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To say she was displeased upon being woken up just as dawn was stretching its rosy fingers across the sky would have been a gross understatement. Given her line of work, both in and out of the Hells, Rueri woke up swinging with great prejudice. She caught the fucker shaking her shoulder and hissing in her ear across the jaw with her fist, though was stopped from doing more damage by Scratch's heavy weight across her abdomen.
"Hells-" A low, very familiar voice sputtered. "Damnit, calm down Rue!"
Blinking rapidly to clear the sleep from her eyes, Rueri finally made sense of the pale blur standing before her. "Tal? What... What the fuck are you doing?" She hissed, suddenly very aware of their companions still snoring away around them. "Tal, it's not even sunrise, what could be so important..."
She paused at his grave expression. She hadn't seen him like this since she'd freed him from that blasted pod of the nautiloid and realized what had happened to them. Gently maneuvering from beneath Scratch, she slipped from her bedroll and followed at Talesin's heels. He led them across the small babbling brook that fed into the lake they'd camped near, through the small ruins and into a clearing they'd found the first night at camp while scouting. Astarion awaited them, thankfully fully dressed, and wore an uncertain expression.
Sparing him a soft smile that he did not return, Rueri instead twisted to glare at her brother. "What's this about?"
"I-" It was Astarion who answered, though he stopped as if the words were caught in his throat. "Perhaps... perhaps it would be easier to show you."
He presented his back to her then, reaching up to yank his frilled, white shirt off, revealing it to her. Once she realized just what he was showing her, the teasing remark died on her tongue as she took in the thick, precisely placed lines of scar tissue on his skin. Biting down a horrified gasp, she drew closer, all too aware of how Astarion began to tremble at her approach. He'd never allowed touch from them, she realised with sudden upset; it had only even been him that initiated the touch, and even then it was always light and fleeting.
A glance to Tal showed that he felt similarly, though his pale gaze was hard as he beheld the scars. Steeling herself, Rueri stopped her approach and instead traced the scars with her eyes, the heavy, uncomfortable feeling in her stomach worsening as she did so.
"Why... why is there Infernal carved into your skin?" She was unable to hide the disgust from her voice and regretted it immediately when Astarion winced, hands hurrying to cover up the scars. "Wait! I... I'm sorry." She said, swallowing thickly when the pale Elf refused to look at her. He held himself so still that, what with his pale skin, he looked like he had been carved from marble. "Please, can I take a closer look to try and translate it?"
Waiting until he gave a jerky nod, Rueri took several steps closer before leaning over slightly to get a better look. She looked the scars over closely, brow furrowing as she came across what was either an 'H' or 'N', lips pursed. All the while, Astarion stood stiffly before her, not even pretending to breathe. Talesin was close by, and if she caught the soft, affectionate words he uttered to try and calm the vampire, well... that was a secret she'd take to her grave.
"I think I've got it." She said after several terse minutes, followed by Astarion practically tearing his shirt in his haste to cover his back. He must have taken blood from her brother last night during their romp, if the faint, rosy hue on his high cheekbones was any indication. "The grammar is a little off, and it reads a little... incomplete... but it's legible."
"Well, what does it say?" Astarion asked, barely able to hide how anxiously he was awaiting her answer. "Talesin seemed to think it wasn't a poem like I was led to believe."
Rueri shook her head, nose wrinkling. "Because it isn't. I'm not sure what it is, but I can translate it." At his eager look, she began to recite, "This lowly soul swears no oath by fire. Lest these words be spoken. And this changes within the realm."
"It sounds like a spell." Talesin said, blunt as ever. Her brother looked like he wanted to comfort the vampire but didn't want to make him uncomfortable with his touch. "Or some kind of binding ritual."
"But what would a vampire lord need with something like that?"
Astarion answered her. "He wouldn't. The bond between a vampire lord and their spawn is nigh unbreakable on its own." His lips twisted into a grimace. "Trust me. I would know."
Sensing he wouldn't thank her for pressing - and really, she didn't want to poke at his somewhat fragile mental state - Rueri wisely held her tongue. Talesin scowled at the reminder that his new... something... was actively being hunted by his former master, if the Gur they'd met in the swamp was any indication. Rueri had refused to kill the man, citing that killing one would likely just end up with more being sent. Besides, it was unlikely that he'd be able to do much against their entire group even if he ambushed them.
"Do you mind if Tal sketches the marks?" Though her questions clearly made him uncomfortable, she pressed on. "I need to get an image of them to my father and Talesin's the best at drawing between the two of us."
Astarion hesitated, garnet eyes darting to Talesin, who nodded encouragingly. To her amusement, a faint flush settle across Astarion's high cheekbones again, very nearly spreading to the tips of his pointed ears. Once more, she wisely held her tongue and pretended she didn't see the tender way the pair were looking at each other. It was an easy matter to summon the materials needed from the bag of holding Korilla had slipped her their first night after the crash, and Rueri handed off the charcoal and paper to let Talesin get to work.
'Do... do you mind turning around, Rueri?" Looking terribly uncomfortable while clutching at his ruffled shirt with white knuckled fingers, Astarion refused to meet her gaze. "I..."
"Of course."
She briefly caught sight of the stunned expression on his face as she turned to face the quiet woods surrounding them. As she waited, she silently went over every spell she'd ever seen in the library back home, confusion mounting as she came up with few answers that might be connected with what was clearly a spell carved onto Astarion's flesh. She didn't sense the presence of any actual Devil, which would have helped a bit. It seemed the scars were just that, at least for now. If it was some kind of binding ritual, she couldn't understand why a Cazador Szarr had gone to a Devil for assistance when he was likely very capable of great power himself.
She'd never met the vampire, though had heard enough through the grapevine to know she'd be more than happy to drive a stake through his heart if the opportunity ever arose. Her father had once bargained with Strahd von Zarovich, though that had been well over a century ago and long before her birth. It had something to do with procuring an artifact either from or for the Lord of Barovia (Rueri couldn't remember) and that had been the extent of Raphael's dealings with the 'first vampire'.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the soft sounds of Tal drawing had stopped until her brother gently touched her shoulder. Beginning to turn, she stopped in her tracks, belatedly remembering how discomfited Astarion had been by her seeing him in a state of undress. "Is it alright to turn around, Astarion?"
There was a pause, before the Elf in question replied, "yes, darling."
He wore a lost expression, as if unable to understand why she'd bothered asking. Something beneath her breast ached at his behavior and she managed a smile when their gazes locked. Talesin stood next to the shorter man again, his countenance softened with clear affection as he gazed at Astarion. "Here, Rue." He handed off the sketch, the tips of his fingers blackened with the charcoal.
Swiftly scanning it, satisfied it was legible, she cast a quick stasis charm on it before rolling it up and pursing her lips to whistle. The faint melody echoed loudly in the small clearing and within one moment to the next, Korilla appeared in a faint puff of brimstone. The Dwarven warlock looked exhausted, though she took the scroll without complaint and promised to deliver it to Raphael immediately. She disappeared as quickly as she'd come, leaving behind only faintly charred blades of grass and the smell of Avernus.
"How soon do you think he'll reply?" Astarion asked, trying and failing to mask the unease that lent a faint quaver to his words.
Rueri shrugged. "Knowing papa? A few days, maybe a tenday if he's busy."
Nodding, Astarion leaned just slightly into Talesin's bulk, seemingly unaware of the small public gesture of affection. Unsurprised when her brother's face lit up like a tomato at the simple touch, Rueri twisted on her heel to return to her bedroll, hoping she'd be able to catch a few more uninterrupted hours of sleep.
"Wait." Astarion called after her, slipping from Talesin's side to approach her, lips pursed. "I'm sure you understand that I don't like having debts. Whatever I can offer you, it's yours." He paused, swallowing thickly before adding, "within reason, of course."
Despite herself, she couldn't stop the faint smile from quirking at the edges of her lips. "You don't owe me anything, Astarion."
"But I do. In my experience, people don't do others a kindness unless they expect something in return."
His grave expression was as sad as it was unsettling. "You're my friend, Astarion." Rueri told him quietly, alarmed when he went still as a statue again. "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to help. But, if you're asking for a demand... be good to my brother." Deciding there had been too much seriousness over the past hour, Rueri winked at him and gave him, and a once more blushing Talesin, a fanged smirk. "And try and keep the bloodplay to a minimum, yeah? As much as I enjoy a good gossip, I'd rather not listen to Shadowheart bitching about losing Talesin to you."
She waltzed off, ignoring the loud sputtering from her brother behind her, Astarion's faint chuckles music to her ears.