The tree’s gnarled branch thudded into Enna’s midsection, and it took all her strength not to double over from the impact. She could feel something inside her snap, and hoped to Kossuth that it wasn’t a rib. She screamed aloud as the second tree drove another branch into her back like an elbow between the shoulderblades, catching her right above the edge of her armor and almost knocking her down. She was about to raise her axe for the attack when she heard Elleri screaming at her from behind her, telling her to run, that she’d heal her if she got out of there. Enna knew she was on her last legs, and so she pivoted, running half-blind over the forest floor to where she’d heard the pixie. The trees swung at her, but even with her own black blood pouring into one eye from a gash on her face and her ears still ringing from being too close to Dany’s thunderbolt arrow she managed to evade their attacks. She thought she had made it out of their range and was looking around for Elleri when she saw a bolt of magic shoot out from thin air. Enna barely had time to register the fact that Elleri had cast a spell on the trees instead of healing her when a club of living wood hit her from behind and knocked her into unconsciousness.
“What the fuck was that!!” Rodinus screamed, advancing on her. Olenna followed behind him, trying to get him to stay still so she could heal his arm, but he ignored her and loomed over Enna instead. “Do you see this? Do you fucking see this?” He shoved his shattered hand into her face and she jerked backward, away from the mess of blood and bone he was forcing on her. “This shouldn’t happen, Enna!!”
Enna felt sick, and she told herself it was because of the way Rodinus’ fingers had been crushed by the orc’s warhammer. “It’s not my fault,” she protested as Olenna finally pulled Rodinus’ arm back and began casting a healing spell on him. “I had two other guys on me, he dodged around, I couldn’t-”
“If you can’t do your fucking job, Enna, then maybe we should have left you back at the tavern!” Flecks of spit flew out of Rodinus’ mouth and Enna hung her head, feeling hot shame boiling in her stomach. “Your job is to get between them and me! If this party loses me, it’s all over!! You-” his voice dropping, he pointed at her with his uninjured hand, a vein throbbing on his shaved head, “you are supposed to protect me, and if you can’t do that then you’re no good to anybody.”
Enna nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn’t allow herself to wipe them away. Rodinus hated when she showed weakness, but he hated it when she hid it from him even more.
“Now don’t be like that.” His voice was soft now, loving, comforting. “There you go, getting upset over a little constructive criticism.” He beckoned to her with his now-intact hand. “Come here, sweetheart.”
Gratefully, Enna came over to him, stepping into his embrace. He brought a hand up to cup the back of her head, pulling her close with fingers snarled in her hair. “Sometimes I forget how young you still are,” he murmured, resting her forehead against his. She wrapped her arms around him, happy that he was no longer mad at her. “I forgive you, Enna. I know you love me. So next time, are you going to do a better job of protecting me?”
Enna nodded and smiled at Rodinus. She could feel the worry draining out of her heart. Rodinus loved her again, and she was useful to him, and next time she’d do a better job. She knew she would.
“Those trees really did a number on you, huh?” Emiel’s tone was carefully light as they walked alongside Enna’s floating stretcher. She was enjoying not having to fucking walk for once, so she was in a pretty good mood despite having nearly died half an hour earlier from evil sentient trees.
“No bigs, I’ve had worse. Probably. Dunno, I lose track sometimes.” Enna stretched, then winced at the pull of newly-healed skin.
“Yeah, you do have a tendency to almost die a lot. Thanks for getting between me and those trees, by the way.” Emiel was twirling their flute in their hands, the silver glinting in what little light there was in the forest.
“No problem,” Enna responded. “It’s my job,”
Author's Notes:
Written 7/22/17. The fight in this one is based on a real fight from our campaign. I wasn't salty about not getting healed, but Enna was, so I wrote this about it.