faderift | (no subject)

WHO: Cyril and OPEN.
WHAT: Merrick is suffering from the posion. This is the place for people to worry about him.
WHEN: During the Crow Plot
WHERE: Merrick and Cyril's room.
NOTES: Merrick has been poisoned, so there's that. Also; talk of grief and death as that brings back bad memories for Clan Ashara, and Cyril's inability to self-care.

Sam had brought Merrick in from the cold. The healers had done what they could. Now all that was left was to wait for the poison to make it's way through Merrick's body.

They knew by now that Zevran was missing. There was this strange ache in Cyril's chest when he thought about that, strong enough that he could notice it over the overpowering anxiety he felt about Merrick. He was aware they were coming up with a plan to get Zevran back, but most of that talk wasn't sticking when Cyril heard it.

It wasn't that he didn't care about the rescue. He cared a great deal about what happened to Zevran, it was that any new information just felt jumbled up in Cyril's head. He could only really focus on the way that Merrick looked. He was in pain, everyone could see that, but he couldn't wake or break free from it.

Cyril was stuck to the side of their shared bed. He sat in a chair with his legs folded up towards his body. He had reached out one of his hands clasped it over Merrick's. He wasn't planning on moving until his brother woke, not unless a healer needed the space by the bed. Nothing else really mattered to him. He didn't need to sleep, or eat, or do anything other than watch and wait.

Anyone who saw him could see that his body was very tense and stiff. He looked like someone who was just on the edge of a flight or fight reaction. His eyes were wide and staring down at the bed. Merrick's body was sweating and suffering. It reminded Cyril too much like how members of his Clan described the plague victims of past. He had no memories of that time, other than a dim impression of his mother's last moments, but it was enough to leave him feeling anxious and devastated.

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Cyril lets her have her moment with Merrick. He even pulls back a bit to give her more space. She's entitled to it and he trusts her. More than that, maybe she'll say something that will reach Merrick and give him some strength to get through this.

He watches Merrick carefully to see if there is any change in him and then focuses on Beleth when she speaks. He feels himself relax just a hair at talk that they're rescuing Zevran. He might not remember the details if she told him them but it matters that Zevran isn't going to be left to whoever has done this.

"Make them pay, lethallan," he says, very serious with this charge.

Her fingers continue to brush against Merrick. He's warm but he's too warm. Fevered. It strikes an old memory of childhood, nearly two decades ago, but even as she remembers the too-hot bodies in the cots, the bodies that would go from burning hot to cold, she wills herself to put it out of her mind. Not Merrick. He's a fighter. He's their best fighter.

"I will." Beleth's voice is quiet but firm, intent. She turns back to Cyril, grim as the charge that she accepts. "Everyone who contributed to this will die, even if I have to do it with my own hands." She's done it before. For Merrick? She'd do it again.

"But you have to keep a promise too, Cyril." One hand still on Merrick, as though he might take a turn for a worse if she can't feel him. "Protect him while I'm gone. Keep him safe. And for the sake of all the Creators, Cyril, don't neglect yourself, either. If I come back to find Merrick healed and you on bedrest because you didn't eat, I won't be happy."

Cyril nods. "I will Beleth," he promises. The second one is going to be much harder for him, but taking care of Merrick is one of the only things he knows he's good at.

"You come back too," he promises. "Don't let them take anything else."

"I'll try my best," That's as much as she can promise, because who knows what they're going to face? "There's a good number of us going, though. So it's not like I'm trying this alone." Which had been her first offer to Leliana, as soon as she had made her report. If it hadn't been for the spymaster, Beleth might have taken off right then and there.

She stands up, running a hand through her hair, one final look to Merrick, then to Cyril. "We're going to get going soon. I just needed to--to see. Both of you. It'll be okay, Cy. I promise. The Dalish do not give in so easily."