Private Tales Pride

[Arwyl Minras]

Arwyl glanced towards the front of the wagon.

"Yah!" came a cry from up front as the owner drove her horses on through the mists.

Arwyl imagined creeping through the wagon and pulling that curtain aside. He had a vision of getting a club to the side of the head from a frightened and surprised old lady.

Arwyl brought his finger to his lips in the universal sign for silence. He nodded slowly. She was right, it was worth a try.

Leaning closer he whispered: "When we're through the mists and she slows down I'll jump out, run ahead and try and wave her down. You can sneak out when she stops?"

 

[Riley]

Riley shook her head and mouthed the word ‘no’ at the prince and she wondered if he often heard that word from Kaius or his people or if this was a bit of a novelty. They weren’t exactly in elf friendly territory. And the hell would she let him take that risk of being out of her sight.

“I’ll do it,” turning her head, she hissed the whisper against his pointed ear and crouched by the lip of the wagon, preparing herself to bound down. The mists were already clearning ahead of them.

And behind them she was relieved to see no shapes moving forward.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"Look, I would be perfectly content letting you run on ahead of the fucking wagon," Arwyl hissed. "This isn't some honor thing. I'm just quicker right now!"

Arwyl leaned back far enough to roll his eyes at Riley.

Not used to hearing no! Who exactly did she think she was?

 

[Riley]

"Good, cause it ain't an honor thing for me either," Riley huffed in as quiet of a whisper as she could muster. She didn't feel like spelling it out for Arwyl right now. And while she knew he'd be faster, he couldn't get rid of his pointy-ears.

The wagon began to slow and she crawled over the lip of the back, straddling for a moment.

"Try not to be seen until we can figure out if she's anti-elf," a last hissed whisper as she dropped from the back and quietly landed, biting back a curse. Goddamned ankle. Pushing up from the ground, she ignored pain and throbbing and used a little pinch of her magic to make herself go faster.

Oof, she'd never done that before.

Slowing, she turned back on the road and stumbled to the center. She knew she didn't have to try very hard to look bedraggled. Hell, everything hurt. The sun was already higher in the sky as full morning took over the last vestiges of night. Riley waved her arms and stumbled, staring down that hooded figure of the woman driving her cart.

"Wait. Please. Wait!"

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"Try not to be seen until we can figure out if she's anti-elf,"

Arwyl was mildly staggered that she was being so stubborn with an ounce of sense behind it. He hadn't actually expected her to have such foresight. Perhaps he was quick to judge.

He was definitely too quick to judge.

Arwyl had simple never thought of Riley as being particularly bright. Stubborn, determined and energetic certain, just not the sharpest wit.

He slipped from the cart lightly as it slowed, vanishing into the undergrowth next to the road.

"What?" cried the woman at the front of her cart. She picked up a one-handed mace from the seat next to her and waved it threateningly towards Riley.

 

[Riley]

"Please," Riley held up her hands in a placating gesture. Fuk, it was goddamned hard to swallow her pride and ask for help from a stranger. Not to mention it screamed against the instincts instilled into her as a dreadlord trainee.

Riley motioned to her bound ankle and inched to the side of the road, giving the woman the choice to go on. To prove she wasn't a thread. "I'm looking for a healer. Don't know these parts well. Was hoping you'd be willing to help or know of a place I could go?"

The woman eyed her up and down, "I don't run a charity."

Riley crossed her arms as the cart drew nearer but the woman didn't speed up. "I can trade for services. Name's Riley."

The woman slowed her cart to a stop as she pulled up beside Riley and eyed her cautiously. "Alright girl. Name's Baba Yogi. You just happen to cross paths of the best healer of these parts. Must be blessed by the goddess."

 

[Arwyl Minras]

Arwyl slipped through the undergrowth, listening to the conversation. He barely made a sound as he moved. It was important that he didn't arrive from behind the wagon; that would have looked like am ambush.

"So what can I..." Baba Yogi continued, but she suddenly trailed off.

Arwyl tensed.

"Oi! Who's that in the woods. These eyes work just as well as they did when I was a little'un. Is there someone with you!?"

Arwyl stood, holding his hands out to his sides. He tried to look as unthreatening as possible.

"I'm with her, I'm with her!" Arwyl called out. His hiding place hadn't been as good as he had thought.

 

[Riley]

"Har-HA! Never seen this many strangers come stumbling from the woodwork before," Baba Yogi gave a short chortling-cackle. Riley was just glad this woman seemed to be in a decent mood. And wasn't immediately reacting to one of them having pointy-ears. Most likely she wasn't Anirian.

And Arwyl. She thought a goddamned elf would've been better at sneaking around. She was beginning to understand Kaius' frustration more and more.

Riley cleared her throat, keeping her hands where the older woman could see them.

"Just had to be careful in these parts. You know. Not everyone is keen to see an elf," Hazels ringed in gold keyed sharply to the woman's face, watching her reaction closely.

But the healer just shrugged and said, "Don't care what yer ears are shaped like as long as ye got coin or goods to trade for my services."

 

[Arwyl Minras]

Arwyl reached for the purse at his belt. It was not very heavy. He stepped out into the road - or what passed for a road - to get some better light.

There was a variety of coins from towns in the region. There were mostly the rusty kind of colour that didn't catch the eye of a passing trader. He grimaced.

A small twinkle caught his eye and he reached inside, his fingers brushing against something cold and smooth. When he picked it up he found the sharp edge. Arwyl sent a silent prayer to whoever was governing his luck.

"We can pay," he said. Taking a few slow steps closer he held out the small gem. One of the last they had kept from the caravan.

 

[Riley]

Baba Yogi squinted then pointed a finger to Arwyl and Riley in a come hither gesture.

“Lad. Girl. Come come come. Hop up. I’ve got one stop to make and you can fill me in on the way.” Crooked teeth gave a straight grin. Riley rubbed the back of her neck and crawled on up into the front seat of the wagon, scooting over closer to the older woman so Arwyl could have a seat on the end. Riley gave the prince a grateful look. It was quick but it was there.

“So...do you know anything about poison treatments?” Riley knew she didn’t have a lot of tact but she had to ask. Had to know. For Kaius.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"No one know everything. Always new poisons. How long ago was someone poisoned?"

"Yesterday," Arwyl replied. His nerves were on edge now. The adrenaline was still flowing through his veins through the chase in the mists and his hands were shaking.

"Could be dead already."

Arwyl grimaced, but kept his eyes forward. This was Kaius she was talking of so indifferently.

"Symptoms? How were they poisoned?"

 

[Riley]

Riley eyed Arwyl for a moment. Some unspoken question. How cautious should they be? They were out of choices. She didn't know how much time Kaius had left. She didn't know if they'd even make it to the princess' territory. Or that the princess would even help. What if it was one of her brothers? One look at Riley and they'd probably string her up. Or knock her off one of those falls and might not even listen about helping a fellow elf.

"Poisoned arrow tip. Anirian made." Riley hesitated. "Probably verbane or thistle-rot." Baba frowned and looked more closely at Riley.

"We can...take you to him." Riley raised her brows in Arwyl's direction, this time looking to him for direction. Orders.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"I can't lose him," Arwyl said firmly. "But it's back down the road and when we went that way something attacked us out of the mist but we can..."

"Hah!" went the old woman.

Arwyl frowned.

"You strayed off the road into Old Velladon's domain. She's a crotchery old thing and does not tolerate visitors."

"What is she if..."

"Are you interested in strange old people or saving this person that means so much to you?"

"I have to save him."

"He is close to you?"

"The closest to family I have left," Arwyl said firmly.

"You should have said. Family is important."

The rings were given a soft flick and they were turning around.

 

[Riley]

She'd never had any family that was important. As far as she knew, her brother was dead or serving on the front somewhere proud to be a goddamned Anirian dreadlord. Parents had easily let the government take her. But Arwyl and his band? Kaius. Maybe that was what family was really supposed to be like.

Riley tensed as they re-entered the road of mists.

Nothing came at them but she swore she could see the mists shifting through the woods as if something was following them just next to the road. But as she blinked it was gone.

"Girl," Baba snapped her gnarled fingers once. "Lift up that ankle for me. That gem he has should cover your original need and the poisoning of yer friend." Unlike Riley's natural tendency, she obeyed the older woman she sat next to on the cart.

Baba pinched and prodded at it and Riley bit back a swear. Then she dug into her pocket and handed over some foul smelling root. "Wad that in your mouth, chew and swallow. Upupup, ALL of it. Swelling will be gone and you'll be as good as new.

Riley's fingers enclosed around the root.

"Thank you," she grumbled more like a question as Baba cackled.

The mists were already clearing.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"Can I ask what Old Velladon is?" Arwyl asked, his eyes were also following the shifting mists. He did look towards Riley's ankle too. The healer was confident if she could just start Riley on the mend as they rode along quietly.

"You can ask, but I won't tell," Baba replied, with a grin. "She is older than most elves and her people once owned these lands. Now she is the last and does not tolerate visitors in the last piece that has remained her own. Do not stray to the east of the path if you come this way."

Arwyl nodded. Now he was curious. The part of him that always got the group in trouble wanted to dart into the mists to try and find her again.

"How's that feel?" he asked Riley.

 

[Riley]

"Well dragon's bearded grumpets," Riley muttered. "The name starts with Old. I'd be crotchety about unwelcome visitors too." Not to mention her lands had been taken away piece by piece. The old woman...sorceress-whatever, was just trying to protect what she had left.

She looked to Arwyl and untied the brace he'd done, slowly flexing her ankle.

"Like new," she replied surprised.

Baba Yogi cackled next to her. Riley shifted a tad closer to Arwyl. Now that they weren't on foot and riding in a cart and not being accosted by some mysterious being in the woods, they'd make good time back to Arwyl's camp.

"I hope we're not leading more trouble back to camp," Riley grumbled to Arwyl. Hopefully Baba didn't eat elves.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

The curiosity was quick to fade. They were returning to Kaius. In such a calm wagon ride he had to face up to the possibilities. There was a chance that Kaius was already dead. There was a chance that he would be alive but that this strange strange healer they had found would not be able to help him.

Arwyl didn't want to think about how that would change the course of his life. Kaius might have expressed dissapointment at the path he had trodden so far, but it would have been much worse without him. He probably would have died with a bottle of wine in his hand in a tavern brawl. Alone.

"No choice," he replied firmly. "Careful now, we should see out picket scouts soon. They're being careful because...well we were attacked."

 

[Riley]

"Ah," said Baba and clucked her tongue a few times. "Yes-yes. In the trees they be. Baba means no harm," her old voice called out followed by a low chuckle.

Riley wasn't really a touch-feely sort of person. But she recognized that look on Arwyl's face. Felt that same worry in her gut. For slightly different reasons about Kaius but she still cared about the 'grumpy old bastard.'

Her hand came up and her fingers squeezed gently on the prince's shoulder. A silent touch and a leveled look. She'd make this work with this healer no matter what. No matter the cost. She was with Arwyl. She couldn't afford to lose Kaius. She couldn't afford to...think about that right now.

"Coming through," she raised her voice, knowing she wouldn't have to raise it that much for the elves to hear it. "We're with Arwyl. We have a healer for Kaius." For a tense moment there was nothing.

Then a chorus of whistles sounded in the trees as they passed, echoing further down the road.

 

[Kaius]

Kaius was not dead. Not yet; but he was not far off. He slept, mostly, and every hour that passed had dragged him deeper into a void that he was now so lost in that Riznak's gentle shakes and persistent requests that he drink went completely unnoticed.

He lay on a bed of pelts, cradled in the twisted roots of an old oak, but no matter how hard he'd tried, whatever poison had infected his blood had rendered his magic useless, and the tree offered him nothing but a place to rest.

His usual olive skin was deathly pale and dusted with cold sweat. Dark rings encircled his closed eyes, and underneath the bundles of furs, the arrow wound in his side festered and dark veins of poison spread outward from it, slowly creeping toward his heart.

Riz hadn't left his side, but when he heard the whistles he stood and rushed toward the approaching wagon.. "He ent wakin' up." he said to Arwyl, unable to hide the hopeless panic in his tone. The Orc's eyes drifted to Riley, and to the woman who accompanied them, and back to Arwyl in mute question.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"Well he looks like shit, don't he?"

A silence followed the old cronies announcement. Very slowly, Arwyl turned to face her. The closest thing he had left to a father was a hair's breadth from death and she made that remark.

"Probably best I get to work then eh?" she added, as if that could break them moment.

Arwyl could only watch as she shuffled up next to Kaius. She gripped his chin and his cheeks, giving a squeeze as she turned his head from side to side.

"He's a tough one," the crone said as she forced his mouth open and looked at his tongue. "Any poisoned arrows left around?"

 

[Riley]

Riz was there before Riley could even move.

"This the 'un we dug outta him." Baba snatched it faster than any elf could move and examined it. She gave a sharp sniff, then put the smallest amount on her tongue before spitting it out on the ground next to Kaius' head.

"Girl," she addressed Riley. "Bring me my herbs from the cart. I think we've got a chance but it'll be a tough road to recovery." Grateful for the distraction, Riley ran back to the cart, which wasn't far, and brought down an old smelling sack, handing it to the healer. With a crooked-toothed grin she began mixing different herbs and powders until it smelled fowler than a rotting dragon's egg. Mixing some water, she made a paste and applied it carefully to the wound.

Then she dipped out a spoonful. "He'll need to swallow a mouthful until it's gone every hour."

 

[Kaius]

Kaius didn't wake as the woman examined him, but his brow furrowed and he let out a rasped groan in irritation. His body was shaking with fever, cold chills ran through him and yet his body radiated scalding heat, and so when his blanket was removed another groan forced its way passed his lips in protest and he muttered deliriously.

His muscles were drawn taught and shuddering as the crone touched the wound, a wheezed breath drawn in as deeply as he could. His jaw clenched tightly, but the growl still managed to escape, and if he had the strength to swing a punch at the woman he would have. His eyes snapped open, dark and heavy, short sharp wheezes hissing through his teeth as he glared at her in pain and confusion. He had no strength to move, and so his gaze searched for Riz before settling instead on Arwyl, and then Riley and he eased, despite it all, as though he'd been waiting on them both to return to slip away.

"What.. took you so long?" took him a moment to force out the words, but a ghost of a smile wavered on his lips and his eyes closed again with a sigh.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"See...told you we'd get help. We only went and found a healer before you died. Which was hard...on account of you being so old and frail..."

Arwyl tried to joke, but his voice quivered as he spoke. At no point in his life had he been this worried about Kaius. At no point had he faced up to the chance of losing him so completely.

There was danger in every fight, but it was normally done and over quickly. No like this slow acting poison.

Kaius might not have had strength to move, but Arwyl kept a light hand on his shoulder. He was ready to hold him down just in case he found a new surge of strength as the pain kicked in.

"Do we feed him some now?"

 

[Riley]

"Yesyes," Baba clucked her tongue once more and shoved the spoon into Riley's hand and gave the girl's arm a pinch. Riley bit back an 'ow' and cast a disgruntled glare at the strange healer. Kneeling on the opposite side of Kaius, across from Arwyl, she gave the prince a short, quiet nod. To make sure he held him down if he protested.

Her fingers lifted to brush some of Kaius' hair away from his face. And though her touch wanted to linger, she didn't. Too many goddamned eyes.

But her hand did maneuver to the back of Kaius' head and she lifted it up slightly and brought the spoon to the man's lips. She knelt down and half-whispered to the elf. "This probably tastes like horse-shit but it'll make you better. Drink up Kai...us." Her grip on the spoon tightened so they wouldn't see her fingers tremble as she pushed that spoon of medicine into his mouth.

 

[Kaius]

"Mh.." Kaius managed to roll his eyes at Arwyl, but he could hear the fear in his voice and his brow furrowed slightly as he croaked a quiet 'Thanks, lad.' in response with a deep sigh. His heart and mind may not have been ready for death, but his body was, and it was winning that fight. He couldn't hide his acceptance as the prince's hand found his shoulder, and he forced a tired smile.

His attention moved toward Riley and the brave face he'd worn faltered, his gaze on her glassy with apology and so his throat cleared. He'd been about to protest to whatever it was they were about to spoon-feed him. He didn't expect it to work, but he'd take it if only to let them feel that they'd done all they could. They had, but his body was done, and there would be no surge of energy, no protest despite how ghastly it tasted. He coughed, and grimaced, and groaned at the pain, and it took him a while to catch his breath.

Sleep took him, his fever burned and his body battled. He'd take the medicine and cough each time, and sleep some more, and only time would tell.