The elf shivers and coughs, trying to warm his now visibly frozen body. As he walks towards the fire, feeling begins to return to the face and limbs of the frostbitten elf. As the fire melts the bits of ice off, brutal signs of skin and flesh dead from the cold blast begin to come into view.
Shaking the blade once, he flicks the bits of blood, flesh, and magical ephemera from his blade, coughing up a couple drops of blood, as his limbs shake just as much from the cold as from the shock.
Hee seems to ignore the skinning and butchering entirely, as he stares into the fire.
"That...damn. Hurts all over now..." the injured elf mumbles, as he looks back to the group of people working over the canines.
Ered is trying his hardest not to show it, but how injured he was by this cold seems to have shaken him up. The look in his eyes, the quick shifting of looks from the tower, to the wolves, shows that the elf has more at stake in this "quest" than he has let on.
Hobbes will take out his blade and start skinning the winter wolves.
[b]"Yeah, just like Mother's kiss. Amazing that I wouldn't know about something allied with the people like my Mother."
Silence's first worries as soon as the healing magic surged through him was checking on the horse and the mule to make sure they were okay. He coudlnt...he just didnt know what to do His tail lashed back and forth angrily as he tried to help the fallen mounts and packmule after moments of panic he rushed to Vashti's side..
Help them! PLease! I dont ... i dont know waht to do! He said wiggling in agitation.
He couldnt watch.. He turned away and paced for a moment before his eyes fell on the winter wolf. Eyes narrowing he moved for his pack in the slaygon. He had made a slight living before this trapping and hunting.. those pelts would be trophys... no less than taking an opponents head. He grabbed his gear and went to work on the wolves already picturing the fine cloak that could be made form such fine furs.
One of the wolves has been severely burned by Allie's flames - too much to be salvaged. Fortunately, the other is relatively undamaged. Even better, the Winter Wolf was a heterochromath. As such, its pelt has unique magical properties.
Mumbling words of power, Vashti stays death for the animals.
This is all I can do Silence, my magics are depleted now.
Until dawn, I have only the smallest of spells now.
Mumbling prayers again, she unpacks her healers kit and sets to work on Ered.
This will not feel pleasant, muffin dear?
Fatigue, stress and the cold cause Vashti's hands normally steady hands to shake.
That did not go well, I...have no other options, Percy..Hobbes..help please?
Percy looks up from her carcass. Oh, sure!
She goes to the animals and uses her magic there first.
Then she comes over to Ered. A conflicted look plays across her pretty little face.
You deserve what you got.
Then she moves to Silence, serving the frozen elf last. You better be thankful Mommy likes you so much
The elf just remains stoically silent as Vashti attempts to tend his wounds. Battle field medics were not someone you talked to while they worked. His flesh still frozen and cold, the elf sets his teeth against the pain and only grunts once during the whole experience and that is when the woman informs him nothing can be done.
Ered watches as the others are taken care of. He stays near the fire, remaining silent, brooding over his own thoughts. Especially so after the looks he has received.
They'll always treat you like this...I imagine this is why Mother and her kind act the way they do...Can't say I blame them too much. Hatred is easy, after all. And to think, even a pure blooded witch is treated better than you...
The elf nods in silent thanks to the small woman, as he feels warmth return to his limbs, as he stares back into the fire.
"The hunt has begun...I assume that, once they start hunting us, they won't stop till they're all dead or we are?
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Allie glances at Percy. Wow, she is healing even the 'evil' casters.... Evil casters? She glances at Zses. Percy doesnt like Zses... But he doesnt seem eivl..
She walks over to Zses and tugs on his pantleg. "Are you evil? I mean... You do laugh a lot while we kill things... I dont think you're evil, but you'd tell me if ou were, right?"
She looks up at him with fearful eyes, so tender yet so dangerous.
That's it. I'm out too. Percy announces. She spins on her heel to see her sister hugging the leg of the other Slaver in the group. Her lack of reaction surprises her, but the feeling of sour resignation doesn't. She goes to Hobbes and rests her head on his shoulder.
Hobbes is currently washing his hands with water from his canteen when Percy comes over to him. He is lets out a slight smile when the gnome rests her head on his shoulder. "I'll take care of the animals...and the elf." He takes her hand with his own while drawing a wand with the other. He then goes to work, healing.
After Hobbes heals everyone else, Vashti quietly pulls him to the side for help.
I need some assistance please Hobbes, I am still...somewhat injured from our battle with the witch.
How much gray do I have now, I can't see all, is it a lot? It is a lot isn't it...grumble, grumble, grumble...
The damage from the goat spell had been extensive and it showed in her new white and gray hairs.
Stupid goat, stupid spell...I think I might surrender to my vanity and get some dye for my hair.
"Of course, mom. Whatever ya need." Hobbes will heal the team healer.
After the fight, Zses is about to go check on Ered and Silence, when Allie asks him if he is evil or not. "Of course I'm not! Even if I don't know why I laugh while we kill stuff." he chuckles, crouching to look the gnome in the eyes. Unconsciously, he touches his scarf "Truth to be told, if you asked me that yesterday, I wouldn't be sure. But now, after what I remembered today, I'm 100% positive that I'm not evil! Also" he adds, smiling "if you ever think I'm being evil, tell me before going straight to the torching part, ok?".
"Shall we go check if Silence and Ered are getting better?"
_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_
"Still holding up?" Zses asks Ered, sitting next to him in front of the campfire. Thinking back, he never talked with the elf in the whole last two days. "Considering how easy it was to shut down that tower, these wolves were just luck turning around a little. Only a minor setback!" he adds, noticing that Ered was glancing at the tower. "By the way, where did you learn to do that thing with sword and magic? I need an enormous amount of concentration just to cast a spell, and you probably saw that my attempt at using Silence's Nagiwahtsitsname were" he barely suppresses a laugh "less than stellar."
Allie smiles softly, wishing it was her he was caressing. "I guess that's fair." She threw her hands around his neck for a quick hug. "I won't let you become evil if you don't let me... I know that sometimes something strange takes over me... You've given me another reason to fight it..." She gives him a small, sweet kiss on the cheek.
"Let's go..."
"Yea...just a..minor setback." he looks up from the fire momentarily, apparently not expecting company but moving over just the same, giving some space between him and Zses.
"As far as back in the tower? That's what I trained to do, sort of blending my heritage. Father was always a master with weapons, but the magic? Well, that's purely Mother. Although I'm not sure about some of what's been developing. Probably side effects from the magic that's being used. It does take concentration, that's for sure, but it gets easier as time goes on. I've been lucking out, I think. Except for that last bit."
Stepping across the threshold of dreams Neverhome found himself out among the frozen wastes. He was naked, but he was not cold. He had nothing, but he was not sad. He was by himself, but he was not lonely. Moving across the field of pure whiteness he found himself standing upon a frozen lake. Deep below the waters he saw a deep darkness coiled in upon itself. Even as the snow around him melted the lake remained steadfast, frosting over and obscuring him from the beast below. As the world around him melted he felt a slight oddness to his face. It was only then, standing upon the ice that he realized he was smiling as everything faded to white.
Eyes snapping open with a start he immediately relaxes once he sees the room is exactly as it was before he had drifted off into sleep. He was still on a warm bed with Sigrun next to him, so for the moment, all was right with the world. Lifting his head up he'll kiss her cheek before playfully nipping at her neck.
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Sigrun finds herself wakened by the pleasant sensation of Lyosha's attentions. "Mmmm....that feels nice. Hi." she says with a blissful smile.
Her smile filled him with a warm pleasantness, causing Lyosha to happily smile back at her. "Hey... Sorry, I just had to see if I was dreaming. I'm not. I'm glad I'm not."
"The only reason you need to fight it is to not have someone else control you, silly!" Zses says to Allie. "But I'm here. Your sister's here, and everyone else is. If you need us, just say it. And if that Evil Allie, or whatever it is, takes over, we'll just prevent her to do anything bad and wait for you to come back, ok?" he asks the gnome, giving her a quick hug.
_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_
"Father and Mother, uh? What are they like? Is your mother a wizard, or a sorceress or something like that?" the witch asks to Ered.
I hope I didn't ask anything inappropriate...
Ered just stops all movement for a moment or two, obviously not used to this question. He regains his composure though and says quickly.
"Father was a mercenary captain. Mother...well, we may yet run into her on this trip." The elf lowers his voice. "She was a White Witch..or so Father used to say. Never really knew her."
Allie sat next to Zses and Ered, listening to the conversation. Once Ered said his mother was a White Witch, she gaped. "Your mother... You have White Witch blood in you?!" Allies voice was a surprised whisper. "You CANT tell that to Percy. She doesnt like you already... Don't tell her, okay?" Without realizing it, she clinged to Zses' hand, feeling herself slipping.
"Why do you think I have only mentioned it now? I hate Her, as much as anyone. It's a curse to bear it, and I think...if we do find her, I will end her." The elf grips the sword more firmly as he speaks.
"Hateful woman, that one."
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"So am I." Sigrun replies kissing him gently. "You know, I have no idea how long we've been up here." she continues with a grin.
"Neither do I." he says as he turns his attentions back to her neck.
Zses tries to respond to Ered, but he struggles to find what to say.
We're going to Whitethrone, the capital of Irrisen, where we will probably have to carve our way trough dozens of White Witches sooner or later, and he isn't even worried about having to kill his own mother? I mean, if they are all like this Lady Massilovna they're evil, but still...
"I...I see. Sorry for asking.I,uh...sorry." Zses manages to say, still not sure of how to respond.
He chuckles for a moment, finding a bit of a perverse satisfaction at their lack of understanding.
"Makes no sense to those who haven't met her. I'm a product of one of her 'vacations' south. Well, relatively south, considering where we're headed. I only know of her...values from my father's stories. She and her kind were the...boogeymen of my childhood? Regardless, she will not gain my forgiveness for what I have lived through..." For the first time, he seems genuinely angry, the grip on the black blade leaving his knuckles even whiter than usually.
Vashti leans back against the wagon once more, resting from the encounter.
The rush of battle and adrenalin wearing off leaving her exhausted.
Even with her eyes closed, she attempts to keep her ears open for trouble.
Mostly from bright spot and little bird.
Ered's the son of a witch...Zes IS a witch...I'm going to have to sleep outside their door to keep Percy from making them into long pork and barbequing them.
Allie...likes...Zes?
well, this has...been...an...
Hair having finally worked free of its braid, it spills across her face and chest, as exhaustion claims her once more.
Thankfully the healing of the horses calmed his agitation down somewhat. He still moved back and forth between the hurt animals, double checking them to make sure nothing else was wrong with them. He missed entirely the conversation with Eredhaias. It wasnt until the 3rd time checking the animals that he paused to take a moment to breath. He still hurt in quite a few spots. A dull aching in his bones from the chilled breath of the winter wolf.
He would have to leave the melee at the moment to friend Lyosha, and friend Sigrun until he recovered... his eyes widened when he realized he had not seen them in quite some time. He had been focusing on packing, and making the stew.. then there was the battle. His breath caught and a panic almost overtook him...
Where.... where are friend Lyosha and friend Sigrun?!?" He asked suddenly the barbarians being missing hadnt literally occured to him at all, until now. He almost stumbled as he hurried to the others his head darting all around as he searched for some sign they had fallen somehow in battle and no one noticed.
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Hobbes just keeps his arm around Percy, and not just to avoid her hearing the incriminating conversation.