The True Test

[Trinn]

OOC: Nooooo. Well ok, a bit mean.

Ian's startled jerks into awareness amused Maude, and she found herself smirking. "What happened? From the looks of it, you got into a fight with a jaguar. You're lucky to have escaped with what wounds you have. They were bleeding quite freely when I found you passed out by the cat. So I took the liberty of bandaging them up a bit more. It's the best I could do at such short notice." She surveyed him for a little longer, than sat down a few feet away from him, next to the boar. The animal was awake now, and it looked down with it's large eyes at Ian. "A friend." She told it in the ancient language. "Do not be afraid." The boar layed back down, but it still watched Ian. It seemed intrigued by his new presence. "Is your scroll in these woods? Or did you just blunder by?"
***

"You're insane if you think I'm leaving you behind!" Jason said to Teza, almost shouting in her face. He had her grasped by the shoulders now, while he whipped his head about, trying to find a way out of this death trap. He was an average swimmer, and Teza didn't seem much better. There weren't as many lakes and rivers in Ismalia as there were in Alagaesia. The wind picked up then, and even the rain seemed to be coming at a different angle, stinging the young prince's face. It occurred to him then that he should look up. Squinting his eyes against the rain, he looked into the sky and felt his heart skip a massive beat. A dragon was coming their way, black as the night, which explained why he hadn't noticed it earlier. Wild dragon or friend? He sighed in evident relief when a rider appeared on the dragons back, offering them help. "Take Tezza first!" He shouted over the storm. Without waiting or Tezza's permission, he hefted her up towards the riders waiting hand.
***

A day and a half had passed before Eva and Eos found themselves in the wintry icelands. The ground was covered in powdery snow, and where the earth ended, large glaciers took its place. Everything here seemed much more silent. It was as if the snow and ice restricted sound from reaching very far. For a while the only noise was the clap of Eos's wings flapping. Looking back at her scroll, Eva scrutinized the location of their next scroll. They were almost there. Ahead of them some miles could be seen the largest glacier yet. Eva had a suspension that the glacier would be where she would find her scroll. She looked back over her shoulder, wondering how Ian was doing. More than anything she hoped he was safe.
***

"Well, you provide a persuasive case." Thane agreed, looking at the grassy ground. He kicked at the blades of grass aimlessly. "Well then, I think you have my support, Ty. If it's joining the army that you want, then I think you shall. Just know that if you get yourself killed, I'll have to kill you again in the afterlife! Losing my partner in crime is not a happy thought." Thane frowned a bit as he imagined scenarios of Tylon's death. He felt he would grieve for the rest of his life if his young brother were murdered in this new war. Reaching out, he placed a large hand on Tylon's shoulder. "But for now, let us go find you a medic, eh? We can think more about this army business later."

[Max452]

OOC: hahaha

Ian listened carefully to Maude (why wouldn't he?) as she spoke. He glanced down at his side again when she mentioned that she had bandaged him up. He finally dared to glance up when she moved away. His eyes locked onto her's as she stared at him. His cheeks flushed and he glanced away. "Thank you." He thanked her for helping him, feeling very unmanly at the moment. Wasn't the man suppose to be saving the woman? Ian mentally thought about old stories and tales his Mother use to tell him. How was he suppose to impress her now? She probably thought him a weakling. He almost groaned out loud at her final question. See! She already thought him clumsy! "No, I have a scroll in the forest." Ian replied, his tone flat and blunt, with a slight pitch from nerves. He hoped he didn't sound mean...Eva did warn him after his misunderstanding with that Princess. Ugh! He was so bad at conversations. "Is your scroll here too?" He asked, carefully aware on how he sounded. He remembered Eva's encouragement to try and "act normal". How was he to do that? He already thought he was normal...but apparently not since some students already thought him snobbish...not to mention those back home. He dared another glance at her, wondering what she thought about him.

***
Aradan didn't waste any time as he took hold of the girl's hand that was thrust at him. He thought he recognized the two in one of his classes, but with the beating rain and the urgency of the situation, Aradan didn't have time to really think about it. "Hang on!" Aradan pulled the girl up toward him and toward the saddle, hoping she understood to sit on it.

Hurry, Aradan! The water is rising faster! Veryan warned, trying to maintain his position in the air. The wind was picking up too. If they didn't get moving, Veryan feared his wings would fold out and they would all be in trouble.

***
Seth could hear the panic in Glory's voice. He walked forward, following her voice until he reached her. "It's okay, Glory, I'm here, see?" He grabbed her hand gently and placed it on his face, as he once did when he wanted to "see" her face. It was an instinctual action, one that his Mother always did for him when he was scared. It was to "show" him that he wasn't alone. "It's okay, just calm down, okay?" Seth tried to comfort her. "We'll get out." It never occured to him that someone would be frightened of the dark; for him it always was. He never thought it was a big problem and hoped that Glory would calm down so they could think of a solution from their predicatment.

***
"Do you really want to join the army, Tylon?" Tatiana asked, finally ending her silence. She had listened quietly (a surprise) to Tylon's passion. He gave some valid points, but that still didn't ease her worry. The army was a dangerous thing, especially with the rumor of War now. She glanced at him, a strange and rare look of concern on her face. She walked with them until they spotted the main tent, where a group of people were gathered. Perhaps a medic was in there?

[Trinn]

Maude regarded Ian curiously from where she sat. She wasn't used to other people yet. It was strange talking and sitting with someone else besides her parents. Even after months in New Doru Arabea. But Ian made her feel less awkward. Probably because she thought he was more awkward than she. If it hadn't of been in the middle of a dark night, she would have been curious about the red in his cheeks. As it was, she could not quite see the blush. She could, however, hear what she thought was nervousness in his voice. "It is." She said, continuing to stare. Staring, she remembered, was bad manners, and she looked away at her feet. So, both of their scrolls lay within the forest. She had wanted to try and complete this test on her own, but perhaps it would be to their advantage to team up. "Here." She said, and scooted closer to him. "Let me see your scroll. I want to see where it is in proximity to mine. Perhaps we should travel together from here. You could probably use the help." She said, thinking of his wounds, though the remark probably sounded callus.
***

The blizzard blew in with a sudden howling gust of wind. The snowflakes thickened, and small darting bits of sleety ice struck painfully at Eva's cheeks. In a matter of minutes, her face felt numb, and she was shivering from head to two. Eos was having trouble remaining sky-borne. We have to land! Eva finally admitted. Eos agreed before Eva could even finish the thought. The descent was hazardous. The wind gusted from every direction, and snow fluttered too thickly around them, obscuring their sight. Everything was white, and Eva felt she was completely blind.

Eos landed roughly. The ground met them before Eos realized it was ground and not just more white sky. Her legs buckled as she hit the hard packed snow, and she fell forward onto her muscular chest. If it weren't for the leg straps, Eva would have flew up and over her dragons head. Are you alright! she shouted mentally. In answer, Eos got back to her feet and shook herself. We have to find shelter! I'm freezing out here! And you are, too!

Yes. This snow is really not meant for dragons. Eva remained in the saddle. She would only be slow in the snow. Eos was faster, melting the snow in her path with fire from her maw. At one point, she turned her head and blew fire straight past Eva. Normally, such close exposure to the scorching heat would have been enough to burn her. Now, it felt heavenly. There has to be a cave or something around here! I saw rocks and cliffs around earlier! Eva said.

We'll find it! Eos said, and struggled stalwartly on.
***

Jason ignored the rain now as it whipped into his face. He had eyes only for Tezza, the dragon, and the rider. It looked like she was safely on now. For a heart-stopping moment he felt the water around his ankles pick up, almost knocking him down to his knees. There wasn't much time left. "Rider!" He shouted, "Any time now!" He waved a hand over his head, feeling somewhat desperate. The water around his legs surged again, and it was all he could do to brace himself and hold his position.

[Tismri]

Teza Mae could hardly focus. Her attention was wavering, but she was vaguely aware that there was a dragon above them. After she was hoisted up, she instinctually situated herself on it, having ridden on Caedus a number of times before. She stared through the dark torrent, barely making out the outline of her brother through her blurry vision.
"Jason..." she said. She would have yelled, but hardly any sound even came out. She weakly reached her hand out, and it crossed her mind that if this Rider who rescued her failed to save her twin, she would have to kill him for it.
~~~~~
Seth's touch immediately had a calming effect on Gloriann. She had known he was there, of course, but to feel him touch her brought a level of comfort.
"It's so dark," she squeeked, her breath coming in hiccuping gasps. She reached out and wrapped her arms around her friend, clinging to him. She didn't know how he could stand it. "I wish I could just use magic to make a light. Who came up with this test, anyway?"
~~~~~
Tylon was surprised by the support he received from his siblings. He had thought they would argue more than that, but he was glad they seemed to understand him. He nodded when Tati asked for confirmation.
"I really do," he told them. He grimaced as his ribs flared up in pain again, and he noticed the main tent. There seemed to be a large crowd there; well, even if there wasn't a medic there, someone should be able to point them in the right direction.
"I just hope Mom and Dad are as understanding as you two are," he said.

[Max452]

Having made sure that the girl was safe and secured on Veryan's saddle, Aradan turned his attention back onto the screaming man. He postioned himself again to reach his arm out. "Here! Quickly now, Veryan says that water is rising faster!" Aradan yelled over the wind, his hands grasping out for Jason's.

***
"Shh, it's okay." Seth wrapped his arms around Glory when she clung to him. He chuckled when she demanded to know who came up with the exam. "No, don't use magic. This is fine. We can strike a fire up if that'll help, but I think we can get out." He could hear Hyperion whining on the other side of the rocks. "We just need to remain calm and think about the lessons we learned." He reminded Glory gently. Seth then contacted Sundavar and Hyperion. Can you describe to me how the rocks look? How are they layered? We may be lucky to find that the center is where most of the rocks are; we can loosen the side ones without causing the others to fall in. It'll be a slow process to move them without making it worse. That, or at the last resort, you can burn your way through. Seth explained and suggested his ideas.

***
Tatiana nodded, not really liking the idea of Tylon in the army, but she knew her brother - once he set his mind on something he would go through with it. "Just don't mention it to mother until after you join. Eh, don't mention it to Father either; he'll just tell Mother. Honestly, I swear he's like a child sometimes." Tati groaned. Feeling a bit more like her self, as Tylon's declaration sombered her some, she huffed out, "Good thing you'll be joining. That way you can stop pestering me or following me around!" She snorted, pretending to be annoyed with them before marching off closer to the adults. "Hey! Anyone know of a good medic?" She demanded as she stopped at the foot of the tent.

***
Ian's blush darkened more as he felt Maude scoot next to him. He tensed slightly as his heart hammered against his chest. He really hoped she couldn't hear it. He carefully pulled out his scroll, opening it for her to see. "It's in the middle." He pointed to the marker. He finally glanced at her, finding himself very close to her as he did so. "I'll be fine." He replied in regards to his wound, his voice tight as he considered their proximity to one another. "I have some ointments that I learned from Ebrithil Kyler, I mean, your Father." Ian elaborated in his own awkward way. "I would like that." He glanced at the map and then back at Maude. "To work together." He explained, feeling tongue-tied. He really needed to learn how to act better around her. He thought he did well in his classes with her, but with the closeness they sat now, he was having a hard time to think. "Where is your scroll?"

[Trinn]

Spotting the rider's hand, Jason tensed, them jumped with all his might. He managed to grab hold of the riders hand with his own. He dangled now between the dragon and the water. A dangerous spot to be if ever there was one. With his other hand he grabbed hold of the riders arm. "You have my greatest thanks, Argetlam." he said, even as he dangled. Tezza was safe, and that was all that mattered.
***

Hearing someone shouting about a medic, Vana looked about to find a young girl and two boys. Frowning, she made her way towards them. "What happened here." She asked, gesturing to the youngest. Her voice was stern, perhaps overly so. Her daughter was undertaking the exam right now, and her thoughts were occupied with thoughts of the dangers Maude would be facing. The older boy stepped forward.

"My brother had a terrible fall. It seems that his ribs may have been damaged a tad. We seek a regular herbalist or such. We're Ismalian, you see, fair lady." Vana regarded Thane and tried to keep a cool demeanor. She almost slapped him for calling her fair lady.

"I see... Well let me have a look then." Pushing Thane aside, Vana placed a hand on the younger boys shoulder. "I'll only use magic to scan you, so to speak. It shouldn't hurt... But with Ismalians you never know." And before anyone could protest, Vana muttered a spell that would allow her to see the wound more clearly.
***

At the mention of her father, Maude felt both defensive and proud. "It's good that you listened to him. He is very knowledgeable in herbal remedies." She would have liked to boast more, but this wasn't the time or place. "As for working together, I think that would be well." She pointed to the location of her scroll on his map. It was somewhat to the left and north of his. "We'll find yours first, since it's closer. Mine should only take another half day to find after that, if we find no trouble along the way. Or any more jaguars." She smirked at that. "How are your wounds doing anyways? Are you feeling light headed? Sick? I may need to bandage them again, or put more of that ointment on. I suppose I don't have to worry about you slowing us down, though. I've got my boar to carry us." And she gestured towards the beast, who was fast asleep again. Before Ian could respond, she started fidgeting with a fern on his shoulder. "That cut isn't too deep. But it is quite long." she said, examining it. "Another layer of that ointment will do well with it." She didn't feel awkward being close to Ian. Perhaps because she didn't know how to feel awkward. Her manners, she knew, were probably a bit rusty, but, well, when a person is trying to survive, manners are the least to worry about. As it was, she had no idea she was even making Ian comfortable. She thought he ought to be grateful that she was even helping him.

[Tismri]

Glory listened to Seth's reassuring words, though her heart still fluttered with fear. She shook her head when he suggested lighting a fire.
"There's no ventilation in here," she told him. "The smoke would choke us." She also knew somewhere in the back of her mind that that also meant they would run out of air if they didn't get out of there quickly.

Sundavar looked over the rocks that covered the cave entrance. Most of them were large, a couple even as large as she was. There were countless smaller ones filling the cracks in between. She sent Seth and Glory an image of what she observed about them.
~~~~~
Tylon's eyes widened at the sight of the woman who had responded to Tati's yell. She seemed strong and fierce; she had a strong Alagaesian accent, he noticed. Before he could react to her mentioning that she would cast a spell to find the extent of his wounds, she said the words. Immediately, Ty felt his ribs burn with a greater intensity, while he felt rather sick to his stomach and lightheaded. He glared at Thane.
"Gee, thanks," he said, "Didn't want Mother to cause me pain by healing me, hu--URP!" His nausea caught up to him, and he retched his midday meal.

Diana noticed the commotion at the edge of the main tent. She had offered to stand by during the exam; she was one of the best healers the Riders could offer, and even those wounds that were out of her capability through magic she knew how to treat in other ways. She approached them to find a woman tending to a young boy. She could tell by his fair skin complexion that he was likely Ismalian. Which meant whatever was wrong would likely have to be treated through mundane methods. She knelt down next to them and opened her pack of supplies.
"What is wrong?" she asked, quick and to the point.

[Max452]

Aradan latched onto Jason's hand and used his strength to haul him up to the saddle. "A pleasure." The half elf replied with a huff as he finished bringing Jason to the saddle. He was grateful that Veryan's saddle could fit two people. The young Rider hung on the side with an elegant aura, despite the pouring rain and unsteady wind.

Get us out of here, Veryan! Aradan glanced down to watch the plateau disappear under the water.
No need to tell me twice! With a large stroke, the black dragon began his flight again toward any shelther they could find.
There, do you see it? Its a large cave. Be careful, there may be other creatures seeking shelter as us. Aradan warned.
Yes, I see it. Veryan swooped down, grateful to find something that would fit all of them. The dragon dropped down to a stop, his talons clicking against the ground as hail began to form.
I don't sense anything, nor do I smell any animals here. Veryan informed his Rider, who gave a mental nod and crawled into the cave to prevent his passengers being harmed from above.
"Are you two all right?" Aradan asked as he finally dropped down onto the floor. He gazed up at the two Ismalians. "Veryan says he doesn't sense anything here. We should be all right for now. My name is Aradan, and this is Veryan." He gestured to Veryan with the elegance of an elf. Normally, he would have expected the elven greeting, but months in New Doru Arabea had taught him that not many humans understood such customs, so Aradan had abandoned them until he was among his people again.

***
Tati wrinkled her nose as she watched Tylon being examined. She had to turn away; her stomach always reacted negatively when someone vomited. Lucky for her, she had someone to distract her. Another woman came to offer assistance. "My idiot brother fell in one of his outlandish pranks." Tatiana waved a hand at Tylon. "He's hurt and we're trying to find a healer; we're Ismalian." Tatiana explained, trying to be discreet in covering her nose from the vomit smell. Gross, Tylon. Just gross.

***
Seth forgot about the ventilation. He felt Glory shake her head against his chest. "All right, well, we'll think of something..." His voice trailed off when he saw Sundavar's view of the rocks. It was a bit disconcerting to "see", but Seth had practiced with Hyperion so it wasn't too alarming.

Move those top stones; the small ones. We can at least get some air and light in here without disturbing the larger rocks. Seth instructed the dragons. Once we get some light, Glory and I can help move things. Hyperion gave a mental nod and turned to Sundavar, anxious to get his Rider out.

You do that side, and I'll do this side. The blue dragon suggested as he motioned his talons toward the right side.

***
Ian nodded along to Maude's plan. "That sounds fine." He told her, his voice a bit more even as he managed to reign in his raging emotions. At the mention of his wounds, Ian was opened his mouth to respond, "I'm fi--" He froze when he felt Maude begin to undress the ferns and bandage on his shoulder. She was really close to him now! His heart raced as she closed the space between them. "I got that from a large, crazy bird." Ian sputtered out, his nervousness making him speak a bit more. He allowed her to look at the wound that rested above his tattoo. "My side hurts more." He confessed, twisting his neck so that he could face her. He gulped quietly. Maude was right next to him! And she seemed genuinely concerned. That was a good thing right?! And that fact that her face was mere inches away from his had made the fight with that stupid bird and jaguar worth it all; she was so much more pretty up close. Refraining himself from doing something stupid, he turned to look at the boar, "Where'd you find him?" He asked, trying to focus on this line of conversation than the girl of his dreams inches from him.

OOC: Oh man, I think Ian has got it bad...

[Tismri]

Teza Mae leaned over in the saddle when she saw Jason was safe and sound. A part of her was so relieved, she almost felt like she could go back to sleep again. But something warned her against it; she knew if she fell asleep, she might never wake up. She still couldn't shake the chill from her body, leading to her very core. So she made sure to keep her eyes open and, through the sheets of rain, studied their savior.
He was a bit older than she and Jason were, she thought. Upper teens. His hair was dark, either black or at least a dark brown. She couldn't quite tell. He was tall, and seemed strong as he held onto the side of the saddle without a problem.
Once the dragon landed inside the cave, Teza Mae let go and practically rolled off. She was still completely soaked by the cold rain. Her lungs still burned from expelling the water. Everything about her hurt--well, what wasn't numb. Instinctively, she curled into a ball, attempting to conserve what body heat she was giving off. A fire would be nice, or at least something else to give her warmth. She considered holding close to her brother, but he was probably just as cold as she was.
~~~~~
Sundavar positioned herself against the rocks Hyperion had suggested. She could sense Glory was still frightened inside, despite Seth's offered comfort. The closed, dark space was making her feel trapped. The dragon worked to move the smaller rocks, opening a small portion of the cave. It was too small for either Rider to fit through, but at least they could breathe now. She poked an eye in on the two-leggers.
"Sundavar!" Glory cried out, so happy to see her dragon again.
I'm here, Glory. Don't worry. Hyperion and I will get you out. I promise. It was still pretty dark, as clouds obscured the moon and stars, but what little there was Gloriann's eyes adjusted to quickly.
~~~~~
Diana nodded as she heard the Ismalian girl explain what was wrong. She supposed the other woman--she was too concerned with the boy for the moment to look at her face--was casting a spell to see the extent of the damage. She put her hand against the boy's side; she was fairly certain the woman's assessment would be accurate, but with Ismalians the results may be a little skewed.
"One...two...three cracked ribs," she said to herself. "One nearly broken. We've got a tough guy here." Tylon had tried hard not to yelp when she touched his side. What was it with doctors torturing their patients? Diana continued, speaking to her fellow magician and medic. "Can you tell if that's the extent of it, or is there anything worse?"

[Trinn]

As soon as the black dragon landed and was safely inside the cave, Jason slid off its back and onto the stone ground. He hurried to Tezza, who was curled in a fetal position. He placed his arms around her, trying to get his body heat to warm her. He knew it wouldn't work, though. His clothes were soaked through due to the rain. "We are not all right." He said to the rider, glancing at the elf quickly. "Argetlam, she is chilled to the bone. She needs warmth. Your dragon, can he produce flames for her?" The whole time he spoke, he rubbed his hands up and down Tezza's arm, warming her with friction.
***

Thane watched his brother with an expression of horror. He thought he was helping his brother out, when he only doomed Ty to pain after all. The rider, seeing that she wasn't doing any good, stopped and backed away from Tylon. Thane was grateful when another woman approached, one who was obviously more skilled in the healing arts. She seemed generally nicer, too.
***

Vana stared at Diana. It had been so long since she had last seen her old friend, who had become her enemy. Where did that leave them now? She was glad that Diana was distracted with the healing. That left her time to compose herself. "No," she said when Diana finally spoke to her. "I was not able to see much. I think you found more than I did. I'm sorry to have caused the boy so much pain." And she was sorry. She looked at the young man and gave him an apologetic look. "He is in much better hands now, with you, Diana." She felt suddenly nervous. Would Diana run from her, accuse her of old betrayals?
***

The cave they sheltered in was small and cramped. But the closeness of the quarters made the heat from their two bodies more. Eva sat cuddled up against Eos's side. A small fire licked the kinder Eva had had in her pack. Her fingers and toes had finally regained feeling, and she was feeling better by the second. Outside, the wind continued to howl. They both hoped the storm wouldn't last long. Their days in the boundary were quickly dwindling away.
***

"Out in the plains." Maude said as she replaced the shoulder bandage. She moved on to the wound in his side to examine it closer. "He lost a territory dispute or a waterhole. I was going to kill him for food, but, well, I figured using him as a ride would be better." She didn't add that she felt too bad and guilty to kill him. She grimaced now at the side injury. "You're right, this is worst." Taking the liberty, Maude reached for Ian's pack and shuffled around for the ointment. "The sooner we get this on you again, the better chance at healing you'll have." Dipping her finger into the jar of ointment, she rounded up a good dab of it and began applying it to the large wound. "It could easily become infected, and then you'd probably die or have serious issues. And then you'd have to call for a master to heal you and you'd fail the test." Maude explained, probably needlessly. She fell silent then as she worked, and for some reason felt suddenly awkward. "What does that tattoo mean?" She asked, referring to his shoulder. "Whoever did it is very talented."

[Tismri]

Teza Mae forced a blink at her brother's callous words; she couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but she could tell he was speaking to the one who had saved him, and his tone sounded a bit rude. She knew he was probably just worried about her, but even so. Even through her foggy, limpid thoughts, her expression seemed to say, Be nice. He just saved our lives, for Emeralds' sake! Her amber eyes turned toward the stranger who had rescued them. Her expression softened and a very small smile came to her face, as if to say Thank you.
~~~~~
Diana glanced back in surprise as a familiar voice came to her. A smile of delight came across her face; she'd assumed Vana had died in the final battle against Galbatorix, or worse, had joined the Shade's army. If she wasn't focusing so hard on her patient right now, she would have embraced her old friend.
"It's all right," she assured Vana. "Really, it's just a matter of practice. I've been doing this sort of thing for many years now." She set about with materials to help set the bones in the boy's body.
"Take off your tunic," she commanded Tylon. The Ismalian prince's eyes grew wide and his face red.
"What? NO!" he protested, jolting upward. His ribs sent pain shooting through his body. Diana sighed impatiently.
"Would you rather me tie it to your body?" she asked him. "Or, if you really want me to, I could try healing you with magic."
"Okay, okay!" Tylon said, utterly embarrassed at having to strip off his tunic in such a public place. Diana set to work wrapping a long bandage uncomfortably tight around him. While she worked, she glanced at Vana again. "If you would like, fricai, would you get some water? I'm afraid he's going to be dehydrated a bit after vomiting like that."

[Max452]

At Jason's proclamation, Aradan realized how iin danger the girl was. He nodded quickly. "Veryan can do more than that." Aradan replied as he quickly went to make a fire pit while Veryan went to lie beside Teza Mae and Jason.
The warmth in my belly will keep you both warm. Veryan told the Ismalians as he settled beside them. Aradan finished making the pit quickly, knowing that time was precious. Seeing that his Rider was done, Veryan let out a small jet stream of fire, which light and warmth filled the cave.
"That should do. I suggest you get out of those clothes, as well." Aradan pointed out. "Its no good for you two to be soaked to the bone." The hald elf quickly went back to the saddle, where his pack was. "Get into my bedroll, and use my extra clothes and cloak to cover yourself whilst your clothes dry." Aradan instructed. "And if you fear about modesty, Veryan can shield you both with his wings." The dragon blinked in agreement as he unfurled his wings once Aradan handed Jason the items he mentioned. "Best be quick, she doesn't look too well." He then wandered to the other side of the fire, to give the siblings privacy. He took of his own cloak as he too was soaked from the storm, but not as badly as the Ismalians.

***
"Do you feel better, Glory?" Seth asked as he heard the rocks move and a breeze enter their prison. Hyperion continued his work, staying quiet as he concentrated on removing the little stones on the top. He rustled his head, shaking off the droplets that were mometarily clouding his vision. The rain was still coming down hard, making Hyperion worry about a mudslide. The dragon worked as quickly as he could without causing more damage than his Rider and friend were experiencing. He glanced over at Sundavar, grateful that she managed to give them access to air. He was having a more difficult time on his side, as that was were most of the larger rocks were pressured toward.

***
Tatiana withheld a laugh at Tylon's hysterical outburst. She was glad that her brother wasn't vomiting anymore. She watched the two healers carefully, making sure that they were treating Tylon respectfully. She had nearly demanded the first woman to stop touching Tylon, as it caused more pain, but she was too preoccupied in trying to settle her stomach. Now, she was grateful that Tylon was speaking properly.

***
"That's smart." Ian replied quietly about the Maude using the boar as transportation. He would have just killed it and ate it. He tensed when he felt Maude inspect the side wound; just a light brush hurt. He waited patiently as she went to retrieve the ointment. Carefully, he lifted his tunic so that she had better access to the wound. He grimaced. It hurt. A lot. and the pain in his shoulder wasn't heping him either. He grimaced as she went to work, trying to not concentrate on the pain. He held in the whimpers and yells he wanted to make as he didn't want to disturb Maude as she helped him. "No, I've come too far to let these wounds stop me from passing." He stated to her, releasing a small hiss or two as he spoke. He thought about Eva and Eos and hoped that they were doing better off than he. She was in the Icelands now. She better be all right, or else he was going to turn around and find her, drag her to her scroll, and then to the ruins so she could pass. His mind whirled on some possibilities of what she was doing during the silence that he and Maude were experiencing. He hissed out again when she dabbed the ointment onto a rather sensitive part of his wound. Lucky for him, his wound was preoccuping his thoughts from thinking about the fact that Maude was touching him and seeing him partly naked. However, it only did so for so long. As the silence continued, Ian felt some awkwardness emerge and it only grew when he realized that his torso was exposed to her. Her question managed to ease some of the tension. "Its a reminder." He told her. "Of my own promise to protect my family and Celesti, my home. My friend Zee did it for me." Ian explained, again, letting loose some painful hisses from his lips. He silently wished Zee was here. That guy was born to survive. If he was here, he would probably already have his scroll and would be on his merry way to the ruins. His friend had so many talents that he envied. His eyes flickered down at Maude, watching her silently. "Thank you, Maude, for helping me, you really didn't have to." Ian thanked her, an apologetic look on his face. He wondered if she thought him a coward or a burden at the moment. He wondered what she thought of him at all.

[Trinn]

Catching Tezza's glare, Jason cleared his throat and quickly made up for his coarseness. "Thank you, Dragon Rider. Without you we would be lost." He graciously accepted the offer of dry clothes and a bedroll. He would, of course, leave the bedroll for Tezzie. Easily scooping his sister up in his arms, he carried her behind the shield of the dragon's wing and set her down. He unrolled the bedding, found clothes for Tezza, and set those next to her. He hoped he wouldn't have to help her dress. "Can you manage these?" He asked.
***

Vana found herself revealing a small smile. Diana had called her Fricai. Friend. "Of course. It won't take but a moment." She hurried back to the tent she had come from, located a small pale of water, and returned to Diana. She set the pale down beside her old friend and then stepped back again to let her work. "I'll assist you however you like." she said, then, carefully, added, "Fricai."

OOC: Yay!! They're friends again!
***

OOC: haha, I like making Ian feel awkward.

Maude didn't mind her silent work. It was actually rather soothing, the act of healing. She looked up at Ian as he explained his tattoo, and she didn't think it strange that they should be sitting so close to one another. Perhaps Ian thought it strange, though. He was acting rather odd. "Zee sounds like an interesting person, and I dare say he has a very interesting name." What was more interesting was the name Celesti. She'd heard of it before, in some story or other. As she was putting the finishing touches on bandaging the wound back up, Ian thanked her. It made her feel somehow guilty. She glanced up into his eyes, "It was no trouble at all." she said, her voice sincere. At last she sat back and stood up. "There you go. You should be feeling better tomorrow, but expect to have a scar. Unless of course you heal it when you finish the exam." She wiped her oily hands on her pants, getting the residue of the ointment off. "We have a few more hours until dawn now. You should probably rest. I'll keep watch. I'm not very tired."

[Tismri]

The dragon's warmth and the newly lit fire caused Teza Mae to relax a bit. She found herself a little more able to focus on what was going on around her, though she still felt incredibly sleepy. After Jason set her down beneath the dragon's wing, she stared at the clothes he offered her. They would be better than what she had on right now, at least. They obviously belonged to the guy who had saved them. Normally, she would have been embarrassed to put on some strange man's clothing, but right now she was just glad to be able to put on something dry.
Slowly, sorely, and with obvious exhaustion, she went to work taking off her wet things and replacing them with the soft, dry tunic. She'd never felt such material before, even among her finest regalia back home. She pulled the tunic on and tied it around her waist, but was too tired to attempt to put on leggings or anything else. She crawled into her bedroll. Now that she was safe, warm, and becoming dry, she knew it was safe for her to finally drift back off to sleep. She would thank the Rider and dragon properly in the morning.
~~~~~
Glory smiled at Seth, even though she knew he couldn't see it. "I think I'm going to be fine," she told him. She looked around, but still couldn't make out many details of the rocks on the inside of the cave. "I don't think we can help them much right now," she told him.
Sundavar continued to push the smaller rocks aside, but worked her way over to help Hyperion. The rain hindered their progress; it was coming down so torrentially that it was at times blinding. What didn't help was that small hailstones were also beginning to fall.
~~~~~
OOC: Yay! I'm glad Vana and Diana are friends again.

Diana smiled as Vana eagerly went to help. Just those little actions between them spoke more than a thousand words. They could still communicate without really even talking.
"Thank you, Vana," she said when she brought the water back. She turned her attention to the boy again. "You're going to drink all of that slowly once I'm done with you," she told him. As a healer, she'd long learned not to give stubborn patients any leeway. "Here, hold onto this," she requested of Vana, holding out the end of the bandage. "I can wrap it more tightly if I have both hands free." She continued wrapping Tylon's body, hardly reacting to his grunts and groans of pain. Once she finished, she tied the ends together, pulling them taut and elicited one last whimper from the boy. "There, I'm done. Don't exert yourself for a month. Don't throw yourself against anything, fall from any height, get into a fight, or generally do anything most boys your age consider to be 'fun' until you've completely healed.' She glanced at the girl who had followed the boys. "Make sure he stays in line," Diana told her, correctly assuming she was his sister.

[Trinn]

On the other side of the dragon Jason also dressed himself in the elfs extra clothing. It was very gracious of the dragon rider to lend them his clothes. He would be sure that the rider would always have a seat in the noble court of Ismalia. When he was finished dressing, he checked on Tezza, saw that she was asleep, and went to speak with the elf. "Dragon rider, allow me to thank you properly." And with that, he gave the elf rider a deep bow. He then extended his hand to the elf to shake. "Sincerely, I am in your debt. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jason Kingsley, son of the Queen Mother Tenal Ka of Ismalia, and Romulus Kingsley. My sister is the princess Tezza Mae and heir to the throne. You have done a great thing today, and know that Ismalia will always welcome you with open arms."
***

Vana did as she was told, holding the bandage until Diana needed it. She watched the siblings, and for a moment had a thought that she was sad she had never been able to produce a brother or sister for Maude. Fate had other ideas about that, it seemed. Maude... She hoped her daughter was staying safe and alive within the boundary of the exam. Perhaps she would go visit Roland later and see...

"See, just like new!" The older brother suddenly exclaimed. She watched as he went to clap his younger brother's back, then stopped, thought about it, and withdrew his hand. "Well, come on now, lets go find some other trouble." She watched the siblings walk away, and then turned her eyes back on Diana. They had been enemies for so long, and yet, now, they were allies again. Friends. Diana had been her best and only friend when she had been only a servant of Galbatorix, no more than a slave. It was fortunate indeed that they had both become riders. Because now, perhaps, they could heal old wounds together. "Diana...." She began, then, despite how she hated showing emotion in public, she pulled her old friend into her arms in a tight embrace. "Forgive me." She said, fighting back tears.