Of Woods and Elves [Ainutsa&Talia]

[Summerchika]

Ainutsa did not get a chance to answer Talia's question before Talia pulled the sword from her both with an agonized scream. Ainusta shut her eyes and winced, then at the silence that followed she re-opened her eyes. "Talia?!" she gasped, alarmed at the stillness of her friend. Quickly and shakily she placed her fingers on Talia's neck, feeling for a pulse. Feeling the quick, weak beating of Talia's heart, Ainutsa let out a relieved breath of air.

Realizing what she would have to do next, Ainutsa focused on calming herself. Her necklace still attacked her with wave after electric wave of pain, and Ainutsa knew from experience that she would need to bury her anger deep before it would stop. It took a few minutes, but eventually her necklace stilled, its glow retreating. Ainutsa forced the hand that still held the necklace in her fist to open. She inhaled sharply at the throbbing pain in her burned hand, then placed both hands on Talia's wound.

Blood soaked her hands and she closed her eyes to the memories that resurfaced. She couldn't remember those again if her necklace was going to let her do this. Taking a couple deep and calming breaths, Ainutsa opened her eyes again, focusing her magic into Talia's wound. Green light pooled beneath her hands as she channeled the forest's energy around her into healing. It would not mend right away, but the pain would lessen and the healing would quicken ten fold. Ainutsa had done it on minor wounds before, but nothing to this scale yet.

Once the magic had done what it could, her necklace was burning her chest again, and Ainutsa sat back, spent. Gingerly, she curled up on the soft ground and closed her eyes, hoping that Kaddock was actually dead and not just as unconscious as Talia was now. She wasn't sure she would have the strength to fight him again.

[Avalon Silvasti]

As Ainutsa curled up on the ground and allowed sleep to claim her, Kaddock stirred a bit. His beaten and broken body was weak and he had no time to worry about the two elves on the first floor. He got up slowly and quietly. He found himself clambering through the woods to attempt to get to safety.

As the sun began to set Talia stirred a bit in her sleep and woke. She placed her hand where her wound was and then looked to Ainutsa. She smiled at her friend as she moved closer to her. She didn't want to be too far from her new found friend. She curled up next to her and found sleep. Over the course of the night Talia rolled over and put her arm around Ainutsa on an instinct. While in Kaddock's imprisonment she forced her to lay with him while he slept and demanded she hold him. It was reflex more than anything but deep down in her heart she knew it was more of she wanted to protect her weakened friend than anything.

[Summerchika]

Dark images haunted Ainutsa in the first sleep she had allowed to claim her in years. Screams filled her nightmares while bloody war raged beneath her eyelids. The last image she saw before she awoke was of a young elven couple, bloodied and broken as her eight-year-old body wept over the gruesome sight. Hands pulled her roughly away from the couple, and Ainutsa was simultaneously pulled from the nightmarish land.

Sitting up with a dark cry, Ainusta woke to wet cheeks and an arm around her waist. She looked around her sightlessly, automatically reaching for her wolf sister only to come up empty. What had happened to Faolán? And Ciar? What of Talia; was she alright? Ainutsa looked down at the arm around her waist, then to its owner. “Talia? Where is Kaddock?” Ainutsa whispered urgently, her memories of the fight just now coming back to her frazzled mind.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Feeling Ainutsa wake Talia shifted slightly and yawned. Still feeling weak from the loss of blood she remained where she was. "He was at the base of the tree. Dead from what I seen." She shifted a bit and looked at the tree. "He's gone... Where could he have gone with injuries like that?" She asked softy. "I felt you moving in your sleep are you alright? If its too painful to talk about I understand." Talia realized her arm was around Ainutsa and blushed. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It was a reflex and a habit." She started to retract her arm.

[Summerchika]

Ainutsa looked up to where Kaddock had lain unconscious and sure enough, he was gone. She frowned, wiping the tears from her cheeks quickly. This was not the last they had seen or heard from Kaddock, Ainutsa knew, and shivered from the thought.

At Talia's question, Ainutsa smiled with chagrin, "I just had a bad dream," she said, shaking her head. "I don't sleep if I can help it. The forest gives me energy so I don't have to sleep. And you didn't make me uncomfortable," she added quickly, hugging her quickly with one arm. Withdrawing with sudden realization, however, Ainutsa narrowed her eyes in concern. "How is your wound?"

[Avalon Silvasti]

Talia grimaced in pain a bit as Ainutsa hugged her arm. "My arm is fine. It hurts badly but I'm OK." She snuggled closer. "I'm sorry about your nightmares." She felt ashamed to admit her next comment. "I'm sorry for holding you tightly like this but I'm scared to be alone. And I felt safe with you." She shivered a bit as she spoke.

[Summerchika]

“I know the feeling,” Ainutsa said, a sad smile claiming her face. Her eyes unfocused as she allowed herself to review her nightmare. “I lost my parents horribly, too, just like you,” she admitted finally. “My mind has since blocked the memories from me, but . . . I think I just dreamed of their deaths.” Ainutsa frowned, then shook her head to dispel her grim thoughts. “It doesn't matter, though.” Taking a deep breath, she looked down at Talia, hugging her more carefully this time. “I have Faolán and--”

Ainutsa halted her speech at the reminder of her animal friends. “Oh, no.” Scrambling to get up and then bending over when she stood up too quickly, Ainutsa gasped in panic. She reached out with her mind to find her friends, but could only feel Faolán a long distance away. ”Faolán?!”

“Ainutsa,” Faolán's relieved voice rang in her mind, “I couldn't reach you. Hurry, Ciar needs your help.” Then Faolán's presence withdrew from her mind, and Ainutsa stood up straight. She looked back to Talia and held out a hand.

“We need to go,” she whispered to her, the panic not quite gone from her voice.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Talia stood up still nursing her arm. "What's wrong Ainutsa?" She didn't know about Ainutsa's friends. "Is it the wolf?" She asked as she moved to her friends side.

[Summerchika]

Ainutsa shook her head, her eyes filling with tears, showing just how young she really was. “No. I don't know. It's Ciar. He was supposed to alert us if the men moved toward us. Faolán just said he needs my help.” Ainutsa frowned through the tears as she saw Talia nursing her arm. Without preamble, Aintusa placed gentle hands on the wound. As she closed her eyes in concentration, a tear drop fell from one eye, and then the other.

“Ease her burden,” Ainutsa whispered to the forest as energy swelled beneath her palms. The healing was already hastened to as much as Ainutsa dared, but the pain she could still affect. After a couple of seconds, she opened her eyes and then took a couple steps back.

“Follow me,” she whispered again, turning to walk quickly in Faolán and Ciar's direction. She didn't dare run, knowing how much it would hurt and tax Talia in her current state.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Talia felt the healing alon her shoulder and and smiled weakly at her friend. "We will find you feathered friend and I'm sure he's alright."she said as she took off after her friend.

Meanwhile farther away from the two girls, Kaddock finally made it to his camp where Talia made her escape. He seen his carriage was still there and approached it. He climbed into to find his coach boy resting upon the cushions. As he clambered in he woke the boy with a start. "Ready the horses. We ride for the nearest town to heal myself and get supplies. For we will be hunting two elven women soon." He rasped out in labored pained breaths.

[Summerchika]

On the way to Ciar and Faolán, Ainutsa spoke barely at all. She just nodded grimly at Talia's assurance and focused on not going too fast for Talia. Once they reached the clearing where her two animal friends rested, Ainutsa couldn't help herself. She rushed toward them, landing on her knees to crouch on their level.

“Ciar?” she asked aloud, for Talia's benefit. “What happened?” Ainutsa's hands fluttered around Ciar who lay exhausted on the ground. Faolán lay next to him, a grim expression on her wolfy face. She noticed Ciar breathed in short bursts, as if it hurt to simply breathe. She frowned and searched him for a wound, but saw none. Then she noticed that there were a few odd angles in his wing and left side. Her eyes widened, and already she began examining him so that she could better direct the healing.

“The men shot at me. For their dinner,” Ciar snorted in amusement the winced as he did so. “I dodged the arrow but in doing so I barreled into the trunk of a tree and fell to the ground. I had to fly away from them or they would have eaten me, but I'm afraid I hurt myself more in the process,” Ciar winced again, thinking of the narrow escape. He said the words in Ainutsa's as well as Talia's mind, assuming that whoever had been brought along was a friend as well.

“I'm so sorry, Ciar,” Ainutsa sniffed, placing two fingers on his head. “Rest now. When you awaken, you will be healed.” With the power of the forest, Ainutsa sent Ciar into a deep sleep. Then she closed her eyes as her necklace grew hot. She sent the healing magic into the places where Ciar had broken bones and punctured internal organs. She repaired first the dire things, like organ tears, then urged the bones back into their place. Where she healed, it was as if she simply glued things together. They were not healed, but with things in the right place, the body could heal itself. Then Ainutsa risked speeding up the healing as she had done for Talia.

By the time Ainutsa was done, her necklace was sizzling against her skin. She came to herself and lifted the necklace by the chain from her chest, wincing only a bit. It was a pain she was used to. She looked up and blinked to clear her mind. Then she whispered to Faolán and Talia, “He will be alright. We can't move him yet, and he will sleep for a few days, but he will be alright.” Ainutsa's shoulders slumped with relief and exhaustion.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Talia looked down as she watched the events transpire. "I'm sorry Ainutsa this is my fault. If I hadn't escaped from Kaddock and if I hadn't ran into you, your friends would be safe." She said as she looked at the ground.

[Summerchika]

"Talia," Ainutsa said with a tired smile, putting a hand on Talia's shoulder in an attempt to make the things that she would say sink in. "You are not at fault. In fact, if Ciar were lucid, he would chew you out for those thoughts. I am glad you ran into me. Don't ever think otherwise."

Ainutsa dropped her hand and pushed herself off of the ground. Standing upright, she slapped her cheeks with both hands, hoping that her exhaustion would be tempered. It only helped a little. "Come on," she said to Talia, "Let's have some fun! We deserve it. I'll even show you one of my favorite places in this forest?" Ainutsa offered with a grin.

"Faolán," she added silently, giving her wolf-sister a sidelong glance, "please watch over Ciar. If anything happens, send for me." Faolán nodded once, moving closer to Ciar protectively.

[Avalon Silvasti]

Talia's look of sadness turned around as Ainutsa offered to show her this place in the forest. "I would love that but will your friend be OK?" She asked worried about the bird.

[Summerchika]

“There is nothing more I can do. Faolán will guard him now.” Ainutsa spoke with a grim smile, nodding her head at Faolán. “Come on, I could use a rest at the oasis that I want to show you.” Ainutsa said, clasping her hands behind her and taking a few light steps back before exiting the clearing fully. “It'll help your healing, too!”

And with that, Ainutsa pranced off through the trees with an eager smile on her face despite all that had happened moments ago. She slowed to make sure Talia followed, and paused with a hand on the bark of a tree pensively. Ainutsa always traveled along the branches of the trees much faster than she could run, but she doubted Talia could keep up with her shoulder the way it was. That train of thought led to Kaddock, and she shivered at the thought of him. She had almost become a slave today, and the man who had almost done the deed still lived.

Shaking her head to rid herself of her fears, Ainutsa looked to Talia and smiled as if that alone could make her worries dissipate. “Have you any magic, Talia?” Ainutsa asked curiously, leading the way toward one of the most sacred places of the forest.