Some Fall By Virtue

Chapter Twenty-Five: taught me how to grow

See how much fear you caused? the voice spoke, glee just about audible in its tone. Her free hand curled into a fist and shook. How she hated what she had become... What she had made herself become, because it was all her own choices. The voice agreed with her there, and Sakura could only sigh softly as she was continually pulled through the bushes and trees. She had walked far in her quest for peace and space to transform and wreak havoc and death upon the being who had dared to injure her precious.

"I... I'm sorry I did not return sooner," she mumbled, feeling oddly sheepish as she stumbled over what she was meant to say to the brusque ellon she hadn't quite interacted much with. What marvellous acting. Deceiver. The statements still cut like knives, no matter how much she heard them. Rather, the constant repetition made her feel worse, because she couldn't deny it. She couldn't deny any of it. "I was..."

"You were scared, it cannot be helped," Elladan said blithely, misreading the situation. A fact Sakura was most grateful for, and yet hated at the same time. "Now hurry. We must return as quickly as we can," he continued, picking up the pace, even as the low murmur of voices just about became audible.

Sakura stumbled into the clearing she had left a little while before, blinking as Elladan called to her soulmate who was standing on his feet like he hadn't been half-crushed beneath a dragon a matter of hours ago. Annoyance and irritation flared within her then, eyes narrowing just as grey ones locked on her. Feet moved towards her, no doubt drawn by that magnetic pull towards each other they both seemed to have towards the other.

"You are safe," her soulmate breathed, and Sakura could only blink and feel her cheeks and ears redden as her head found itself crushed between hand and breastplate. Fingers carded in her damp pink locks. "With your tendency to find trouble, I feared the worst," Glorfindel said, still apparently blissfully ignorant to the fact that she might as well have been the trouble that time around. It hadn't found her, rather, she had sought it out. "I am glad to see you safely returned..." He released her then, turning to Elladan. "You have my thanks for bringing her safely back."

"And as touching as this scene is," Elladan replied, expression stern and unyielding, reminding her of his father's. And his grandfather's – the one who had slain her once before. "We ought to move on the road. This venture has not been successful, and we might just find ourselves in greater peril should we remain here," he said, turning on his heel then, making a beeline for his horse, his twin brother following behind him, all the while casting nervous glances back towards them.

"He is correct," Glorfindel murmured, grasping a hold of her hand then, tugging her in the direction of the horse she was so very familiar with by that point in time. "We must leave, and make haste," he said, and Sakura soon found herself seated in front of him, staring at the long road ahead – leading back to Rivendell. And a healing for her soulmate which would be so very swift compared to hers before. "Loathe I admit it, I am currently in no state to fight without incurring more injuries... Truly, a dragon can inflict injuries with the barest of glancing blows..."

Sakura snorted, a bark of a laugh. "Don't we both know it," she muttered, earning a chuckle so very wonderful compared to her own.

"Alas, that would seem to be correct!" he exclaimed, resting his head atop her own almost unthinkingly, heedless as to the way she stiffened and the looks directed both of their ways at the so very casual display of affection. Truly, she hated the effects of their bond sometimes.

Liar, the voice whispered.

"Unfortunately this means we will have to be just a tad more careful on the journey home," he continued, seemingly ignoring the way she stiffened in his grasp. Oh how she would love to have a home after so many years of not having one – of not having anyone to return to. A consequence partially because of the name upon on her arm which had been unreadable for so many years, even to her until her memories returned to her upon her reincarnation into that world.

"Then I will protect you for the time being," Sakura stated, staring dead ahead, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up on end as she felt those grey eyes fix upon her. A soft, happy hum left his lips, the sound vibrating through her, even as they rode in the centre of the formation – the most well defended part. Elladan hadn't permitted Glorfindel to refuse such a position, nor had any of the rest of the elves. Her soulmate was so very loved. Sakura rather wished she could be too, but that was a fleeting fancy, a dream which could never be achieved. So it was better to give such an idea up.

"Somehow," Elladan remarked wryly, "I doubt you will be up for facing a dragon of the size we just caught but a glimpse of," he said, and Sakura could only snort. What a wretched sense of humour she had.

You might be surprised, was what Sakura wanted to say. But there were enough puzzle pieces on the board as to her true identity. Sakura didn't particularly want to add another into play. "Well, if I'm left with no choice," she mumbled, staring down at the horse's mane then. "Then face such a fell beast I will."

"You would die," Elladan stated, as though that ought to have any effect on her. "Would you really sacrifice your life for him?"

Glorfindel stiffened behind her, grey eyes narrowing on the ellon riding beside them – his twin brother having seemingly taken over the front of their group. "Elladan," he hissed, grasp upon her tightening, drawing her back against him, and Sakura found against the instincts to struggle or wiggle free. That would only make his injuries worse, though admittedly it probably already was making them worse.

"Of course," she said blandly. She would sacrifice her life for him in an instant, because he was everything good. Everything she wasn't. Besides, it wasn't like it would be the first time death had come a calling. She could bear it, more so if it was for her soulmate who seemed so very attached to her, blissfully ignorant as to the truth of their connection.

"No." The arms wrapped around her then tightened, letting go of the reins then, and Sakura barely caught a hold of them. "You will not," Glorfindel hissed, the sound of his voice so very different. So very desperate to cling to a dragon.

Sakura turned then, acrid green staring at the profile of her soulmate then as best she could, considering her position. "You can't stop me," she said.

"You have barely known Glorfindel for a matter of months," Elladan said then, distracting her from the hands which grasped at her as though she would disappear if he were to let go. "Why would you go so far, or has the value of your life somehow fallen?"

A snort escaped her before she could help it, the sound cold and biting, and she only found herself further tangled up in her soulmate's grasp. "He is everything I'm not," she said coldly, hating the tears which bit at the corners of her eyes and threatened to spill. "If that's not enough of a reason, I don't know what would be." She looked at the elf riding beside her, grip tightening on the reins at the whispered reminder that her life really wasn't worth all that much.

Elladan turned away then, a frown set upon his brow – likely to escape the forbidding stare which she could feel radiating from her soulmate. "Forgive me," he mumbled then, sounding awfully sheepish all of a sudden. "My question was ill thought."

Glorfindel huffed, and Sakura only hummed in acknowledgement, wondering when her soulmate would deign to let her go from the death grasp he seemed to have upon her as they rode on.