Villainous Thing | The Golden Guard | The Owl House

Soaked And Shivered From The Rain

Eda takes a sip of her Apple Blood, trying to distract herself as she cuts up ingredients. She can hear Hunter's quiet footfalls as he walks towards them, his heels clicking lightly against the hardwood. She hums, and decides to give him the illusion of going unnoticed.

Luz and King are too busy arguing over what they should have for dessert after dinner, and how long in advance they should prepare it, to notice Hunter at all.

Eda wonders what kind of food Hunter likes, somewhere in the back of her head. The kid certainly looks like he could stand to have another meal or two.

The sound of Rascal's panicked chirping is what abruptly yanks Eda out of her thoughts. Her head jerks around, her ears twitching.

Rascal has their talons tugging at Hunter's cloak, curled tightly around his hood, but that doesn't stop Hunter's knees from buckling. Eda shouts, sharp and panicked as she shoots forwards. Her hand finds the back of his head before it can slam against the ground, her other arm supporting his back.

She calls his name, but he's limp in her hold. She can hear his rapid breathing, heavy and quick staccato puffs of air. She feels his forehead, and she nearly jerks away from the heat. His face is flushed a deep red, already slick with sweat from the harsh sun and his oncoming fever.

She immediately checks for any injuries, already forming ideas in her head about every way she's going to eviscerate Emperor Belos the next time they meet.

But there's nothing. There's no blood, no stains on his pristine white and gold clothes.

When her fingers run across his side, she can feel the rungs of his ribs even through the material, though. His spine is knobby against her knees, bones digging into her thighs from where he's sprawled out across her lap. Eda's lips press firmly together.

"Eda?" Luz says quietly, her voice uncharacteristically small. King has a tight grip on the girl's shoulder, looking confused and worried from where he's hanging on to her.

"What's wrong with him?" King asks, his shrill voice not hiding his worry.

Eda gets an arm under Hunter's legs, "I don't think he's injured." But he is worryingly light in her hold, managing to look tiny against her torso. It's an impressive feat considering Eda's own slight frame.

"He's probably sick. His body must have just—given out on him." She'd honestly be surprised if this has never happened to him before.

He's too young to be working himself into the ground, but he seems rather adamant on doing that anyway. The bags under his eyes make him look like he has twin bruises on his face, accentuated by the pale and wan quality of his skin.

Eda walks him over to the couch, laying him down gently. He doesn't stir, his breaths rasping and his hair sticking to his face from sweat. His brow is pinched, his mouth pulled down into a tight frown.

"What do we do?" Luz asks from behind her, her eyes flickering over Hunter. Her hands are clasped and fidgety in front of her, King peering over her shoulder.

"We should just let him sleep for now and ask him how he feels when he wakes up." Eda isn't fond of the plan exactly, but her options are limited.

Her housing The Golden Guard isn't exactly something she wants getting back to the Emperor. And Hunter's trust is hard won, even with the few steps they've seemed to have taken forward, one mess up could send them careening several steps backwards.

If Belos knew he was here, it'd put them all in danger.

So, she unclasps his cloak and bundles him up in a blanket, thick and warm with a large pillow behind his neck. She places an enchanted ice pack on his head to help with the fever, and then all she has left to do is hope that he'll eventually sweat it out.