Favours Ch. 05

Tatiana wasn't sure how long they had been walking for when he stopped them to make camp on the river bank. She sat on the ground where he'd left her, listening as he collected wood for a fire around them.

She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, feeling ill at ease in her helplessness. At least when they had been with her other two captors, she'd had safety in numbers. As Bran moved about though, she had no one around to keep an eye on her and make sure she was safe.

Her anxieties dispelled when she heard Bran return, and she listened keenly to his movements as he started a small fire in front of them. She eagerly scooted closer to the warmth when the fire caught, warming her cold feet by its warmth.

"Here, eat these," Bran said, taking one of her hands in his. He carefully placed what felt like berries in her outstretched palm, before sitting next to her.

"Why are you being so nice?" Tatiana asked, popping one of them in her mouth. The berry burst between her teeth, squirting its sweet juices.

"I told you, can't have my hostage dying on me," he answered. "I'm counting on Robin caring enough about you that we can manipulate him into doing what we want."

Tatiana screwed up her face. "I don't think he cares about me that much, otherwise wouldn't he have tried to rescue me already?"

"Yeah, if he knew where you were. But you're in the fey realm, so all he knows is that you're in trouble. He doesn't know where you are. And he's cut off from the Woodlands, so his power is diminished."

"I don't understand, is he part of the Woodlands?" Tatiana asked curiously.

"Geeze, he really didn't teach you much about us. The Woodlands are part of him, more like. Most Archfey have their own dominion in the realm, and they store their power there."

"Archfey?" Tatiana's head swam with questions.

"Strong fey, with a lot of mortals indebted to them, or a lot of mortals that worship them," Bran explained patiently.

"Oh. Are you an Archfey?" Tatiana asked curiously.

Bran laughed. "No, I haven't been around long enough to get many mortals indebted to me."

She finished off the last of her berries, before resting her chin on her knees. "How long have you been around?" she asked.

"About a century, I reckon," he answered. "I missed the Golden Age for tricking mortals, and the Seelies have sealed off or guard most of the gateways."

Tatiana tried to digest everything he'd said. She felt clueless, and a little bit frustrated. There was so much she didn't know, and she was thrown into the middle of it all. A hint of anger to Robin crept inside her, frustrated that he'd seemingly 'claimed' her without her knowing, placing a target on her back.

A cool breeze swept over them, and Tatiana felt herself being transported to another time and place again.

She watched as the dark-haired man that she knew to be Bran stood protectively in front of her, his sword drawn in one hand. In front of them, an ugly being cackled. It had an old man's body, wizened and grotesque, but a large head with the features of a child. Their shadows were long in the setting sun, and she couldn't see the river anywhere near them.

"Begone," Bran bellowed. "This mortal is under my protection, and you will suffer my wrath if you harm her!"

"You claim this mortal when another already has?" the ugly man asked with a rasping voice.

"I do, and you know I am bound to protect her, so you best leave us, old man," Bran said, gripping his sword tightly. Tatiana's heart fluttered, and she swallowed nervously as she watched the scene unfold.

With a sinister cackle, the ugly man sprung forward, and the vision dissipated before she could see if Bran struck him down.

She was back at the campfire, once again blind, shivering in the cool wind. She blinked and wrapped her arms tighter around herself.

"What did you see?" Bran asked.

She turned her face in the direction of his voice. He was so close to her, she could feel his body heat emanating from him.

"I saw a man attack us," she answered, her voice tight. "A horribly ugly old man, with a child's face. It was in the late afternoon, what time of day is it now?"

"The sun has already set, we should be safe for tonight if your vision is accurate," he said reassuringly.

Tatiana nodded, and remained silent. She didn't speak of what she heard in the vision, of Bran claiming her. She wasn't sure if saying it would make it come to pass, or if telling him would avoid it.

After some time, she ventured a question. "Can a mortal be claimed by more than one fey?" she asked curiously.

"I've heard of it," Bran answered, his voice betraying a hint of surprise at her question. "It doesn't usually end well though, either for the mortal or for the fey involved."

She nodded, feeling a pit of dread in her stomach. His words were said pleasantly enough, but her vision made his words more ominous than he intended. She silently prayed that the events in her vision would not come to pass.

"You should sleep, mortal," Bran said, his voice softer. "We've got another long day of walking tomorrow."

--

Tatiana woke slowly, in a haze. She wasn't sure how she had ended up curled up against Bran's warm body, but at some point, during the night she must have rolled over to him. Her cheeks flushed as she realized one of his arms were wrapped around her. She shook herself mentally. He was her captor, he was the reason she was blind and sore. He captured her to use as blackmail material against Robin.

A wave of guilt washed over her as she thought of Robin, and of the visions she'd had of her future, and of how close Bran was to her. She swallowed nervously as she thought about carefully extracting herself from Bran's embrace. He was so warm though, and she felt safe in his arms. He'd already protected her once, and if her vision was to be believed he'd protect her again soon. Of course, she wouldn't need protecting if he hadn't have kidnapped her, she reminded herself. His breath was warm on her skin, as he inhaled and exhaled heavily, and she couldn't help but be reminded of the vision she'd had in the river of him leaning down to kiss her, his body pressed against hers much like it was now.

Her cheeks flushed red as she remembered that Robin had known when she was thinking about him, along with how she had been thinking about him. She stiffened, and gently tried to pry herself away from Bran. Her movements woke the fey, and he stirred next to her as he woke. He yawned sleepily, and then he pulled away quickly, as if he had realized his arm was around Tatiana.

"I'll be back with food," Bran said, jumping to his feet. His voice sounded funny, Tatiana wondered if he was embarrassed.

She just nodded mutely, wondering how red her own cheeks were. She listened to him walk quickly off into the forest, before picking up her stick. She needed to stretch her legs and relieve herself, and she didn't intend on doing that somewhere Bran could walk in on her.

She carefully pottered along the edge of the forest, using her stick to guide her as best she could. When she was reasonably sure she was somewhere safe, she relieved herself. She was desperate for a shower or a bath, but the thought of cleaning herself in the river sent a chill through her spine. She dreaded to think the undines were still there, lurking and waiting for an opportunity to pounce and drag her to the river's watery depths.

Tatiana stretched, before walking carefully back the direction she came. She was getting used to using the stick, and she was reasonably certain she had the right direction. She could hear the rushing of the river, and she could smell the burnt remnants of their fire from the night before.

She waited patiently, until she heard Bran walking back from the forest beside them. He gave her more of the berries they had eaten the night before, before leading her onwards.

They were quiet with each other as they walked, though her hand still rested lightly on his upper arm as he guided her. She was dying to ask him if he knew when she was thinking about him, but she didn't want to betray herself further. If she asked, then he would certainly know she had been thinking about him in a compromising way.

As the day wore on, she felt Bran growing tense under her hand. She was tense as well, as both of them waited to be assailed by the old man with the child's head. But the sun set, and they made camp with no sign of her vision. She let out a sigh of relief as Bran made camp, helping her drink water from the river without getting close enough to attract the attention of undines. They were quiet, barely speaking as they settled in for the night. Bran disappeared briefly to find food for them to eat, this time mushrooms he'd foraged. He'd only managed to keep his sword and some coins in his pocket when they went overboard, and he apologised for the scant meal. Tatiana was grateful when they went to sleep without much conversation.

They woke the next morning in each other's arms again, and Tatiana scolded herself mentally. She tried to reason it away, he was constantly warm, offering her protection against the cold night air. It made sense for them to sleep so closely, keeping each other warm with their body heat. She didn't have an explanation for why she felt so comfortable with his arm draped across her. Tatiana pushed thoughts of Bran out of her mind and tried to think of Robin. Robin, who'd claimed her without telling her, putting her in danger. Robin, who had tricked her into owing him favours after feeding her stew. Tatiana shook herself of that train of thought. It wasn't as if Bran was good for her either.

For the most part, the day passed on in silence. They stopped to rest occasionally, and again grew tense as the day wore on. In the afternoon, Bran stopped her.

"What's wrong?" she asked anxiously.

"There's a village up ahead," he replied, pulling her into the forest. "I think it's an Unseelie village, but I'm not sure. I'm going to fly ahead and scout it out. If it's safe, we can rest there tonight."

Tatiana nodded, as he guided her behind a tree.

"Stay here and be quiet," he ordered, before pressing the hilt of his sword into her hands. "If anything happens, swing wildly with this and hope that's enough to scare them off."

She heard a flurry of feathers beside her, and then Bran was gone. Tatiana held his sword in her trembling hands, her breathing heavy with nerves. Time seemed to crawl slowly by as she waited for Bran to return, every sound of the forest causing her to jump.

She was grateful when a small caw and flurry of feathers signalled Bran's return.

"It's a neutral village," Bran said, before she could ask if it was him. "They have a tavern we can stay at for the night, and hopefully find ourselves a horse to ride on."

Tatiana nodded, passing him back his sword. She heard him sheath it and took her gently by the arm. The thought of a tavern lifted her spirits. She wasn't sure if she should expect a proper shower, but anything sounded better than sleeping on the ground.

She wondered what a sight they must look, dishevelled and dirty, a mortal clutching a fey anxiously. It didn't take them long to walk into the village, and she wondered what sights she was missing out on. She could hear the hustle and bustle of a village going about their business, but no noises stood out to her.

Bran carefully guided her through the streets, and up a set of stairs leading to what she assumed must be the tavern. They entered into a building, she could feel the wooden boards under her feet.

He guided her to the side, and she meekly clung to him as the sound of talking and eating surrounded her.

She listened as he negotiated a room for the night. He only had a few coins on him, from what she could tell, but it was enough to secure them a single room and a meal each. Promising to return for the meals, Bran led her upstairs, his hand on her lower back to stop her from falling. He unlocked their room with a click, and guided her in.

The door shut behind them, the sound of the tavern muffled.

"Do you want to wash up? I can fill the tub for you," Bran offered.

"Yes, please," she answered. He left her side, and she awkwardly made her way towards the nearest thing to sit on. She found the edge of the bed and sat. Her hands explored the top of the bed, and she muffled a small squeak when she realized it was a single. She had been hoping for a night where they weren't in close proximity so that she could untangle her thoughts. From an adjacent room, she could hear the sound of water splashing into the bath tub.

The water turned off after a short while, and she stood awkwardly. Bran was at her side, guiding her into the bathroom.

"This is where the bath is," he guided her through the room, "And there's soap next to it here. Be careful. I'm going to go out and see if I can get us some fresh clothes and some salve for your eyes. I'll lock the door behind me, don't leave the room."

Tatiana nodded, biting her lip anxiously. She wasn't sure she wanted to be left alone and defenceless in the room.

"I won't stray too far," he reassured her, his hand idly rubbing the small of her back comfortingly.

"Be safe," Tatiana said, her cheeks warming. Bran gave her arm a slight squeeze, before leaving her alone. The door swung shut with a heavy thud, and she heard the door lock behind him.

Taking a deep breath, she undressed and eased herself carefully into the bath. The warm water soothed her aching skin, her wounds stinging only slightly. She scrubbed herself carefully, trying to make sure she got every inch of skin despite her blindness.

Once she had scrubbed herself clean, she sunk back into the bath, enjoying the warm water. It felt good to wash away the dirt and grime of the past few days. She let her mind idly drift, marvelling at how much had happened in the past week. She'd gone from being fresh from a bad break-up to being in the middle of some war that she didn't understand in a different realm. She had to laugh at the absurdity of it all, her entire life changed forever because she decided to go for a hike and get healthy.

The water lapped at her skin, and as she sunk her head under water to wash the soap out of her hair, she felt the increasingly familiar pull as she was transported to another vision.

A woman stood in front of them, her shoulders raised like hackles on a wolf. A thunderous expression was on her face. Tatiana saw herself hiding behind Bran yet again, though no weapons were drawn.

"You claimed this mortal?" she snarled, her features contorted. "Are you a fool?"

"Sidheag, calm down," Bran said, extending a hand like one might to try and calm a dog.

"She's useless to us if Robin thinks we won't hurt her because of your stupid claim," she yelled. "This was supposed to be our ticket to a better standing in the court, and you've fucking ruined it!"

"Sidheag, please, we can talk about this rationally," Bran said, one arm protectively shielding Tatiana from Sidheag's wrath.

"Relinquish your claim," Sidheag demanded.

"I won't," Bran argued. Tatiana watched as Sidheag tensed, ready to pounce.

"I won't ask again. Relinquish your claim," Sidheag warned, her voice cold with fury.

"I won't," he snarled, a hand coming to rest on the hilt of his sword.

"Then I will make you," she growled.

Tatiana watched as Sidheag leapt forward, her features contorting, shifting into a wolf. She watched as Bran's sword was pulled free from his sheath, and she watched as he ran Sidheag through with his sword mid-pounce. The vision faded as Sidheag's blood dropped onto the white snow below, and Tatiana sat upright in panic.

She recognised part of her vision from the stream, but she hadn't realized it was one of her captors, or that Bran had been the one to run Sidheag through.

The door swung open, startling Tatiana. Her hands flew to cover her chest as she heard Bran set something on a table, before locking the door behind him.

"Tatiana?" he called out.

"I'm in here," she answered, her voice hoarse. She heard his approaching footsteps, heard him kneel beside the bath tub. She hoped the bath had enough soap suds still in it to preserve her modesty. Not that it mattered much, he'd already seen her mostly naked. She frowned at the unfairness of it all. The only time she saw him was in her visions, and they were never concrete enough to get a grasp on them.

"Close your eyes," he said. "I got some salve that should speed up the healing."

Tatiana did as she was told, leaning in to the sound of his voice. She felt him press a towel against her face, drying the skin tenderly. And then his hands were on her face, gently massaging a cool ointment into the scratch marks.

"I'm sorry about this," he said as he worked, one hand angling her face so that he could place the ointment.

"I'll forgive you when my sight returns," she answered. "So, you better hope that salve works."

He chuckled. She liked the sound of his chuckle. It was deep and hearty. Tatiana shook herself. She shouldn't like him.

"That's more than I could ask for," he said.

"Are you also the one who mimicked me?" she asked, accusatorily.

"Are you also the one who mimicked me?" her own voice parroted back at her. She whacked him on the arm as best she could, unable to see exactly where his arm was.

"You didn't have to be such a dick," she said angrily. "You and your friends are assholes."

"I'm sorry," he said, finishing up his work with the salve. "I was unnecessarily cruel to you. Not that it's an excuse, but I thought you were an ally to the Seelie, being claimed by Robin."

"Well, I wasn't, and even if I was, you didn't have to be such a jerk. You and your friends were cruel, and awful, and you didn't have to blind me, you know!"

She felt good telling him off. She felt good feeling secure enough to tell him off.

"It made sense at the time," he said. "I thought you being blinded would stop you from running off. You sure proved me wrong."

She glared at him - or at least, she tried to. She had no idea if she was actually facing him squarely.

"Would it help if I said I was very sorry?" he asked.

"It'd help if I could see again. I hate being useless," she said angrily.

"Your visions have been very useful so far," he countered. "Besides, once Robin knows we have you, you'll be very useful."

She could hear the teasing in his voice, but she frowned, and crossed her arms across her chest. She didn't find it particularly reassuring.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to finish my bath in peace," she said angrily. Bran stood and moved to the exit.

"There's a fresh set of clothes on the bed, and a nightgown next to the bath," he informed her as he closed the door.

She wasted no time getting out of the bath and drying herself off, careful not to rub the salve he'd put on off. As promised, a simple nightgown lay folded neatly next to the bath. She pulled it over her head, glad it came down to her knees. It was nice to wear fresh clothing, and she was glad to be clean.

She felt her way into the main room carefully, where the smell of a hot meal filled her nose. She carefully found her way to the table, where Bran pushed the meal in front of her, scraping the plate against the wooden table.

She found the fork next to the plate and dug in enthusiastically. It was a stew and had cooled in the time it had taken for Bran to bring the meal upstairs and for her to get changed. But it was the first warm meal she'd had since coming to the fey realm to check in on Robin. She practically inhaled her meal, leaning back in her chair when she was done.

"Hold out your arms," Bran instructed.

She did as she was told, even though she was still mad with him. She felt him apply some more of the salve to the scratch marks on her arms, and the marks left by the rope.