Elaina stands there for a moment, panting heavily from the pain and the exertion. She sheathes the sword and drags the unconscious wolf over to the pool of water.
She places the wolf on her back and cups her hands, filling them with water that she pours down the wolf's throat.
Elaina emerges from the pool gasping for air as the chill of the water drives icy knives into her wounds. She may have more confidence now, but it was hard to find as she curls up on the stone floor, coughing and spluttering. Her white hair and white fur clinging to soaking wet clothes and skin.
"Wh-why's th-th-the wa-water s-s-so cah-cah-cold," she asks as she lays there shivering, "f-f-feels l-like s-s-someone's stah-stabbin' me wi-with icy d-d-d-daggers."
Seraph's knuckles crack as the fight continues, the view of Elaina injuries and the battered wolf made it anyone's guess on who would come out the victor and when Elaina gave the final blow which brought the wolf down she lets go of a breath she had been holding. As Elaina made her final choices Seraph waited patiently. When she finally emerged Seraph moved to aid her, her hands already glowing as new found powers surged through the Paladin.
She gets to Elaina's side and sets a hand on her injuries...
She expends all of her healing left for the day to ensure that Elaina is healthy. Letting the warmth of the healing magic flow through her and temporarily brush aside the stabbing cold of the icy pool. At Elaina's shivering and words she smiles. "Thats what happens when you go swimming. Though now there is this faint scent of wet dog..." Her smiles broadens as she joked lightly. Her healing more then sufficient to sweep aside Elaina's injuries in a few moments of quick casting.
Torod takes a tentative step towards Elaina. "Are you ok? What can we do to help." He sees Seraph healing Elaina so does not do so himself.
Strawberry pads over and uses his body to help warm Elaina.
"He-helping m-m-me get d-d-dry and w-warm w-w-would b-b-b-b-be nice," Elaina says with a chuckle as she sits up.
Seraph chuckled at Elaina before offering her soldier uniform shirt so that the poor girl at least had some dry clothing. Handing her the shirt as she took whatever wet clothing she had in exchange.
Looking to Kressel she gave a bit of a frown. "Such an event could be inspirational enough for someone lacking confidence in themselves... Though who this woman is is more concerning to me now... As it seems a new evil is at work. Worse than the Stag Lord perhaps."
She looked to the Guardians, Yallandra and Daverar, a powerful question on her mind. "If there is some benefit to conquering this affliction other than curing it. Can it be done again, on me mayhap?"
If there was a benefit, she'd seek it out to aid their cause and not merely as dash for power. She had nothing else in this life save ensuring their success, namely Asta's. Besides this journey just kept getting better and better! Inspiring her to take on more then she thought herself previously capable of.
Elaina gratefully takes the shirt after she's wrung out most of the water from her hair and tail. She tries to keep herself covered up as she strips out of the wet clothes and puts on the dry shirt, which is thankfully long enough to cover her fully.
===
"Oh boy," is all she says when she hears the tale that Kressel has for them.
Seraph frowned as she looked at the hair that Kressel revealed. "Perhaps not, some Gnomes are known for such hair or it was a woman with dyed hair. Though what is troubling is that she came in a dream and choosing such a Cruel man to rule." She was quiet then considering what it could portend. Looking to Kressel then she asked.
"Fey... The Mites implied mightier Fey dwell somewhere in the land and fancy themselves its rulers," Asta says as she drums her fingers on her quarterstaff.
Torod takes note of Jhod's look. "Is there any more to the story? It almost sounds like you're jealous she chose him instead of you."
Elaina, now a little less wet than when she first emerged from the pool, follows the others up the stairs. She keeps to herself for now, too tired to really muster up the energy to pay attention. All she really wanted was to get warm and dry, then take a nap.
Yeah a nap sounds good.
Seraph offers her shoulder to Elaina, her being wobbly was not a comfortable things for her to bear watching passively. Torod's comment was lost on her as she quite frankly cared little for who this mystery person was as at the moment rest for her companion was her main concern. They could hunt green haired gnomes, humans or fey some other night.
Once they were topside she nodded to her companions and proceed to announce. "I'll take watch tonight, so everyone get some rest."
Elaina starts a fire and wraps up in a blanket. A few minutes later, her clothes are drying out and the young ranger is fast asleep in the warm embrace of her covers.
Seraph stands watch, long into the night. Contemplative and quiet in her duty, restocking the fire every so often and walking the grounds in case of threats. She smiles at how rapidly Elaina had fallen asleep.
"Hmm." Asta purses her lips. "If we can plant the last blackwood tree here, our excursion is done. Time to head back to the fortress and check on developments there ... Jhod. If you have an acolyte of promise, you might like to appoint them to the fortress as chaplain. The population there is grown. A dedicated healer might be useful."
Once the group is alone, Asta speaks in a lower voice: "I feel like chatting a bit with the Mites and the Kobolds. They might know more about this green-haired Fey stirring up trouble."
"Hmm," Asta muses. "I wouldn't mind a quarterstaff if there's enough wood, but I defer to my more martial comrades' needs over my own desires."
"A bow. Every good follower of Old Dead Eye should make their own bow."
Seraph was sharpening her sword at the time everyone was discussing item options for darkwood stump. "A buckler or a few if others would like."
Elaina, not really having an opinion on the matter other than it should be replanted, leaves the fate of the stump to the others, if mainly because she's asleep.
"Give me two staves," Asta says after some thought. "There is a little Witch whose nose I want to put to the grindstone. She needs a bit of humility - and learn to defend herself without spells or hexes. Having to carry a staff sized for an adult is a good start."
"First off, we're only talking about making things from the wood that can't be brought back to life right?" Torod laments that he is not yet strong enough to save more of the tree.
"I have an idea. Making stag head necklaces for his captains is the one thing the bandit lord did right. We could copy that and rather than make weapons, we can make jewels of office for the signatories of the 'Stolen Lands Compact'. We could add some jewels or something to make them pretty too."
"Not stagheads, though," Asta says. "And maybe not darkwood. It's a good material for weapons and armour... And we might have access to something more suitable for crafting jewellery. How about crafting images of a tree, for Greenheart?"
Nonplussed she abandons her earlier suggestion. "Stick to the creation of weapons. I'd not waste such a rare thing on mere tokens when we can make them from iron or other metals instead."
Leaving it at that she rose to her feet and inspected where the door had appeared the night before.
She didn't have high hopes of finding anything but at least had to try to see if there was a trace of what was once there.
"Wouldn't crafting them from a tree would be most appropriate to represent Greenheart? I'm not talking about making jewelry, I'm talking about creating symbols of our authority and unity. Done right, such a thing can is a potent weapon. One day, Greenheart will develop enemies and the symbol of the Greenheart Compact (changed the name because I like this one better) will provide a shield for us."
Asta pulls Torod aside and whispers to him: "We have gold ore and I meant we make badges shaped like trees. In time, I will learn to enchant such."
Torod pulls himself away and continues to speak in a normal volume. "And we can decorate the darkwood with gold and gems or whatever. But you can't deny that having the symbols of authority of Greenheart be made of darkwood would make a statement. Also, in time, I will be able to insure we have all the darkwood we want. You can enchant that just as well as metal, right?"
1-Torod
2-Asta
3-Seraph
At some point in the conversation, Elaina had crept unseen up to Torod and wrapped her arms around his waist (or his ankle if he's standing) like he was some stuffed toy animal. She's still asleep, and her blanket still covers her, but her arms and shoulders are bare as she snuggles with the elf in her sleep.
"Good idea..." Torod is distracted by Elaina grabbing his ankle. He stands there dumbfounded for a moment before Strawberry Deathstrike comes over and lays down next to Elaina, cuddling up to her.
Seraph chokes back a chuckle at dumbfounded moment as she walks away from the temple proper. She moves to the sapling, kneeling near where Kressel was working on cutting back the excesses. "Thanks for your help Kresel, we had hoped to take it back to the capital but didn't want to lose the sapling." She smiles wistfully then, her thoughts far into the future. "At least here we can let it start again. Do not hesitate to ask for anything that you need, please."
Seraph hoped to build a stronger rapport with her companions both near and far, stronger contacts and ready warriors were a must for a fledgling nation.
Torod gathers himself. "Well we will be continueing on once Elaina is rested. I will get our supplies and see to any other preparations." He goes off to do just that.
Seraph moves to assist Torod in getting things packed up.