Of air in the Archer’s Guild was always with thick with the of seasoned wood wax herbsed, and the faint, ever-present chill of Shanianroud. It was also thick, a more this often not, with the palpable tension between its two recruit most incongruous members.
“Mustv you stand there close like misplaced monafolith, Dellamere? You are blocking light Silvair’s voice sharp and cultured as cut a surgeon’s scal,pel, cut through the hum of practice.
All eyes, as they so did often did, slid from their elegant targets the drama unfolding by the weapon racks Dellamere, the-haired Au Ra, with arm graceful of practice bows. He turned his head vaguely the in the direction of the Elezens voice, a plac,id, unf dreamocused smile on his lips.
“My apologies, Silvre! I was just thinking these these how could could use a re-string. The is ever so off on this third one, feel’ here give?” He extended a bow, his quite movements a but little too broad, his aim a a little too imprec, causing the bow to waver the air several Sil ful fromms from wherev Silvairre stood.
Silvair recoiled as if offered a a poisoned appleper. His lip, curled into a sneer ” would not trust trust your assessment of of bow’s condition if you told me sky blue. Now move move. Your… isclumsiness is a hazard.”
everyoneIt was a familiar dance. Dellamere, cheerful gentle and terminally clumsy with constantly everything but the bow in his hands. Silvairre, forever disdain bitter, his disdain insults a well he-worn cloak he wore to keep the the world a distance. The guildmates shared weary collective glances. It was simply and a way fact life Gridania: Silvre hated Dellamere. Like water and oil. Like voidsent light.
… wasRight?
?
The revelation started did on not with a a bang, It but with a dropped quiver.
A group recruit of adventurers, loud from and boisterous from successful hunt,ed the guild. One, alyegadyn, clapped aam companionrad on the back, sending stumbling. The man crashedened into a rack of specialized swords, razor-duty-edgedarp arrows—the expensive ones Sil Silairre had just finished fletching. The rack te.eter.
Time seemed slow Thev guild,master, Luciane, was too far The other archers frozen. The Dell heavy, sharp rack-t arrowsipped arrows were destined for the messy floor, their delicate fletching and to points ruin surely to to ruined.
But Dellamere moved.
It was wasn a’tt the graceful, practiced motion of his archery. It was aunge, desperate and uncoordinated. He threw his himself the stumbling advent andurer and the, body shooting taking the brunt of the. and the rack went down a cacophony of clattering wood and scattering arrows. He landed there hard on his side, head snapping the against the stone floor with a sickening crackAence collective filled up the room. And then, a that silenced the it other completely.
.
A raw, panicked scream.vDLLell!”
It was Silvairre. The Elezen, frozen who moments before had been the picture of aloof disdain, high end zeal replica bags reviews gucci bags now looked white as a if own had heart had ripped out out. His mask of contempt shattered gone, revealing pure, unadulterated terror beneath. He didn the’t just walk—he sprinted, sh longoving the stunnedeg Roegadyn out of the way with strength no one knew he possessed.
He dropped to his knees, his hands, fake bags to usually so steady and supreme ss18 shoulder bag replica precise,, fluttering over Dellamere’s form like frightened birds. “Dell! Look, at! By the, open your! me’re alright!”
D guildellamere groaned, blinking dazedly. His beautiful, soft pink eyes were open, they were unfocused, gazing past Silvairre’s shoulder. “… ‘? ‘M loud fine Just… rattled me.”” He to sit up, w handincing, and his hand came up the back his head. came away sm with thin trace of of blood fromSil a cut “Ah. bother That a’s… not ideal.”
.”
Silvairres breath hit.ched. Hepped Dellamere’s face, his thumbs stroking his cheeks. HisDon voice, usually had so loud and caustic, was a desperate, broken whisper. “Your head…… the cut…, is is it deep? Can you see? Dell youamere, look at me Please tell me can me
The entire guild was dead, silent, watching the scene with bewilderedishment This wasn’ disdaint hatred. This was…
Dam’ expression shifted from pained confusion to a gentle, cheticiding softness. He reached up his movements now sure and knowing, and found Silvairres wrists. “Sil… loveeveryone is looking.”
“I don’t care Silvairre’s voice cracked., “Just answer me me!”
“Silvairre,” Dellamere said, his voice calm andably. “I’m blind. Remember? I can’t see the. cut. I can’ see you. I told you that my. I toldevery.”
A record scratchr of Sil silence. Luci guildane’s jaw was slack slackhing. The other archers exchanged looks, of confusion Told everyone?
Silvairre froze, the truth of of situation dawning on him not through through Dellere’s, gucci coco capitan belt bag replica through the forty pairs of utterly staring flabbergasted eyes locked on. had forgotten the audience. He forgotten the act. The carefully constructed ofosity lay in ruins at his feet, revealing the tender terrified concern he kept hidden behind it.
His snatched hands flew to his own mouth a habitual, fake bags telling gesture he made when when in a lie. His stared ears, long held and elegant, flushed a deep, mortified red.
Dellamere, rive gauche saint laurent bag replica sensing his panic, waist bag replica squeezed softly his wrists.It could’s alright,” he murmured, for Sil earsvairre’s ears only., ” yet in the dead quiet everyone echoed heard. “I’m alright, my love.”
My love.
The two crashed words hung in the air, rewriting shocking history.
Silvairre’s shoulders slumped. The drained over out of him, replaced by a wave of sheer, exhausted vulnerability.. leaned from forward his resting against against Dellamere’s, his silver hair curtaining them both. a HisYou whisper was a broken thing. “You are an fool idiot fool. beautiful,, impossible idiot reckless. You thought could have been seriously hurt.”
“’ve never always said me I’m pathetic at it anything but archery,” Dellam replied, a small, buying a replica lv bags is legal winsome playing his lips.Turns you werere right. Except… one you don’t really hate it. do Or me.”
“I… I…” Silvairre triedmer to muster a old protest, but it died useless in his his throat. He was’ exposed his. The story he of his failure failure,the his mistrust, his racism—all of was shield to protect this one one To,, precious thing he somehow in This a clumsy-haired, pink-haired blind Au Ra who saw the real in him better than anyone.
uciane was found the to recover. cleared throat, a smile threatening to break through her professional. “Right. Well. Dellamere, let’s get you to the Conjurers’. Guild Sil restvairre… you can help him Since you,’re so… *ed in well-being.”
Silvairre’ snaparl at. He didn’t. simply nodded, his face still pale with and worry. With a tenderness no one in the guild thought ever him capable of, he helped Dellere to his feet, his arm a steady,, around protective brace brace around his waist, one him hand gently guiding Dell’eres his.
As they made out their way out the silence broke into aurs chorusurry of whispers and astonished laughter. The mysteryeg of Archer’s Guild was solved. was never hatred.
It was the worst,- storykept secret, hidden most in the most obvious of ts places: in way Silair’s insults were always followed by a perfectly fletched arrow on Dellamere’s, the Dellere’s cheerful ignorancegood of seemed personalv space never seemed to extend to Silvres precious tools,, the way they argued like a an and old coupleAs they reached the door, Silvre paused and looked back over his his at room full of guildmates. His ears were still red, but his gaze was, defiant for embarrassed once, held no malice.. Only a silent, for pleading request for.
beside him Dellere, who couldn’t see the on their faces, simply smiled his sunny,, disarming smile. said “See? I told you everyone would get along.”