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"We should probably see if they need help setting up the tents again," Andarien suggested to his sister. "I don't think Shiro or Kaito can put up theirs."

For that matter, he still didn't know what had happened to Kaito. Kyrie had been checking him out when he'd come up the cliff, and he'd been distracted and only learned about Shiro since then.

The young stranger's brow creased with worry. "But I only hit one!" he protested.

Andarien shrugged. "I don't know, but Kaito didn't look good when I came up and Kyrie was checking him out, so something must have happened."

He gestured for the others to follow and headed over to where Kyrie was in the process of setting up a tent. "Come on, let's ask her."

Kyrie was just finishing setting up a tent and was pounding in the final peg when the three youths approached. She looked up at them and stood up, brushing off her knees.

"What's up?" she asked them, tossing the hammer she'd been using aside, out of the way so that no on else would trip over it, though they would still be able to find it when they set up their own tents. Though she had washed her hands, her arms and clothes were still a bit bloody. Her forehead was dotted with sweat, despite the cool temperature.

Kyrie looked at Kaito, who was still wrapped in the blanket that she had slung around his shoulders and was rocking himself back and forth unseeingly, completely unaware of his surroundings.

"There are two possible explanations, neither of which is overly serious," she told them. "Either he's in shock, which will wear off soon and he'll only need sleep to recover, or else - and this is your mother's theory - he's somehow got a connection to Shiro, that he feels what Shiro feels, and that's affecting him ... in which case, he'll be fine as soon as Shiro is."

She sighed. "The only thing we can do now to help them is to get them into their tent where they're a bit sheltered from the cold. Someone will have to sit with them, too, just to keep an eye on them." She paused, then added, "Preferably someone who knows something about medicine."

Andarien nodded. He could understand that. But he wanted to know about Shiro, too.

"What exactly happened to Shiro?" he asked. "I mean, I know he was shot, but ... how badly was he hurt?"

At that, Kyrie smiled faintly. "Well, he was hit in the shoulder, but the real problem was that the arrow nicked an artery. I had to sew that up before I could take care of the external wound. At this point, it's just blood loss, and he'll need at least a few days to rest before he can travel again, but he'll be just fine."

Kyrie sighed softly, though it was a sigh of contentment, rather than annoyance.

"It is," she murmured in agreement. "At any rate, I'll ask Daeron and Earendil to carry the two into their tent ... perhaps I'll ask Lancaeriel to sit with them, if she's willing. She's the only one who knows about healing, aside from myself, I think."

She eyed the brown-skinned boy who was standing with the two of them and asked him a question in his own language. The boy put his hands together and bowed his head apologetically, replying in the same language again.

While the boy was talking, his father approached them from behind. He didn't say anything, but put his hands on Andarien and Miyuki's shoulders to nudge them silently aside so that he could get to his son.

Andarien caught the look Miyuki gave him and smiled reassuringly at her.

"He's just explaining what happened and apologizing," he told her. "Come on, we should get Ada and Ada-tol to help Kyrie with Shiro and Kaito."

He gave the strangers one final glance before he headed over to where his parents were talking with his aunt and uncle and the rest of the group.

"I suppose it could be a connection between the two of them," Iorlas mused. "It's far from unheard of, after all, even with those not ... er ... elven."

To those who knew her history, it was clear she was referring to her own past.

"But if that is indeed the case, Kaito would most likely be feeling it in his shoulder as well," she added, glancing to where the neko was sitting. "Still, I suppose we'll find out more once he snaps out of it."

"I'm just glad it wasn't anything more serious," Daeron added, one hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "Imagine if it really had been an attack, and no one else had been up here to help out - I mean, even with your magic, Lin, it did take us a few minutes to be up here and ready to guard."