates. Eurion paused, sighed, and used his free hand to draw his princes gaze back to meet his eyes, “We’re connected, you and I. I am going to worry about you regardless and you lying doesn’t make that any better. It hurts.”
He understood why the prince had done so, but it still didn’t stop him from feeling upset about the matter as much as he felt guilty for doing so, “All I ask for is honesty, and I promise to give you the same.” Eurion would try, for Sláine, for whatever the fuck they had going on to see if they would make it work - mates or no - because at least then he could say he tried, at the end of the day. But they couldn’t do that if they weren’t on the same page.
When Eurion tilted his face to make him look up at him, Sláine slid his eyes off to the side for a brief moment. He hated making Eurion upset like that. Bracing himself for the anger had done nothing to ward away the disappointment in himself for hurting his assassin, and the sinking feeling in his chest that gripped at his heart.
But looking away also felt cowardly, so he forced himself to meet Eurion's gaze once more, though it was difficult to hold it. "I know," he said, voice just barely a whisper. "It could've been worse, but—I know. I'm sorry." Sláine lifted Eurion's hand and touched the back of it to the prince's lips. "I'll try; I'll do better." Because he couldn't promise no white lies. Sláine had gone most of his life diminishing the things that would make people worry until it was blatantly obvious he wasn't okay. It hurt like a bitch to see Eurion like this, looking at Sláine like this, so he never wanted to invoke this conversation again. But he couldn't predict the future.
"I promise," he said, and sealed it with a fleeting kiss before dropping their hands back to his chest. His heart was pounding. Fuck, it wasn't even a proper argument and he was still nervous and afraid, like a little kid being scolded and waiting to be put into timeout.
"As do I." By now Eurion's blush had faded. He didn't like having this conversation just as much as Sláine, but it was necessary. Having avoided difficult talks for most of his life, having no one to worry about or anyone to worry about him, they were both in the same predicament when it came to whether or not they would be honest with one another about their states. As long as they both tried, then they would be okay, Eurion knew that much.
The assassin moved his hand slightly, letting his fingers spread out across his prince's chest. His expression softened, doing his best to convey that he wasn't angry at Sláine. He was hurt, yes, but it would pass and they would be able to forget about it unless something like this happened again. All Eurion hoped for was that they would be able to talk- that Sláine would be honest next time instead of trying to hide it from him. But, he understood why he did, and so he couldn't be too upset with him, "Breathe, Sláine," It was more of an order than anything else, "It's okay."
He was the one person that Eurion didn't want to feel like they had to be scared of, that he would yell or shout. He was aware he had a short fuse, as shown with Aideen yesterday, but the thought of hurting Sláine was enough to wrangle whatever temper he had and shut it down. It wasn't the way you spoke to a partner, and as much as nothing was set in stone, they may as well be.
Sláine did as ordered on instinct, even if it wasn't fear that was driving his racing heart and emotions. The prince wrapped his fingers around Eurion's wrist and curled onto his side, facing Eurion's body and careful of the braids in his hair. "I don't like feeling you hurt and knowing it was me," he said. Because he felt it. Somehow, he could sense Eurion's hurt, just as he had sensed it when Aideen made them stop. It wasn't something he didn't necessarily want, but he hated knowing that he was the cause and that it could've been easily avoided.
And… maybe he was a little afraid of Eurion being angry. As sure as Sláine was in their relationship, he knew that Eurion could be a little insecure. He also knew that this entire thing was complicated, and had so many things that could make it even more difficult. What if Eurion got upset with Sláine one day and decided it wasn't worth all the shit? That, even despite the obvious bond between them, he didn't want to deal with being in a relationship with a prince? It had happened before, minus the bond.
But he wasn't afraid of Eurion's anger—his temper. The prince didn't fear being yelled at for nothing or for something relatively small. The assassin disliked lying, especially from the person he was connected with; that was understandable, and he knew he'd deserve the anger if he did it again and lied about something even worse. He curled up as close as possible to Eurion and peered up at him, making a point to breathe again. "It's just—I guess you're not the only one that worries over things. But I'm okay." His free hand rested on his assassin's leg, and he gently squeezed. "Still. I felt bad the second I said it. I'm sure it won't happen again."
Eurion was so tempted to pull Sláine up into his lap fully, have him seated there so he could wrap the prince in his arms and hug and hold him and tell him that, as much as he was hurt from the lying, he understood. But he couldn’t, and it fucking sucked. Not being able to comfort the way that he wanted. Not being able to kiss and hold more than the bare minimum to avoid the list of questions he was sure the other two already had from growing. The downside to their bond. They couldn’t have found it at both the best and worst possible time.
If it hadn’t sparked on instinct and initial meeting- impossible, Eurion knew- then they wouldn’t be in this mess. He wouldn’t have cared whether or not the prince lied about how much sleep he got, wouldn’t feel hurt that he had kept it from him despite his obvious concern and worry. They wouldn’t have to take small touches and hide their hands as much as possible with their bodies away from Caoimhe and Aideen. It would be simpler, so much easier to stay unbothered by all of it.
“I understand,” Cane Eurion’s soft response. Strange how his tone could shift so easily when it came to his prince, “You don’t have to explain.” The apology and simple conversation was enough. Eurion was aware of the fact they both worried, clearly more than they wanted and definitely more than they let on. Whether or not it was going to be more of an issue would be discovered in time, but for now, they would be okay.
Sláine had similar wants that he resisted. Just from the soft tone his assassin used on him and no one else and the look in his eyes, the prince wanted to crawl into Eurion's lap and stay there—warm, comfortable, and surrounded by everything Eurion. Sláine wanted to kiss and hug and breathe the man in to keep his heart calm and happy, to pretend like the world wasn't moving and they weren't important enough to need to do anything but be together.
They couldn't, though. The most Sláine could do was perch himself as far onto Eurion's lap as he could dare and hold his hand and give him promises. "I… can talk about it, if you want to know. Not right now, but later." Maybe at another time. Because right now, he didn't want to sour the idea of finding another inn and having his assassin fully to himself once more. The prince sighed and pouted up at Eurion once more—they could discuss their mutual worries later. "I can't wait to have you properly again. I don't like needing to set extra limits on what we can do."
Maybe, maybe, if he was feeling rebellious and needy enough, he could sneak a quick but desperate kiss when Aideen and Caoimhe had their backs turned—and that thought was crystal clear in the way he looked up at the man. Eurion would undoubtably flush and fuss at him that they needed to be careful, but Sláine missed him. It sucked tumbling so fast and so hard for this man, and not being able to express that whenever he wanted, just because it wasn't a normal thing to do. It felt natural to him, and he assumed it was natural to Eurion as well, perhaps even more-so. The connection wasn't a witch thing, that much the prince knew. But it didn't matter to him, because it pulled him in the right direction and gave him someone incredible—someone that he currently couldn't express that to.
Eurion squeezed Sláine's hand, offering a small, half smile that was clearly creased with worry despite how much he tried to hide it, "Later. Maybe we can talk about it later." Right now wasn't the time, tonight may also not be the time. It would be a shame to line the best part of their days with a conversation that would make them both upset and they didn't need that at the moment. They both needed something to look forward to. Eurion missed Sláine just as much. That burning and yearning for the other man only grew the longer they were in one another's presence and it was entirely unfair that they weren't able to indulge in each other how they wanted. As much as sneaking around was his entire life, Eurion didn't want to do that with his prince.
"I feel the same. It's why we should keep moving if you're feeling okay enough to do so." The longer they waited around the longer it would take to reach their next checkpoint. It was going to be another long walk and they would have to make up some time by travelling further into the night to hopefully regain at least a little of the time they had lost.
They couldn't afford any more problems. They would miss Skyfall, at least the beginning of the festivities if they kept waiting and having to stop, dealing with issues and dangers that weren't supposed to be real. Eurion wanted as much time with his prince as he could get, but right now they had delayed far too long for his liking. It was a struggle to think about having to pull away from Sláine so soon, especially when it felt like forever since he had been able to hold at least some part of him. Now they were going to have to go back to pretending, at least somewhat, that nothing was going on with the two of them.
Sláine sighed, severely disliking that subtle nudge to get up so that they could go. Caoimhe and Aideen undoubtably had their shit ready and were just waiting for him and Eurion to get a move-on, and they were running out of daylight. Logic didn't mesh well with what he wanted, though, and he wanted more time to be within this bubble with his assassin that still looked so worried. "I know. I'm feeling okay, but I'm not okay with leaving." But he would. Now that he was paying attention, his bones weren't too fond of him sleeping stationary on the ground, even with Eurion's thigh as a pillow. As much as he was used to it, that didn't stop his body from protesting the discomfort.
With a quick kiss to Eurion's hand, and giving up on his dreams of sneaking a real one behind their companions' backs, the prince rolled back over and extracted himself from his assassin's warmth and comfort. It took some fighting sudden dizziness from moving too quickly, and a whispered reminder to himself to go slow, but he eventually made it to his feet with minimal issue. Caoimhe watched from afar, having noticed his brother moving and deeming it safe to look that way.
They didn't know what to make of the situation. There were definitely thoughts, and ones that they shared among each other, but what they thought they knew about Eurion didn't add up to how he was treating Sláine, and they definitely weren't used to the prince so unguarded with another person in such a short amount of time. After a moment of hesitation, Aideen grabbed her stuff and resumed acting like nothing was amiss, going over to Eurion to pat him on the shoulder. "Sorry about him. Sláine gets a little cuddly when he's tired." Sláine bore his teeth in a silent snarl.
Eurion held back the comment that he was more than fine with the cuddling, as well as resisting the urge to place and hand on Sláine's lower back to keep him steady and secure. Instead, he opted to ignore he comment, picking his back up over his shoulder with a slight wince from his wound and making sure his bow was secure in his other hand, "We need to get going. We've lost enough time as it is and if we don't want to make camp in the middle of nowhere, we should get moving."
It was mainly because Eurion wanted some private time with Sláine more than actually getting to a safe place, but it worked out as being a positive thing either way. The woods closer to Dalthia became more dangerous the longer they travelled. Even the assassin wasn't fond of staying out in the open around these parts because he had had one too many bad run ins along the way.
He hoped it wasn't a bad omen, but considering his shit luck it wouldn't surprise him if that was the reason for all the crap that went down. Hopefully with the other three, whatever bad luck he may have could be counteracted by them but he doubted it. Logically it should just all be coincidence but Eurion never thought it was, especially when it came to who was watching over his every move.
Aideen hummed and clapped her hands, getting the twins' attention. "Alright, you heard the man; let's get going. If he falls behind, we're taking turns dragging Sláine's ass along. We're losing daylight, and I'd like to keep the thought of sleeping in a bed tonight." The younger prince didn't even waste breath arguing with her about his ability to keep up with them. If he did fall back, he had a feeling Eurion would be there to keep him steady and help him keep pace. An innocent touch, nothing out of the ordinary—especially when Aideen made him everyone's problem.
Caoimhe gathered his things, then Aideen's as well without a word when she rounded to him and handed over her bag. The witch wasted no time before shifting into a magpie and flying off to scout ahead, and Caoimhe went up to his brother and Eurion, gently shooing Sláine out of the clearing and towards the road. "Dee's going to fly ahead a bit. Stretch her wings and be useful," he said, mostly for Eurion's benefit.
Sláine rested his forehead against his twin's shoulder for a moment, a silent 'good morning' that was received with a gentle head pat. The braids Eurion had put in the prince's hair stayed, as he didn't want to take them out and ruin his assassin's hard work. It didn't need to be pointed out for him to know it had been Eurion's work. No one else had been close enough, to do it, and Aideen couldn't braid worth a shit, so that left only one person. After the brothers had their silent exchange, they separated and Sláine put himself reasonably placed between the two of them, though just a little closer to Eurion because he couldn't deny that pull.
"Probably a good idea," Eurion said in response to Caoimhe, "It would be nice to know if any danger decides to make an appearance again."
It was becoming a nuisance to have to resist grabbing Sláine's hand, hold his waist and make sure he was steady, whisper soft things in his ear as they walked to keep them both entertained and to get them to keep walking to make it to their next stop. It was going to be a long few hours, he knew that much.
The day dragged on, with the three men making soft conversation between them as they walked, both Eurion and Caoimhe making sure Sláine was okay here and there, offering to provide support if they thought the prince was going to falter but everything was okay. Aideen popped in and out, scouting ahead and returning to stir up drama and tease all of them which Eurion did not approve of when the area they were travelling through was prone to aggressive witches and witch hunters alike.
As much as he wasn't fond of Sláine masking his features because the horns and teeth were, quite frankly, becoming some of the most beautiful parts about him to the assassin. Well that and everything else about the prince. But it was a shame they had to mask them, although it was probably a good thing where they were currently, and Eurion couldn't help but be on edge as the sun began to set and they still hadn't made it to a safe place.
To keep their magic more exercised, as the masking wasn't quite cutting it, the twins played several rounds of catch. It was innocent, simple magic, but stimulating enough that it kept the metaphorical muscles of their magic warm and loose. They tossed anything between pebbles to odd sticks to the odd lost object off the side of the road. They'd throw them into the air in any direction, and it would pop up at random, the other needing to trace its path and catch it in time. Aideen judged them, but it helped Sláine wake up a little easier, and his magic thrummed happily.
He chucked the head of a mushroom off to the side, Caoimhe held out a hand and caught it all the way on the opposite direction. Just as the prince was gearing up to throw it back, Aideen came fluttering back and shifted back, oddly quiet. Both princes paused and looked to her. "What is it?" Caoimhe asked when she didn't volunteer to fill the silence.
"I don't know," she said. "It could be nothing. But there's an old camp a few miles up. Coals are cold and mostly ash, and the grass isn't flattened by any means. No sign of death or life." Which wasn't entirely a good thing. It could mean they were walking into something sketchy that got the last person, or there was still someone there, lurking. "I couldn't sense anything." No witch aura, at least. But depending on how powerful, they might be blocking it. The guard was stressed, unsure of what to do. But there wasn't really any other way they could go besides towards it, if they didn't want to get lost within the trees.
Eurion’s ears twitched. Nothing. No sound, no distant chirp of a bird or rustling among the under growth. Deadly silence. He should have known that whatever bad omen seemed to be following him, whichever one of his overseers had decided to make his life even worse than it currently was would let something like this happen. He swore softly in his mother tongue, slowly and very carefully drawing his bow in case anything decided to pop out.
Silently, he motioned for the group to keep walking. They didn’t exactly have a choice when it came down to it, they all knew that if there was anyone there they were going to have to face it. It was the only way, and Eurion wasn’t going to risk loosing everyone in the woods, not in the dark, definitely not with a tired Sláine.
They walked for another five minutes in silence with nothing making themselves known until finally, there was a crackle. It could have been nothing at first, just a snap of a twig but then it grew and grew and there was a flame hovering just out of sight. Eurion stilled, they all did, and then he shot the arrow he had had in his bow. It burnt and turned to ash when it got close to the same.
“Look who it is,” The voice called from the distance, taking a few step forwards into the light of their fire and in view of the group, “The little princey’s, their guard and-“ They paused, “A Fae of all people.” They laughed, “Really you- you three are unbelievable befriending Fae out here. If you didn’t have enough to worry about you gotta watch your back with him.”
The witches went on full alert at the voice. Aideen shifted and fluttered away to a better position for sneak attacks, while Caoimhe grabbed his scythe and held it at the ready, Sláine taking up position at his back with his hands hovering by his swords. Those flames might not be ideal for melee—he'd have to rely on his magic.
"And yet I see a coward hiding in the night," Caoimhe crooned, dropping the mask to snarl at the person. "Witch."
Sláine dropped his as well and kept his eyes on Eurion, even as he called back, "What do you want?"
Because this was obviously a targeted attack. They knew who the princes were even without the telltale signs, who Aideen was. And they wouldn't be hiding in the trees in the dead of night to have a fun little chat. Witches fighting witches wasn't uncommon by any means, they were just as prone to hubris as any other being, so they made no assumption that this was a friendly social call and went straight for defense mode.
Getting riled up by the attitude towards Eurion would do him no good, even if Sláine wanted to shoot back that his Fae was a whole lot more trustworthy than them right at that moment. But losing his temper this early on would backfire, and it would distract from the real problem: get out as soon as possible. His magic curled invisible fingers around Eurion's wrists and forearms like bracers, lending strength and hoping to comfort for mostly his own sake.
Eurion’s own magic twisted around his hands and his bow, just like it had done with the night stalkers. Only this was a witch, a person with magic that was opposite to his and no matter how strong Eurion thought he was, he didn’t know whether it was a good idea to use his own magic in this instance and leave it to the others. He didn’t speak, he kept his mouth in a tight lipped frown. But his arrow hadn’t done shit, hadn’t even got close to making its mark. He could already feel his shadows wanting to squirm away.
“Coward?” The witch slipped out further into the light, a smirk plastered across their face, “I’m not a coward, Caoimhe, no no no.” They chuckled, letting their fire grow and shrink, “As for what I want well, I’ve come for you two,” They motioned to the princes, “You both make a pretty good prize and your heads would do perfectly.” That grin just grew even more.
Eurion couldn’t help but feel his nerves grow. Somehow they had known that they would be there, that the princes would be out and with Aideen. Targeted, had they been on their way to the palace to get the princes themselves? Was this all a coincidence? He didn’t know, but he was worried for all of them at this point. Worried that his prince and his family would end up on the wrong end of that fire, worried that something would happen to him and he wouldn’t be able to help Sláine.
The witch took a few more steps forward until they were in full view, only a few feet away. Still keeping their distance but at least now they were in full view, especially with their fire highlighting their hard features and sadistic grin.
At the witch getting closer, Caoimhe held out his scythe in warning to stay back, his face hard and thoroughly pissed off at this point. A witchhunter, but one of their own. Looking for a quick payday, or were they a frequent hunter of their own kind? Did they join with hunters after convincing them they were a good investment? It was rare, but witchhunters sometimes did hire witches because they were adept at killing others. Either way, the prince wasn't having it and he narrowed his eyes at them. "Come any closer and it'll be your head on a pike. Not nearly as pretty, but hey, compromises have to be made."
Sláine elbowed his brother's back, silently scolding him for provoking the person who just said they're here to kill them. But with those flames… he was more worried about Eurion than them. His assassin's shadows would be rendered useless against the flames, and he'd be vulnerable. His arrow hadn't done anything to even so much as startle them. And fire wasn't something you messed with, however simple an affinity it was. Destruction followed fire, and fire fed on weakness and recklessness.
He resisted the urge to yank Eurion over to him and into his chest, but he did curl his magic around Eurion's ear, then dip his head down to whisper to himself. "Do not do anything stupid. If you see light coming at you, back off." The words slipped through a tiny pocket and transfered to Eurion's ear, sounding as if the prince was right by him. Telling the assassin to back away entirely would likely get him a dirty look and maybe a scolding after the fact, so he didn't. But Sláine didn't trust this to be an easy fight when they risked getting close and being farther away.
Up above, Aideen watched, waiting for the right moment to flutter down and attack just as she had done with Eurion—this time with her sword.
The witch tutted, their fire curling around their arms and hands. It grew with every second they spoke, crackling and flickering just begging to be released upon the group. As they scanned the three men, they noted the very subtle crease of worry on the assassin, how Sláine seemed to be positioning his body in a way that was protective of him as much as the witch couldn’t hear what the prince said. Weakness always showed if one was patient enough, stalled enough, because it gave them an advantage knowing that the Fae meant something to the younger prince.
“Who said I was coming any closer?” The witch’s head tilted to the side and the flames erupted from his hands, encircling the trio in a ring of fire that burned hotter than it should have, flickered and tried to lick at their feet.
In the back of his mind, Eurion felt his shadows squeal, the ones around his hands and bow were quick to disappear and vanish back into their respective places. He tried not to stumble as he did his best to move as close to the middle of the circle as he could, needing to get away as much as possible but he couldn’t help but falter slightly.
The witch turned their attention up towards the sky, “Now, where’s your little birdie lover, Caoimhe?” They tried to scan the area but saw no sign of the shifter, instead focusing back towards the ring of flame.
Caoimhe jerked back with a curse, but took that moment to let out a quick whistle. Several things happened at once. Sláine lunged for Eurion to drag him away from the flames and keep him steady. Caoimhe drove his scythe into the ground and used it as a channel for his magic. It surged through in a pulse to counter the heat of the flames, battling the magic to change it. And while the witch had that, Aideen dove out of the trees and shifted midair to have her sword at the ready, her body braced for impact.
Besides Aideen, who was going for harm at the least, it was a collective defense to set the scales back into their favor when they were quite literally surrounded, and one of them was out of commission. Sláine made himself vulnerable by going for his obvious weakness, but he refused to have Eurion falling into the fire.
"Motherfucker," Sláine hissed, and looked for something that could help to keep the witch unbalanced. The ground around Caoimhe's scythe had broken up both from the impact and the surge of magic, rock and dirt rolling loose. He didn't let himself debate too hard and swept his hand in its direction. His magic picked up everything it could, and just like their game of catch, sent them all in different directions to have them redirect and go right back at the witch. Distract, distract, distract, until they had a game plan.
The witch snarled. One against four- well, three - wasn't exactly the best outcome when it came to whether or not they were actually going to get the prince's heads or not. But they were certainly going to try. With the rocks loose and heading towards them, Aideen falling from the sky with her sword at the ready, there wasn't much they could do bar encase themselves in a ball of flame. Any rock or rubble that hit the outside burnt and turned to ash just as Eurion's arrow had done and if Aideen wanted some serious burns she was headed in the right direction.
Caoimhe's magic lessened the heat of the circle of flame around them, and with the witch distracted it slowly diminished into a scattering of embers that pricked up whenever they moved as if still trying to keep them contained. All the focus, however, was on that defensive shield of flame and so it was easy for the three to quickly escape the entrapment that had been made.
But it was never easy, never simple, and Eurion could feel the heat from the witch's flames even from a distance. He could hear and feel how the shadows in the trees scurried to get away, feel the ones that weren't quick enough and were lost to the light with nothing but a few sparks killing them. He was defenceless because he couldn't get close to attack without risking something dangerous and couldn't use his magic, and the assassin couldn't help the panic that set in his eyes at the realisation.
When the ball of flame finally softened it was clear the witch was having fun with the fight. They launched a stream of fire towards Aideen and one at Caoimhe with both their hands, but from the way their gaze shifted towards Sláine, towards Eurion? The assassin knew that they were waiting for an opportunity.
Aideen screeched as the heat seared her skin, even when she didn't touch the flames. She quickly shifted and caught the updraft of the fire to get as far away as possible, and hovered up above to reorient herself. She should've expected that, but had hoped she could take the opportunity presented by Caoimhe to take the witch by surprise. Apparently not. Her skin throbbed from the heat of the fire, and she tried backing away to save herself from it, but it seemed like a never-ending hell. Caoimhe, though, didn't let himself be proud of dousing the fire of the ring because he saw and felt the defensive fire and was readying himself for another lash. It was never easy, because it wouldn't take long to get stabbed in the back if they ran.
And he was right.
"Fuck!" Caoimhe threw up a shield to protect himself, and Aideen dove out of the flames' way in the nick of time, though some of her feathers were smoking from being singed. They were too busy protecting themselves to focus on Eurion and Sláine, which put the younger prince and assassin in the witch's direct line of view.
Sláine threw up a shield as well, just in case, but his focus was split between that and protecting Eurion. It wasn't as strong as he needed it to be. This was bad. Eurion was panicking, he was panicking because Eurion was panicking, and the witch looked ready to tear them apart as they attacked the other two as if they were nothing more than flies by their ears. "Eurion," Sláine called, trying to get the assassin's attention off of the dying shadows. "Stay calm for me, acushla."
