Welcome to Gaia! ::

Elrothiel's ears picked up the slight noise and she froze, looking at the bushes a little to her left. Without thinking and without drawing her weapon, she shoved the thick branches aside. It was foolish and had it been an enemy scout she would probably have been skewered before she realised that he was attacking her. Her eyes widened when she saw Van and she gasped at the extent of his injuries. "What the...?" She said, struggling for words, "What happened?"

Realising that Van could barely stand, let alone speak Elrothiel insisted that he sit down so that she could have a look at his injuries. Bad as they had at first seemed, the reality was even worse. He'd been badly mauled and she could see teeth marks along his neck. It was a mircale that he'd survived whatever it was that had attacked him at all. She whistled to her horse and Sol obeyed instantly. She took her herb bag and spread some of the smaller bags for the individual herbs out around her, biting her lip as she looked at him, asking his permission to open his shirt to look at his chest wounds.

Van noded. If he had any humour left he would of laughed. There were only shards of his shirt left, but it was still nice that she asked.

Nodding, Ranu drew back from the water, holding the herbs and bandages. Lying back, he placed the things on his chest, and drew in a breath before pulling the cloth of his trousers up, revealing a mass of bloody marks from where he'd overworked muscles that had got used to matching companys pace. He cursed forgetting his horse, but he knew it was well trained, and would be following him. It was, afterall, quite a smart horse. Placing the herbs against his legs, he slowly bangaged them, then repeated it on his feet, cursing dully.

Ranu had finished his covering, and was drawing his boots back on when Amara returned, "Was it a Gondorian, as I feared?" He asked.

Elrothiel gritted her teeth as she let the magic flow. With Van the magic was even more difficult and the effort expended was literally draining her of energy. She prayed that the magic would last - it was holding his throat together and she didn't doubt that he'd be dead within hours if it failed. She did the bare minimum required on his throat to keep him alive and then tying a fresh cloth down over it she turned back to his chest. She didn't dare do any more in case the magic didn't last through all of the chest wounds. She set to work quickly and efficiently, using the magic as sparingly as possible. "Hold on Van." She muttered as she worked. "Hold on."

It was about half an hour before she was satisfied that his injuries were dealt with to the best of her ability under the circumstances. He had a fighting chance of survival. She had treated and then bandaged almost every inch of his body though he was far from healed. But there was nothing more she could do now. Her herb bag was almost empty and her magic was completely drained along with her energy. She didn't even have enough magic left to stop a nose bleed. She wiped her eyes and leant back against a tree. She was exhausted and although she had decided to keep watch against whatever it was that had attacked him, it was impossible for her to maintain the vigil. It wasn't long before she slipped into unconsciousness, giving her body the rest that was long overdue.

Elrothiel slept for several hours before she dreamed, but when she did her dreams were troubled. There were shadowy figures in her dream that frightened her but she didn't recognise them. They seemed to be coming closer and then fading by turn, almost as if they were looking for her. No, she corrected herself, almost as if they were looking through her for someone else. Van? She wondered, or one of her other travelling companions that were close by. The idea sent a jolt of fear down her spine. Someone was in danger. But who? And how was she supposed to find them?

She woke up with a gasp, holding her knife up in front of her face although she didn't remember drawing it. The forest settled in around her and she sheathed it again with a sigh. She didn't even bother debating whether it was a dream. Elves' dreams were never that simple. She glanced sideways at Van, feeling guilty for momentarily forgetting his injuries. She put a hand to his forehead but he didn't seem any hotter than usual. She sat back with a sigh and drew her knees up to her chest for comfort.