WOW Challenge # 8 Wounded
Author: promisetruth
Pairing: Fem!Tabris/Nelaros
Characters: Fem!Tabris, Shianni, Soris, Nelaros, Vaughan
Rating: T
Word Count: 760
Summary: AU where Nelaros (Fem!Tabris-Lithra husband to be) lives and discovers what happened to him after he goes to rescue his bride (Fem!Tabris- Lithra) and her bridesmaids.
*******
Nelaros woke to a pounding head and the feeling that something was very, very wrong.
"Unnng," he moaned as the elf pulled his body to a sitting position on the bed. "What happened to me?"
"Oh! Oh, you're awake!" Nelaros heard a woman exclaim. It was the redheaded elf that he had met earlier; her eyes where red, puffy, and acting like a wall to her real feelings. Something had definitely gone wrong. She winced when she saw him. "You look awful."
"Uh, thanks?" he replied as the man gingerly placed his hand to the back of his head. When he pulled it away it was slick with blood. "What happened? Shianni, was it?" Shianni nodded and handed him a bottle of strong smelling ale.
"You'll need it. We don't have any medicine and it's the strongest thing I have. Look down, I need to change your bandages." Nelaros did as he was told, ignoring the feeling of pain from the wound he received by tracing the neck of the bottle with his finger. The woman's fingers were cool against his head.
"I don't remember what happened. One minute I was waking up for something....something important. And now this." he felt Shianni's fingers slip and touch a more sensitive part of the injury. "Ouch, hey watch it!"
"Well quit moving and it wouldn't hurt that much!" she hissed back, obviously tying the bandage around his head harder then necessary. She stepped in front of him, admiring her handy work.
"You still haven't told me how," Nelaros pointed to his head. "This happened."
"You don't remember? They really did hit you hard over the head. Then again Lithra thought you were dead."
Nelaros eyes widened at the mention of the name. "I know her! I am to wed her! Is she okay?"
"Oh shit," Shianni cursed. She reached for the bottle and took a long swing. "Me and my big mouth..." the man stood up quickly from the bed, staggering slightly from his lightheadedness.
"Where..." he panted. "Is...she?" Shianni forced the drink into his hands and pushed him down back onto the bed. She sat down next to him.
"Slow down Nelaros. You will want to be sitting once you know this information." Nelaros looked over at the redheaded woman. She was looking down into her lap, her hands protectively clasped over her legs. Her dark eyes were moist with terror.
"What happened? What happened to my fiance?" then after a moment of silence he tentatively added. "What happened to you?"
"The wedding was going as planned...Lith and Soris looked amazing. And the sun was shining and everyone was happy. Like for one moment we could all forget what I did to Vaughan..."
"What did you do?"
Shianni sighed. "Right, you don't remember. I think it was along the lines of saying 'Touch me and I'll gut you, you pig!' and nailed him on the back the head with a bottle." Nelaros eyebrows rose in surprise.
"I bet that left one hell of a wound."
"Yeah, well, they came back later and took some of the bridesmaids, myself, and Lith."
"Those villains!" the woman grimaced.
"That's the same exact thing you said when they took us away. Apparently everyone wanted to leave us to our 'luck' but you rallied Soris and the Grey Warden Duncan to help rescue us."
"Soris...yes...yes I remember Soris." Nelaros eyes lit up. "But what happened? No, no, I remember it quite well! We escaped with Lithra and yourself...and they knocked me on the head and I suppose she killed Vaughan." he stood up violently. "Where is she? I must see her!"
"Why don't you understand Nelaros!" Shianni cried, the tears she had been holding back before poured down her face. "Lith is dead! She took the blame, letting you and Soris get away free. She was hung this morning." the woman franticly pointed out the window. "You want to see for yourself? Her body is still hanging there because they couldn't give a rats ass about her!" Shianni sobbed harder.
"Dead?..." Nelaros questioned as he sat back down on the bed limply. "But...but I promised to her... that I'd spend every waking moment learning to make her happy..."
Shianni blankly looked in front of her. "Soris has a scar running down his face. You have no wife. Cyrion lost his only daughter. I was raped. And Lith is dead. We're all wounded now..."
Nelaros could only shake his head in agreement as he took another sip of the ale. No truer words could ever be spoken.