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Kenya sat down by one of the cots, after asking a cleric what she could do, and began to feed the man laying there so he wouldn't have to move more than was necessary. He looked pale and weak. She smiled at him as she worked, hoping to brighten his spirits just a little even if her own were dim.

Nereid hustled through the rows of injured soldiers, adjusting a sling here, fixing bedsheets there, running to get a glass of water for the thirsty...

It seemed like there was no end to the casualties. Still, she kept a bright face while attending to those who needed aid. Nereid knew the importance of keeping the soldiers optimistic. No one liked it when even just one person was unsure of their future.

"Um, ma'am?" a young man asked quietly from a cot to her left, interrupting Nereid's train of thought.

"Yes?" she responded, turning to get a good look at him. She just managed to catch the sob in her throat. It was a young man, just barely into his teen years. By no doubt, he had snuck away from his home to join the army. Probably to avenge a fallen father or brother. But that wasn't what caught her. The boy had bandages all around his stomach. She had been in the army long enough as a cleric to know that that meant a seious wound to the stomach, probably, a sword stab gone right through. She kept her eyes clear, even though the tears threatened to fall. Already, the boy had the weathered look about his face that seasoned soldiers had. But she was certain that he had only been around since the big battle that had caused their retreat. That just went to show how badly things had gone...

"I... I want to see... the pic... ture... that is in... my cloak..." he muttered out, raising a bloody arm to point at a cloak hanging beside his bed. Some thoughtful soldier had hung it there for him.

"Of course. What is your name?" Nereid asked, getting said picture. Catching a glimpse of it before she handed it over, she couldn't help herself. The tears came, and she tried to look at the boy as he took the picture of his infant sister and answered.

"Connor, ma'am..." he replied, coughing up blood. Nereid nodded, her face tightening up. Connor noted her sadness and tried to smile.

"Don't worry, ma'am. I'll be... fine..." he stammered. This did nothing to ease Nereid, as she couldn't contain herself anymore. She openly wept, kneeling at his side. Taking his hand, she sobbed out one last question.

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen, ma'am," Connor replied, softly. His hand grew limp as he faded away into the endless slumber. Nereid continued to hold it, however, as she wept for the boy, his sister, and his parents. Seeing a scribble on the back of the picture, she eased it out of his hand and read it.

'Alexis. She was born only days after you left for the army. Jason, keep this photograph with you? Mom and Dad'

Nereid almost ripped the picture as she clenched her hands in sorrow. Then she saw another part written sloppier. It was signed Connor...

'My brother kept this until he died. I will keep it until I die. I pledge it in his memory!'

Nereid held the picture for one last moment and finally slipped it into his bandages, after taking a quill out of her side pouch and scribbling one last message.

'Connor kept his promise. Give him a great place in Heaven. Please do not take this picture from it's spot. Nereid, who saw him breathe his last'

Then, after making sure the picture was positioned nicely, she turned and ran out of the cleric's tent. As she ran, she went past Kenya, but hardly noticed the girl. She just ran, whiping tears from her eyes.

With a sigh, Kali stood up, and walked back into the camp. she wandered through the maze of tents, noticing someone running out of the clerics tent, crying. her mind wondered what had happened to her, but she pushed it from her thoughts and continued to walk, unthinking. ember landed on her shoulder with barely a whisper and jolted her out of her reverie.
ember laid his head against Kali's, and sang softly. Kali nodded. "yeah, we probably should help the healer, they'll be overworked as it is." ember seemed almost to smile at Kali, and sang again. with a smile, Kali replied. "you're to kind for your own good." she stroked his head and walked into the cleric's tent, taking in the cots and overcrowding, she looked around for a cleric, wondering how she could help.

Jericho sighed wearily, rising from his stump. He had hoped that Amos would have returned by now; clearly, something had happened, but he could not responsibly go out and see after him. Jericho turned back to camp, stopping the first person he came across, "Do me a favor, keep your eyes and ears out for Commander Amos. If he returns, make sure I'm the first to know."

Commander Amos had spent longer than necessary away from the camp, even if he had few qualms about camping where they planned to, it was impossible to be too safe.

He entered the camp, having left behind his men to search the place more thoroughly. Amos slid off Avitus and gave the steed a quick pat, he needed to be brushed down a rested, as well as getting some good food and water.

"I think we all need some food and rest." He said in an undertone. Cold fingers fumbled at a pouch hanging on his waist, it opened to reveal dried tobacco. Amos started smoking some, it was a bad habit of his, but he was adamant that it, "calms the nerves."

Amos would need to talk to the General, he had a few queries about the route they planned to take through the mountains, judging by the direction the scouts had come from, they could encounter trouble down the road.

Amos stood by Avitus, straight, proud, with a cigarette in his hand. The smoke was curling up into the air, tendrils reaching for the sky, before it was blown away, towards the mountains.

Nereid stopped running at the edge of the camp.

~I can't believe myself! Running away? How foolish..." she thought, turning back. Then she saw a couple from the army pointing out some rocks. Walking over to them, she tried to dry her tears. Putting on the face she had when dealing with soldiers, she smiled.

"Do either of you need medical assistance?" she asked, realizing that the male was Dean. She tried to hide her blush with the fact that her cheeks were rosy red from the chilly weather.

((Hi everybody. ^_^))

Melee stumbled through the snow, her limbs numb from the ever-pressing cold. The only warmth she felt was the blood that oozed from the head wound that she could not remember getting. Her vision slightly blurred she trekked forward. She could smell the smoke of a campfire so she new she was close to someone. Other people means they have to have food and hopefully a first aid kit. Her's had been decimated long ago and she had yet to come by a merchant that had them.

She raised an hand to her bleeding head. The wound was throbbing consistantly and her head hurt badly. She sighed heavily, she did not even remember where the wound had come from. She continued forward and began quitely singing a song that her father had taught her long ago.

~Deep in the forest hidden so long ago
A warm peaceful place that I long to go
The eternal search for the place thats known
as the true Haven, where you're never alone.
Never alone, never alone.~


She clenched the strap of her bag tightly and trekked forward. She could feel her head spinning and her vision was getting worse. She continued to sing, trying to drive out the pain as she neared what she hoped was a merciful group.