A Court of Flame & Shadow - Eris x OC

The Cave

As promised, Lucien came back shortly, arms full of assorted garb. He dropped them unceremoniously into a pile at the edge of the lake.

"Where did you get all that?"

"Stolen. There was quite a bit of laundry hanging outside to choose from. It seemed mostly dry. And I also managed to pinch this." He pulled out a tin of what looked like a healing salve and he gave her a toothy grin as if he hadn't just looted his own subjects. "Let's wrap your wounds first."

Vel nodded her thanks as she emerged from the water, finally feeling clean for the first time in over a week. Lucien made a valiant effort to look her in the eye as she came to stand in front of him. With deft fingers, he applied a thick layer of the salve to her back, the heady scent of rosemary and wolfsbane wrapping around them. He worked the ointment so thoroughly that it felt as if a second skin were forming, but at least her back was numb and she was free of pain for the first time in days. Using the clean strips of cloth from what used to be his cloak, Lucien created a makeshift bandage that he wrapped around her middle. "As good as it's going to get I suppose," the male said taking a step back to admire his work. He then seemed to remember that she was wet, cold, and naked in the middle of an autumn forest and quickly walked back towards his abandoned pack to rifle through it. She supposed it was his way of giving her some privacy to get dressed.

Lucien had definitely thought of everything. There were two thick mismatched socks and a pair of boxer shorts that seemed more or less new, along with a green tunic and a brown pair of trousers – simple and well-worn, the stitching lightly frayed on the sides but clean and with no visible tears. The tunic fit perfectly but the trousers were slightly loose around the waist so she used the rope that had been holding up her pouches as a belt. He'd also brought back a grey cloak and a pair of leather boots that were slightly too big. She stuffed some of the leftover strips of material at the front. Once again dry and realativelyy warm, she hummed appreciatively. Lucien took it as a cue that she was once again decent and sauntered over holding four sandwiches.

"Now, you're not only the most wanted fugitive in the Autumn Court but also the best-dressed one," he teased, a playful glint in his russet eyes.

Vel couldn't help but crack a small smile at his attempt to lighten the mood. "All thanks to you. Great fashion sense, by the way. I especially like the mismatched socks and the male boxers." Lucien shrugged casually and handed her two of the sandwiches. "The other socks had holes in them and it felt awkward to steal a lady's undergarments." She laughed, the sound feeling foreign and dissonant in her ears. Vel looked back at Lucien, immensely grateful that, no matter the circumstances, he was able to coax some happiness out of her.

They sat at the edge of the lake, eating Lucien's sandwiches and sharing the berries she'd picked the day before. The full moon reflected on the rippling lake, bathing the forest in a preternatural light. Between the distant roar of the waterfall and the sounds of crepuscular beasts coming out to hunt, the forest was anything but quiet. Lucien laid back on his elbows watching the opposite shore, where a swarm of fireflies had emerged and a lonely stag was rubbing his antlers against a tree.

"Let's eat a proper meal tomorrow. I'm curious if you can hunt as well without a bow."

"In normal circumstances, I might have been able to. But like this ..." she clinked her cuffs against each other, the small bits of chain still attached to them jingling. "I wouldn't count on it." She watched the buck with a mix of yearning and envy. She wished to fly again, to feel the freedom of the skies. But there were bigger things to worry about first. "No chance for a proper meal in the village, huh?"

"It's not worth the risk. The folk in the Autumn Court might do anything they can to earn an extra coin or a new title." They watched as the stag wandered back into the forest. "We'll just have to make the most of what we can find." Lucien unclasped a sleeping bag from his pack and handed it to Vel, before perching on a large boulder. "You can rest, I'll take the first watch."