AthPOV
My vision fades in and out as I run. In my mind I know I am exceedingly late to return and so my family is likely to be worried about me but time lost it's meaning a while ago. My personal guard was barely able to put up a resistance before they were in pieces. The next thing I knew searing pain reminiscent of the burn ripped through my shoulder as first the socket popped out followed by the screeching and ripping sensation at my elbow. It is only because I was moving at the time that I am currently living. Whereas with the burn you can just give into the pain and scream and writhe, if I had stopped as was expected I would certainly have ended up like my guard.
I can still vaguely feel sensations from my missing limb. They've broken a couple fingers of my hand and every so often I feel the sensation of air movement against my skin as though they are tossing it about carelessly. Not to mention the open leaking venom from the wound on my arm as well as the keen wrongness and pull for the limb to be attached to me once more.
Though I dearly wish I could go straight back into the safety of my family and the protective arms of my mate, I cannot let these brutes take them by surprise. They are not as strong as our coven but as Marcus has impressed upon us in the past, the element of surprise is sometimes worth half of an army of men. And I cannot even bare to think of my family suffering at the hands of these rouges.
For a moment I sink against the side of a building, hiding in the shadows and gasping for air I should not need. My chest heaves, sticky venom clotted in the fabric of my bodice and skirts, while I weakly close my eyes and try to listen around me. I know I am mainly going on instinct now, and if someone had told me a month ago that I would be able to survive as far as I have thus far I wouldn't believe them.
I know I'm spoiled. I am exceedingly lucky that Caius offered for me and married me, despite all his quirks; but I do try to be a good wife for him in return. I blearily wonder if the gods are punishing me for something I have done, the relatively easy life I have lived thus far. I vow that if I make it through this that I will try my best to think on it further at a later point.
Hearing no indication that anyone is following for now I push my one arm off the wall and stumble once before continuing my slow creep through the shadows. It is not yet dusk and I hope that with the coming darkness I can finally make the journey back.
Sometime later I contemplate the fact that I almost feel human again, though enduring more pain. I'm uncomfortable, slow, weak, having trouble seeing and every sound makes me jump.
Our current lodgings are rather secluded, an easy fifteen minute run from the outskirts of the city under normal circumstances. It takes me three hours before I finally see the manor house, lights on in the windows.
I take one of the little known passages inwards past the sentries and trip entering one of the main halls. I'm completely blinded now, though I've no idea why but I can feel someone approaching. I shuffle backwards hissing violently at them, my single arm wrapped around myself. I can't hear what they're saying except in a muffled sort of unreal way and finally I allow myself to scream the way I've wished to since this whole ordeal began.
"CAI-US!" My voice breaks half-way through his name and shamefully I feel myself begin to sob again. Hands grab me and I scream and struggle against them momentarily, before another roughly bats them away and embraces me. I know his touch even blind and hysterical; his smell soothing to me unlike anything else on earth.
I slump back into Caius' chest, relief flowing over me. "I am sorry," I whimper to him.
"Do not apologize," he instructs me sternly, "You have done nothing wrong. You have made it back to me, that is what matters." His voice fades out at the end and darkness overtakes me for the first time in centuries.
CPOV
Until this point in my life, I have never been as utterly terrified as I am now for the well-being of my wife. The only thing in my existence that can come close to comparing is when I was turned. This last day and a half have been torturous and though the others did not mention it, they too began to think my wife dead or captured. That the guard groups we sent out to find a trace of her did not only miss her entirely, but that she snuck by them disgusts me.
Athenodora in my arms once more has me thanking any and all of the deities that watched over her while away from me. Whoever blessed her with the cunning and fortitude to return has my eternal devotion. Though she has passed out due to venom loss (a very rare event in vampires though something I have witnessed before in some of our victims), I will ensure her recovery, though I do not know exactly how to go about it, as to my knowledge it has never been done before.
Aro and Marcus as well as their wives are the only ones still left in the room; Sulpicia sobbing tearlessly against Aro, and Didyme blank except for hints of concern like in her brother and husband. Aro looks to me for permission, and I nod as I gather Athenodora against my chest from her slouched position against me.
Aro quickly darts forward, placing a hand gently to her brow in order to accurately read her experience. "Mars above," he mutters softly after a few moments. Without words we begin to relocate to my and my wife's private suite, and I growl aggressively at the loitering guards that we pass.
Aro fills us all in on what occurred succinctly and without his external opinions, a rare happening indeed showing the true seriousness of the situation. And it is an appalling and disturbing tale that he tells. That, to the best of my brother's knowledge, her arm still exists is heartening at least but that is the only bright spot at the moment. That spot is still a dreary one indeed as her arm can easily be destroyed without notice. I have never heard of a vampire suffering of blindness with venom-loss before, but I take Marcus' observation that so few vampires are in my wife's state for long before they are destroyed that not much is known.
We quickly decide and agree upon a course of action in regards to Athenodora's attack. The main issues were that a group had decided to attack our coven, and actually badly hurt and kill some of our members. The guard with Athenodora was no real loss, and had they lived and she lost her limb I would have destroyed them all and likely slowly. Though they only numbered three one would have thought that a coven would have had more difficulty overwhelming them then they seemingly had. Being rare for covens to number more than four due to feeding limitations on the human populations the fact that our coven numbers so much more is something that has very rarely had any of our rivals show the pure unmitigated nerve to try and attack us. That some group would be confident enough to attack us without provocation and injure one of our core coven at that is an act we cannot let go unpunished and is incomprehensible in theory. It screams of idiocy.
In addition, at least while Athenodora is unconscious and her wound bound to slow the leaking of her venom she is not pained; however we have no idea about the long term effects of such a state will bring about on her. She is quite obviously too weak to feed herself, and she will continue to lose venom until her arm is returned or we (somehow) cauterize the wound.
Marcus believes that they have kept her limb still in hopes that it will either draw her back, or tempt the rest of her coven to come forth. He also postulates that they did not recognize the Volturi symbol and that they may not know exactly who they have angered, only that we are possible one of the rarer larger covens who usually win based on pure numbers alone.
What we decided upon was thus, I would leave and glut myself on blood tonight and then return within a few hours. If possible I would bring back a few humans as spares for later. Aro, Marcus and half the guard would then follow the path back through Aro's recollections of Athenodora's memories to the place she left them and they would slaughter them all and retrieve her arm if possible. If they weren't in the exact same place Marcus and the trackers would find them and then continue with their massacre.
After my return and before their leave, I will attempt to bring my wife back to consciousness. We all worry that the longer she is unconscious the more unknown effects it could have on her body and mind. Though the pain will be scrutinizing, I hope that I can at least help her through it rather than a lack of venom doing possible long-term damage.
I quickly situate Athenodora on our bed, propping her slightly against the decorative pillows. I then rapidly turn to begin finding some sort of wrapping to staunch the flow of venom from her arm socket. Luckily both Didyme and Sulpicia seem to have predicted my actions as Didyme readily hands me a long strip of fabric and Suplicia immediately helps hold Athenodora steady so that I can bind the fabric as tightly as possible to reduce her venom outflow.
Once she is situated I press a lingering kiss to her forehead before turning to Aro- Marcus will be busy organizing the external coven and setting up security.
"My duties pull me in two directions. Brother of my heart I am blessed by your bond in my existence and I trust you with my life. I ask you to protect my mate on my behalf as fiercely as you would your own while I am gone,"I say beginning the small ceremony as quickly as I can. Aro rapidly aggress and we conclude the business with expediency. With one last nod I take off out of our property looking forward to reducing some of my pent up anxiety and aggression.
I unconsciously or not have decided to focus my wrath on any being in the vicinity that is exhibiting any form of violence or aggression towards another being. I am fairly undiscriminating normally, (avoiding children really being my only guideline) but tonight I am especially full of a need to bring pain onto those that enjoy watching others scream.- as I know I will not be able to deal justice onto those that harmed my wife myself.
"Please, merc-" the stinking male begs me, hanging limply from my hand as he realizes how futile it is to fight against me. I do not even bother to listen to his words, instead cutting him off as I crush his throat before drinking sloppily in my rage and bloodlust. It is no loss though, as cowards like this are the very worst of human filth. This particular specimen I found in a little used alleyway raping a girl, and yet he pleads with me.
I am unaware of time passing, completely gone into the bloodlust and crazed need for vengeance. Only a small portion of me dedicated towards remaining undetected by the city residents- excluding my prey. They I enjoy sneaking up upon, terrifying to the point some of their very hearts stop. Others I savagely rip apart enjoying the hot rush of still pulsing blood bathe my skin as I gulp another's life force down.
It is well past morning when I finish. The un-bloodied victims I have left where they fell, mainly in the poverty stricken section of the streets. Others, those I lost more reason with I have dragged into a series of buildings in the richer- though no better behaved- section of the city, knocking down some torches to catch alight in the dry building materials the homes are made of, eradicating all evidence of my coming. Well all evidence but the missing individuals. As one last act when leaving the populous I grab and knock unconscious two last humans, slinging them over a shoulder each unworried about their state as long as their hearts still beat for my journey.
As I run I notice the slight uncomfortable full feeling from consuming significantly more blood than I require- accompanying which is the characteristic lazy haze that comes from being so sated. The humans bounce slightly against my back and chest in rhythm with my strides as a soothing accompaniment. I ruthlessly push these sensations away, and without much thought as my mind once more turns to my wife. In the back of my mind I pray to the gods of my youth that I am now sufficiently able to help my Athenodora back to me sane.
The blood drips rapidly into Athenodora's mouth from the open wrist of one of my captures but she does not swallow. The blood fills her mouth and I use my other hand to massage her throat in hope that with enough blood she'll awaken. The heartbeat of the human is starting to slow slightly now and Athenodora still shows no signs of consciousness. Slowly methodically I drip blood down Athenodora's throat, sucking the remaining blood from the human and parting my lips to dribble into her mouth as well. Once finished I toss the now dead human out the nearby window knowing one of the guard will clean it up, and disliking the thought of any of them near my vulnerable mate.
Frustrated I run my hands roughly through my hair, worried that I've seen no signs of improvement yet. Grim determination renews itself in me and I drag the other unconscious human closer. I bite and draw blood into my mouth through the wrist before pushing the blood out into Athenodora's mouth. Crazy though it may be I am hoping this method will at least let her know that I am with her, as well as being less wasteful due to splattering. I continue this for a while sucking at the human's slowly decreasing pulse, forcing the blood past my wife's still lips, accompanying the dripping noise of the welling blood into the bowl that I have positioned for this particular purpose as I know Athenodora will need more when she can feed herself.
Suddenly, my beloved's throat swallows without my manipulations to her neck. I force myself to continue at pace, slowly getting as much blood into her as I can. My mind not only is taking constant account of Athenodora searching and waiting for any more signs of wakefulness but is also flashing through possible ways to help her.
Suddenly a possible thought and plan successfully links it's various components together within my mind. Athenodora has lost too much venom. Blood is what fuels venom. Without venom blood has no use just as wood without fire cannot burn. Venom creates vampires. I sired Athenodora. A mate's venom is the only kind which does not harm another vampire. A small trace of venom is in my mouth at all times. Once I started feeding her orally she showed a small sign of improvement.
And though the idea is perverse in some ways as venom is the most intimate part of us, I do not hesitate to drop the human's wrist over the bowl for later. Everything in me is saying that this at the very least will not make her any worse.
"Grunh-" I make a sound between a growl and a grunt as I sink my teeth into my own wrist. I drag my jaw a little to pull the two sides around the wound open further, flexing to bring some of my own venom to the surface. My other hand darts out and my fingers sink into the bite holding the wound open otherwise it would heal almost instantly on it's own.
I clench and release the muscles in my arm causing my venom to drip into Athenodora's mouth. Holding myself open to the air is painful, however the pain does not register as after a few gushes Athenodora's eyes begin to twitch beneath their lids. Minutes later I can just barely hear her whimper.
"Beloved, do not fret. Continue swallowing," I urge her trying to get her to do as I say as well as transfer as much of the slow moving pink-tinged venom into her mouth. Normally the venom is clear but considering my overindulgence not too long ago the excess blood is not yet consumed. The abundance of the blood in the venom should help her recover as well.
The sensation of draining myself is a strange one. It is painful, yet oddly satisfying in sharing something so sacred with my mate. A few minutes more the fingertips of her one hand start to flutter and she whines again. She moves her head slightly as though waking and so I find myself slipping my venom streaked hand out of the wound on my arm and into her lovely blonde hair so I can hold her still. "You are safe my wife, do not struggle," I tell her with forced calm as she begins to move more.
It seems an eternity passes before she finally opens her eyes. Instantly I capture her gaze with mine, keeping her focus on me so she does not wind herself up. "You are safe, and I have you, Beloved. Keep drinking for a little while longer," I instruct, pulling her closer to my chest as her hand comes up and grasps at me.
I resume flexing the muscles in my arm so that the venom flows quicker to her for a time before she weakly pushes my forearm away. "Enough, we don't know what losing venom will cost you-" she protests softly. I cut her off but let the wound on my arm heal anyways.
"I have more than enough to spare for my mate in need," I growl down at her. She tucks her head beneath my chin, shuddering and trembling in my arms.
"I thought I would never see you again, Caius," she admits to me whimpering a little at the end and breathing in my scent.
"I would have come for you, Beloved. Never think otherwise. You did very well on your own, but I will protect you now. Merely try to relax. Do you wish blood? I have some, and I can send a guard out for more."
"No, no blood. I feel strange. Dizzy maybe? Nauseous? I do not remember. It frightens me," she admits whispering at the end, pain heavily present in her voice. "I can feel my arm leaking out," she gasps a sob shaking my chest with the force of it, "Am I going to die, Caius?"
I press her head harder into myself, not letting her look at her limb. "No," I snarl out. "You will not die. I am much too selfish to let you leave me," I continue letting my remark come out as it did at the beginning of our marriage when I had to hide my sentiments behind harsher remarks. My mate is smart though and with time caught on.
"I don't want to leave," she whimpers out and I silently curse.
"And so you will not," I insist forcefully stroking her hair in such a way that I hope is calming.
"Come, drink some blood," I command and though she whines again she does as I bid her to.
A little while later after she has finished the remaining human and the half-congealed blood from the basin she jolts against me, eyes flying open. "I can feel my arm moving again. Gods it hurts, Caius. The raw edges hurt so much," she cries, tearless sobs shaking her body.
"I know Beloved, try to listen to my voice. Concentrate on being here with me."
Though it ends up being only a day and a half after Athenodora wakes until Aro and Marcus return with (as Aro put it) 'your wayward arm, dear,' I will always remember those hours as centuries. Holding her through the deep sharp pain and the fear of feeling something she could not see. Propping her against myself while holding a human across our laps so she could feed more, and tearing my hard flesh open for her to partake time and again. Trying and failing to staunch the venom as it leaked from her.
Marcus is holding my wife steady while Aro carefully lines up her arm slowly easing it back into place while I seal the tear with my venom. Athenodora is trying her best not to squirm and whimper in pain though it is difficult for her. Due to the length of time without her limb we want to make sure placing it back on again goes perfectly, hence why the three of us are working together on her. Marcus rumbles soothingly into her ear, stroking up and down her back in an attempt to calm and ground her. Finally everything seems to fit back into place and I lick at the new scar on her shoulder. The scar is faint, but I know it will likely bother my wife for sometime.
"Alright, my dear. Try moving it," Aro instructs lightly, watching with sharp and serious eyes. Athenodora grimaces and then her hand twitches.
"Try again," I say softly when she looks at me in fear, "the arm lost venom too remember, it may take some time to replace some from the rest of your body."
She nods and swallows before crinkling her brow and slowly flexing her fingers. I have lost various limbs before and the process is never enjoyable. There is a disconnect for a time and it takes some work to get it back to functioning fully. Having another help by gently pushing and working the muscles and tendons beneath the skin speeds up the uncomfortable and sometimes painful process.
Thanking my brothers for their help, I take Athenodora out into the garden and work with her on re-mastering the use of her arm. I only received the barest of synopsis from my brothers on the events which occurred when they hunted down the coven that injured my wife, but I do know that whomever these Romanians are that seek out covens and attack them, I will eventually make them pay dearly for what they've done. I will not forget nor will I show them any mercy when I get my chance.
AN: I hope you enjoyed this little oneshot. It's an extension on my longer piece Until Dawn though back in time. It also explores Caius and Athenodora's relationship and was quite interesting to write. I may at some point in the future do a little piece where Athenodora and Caius met as well as Sulpicia and Aro. Take Care!