Blackfeather Woods and he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower

omg im so fucking tired but i HAD to respond to this bc sobbing

It didn't help. Nothing she said had helped. No, perhaps she had made it even worse. Now she wasn't even allowed near the girl, to help treat her, even if the treatment wasn't appreciated. She was about to open her mouth to argue this when Wintersbane spoke up, and her blood ran suddenly cold at his words. She took a stumbling step back, staring at Mou, her jaw trembling.

You. . . It came out only as a tremulous whisper; perhaps he couldn't even hear it. All she heard was her heart pounding in her ears, choking her, and her vision blurred with sudden tears--

It couldn't be. It couldn't! Mou wasn't a killer, he meant no harm. . .he was an innocent, troubled boy that had been marooned on an island without anything from his past. No memories, no family--nothing. It had been too good to be true, right? Mou. A killer.

But Maegi was a killer too, right?

She met the fiery girl's eyes for a split second before Mou's mournful pleas cut through the buzzing in her brain; Maegi turned her gaze to him, mouth still hanging slightly open. Mou go. They would kill him; she knew it. But perhaps, if they took his blood, that of Blackfeather's would be safe.

Gods, what had happened? Everything had been so perfect. Too perfect.

Mou. Relmyna. Mou. The Woods. Mou. Mou. Mou.

I'll go with him, Maegi said, her voice preternaturally calm. To make sure they know that this is on him, not on us. I'll go with him. She avoided looking at him, instead staring straight at Relmyna. They won't hurt me. I'm a little crippled girl. If they claim to be as good as they say, they won't hurt me. Let me go, Relmyna. We'll fix this. Please.