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 Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 9:43 pm
Gabriel looked up at the jar of salve, and bent to give the concoction a curious sniff. Some of the scents were recognizable, and some not... "Thank you," he murmured, going back to making sure the punctures were free of debris. Looking at the salve, he dipped his clean hand in to coat his fingers, and poked again into each wound to spread the salve.
Looking up, he gave Quintessa an appreciative smile. She and Wyatt had their differences, but both of them were loyal and dedicated to the core. Family was what mattered; not superficial differences. He perked up to look over at Pirimus, watching the feline's chest rise and fall a few times before going back to work. He picked up the bandages, and began wrapping Wyatt's shoulder. Making sure the wounds were thoroughly covered, perhaps a little more than necessary, he bent and kissed Wyatt's forehead. "See you in the morning then, you big jerk."
Pushing himself up, he cleared the equipment from the bedside and washed his hands and face. He could feel some of Wyatt's blood caked dry on his back, wincing slightly. "Tess.. Give me a hand?" he asked, holding up a wet cloth and showing his back. He looked over to the only other conscious taur there. "You wanted an explanation... Could you get us a couple cups of water, and we can talk down at the table?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 6:55 pm
Quintessa shifted to sit next to Gabriel, watching him work with a softer smile. She liked watching him when he was in this state of mind, though she hated the circumstances that called for it. He was so dedicated, with a gentle hand...and so knowledgeable on the subject. It was easy to forget that he knew so much when she watched him goof around most of the time.
Rising with him, she went about stretching her muscles in front of the fire, trying to get the tired cricks out. "Hold your hair up." She moved back towards him, taking hold of the cloth to wash down the back of his neck, shoulders, back and the adjoining fur. Her touch was soothing, her hands moving in soft circles.
Franklin watched the pair, and when propositioned he nodded. "Meet me downstairs when you're ready. It'll be a lot quieter there." He snatched up two cups and a pitcher of water before hobbling downstairs. It wasn't much longer after that he had a few candles lit, just enough for the three of them to see by.
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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 7:45 pm
Gabriel closed his eyes as he was cleaned off, taking comfort from the contact. Stretching his hands and cracking his knuckles, he looked back over to Wyatt again. The tan fox seemed to be breathing normally again, and seemed so peaceful now. Almost... He'd almost... So many links had to connect to get them were they were right now. So much had to go wrong, and so much had to go right. ...Life was crazy.
Feeling the washing complete, he turned to Quintessa and gave her an even deeper kiss than before. He couldn't think of any words to properly say. So, this would have to do.
Taking her hand, he gave her a smile before leading the way down the stairs again, being careful with his tired legs. He went straight for the table, and dropped a little more heavily than he would have liked. So tired... Instead of tipping over to sleep, he grabbed a cup and emptied it quickly, and then refilled it and half emptied it again. "Now, where to begin...?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 8:19 pm
Quintessa nipped at Gabriel's lower hip, and leaned into him, wrapping her arm about his waist to hold him tight. There was so much she needed to sort out in the morning, but right now, this was enough to calm her mind.
Squeezing his hand, she looked to Pirimus and Wyatt before descending the stairs. They both looked exhausted, but happier, now that they were finally able to get some rest. If she didn't know any better she would even judge that the look on Pirimus' face was even proud. Pride in a job well done, and another life saved. He seemed so young, and it made her wonder what had been going through his head while she chased him.
She helped get Gabriel situated before seating herself. Quintessa grabbed a cup, drank half and then was too tired to do much else. She just held the cup in her hands.
Franklin was kicked back in his spot, one leg casually tossed up on the table as he drained his own glass. "I'd like to know why yer mate was trying to murder my friend there. And what happened to the tan lad."
Tessa took a deep breath, trying not to rise at the heated stare he gave her. "I wasn't trying to murder him. I was trying to subdue Pirimus under the orders given to me. He was to be taken in for assessment, and then dispatched."
"Same thing, isn't it?" When she didn't respond, he only nodded. "Yer a killer, but ya didn't kill 'im. Why? What got in the way?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 9:20 pm
His eyes were aimed toward his cup, but were seeing beyond it actually. While Tessa started things off, he thought about his own coming words.
"A contract on Pirimus... Someone else wanted him dead, and was willing to hire assassins to get the job done." He had once been a target of the assassins as well. "Take him in, see if he's guilty, judge..." He shook his head roughly. This was no time for rambling. "Sorry, right, right.... she was chasing him. My brother and I were walking when we ran into her, and then Pirimus. Apparently, the guy who ordered the contract, a naga, had been following them. When he heard that Pirimus was being taken to be judged, he blew up and tried to kill Pirimus on the spot. ..My brother pushed Pirimus out of the way, and took the attack himself." His hands clenched, remembering the screams of pain, the affects of the poison... "We killed the naga, and Pirimus saved my brother."
His eyes finally lifted, and he sighed softly. It was sorta nice to have the events listed out in a more tangible order. "Pirimus had us come here to rest and shelter him from any other possible naga attacks. So, here we are."
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 3:54 pm
By now Franklin had picked up a little sliver of wood to which he picked his teeth before lighting up his pipe. His eyes were the same hard, calculating gaze they'd been from the start, almost like he was sizing it up to see if the story was true or false. Finally, after he'd puffed up a few rings, he nodded. "So that's it then. I told the boy his business was only gonna get 'im in trouble, but he thought he had it all sorted out." Franklin inhaled, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Guess 'e was wrong."
He tapped his pipe on a little glass dish, and looked between the couple. "I've only got the one bed, but ye'r more than welcome ta stay. I want ya both to apologize for makin' a fuss in the mornin' to the villagers, and ye'll be payin for the damages."
Tessa nodded. It was usually so hard to eat crow, but today...well, she'd rebuild Pirimus' clinic in gold if he asked her too. Still, she slowly took it all in, "Do you have messengers? or hawks? I need to send out a letter right away before any of this mess leaks out."
"In the morning," Franklin waved her off. "Can't do much tonight. Stay down here as long as ya like, but make sure ya go back up ta sleep. If'n someone seems ya through the window....well, all bets are off then."
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 6:03 pm
Gabriel's ears twitched, and he felt himself relax another notch. The guy seemed to understand now, and was a little more empathetic to their situation. Even a little bit was enough for the foxtaur to feel better.
"Thank you," he said with utmost sincerity and a soft sigh. "I have every intention of paying for the damages, if not fixing things myself." He looked over to Quintessa and gave her a tired smile. "I don't need a bed. I'm just gonna go back up and set a blanket next to Wyatt. ..I know I'll keep waking up to check on him. We should get back up there.." Wyatt had looked like he was stable, but this was a lot more personal than he was used to. He wanted to be right there...
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 6:20 pm
Quintessa reached out to rub Gabriel's shoulders, and squeezed herself beside him while reaching up to give him a peck on the cheek. "Go on up, I'll be there in a while. I just need to...have a little time to myself before I can wind down." What she needed was a stiff drink, but she didn't think Franklin would be as accommodating. She turned to Franklin, "Where are your extra blankets?"
"In the trunk near the water basin, ye'll see it when you get upstairs."
Tessa nodded, and nudged Gabriel. "Wyatt needs you to be there beside him, well rested and able to tell him what a big idiot he is. So, on to bed with you."
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 6:47 pm
Watching Tessa a moment, he nodded and pressed another kiss before standing. "Don't sit down here thinking for too long. It'll be hard enough to sleep without you next to me..." he said softly, gazing only at his wife. Of all the strange relationships....
Heading upstairs, he grabbed a couple blankets and laid them out. Wyatt gasped or twitched once in a while as the medicine continued working, but otherwise seemed okay. He would be okay... After a pause, he walked over to check on Pirimus as well. A long rest would to the guy a world of good.
Back on the blankets, he laid down with his head nearer Wyatt's, listening to his brother's breathing as he fell asleep within moments of his head hitting the cushion of his arms.
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 7:00 pm
She held onto his hand for as long as she could before letting him trail away from her. "Just for tonight, love...I'll be there before you can miss me." Only one man had been able to tame the wild assassin, and with every look she melted just a little more.
From his spot in the corner Pirimus was relatively dead to the world. With his magic spent, his energy had gone with it, and once the cat had been warmed he slept with a contented purr.
Quintessa and Franklin were awake longer than either had expected. Though nary a word was passed between the two, a comfortable silence allowed them to share the bottle of port Franklin scavenged. Once finished both climbed the stairs, albeit a little weaker than before. Franklin checked on Pirimus while Tessa slid her way onto the bed on Gabriel's opposing side after doing a check of her own. She hastily pulled the ties from her hair, allowing the long dark tresses to act as a blanket of their own to send her to sleep.
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 7:19 pm
When the sun peeked in through the small window, Wyatt's eyes blinked open slowly. They felt dry and gritty. His body weighed nearly double what it did after a good night's sleep. Had Gabriel gotten him drinking again? His scratchy throat allowed only a barely audible groan to sound as he shifted, arm rising to rub sore eyes. He was going to give his brother a talking to!
When his sight returned though, his confusion returned. Where was he? Seeing his brother's bright green fur from the edge of his vision, he turned his head to see the two cuddled together in their sleep. He almost started to smile, but he noticed the bandage around his shoulder. He frowned, and tried to lift that arm, only to hiss sharply from pain and let his head fall back. Damn, that hurt. What-? The naga! Of course, a second later he gasped again as a weight suddenly dropped onto his chest, spreading the pain throughout again. "Come on, man.." he rasped out as his good arm lifted to weakly smack the back of his brother's head.
While he was contently snuggled up to his wife, the hiss of pain instantly pulled Gabriel from his sleep. He sprang up, looked to make sure it wasn't a hiss of death, and dropped again to grab hold of his brother in relief. The smack brought a short laugh as he realized he was being a ninny. He straightened up, and switched to holding Wyatt's hand. "How're you feeling, bro?"
Wyatt licked his lips, but his tongue was just as dry. "Like I had to.. pull you.. out of trouble.. again," he panted out with a crooked smile. More like he'd fallen down a cliff... Everything still hurt.. but he was alive. How...?
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 7:32 pm
The sound of voices pulled Pirimus from his dazed sleep. He yawned, coiling back in around himself on the floor before giving into a stretch, all six limbs joining as if reaching for the same goal. His crimson eye was the first to open, lazily noticing that the brothers were awake and Franklin was gone. The brothers....? Oh, yes, last night. He groaned and rolled over onto his back, pulling the blanket over his upper half.
Quintessa, however, was awoken by the jostling on the bed. She instinctively moved closer to the warmth, following Gabriel as he moved, but propping herself up on an elbow as she struggled to wake. The cattaur yawned, wiping crust from around her eyes before pushing her wild hair out of her face. "You're such a dolt Wyatt," She teased, reaching out to put her hand on his forearm. "Glad you're awake. I'll get you something to drink."
Before she stood, she snaked her arms around Gabriel's waist and gave his flesh a kiss. Once standing though, she saw Pirimus' movements, and gave a crooked grin. "Not much of a morning person, are you?"
When he sat up his hair was just as crazy as hers, though he had the bonus of having cricks in his neck and joints from sleeping on the ground. As Tessa poured a drink for Wyatt, he rotated his shoulders. "Not after last night I'm not."
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 7:47 pm
Gabriel laughed. "Hey! I'm the one who pulled you out of trouble this time!" He smiled to Quintessa, and then looked over to Pirimus. Right... "Actually, it's that guy you can thank for saving your butt. ..He's a pretty cool guy." That was as close to "thank you" as he would get for a while to the feline who had been saved so that his brother would be the one to go through all that pain last night. And today, apparently...
Wyatt nodded slowly, and looked at his shoulder again. It looked to be in decent condition, considering what it had gone through. He couldn't much feel it aside from the pain, or do anything with his arm. Please say he could still use it... That guy? His eyes slid to look at the white feline, since his head seemed to weigh like a rock was in it. "Thanks," he said without hesitation. He didn't feel like he wanted to be a morning person right then, either. Then, his brow furrowed. "Last night.. I barely remember. What ha-?" a coughing fit interrupted his words. He would need to wait for the water before talking again.
Gabriel patted Wyatt's hand in understanding, waiting for the fit to pass. "Long story short; we killed the naga that got you. Pirimus over there," he said with a hook of his thumb to indicate the feline, "used his magic to help you while I got an antivenom from his shop. We all came here to rest, and that's that."
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 7:54 pm
Quintessa moved closer to the bed, moving to place her arm gently behind Wyatt's head to lift it and hold the cup of water to his lips. "You were pretty brave out there, but reckless. That naga was the one that placed the hit on Pirimus, and when things didn't work out...you know."
Pirimus rose from his spot, and briefly brushed off his fur before moving closer to the group hesitantly. He still was wary around them, despite all that had happened, though he did smile graciously to both foxes. His eyes, however, were solely on Wyatt. "May I take a look at your shoulder? I would like to make sure that the poison hasn't left it's mark." He was still groggy and worn, but a lot better than he was last night. It was enough energy to get him to focus on his patient. "Speaking of, have any of you seen Franklin? Oh, that's the shop owner." He added for Wyatt's behalf. "The shop below us, that is."
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 8:08 pm
Taking a couple sips, he licked his lips again and sighed with relief. Oh, that water was like heaven... "Nothing brave.. Just instinct," he murmured, tipping his head for another few sips. Something dangerous had attacked, and he'd reacted with what little time he'd been allowed. He hadn't wet himself, thankfully, but he didn't see it as bravery.
Gabriel snorted. "You're always too modest, you big dope." Though, he felt that they'd all been rather impressive in the face of such sudden anger. Thank the gods that the naga hadn't used anything magic on them!
Ears twitching, Wyatt looked over to the approaching feline. Poison's mark? That wouldn't be good. He glanced over to Gabriel, who gave a reassuring nod to the still fog-minded fox, and Wyatt let himself relax more. "Not feeling much more than the pain right now... Can't lift it by myself."
Gabriel stepped back to let Pirimus do the check, and shook his head. "Ain't seen him since last night."
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