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A
few dark hours later, a new dawn was teasing on the horizon. She
had always liked to watch sunsets and sun rises. Chauvis knew this
as well. Over the past day for hours mages, sages and clerics all
tried to stop the freezing that was now just over her wrist. The
fever had barely been broken All they had been able to do was slow
it down. Through it all she tried to remain calm. Grace could not
help but cringe when she saw that her fingertips were already starting
to turn a dull gray. Her stomach tightened and roiled as she knew
what that signified. She bade everyone leave the room save Chauvis.
Together they talked. He held her close and stroked her brow as
he mostly listened. The injured hand was heavily bandaged now. It
seemed that anyone who touched it directly with their flesh was
frost bitten. She knew that outside the room that they were conferring
what she had already pleaded with them.
Now
he watched her struggle to push herself up with one arm. Frustration
mingled with a cold aching pain marred her usual calm features and
made her tremble all over. He wanted to lean over and assist her
but he knew she would not accept it, not yet. Chauvis silently moved
and sat on the edge of the bed behind her, holding her gently against
him. She sat rigid for a moment, then somewhat relaxed against him.
He could feel her tremble in his arms and he pulled her tighter
against him. They said sat there in silence watching the sun rise.
Grace
had known moments of fear, moments of despair. But never such soul
searing pain. She had been cold before but never like this. She
watched the sun rise clinging with her good arm and hand to Chauvis'
arm around her. Her trembling would not stop. It all happened too
quickly and she felt herself struggling to catch her breath suddenly.
Chauvis pulled her tighter against him, talking soothingly in her
hear to feel his heart beat, to feel his breathing and have her
match her own. She closed her eyes and did as he instructed and
soon enough she was able to breath again.
"Hand
me the letter please." She asked of him quietly. He got up
and walked over to the desk and brought the letter to her. Standing
there he looked down upon the woman. How the past few hours had
shown her frailty at its breaking edge. He had written the letter
as s dictated. She would have to learn how to write again. Shifting
on the bed Grace absently leaned on the possessed hand as she read
and she moaned at the aching pain that coursed through her.
"I
have to sign it now. It's time." Her voice was low and far
away. Chauvis brought over a book to rest the parchment dipping
the quill in the inkwell he handed it to her. It felt awkward in
left hand as she held her hand poised above the parchment. Slowly,
painstakingly, tears falling freely from the pain in her hand, her
arm, her heart, she signed her name. "Send them in.. "
Her voice barely a whisper.
Chauvis
wanted to tell her to wait. But he knew she could not afford more
time. He walked over and motioned the others to return. In the hands
of one of the clerics was a small sharp ax.
Again
it seemed that people moved slower for some reason. Blood pounded
in her ears. Chauvis took her face in his hands and there was a
faint bluish glow from them. She listened to what he asked of her.
Slowing her breathing, slowing her heart beat, her eyes locked to
his. There was something about the curse that was creeping in her
veins that had affected magic being used on her. They could not
stop the pain and they were afraid that putting her to sleep would
have serious side effects. So she had to stay awake.
She
sensed her arm being taken up and laid upon a small tabletop. The
pain was duller and Chauvis continued to talk to her, to keep her
eyes to his. She only saw his gray eyes, seeing subtle colors she
had not seen before. She did not see the hands that wore thick leather
gloves holding down her arm, she did not see the ax lifted and poised.
She did not see it fall.
But
by the Goddess she felt it as it bit into the frozen skin that wasn't
quite dead. She heard the thunk of the ax as it struck through the
bones and bit into the table. She wondered why she didn't scream
and then she realized that she had bit her lip as her mouth filled
with her own blood.
Then
one of the mages exclaimed loudly. The Commander's severed hand
had started to melt slowly into a black ooze that bubbled like acid
upon the small surgical table. But Grace did not turn to watch.
She couldn't. Seeing it would make it all too real. The others watched
as the hand melted away leaving a small black dagger in a disappearing
pile of black rotting ooze. Once exposed to the sunlight that steamed
in from the window that too melted away.
The
Clerics worked quickly to ensure the stump was well healed. And
now she that the cursed dagger no longer infected her blood the
warmth returned to her and with it mind numbing pain. Her eyes watered
as she still watched Chauvis. She could see that he as well was
beginning to tear. Her face was ashen and her body still trembled
but not from the curse. She was drained, exhausted, the coppery
taste in her mouth tell her she was alive. With one hand Chauvis
took a cloth and wiped her mouth. With the other he brushed his
hand along her brow.
"It
is finished"
She
closed her eyes and he gently laid her back as she was drawn into
a deep sleep from his spell.
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