Lament of Innocence

Tigger:

I turned to look at Tarrion and smiled weakly.
"One plus one can't equal three," Selene interrupted. I rolled my eyes at her.
"You are both thinking inside of the box," I sighed, "expand your views." A few minuted passed as they thought hard. I groaned and stood up.
"One woman plus one man equals one child. Therefore, one plus one will result in three."
Another silence, I rolled my eyes.
"I get it," Tar finally exclaimed. I nodded at him.
"Do you see how this applies to this situation now?" His eyes grew wide as he frantically turned to Selene, who was now blushing fiercely.
"We aren't- I don't think- This is hardly the time-," he stuttered. I laughed as Selene's cheeks just grew more red.
"No, you bumbling idiot! You're thinking inside of the box again!" I laughed and walked off, leaving them to ponder it. I needed someplace to sleep...

Selene
My eye twitched I loved Tigger like a brother but right now he was annoying the hell out of me. I leaned my head on Tarrions shoulder relaxing my eyes closing and I finally fell asleep.

Aris

I felt stupid.

Like really, really stupid. Like, so stupid that I can hardly hold in my stupidity.

Everyone knew. Just like with Tarrion, everyone friggin' knew. And although I wasn't an overly private person I honestly didn't like having people know everything about me. Although, when you lived in this kind of a community, where everyone knew you, it was like living with a spy. And I was publicly humiliated. Oh, bull-

"Hey, Aris?"

I quickly spun around. Kale. The last person I wanted to see right now. "What?" I asked, more snappishly than I had intended.

"Uh- sorry for bothering you about it," he muttered. "I won't try to get it out of you again or anything."

"Thanks, Kale," I said, relieved it was over. "Sorry I called you a jerk."

"Don't be, I was being one," he said, shrugging. "I guess I got pissed that everyone knew and I didn't, but I understand you want to keep it to yourself."

"Wow... thanks," I said.

Things were back to normal.

...until I heard the sound of the prince's guards.

TARRION

Okay... well then. That was awkward. I sighed and let Selene rest her head on my shoulder. She was embaressed and blushing so badly her cheeks were actually hot through my clothes. It was sorta cute actually. I kissed her head lightly and put an arm around her carefully, avoiding her wound.

Okay, so Tig had a point-but really? I sighed.

"They're back!" Aris shouted. I thought she meant Kale's father. Aris ran up to us and pulled us up. "The guards! They're back!"

I stared at her in disbelief. How convenient.

Aris

"C'mon!" I said as quietly as I could. I didn't know if they knew we were here. "We need to hide, it's no use running, sounds like they have horses-"

Tigger motioned towards a thicket of trees. "Hurry up," he hissed.

We rushed over. It was enclosed- the guards couldn't see us and we couldn't see them, as far as I could tell. We kept near the ground, our breath coming quick.

"We can take them," Tigger muttered.

"Four soldiers, on horses, it sounded like," Kale said quietly. "You think we can take them? I think you're crazy. You just got caught by two."

Well, for the first time Tigger shut up. But that was only because we could hear them coming closer. Tarrion held Selene in his arms, ready to put his life down for her. Tigger just stood, sword in hand, ready for a fight. Me? I stood as well, Tigger on my left, Kale on my right. He grasped my hand.

Selene
I woke up to find that we were hiding. "Um Tar please put me down." I said. He put me down on the ground and I looked at each of them. "What the hell is going on?" I asked.

Tigger:

We were going to be so horribly dead.

At least I lived a full life. Right? I wouldn't mind dying today. No, not at all. Actually, dying seemed like the better of my choices. I gave my sword to Aris and started up a tree where I could hide out, completely out of sight. I still had my carving knife.
"Tigger," Aris whispered, "what in the world-"
"Shh," I hissed back at her.

Well, there was the matter that I had no kids to carry my name. No wife, well I never really wanted one of those anyway. If I could adopt one when I get older, then I could die. There is the matter of names...

"They're getting closer," Selene whined, hiding behind Tarrion.

No, no. I shouldn't have to shame my kids with the displeasure of having me as their father. I wouldn't want me as a father either. I would hate me if I was my child. I should die alone and unmarried. Yes, that is the best thing to do.

"There they are," a harsh voice yelled. The sound of metal cutting through flesh filled the air and I smiled, a reflex I've inherited.
"Aris, watch out," Kale yelled. I looked down through the leaves and threw down my knife, striking one guard in the dead in the center of his head before he could cut Aris. Someone, I'm guessing Aris, threw it back up and I caught it again, preparing for another aerial attack.

It's not like I wasn't going to die anyway, I'd been sentenced to execution. If I was going to die, I was going to go out with a fight, or at least a good argument.

"Selene! Oh my god," Tarrion yelled. I could hear the tears in his voice.
"She's not dead," Aris grunted," keep fighting." I threw down my knife again, striking one in the chest. Again, my knife returned.

If I was to die...

Selene
I heard rather than felt a knife digging into my back right below the arrow and I dropped like a ton of bricks. I yanked the knife out and threw it and it hit one of the remaining soldiers in the eye and he dropped from his horse. I allowed myself a brief smile ignoring the blood pouring down my back. I grabbed my bow and remaing arrow and shot the horse the last soldier was sitting on and it fell crushing the soldier underneath its body.

TARRION

My breathing started getting shallow. I couldn't take my eyes off the blood oozing from Selene's back. She shot the guard's horse and the animal fell ontop of him. She fell backwards and I just barely caught her before she hit the ground.

Tears were coursing down my cheeks and I didn't bother to wipe them away. Her eyes were closed, but she was breathing shallowly. Tigger jumped from his tree, but I didn't care. "That's all of them?" He asked. I nodded, unable to say anything.

I froze at the sound of footsteps outside the thicket. I layed Selene carefully on the ground and took a step forward, taking Tigger's knife from his hands and shoving the sword at him.

I took a step out to see another soldier on foot. He smirked at my tears. I let out a cry of rage and before he could blink I drove the knife into his chest. I pulled it out and watched his eyes widen in horror as he fell backwards.

I stormed back into the thicket, ignoring the pain that was coursing through my body. "Let's go," I growled.

Selene
I smiled weakly at Tarrion. "I'm proud of you." I said forcing myself to stand ignoring the waves of pain that pulsed through my body. I felt my legs give out on me and I collapsed again. "For the love of all that is holy." I muttered trying to stand and failing miserably. I stood up my legs trembling trying to give out on me again I gritted my teeth refusing to give in.

Selene
I smiled weakly at Tarrion. "I'm proud of you." I said forcing myself to stand ignoring the waves of pain that pulsed through my body. I felt my legs give out on me and I collapsed again. "For the love of all that is holy." I muttered trying to stand and failing miserably. I stood up my legs trembling trying to give out on me again I gritted my teeth refusing to give in.

TARRION

I took a step towards Selene and held held her up. I could hardly breath and tears were making their way down my cheeks. "We've got to get back!" I shouted. Aris and Kale stared at me, eyes sad. Tigger was biting his lip. This was too much for even him. That stupid smirk had disapeared.

"We've got to get her back to stop bleeding first," Kale muttered.

I nodded, choking back tears.

Kale

"Okay, Selene, we've got to stop this bleeding," I said quickly. "Give me your shirt," I commanded Tarrion. He didn't understand why but obeyed in a heartbeat. I ripped off strips and put them onto Selene's wounds and tied them.

"That's all I can do for now," I said hurriedly. "Whats the plan?"

TARRION

I couldn't focus on anything. My head throbbed and I was dizzy. The love of my life was bleeding to death and I was powerless to stop it. Better yet; I was now shirtless except for the make-shift bandages Selene had wrapped around my chest. My scars were open for everybody to see.

"Somebody's gotta carry Selene back. She's hardly even conscious!" I growled. I didn't know what was wrong with me, but I was mad. If there was a way, I'd get rid of my bruises and carry her myself. Actually, I would prefer it that way; but there wasn't a way.

Selene
I tried to protest to what Tarrion had just said but instead I coughed up more blood dropping down to my knees barely maintaining conciousness. I forced myself to take slow and deep breaths no matter how much it hurt there was no way in hell that I was dieing. "They will have to drag my will and spirit out with 1000 wild horses before I give up." I said quietly still breathing slowly. They all looked at me with a mix of respect and surprise and I smiled at them.