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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 23, 2009 19:58:40 GMT -5
Ian pulled the woman up behind him and felt her grab his waste and lean into his back. He clasped one hand on her arm around his waste to help hold her on and cantered Bandelero back up the slope to where Brandwyn waited, covering them with her bow.
He paused a moment to scan the enemy camp as he pulled the water skin from his saddle horn and offered it to the woman. "Better get a dring now. We are going to be travellling hard for a while." Ian told her.
Brandwyn glanced over and then back to the camp. "We better head back for the trees. For some reason they didn't want to follow the Gallican army into them. Maybe we can catch up with one of the rear guard and get some protection."
Ian nodded. He had been thinking the same thing. "Too bad you didn't steal a few horses from them while you were down there." he muttered.
"I seriously considered it, but figured I would be seen with them riding out of camp and I didn't want to get caught." Brandwyn let an arrow fly at a small group of Aslavians heading up the slope. They scattered and fell back as her target hit the dirt face first and slid back down the slope on his stomach. She clenched her jaw at having killed again, but knew their lives depended on it, so she tried not to think about that soldier and if he had a family or not.
"Ok, let's ride then. If we get separated head back to La Rivage." Ian turned Bandet and kicked him into a canter after he made sure the woman behind him was secure and wouldn't fall off. "And Brandy? Don't think you are off the hook. When we get out of this, you are going to have to face the consequences of disobedience." Ian pinned her with his most piercing stare.
Brandwyn nodded solemnly. "I exspected as much." She said, not making any excuses. She knew she was in for a rough time. Ian was going to have hours to think up a good punishment for her.
Ian turned his head slightly and said over his shoulder, "This is not exactly the proper way to meet, but my name is Ian MacGreggor and this is my apprentice, Lady Brandwyn. As to who we are, let's just say the Aslavian's are our enemies and leave it at that, shall we?"
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Post by ivory on Aug 23, 2009 20:11:51 GMT -5
Teresa listened to their banter, her mind growing weak with the continued loss of blood. She didn't pull attention to it though, knowing that a fast retreat was mandatory to their survival. So she sat behind Ian, right arm wrapped around his middle, held there more by his own hand their her grip.
"This is not exactly the proper way to meet, but my name is Ian MacGreggor and this is my apprentice, Lady Brandwyn. As to who we are, let's just say the Aslavian's are our enemies and leave it at that, shall we?"
She tucked the information away to look at later when she was better equipped to do so and prayed she wouldn't fall off. Heavens knew she wasn't up to fighting for her life right now.
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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 23, 2009 21:08:47 GMT -5
Ian felt the back of his shirt growing damp and reached back and gently touched her shoulder. His fingers came away wet with blood. He could feel her grip growing weaker too.
"Brandy, she's bleeding. We need to get a ways away and then stop and bind her wounds." Ian hated to leave his apprentice, but couldn't see any other way. The woman would die if she wasn't treated soon.
"You stay here for the count of 100 and rain arrows down on anything that moves within range, then hightail it after me. You know the signal if you get in trouble." Ian said and urged Bandet into a dead run, keeping a grip on the woman so she wouldn't fall off.
Brandwyn watched him ride away and for a moment nearly panicked at being left behind. Then she turned back to the Aslvaians and scanned the hillside. She had a job to do to keep them off the trail long enough for Ian to tend to the woman.
She started counting to 100 and picking off Aslavians as they came into range. She wasn't going to be able to stay there for the count of 100. There was a large party heading up in her direction.
She stopped shooting for a 20 count and cantered further along the ridge, putting more distance between her and the contingent heading her way. She picked off another soldier that had been trying to flank her and then shot five arrows into the midst of the group cantering up the hill. They saw their comrads fall and swerved to follow her. She moved farther down and shot again, leading them away from Ian.
When she reached 100 she turned and ran straight east for another 50 count and then turned Asfala on a rocky patch and headed back to the south. She switched direction two more times, hoping that she wouldn't lead her pursuers directly to Ian and the woman. All the while hoping she could find them again...
Ian put a bit of distance between him and the ridge and then stopped near a small spring bubbling up from under a tree. He hopped off the horse on his good leg and gently pulled the woman down and lay her on the ground next to the water. He washed the shoulder wound and quickly bound it tight after placing some herbs on the wound. He didn't have time to do a proper poultice and hoped it wouldn't get infected. He took a moment to wipe her face off too, but applying salve to all the whip wounds on her torso would have to wait. He pulled a shirt out of his pack and put it on her, then placed his cloak around her and set her back in the saddle. It took him a bit to remount with his broken leg, but he finally managed to climb up behind her and cradled her in his arms as he urged Bandet into a dead run again.
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Post by ivory on Aug 23, 2009 21:22:52 GMT -5
Teresa could feel her pulse growing weaker with each stride of the horse, and struggled to stay alive, reminding herself that she still had a mission to carry out. She began to sweat, her body's way of telling her that it was in a bad position, her dry mouth enforcing that 'red alert'. She ignored them both, desperately trying to keep herself on the horse.
She didn't understand Ian's words. Had heard them, but not comprehended. She tried to understand though when Ian left the girl behind. After all, she was in debt to her for 'saving her life,' and didn't want to just leave the kid. She struggled to say something, but was too weak to actually move. Relief surged through her as she realized what he was up to though - that realization only coming when he removed her from his horse and started to treat her wound. She tried to thank him this time, but again, was too weak to do so.
Back on the horse, her consciousness was hanging by a mere thread.
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Post by ivory on Aug 23, 2009 21:35:32 GMT -5
Galen muttered an oath as he watched Teresa run toward the hills and wondered why she'd chosen to hide out there. Not wanting to waste preciouis time, he figured he'd simply ask when he caught up to her. Without further thought, he began to give chase, not suprised when Malleus suddenly appeared beside him. For a blind man, he sure did know his way around; a skill Galen openly envied him for though didn't hate him for.
Together they gave chase after the small party of men, knowing that Jock could take care of himself despite his recent pains. And he was a smart lad anyways, knowing when to retreat and when to strike.
But obviously that last whacking was harder than usual for there he was with the group closest to her. He didn't bother to wonder how Jock covered ground so quickly, only praying that he didn't get hurt. His prayers went unanswered as two men dropped to the ground, Jock quickly following. Galen's heart lurched in his chest as he picked up speed and Malleus, sensing his change of pace made quick to follow.
They reached the bodies within a minute though it felt like eternity and easily spotted Jock's body even in the dark for it was standing and facing them. Galen let out his breath, reminded himself to give the boy a good scolding some better time, and then kill him with an embrace.
Jock shrugged, having sensed that Galen was upset, but he didn't exactly know what he was apologizing for. He'd sensed danger and reacted. And thus he was still alive. So what was the problem?
Galen answered with a shake of his head before they made chase once again, this time staying within the deeper shadows.
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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 23, 2009 21:56:05 GMT -5
Ian slowed to a walk for a moment and tried to get some more water into the woman. She was very weak and seemed to be growing weaker, though she was fighting hard to stay concious.
"Drink this" He wet her lips with his finger and held the mouth of the wineskin up as Bandet walked along, taking a breather from running. Then he stopped Bandet and listened.
He could not hear any pursuit behind them. He also couldn't hear Brandwyn anywhere. He gave a bird call and waited for a moment. Finally an answering call came very faintly from a long way to his left. He turned Bandet and urged the grey stallion into a canter.
___
Brandwyn was lost. Well, not excatly that she was lost, she just couldn't find Ian. She could find her way back to the coast if need be, but she wasn't about to go running off and leave him to face the Aslavians with a wounded woman.
She cantered to the southeast and them turned back west for a time, then she even travelled northwest, hoping to throw off any Aslavians that might be following her. She hadn't heard anyone behind her for a long time though. Maybe she had lost them.
She came across a stream and cantered upstream for quite a way, hoping that if they set dogs on her trail that would throw them off. She was a scout and had learned tracking from some of the best in Araluen, and though she wasn't in their class, she was still good enough to use her brain to confound anyone who was trying to track her.
Finally she stopped Asfala for several minutes and just listened to the night sounds. Eventually she heard the call of a morning bird far to her right and sent back an answering warble. She turned Asfala towards the sound and made her way swiftly towards Ian, but she still kept to the rocky ground whenever possible.
Just about at dawn she caught site of him cantering towards her, the woman slumped in front of him on the saddle. She urged Asfala faster and soon pulled up next to him and they turned as one to the east.
"I think I lost them. Hope so anyway, there were about 50 men that were following me on foot for a while there." Brandwyn said, looking at the woman who seemed to be unconscious.
"They will send out trackers and dogs and men on horses at daybreak." Ian said, glancing behind them. "I am afraid I left a pretty easy trail to follow. At least until that spring anyway. We are going to have to keep riding."
"Can we make it back to that cabin in the woods you think? We might be able to rest there for a bit without them finding us."
"Not a bad idea. We will have to head a bit further south then." Ian agreed and angled Bandet back towards La Rivage. "Maybe that blind man will still be there and he can tell us which way would be best to go."
"If he is, we will have to take him with us too. We can't leave him for the Aslavians to find." Brandy said in alarm. Maybe going back to the cabin wasn't a good idea. Her back was sending sharp pains down her legs and she leaned far forward to relieve the strain. It helped a little.
Ian nodded. He hadn't missed the look of pain on her face. His own leg was aching terribly. The woman in his arms had hardly moved. They had to find some place to hole up for at least a day. None of them were in any shape to continue this kind of run for very long.
He put Bandet into a "dessert run" gait and Asfala matched him. The horses could keep this up for hours if need be, but they would require rest after they stopped.
The miles wound away and they had to slow when they got into the trees. They followed a stream downriver for a long time. Brandwyn refilled their waterskins just before they got out of the water on a bank of river shale. Ian hoped it would hide their tracks. Around mid afternoon they were back in familiar forrest that they had passed through two days before.
"Look! soldier's foot prints." Brandwyn said as she slowed Asfala down to a walk. Bandet followed suit. "The Gallicans have been through here."
"Yeah, a couple days ago. This isn't far from where we ran into Sir Louis. The cottage should be around here not too far." Ian said, scanning the trees around them.
"I wish Sir Louis and his men were still here." Brandwyn looked behind them. Still no sign of pursuit. She didn't trust it to last. "God I am tired!" she turned back around and rubbed her eyes.
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Post by ivory on Aug 24, 2009 7:36:11 GMT -5
Galen was completely lost, but trusted Jock to pick up the trail. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that Jock had an uncanny ability to 'talk to' nature. So he followed silently, but as they made their way toward the woods, he turned his head to Malleus. "Head back to the meet." At the sight of him about to protest, Galen surged on. "You haven't traveled these woods yet and will do more harm than cause." The nerves were putting him on edge, allowing his usual sugar-coating to slip away. Malleus' body tensed for a second before he sighed in resign. Father was right. Being blind definitely had its faults. He gave a brisk nod before turning to backtrack their trail, but stopped after a step and said, "Find her Galen." And then he was gone.
Jock stood silently as he listened to the conversation and waited for Galen to look toward him before giving his own nod, then leading the way to Teresa. He stopped soon after though for a few seconds, but enough to get Galen to worry. Jock never stopped when tracking until he reached his target. He fought to keep his panic down, not wanting to ruin Jock's concentration and in seconds they were back on a 'trail' that Jock seemed mighty confident in taking.
Another few minutes and Jock stopped again, but this time he seemed to freeze and Galen had a battle raging inside him. Jock's head cocked to the side as if listening for something, but all Galen heard was the sound of the birds, the whisper of trees, the songs of the crickets, and the other harmonies of the night. Jock though, had definitely heard something as he began to once again move, the pace more fervent than before. Relief surged through Galen for a brief moment, allowing him to lock away his insecurities until the 'mission' was complete. Emotions were never a good thing in such a time.
But after a few hours a frown started to etch itself into his face though he kept quiet behind Jock, knowing the boy was on the right track. But shouldn't they have reached Teresa by now? As if sensing his question, Jock turned to face him and made the gesture for horse, making Galen frown more. Had she been re-captured? The gesture came again and his body tensed before he urged frantically for Jock to pick up the trail even as questions lodged in his brain, his heart in his throat. The men behind them had long gone silent, but with dawn almost here, he doubted it'd stay that way for long.
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Post by ivory on Aug 24, 2009 11:15:51 GMT -5
"Drink this."
Teresa parted her lips slightly at the touch of his finger upon them. Her partched throat gratefully accepted the cool liquid, but her body was still to be recovered even half way. Her conscious was slipping all the while and she couldn't even open her eyes anymore. And then the pain began to disappear.
She wondered for a second why that was and then decided she didn't really care; she was no longer hindered by the pain in her shoulder. She thought to move, then decided against it for seemingly no apparent reason though a twinge of her subconscious probably knew the truth: it felt good to lean on someone for once.
She closed her eyes again, thinking that she might as well get some rest, perfectly ignorant to the fact that the reason she wasn't feeling any pain anymore was because she was going into shock. The loss of blood on top of the previous torture and lack of food and water was finally taking its toll. Neither did it help that she was too weak to keep her barriers up, thus allowing her own internal strength to ebb. Her heartrate began to slow, her skin grew clamy and pale, and the tips of her fingers began to take on a bluish hue. And though ignorant to the fact, she found she couldn't fall asleep despite how tired she was. Her body was silently ringing the 'red alert' that she couldn't hear.
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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 24, 2009 21:36:44 GMT -5
Ian glanced down at the woman in his arms and saw the sheen of sweat on her upper lip and cheeks and she looked very pale, almost gray.
"Damn it!" he urged Bandet on faster. "We are going to loose her!"
Brandwyn was cantering ahead of him, following the tracks. She now saw their own tracks mingled in with those of the soldiers. She looked ahead and recognized some landmarks. They were close to the cottage now and she knew the way. "Almost there!" she called back and urged Asfala faster through the trees. Her horse dodged them, switching her "leads" from one front hoof to the other to make the turns around the trees faster.
They rounded a clump of trees and skidded into the clearing and up to the cabin door. Brandwyn hardly took note of the fact there were more footprints on the ground outside than there had been when they had left.
She leapt off Asfala and drew her saber and pushed the door open. The cabin appeared deserted, but there had been someone in it since they had left. She strode back out and helped Ian get the woman off the horse and into the cabin. They lay her down on the bed and Ian pulled out his medical kit while Brandwyn lit a fire on the hearth. Again there was evidence of recent occupation.
She didn't acknowledge that she noticed anything amiss, just in case they were being watched. She took the bucket out to the stream and filled it and then poured some into the teapot and set it on the fire grate to heat. She pulled out her and Ian's mugs from their packs and found another one in the cubbord. It was filthy so she went out to the stream to clean it. As she bent down over the stream, she scanned the woods, grass and surrounding area for signs of anyone.
Meanwhile Ian began cleaning up the shoulder wound and when the water got warmer, he poured some onto a bandage and into his tiny ceramic mortar and threw in a bunch of herbs and began to grind them into a paste. He made a poultice and bound it over the shoulder wound, stopping the blood flow.
He continued to clean all the tiny cuts on her arms, torso and legs from the whip. He shook his head as he worked as rapidly as he could. She looked like a piece of ground meat, bleeding in dozens of places. Her breathing was shallow and rapid and he shook her, though gently, a couple of times to keep her awake. "Stay with me, Lady." Maybe he could keep her mind engaged. "What is your name?"
As he tried to get her to talk, he finished up cleaning and dressing her wounds. She was now covered in a numbing salve that would take the sting out of the whip welts and keep them from getting infected. He covered her up with two blankets.
The water on the stove was hot and he poured some into his own mug that contained a bunch of herbs tied up in a tiny bundle of cheeseclothe. He let it steep for a minute or two and then sat her up gently, sitting behind her to prop her up. The tea had cooled just enough so it wouldn't burn her tongue. "Drink this, it will help you." He held the mug to her lips and hoped she could drink it. The herbs would make her wake up. He had put in a strong stimulent to counter the effects of shock. Hopefully he wasnt too late.
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Post by ivory on Aug 25, 2009 16:24:32 GMT -5
Malleus made his way back to the hut in great haste, simply for the feel of adrenaline rushing through his system in an attempt for him to 'feel' as if he was doing something worthwhile. A stick cracked to his left and he reflexidly turned toward it, bringing his left arm up like a shield. He muffled his cry of pain as he felt his hand get sliced from his arm and only through sheer experience over his will, he twisted in the opposite direction of the knife's swing [the man was too close for it to be a sword], wrapped his bleeding hand in the crook of his attacker's elbow, and shoved the man's forearm with his other hand, forcing the knife into the man's own chest.
As soon as he felt it enter, he jerked up on the man's arm, then down to make sure he died, before releasing. he quickly tore off his shirt and made a sloppy bandage over his handless arm, pulling it tight with his teeth. Thankful that he was close to the cabin, he made it there in under five minutes, but headed not to the main house, but the barn. He had a fire going within seconds, trying to ignore the pain that'd numbed his whole left side. He reached around for the shovel and heated the metal for a few seconds.
Malleus took a deep breath before undoing the shirt, then placed it in his mouth. He tasted his own blood, but that was the least thing on his mind. Knowing it wouldn't do any good to put it off, he gripped the shovel close to its end and placed the hot metal against his wound. He bit down hard on his shirt and muffled most of his scream before dropping the shovel and staggering backwards with th pain. He tripped over a bucket on the floor, which for some reason still had water in it [OOC: leaking roof], and landed hard. The water washed the fire out seconds after he lapsed into unconsciousness.
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Post by ivory on Aug 25, 2009 16:30:15 GMT -5
"Stay with me, Lady." Maybe he could keep her mind engaged. "What is your name?"
She didn't want to talk, but something urged her to and so she did. "Teresa." She wan't even aware that she'd given him her real name. She wasn't supposed to, had been told when she joined that she was to never give it to anyone outside the Family. It was for her own protection. But her subconscious trusted him. He was...he was...
"Drink this, it will help you."
She struggled to do as he said, opening her lips slightly to take in the drink. She didn't like it, but drank it anyways. Any liquid would feel good to her throat right now.
Slowly, slowly, she gained the ability to think again. And with it, came the pain. And now she struggled to get past that.
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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 25, 2009 19:12:43 GMT -5
Ian watched her closely after she drank the mug as he rinsed out that cup and poured some fresh hot water into the mug. He picked out a couple of different herbs and crushed them into the water and then added two sprigs of mint and swirled them around in the mug.
Her color came back somewhat, but she was still pale. Her breathing evened out and then he knew she was in pain as her breathing changed again and her eyes almost glazed over.
"I can give you something for the pain in a bit, but we need to make sure I have countered the shock your system was in before you sleep." He smoothed her hair out of her face gently and took a damp cloth and dabbed at her face.
As he tended her, his mind kept going over what they were going to do. They wouldn't be able to stay there long. The Aslavians would find them at some point and he needed to get their information back to the King as soon as possible. He couldn't leave her now, though. He was angry at his apprentice for rescuing the woman, but he really couldn't fault her soft-heartedness. He had been trying to figure out how they were going to rescue her anyway. Still, Brandwyn shouldn't have gone down there on her own against his orders.
He looked at Teresa and noticed she seemed to be over the effects of shock now. "This stuff tastes better than the last - if you like mint." He smiled at her. "But it is going to make you sleep for several hours." He knew she hadn't eaten in the whole time they had been watching the caravan and worried that she didn't have enough energy to heal if she slept for several hours.
"I would like to see you eat something first, if you can." He pulled out a piece of dried mutton and a small hunk of cheese from his pack. "Are you hungry?" He held out the food for her, not sure if she even had enough strength to feed herself.
What she needed was soup, especially if she hadn't eaten in days. Her body might reject solid food. Where was Brandy with that mug and bucket of water? Ian wondered.
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Post by ivory on Aug 25, 2009 19:30:20 GMT -5
She liked the sound of his voice. It was soothing and she clung to it like a rock in a river, struggling to stay awake, fearing sleeping and never waking up. Despite the fact that she wasn't afraid of dying, she didn't want to go without completing her mission, and another fact that she didn't want to think about. Probably only there because she was so weak.
She even closed her eyes when the damp rag touched her forehead. Any kind of water or coolness felt wonderful. Still though, she shouldn't...All thoughts left her she heard his voice again.
"This stuff tastes better than the last - if you like mint. But it is going to make you sleep for several hours."
That meant food right? Right? Her eyes opened sluggishly though she meant for it to happen quickly. Her stomach didn't even have the heart to growl.
"I would like to see you eat something first, if you can. Are you hungry?"
He got to 'are' when she tried to take it from her hand only to have her face contort in pain when she reached with her hurt arm. Tears swarm her vision and dizziness washed over her, but she managed to shove through it and reach out with her other hand. She offered a small, pained smile before bringing the cheese to her lips and biting off a small piece. Her lips felt so dry and a trickle of blood touched her tongue as they cracked again.
Her stomach tried to revolt, but she won to the battle to keep it down...for now anyways. Hungry, she took another bite. Wanting to drink more than eat. She wanted water.
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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 25, 2009 21:15:02 GMT -5
Brandwyn dragged the bucket of water into the cabin and set the newly cleaned mug on the table. She looked over and noticed the woman trying to eat some cheese. She was looking a bit better than she had on the road here. Brandwyn didn't say anything as she started to make some soup. She was feeling guilty now about defying Ian and wasn't sure what he had in store for her punishment. What was worse is that she was going to have days to stew about it.
Brandy watched the woman trying to eat. Well, if the lady pulled through, and it looked like she would, then it was worth ticking off her mentor. She hoped.
Ian scooped out a mug of the cold water and held it up so Teresa could take a drink from it. "Not too fast with either now. Your system needs to get used to it again." He warned. "How long has it been since you have had food?" He pulled the water away before she could drink so much that she got a stomachache.
Ian watched her anxiously. She was likely going to have a battle to keep the food in her. He pulled some candied ginger out of his pack and unwrapped it. "Chew some of this if you feel nauseous," he instructed. "The juice should settle your stomach and the sugar will give you some energy."
She seemed a little more alert now and Ian was now wondering what she had been doing there. Had she really been trying to kill the leader of the Aslavians or someone else down there? Ian watched her eat, a thoughtful look on his face, but he refrained from asking her any questions on what had landed her as a prisoner of the Aslavian army.
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Post by ivory on Aug 28, 2009 15:14:47 GMT -5
Water. Thank the heavens. She reached to it when he warned, "Not too fast with either now. Your system needs to get used to it again."
It was torture, but she knew the wisdom of his words and tried to keep herself from downing it all in one shot. But she was so dry...
"How long has it been since you have had food?"
She frowned into the cup, but didn't part her lips from it, still letting it slowly, oh-so-slowly, seep down her throat. She struggled to try to count the days, but couldn't quite seem to be able to. There was no way it'd only been two days. The pain seemed to be with her for much longer than that. She closed her eyes, recalculating, but reached the same conclusion.
"Three days, [OOC: day before she was captured she didn't eat]" she gurgled into the cup, not wanting to deny herself of the water. "So hot." She drank a little bit faster and before she could remind herself to slow back down, he plucked it from her hands. She almost let out a cry of defiance, but swallowed it before she could. She still had her pride.
And then he handed over some ginger. "Chew some of this if you feel nauseous. The juice should settle your stomach and the sugar will give you some energy."
She smiled faintly as she took it before placing it in her mouth to chew on. Even the juice felt good to her throat despite that she usually hated the bitter taste. She sucked on it and as he'd promised, she did feel slightly better. Well, at least her stomach was settling again though her arm pained most definitely. But like she was fit to do, she ignored it. She'd always be aware of it, though, having never learned to block it off.
And as her stomach stilled, her thinking abilities came back and she slowly began feeling wary of her two 'saviors.' What were they doing near the Aslavian army? Sneaking into it? Where they part of the Rangers Corps? She tried to keep her thoughts hidden, but wasn't sure if she succeeded in her weaken state or not.
She wanted more water. Questions could wait...
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