Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity

[Chezak D'Maroe]

Chezak perched over Amm, dipping his head to hear her whispered words for a healer. He nodded to himself, then held out the bandages to Arusa.

"Hold these," he said, expecting to be obeyed. He felt Arusa grip the bandages, and, without looking up at her, he said for both of their benefits, "It's at least an hour to town and any healer. We have to stem the blood flow and get her back to Dalouxiu. We'll have to move fast," his eyes flickered over to Arusa's two bags, then up to Arusa's eyes, "so you'll either have to leave those here, or stay here with them yourself."

Chez took another moment to study the Tera again, then slowly poured water onto a cloth, then along the long wound on her back and down the hip wound. He then dabbed the wet cloth along the wounds, cleaning blood and any dirt that might cause infections from the wounds, fending off Amm's weak attempts to stop him.

After several moments, he dropped the used cloth to the side and reached out for another cloth from Arusa. She placed it in his hand, and he dried the water, then pressed the cloth to the Tera's back to stop the blood flow. Chez looked at Arusa and nodded his head to the wound on Amm's hip.

"She needs pressure on the wound to stop the blood flow. Come over here and take this, hold it tight to the cut. Don't worry about hurting her; the pressure needs to be enough to stop the blood flow."

When Arusa took his place, he grabbed another cloth and held it tightly against the Tera's hip. After a few long minutes, he pulled his back, noting the bleeding had slowed considerably. He indicated for Arusa to lift hers, and was satisfied with what he saw. Taking the salve, he rubbed it in to the wounds, ignoring the Tera's weak movements and sounds as she hissed in pain. He knew it stung, but it helped to clean the wounds and would help quicken healing.

Finally, Chez placed two clean cloths over each wound, then wrapped them with a long bandage to hold them in place, lifting Amm gently to pass the wrap beneath her to a silent and cooperating Arusa. Once finished, he stood and gazed down at the pale Tera lying on the ground in the brightening daylight.

"We need to get moving," he murmured. Glancing at Arusa, he offered a consoling smile, a gentle up-curving of one corner of his mouth. "Are you coming?"

[Arusa]

At first the news that they had to leave camp passed right by Arusa. She watched Chez patch the girl up, offering what little assistance she could, and worried about little things like how uncomfortable it was to follow orders and how she hoped she wouldn't get any blood stains on her clothing.

She certainly didn't care about hurting the injured Tera when she was told to take Chezak's place, putting pressure on the wound. It was the girl's own fault, Arusa had to assume, though she had no idea how the injury had been caused. The girl had shifted, and usually they only did that when they were up to no good. And now look where I am, on my knees, trying to stop this stupid thing for bleeding to death, taking orders from an old man...

She moved as Chez shooed her aside so he could finish bandaging the girl up, and once they were done, he stood to face Arusa. "We need to get moving." Gods, I should slap that smug look off his face, she thought to herself as he smiled at her. Instead, she took a step back.

But when he asked her if she was to go with them, she realized suddenly that she had to choose between spending the day alone - waiting here without knowing what might be happening - or leaving her bags behind so she could follow the old man like she were his faithful old bitch. Of course, she knew she would have to leave... There was no way she could stay out here alone.

Besides, once we reach town I can find myself some proper transport. The girl can travel west with me, while Chez is left to choose whether to stay or to follow.

With a smile at that last thought, Arusa continued her little game of playing nurse. "Of course I'm coming. We can't have this poor thing die on us now, can we? But... how do you plan on moving her?"

[Amm]

Amm's mind draped itself into a dozey half consciousness of blame, shame and regret. Her struggles slowed, and almost ceased entirely.

Their hasty, makeshift choice to travel and make quick progression was hampered by the eerie-quiet approach of a man who held a falcon on one hand and an arrow in the other. His features were shadowed by the slowly dawning light, and he moved with the certain grace of a life long hunter. Everything about him was neutral, from his coloring to the way he walked towards them. His ears -- and half his face -- was obscured by an unruly mop of curling and fluffy hair.

"Ho there!" He called, a pompous accent shading his words. "I don't suppose you would know the owner of -- oh, my my my." He had proffered the arrow as he arrived, and stopped short as he caught sight of the injured Amm. "Attacked by that beastly creature, were you? Nasty place for't to happen. Strikes me as an ill omen for a traveler, wouldn't you say?"

[Chezak D'Maroe]

Chezak heard the quiet tread of the man's footsteps only a moment before he spoke. Chez turned easily, taking in the sight of the man, his eyes crossing over the arrow held in one fist and the falcon sitting easily on his arm.

With an inward sigh, Chezak stepped forward, putting himself between the man and the two women. He listened thoughtfully to the man's mention of being attacked, and he frowned slightly, before he realized the man had recognized what Amm was.

With a slight shake of his head at the man, he smiled and shrugged. "She is our friend. She took a fall down the creek a ways, just where it drops several feet." Chezak pointed in the general direction of the landmark he knew was there. He didn't want to lie to this fellow, a woodsman by the look of him, as he thought that this man would likely know the local area.

Instead, he turned, exposing his back to the man, and bent down to inspect Amm again. "She received two deep cuts, here and here," he said, pointing, then looking over his shoulder at the man. "She's lucky she didn't hit her head or break any bones. We're taking her back to the city to see a healer, as she's still pretty bad off."

He glanced back to Amm. "We should be going," he said again, loud enough for the man to hear.

[Arusa]

The arrival of a stranger, clearly a falconer, quite surprised Arusa. She had, in deciding to join Chezak in taking the stupid Tera back to the city, felt that her bags might be safe left here unattended for a few hours. It seemed unlikely that the clearing they had made camp in would see a whole lot of traffic, but already someone had approached them.

And those bird-trainers are always a little weird, the dancer thought with a frown, hands coming to rest on her hips as she watched Chezak step up to the man, spouting some nonsense about a fall. While she wasn't sure how the Tera had been injured, Arusa doubted the younger girl would be that careless. She seemed aware, balanced, with strong instincts, if nothing else.

Arusa glanced at the Tera, who was apparently still in a lot of pain. Don't shifters have some magical way of healing themselves? Useless thing.

"We should be going," Chezak was insisting.

Arusa resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but took a step towards the two men. It was hard to tell whether the falconer was human or elf, but his demeanor seemed to indicate the former. If not one of those wretched half-elves.

"Yes, we should... but you still haven't explained to me how we're supposed to get her all the way into town. It's not as though we can make her walk, and I can't imagine you being able to carry her all that way, hm?"

She turned her frown on the falconer, after glancing at the arrow still in his hand. "If you keep waving that thing at people, particularly those you're not acquainted with, they may get offended. Now, we haven't come across any beastly creatures and, as you can see, we need to get our friend to a healer immediately. Unless you're here to help, we'll need you to stand aside."

She gave the stranger a friendly, apologetic, blatantly fake smile, before glaring impatiently at Chezak.

[Amm]

The man was without any sort of use for the arrow and dropped it without a word at Arusa's acidic tone. He watched them quietly for a moment, not exactly responding to the words that had been spoken or that remained unspoken.

He said, quite casually, "I had thought perhaps a wanderer had tangled with the -- ah. It is possible there are more of the elven kin about, ready to kill."

The falcon seemed to be the most offended of all present, glaring about with steely eyes unafraid of displaying emotion. The man glanced at his bird. "I had only gone out for a short hunting trip. Should you need assistance with your burdens I would be happy to oblige. Travelers far from home should assist each other."

[Chezak D'Maroe]

Chezak glanced sidelong at the man, trying to read him, trying to get a feel for his intentions. He finally put it aside as a bad job, then glanced down at Amm, lying still at his feet. An idea formed.

He turned and went to his pack, getting some sturdy bits of material and cutting them into long strips. He tied the strips together, testing their strength by pulling hard on them. He made two, oblivious to the other two people in the clearing watching him. Despite the situation, his movements were not panicked, and he moved with a smooth economy of motion.

Once he had two straps make, he tied a third piece of fabric between them, then slipped the whole thing over his shoulders and back, almost like a backpack. He tested the feel, pulling and tugging on the strips to make sure they were sturdy, adjusting the strap in the back a little lower. He turned to Arusa.

"Can you lift her? She's lighter than you'd think. I need you to slip her legs through these loops," he said, tugging the sides of the backpack-like contraption. "Make sure she's sitting on this strap, then I'll get you to tie another strap over her back to keep her on."

He held up the fourth strip of material. "We need to hurry."

[Arusa]

Although she was tempted to refuse Chezak's request, Arusa sighed and stretched her arms as she wondered how she would lift the girl and position her as Chezak had described. She cursed under her breath, turning to the falconer.

"Can you lift her for me while I do the tying? With the straps, I mean," she asked, taking the strip of material from Chezak.

The stranger moved to do so without question, slowly but easily lifting the Tera from the ground and holding her still while Arusa arranged the girl's legs and attempted to tie the strap to keep her in place. Instead, after a moment, the falconer moved Arusa aside and tied the strap himself, (rightfully, though she wouldn't admit it) thinking that she was not doing it well enough.

"There you are, miss." As he stepped back, Arusa noticed his bird - which had removed itself from its owner's arm when the man had moved to lift the Tera - was no longer in sight. She hadn't even seen it leave, which made her feel a little uncomfortable. Those birds could be dangerous if not properly trained, though Arusa doubted any bird could be trained so well that there was no chance of it springing out of the trees and attacking people with its big, sharp talons.

"Arusa Lyrre," she muttered impatiently, as though she expected the stranger to know who she was already. Then she looked to Chez, "Is that good enough? Do we need to take anything?"

[Amm]

"I could help carry, if you need. You seem to have a great deal of luggage." The man said, looking about the campsite with that congenially blank expression. "She your daughter, then?" A touch of throwaway curiosity -- the girl didn't look a full breed anything, after all.

[Chezak D'Maroe]

Chezak stood still, bearing the weight of the child with relative ease once she was firmly settled. Her arms draped loosely over his shoulders, her breath fluttered lightly against the back of his neck. She groaned once or twice as the pressure and movement caused her wounds to flare with pain.

Shifting himself slightly, he got her weight settled comfortably on his back, easing the tension of the straps over his shoulders. He glanced over his shoulder as Arusa and the man chatted in nearly amiable voices, mildly annoyed.

"We have to get her to a healer's as quickly as possible, meaning we must leave immediately. She is not our daughter, but a friend, and I mean to see that she is safe and healed. If you wish to come along, that is your choice," Chezak said, in a harder voice than he had yet used in either of his current companions' hearing. Turning to Arusa, he said, "The choice to come with me is yours. You're welcome to stay with our new friend here, if you like."

The sarcasm on the word 'friend' was subtle, and at the end of the sentence, Chezak began walking towards the road. By a dozen paces, he had settled into a long, smooth stride that would eat the ground quickly, and keep the Tera relatively still.

[Arusa]

Arusa clasped her hands together cheerfully at the man's offer to help carry her bags. "That would be wonderful! I was worried I'd have to leave everything here, to be taken by thieves and animals. I don't suppose we can take it all, but..."

She fell to her knees in front of one of her bags, checking the contents quickly before deciding she had to take it. She was about to stand and announce her choice, but the stranger spoke first.

"What?" Did he just ask if that thing was my daughter? Mine?! How old do I look?! Before she could express any of her angered thoughts, however, Chezak jumped in to explain that the girl was, indeed, just a friend. "Our" daughter? Oh, please... The idea that I would have anything to do with someone like that.

But Arusa couldn't help feeling wonderful, as she caught the elf's irritation near the end of his words. He was obviously jealous, in her opinion. And she didn't have to leave all her belongings behind, either! I'm beginning to feel rather fond of our newest arrival, simply for the good luck he brings.

She pointed at the bag she wanted the man to take, giving him a kind smile and deciding to take Chezak's pack with her. It had looked to contain a lot of useful things, earlier, so it might easily prove helpful if they ran into any more trouble. Regardless, it was smaller than her bags, much easier to carry, and he might even be grateful for the effort she was putting into helping him out. Assuming he even knows how to be grateful...

After she had it sitting comfortably on her shoulder, Arusa ran to catch up with Chez and the Tera, settling into a steady but hurried pace behind them.

[Amm]

The man played an odd game of falcon-and-baggage-shuffle, seemingly not bothered when Chezak and Arusa started off without him. He was affable in his silence, and unruffled by the nearly tacit insults Chezak leveled at him. Eventually he set off after them, and walked at a steady pace until he had caught up with Arusa. They'd walked not overly long when he caught back up to the woman.

He was a night hunter; he had rested during the day. They were weary, and it showed. They kept on somehow, grudgingly, perhaps not entirely quietly. Eventually the man took Chezak's pack from Arusa, though it forced the bird to ride on the luggage itself. Its talons caused holes and small tears, but no one made a comment. Perhaps they had not seen.

They made the city a short time after the sun peeked up over the horizon, and the effects of no sleep were showing to varying degrees on the other two. The hunter did not comment. He was weary too, after all, having carried enough weight in packs to tire any healthy man. He looked to Chezak quietly for direction, his face pleasantly blank though a sight more droopy and sweaty than it had been.

[Chezak D'Maroe]

Chezak's rest the evening before had been enough to refresh him, and the extra weight of the Tera wasn't much more than what his pack would normally weigh. He felt mildly weary when they reached the city, but was otherwise fine.

He glanced over his shoulder, seeing the stranger still with them, carrying Arusa's bags. With an inward sigh, he glanced over at the dancer, noticing she was looking a little worse for wear. He gave her a small, encouraging smile, before hitching Amm up on his back, settling her gently into a more comfortable position.

The Tera had moaned lightly as he had walked, the gentle, smooth sway of his fast pace had bounced her around very little, but had still bothered her. She hadn't seemed to wake up, or at least hadn't said anything he understood if she had.

Once the Tera was settled, Chez set out again. He remembered seeing a small healer's shop close to the main entrance to the city, and followed a few streets, turning first left, then right, then left again. Pausing, he looked up at the sign, noting the picture of a person lying on a bed, and the name "M. Madel, Magical Healer". Without a look back at his companions, he pushed the door open.

As Chez crossed the threshold, a tingle ran across his skin, and a light chime rang somewhere deeper in the small building. He continued in, walking directly to the long desk and chair at the opposite end of the room, behind which was a single door. Several chairs were lined against the northern wall, obviously for patients to sit and wait on, and there were four doors on the southern wall across from the chairs. A brief look showed beds in each of the rooms, along with two large cabinets, a high desk, basin, and various other supplies.

A voice that emanated from the air in front of him, seemingly sourceless, said, "My my. Late patients ... or maybe early. Please wait. I shall be right there."

Chezak did as told, the shifting from left to right foot the only outward sign of his impatience. After several long moments, a small figure in a grey robe shuffled from the door behind the desk, rubbing it's face with it's hands. The man, for it was a man when his face was revealed, blinked up at the group. He was rail thin, short, and obviously human. His hair was mostly gone but for a fringe around the top, and what was left was nearly indistinguishable from his robe in color. He blinked again, then settled down in the chair, pulling a large notepad from a drawer, then ink and pen from another.

"Well, what seems to be the trouble, friends?" he asked wearily.

Chezak explained, using the same story he had given the woodsman, giving the man all the information he required. This took only a few minutes, and when he was satisfied, the man stood with a grunt. He smiled at Chez and pointed to the first door, leading the way. "My name is Maurice Madel. Come with me. We'll get her off your back and see what I can do. The rest, please wait here."

In a moment, Amm was off Chez's back and lying on the bed in the room. Maurice looked down at her, studying Chez's bandage job, nodding with approval. He opened his mouth to say something, then narrowed his eyes and looked harder at Amm's features.

Maurice's eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly, before he managed, "Is ... is she a ... an Aniz Tera?!"

[Arusa]

As soon as they entered the healer's shop, Arusa collapsed onto the nearest chair with a heavy sigh. "Oh, gods... That was horrible..."

At first the journey back to the city hadn't been so bad, particularly with someone to brag to, who didn't even seem to mind all the extra weight he had to carry. But now Arusa was exhausted to the point where it made her feel ill, and her feet were aching from walking on the stony road without proper shoes for the task. That Tera had better be seriously injured, or else I will personally give her reason to seek a healer.

As the sound of whispered conversation drifted over her, Arusa opened her eyes. She hadn't even realized she'd closed them and wondered briefly if she'd fallen asleep, though it was clear that very little time had passed. She groaned, sighed, and sat herself up straight, glancing across at the room where Chezak and the healer had just taken the injured Tera girl.

The hunter had only come in long enough to leave the bags before going back out into the street. Probably missing his bird, creepy falconers... she decided, turning to the shelf of healing products nearby and wondering if they had anything for sore feet. Most likely nothing that works...

"... Aniz ..."

The whispered word caught Arusa's attention, and she stood from her chair. Why are they... In a few steps, she was across the room, leaning with her hand against the frame of the door, which led to where the healer and the elf had been speaking quietly to each other. Unsurprisingly, the men went silent as she approached.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, just as the falconer re-entered the building and came to stand beside her.

[Amm]

The man who had traveled with them stood at Arusa's shoulder, having secured his falcon in a small cage just inside the healer's door. The healer had not been approving of the beast left to sit on a stranger's shoulder inside his orderly clinic, and the falconer had acquiesed to the pointed look without question.

He watched Chezak intently, wiping his brow with a small cloth pulled from his clothing. He had not heard the girl called 'aniz,' though she was an unusual looking child.

Amm stirred on the table and whimpered. Tera did not typically make noises, even when hurt, but the oddity of the situation had stressed her body beyond the injury. Most Tera did not go so long without care, and her body was not used to being in an injured state so long, and through a jouncing walk. Her unconsciousness was a defensive reaction, a way for her body to begin its slow processes. Her skin was pale, and her hair lay limp about her.