"How will you fight when you've run out of mana?" Mihris asked. He put his hands behind his back, puffing up his slender chest as he paced before the two girls who glanced at each other in amusement. Amaryllis bit into her bottom lip to fight off an oncoming giggle. Mihris, however, was not amused. "This is no laughing matter. It will happen to you, one way or another, and you must be prepared to fight for your life when it does. How will you fight off a Templar when he has purged you of your abilities? When you have used up all of your reserves, how will you defend yourself?"
Ellana was the first to answer. "I could run away."
"That's right," Amaryllis nodded in agreement. "Ellana is fast. She could outrun anyone."
"I don't doubt her ability in that," their father said. He took a step closer and crossed his arms over his chest, gaze turned far more serious. "But how will you run when your sister has been injured? You cannot carry her on your own. There isn't enough time to pick her up. You are both out of mana and out of time. What will you do? "
"Scream for help?" Amaryllis murmured, hissing when her sister's elbow met her side. She rubbed at the spot and shot Ellana a dirty look. "What? You said you'd run away."
"There is no one around to hear your call," Mihris continued. His expression grew grave. Haunted. "There is no one."
Amaryllis froze. Fear crawled up her spine, itching like the many legs of a centipede. She had screamed. Akasha had screamed, but their mother was dead. No one could hear them. No one could save them. They were alone. Memories she had fought to repress came flooding back. Water at my chest, caged inside a box swiftly filling with ice and my lungs are burning, screaming, help me…
A hand to her trembling shoulder broke her of the spell. Amaryllis's head jerked up towards Mihris. His gaze held the same terrible anguish, face twisted in pain. He understood.
"You need to know how to protect yourselves," his voice held tender concern. "There may be times I won't be there to protect you. Magic is one thing, but fighting is another. I didn't bring you here today only for my peace of mind," he ran a hand over both his daughters' heads. The tension finally broke when the three of them laughed. "I brought you here because this is something you must learn. Not only to defend yourselves, but to fight for those you hold dear."
"Yes, babae. " Ellana said.
"We will listen." Amaryllis added, finally taking revenge on her sister by nudging her back with a little too much force. Ellana squeaked.
Mihris smiled and took a few steps back until he stood a full meter away. "Good. Let's begin."
Staff work relied mostly on stance and upper body strength. They had practiced, for what felt like weeks on end, how to properly pull their staves from their backs - how to slide their feet along the grass into a stance that could hold the full weight of their spells. With time and practice came an ease to their movements, a gracefulness Amaryllis had never thought possible.
Hand-to-hand, however, was another story.
Non-magical, physical combat required whole body strength. It required a surety to every movement, a steadiness that Amaryllis knew did not exist within her teenage body. She much preferred the comfort of a staff in her hands.
It also didn't help that she had no talent for it.
Amaryllis angled her body to the side, aimed at protecting her most sensitive parts while Ellana closed in. Her fists seemed far too small to do any real damage, but when they made contact with her sister's upper-arm it was with a force Amaryllis would never have imagined Ellana held within her.
The force of Ellana's punch sent her reeling. She lost balance and scrambled to keep herself up, tripping over her own feet, swinging her arms out to catch her fall. Mihris was behind her quickly, setting a steady hand against her shoulder. Amaryllis did not fall.
She smiled up at Mihris, guiltily. He shook his head and sighed. "You have to plant your feet, Amaryllis. Put your weight into them. We have been over this many times."
"I know," she had to fight to keep the whine out of her voice. As it was, she barely kept herself from stomping a foot in frustration. They had been over it many times. For weeks. Yet she still stumbled. "I just can't do it."
"You can." He disagreed, giving her a gentle push forward. Mihris bent and took hold of her calves, shifting her legs into position, then pulled her wrists forward to do the same. "Plant your feet. Imagine your soles aren't yours, but the ground beneath you. Tense your legs. One more time." He motioned towards Ellana, who was watching with a satisfied grin.
Where Amaryllis was gifted with great control over her magic, Ellana was gifted with strength. She took to combat with no setbacks. Ellana's body built lean muscle with ease. Even her toes seemed to hold power that Amaryllis couldn't even dream of. When they sparred, it was always Ellana who won. Yet the older they became, the further apart they grew, and not just in their abilities.
Ellana seemed to grow more resentful and jealous with every passing day. It had started small, with playful jabs towards Amaryllis after meditation time, then to zapping her when she was praised by the Keeper. She wasn't obvious in her frustration with Amaryllis, not enough for the adults to notice, but enough that Amaryllis had. She wasn't sure how to approach the situation. If she were to be honest, she was afraid. Afraid that Ellana would come to hate her forever.
She tried not to show off, to lay low and allow her sister to get the recognition she deserved. It worked for the most part, and when not practicing with the Keeper, Faelyn, or Mihris, it was as if nothing had come between them.
Amaryllis had a feeling that it would only last so long. A conversation had to happen. She just didn't know how to start it.
Ellana took a quick step forward, then another, swinging her arm out to catch Amaryllis lightly in the side. A test. Ellana smiled encouragingly, still riding the high of her many wins, and beckoned her sister to come.
She shuffled a bit, trying to focus on her posture, on the way her toes dug into the grass, then took a deep breath. The only way she would have a chance to win is if she let go of her negativity and anxiety. So, she did, by quick-stepping to the side, fast enough that Ellana didn't have enough time to react, and shoved her aside with her shoulder.
It was Ellana who slid across the grass this time, though she did not fall. Her stance was perfect.
"Yes, just like that," Mihris said with a supportive nod and a clap. "Try to get in another hit, Amaryllis. See if you can knock her over this time."
It took that bit of praise for Ellana's delighted expression to slide away. Instead Amaryllis was met with a bitter frown and a flex of Ellana's narrow shoulders. She threw herself to the right, ducking with ease as Amaryllis threw her arm out on instinct. Her punch met nothing but air, but when Ellana's leg came out to sweep her off her feet, she stood her ground. She imagined her feet melding with the ground, becoming the soil beneath her. And she did not fall.
Amaryllis grinned widely, feeling triumphant. Mihris could be heard clapping again, praising them both for their quick thinking and determination.
The praise for Amaryllis, however, was all Ellana had heard. His praise set her ablaze. Amaryllis should have known not to turn to meet him.
She hit the ground with a thud and a cry. Her head cracked against the dirt, one hand flying up to her face to grip her spurting nose. Blood spilled down her cheeks to her ears and over her lips. It was metallic rust on her tongue. Mihris was at her side in an instant, hands fluttering anxiously over her. They settled on her head, bringing her to sit up while he curled his hand around the back to check for bleeding. He sighed in relief when his fingers came away dry.
"Ellana," Mihris's voice was rough. Amaryllis looked at her sister through bleary eyes, blinking away tears of pain. Their father pulled a cloth from his pack and pressed it against Amaryllis's nose. He pushed her blood-slick hand away gently. He spoke again, this time quieter, less gravelly but still firm. Disappointment was clear in his expression. "You should not have done that."
"S-She looked away," Ellana let her hands fall away from her face where they had been covering her evident shock. "I didn't know- I didn't mean to hit her that hard, truly."
"Yet you still hit her." He argued, coaxing Amaryllis to stand. He still did not look towards his daughter. He held the cloth tightly to Amaryllis's nose, encouraging her to tip her head forward. "This was not a true fight, Ellana, just practice. I've told you both many times not to take it too far. We do not do this to hurt each other." Mihris turned to her then, frown deepening with each word he spoke, though they rang true. "You could have severely injured her, Ellana."
"I said I didn't mean to," she urged. Her lower lip shook. Tears filled her widened sunflower eyes.
"You chose to hit her, Ellana. That was all you. You meant to hurt her."
"But I didn't mean to make her bleed ." She stamped her foot in obstinance. Her voice was wet. She sniffled. Mihris pressed on, frustrated by her unwillingness to admit her wrongs.
"But you did. "
"I can't believe this," Ellana cried. Her shaking hands turned to fists at her side. "I can't believe you're taking her side in this. I'm your daughter."
"Yes, you are, and I love you still. But you have done wrong, da'len, " He did seem to take pity on her then, expression softened into one of sorrow at her pain. "I wouldn't be a good father if I didn't correct it."
"You-" Her sobs overtook her then. Ellana bent in on herself, crossing her arms as if she were trying to keep herself from falling apart in front of them. She shook her head, stamped her foot again, but nothing put an end to her tears. Without a word, she took off in a sprint towards camp.
Mihris made no noise, turning back towards Amaryllis. He lifted the cloth from her nose to test the flow. It was beginning to stop. She took hold of it then, pressing it against her sore nostrils, unsure of where to look. She found herself fixating on a particularly twisted twig upon the ground. Its leaves were still new, the bright green of spring, but soon they'd wither, turning a gritty brown. Soon, they would be gone.
" Ir abelas, da'len, " Mihris murmured. He set a hand upon her shoulder, smiling though his gaze was full of worry and regret. "She should not have done that. And you-" He pulled her hand away to check once more. The bleeding had stopped. "You should not have looked away. If you hadn't you would not be standing here, bleeding."
"I know," she murmured, resisting the urge to kick at the ground as her sister often did when anxious. After years together, they had begun to adopt each other's mannerisms. The thought of it made her grin. She regretted it immediately when blood spread from her upper lip across her front teeth. She was sure she looked feral. "She just needs a moment to gather her thoughts. She truly didn't mean it - I know that."
"You're too kind to her," he laughed, slinging an arm around her shoulder as they headed home. "Anyone in your situation would be angry, and rightfully so. You have a gentle soul."
"So does Ellana," she added. Mihris grinned toothily. His eyes crinkled at the sides. Amaryllis was filled with a sense of love and longing. She was so happy to have found them - her new family - though she still ached for even a glimpse of her own. "And so do you. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be here today, like this. I owe her for that."
"As do I," he agreed. "I shouldn't have been so hard on her. I have some apologizing to do as well."
"We all make mistakes. It would do me no good to keep a grudge for something so menial."
"Hmm, at least she didn't break your nose. You might feel differently then."
When they crossed the line into their encampment, Mihris walked off to find Faelyn, their resident healer, and Amaryllis entered their tent, surprised to find Ellana curled up beneath the blankets, unmoving.
She sat beside her, bottom lip between her teeth, deliberating on whether to speak first or to wait for Ellana when her sister flopped on her right towards her, blinking red-rimmed eyes until they focused on Amaryllis. Then, she gasped, hand instinctively grasping at her chest where Amaryllis was sure her heart was attempting to break free. She couldn't help but laugh.
" Fenedhis, " Ellana hissed. "I didn't hear you come in. You've-" she swallowed, eyes darting away and then back towards the ichor splattered across Amaryllis's face. "You didn't think to wash, first?"
"Mihris said to wait for Faelyn," she shrugged, scratching at her cheek. Brown flakes peeled away and fell to her lap. She gagged. "Apparently he thinks I'll make it worse if I so much as touch it."
Ellana stayed quiet for a moment, pensive, then smirked. "You would."
"Excuse you," Amaryllis picked up her discarded nightclothes and threw them at her sister, who laughed openly. "I recall a certain someone tripping over a root and skinning her knee yesterday, all because she just had to be first to wash up."
"Why does this remind me of the time you almost fell face first into the fire?" Ellana pondered, tapping at her chin. "Or the time you knocked over the rising bread and had to spend the morning helping Lellana prepare a new batch?"
"Alright, I get it, I'm the clumsy one." She groaned, flopping back on the bed beside her sister, quickly turning to her side with a screech when the sore spot on her head hit the ground once more. She rubbed at it with cool fingers, conjuring ice at her fingertips to ease the pain.
Ellana was no longer laughing. She watched on with glassy eyes, cheeks stained with newly shed tears. She pursed her lips to stop their quivering, but her chin shook instead. "I'm sorry," she croaked. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry."
"I know," Amaryllis murmured, reaching with her clean hand for her sister's fist. Ellana uncurled her fingers to tangle theirs together. "I love you, you know that, right?"
"I do," she sniffled and ran the back of her hand across her face to rub her tears away. "I'm sorry I've been so terrible to you lately. It's just-"
"You don't have to say it," Amaryllis shook her head and grinned. "I'm jealous of you, too. Why is it that you have better control over your legs? Why am I always the one skinning my knee?"
"That's not-"
Amaryllis shushed her and scooted closer, laughing at Ellana's disgusted expression. She turned serious for a moment, her smile turning lonely. "I'm jealous of you too, and the fact that you have a father who loves you."
"You do too," Ellana urged, squeezing her hand tightly. She cuddled closer towards her, this time uncaring of her messy face. "You have a father who loves you, even if he isn't blood."
"Ugh," Amaryllis gagged, leaning her head away from her sisters'. "Please, don't say that word, I feel sick enough as is."
"What, blood?"
"Stop," she whined, pushing even further away. "I'll vomit and I'll make sure it's in your direction!"
"Did I miss something?" A deep voice spoke from the entryway. Mihris laughed at their jumpiness. "Please hold back any vomit or we'll be sleeping out in the forest tonight."
"We sleep in the forest every night. That's where we live. " Amaryllis grumbled.
"Yes, well, I meant with the creatures. You know, the wild ones."
"We've got a wild one right here," Ellana's voice came out a bit squeaky in her nervousness. "We sleep with her every night."
Mihris smiled and took a seat beside the two, setting down the bowl of water and clean cloths he had brought with him. "You've got me there. Have you heard her snoring? She sounds like a bear!"
Amaryllis scoffed and sat up a little too quickly, gripping her aching head in her hands. Mihris dipped a cloth in the water. Wringing the excess, he used it to begin cleaning the dried blood from his daughter's face.
Ellana sat up, and with one last sniffle, pulled another cloth from the pile and did the same as her father, lifting it to gently swipe away the grime.
Amaryllis sighed and closed her eyes, revelling in her family's attention. If only it could last forever.
Seasons had come and gone, at first like the steady trickle of sand through an hourglass then sudden and swift like the river's current during the first heavy rain of spring after the frost had melted away from the land.
For a while, it had been difficult for Amaryllis to think of the life and family she had lost, though she had gained so much. She'd wake in the early mornings — while crickets still chirped and owls cooed their nightly song — with a start, mid-scream or sob, and turn her face into the furs beneath her, breathing in as deeply as she could, until her lungs felt like they might burst through her chest. She would lie awake for hours, until the sun rose, thinking about what had become of her father. How lonely he must be without his family.
She wondered, mostly, if he was still alive, and if he would ever find happiness again, like she had. She wondered, often, about where her mother and Akasha had gone, now that it was obvious to her that heaven had been just some foolish man's fever dream.
Amaryllis wondered, at all hours of the day, when she would be able to remember her past in a way that wouldn't send her into a panic. She wondered when she would be able to think of them at all without the cruel, hollow feeling in her chest.
And Amaryllis wondered — not for the first time, nor the last — why misfortune seemed to follow her everywhere she went.
It was the spring of their fourteenth year when Mihris woke the girls early one morning to help him hunt for the day's meals.
"How will you contribute to the clan," he asked "if you do not learn from the best?"
"I'm going to tell Eldrin you said that." Amaryllis commented sarcastically while she pulled her hair into a messy bun. It had grown well past her shoulders by then, more than long enough to tie back since it was always getting in the way. She often thought of cutting it all off again and how easy it had been to take care of when it was shorter, but the long wavy tresses reminded her of her mother's own thick brown hair and she felt oddly comforted by the thought.
"Oh, please do," Mihris said with a roll of his eyes. The edges crinkled deeply whenever he smiled lately and Amaryllis enjoyed the way it softened his expression. "He still counts his kills every morning to try and win some ridiculous challenge he has thought up. If he doesn't know it already by now, someone must tell him, and it won't be me."
"Wow, babae , I didn't know you were so confident in yourself. We will see who's the greatest when it's me bringing home a new record."
"Now Ellana," he scolded, holding the doors of the aravel open while they all jumped out of the back. The clan had packed up when the weather had begun to warm, as they did every year, and travelled to a new section of forest so that the natural life there could replenish itself. This time they had moved further east, away from the river towards inland. Amaryllis had actually begun to miss the whooshing sound of the neverending current. "Don't get ahead of yourself."
Ellana scoffed and the other two grinned, but the group stayed quiet as they made their way into the forest, feet landing softly against the muddied ground. It had rained the day before and it still dripped from the branches above, splattering against cheeks still reddened from sleep.
"Today we will spend more time focusing on skinning the animals properly so that we are not wasting any of the gifts they have given us." Mihris said, sidestepping a rather low hanging branch while the girls trailed behind. They both seemed to be in good spirits. "We must show our thanks by—"
"Using every last part of the animal." Amaryllis finished for him. Ellana giggled from beside her. "Yes, we know. You've told us that a million times already."
"Nothing wrong with a million and one." Mihris said, sighing. The girls both jumped over a large root and took off in a run until they were quite a few feet ahead of him. Mihris frowned. "I asked you both multiple times before not to run ahead. This is a time for contemplation and learning, not play. It's rude to treat it as such."
"We're not playing, babae , just getting some exercise." Ellana said.
"Yes, we're taking this very seriously. Don't worry." Amaryllis added with a wink in Ellana's direction when she thought Mihris wasn't looking.
"You both love to try my patience, don't you?"
"I wouldn't be your daughter if I didn't!" Ellana said.
Mihris didn't answer. That was a sign. The girls turned towards him, slowly spinning on the balls of their feet. He stood quietly, unmoving, listening to the trees around him. The girls were not quite there yet, not practiced enough to hear the subtle changes in the environment around them. Mihris had years and years of training and qualities he was still trying to imbue within them. So they stood and waited for the man to move again.
"I think there may be some August Ram nearby," he commented, taking steps forward until he was at their side. "I could hear the movement of a larger hoofed animal, not the foxes I was expecting."
"How can you tell just from the sound of their steps?" Amaryllis asked.
He began walking again. The girls followed, closer this time. "It's fairly easy. August Rams have hoofed feet, which make their steps sound a lot harder. They are also heavier animals and carry a lot of their weight in their front due to their horns and muscular chests."
"So can you tell a fox from a nug?" Amaryllis asked again. "They're both similar in size."
"It's obvious once they've been shot." He said with a smirk.
Amaryllis barked a laugh but Ellana rolled her eyes. "Very funny."
They stopped after just a few more minutes, leaning back against the trees and trying to keep quiet. This had proven to be almost impossible for the two teenagers, but with Mihris situated between them, giving them the stink-eye, they seemed to be able to hold out a little longer.
Ellana was the first to break their silence. "I need to pee."
Mihris looked at her for a moment, completely exasperated, but waved her away. "Go, but not too far."
"I'll go with her." Amaryllis said as they stood, almost immediately plopping back down at Mihris's side when he fixed her with his glare. "She can't go on her own. There are wolves out here."
The man sighed. "Alright. Just go, quickly."
They bounced off, a few trees away from where they had been sitting and quickly pulled down their leggings, giggling softly and shushing each other. When they finished they fixed their pants back into place. Ellana shoved Amaryllis lightly, and Amaryllis shoved her back, slightly too hard.
They were on the verge of a less than playful fight when Amaryllis froze in place, pulse quickening until it was a deafening roar in her ears. There was a flash of long black fur, bloody fangs bared in a growl, and enormous claws digging into soft, muddy soil.
Standing behind Ellana was a wolf. And where there was one wolf, there was a pack of wolves .
Seeing Amaryllis freeze and her eyes widen, Ellana stopped, taking in the sounds of the forest. What she heard had her taking in stilted, panicked breaths. Until she screamed.
" BABAE! "
They had prepared for this, though. They had taken lessons with the Keeper, Faelyn, and Mihris for years . They were prepared for a fight, and they knew just when to use the element of surprise.
Ellana rolled to the side, lifting her hands in front of her as fire quickly spread across her palms. Amaryllis ran towards one, collecting mana in her fingertips and she threw it out with one large bolt of lightning, striking one of the canines in its side. It shook for a moment, keening long and low, and then it fell. The other girl continued to throw fireballs towards one wolf who could not dodge her attack fast enough and ran with a yelp, throwing itself at the ground in an attempt to put the fire out. Ellana pulled a dagger from her side and slid it through the creature's jugular, ending its pain quickly.
Amaryllis could hear Mihris coming from her right. She turned to meet him.
She did not expect to be pinned to the ground by heavy paws.
Foaming jaws snapped at her wrist and shoulder. She pressed a hand to the wolf's underbelly and flexed, shooting coiling currents of electricity through its stomach, but she hadn't had enough time to collect her strength, and her mana had been depleted from her first kill. Ellana screamed out her name, and Amaryllis grimaced, panicked as one long fang sliced a cut into her forearm.
Mihris's foot landed with a thud against the beast's ribcage, sending it sprawling in the dirt long enough for him to dive at it again with his daggers, ready to slice straight through its throat. Ellana rose to her feet on shaky legs, like a newborn foal, obviously fatigued. Amaryllis lifted herself onto her elbows, struggling to sit up, gritting her teeth as the skin of her cut pulled further, oozing blood. The girls fought to move forward, to help Mihris, but they were not in time for what happened next.
No one would have expected the steady, sure-footed hunter to stumble, losing his balance as the wolf threw the brunt of its weight at him. The beast hit him in the side and Mihris grunted at the impact. He fell and immediately rolled to the right but couldn't steady himself in time and was knocked back by the force of the creature's immense body.
Ellana ran towards her father. Amaryllis yelled out, attempting to gather even the tiniest sliver of her power. And Mihris fell victim to the wolf's vicious bite.
Its jaws clamped down on his side with a sickening crunch.
Mihris roared and stabbed his twin swords through the beast's neck, yanking their hilts upward until it stopped moving, jaw unclenching from his flesh as it fell atop his legs. Blood spilled across his chest, his stomach, his thighs, pooling on the muddied ground beneath him. It was impossible to tell how much of it was his.
Ellana was the first to make it to his side. She pushed at the wolf's body, trying to roll it off of his legs, but it was far too heavy. Amaryllis quickly joined her, and after a great struggle they succeeded. The beast landed to the right with a dull thud.
" Babae ," his daughter's voice quivered with anxiety. Her gaze stayed fixed on his swiftly paling face, while Amaryllis couldn't look away from the tear in his side. With every painful breath he took, and every irregular beat of his heart, his internal organs moved . She knew this because his flesh had been pulled back, peeled like the skin of an orange, exposing his insides to the cool morning air. Amaryllis crawled away to the base of a large oak tree and vomited. "What should we do?"
His chest rose and fell, heavily. His lips were turning white. "You need… to wrap it. Stem the bleeding."
Ellana pulled at the middle of her dress where it split on both sides and tore it easily. Amaryllis wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stood, wobbling, while she did the same. She went back to Mihris and together the girls wrapped the cloth tightly around his midsection. Mihris closed his eyes and grit his teeth against the agonizing pain. Blood quickly soaked through. Their fingers were slick with its sticky warmth.
"W-Wait, I have a potion," Amaryllis dug through the pack at her hip, pulled the vial out with trembling hands, and tried to pop the cork but her fingers kept slipping. She gripped the tip tightly and pulled. It came free with a loud pop. "I've got it. Here, quickly."
Ellana took the bottle and held it to his lips while Amaryllis helped Mihris lean his head up to drink it. He did in long, loud gulps. The bleeding began to stem, but his face was still incredibly pale. His breathing was labored.
"We need to get help," Amaryllis said. Her fingers shook as she pressed them against his wrist, checking his pulse. It was too slow. "We need the Keeper. She's the only one who can heal him.
"I'll go." Ellana said. Her gaze was steely, jaw set though her hands shook. "I run the fastest. I'll be quick." She kneeled beside her father and pressed a trembling kiss to his forehead, smoothing his hair back, spreading blood through it. She didn't seem to notice what she had done. " Babae , I'll only be a moment. You'll be just fine. Don't worry."
Mihris opened his eyes again and took her hand, causing her to stop in her tracks. She crouched again to meet his gaze. His voice came out in a whisper, lower lip trembling. "I am so very proud of you, ma da'ean, ma da'len, " A few stray tears spilled from the corners of his eyes to his ears. Ellana used her sleeve to gently wipe them away, though she did not touch her own. " Ma vhen'an . I only wish your mamae could see how much you have grown."
"Don't say those things, babae , don't speak like you're leaving. I will get help. You will be alright."
He smiled ruefully. "Just in case."
"No, I'll go," Amaryllis suggested. She had watched their exchange with jealousy. A feeling of great shame filled her. "Stay with him. He needs you."
"You're not fast enough. You would never get there in time." Ellana stood with a quick look back at her father, letting go of his hand. It fell softly to his side. Her lips pursed in thought, only for a moment, before she shook her head and she sobbed once, hard enough to lose her breath. "No, no, I have to go. I have to. I will be right back, babae. Ar lath ma ."
"And I love you," His breath stuttered in his chest and he coughed, groaning loudly, hands digging into the dirt beneath him as pain wracked his body. Ellana took off at a sprint, disappearing quickly into the underbrush.
Amaryllis's hands hovered over him, unsure of what to do, how to help. She huffed her frustration, blinking away tears of her own. Though she wanted to cry, she wondered for a moment if it was even her place to do so. Mihris was not her father. She had never referred to him as such, and he had never asked her to, even when she had taken to sleeping with him and Ellana in their tent at night. Even when she had come down with a cold and Mihris had come to check on her, hour after hour, just to make sure she was alright. Even after all they had been through together, still, he had never asked.
"Amaryllis," he whispered, reaching for her. She hadn't realized her fingers had tangled themselves into her hair, pulling. "Listen to me. Look at me, please."
"You are the only one Ellana has." He said, tugging on her elbow until she removed her fingers from her hair, dropping her bloodied hands into her lap. "I am entrusting her to you. You are her sister, the only one who knows her, far better than any of us, far better than I ever have." Mihris panted and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment at the pain. "Please take care of each other."
"I will," she said, turning her gaze to her thighs. The blood was beginning to dry beneath her fingernails. "I will."
"And don't think for a moment," He grunted, shifting his leg, unable to hide how uncomfortable he was. "Don't you ever think," Mihris coughed and blood squirted out from under his makeshift bandages, adding to the pool coagulating beneath him. Amaryllis gasped and quickly began to push her hands down upon his wound, trying to stop the flow, but with a newfound strength he pulled her hands away, holding them in his. She looked at him then, really looked at him, and saw that he was crying for her, too. "Don't you ever think, not even a moment, that I don't love you. I love you, just as I love Ellana, ma da'len . You came at a time when we needed you most, and you healed the parts of us that I was not able to on my own."
Amaryllis began to sob, and Mihris pulled her gently down until her head rested against his chest, cradling her as best he could though his arms were growing limp. "You two are my home."
" B-Babae ," She stumbled over the Elvhen word. Though she had been learning it for years, this was one word she had never thought she would use, so it had never before left her lips. Amaryllis wished, now, that she had said it before, when she could have seen him smile. "Babae, please."
His hand fell from the back of her head to the ground beside her. Mihris's chest rose once, taking in a deep deep breath, and then twice, much smaller, and then it stopped moving at all.
Amaryllis quickly sat up, uncaring of the tears and snot streaming down her face, and shook him. She took hold of his shoulders, slumped back against the ground, and shook. Mihris did not move.
"Oh no," She sobbed. "No, no, no." She shook him again, yet still, his chest didn't rise. His eyes were open, glassy, gazing towards the cloud-filled sky.
With all of her might, Amaryllis dug her fingertips into his chest, and pushed. She gathered what little mana she had left, all of it and more, whatever she could muster, her own life-force if she could, and pushed deep inside him, believing with all of her being that she could heal him. She would.
Her strength left her suddenly and she fell to the side, head landing with a thump next to her father's. His chest did not rise.
Amaryllis screamed, for Mihris Lavellan was gone.