Common

Vadim passes out. It isn’t shocking, not really. With the state of his injuries he honestly stayed conscious far, far longer than Arsinoe expected. Moving that mangle leg, trying to stand on it? That is more than most could bear. At least this way he will rest free of pain. But she cannot leave him, not yet. She must go fetch Aesara, but her departure has to be while he’s conscious and will remember that she’s coming back for him.

With the sun high overhead, she paces. Arsinoe stays near enough to be on hand, to protect him from any harm, but she does not hover – she cannot stand the sight or the scent of his blood any longer. Hours pass, and dusk creeps over the Common. She draws closer to Vadim again, wishing like hell she had some way to get his massive body out of the saltwater. What if the tide rose enough that his head slips under and he drowns?

But finally, finally he stirs. Her breath catches and she takes a step forward. The first word out of his mouth is her name, and something in her breaks just a bit. He remembers, then, that she had found him. If that remembrance is filled with hatred or with relief remains to be seen, but at least she won’t have to start all over.

“Here,” she tells him, stepping so she is easily within sight. “I wasn’t certain you’d wake up,” she confesses to Vadim, unable to stop staring at the sorry state of him. He’s stopped bleeding, at least, but each breath makes a frankly concerning wheezing sound and Arsinoe cannot stop looking at his leg.

Might as well rip the bandaid off - “I’m going to have to leave you - my daughter is still in the Ruins and I cannot be in two places at once.” Aesara is a year old now, yes, and the Ruins are safe enough. But leaving her alone overnight is still something that Arsinoe is loathe to do. She shifts uncomfortably. “We have to get you out of the water and hidden until I return.” She has no idea how they could possibly manage that, of course, but she sees little other choice.