InsaneJournal

Interlude: Omens & SM4HE 5
Interlude: Omens 1096 Words
(Because Tasha can not keep her noisey POV out of any TCoLg Story.)

SM4HE 5 - 1169 Words
Terren was dozing when he heard Thewellsha gasp. Terren opened his eyes, sat up straighter in his chair and turned to Tori’ata .

The fingers of the arm being held up in the air by a harness were twitching.

Not to odd by it self, Fingers toes tail tip ears, they had all been twitching while Tori’ata slept. But this movement looked controlled. Like Tori’ata was trying to fist his hand but the cast was getting in the way. The other hand skimmed over the sheets as Tori’ata was pushing against the mattress.

“Tori?” Thwellsha asked.

Tori’ata ’s ears twitched and the one eye that they could see opened. Bright blue, but still glassy. Still dazed and drugged.

“Sha...” Tori’ata ’s voice was harsh, a dry whisper. Thewellsha offered him a glass of water with a straw which Tori’ata drunk gratefully. There was a time when he had only been allowed chips of ice but that had been a week ago. “Mom...?”

Terren bit his tounge and looked away. They had already told him three times. And each time Tori’ata cried. Then he would sleep again, and forget.

This time however Tori’ata ’s glassy blue eye closed as if he was already falling asleep again. Terren sighed in relief only for Tori’ata ’s eye to open again, looking less glassy by the moment as he turned his head and locked that eye on Terren .

“I see...Eppii?”

“Not as bad as he could be.” Sha answered.

“And me?”

Again silence, they had never told him the full extent, but they had told him some before, and maybe some of it had stuck because he closed his mouth and eye. Concentrating and flicked his tail, it had been in pretty good condition under the bunt fur. But now it had gathered it’s own collection of bandages.

“Skin graphs?” He asked opening his eye again.

Sha coughed and looked away for a moment.

“Yes.” Thwellsha admitted. “Your chest should look normal again once the fur grows back...you might have the odd black hair here and there so, most of your fur burnt right off so they weren’t sure what colour it would grow back as.”

“My arm?”

“They’re doing that next.” Terren offered.

“And my face?”

Sha coughed which turned into a sob.

“T - they’re doing what they can.” Terren said quietly.

“Which is?”

“...Most of your face will be fine.” Thwellsha said when Terren looked down at his lap.

Tori’ata did not say anything to that, Terren put his hand over Tori’ata ’s, it was covered in bandages too but it would recover fine without help, it was only Tori’ata ’s face, chest and other arm that had been so badly hurt.

“Tori.” Terren whispered, but the older fox had heard him and even though it must have hurt, he twisted his hand around to grip his little cousin’s hand.

“How many times have you told me this already?” Tori’ata asked with a tiny crooked smirk.

Terren tried to smile back but it did not work.

“Three times, while I have been here at least.” Terren admitted. “But I haven’t been here all the time.”

“You better not have been.” Tori’ata said. “I am sorry...for not remembering.”

“It’s okay.” Terren said, even though it was not, Tori’ata was the smartest fox Terren knew, sharp as a blade, and it was not like him to forget anything, ever. “But you should not...”

“You need to rest Tori.” Sha said. “you are going to be here for a while.”

“Maybe when you wake up Eppii will be here too?” Terren added.

Tori’ata tried to laugh but it turned into a hacking cough.

“Sure he will.” Troi’ata gasped. “Eppii would never pass up the chance to torment me while I could not escape.”

“Tori!” Sha almost shouted.

The one eyebrow Terren could see rose to what was left of Tori’ata’s hair line.

“Please, I have lost time but I still remember you reading to me.” Tori'ata said. “Thank you for picking a book I actually liked.”

“You could hear me!” Sha smiled.

Tori’ata smiled back and when Thwellsha left saying she was going to get some more water Tori’ata looked at Terren and closed his eye and opened his eye again.

“...Er was that meant to be a wink?”

Tori’ata rolled his eye. “Yes.”

“So you didn’t remember her reading to you?” Terren asked his ears drooping.

“No. But don’t you tell her that.” Tori’ata said that one eyebrow now low and heavy in a one sided frown.

“So what do you remember?” Terren asked.

Tori’ata didn’t answer, but when he closed his eye tears escaped from underneath.

“Tori’ata...Tori I am sorry I shouldn’t have asked that.” Terren said quickly wanting to smack himself over the head.

Tori’ata was silent for a long time, for a moment Terren thought he had fallen asleep.

“I - It.... it.... was hardly your fault.” Tori’ata struggled to regain his composure.

“Tell that to the rest of the city.”

“Huh?”

Terren fidgeted. He was not meant know, and Tori’ata did not need anything else on his mind.

“Eppii...” Tori’ata muttered. “If he was affected that mean’s other Earth Elementalists were. Channellers too.”

Terren nodded.

“So...do they think Mage home knew it was going to happen?”

“They know that Father and the King could not stand to be in the same room together, and that the king was at Greencave, and that father was not.”

“Terren !” Sha snapped as she came in with a new pitcher of water and a medic, an old rat who’s grey fur was dotted with white. “Tori’ata does not need to know about that.”

“I asked.” Tori’ata said.

“Well you shouldn’t have.”

“I didn’t want to fall asleep again.” Tori’ata admitted.

“Well this is the longest you’ve stayed awake so far.” The medic said twitching his whiskers. “This is a good sign, but you are still recovering from physical and mental trauma. So please do not push yourself.”

Sha made a ’tut’ing sound and played with her lose fringe with one hand. “Telling Tori’ata not to push himself. Yeah that will be effective.”

Tori’ata smirked. “You know me to well Sha.”

By the time word reach the Archmage that Tori’ata was awake and alert and had come to see him, a newly awake Eppii’ata following in his wake Tori’ata had fallen back asleep anyway.

But when he woke up the next day he remembered.

And Eppii’ata was waiting reading out all the post articles about the miracle of his survival, some saying he was lucky and had brought hope to hundreds of people who had been waiting for news of their loved ones.

It irritated Tori’ata no end. But at least if any of the articles were less kind, believing that Mage home was to blame for the cave in, Eppii’ata did not read them out.

That did not stop him from throwing a pillow at Eppii’ata ’s head the moment he recovered enough concentration to form a blue casting orb.