Take care

“They needed my help, they were down - I couldn’t just leave them there!”

“And how are you to continue helping others, when you yourself have perished” 

Näcken’s gaze hardened around the wound, a nasty gash on his side - just shy of anything vital. It was currently covered by uneven bandaging -whether due to a bad wrap, or because he continued to push on through such an injury - but a growing stain was at the front of the satyr’s concern. Hiraeth didn’t have a reply. The air stilled in the silence. 

Rays of light penetrated the dense tree canopy; natural glowing spotlights dappled across the pair’s surroundings, and casted upon their own forms. The rushing water near sparkled as it ran through the trees, some reaching their long winding roots until they reached the riverbed; completely submerged. Following the river further would lead to the front of Näcken’s house, reaching just short of the door by a couple meters. Had the two continued on, they’d have reached the satyr’s humble swamp abode - however the witch’s keen eye caught falters in Hiraeth’s movements. He was never fooled by that smile.

Now the brow sat on the ground, back resting -not so comfortably- against a rock. His wings drooped to the grass. He probably would never admit this out loud, but his body desperately needed this short break. The wound burned with an intensity that almost felt fresh, like the apparatus was freshly ripped out. Deep bags accompanied his appearance, just by looking at the Hiros you could tell there was a lack of rest. Originally, his attire covered the majority of his bandaging, as the Y-shaped framing of his outfit only left the top of his shoulders, and his chest exposed. At the very least, the actual site of the damage was far back enough that you wouldn’t see it. But currently, with one sleeve pulled off his shoulder and fabric bunching at the waist; it was in full view. 

Näcken was used to seeing an array of coverings and scars, they came with the job - but that wasn’t to say he approved of Hiraeth’s recklessness when it came to his own health and safety.  A sigh of annoyance was followed by the satyr making his way to sit across from the  brow, lightly tossing the fabric of his skirt aside as knees slid across the grass into a seated position. Despite his strong emotions on the topic; Hiraeth was someone close to him, and seeing the pain was almost agony. 

Clinking caught the Hiros’ attention, a wing lowering from his face where it previously shielded line of sight. A small ceramic mug appeared from the depths of Näcken’s bag, followed by another small glass bottle of water. Emptying the last of the bottle’s contents, the satyr pushed the now mostly full mug into Hiraeth’s hands - a silent gesture for the fire aspect aligned brow to heat its contents. Hands wrapped around the sides of the mug, his crest blazing strongly with the use of his aspect. Focused on the task, he almost didn’t notice when Näcken pulled more items out; turmeric and ginger were easy to recognize, but he wasn’t sure what the rest of the smaller herbs were. As the ingredients dropped into the mug, the heat immediately started to bring out their aroma. While seemingly pungent, the smell subsided and melded with the sweet scent of Näcken’s lilies that adorned his body. It was, calming. It wasn’t a cure all, but the tea’s warmth and contents provided relief. Each sip warmed his body, easing tense muscles, pain slowly abating.

A soft breeze traveled through the humid woodlands; carrying an idle conversation and  a mix of sweet and spice fragrance, until they dissipated into nothing from distance.