Roche crashed against her with a howl of pain. The sound was so chilling that goosebumps rose to Tigris' skin. They both fell to the ground, Roche's weight pinning down Tigris' arm. She struggled to move, stilling when she saw a glimpse of what was ailing the maid.

A snake made of shadows had latched onto the woman's calf, its fangs sinking deeper and deeper. Thick, dark veins spread from the bite zone. When the uskoi pulled back, more venom spilled from its fangs. It reared to take another bite, its eyes latching on Tigris.

Then Harold was there, grabbing the foul creature by the tail and flinging it away from Roche. Brom tugged Roche upright, and Tigris rolled out from under her.

"Stay back!" she ordered the knights, her mind whirring. She couldn't be sure if the knights' swords would work against the creatures of the dead. But from her last battle with Finn, she knew that her sword would be just fine.

The snake drew itself up, and Tigris slashed her blade as it lunged forward to bite. The length of her blade flashed with Roche's carefully placed enchantments as it connected with the uskoi. The snake hissed with agony, its forked tongue flicking with displeasure as it disappeared with a soft pop.

Tigris paused, waiting for another uskoi to come attacking. She lowered her sword when none came, spinning around.

The knights were huddled around Roche. The woman was on the ground, her teeth gritted. A sheen of sweat was beginning to glisten against her brow.

"That thing was venomous," Ivie murmured, laying her cloak around Roche's shoulders. The knight drew her gaze up to Tigris, concern shining bright in her eyes. "We need to get back to Leinos. He might have a cure."

"We won't get back in time," Harold said solemnly, pointing to the dark veins spreading from the bite on Roche's calf.

Brom growled. "Well, we'll have to try. We can't just leave her here."

Ruth placed a hand on the irate knight's shoulder. "He never said that, Brom. But look at Roche. Do you think she's up for a fast paced journey back to the castle? Maybe there's a village nearby with a physician."

Arguments flowed, filling the scorched clearing. Tigris lowered herself to Roche's side, hot searing guilt churning in her gut. The maid's eyes were unfocused, struggling to stay open. And her lips were moving. Tigris leaned closer to listen, but the words were somewhat unfamiliar and hoarse. She didn't understand until a familiar scent filled the air, wild and free.

"Roche," Tigris whispered. The maid's unfocused eyes drifted towards her languidly. She didn't stop chanting quietly, not even when Tigris murmured, "Roche, don't drain your strength."

Ivie stiffened abruptly. "My lady," the knight jumped to her feet, "Something's coming."

The knights had their blades out in an instant. A silhouette filled the sky. Tigris gathered Roche into her arms, wincing as the woman let out a pained moan. She held up her sword as the flying figure blocked out the sun. In the darkness, two orange eyes glowed.

Two familiar eyes.

"Lower your weapons!" Tigris ordered, resheathing her sword. She hefted Roche higher as the knights spun to her with various degrees of alarm.

"My lady!" Harold hissed, his eyes bugging out of his head like she'd lost her mind, "It could be an uskoi."

"It's not!" Tigris snapped, Roche's weight beginning to make her arms burn. She held on tightly, lowering them both to the ground. Her eyes were pinned to the maid's too pale face, to the way her pupils dilated and contracted randomly, struggling to focus, to the shallowness of her breath and the sweat beading on her forehead. Tigris' heart pounded, her chest roiling with a damned helplessness as she leaned closer, ignoring the sound of beating wings approaching.

"You're not dying on me, do you hear me?" Tigris ordered roughly, tucking a stray strand of the maid's dark hair behind her ears. "I forbid it, and you said you'd listen to me from now on."

Roche smiled weakly, shuddering like the simple action cost her strength. "You brat," Roche slurred, her muscles relaxing in Tigris' grip. "Don't order me around when I'm dying."

"You're not going to die," Tigris repeated again, a lump forming in her throat.

Roche's chest hitched. She peered up at Tigris, a sudden lucidity to her eyes. "I'm sorry. If I haven't told you that before, I'm sorry for all the lies. I want you to know that everything I did, I did it for you because I trust you. I trust the woman you were, are, and always will be. I trust you and your pure heart. It is an honour to die for you."

Tigris; eyes were burning. Her chest was too tight. She gripped Roche like she was the one dying and the woman was her lifeline. She barely registered the ground shaking and the knights yelling as a gigantic avian landed in the middle of the scorched ground. She locked her eyes with Roche's as the sun filtered back into the forest. In the light, the inkblood's eyes looked like molten gold. Her words hit Tigris' heart more powerfully than any enchantment ever could.

"Roche," Tigris whispered, her words coming out choked, "I'm the one whose sorry. You've done nothing wrong. I was stupid, I was a brat, I should have listened to you and- Roche? Roche!"

She shook the woman on her lap with trembling hands as Roche went limp, a smile gracing her face as she sank into unconsciousness.

"Roche!"

Tigris couldn't tell who was shouting the name. Maybe it was her. All she knew was that there was a burning clawing up her throat like dragon fire and an icy wetness trickling down her numb face. She was vaguely aware of the fact that she was shaking Roche by the shoulders desperately, clinging to the fact that the maid's chest was still rising and falling, if a bit slowly.

If she was still breathing, then there was hope.

Tigris wouldn't let Roche die. There was so much more she had to tell the scholarly woman who had fought for her, killed for her, and was now ready to die for her.

Hands roughly hauled Tigris up, and she blinked away her tears to find Sir Harold staring at her in bewilderment, rattling her like a toy. His lips were moving, and Tigris had to focus around the numb bleat of panic clouding out all of her senses. She wrenched herself free as his voice finally trickled through her ears.

"-owl? Bird? It has inkblood!" Harold was shouting. Tigris blinked out of her daze, stunned to find the knights with their weapons raised, circling around her and Roche with pale faces.

The familiar giant owl clicked their beak, drawing their gaze across the various faces before them.

"Fyra, tell your protectors to lower their blades. I mean you no harm. I was called here." the Striga's voice rippled into Tigris' mind. The sensation was strange but not uncomfortable. Tigris swiped her tear stained cheeks, glancing at the shocked knights around her.

"Do as they say," she ordered.

Ruth's jaw dropped. "My lady, that's a Striga! It's a creature of ink that's supposed to be extinct! It-"

"I know, Lady Ruth. Now lower your blade!" Tigris said, authority pouring into her voice. She pushed past the wary knights, stifling an instinctive wave of fear as the Striga's glowing eyes swung to her. "Circe, I presume?"

Circe nodded. "Indeed, Fyra. I'm glad to see you are better than when I last saw you."

Tigris vaguely sensed the knights' jaws dropping. Tigris would deal with their surprise later. She shifted to the side, revealing Brom cradling Roche with worry written into the lines of his face.

"Can you heal her?" she asked, well aware of how desperate she sounded.

The Striga cocked its head. "I sense a foul poison from a realm beyond ours. Bring her here, I will see what I can do."

Brom lifted Roche. Tigris averted her gaze as the maid's head lolled to the side. Sir Harold grabbed Tigris by the arm, tugging her back a step as Brom carried Roche forward.

"My lady, your father sought to destroy this creature. Are you sure it is wise to give Roche to it?" the knight asked, worry gleaming brightly in his eyes. Tigris noddeded as Circe pecked at Roche's wound, ruffling their feathers.

"I trust Circe. They saved me the day Finn took over the castle."

Sir Harold's eyes widened with shock. Before he could press further, Circe let out a shrill screech, inkblood flowing from its plumage. The feathers coated Roche's body, levitating it into the air and binding her to the Striga's back. The knights shouted in alarm but the Striga mainly lowered its head.

"I'm sorry. I can only slow the poison down, the venom of the uskoi is from another realm. My inkblood alone cannot heal her. It will take a coven ritual, a ritual for which I do not have the proper materials. They might be able to save her."

Tigris' heart sank at the concept of Roche not being saved. She nodded curtly.

"Take her. We'll follow you."

Circe flapped their inkblooded wings. "No, Fyra. The forest is not safe for you. Return to your kingdom, unrest stirs there. You must protect your people, the traitor will begin his assault soon. His army is almost ready, you must rally your forces now before it's too late."

"But Roche-"

"I will do everything in my power to save her. But your presence will not assist and might hinder the librarians. Have faith, the A- Roche is more strong willed than any human I know. She will prevail."

Tigris swallowed the lump in her throat. She glanced at the limp woman bound to the Striga's back. She would never forgive herself if her presence interfered with the maid's care. And Circe's warning sliced through her terror, drawing her back to the threat that still faced them. She had to prepare the army before Finn finished gathering his forces.

"Alright," she murmured, the words sapping her strength to say. She locked eyes with the avian helplessly. "Please... help her."

"I will do my best, Fyra."

With that, the Striga took flight, taking to the skies in a flurry of inky feathers. Tigris watched them go, a hollow space opening up in her chest as she stared at the place Roche had been. Silence reigned for a few minutes. Then Lady Ivie moved closer, placing a comforting hand on Tigris' shoulder.

"My lady-"

Tigris pulled away. Roche's words were rattling around in her mind like a broken record's.

"We need to return to the city," she said, coughing to clear the tightness from her throat. She lifted her gaze, letting every inch of her authority and regality fill her eyes, silencing the knights' questions in an instant. "Now."

-------

The knights rode without protest. Tigris caught them glancing at each other curiously as they rode at full speed back to the city, questions warring in their eyes. Brom was the first to break the silence, a vein in his forehead throbbing like it was going to burst.

"How could you leave Roche with that beast-"

"That 'beast' is a friend of Roche's," Tigris sighed, sensing that the knights wouldn't let this go. Brom recoiled at the words as Tigris slowed her horse to a stop, turning to glance among her most trusted. "I expect you all to keep this to yourselves. If word gets around that Roche managed to befriend a creature of ink, my father's court will ask for her head."

Tigris had managed to curry favour with most of her father's court, and she'd manage to overshadow the curmudgeons who still deemed her not worthy of the throne. She couldn't edge out all of her opposition, they were still vital to ensuring she had all opinions on court matters. Yet when it came to inkblood, she knew that their voices would be the loudest, however unjust.

She drew her gaze up to the knights, ready to defend Roche further. But to her surprise, she found them all nodding. Brom even had a faint smile curled on his lips.

"Is it any wonder that Roche managed to befriend a giant owl?" he said, his eyes a bit sad at the name,

Sir Harold cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. "A Striga. How did Roche even find a Striga?"

"They were living in the walls of the library," Tigris explained, watching the information roll over the knights, "Roche found them when she found the tunnels. They've agreed to help us, and helped me escape the castle with Aodh and Kai when Finn last attacked. They've proven themself to be an ally of this court, so I would appreciate your discretion."

To her surprise, she found no complaints. Not even from Sir Harold, who had served on her father's court and had enforced some of the stricter laws about inkblood. Tigris blinked in surprise.

"You... you're all going to keep this quiet?" she repeated, searching their faces for any sign of ulterior motives. But the knights glanced at each other and shrugged.

"Roche is a good lass," Sir Harold said simply, fidgeting with his reins, "If she thought the beastie to be helpful, then I suppose it is."

Tigris huffed a laugh. "You took that a lot better than I did," she mused, drawing small grins from Ruth and Ivie. She flicked her gaze across to all the knights again, focusing on their reaction. She wondered how they would react if Roche told them the truth about what ran through her veins. Tigris hoped that they would be supportive in a way that she hadn't been. Curiosity struck her, and she wondered if she could find out, discreetly, where their loyalties lay with Roche.

Brom's lips flattened into a grim line. "Is that why you've been so rude to her recently?" he asked, anger flaring in his eyes, "Because she hid a giant bird from you?"

Tigris blinked at him innocently. "Have I been rude?"

The knight's jaw clenched. Ruth cleared her throat, a clear warning to the knight to mind his temper. If anything, that seemed to incense Brom further.

"Yes you have, queenie. That poor girl's done everything for you, and now she's nearly dying in your name. I hope you've resolved your grievances with her, because I know damn well that Roche would do nothing less for you!" Brom snapped. The words hurt, but Tigris knew he was right. His anger was nothing compared to her own self-hatred at her recent conduct. So she lifted her hand when Sir Harold clicked his tongue disapprovingly at the sharp words, halting his reprimand. She met Brom's eyes, focusing on the question circling in her mind.

"You're protective of her," she noted calmly, watching Brom reel in shock. She held his gaze. "Why?"

The question seemed unexpected. Brom blinked, surprised out of his anger. Something raw gleamed in his ice blue eyes. Somehow, he seemed to sense the gravity of the question, and didn't even try to lie.

"Because I was a drunkard sitting alone in the middle of an abandoned street, sucking at an empty bottle for a drop of beer, and she still looked at me like I mattered," he answered earnestly, lifting his chin with a defiant glint in his eyes. His blond hair swayed in the breeze. "She's the reason I became your knight."

"She's the reason nearly all of us here became your knights," Ivie added solemnly, and Tigris' gaze whipped to her. The woman dipped her head, her eyes gleaming intently. "All of us here are just as loyal to Roche as we are to you, my lady."

"If not more," Brom grumbled, yelping when Ruth elbowed him with a reprimanding hiss.

Sir Harold nodded. "She's only ever tried to help. None of us will see her harmed."

Tigris' chest unclenched. She nodded slightly. "I'm glad," she told her knights warmly, proud that they were more caring and observant and kind than she had been. "I'm glad that Roche has such good friends to rely on when she needs them."

And as they rode back to the castle, Tigris hoped they would remember those words the day that Roche revealed herself in truth to them. If Roche returned to them.

The possibility of losing her loyal friend forever made her tremble, and she desperately clung to her hope as the castle came into view. Her thoughts dissolved at the sight of the gates, melted to a simple puddle of metal. None of the guards were on duty.

"Not again," Ruth groaned as they all dismounted, unsheathing their weapons. Had Finn already made his attempt on the castle?

Tigris led the knights into the city. Thankfully, the civilians hadn't disappeared this time. They were all running around frantically but unharmed. Several buildings were smoking, some of them on fire. Knights raced around with buckets of water. Tigris turned to the knights, prepared to order them to assist when she caught sight of the castle in the distance. Large plumes of smoke rose among the turrets.

Tigris barely registered her legs moving as she sprinted closer. She saw the parapets collapsed to a pile of charred rubble. A tower near the library was still aflame. Several knights were racing around, with extinguishing powders and fluids, tossing them into the roaring flames.

"What happened?" Tigris demanded, snagging one of the knights by the shoulder. It was a younger knight, one of her newer recruits. He gasped when he recognised her, moving to bow, but Tigris held him upright. "Damn it, Janus. Report!"

The knights straightened, his eyes widened. "It was the dragon, your Majesty. It flew over not long after you left, spewing flames at us. It flew off in your direction not long after. All civilians are accounted for, and Leinos is treating the injured." Janus faltered, his innocent wide eyes flickering, "Did you slay the dragon, my lady?"

Tigris was keenly aware of the gazes of her closest knights who had accompanied her on the journey. She was also aware of the way Janus and many other civilians and knights were looking at her, desperate for good news. So she settled for saying, "It certainly won't be bothering us anymore."

The words assuaged the crowd around her, and they all seemed to relax. With the promise that the fires were being managed, Tigris let herself be led into the castle. Kai raced up to her, his eyes scouring her for injury the moment he appeared.

"Tigris!" he gasped, leaning in for a kiss the moment they met. Tigris barely managed to catch him. Her nostrils tingled with the smell of smoke.

"Are you alright?" she murmured against his lips.

Kai nodded, pulling back. There was a strange tension to his features. "I'm fine. I've just been dealing with the fires all day." He sounded almost annoyed. Tigris frowned.

"Thank you," she said slowly, "You did well managing affairs. I heard that there were no deaths."

Kai shot her a weary smile, the ire melting from his face. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be grumpy, I'm just tired. It's been a long day. How was your quest? And where's Roche?"

Tigris' heart sank. She pulled Kai into her chambers and began to explain just how terrible their quest had been.

A/N: And we never saw Roche again. The end :D

LOL, just kidding. Imagine if I left it off there tho. Dw, I promise there'll be a satisfying ending to this :)

Apologies if I'm going a bit heavy on the angst in these past few chapters. I just really want Tigris to realise just how much Roche puts on the line for her. And I want Roche to realise how much she's willing to sacrifice. The next chapter is going to be a doozy for Roche that made me nearly cry while writing it, but I promise it'll be worth it in the end :)

As always, happy reading!