Your Luck is Up.

[Arthemise Xius]

It was too late.

Brandr had gripped her wrist before She could think to pull away and his heavily armored knee sailed into her open stomach. The pain that followed was immeasurable- the breath pulled from her lungs and blood filled her mouth. Her muscles tended, but she couldn’t catch herself as he discarded her on the ground at his feet. The gravel bit into her palms as she tried to break her fall, but her arms buckled under her weight and she found herself unable to move- clutching her stomach.

You’re alone, he reminded her with a scowl. His words hurt almost the same as his knee in her gut, but they were the truth. For all of the things Evandrus had taught her, her reputation had only been influenced by his presence and without him, she was nothing. The fear she felt now was similar in contrast to the scared girl on Nar Shaddaa- there was nowhere to run.

“Y-Yes,” she managed to choke out the word in response, wiping the blood from her lips with the back of her dirtied hand.

Arthemise coughed again, body shaking as she tried again to lift herself from the ground but found herself unable. Her face rested in the dirt, legs drawn up into her chest. What she wanted to say was piss off, but another blow to the stomach would quickly put her down.

 

[Brandr Jarl]

Brandr looked down at her for a long moment before scowling.

"Get up." He demanded of her with a scowl, "I have to return with you or else this mission will be a failure. And I'm not failing because your 'daddy' managed to get himself killed."

He gripped her with the Force, pulling her up onto her feet.

"So you get your kark together and come back to the ship with me." he ordered her bluntly, "You can have your breakdown and your recovery later, when we're not currently out in the open and exposed as hell. You got that, kid?"

@MatureContentWarningx @Arthemise Xius

 

[Arthemise Xius]

She groaned, bending over. Her entire body ached and it was hard to stand, but she couldn't lay here forever. Morning would come and bring men to the shipyards for work- Arthemise couldn't be here when they arrived. This time, she wouldn't be capable of holding her own, Brandr had made sure of that in the most painful way imaginable. Though, however irritated she was, he had made a very valid point as to her current position; Arthemise had lived her life in Evandrus' shadow and now that he was gone, she was afraid there wouldn't be a place for her here.

"I don't need you to look after me," she reminded him, coughing again into her sleeve.

Arthemise used the rusted crates to hold her weight as she made her way back towards the ship, wiping more blood from her lips. It would be a long walk, but she'd see that she made it there on her own- if only to prove that she could carry herself. Perhaps she could still find the strength to continue without Evandrus, though her heart was heavy.

/End Thread.