The Last Elves of the Great Forest

Aftermath

Ruby couldn't stop shaking and she had a pretty good reason. Not even a shower could calm her nerves after what had just happened. He had found them...and there was no way he was going to let them go. She felt sick as more horrifying sensations fought to make themselves known. She laid on her bed, the soft blankets not soothing her in anyway. The room was cold, but she didn't have the energy to move. She was tired and yet she couldn't sleep. It was torture and she wished that her body would decide already on what it wanted. The cold made way for warmth suddenly as her door opened. She didn't move, the magic weakly flickering nearby telling her exactly who was at her door.

"You need to rest Drako," Ruby said as she continued to stare at the wall.

"I know..." he answered with a strained voice that betrayed how worn out he was, "but I couldn't..." She forced herself to get up on her elbows and look at him. He was clean, but exhausted. He was leaning heavily on the door, his body hunched over as if it was an effort just to stay standing. He was shaking slightly and sweat glistened on his heated skin.

"You're going to make it worse if you push yourself like this," Ruby muttered as she slipped off the bed and helped him stand, allowing him to lean on her so he didn't break her door. His mouth moved like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. She didn't need him to say anything though. She knew him too well for him to hide the fear and the worry. "Seriously...you have a fever and you can barely stand. You need to let yourself heal," she allowed a small breeze to sweep through the room and cool Drako's hot skin. He shuddered in what she guessed was relieve. "Come on, back to bed," Ruby tried to lead him back to his room but he wouldn't budge. His grip on her tightened slightly when she tried once again. "Well, you can't stay here in the hallway," she frowned at him, a bit annoyed at him.

After a moment of quiet that calmed Drako's trembling, he softly said, "My room's too hot..." Ruby was surprised. Usually he was good in the heat, loved it in fact. Of course, she liked the cold and her room was too cold at the moment. "Can I sleep in here?" he asked after another moment of nothing.

She sighed softly at the question and led him to the bed, allowing him to sit down, "You don't have to ask. You can just kick me out and I'll take yours," His magic flickered like something tried to blow it out and she paused. "Unless...you don't want me to..."

The warm air grew a bit warmer as he struggled with his words, "I...I can't...can't sleep."

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, that's obvious...and..." she waited him to say something.

He wasn't the type of person to admit something, so she was surprised when he said, "I'm scared. I mean, I was before but..." She felt him go tense and his magic writhed like it was in agony, "I can't stop thinking about how you were...were almost taken and..." he trailed off into silence. He fiddled with his fingers, a nervous habit that he had always had.

"You don't think you would have handled the loneliness well..." Ruby finished for him, sitting down next to him on the bed.

"You know how I was when I was released from the Isolation Cell..." Drako muttered, his eyes unfocused. How could she forget. The Isolation Cell was a single room with no windows and no lights. Elves would go in one at a time and Izac would see how long they could last before they started to break. Drako had lasted for a month. When he had been released, he couldn't be left alone for another month after the horrible experience or he would start panicking.

"But you would still have had Sheela and Artemis," Ruby said quietly, hoping to lessen his fear.

"That doesn't mean it would be better," Drako replied, turning to face her completely, "Once he get's one of us, Izac will disappear. If you had been taken, I never would have been able to find you again. It would have been torture and I-" He stopped as Ruby stared at him. She had never thought of what might have happened. Her hands shook as she took his hand, hoping to erase the possible scenarios that might have happened had Drako not stopped them.