Impresk - Alturiak, 1377

Therogeon's brief tirade had done nothing to concern Nakgha. Not anymore than she already was at least... He was right. They hadn't been ready for this fight! They had none of the information they had hoped to have on the mage before they would attempt to replace him. She still had no clue how any of this had happened! How did Therogeon know they were out here? Pharlan had been here for months with no one being the wiser, but as soon as the two others come into town and try to take Asha...

Was he somehow made aware of an attack upon his friend? Hmm... If she made it out of this, she was sure this would be information her employers would be interested in hearing!

The dark assassin had heard Therogeon whisper a spell, and while it sounded familiar she couldn't quite make out what it was. When the command word came, she had no idea what exactly was coming, but she launched herself high in the air in a spin, to avoid whatever was about to come shooting out of the mage's finger!

Unfortunately for her, it didn't matter... Three orbs of force followed her progress into the air, shortly before blasting into her chest, sending her flying at an unnatural angle where she eventually landed in a heap.

Stunned and in immense pain, Nakgha called a globe of darkness over herself, praying to the dark deities that it would hide her from the mage just long enough to get back onto her feet.

The master of Salk-Simma leaned just far enough from the deadly blades and then leapt forward closing the distance with his opponent. His powerful arms windmilled, slapping the katar's out wider then the assassin planned.

Lightning fast his foot shot out and slammed the girl in the newly exposed ribs, and a left fist smashed into her jaw knocking her to the ground.

The battle had moved them some distance from the fallen Ashara. On a hunch he looked over toward her and using their gift Whispered, "Are you all right?" The Ashara on the ground did not acknowledge him. His suspicions were confirmed. That was NOT his Ashara. Just as he was about to confront her, he heard Marstine move in for another attack.

Elric was shocked. Those were blows he'd used to drop full grown men. How did this young girl recover so fast?! There was more to her than met the eye. With blinding speed he parried away the daggers as they lunged for his heart.

Well... he wanted a challenge, he got a challenge. The pain in his arms was making it clear exactly what his situation was. He was parrying edged weapons with naught but his forearms, where as she was parrying his counter punches with the blades of her weapons. He was able to give with the attacks to keep the damage to a minimum, but thin rivulets of blood were still running down his arms.

She was good....

But deep inside he also knew, he was better!

The assassin was concerned when she saw Elric turn towards her as if he was expecting something. What was she missing here? Drykkal had his hands full with the half elf, but he was far from being spent of his own tricks!

Just then she heard someone approaching from the northeast. Multiple someones... Her companion would have to be on his own for the time being!

With Elric's attention turned back to the brutal battle with the weapon master, Phaldran silently stalked off toward the sound. They must be following the brilliant light that was tied at her throat... As she moved toward the three forms walking toward the scuffle, snapped the medallion off of its chain and held it up in her hand.

"Can you help us!?" Pharlan called out to their leader who was still some distance outside of the bright light of the holy symbol. She hid the medallion for a split second and her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Almara... With two young magelings it seemed! This was turning out to be less than a fair fight. This wasn't even supposed to be a fight!

"Elric is badly wounded and I don't know what's happened to Therogeon!"

The lie was a bad one and she knew it. Elric and Drykkal were out of her infravision range, but he still had the glow from his holy symbol peeking through his shirt. They'd all be able to see that light...

It was a bad lie, but hopefully enough of a distraction. The false Ashara whipped the disc-like medallion at Almara's head, which struck her hard in the forehead doing little damage, but most importantly, temporarily blinding her infravision.

Phadran had to move quickly now. Blending effortlessly into the shadows, she flanked them, coming up behind the young mage nearest her. A slightly shaking, mousy-looking male with a weak chin. He was pointing a wand at the place where she had just been standing, and with a word of command, prematurely released a Cone of Cold in the wrong area.

His death was instantaneous and silent as the devilishly sharp blade sunk into his back through his rib cage to pierce his heart. Phaldran considered shifting to this man's form, but she had no time to change clothes and a man in a scarlet dress wouldn't be much of a disguise... Instead she picked up the Wand of Frost he had been holding, and turned it on the other two mages.

The mage smiled without humor. A globe of darkness at night. He hurt the creature and now it was hoping to hide and attack from the shadows or flee. No, this one was not going to last much longer. However it ran or struck, it's life ended tonight. Presenting Tru'Maris infront of him he activated one of it's more powerfull abilities. In a wave extending outward from him all magic suddenly ceased to be. This was his more powerfull dispel, enhanced by his magic to work at it's extreme zenith and saved within the staff. The staff would not be able to do another one of these for quite some time, but for now it had accomplished what was needed.

He stared grimly at the suddenly exposed shapeshifter. Gesturing with the staff he exerted another of it's powers, one of paralysis to a foe. He watched as the figure wearing Kendra's shape was held firm, unable to move. Slowly he approached the bound figure. His voice, when he spoke, was like the burning of a thousand forges, "Now...you will pay the price for attacking -my- family...."

He stood directly infront of the creature, and though his True Sight spell had long since faded, he held no doubts to his quarry's identity. He raised one hand to the thing infront of him and pointing a finger directly between it's eyes, whispered, "arwen ridhe"

The lightening bolt raced off into the night with a tremendous clap of thunder.

Someone was coming....was it...Ashara? the fake one she was sure...she thinks she was sure....hell with shapeshifters you can never tell.

"Can you help us? Elric is badly wounded and I don't know what happened to Therogeon!"

The fake Ashara then, the real one would have been able to heal her wounded husband and Almara was just about to call her on that the phony priestess suddenly swung the medallion at her head. She was able to duck back quickly to avoid more than a glancing blow but Mystra curse all shapeshifters, the light had temporily blinded her. She knew the assassin was moving and she swung the staff more as a way of keeping her back than of actually hitting her.

Which is when she heard Dhala scream and a blast of cold shoot by her. A soft thump in the grass next to her caused a fear like she never knew existed to rise within her. As soon as her vision cleared her fears where confirmed. The assassin wearing Ashara's form was standing over one of her students. Dhala was screaming and crying and though Almara felt like crying herself, she steeled her emotions and faced her foe.

"You will die for that false one." Her voice stated in much more confident tones than what she felt at the moment.

The priestess had just managed to pull the dagger from her hand, when with a ear-splitting CRACK a bolt of lightning shot through the air! In the second of light it emitted, she saw the blackened form of a woman slump to the ground and expire.

"Are you all right?"

Elric's whisper came as a pleasant surprise, and a flood of relief washed over her. He at least sounded safe.

"I'm...alive, Aratoamin. Therogeon just destroyed whoever it was that took me. There is still at least one more. Looks like me... Are you safe?"

Ashara finished her Whisper in reply and managed to pull herself up onto an elbow and sit upright. She was covered in blood from neck to waist from when her throat had been cut, and her shoulder slumped awkwardly as the attached arm hung limp. Blood flowed freely from right hand, but she had no use of her fingers to do anything to stem the flow. She was hurting, but not dead. She'd definitely been through worse, but she was terrified that it wasn't over yet...

"It is the duty of the aged to protect the young." said the druid, mostly to himself. But even he knew that what he was doing was risky.

Eddick fell through the air at incredible speed. Shapechanging hundreds of feet up in the air out of the last form he had that day that possessed useful wings is not even a lesson that he had to teach young druids.

When he decided to arrive a bit early for his monthly rendezvous, he was hoping to spend a bit of time at Stonehenge, meditating and enjoying nature's wonder. Instead, there was a fight beneath him, a one sided fight it seemed, and time was of the essence. He had to get in range for any spell before anyone died, although as he got closer he realized that might already be the case.

With a word and a phrase, directly below him appeared a gigantic haystack, completely covering all of the combatants below in and effectively cushioning his fall. He landed about the same time that a muffled word was spoken and a blast of cold air filtered through the stack. Recognizing the effect, Eddick breathed a sigh of relief that it was not a wand of fire and tumbled free of the giant ball of hay.

Marstine stood confidently before the warrior with a slight smile playing at her lips. Slowly she moved the right weapon in front of her face to display Elric's own blood slowly running down the edges. She used the unnecessary taunting to buy herself a moment to force open a pathway to his surface thoughts.

He was amazingly focused, and Drykkal had to do something about that if he intended on winning this battle. Never in his life had he seen anyone parry his blades with their body and not lose a limb, and those blows the half-elf had landed felt like they could have shattered rock. Drykkal was outmatched toe to toe, and he wasn't prideful enough to pretend otherwise, but the blade master wasn't out yet! Elric was focused yes, but enraged at Marstine! The girl he trusted with his family! Perhaps it was as simple as shifting...

Using Elric's mind against him, Drykkal charged again, katars stretched out in front to form a lance. Elric knew the girl wasn't going for a frontal assault this time, and she obliged him, leaping in a spin over the man's head, and taking that opportunity to shift forms. She would accept any punishment that he chose to deal for this one last chance to catch him unawares.

Ashara landed softly on her feet, and spun around, punching furiously with the daggers.

The wizard watched the blackened doppleganger fall to the ground and he closed his eyes. In elvish he whispered, "and Mystra preserve us all."

Suddenly he turned to Ashara. His heart lifted to see her up on one elbow but still her hurried over to her. He knew that both she and Elric had Whispered to each other just now and he was gladdened that his friend was alive, but with two shapeshifters still out there the danger was probably still very high.

"Rest easy aisler', I have you." So saying the mage quickly and as gently as he could, ripped some cloth from his clothes and bound the wound on Ashara's hand. "I have no healing magic to give, but I can get you closer to the temple and to Elric. I had Almara send runners to the temple and Elric's school. Help will be coming shortly. For now, all I can do is carry you as I have no teleports left."

So saying the lithe elven mage cast a spell that was normally used to aid him in carrying books. This time, the increase in strength would help him carry something far more valuable.

With a smug smile, Pharlan released the chilling power of the wand, only to suddenly find herself swallowed in straw!

She wanted to scream in rage! What kind of insanity was going on now?! This was just too much. Too many unknown variables, too many players now seeking her death. Best to retreat to a safer distance and pick them off one by one.

Hacking her way through the hay with venomous dagger leading, the assassin cleared the obstruction and melded with the shadows, fleeing to the south. They were not far from the home of Mikel the potter. She was quite sure he would be caught unawares by the impending attack, and it seemed that a new form was needed immediately...

With a sudden start Almara realized that the thing infront of them was holding Tarpin's wand of frost. She was just about to scream a warning and jump to the side when the world was suddenly covered in......straw? Thankfully the new straw insulated against most of the sudden shock of cold she knew was coming, still it hurt. A soft fwump in the straw next to them announced the presence of someone or something else arriving.

A sound like furious slashing came from infront of her where the assassin was. Slowly, and painfully thanks to slightly numbed limbs, Almara attempted to push through the straw in pursuit. "Dhala, stay here and take care of Tarpin...who ever just appeared...thanks for the save but please don't do -anything- else."

Hopefully she would be out of this stuff before the assassin got too far away.

Eddick spotted the one who broke free of the straw and headed for the south. He smelled blood on this one. This was the thief who broke in and took someone's life. In an instant he knew the situation. This one had killed, for sport or money, it made no difference. It did not kill for food or out of defense, so it was unnatural. But he also knew beyond the crime. The very existence of this creature was wrong. There must be an example made.

With no remorse he pulled an acorn out of his pocket. Eddick had only successfully cast this spell once before. The murderer he had done it to begged for death for three weeks until he went mad and gnawed off his own tongue. He would have to kill the assassin before morning as to not give the fair children of this town nightmares for the rest of their lives.Those who would upset the natural order need to understand that they were guests in this world. Guests that would be evicted if their behavior was uncouth.

He licked a finger and stuck it in the air to judge the wind before he let it fly. The acorn floated lazily through the air and Eddick chuckled as just before hit hit, he saw the fleeing figure seem to relax, believing itself to have escaped. The acorn hit the assassin in the small of the back and immediately roots sprang from the seed driving through the spinal column, causing the nerves telling the legs how to run to completely fail. It was the last step she ever took.

The roots continued to grow throughout her flesh and into the ground, simultaneously robbing her of her strength and mobility and crushing her with the enormous weight of the rapidly growing tree. In a matter of seconds, she had a thirty foot high oak tree growing right through her, the roots completely immobilizing her with the physical tying of her tissues to the ground, but also though the enormous pain of the life of the tree, like a cancer in her system. It was bigger than her, much more powerful than her, paralyzing her, and causing immense pain like very few have ever experienced. She was even robbed of the ability to scream.

But there she was, fully alive as the druid nonchalantly walked up to her as she was completely rigid with shock and pain. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "You should have had more fear for those who kill gods."

She made it through the straw just in time to see the tree grow straight through the fake Ashara. Taking a couple slow flatering steps she approached the scene. She had no idea what was happening. Someone or something that looked like Eddick, one of Therogeon's friends, was whispering to the tree lady thing.

Still, Therogeon had said to not trust anyone until their identity had been confirmed. Almost reluctantly she pointed the staff at what was possibly her love's friend and possibly something far far worse and said in a voice full of confidence she didn't feel, "Stand still. I hope you are who you appear to be but until that fact can be proven -do- -not- -move-!"

She sent her thoughts to Therogeon then, "Love....I don't know what happened...one of them got the drop on us and someone appearing like Eddick is here. Tarpin....oh Mystra....I'm sorry love, Tarpin's dead."

Elric smiled as he heard his wife's Whisper. She was alive. Therogeon was with her. That's all he needed to hear. Quietly he replied, "Not really... but I can take Marstine... or whatever she is! Sounds like Almara has the other you. See you soon."

The warrior ducked and rolled as Marstine leaped over his head. Ready to end this he formed his hand into a Crushing Blow. The last time he had practiced with this move he had put his hand through over eight inches of wood. Once he was able to go through four inches of solid stone without a scratch. With a cry he launched it straight at Ashara's chest!

Drykkal's ploy had the desired effect. A blow that was certainly a killing shot stopped short as the martial artist reeled in surprise. He hadn't surprised him enough to land his own death blow, but he felt a wave of satisfaction as his blade slid into the half-elves left shoulder.

Crying in pain, Elric leapt backward. A sickening sound filled the air as the jagged edges of the Katar slid out of his body. He was hurt now... The blood was flowing freely from the double slashes. He had to finish this quickly or else he wouldn't finish it at all.

Seeing Ashara standing in front of him with a bloody knife and a sickening smirk, brought back too many nightmares. Nightmares he hadn't had for years now. Suddenly he began to doubt his ability to fight her...

Drykkal was in no hurry to press the attack. The longer he bled out, the easier this was going to be. He knew by the look in the half-elves eyes that he'd chosen his form well. He started to circle the half-elf expectantly.

He really wanted to kill this thing, whatever it was, but he couldn't do it while it was wearing Ashara's face. Anger, fear, they were all drifting away. He knew they weren't Ashara. He knew now that they weren't even Marstine! Most important he knew Ashara was safe and in good hands. The rage that gotten him this far was receeding and all that was left was Adrenaline. Very soon even that would ebb and the wounds that he barely felt when fresh were going to start hurting and he would lose his strength.

In the daze Elric could hear his old master's voice. "You're honestly going to lay down and die because of something you SEE? Don't let your EYES get you killed!" He knew what he had to do.

Drykkal paused in his pacing as his opponent reached over to his torn shoulder and ripped off the torn sleeve. With grace and skill that showed his training he wrapped the blood soaked cloth of his eyes. In his preparation to replace this man he naturally heard that the fighter could fight blindfolded... or in darkness.... but to actually CHOOSE to?

He was even more concerned by the change that came over the fighter. He didn't seem as close to death as he had a moment ago. He seemed even more focused! He tried to use his ESP to gain some insight and was shocked at what he saw.

Three blades. Two Katar one boot dagger. Arms, legs, and a head attached as if to some kind of training dummy. Not Marstine... Not Ashara... Just a series of offensive threats and defensive targets. Not liking what he saw he changed his mind about waiting for the blood to do it's job. He attacked.

Elric could feel the wind whistle as the blades came at him. He knew exactly where his opponent was. Whatever illusion it was trying had ceased to have any hold on him. Regardless of what it looked like, it did not sound like Ashara. It did not smell like Ashara. At seven months pregnant... it certainly did not move like Ashara. Nor did it have any of the qualities of Marstine either. 'Seeing it this way, gave him more insight than he'd have imagined. It was something he'd never met before.

Focused on the enemy he spun to the right just as a blade came whirling in. With expert precision he swung his wounded left arm out and forced the blade and the arm holding itto an unusual angle. His right fist smashed into the same ribs that he'd cracked earlier. As the bones gave way he knew that THIS time he had broken something.

Drykkal screamed in pain. The half-elf may have found his focus, but focus only got you so far. The arm that had locked his own was the weak one. With some effort he was able to break the warriors grip and swung both blades in his favorite move. The double backhand slash! This half-breed had caused more than enough to deserve having his head separated from his shoulders.

Elric ducked fast as the blades skimmed the edge of his hair. As soon as the blades were past his arms shot up, grabbed both wrists and forcefully shoved them back. The sound of splintering bone was nothing compared to what he heard next.

The half-dragon's hand once again formed the Crushing Blow and drove straight into the sternum of the assassin. He heard the bone break, and actually felt his hand force the bone shards into a beating heart. The next thing he heard was two blades being dropped to the ground.

Tearing off the blindfold he saw a confused look on the face of his opponent. Fortunately it wasn't a face he recognized anymore. Part Ashara, part Marstine, Part of a couple of other strangers, the body in front of him shifted uncontrollably, finally the gray leathery body fell to the ground and remained still.

Exhausted Elric dropped next to it and looked around for the other Ashara.

The old druid turned to the speaker behind him and smiled. Therogeon had sure picked himself a winning creature. A little flighty perhaps, but if she saw anything of the spell he just cast, it should unnerve just about anyone. "If I were anyone else, I might be unnerved by you pointing that wand at me..." Eddick waved his hand slightly and a single flower sprouted at the end of the wand she was pointing at him as he continued speaking. "...but worry not, little bird. I will not harm your nest."

He turned directly west and took three steps away from the new tree, and sat down in a meditative pose. He was sure that he had already identified himself to anyone's satisfaction, but he decided to not press anyone. Tensions were already high enough. Some calming breaths would help. That and his heart was still racing from that drop a few minutes ago. He had to take care of that heart, it was the only one he was getting.

Ashara was about to object to Therogeon attempting to carry her in her state, but after a spell muttered under his breath, he easily lifted her into his arms.

She was relieved that the master mage had seen to it that both the temple and Elric's students had been alerted to the danger. Her fright was quickly replaced by anger. Anger at herself for trusting without question. Anger at her own weakness and inability to even WALK to see if her family was safe! She was still unclear about what happened out here. Who were these attackers, and how had they disguised themselves without Therogeon knowing about it?

The children... They were in a house full of powerful students, but were they all actual students!?

Panic struck at the very core of her, just as Elric's Whisper drifted to her ear.

"Not really... but I can take Marstine... or whatever she is! Sounds like Almara has the other you. See you soon."

So Marstine WAS involved in this! The thought of it still boggled her mind... If Elric or Almara were in trouble, they needed to get help a lot faster than it would take Therogeon to carry her there!

"Please, altatoror'," Ashara smiled slightly at Therogeon in spite of the situation, "Elric is fighting Marstine somewhere and he says he thinks Almara is fighting the one passing herself off as me! They may need help, and I'm too much of a burden for you to get to them in time to help! Take me over to that oak tree there," she pointed just ahead of them, "and I should be able to step through to get home! I have to know that the children are safe..."

Elric looked around at the carnage. It was dark except in one area by Almara and... some other apprentice he'd seen before. It was hard for him to remember all their names. Not many stayed at the tower too long. Therogeon was a demanding teacher when it came to who should be entrusted with world changing powers...

Dizzy he didn't see the other Ashara, but he did see a tree that looked similiar... The blood loss was getting bad, and the adrenaline was finished. It had been a long day, and he was really feeling tired.

"Ashara..." he whispered. From that distant sound of Thunder and the short time since she'd been taken... They shouldn't be too far away now. Looking at his bloody hand he hoped she was close by now... "Do hurry love... I think I may have underestimated Marsti....." And with that the warrior lost consciousness.

If this was a shapeshifter, it was a skilled one. It took a powerfull druid to make a flower grow on a magical item as powerfull as the staff of thunder and lightening. Quickly her thoughts went back out to Therogeon, "My love, it IS Eddick...I am sure of it."

Slowly she lowered the staff and approached the new tree. It was a sight that frightened her and intrigued her at the same time. To be so completely merged with a full grown tree...in less than a minute! Therogeon had always spoken of his friend's power, but now that she had seen it first hand, she truely believed it.

Just as Therogeon opened his mouth to respond to her question, a new...much weaker Whisper from her husband came to her.

"Ashara... Do hurry love... I think I may have underestimated Marsti....."

"Elric?? ELRIC!?!" The priestess screamed the Whispering, interrupting Therogeon's response, but got no answer from her wounded warrior.

Horrified by the silence, she forced her legs out of her friend's arms and stood, supported by her good arm around his shoulder.

"He's hurt! I have to get to him! Please, PLEASE tell me you have fire and holy water!? Therogeon, I think he's dying!"

Her right hand was useless in this state, and because of the dislocation, she couldn't move her left... By Lathander, she was NOT going to let this happen! Swallowing hard she let go of the mage's shoulders and stood, teetering a moment, but stabilizing herself on her poison-weakened legs.

Indicating her lifeless arm, she leveled a pleading gaze at her dearest friend. "Therogeon... I need to you to take my arm and pull it outward as hard as you can. Do it. Now!"

The old druid sat on the chilly night grass as Therogeon's student approached quietly. Since his heart had been calmed somewhat, he opened his eyes to be more accommodating to any inquiries she would have. As he looked at her, she had calmed considerably, of which he was glad. Also, her fake confidence was gone, replaced by a calm easy demeanor. It may be that she was connected to the others with some sort of spell that made them aware of the others. In fact, it would be silly not to assume that Therogeon at least was not connected with his students in some way. Eddick had thought talking to that man about his control issues several times, but it never was a good time. Perhaps if he came around more often than just for a day once a month, there would be more time for such things. Oh, and that was why he came early.

He raised his voice. "Ah, I do apologize, I seem to have forgotten your name. Do tell Therogeon that I send my regards, and wonder if I might be of any assistance. These old bones don't wish to move anymore today, and yours wouldn't either, I imagine, if they flew a hundred miles today."

Almara's first whisper had confirmed what his spell had told him. Eddick? What was the old druid doing here? Then he remembered what day it was and what was coming up. It was indeed possible his friend had come back early and found the conflict. Stranger things had happened, especially where the druid was concerned. Still, supporting Ashara as he was, he was unable to reach into his pocket to send back.

The familiar sensation of Whispering came again, this time somehow weaker and suddenly Ashara was screaming,

"Elric?? ELRIC!?!"

As soon as Ashara's feet hit the ground the mages hand was in his pocket, forcing the parent ring on his finger. Which is excately when her next sending came in.

"My love, it IS Eddick...I am sure of it"

He hadn't had time to clarify for her, and she had deduced it on her own. If time was not pressing he would be incredibly proud of her. Quickly he sent his thoughts, "Elric is hurt bad! Quickly my love, get Eddick to him!"

He had heard Ashara's plea and though the thoughts registered in his head, he did not immediatly acknowledge them while he was sending. Firmly though her response broke through.

"Therogeon... I need to you to take my arm and pull it as hard as you can. Do it. Now!"

He looked his friend, his dear sister in the eye and said, "No." The shock and suprise on her face hurt him and he quickly raised a forstalling hand, "I know not how but Eddick is with Almara, she is bringing him to Elric now. You have been through alot and I will not risk further harm to you -or- your unborn child. I may not know as much about human physiology as some priests, but I do know that any more stress could place your child in harm. My students will have roused the temple and the Silk-Sirra school by now. Trust in them and trust in Eddick....as we have trusted in him before. Elric will be safe."

"I'm Almara my lord....I'm sorry...but Therogeon says Elric's hurt bad...please, come quickly."

The young half-elf turned around then and scanned the surroundiings....there, beyond the hay and Dhala, silently weeping over Tarpin's body was a slight glow. She was sure that was where her master and love's closest friend lay.

"There," she pointed, "Please sir, Therogeon said to hurry....and you know him, he never does anything quickly."

Eddick sprang to his feet and started sprinting in such a way that belied his years. As he went, he cast a spell to make him move as swiftly as a deer across the meadow. He saw the two bodies on the ground before him and slid down on his knees for the last yard and a half as he saw which one was without weapons next to it.

"Hold on, my friend. You aren't permitted to die. Ashara wouldn't hear of it." And he prepared the strongest healing spell he had learned.

When he had last traveled with CoRD, he had great powers that nature had given him, but his powers had continued to grow as he learned from those who were classically trained as druids, offering the young ones there as much training as they gave him from the lessons they had learned. His spell repertoire had tripled since then, and he was was a proficient healer. He was able to fix all of his wounds in a minute, though the strain on his own self was quite taxing. Elric was now no longer dying, but sleeping peacefully.

Eddick pulled off the rag covering his eyes and collected dew from the nearby grass and washed his face. "We can't have you looking like that when your bride arrives. Who knows what she would think?"

The only word she was able to properly register was Therogeon's firm, 'No.' Which, in her exhausted, desperate and pain fogged mind, was akin to striking her across the face. She vaguely heard something about someone taking him to Eddick, but after all that had happened today, none of it made any sense! She didn't know who to trust or WHAT to believe! What if one of these intruders had disguised himself as Eddick!

Something came over her in that moment... A savage desperation to protect the man who had saved her so many times... Her beloved husband and the father of her children! It may as well have been her own blood that was saturating the cold, hard ground out there...somewhere. In many ways it was. If she lost him, truly lost him...no matter what hopeful spin she put on the conversation with him earlier, she knew now that it would destroy her.

She would go on living. She could be a good mother to their children and a devoted priestess of Lathander in whatever capacity she was given to serve, but if Elric passed from this life and was unable to be brought back...and he'd been right earlier, bringing someone back from the dead was never a certainty... Then all color would be leeched from her world, and every dawn would be a mere shadow of the last one they'd shared together. Yes, she might go on living, but he would take with him the part of her soul she'd freely given five years ago at that humble shrine.

Ashara's fear had pushed her far beyond rational thought at this point. Elric was out there, DYING! She had to get to him!

Ripping her hurt-filled, unblinking eyes from Therogeon, she began pushing her numb legs forward, trying to remember what walking felt like.

The broken priestess fully intended on making it to that oak tree, wedging her wrist in between the twin trunks and jerking her shoulder back into place. She could manage to do that much, she hoped... If she got her fingers back to some semblance of working condition, then she could step through the tree, find Elric and see to it that he was safe!

Three shaky steps into her journey, her knees gave out beneath her and she collapsed onto her left side. She screamed as her shoulder exploded in agony.

"Elric... Please..." Ashara sobbed as she Whispered into the dirt. "Please be okay... I can't do this without you..."

Silence.

Now blinded by tears and pain and fear, she felt herself being lifted gently into her brother's arms, far too exhausted to fight it this time.

At some point long after she'd lost count of Therogeon's steps, she felt the child within her, already so like its father, kick forcefully at her side...

And she remembered Hope.

The druid had no sooner finished his ministrations to the prostrate form of Elric before he felt a tingling on the back of his neck. He was being watched. He stood to greet the person who had laid eyes on him but no one was there. Either there was someone invisible watching hiim, or some other sort of magic was upon him. Eddick thought about it for but a moment before he began to cast a spell. The dew had already appeared this night, so calling forth a mist with a slight warming of temperature and an increase in the humidity was a simple thing. Fog obscured vision, and the less any enemy could ascertain while watching was a good thing.

"Almara! Tell Therogeon we are being watched, and have him find out who it is!" He shouted through the oncoming fog. Half to warn Therogeon, and half to let the person watching them that they might be able to watch them too. People watching in secret were sometimes skittish, and could be easily scared with a threat or a show of force.

Eddick knew that he had to act more quickly now that there were more involved. He put his fingers to his mouth and whistled. A few nearby grass men that Eddick had placed for emergency reasons appeared as they came through the fog. "Carry him." The druid instructed. "We have much to do."