Chapter Six - The Calm After The Storm
Malenia wasn't sure how long she'd sat here, wrapped in Freomund's arms. Only that she had been here long enough for her tears to dry and sobs to stop. Not that she considered it a bad thing, however. Honestly, it was wonderful, being held like this. Wonderful to be able to get this close to a person - to be lulled by their heartbeat and bask in the warmth of their flesh - without having to worry about imparting unto them a slow and painful death via the Scarlet Rot. Especially after everything this person in particular had done for both her and her brother.
"I…"
She inhaled sharply and took off her helmet.
"I never thought I'd see the day when the Rot no longer writhed within me."
Shifting slightly, Malenia lifted her gaze to stare up at Freomund, and gold clashed against gold as the Draconian's eyes widened.
"I think this is the first time I've ever seen your eyes," he said, a look of what seemed like awe crossing his face. "They're a very striking shade of gold if I do say so myself."
Malenia blinked, and once more her hands went up to her face, albeit more tentatively than the first time around. Embarrassing as it was to say, she'd almost forgotten she could see again - so used was she to the neverending darkness - and it took a moment for her mind to catch up. Granted, her sight wasn't perfect. Everything was still much too bright and her eyes were far too sensitive, but she could see again, even if the world around her was a bit blurry.
Besides, her eyes would recover given enough time, of that she was sure.
"I… I…"
Malenia found her mouth opening and closing as it had back when Freomund had first revealed Miquella's fate to her in the Haligtree, her tongue unable to give voice to the chaotic jumble of thoughts currently swirling through her head. After a while, however, she finally managed to find the words she was looking for.
"Thank you, Freomund."
Nestling deeper into the crook of his neck, Malenia allowed herself to smile, allowed herself to be overwhelmed by the deep-seated sense of relief that had taken root within her.
"Thank you so very, very much."
Freomund merely nodded, shut his eyes, and pulled her close. The two of them stayed like that for a while yet, in that silent maelstrom raging infinitely beyond the static confines of cause and effect, until at last it came time for them to gather their belongings and leave. They still had an Empyrean to retrieve, after all, and getting him out of Mohg's haven wouldn't be an easy feat - for even with all of his followers dead, the very entrance to the Omen's lair would only serve to delay and hinder them further, to say nothing of the shifting mountains of ash that surrounded it.
As Freomund donned his armor, however, Malenia felt that same heat she'd encountered in the cathedral rising to color her cheeks once more, and just like the last time she had no explanation for it. It wasn't as if she'd been sheltered of course. Her mother had gone to great lengths to ensure she knew the way of the world when it came to matters of a more physically intimate variety, but she'd spent so much of her time in service to her brother or otherwise isolating herself entirely on account of the Rot, that signs of romantic attraction like the ones she was currently experiencing were completely foreign.
With a small shake of the head she told herself it was merely gratitude causing the incessant fluttering in her chest and nothing more. And yet, some small part of her knew it wasn't nearly as cut and dry as that. Meanwhile, an even smaller part still hoped against hope itself that the Lord standing before her felt the exact same way whenever he looked at her…
I-X-I
The return trip from Farum Azula had been similar to the voyage they'd taken to get there, sans the boat and all the rowing, though Malenia would've been lying if she'd said she wasn't just the tiniest bit apprehensive when faced with the fact that they had to walk face-first into a tornado. Yes, the first time around a storm had suddenly appeared to ferry them, but even then they'd been knocked unconscious shortly after. Now though? Now she wasn't so sure…
"Hey," Freomund said, taking her by the hand. The flesh-and-blood one she noted pleasantly. "Do you trust me?"
Taking a moment to return her helm to its proper place upon her head, Malenia squeezed his hand in turn.
"With my very life."
With that they'd leapt into the darkness once more. After what felt like an eternity of listlessness within that lightless void, Malenia awoke on the sandy shores of the Lands Between once again. This time to a very familiar, and very furry, snout nuzzling against her face.
"Heh, hello Torrent," she said, reaching up to give his nose a rub before sitting upright once the steed had trotted off. One cursory examination of her surroundings later and she'd spied the reason Torrent had meandered off to begin with.
"Ack! Hey, don't pull on it that hard Torrent! You'll tear the fabric!"
Some thirty feet away sat Freomund, the lower half of his armored form buried beneath the sand with the upper half exposed to the open air, while just to his left stood the spectral steed. Who was, from what she could see anyway, trying to free his master by tugging on the hem of his cape - in stubborn disregard of Freomund's protests to the contrary, she noted with a hint of amusement.
"Do you know how hard it is to find quality material these days? Boc may be a tailor fit for the gods, but even he can't work miracles if there's nothing left to work with!"
Torrent's only reply was a huff followed by another pull. This one even rougher than the last, as though to fully demonstrate just how fed up he was with Freomund's little display.
"Listen Torrent, I'm not a vain man, but do you know how many times I've had to get this blasted thing resewn? Why at the rate you're going, poor Boc's going to be worked to death!"
There was a brief pause and Torrent shook his head as though exasperated.
Then - to absolutely no one's surprise - he gave the cape another tug. Malenia chuckled and observed the ridiculous scene for a moment longer before moving to help. Snaking her arms beneath Freomund's armpits, she proceeded to hoist him up and out before depositing him back onto solid ground with a grunt.
"Thanks," he said, brushing the sand from his greaves in a futile attempt to hide his embarrassment. "I uh… I'm not exactly a picky person when it comes to my appearance-"
He motioned to his armor.
"But I like to at least try and keep the things I own in good condition. It just feels wrong not to, you know?"
Freomund jerked his thumb at Torrent with a sigh.
"But try telling that to this guy."
Torrent pawed the ground with his hoof, and Freomund turned to run his hand through the creature's mane.
"It's okay Torrent. I know you were just trying to help."
Torrent shook his head again, albeit with a bit less intensity this time, and followed it up with a little whinny.
"What? No, of course I'm not upset," Freomund said, his voice dropping to a whisper as he cradled the steed's head in his hands. "Look, I'll get you some apples on the way back to the Haligtree, okay?"
This offer seemed to placate Torrent, who gave Freomund a gentle headbutt.
"Alright, alright. I get it. I love you too," the Draconian said, before giving the steed an affectionate scritch behind the ears. It was only after a second or two that Freomund seemed to recall where he was, and who he was with, before he got right back to business with a spluttering cough.
"Anyway!" he exclaimed as he climbed astride Torrent and took up the reins. "Now that the Rot is gone, would you mind if I offered you a ride back to the Haligtree?"
He proffered Malenia his hand as Torrent danced closer.
"I promise you'll find no steed stauncher nor faster in all the Lands Between."
She flashed him a beaming smile.
"I'd be honored," she said, taking hold of his hand before mounting up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist as her blush returned with a vengeance, albeit one he couldn't see - thank Marika - due to the way her head was angled.
Flashing her a grin from over his shoulder, Freomund spurred Torrent toward the cliffs and into the grasslands that lay just beyond. Beneath the Erdtree's golden rays didst the Empyrean and Elden Lord travel, through the ash strewn wastes of Leyndell and onwards still to the Forbidden Lands, until the day came where they walked amongst the branches of the Haligtree once again.
I-X-I
The first order of business they saw to upon their return was the eradication of the Rot that had infested the tree in Miquella's absence, in addition to removing all the creatures inhabiting it that had been consumed by madness or could no longer be reasoned with. A task that, while not completely doable in a single visit, they'd managed to make great deal of progress on nevertheless. Enough to clear a reasonably safe path to and from Elphael anyway, which was just about all they needed secure access to right now. The next step after this had been the assemblage of forces and equipment, both of which were stationed within and around the Haligtree's Brace due to the added defensibility the castle provided.
Around an hour or so after these things had been seen to, Malenia finally gave her warriors their mission. To travel to the tunnels beneath Leyndell and retrieve her brother, their lord, Miquella from the ruins of Mohg's so-called palace. Fifty of the most experienced knights were sent out along with the tools required, namely tethers, mules, picks, shovels, and sleds - in addition to whatever armaments and supplies they required to brave the dangers of the wilderness, as well as a map denoting the safest routes for travel.
"I hope it is enough," Malenia said as she watched the warriors depart with her arms crossed, a look of genuine concern lining her features.
"I do not relish the thought of having done all of this only to have it come to naught at the hands of the many brigands, madmen, and monsters that so often plague the south."
Having joined her on the rampart some time ago to better observe the procession, Freomund leaned over to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"They and Miquella both will be fine. The men are well-equipped and they know the ways to go in order to avoid danger. At most I suspect their biggest issue will be getting your brother's cocoon out of the sewers."
"Even so, perhaps we should have gone with them. Just to make sure nothing is amiss."
Letting out a patient sigh, Freomund took her by the shoulders and gently spun her round until their gazes met. It was quite the coincidence, however, that he should've chosen this moment in particular to do so, for the sun had just begun to dip beneath the horizon, its rays casting not only the tree but Malenia herself in a fiery blood-orange glow. In truth, Freomund had considered the rhythm of his heart fast when they first embraced in Farum Azula, and again when they rode aback Torrent. Especially when Malenia's arms had come forward to seize him from behind - their strength subtle and unwavering in a way that threatened to steal the breath right from his lungs.
But all of that was nothing compared to the thrum elicited in his heart by the beauty he currently beheld. While he might not have been obvious about it, Freomund had steadily begun to develop feelings for the scarlet Empyrean since the first time they'd met. Back then it had been a simple case of physical attraction, as it was damn near impossible to deny Malenia's natural allure, marred by the Rot as it had been. But as they'd continued to travel together, overcoming one challenge after the other, that feeling had only deepened into something greater.
Something… more.
Something he wasn't sure either of them were ready for just yet, especially not with a rescue in the works and the world in shambles. So, setting his jaw, the Elden Lord cast aside his musings for the time being and shifted his attention back to the matter at hand.
"We have done much already Malenia," he said, as he withdrew his hands and took a step back. "As much as we can truly. Now we must simply have faith in the skill of your men."
Malenia let out a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair.
"You are right. I do those who serve me a disservice by bringing into question their abilities when they have already proven themselves capable enough."
Turning away from the path the knights had taken, she raked her gaze across the castle briefly before massaging her temple with a short exhale.
"And we have been pushing rather hard as of late haven't we? Perhaps it is for the best if we take a moment to ourselves and rest. Besides, it's been ages since I've had a nice bath. Or a nice nap. Or anything that wasn't being stuck in a state of constant pain and suffering really."
Making her way over to the stairs leading to the inner courtyard - Malenia shot Freomund one final, tired, grin before quietly slipping from view.
Freomund, meanwhile, allowed his thoughts to wander.
Though many of them just so happened to find their way right back to a certain Empyrean…
Author's Note: Next chapter will be downtime in which Freomund and Malenia rest and recuperate. And Freomund finally becomes ready to talk about what happened with Melina, and maybe some other people he's met during his journeys throughout the Lands Between. Assuming the story doesn't derail itself that is. Also this was my longest chapter, for this story anyway, to date and dear god did it drain me.
Finally, there's some dialogue I wanted in here that makes reference to characters like Alexander, but by the time I remembered it I couldn't find a way to work it in.
So uh, just imagine Freomund knowing how Alexander felt while he was buried beneath the sand.
Before anyone asks, yes Malenia thinks Freomund's habit of talking to Torrent is cute, and yes it does remind her of Radahn to a degree. At least in regards to how he treated his horse anyway, which is close to the only thing she doesn't hate about him. (For context this was something I also wanted to include but couldn't).
That said, I'm going to go and turn my brain off for the rest of the night.