Of Dragons and War III

[Iwant2bafencer]

Rylus had been mere seconds behind Talmour and Crin. He plowed his way through the piles to help pull his sister out of the house. They set her gently on the ground a few feet away, Talmour put his cloak under her head, proping it up. Rylus ran to their well, hauling the bucket up. He dipped part of his over shirt that he had taken off in it, then ran to dab it on Rose' forhead. Crin had checked to see if she was still breathing, she was.

"She's just unconcious." She told the other two who looked like they'd both fall over.

A short while later, Rose groaned and moved her head a little. Shortly after that, she opened her eyes. Talmour smiled down at her in relief as did Crin. She looked to her brother.

"I couldn't find them." She said softly.

"Couldn't find who?" He asked, thinking it was the knock on her head talking.

"Our parents, I . ." she fell into a fit off caughing from the tossed up ash. "I looked for them, I couldn't find them. I don't know if they're,"
Rylus cut her off. "I'm sure they're fine Rose, they're strong." He offered her a small smile.
She didn't see it because she began another caughing round. When it was finished she looked to Talmour.

"Talmour, could you get me some water from that well?" She questioned, trying to point to the same well that Rylus had gone to.

[Crin Dalmeiier]

Ame took her half of the street with a nod to Miri, checking pulses of the bodies that littered the streets like blownaway pieces of trash. She had witnessed such carnage before, but that didn't stop the hitch in her throat at the sight of so many bodies, their lives carelessly tossed away. With the practice she had earned as a full-blooded gypsy, she shoved her anger to the side and continued to check on the bodies. A cold brick rested in her stomach, contrasting dramatically with the rough fire on the air all around her.

She didn't find any survivors.

The thought made her colder.

--

"Sure," Talmour said, nearly stumbling over himself to get to the well. Before he could reach it, however, he pulled up short and instead crossed to his horse, tied to a nearby pole. He retrieved his flask and held that for her to drink from. "Don't drink the water--raiders might have poisoned it."

Rylus immediately dropped the overshirt he held.

"No--it should be fine on human skin," Crin told him. She had checked to make sure Rosaline was alive, breathing, and not too injured. Now she smiled apologetically and began to feel along for any breaks. Rosaline was lucky this time; she hadn't injured anything. Certainly, she would ache for days, but what was unusual about that? "You're going to be fine. I'm going to assign myself to body detail, and help Ame, Falcour, and Miri." She nodded at the other three and excused herself.

Talmour, meanwhile, leaned over so that he was blocking most of the sunlight in Rosaline's vision. Tenderly, he pushed a tendril of hair back from her eyes. "Anything feel worse than usual?" he asked, taking the flask back from her and offering it to Rylus. The other man looked like he could use a harder drink than water.

[Iwant2bafencer]

Rosaline laughed shortly before coughing once more. She took another drink after Rylus, then handed it back to Talmour.

"The rate I've been going, I'm used to pain. Thank you for the drink." She lay still for a while and then rubbed her head. "Can I stand up?" She asked.

Rylus and Talmour helped her shakily to her feet. She looked up to find a few more their group had arrived.

"It's alright, we have everything undercontrol." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood. Naturally it didn't work.

[Miri Belakai]

Deciding that she had found as many of the survivors as possible, Miri made her way back to the entrance of the village. She would need all the help available to move the wounded into the best shelter, and she wondered if someone could be found who knew about another village nearby. The wounded obviously couldn't stay here, and while she knew the group was ready to help the people as much as possible, they couldn't ignore the fact that they had a time limit.

Miri shook her head. She truly hoped that this jaunt wouldn't turn out useless. They could be back, training people, getting ready to fight or flee. But dragons would be an awesome weapon, so they had no choice but to try to find them.

[Crin Dalmeiier]

As was his usual habit, Falcour appeared at her elbow without any sort of warning whatsoever. "Ame hasn't found anybody," he informed her, ignoring the dirty look she shot at him. "Well, living, at least. Need help transporting any bodies? We're trying to get a mass grave situated since we really don't have time to bury the bodies singly."

A few minutes later, he had snatched Senyik and Darion to help him transport the dead bodies to a plot of land out of the way of the village. There had been a real slaughter here. After awhile, they unearthed a wheelbarrow/cart and began to pile bodies onto that, some still bleeding.

"Hey, Ame!" Senyik called, banging on an iron plate to get the redheaded gypsy's attention. She was raiding a house for any bodies. "Bring out your dead!"

She just sighed at him.

[Iwant2bafencer]

Rose squeezed her brother's arm and then walked slowly over to where Nækos was. She stood quietly for a moment, and then finally spoke softly.

"Nækos, up on the hill, you said 'I feared as much.'" She paused and glanced over at him. "Care to explain that?"

[Swordsman]

"I smelled a mixture of smoke and blood," he said simply.

[Iwant2bafencer]

"Why didn't you say anything before we saw it? This could have been stopped. We . ." She stopped and took a deep breath to try and calm herself. "We could have at least done more."

[Swordsman]

He did not turn to look at her. "Because fire and screams mean something can be done. If it is smoke and blood you smell, it is too late already."

[Zelda]

Zelda watched Naekos and Rosaline talking. She sensed tension, and started counting under her breath "10, 9, 8......"

[Iwant2bafencer]

Rosaline opened her mouth to begin yet another arguement, but then closed it. She was suddenly too weary to argue.

"I see," she said quietly with a nod.

She turned and walked behind what used to be her house. Around the hill a little ways was a small grove of trees. She used to come here when she needed to think or just to get out and be alone. She looked up at the tops of the trees and bit hard into her lip. She sobbed once and then tried to bite it back again.

[Zelda]

"7,6..." the expected outburst didnt come. Zelda blinked, and then sighed.
Dismounting she walked over to Naekos, who was just standing, staring into space, handing Abercrombies reins to him she commented,
"I'll see to her," . Following the footprints in the dust and charcoal Zelda came to a grove of trees. Sitting there with bright eyes was Rosaline.
"Rosie?" Zeldas voice was soft, but pitched to carry, "you ok?"

[Swordsman]

"Demoted to stable boy," he growled to himself as the queen walked away.

[Iwant2bafencer]

"Of course," Rosaline replied, keeping her back towards Zelda. After a moment she turned and gave Zelda her strongest look. Just as her strength came however, it left her. She turned back around and shook her head a few times as if arguing with herself. Her hands balled into fists and she soon dropped to her knees, her face falling into her balled up hands.

[Zelda]

Rosaline was tettering between crying and screaming. Zelda knew the signs, she had gone through the same when her grandparents had died. Coming up behind Rosaline she put her hand on her shoulder and turned the head of milatry to face the queen.
"I dont believe you..." Zelda stated, her eyes burrowing into Rosalines.

[Iwant2bafencer]

Rosaline shook her head vigorously, causing her hair to bounce.

"I can't do this,'' She replied, her voice husky with emotion, "I can't be the strong one for everyone," She let her head drop and then she looked back up at her queen, "It hurts Zelda," She admitted finally, her tears beginning to spill over, "It hurts so much."

[Zelda]

"Who said you had to be strong?" Zelda questioned.
Taking Rosaline in her arms she held her tight as the tears coursed down her face.
"Its alright Rosie, you dont have to be strong. Let it all out." Zelda soothed as she stroked her hair.
"I know it hurts, but better out then in."

[Iwant2bafencer]

Rosaline clenched her fists at her side and then finally gave in. Her shoulders slumped forward and she hugged Zelda back, gripping the other woman's cloak as she sobbed on her shoulder.

"Why?" She cried, "why did it have to be my home? My village?" She probably wasn't making any sense, but she didn't care. Everything inside her hurt.

[Zelda]

Zelda felt Rosaline collapse into her. Her voice was ragged as she wondered why, and how.
"I dont know dear. I dont know. But I promise we will find out, and punish them. I am sure Naekos has some devious punishments which he hasnt used that he would get pleasure from using."

[Iwant2bafencer]

"I couldn't find them," Rose replied, "my parents, I looked for them, they weren't there. I don't know if they were . . ." she shook her head quickly and her body was racked with sobs again.
She cried on Zelda's shoulder for what seemed like an eternity but was really a few minutes. Pulling away, she looked at Zelda's eyes, her own filled with fear and anguish.

"Thank you for always being here for me." She offered in what was almost a whisper.