Dragoncrest Cliffs anger is the more productive cousin of fear

Thuringwethil watches briefly as Blixen takes initiative to remove the corpse, bossing Furi around with ease. In a different way than Artaax, she is proud of her daughter and can see Drageda within her. She’s taken Furi under her wing in a weird way and she can see the change in the young girl, too, knowing that she may likely become one of them just as easily as her own children.

It is when Artaax speaks, however, that her focus returns to him. The body no longer lies at his feet and she can see the boyish shape of his face return, despite the blood that coats his mouth and one side. Portia moves around him but doesn’t say much and, eventually, excuses herself to get something she needs to attend to his wounds. Heda does not concern herself with his injuries for it is likely superficial. Portia hadn’t said anything too worrisome, either, and Artaax is standing still—albeit shaking—but in one piece.

“You did what you were supposed to do. It is not your fault he did not listen,” she explains, seeing the worry in his eyes. She wants to reach out and touch him, taking him into her chest, but she hesitates. This is where Wildfire would specialize in physical comfort and Thuringwethil thinks only as Heda would. She fights it and steps forward, putting her nose to his cheek briefly. It isn’t the same comfort she offered him several nights ago in the wilderness on their return, but it is something and hopefully enough. “There is no pleasure in killing but he threatened us. Who knows what he would have done if you hadn’t been here,” she offers.

Her expression remains just as stoic before and she turns a little, moving to examine his shoulder without touching. It looks painful but Portia knows what she is doing and she hopes she won’t be long. “I was about your age when I made my first kill, too,” she tells him though she doesn’t know whether or not it will be any help but she can relate to the shaken feeling. She’d been trained to kill from a young age and Artaax has only trained to protect and fight and he easily still has all his emotions intact and it is that reason alone she does not mention he will bear his first mark as she had.

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