A Winter to Freeze Your Heart part 2

[Cornflower MM]

         Ushen reached down to grab Ervoyce's paws, pulling him up to a sitting position. "It'll be alright, I know Bryant wouldn't let her, he'd find a way. Now come on, let's get you to that pond." Ushen wasn't quite as certain as he was letting on, knowing full well what Vatra was capable of, but he wasn't going to show even a single hint of doubt.

          After helping maneuver Ervoyce to standing while leaning heavily on Ushen, Arya paused to grab both his sword and Vatra's javelin and they set off for the pond.

[Dannflower Reguba]

       The water was freezing... Vatra's paws swished back and forth as light, little waves echoed over the surface of the pond, oblivious to the violence just opposite the building. Sprinkling tears continued to add themselves to the body of water, not that she wanted them anyway. The squirrelmaid had managed to crawl up off the ground, enough to kneel on the bank, life stolen from her once again. No escape was available to her, and only the sobs even tried to ease the pain, but to no avail. Water flew into her face in a desperate attempt to quench her emotions, but they burned, oh how they burned! Not once, but twice ripped apart, devoid of any form of release, unending darkness amidst the torturous flames. Answers were not to be found skyward either, but she kept looking... looking for anything.

* * * * *

       Ervoyce groaned as he was hoisted from his position on the ground, but reassured his friends before being creakily raised to his feet. The going was slow, and breathing was hard... but they were moving, he was moving. It would take them a bit to even round the Abbey, but he wasn't much bothered, they were getting closer to Vatra, and that was all that mattered... To end her suffering, to keep her warm, fragile heart from fragmenting too much... She'd seen enough pain in her life, it was about time she got to keep her joy.

[Cornflower MM]

      As Vatra had moved and settled down by the pond, Bryant had nearly panicked - The worst case scenario had immediately jumped to the forefront of his mind and Bryant wasn't the strongest swimmer, nor was anyone else really close enough to hear if he called for help. But instead Vatra merely sat by the water, dipping her paws in and looking up to the sky.

       With a sigh of relief, Bryant turned to leave Vatra in peace and go check on Ushen and Arya. She seemed relatively okay now, and he still wasn't entirely comfortable trying to comfort her right now.

~~~

          As they made their slow but purposeful way along the grounds, Arya glanced at Ervoyce out of the corner her eye, biting her lip. "Hey, um, Ervoyce?" She wasn't sure that now was exactly the right time, but she was worried. "Are you sure you're alright? I don't mean just the... Coming back to life part, but earlier, with the weasel... You didn't seem quite yourself."

[Dannflower Reguba]

       Ervoyce's demeanor darkened at Arya's words, "Where I come from, everybeast is something of a mystic. You spend enough time by yourself an' the wind starts talkin' to ya." One could almost hear the memories as he slipped into an old, breathy accent, "A few a' us... we liked what she 'ad ta say... An' so we lis'nt... Lis'nd to the doctrine our dark 'arts kept whisp'ren... Tis ah simple thing really , losing yerself in the cold... S'not long 'afore yer drunk on indifference. Like a fool ta the wise, indifference gives yoo power over those oo'd cling to survival... You find yourself capable a' makin' decisions well beyond your peers... Well beyond yourself." He shook his head and stretched his jaw, as if realigning himself. When he spoke again, a tint of embarrassment came through, "I started dragging my words didn't I?"

[Cornflower MM]

        Concealing her smile at Ervoyce's chagrin, Arya shook her head. "Only a little bit." She paused for a moment, face crinkling with thought, "I think I understand. Thank you for explaining." It was interesting seeing the different place he'd gone to simply thinking about times past, and while Arya knew she would never fully understand, Ervoyce's cryptic words somehow made sense.

         As she was pondering, Bryant came around a corner of the Abbey up ahead, clearly coming from the direction they were going in. It took a moment for him to recognize the slow moving trio, but once he did the shock on his features was clearly evident despite the short distance that he was quickly closing. "How? Were you not really dead?" Bryant spluttered once he was up near them, blinking at Ervoyce as Ushen laughed, "Shut your mouth before you catch flies."

[Dannflower Reguba]

       Ervoyce giggled along with his friends at Bryant's bewilderment, "I mean, I could go back if you'd like, though I think I know a few who might take issue with that idea." They would be turning the last corner shortly, but he couldn't wait, "Bryant? How's Vatra doing?" Dread seeped from his heart and voice, he had no desire to see her in yet more pain... no desire to see what he'd caused. It was frankly quite easy to just stand in front of the dart, not having to worry about the after math, dealing with it was another matter entirely.

[Cornflower MM]

       "No, no need for that!" Bryant hastily interjected, turning to walk back towards the pond with the others. At Ervoyce's question he took a deep breath. "She's.... Okay. Well, not exactly okay but calmer now. She's sitting by the pond. I was worried at first but she's handling it decently well." Or as well as can be expected,  he thought to himself. Ervoyce's death had been a major shock, it wasn't something any of them had even thought to expect. Of course there were risks in every battle, but some beasts seemed invincible until it was proven that they weren't.

[Dannflower Reguba]

       Judging by his hesitation, it was likely that Bryant's words had been measured thoroughly before being spoken. Ervoyce let out a sigh, still worried, but now focused on preparing himself for the sight at hand. They all stopped as Vatra came into view, and he started to quiver. Despite both the distance and still recovering vision, the sight of his dearest companion was enough to tear him up as he whispered, "Bring me close... but don't alert her to our presence..... I need to see first hand what I've done."

[Cornflower MM]

        Arya laid a comforting paw on Ervoyce's shoulder as they drew to a stop. "Whatever you need. Remember, what she feels is born out of love." She didn't know if that would help any or not, but she felt it was a good thing to bring to the front of Ervoyce's mind.

        Vatra was sitting up ahead of them, a strange image of grief. The violent pain seemingly oozed from every inch of her, yet she seemed so still and calm as she looked up at the sky. As Arya looked at her friend she turned her head to look into the water she was trailing her paw through, and Arya's heart hurt for Vatra even though she knew that soon her hurt would be resolved.

         As Ushen prepared to start moving carefully forward again, Arya kept a careful eye on Ervoyce. She still didn't trust him to not fall over at a moment's notice and this was a rather hard moment for both himself and Vatra. She was still trying to process everything and it was only because of Ushen and Bryant that she was doing nearly as well as she was, it was unimaginable to her what they were feeling. She locked eyes with Bryant, seeing similar concern flitting across his features, and gave him a small smile. They were now all alive, and in a moment Vatra was going to get the happiest surprise of her life - Everything was going to work out just fine.

[Dannflower Reguba]

       Progress was slow, but Ervoyce wasn't sure if he could handle it any faster anyway. First he could hear Vatra, choked cries and all, shortly after he could see her clearly, a hunched, crumpled mess. So lost in her pain was she, that they managed to all get a mere ten paces away before he squeezed his friends shoulders, holding out his hand to Arya for the javelin. A reassuring smile was the best argument he could offer them, unsure as to whether he'd be able to stand on his own. With a little careful repositioning, they were able to keep the black squirrel supported while he started to lean on the javelin. Partially thanks to the cold spring ground, he was also able to use his sword as an improvised cane as he took the last few uneven steps alone.

       It killed him inside, seeing her like this, broken and defeated on the cusp of joyous victory. Ervoyce watched his friend, almost breathing down her neck, forcefully restraining his voice from calling her attention.... Not until he'd fully ingrained this scene into his mind, burned it into his memory that he would always remember the weight of consequences.

"Why..."

The word stung, hearing Vatra's voice... so forlorn... it felt unnatural.

"It's... not, fair.. without me..."

"No, it's not fair."

       Vatra gave out a long sniff and rubbed across her nose, she couldn't figure out if hearing his voice in her head made things better or worse... Desperately trying to stop herself, she scrunched her eyes shut, yet still couldn't manage to stop from twisting around. It was a definite recipe for more pain, she knew he wasn't there, but oh how she wished for the end to this vile nightmare. Even her eyes lied to her, she reached out to the Ervoyce that was struggling to sit right behind her. She shook her head slowly to try and get this potent wish out of her head before she found some more hope to dash on reality. It was in this moment that her paw was stopped upon meeting his face, soon followed by the second. The moments passed by, and Vatra's eyes began to grow in realization. Yanking back her paws to cover her own mouth in disbelief, it was all she could do to stare... un-moving except to examine the very real and very alive squirrel before her.

       Ervoyce couldn't hold onto his tears a moment longer, speaking with a cracked voice, "... I'm sorry... Vatra, I'm so sorry! I-!" Suddenly on the ground, he only figured out what had happened as he was being smothered. Sucking an emergency breath in through his nose as the full realization hit, his face flushed so hard he was sure anybeast could see it despite the fur, "Here? NOW!? There are others watching!...but..." Although uncomfortable for a short time, her rather convincing argument didn't take long to sway him into agreement as they shared a long, ardent kiss. Warmth radiated through his entire body, pain completely forgotten, an experience completely unlike their previous brush of the lips... There was so much more heart this time around. Panting for air and well reddened, they simply stared at one another, Ervoyce lying on his back and Vatra arched over him. He managed to compose a sentence first, "Heh heh, ya know, I haven't been gone for that long, how long've you been greeting other's that way?"

"You... You insufferable JERK!" Vatra blurted, pushing herself upright off of his shoulders, lip quivering, now hot from embarrassment.

After a quick wince, he fired back, "Heeey! I take offense at that! I'm your insufferable jerk!"

She gave a nervous laugh through the sobs, trying rather unsuccessfully to wipe the wetness away, "Ervoyce you.... You're-"

"Not going anywhere." His gaze was still soft, but he spoke with clear sincerity, "I'm not leaving, so like it or not, you're stuck with me... But..." He looked away to compose himself, "... I really am sorry Vatra... for causing you such great pain, for-"

She interrupted with a shushing finger to his lips , "No more apologies, ya need no forgiveness from me... Just, promise me."

"Promise?....... I swear it. I'm here to stay." There it was, a smile that seemingly dissolved all of his own worries with it's brightness. Gently, he could feel himself being pulled as Vatra sat next to him and laid his head in her lap. A mere two seasons of fighting together... And yet, it was quite clear to him that this was the thing he'd been fighting for from the start... Who knows, perhaps those voices in the wind had been fate after all... He couldn't think of any better place to end up. Vatra spoke with a soft voice, "Love you too," Ervoyce simply smiled.

[Cornflower MM]

      As Ervoyce made his way to Vatra by himself, Arya grabbed Bryant and Ushen's paws and quietly backed up, still trying to go unnoticed. The couple deserved privacy for their reunion, although Arya had zero intentions of walking away completely. She was the first to admit she could be quite nosey and Vatra's reaction was something the squirrel was rather curious about.

       Whatever Arya had been expecting, Vatra throwing herself at Ervoyce and their following embrace wasn't it, and judging by the color Ervoyce was turning under his fur he hadn't prepared for it either. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers before she blinked and politely looked away.

        Ushen squeezed her paw and she caught his gaze questioningly. "How are you doing, you know, with everything?" He asked quietly as Ervoyce and Vatra began to talk. Taking a breath to consider, Arya was surprised at the answer. "I think... I'm okay. There's a lot to process, you know? But we're all here, we're all miraculously alive, the Abbey is ours again.... We've done everything we set out to do and I think those that we lost along the way would be proud of where we are now."

          Ushen drew her into a hug as she finished speaking, Bryant having moved away to give them their own space, and smiled. "I think they would be too." He knew Arya had been talking about Zanga, and he also knew just how hard the otter's death had shaken her. It was good to see her healing.

[Dannflower Reguba]

       After having the sword passed to her, Vatra sank it into the ground behind her to lean on. With a couple of mutual grunts, Ervoyce was hoisted to a sitting position, leaning back into his supporting friend. She kept both arms under his to be extra sure, not that he'd be slipping away anytime soon anyway with how firmly she was squeezing him in place. The two black squirrels simply sat there, taking pleasure and solace in each other's peaceful company. Vatra stretched her neck forward and their cheeks brushed together, allowing him to feel the wetness in her fur. Ervoyce managed to raise his left arm to rub hers with a comforting paw before speaking, "It's still hurting you, isn't it?" Regardless of the joy in this turn of events, she could not stifle the flow of tears, "When you-" she sniffed hard to fight back further interruptions, "When you... went under, I stared into total darkness, and though I know you're right here... I just can't look away. I... I thought I lost you."

"I do suppose it would be rather difficult to spot either of us in the dark."

It took a moment for Ervoyce's snide comment to register, as it had been spoken with such soft sincerity. Now royally miffed, she was fully prepared to let him have it, "Why you!-" Vatra happened to possess knowledge of a particular spot in his left side, which she firmly dug into with the nearest paw... The results did not disappoint.

Ervoyce wriggled frantically, but was utterly helpless against her powerful grip. The writhing continued as he resorted to a desperate plea, "ooOOoo! Ah-ah! Okayokayokay! I submit! I SUBMIT!" He groaned in response to one last, good jab, "Uhhuuuuuuhuhuh, why so mean to me?"

"Hypocrite," she muttered darkly.

A wry grin returned to his face, he'd dug himself in this deep, why not keep going? "Your hypo-"

"NOOOO-!" Vatra's objection was cut off sharply by a rebellious giggle, "Cheater, you think you can butter your way out of anything, ah?"

He gave her a winning, though none too convincing smile to go with his wishful response, "Hopefully?"

The giggling resumed as she shook her head, "What am I going to do with you?"

"Keep holding onto me?"

"Given your prior escape attempt, pretty sure we're good on that front, hmm?" She turned to call to the rest of the squirrels, albeit, singling out the shy couple, "Eeey! If'n you're just gonna stand there with cold feet, you could at leas come sit down! You too twinkle fur!"

[Cornflower MM]

     Bryant laughed at the nickname as he walked over to Vatra and Ervoyce. "Twinkle fur, eh? That's new." As he sat, Bryant couldn't help but smile at their expressions - Both looked so happy and content to just be with each other even with the remains of the tragedy clear to see. Their bond was one of the strongest Bryant had ever seen during his travels and he was incredibly happy for them both.

     Arya and Ushen sat down on his other side, holding paws once more, and Ushen chuckled. "You can't complain though, I like it." Bryant elbowed him with a joking scowl, "of course you do. Vatra, look what you've started. It'll never go away now!"

~~~

     Back at Brockhall, all was quiet. The Dibbuns had been left in bed for longer than normal, as no one wanted to run after them just yet. The Redwallers knew that this was it, this was the battle that would win or lose the war. Abbess Russina had begun to doze in a chair a few hours till dawn, but as the rays of sunlight bathed the forest in early morning light she sat upright, her eyes more clear and focused than they'd been for weeks. "It's over. We have our home back." She breathed, blinking the sleep from her eyes.

     A mousemaid nearby looked at her quizzically, "How do you know, marm?"

     Russina smiled. "Martin told me so."

[Dannflower Reguba]

       "Oh I know, you're welcome," Vatra said with a wink, feeling quite pleased with herself. Turning to give Arya a nudge and mischievous grin, she gave her newfound confidence a stretch, "It's your turn now, we even gave you a demonstration!" Ervoyce bobbed in her arms, chortling, "Ha ha ha, ow. Heh heh, come now, you just finished saying they had cold feet, at least tease them consistently!... We gonna stick with Twinkle fur? S'good, but I was considering just keeping it short and calling him sparkles. Sun's coming out a bit more, and he's getting kind of blinding of late." She craned her neck upwards to maximize mock snootiness, "Shoulda said somethin' sooner, and who do you think you are to lecture me about teasing!"

[Cornflower MM]

      Arya coughed in surprise, blinking back at Vatra owlishly. "What? No, we're not really like that... Yet." She looked away from Ushen as they both blushed. Bryant snickered at their clear unease before scowling at Ervoyce. "If you start callin' me Sparkles I'll. . . I'll. . ." He paused and scrunched up his face, trying to think of a suitable threat that he would be able to carry out.

       Ushen glanced at his little brother, "Take your time, you'll think of something." He reached over to ruffle Bryant's headfur and his paw was smacked away with a glare.