[Sanctuary] First Blood of Spring (Ixal & Sanc Staff)

[Kavala]

Kavala was relieved her team was there. She was a good healer, but two cases as serious as these were required more than just one very heavily pregnant Konti to deal with them. She couldn't even remotely lift the dog and probably couldn't get back on her own feet very easily either. She was grateful for Lakara's quick response and intelligent careful assessment because her exam was indeed telling the Konti that there was more wrong with the man than first glance and he would need a secondarily marked healer as well.

She was proud of the boys as well, men really, as they converged and assessed as well, quickly splitting up duties without an argument and without even any debate at all. It was good, so good, that the Konti almost smiled.

A smile would be inappropriate in the situation, but she was happy. Her child would come this season, freeing her body from its burden and perhaps releasing her from her Nakivak contract or at least freeing up her mobility and need for caution until she could begin training again - hard physical training. She'd have some time. A season perhaps, maybe two, until someone else or maybe Hatot again, took up her contract and planted another seed in her belly if the council didn't release her from her debt first. She knew though, inherently, that they wouldn't. A young konti, brutally captured on the grass by slavers, was ruined for any other line of work in their eyes. But she was more than a brood mare for them. Far more.

And she was not ruined, only tempered.

If the truth were told, she'd had hoped for some of the other staffers to be touched by tragedy. It wasn't that she willed harm to them. But she willed instead the strength and dedication to continue on a cause to have a deep and meaningful drive. Such dedication could have such things, but it came easier from those with deep wounds than those with pure untouched innocence.

But she'd take what she could get, and if they were innocents she'd fight to her last breath to keep them that way. Kavala hadn't had a choice in her own life and had grown up completely in a single afternoon when she'd woke from the fall off her strider bound and caged, already violated mind, body, and soul.

The team was her hope and the people her future hinged on.

Kavala had plans for the Sanctuary. She was going to turn the people here, if they showed her they could be what she needed them to be, into first rate warriors and then set them on a cause that needed their help desperately. The Konti would arm them with the tools they needed: Knowledge, Training, and find a way to get as many of them marked by as many gods as possible. They would have to be stronger, faster, almost preternatural in their abilities if she got her way. They'd need it. And they'd also need this teamwork that was showing so much promise, even in its infancy.

So she couldn't help her joy at their response. It didn't manifest in a laugh though, but her eyes brightened to a sparkle and she looked first to Riki who if paying attention could read something of her joy in the azure eyes that met his.

"Your turn, Riki. Everything you can't do yet I've done, but she has a lot more work that's needed. Now she needs the bruising removed, her swelling eased, and a bath in that order. Pain can kill canines, and she's been badly beaten. You'll need to work quickly. Id start at her head, around her nose, and work towards her middle. Mizuriel can start at her tail and work backwards, metting up with you." Kavala instructed.

"Then it was back to the bath. Can you give her one, and take Mizuriel to help move her. You two make quick work of the bath, drain it, and then refill it for Ixal. Once your both done, come back here. She can be placed in that large empty kennel downstairs on blankets. She should sleep the rest of the day. If she looks like shes being to uneasy give her some powdered restwell vine - two spoonfulls to a half a cup of warm water - and she'll sleep. She knows shes safe. Riki, you can stay with the dog if you'd like though we can use you back here. Mizuriel, we definitely need you back here after you help Riki. I'd like you and Lakara to take care of his minor cuts and bruises before we get him into a bath." Kavala said, her tone not ordering, just firmly suggestive.

Kavala met Lakara's eyes. The Konti healer felt awkward, hardly able to move with the burden in her womb as she gracelessly made it to Ixal's side. She said nothing though, knowing her handicap was temporary.

Then, the Konti awkwardly shifted, not really standing up at all, until she was beside the man Lakara was working on. She'd heard his comments and knew it wasn't going to be good.

Then, turning to Lakara, she gestured to his ribs. "Good assessment Lakara. Tell me what you think as you work. You're questions were excellent. Can you tell me what's most dangerous and where you'd start with your abilities?" Kavala asked, staying close to the man and not taking a chance his injuries were more serious than the first glance revealed. She was worried him having a hard time thinking. That might indicate cranial swelling. Kavala wanted to hear Lakara's opinion, then she'd get to work on the man's pounding head immediately. Lakara and possibly Mizuriel could work on his rib lacerations and back, though they'd need stronger healing for his head.

Kavala met the man's gaze, looked deeply into his eyes watching his pupil interaction and then laid her hands on his forehead. Her voice was gentle. "May I look at your head, Sir? It worries me that you say it's hard to think. That could be life-threatening." She asked softly, not wanting to cause him any more pain.

[Lakara]

Lakara could hear the conversations taking place behind her, but she wasn't following them properly, her attentions focused primarily on Ixal. She understood that Riki would be helping tend to the poor dog. The konti hadn't paid a whole lot of attention to her wounds, but from the little she had gathered, they seemed very dangerous. She also heard Kavala instructing Mizuriel to tend to the dog for a while. Which surely meant that Ixal was being left entirely in her care. She turned to look at Kavala then, and met the konti's eyes, relief washing over her when her 'mentor' moved over to join her. She deeply admired the more experienced healer. Not only was she extremely talented at her work, but she was also ploughing forwards whilst heavily pregnant. That was worthy of the highest level of respect. She gave a swift nod before returning her efforts to the injured man. "The first thing I was planning on doing, was sorting out his head the best I can. Though now that you are here, perhaps you should be the one to do that. I fear that it's quite severe from the strength of his reaction to the very lightest touch." She looked apologetically at Ixal, hoping that he could forgive her for causing him such pain. "I also think that he has concussion, from his comment about finding it hard to think," She shifted over slightly so that Kavala would have better space to tend to Ixal's head before continuing. "From what I can tell he may also have fractured, or even broken ribs, as he is finding it hard to breathe. This would be my second priority." She glanced at the man for confirmation, before reaching out to let her hand hover over his side, and then looked back at Kavala again. "I don't know if I can mend fractured ribs, but I can at least ease the pain." Her voice rose slightly at the end, it was almost a question. If Ixal let her, she would lay her hand over his side and use her Gnosis to help alleviate the pain, hopefully easing his breathing, and if she was lucky, help his ribs to begin mending themselves.

[Riki Stormheart]

Kavala's orders came to Riki quickly and he accepted him them with pleasure. He gave her a small, sympathetic smile. It must have been hard keeping up with the rush of the Sanctuary while she was carrying a child. He thought back to the woman of Endrykas. They had a similar work ethic to Kavala's. When there was work to be done and people depending on you at times the pain needed to be put aside. He was amazed at the dedication it took. The gods only knew how the women did it. "Sure thing Kavala." There was a lot to do and he could feel time ticking already. Riki would not let this dog die. He thought back to Flower. She had not been as bad as this dog but he had helped her. She had gotten better and even went on to breed and have pups. He kept that thought in his mind. The strength of a healer, especially a gifted of Rak'keli, came from his or her belief that they would succeed and their confidence. "I can do this. Rak'keli, please watch over me and give me strength to help her." Riki nodded at Mizuriel and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm glad I get to work with you Mizuriel. I've never worked one on one with another healer before." He knelt down by the dog's head and ran his fingers though her fur. "Don't worry honey. We will make you all better. Just try to relax. You will be all cleaned up soon and you can rest." He rested his hand on the tip of the dog's nose and looked at Mizuriel. "Ready?" He laid his hand on the dog's muzzle and began to work his way down to her flank. He felt Rak'keli's power flowing through him and working it's way into the dog's wounds. "I hope you can see me Flower. Remember this?" He smiled as his hand worked over the dog. His green eyes stared intently at the dog as he worked. Soon his hand made it to her flank, meeting Mizuriel's. The dog was not completely healed. Riki's healing power was not strong enough yet. He could see a bit of improvement in the little creature though. "Okay, little buddy. Next is your bath." Riki gave a glance to Ixal. "I'll take good care of her. I promise." Carefully Riki wrapped his arms around the dog. He did not want to hurt her but lifting her up but he did not want to overwork her by making her walk. "Don't worry girl. I won't hurt you, I promise." He smiled at her and nodded to Mizuriel to follow. With his friend at his side he walked into the baths. Once he got there he placed the dog on a mat near the bath. "Okay, I'll get some soaps and herbs for the dog. Can you get the bath filled and warmed up?" Riki turned to the dog and ran his hand across her fur. He could only imagine how Ixal was feeling. He patted his leg, beckoning Sadie to follow. She looked up at him with her blue eyes but she refused to move from her place next to the dog. "Baby, come on." He patted his leg again hoping Sadie would follow but she stayed at the dog's side. "She must want to stay with her and make sure she is okay." He looked over at Mizuriel and smiled. "Keep an eye on them okay?"

[Mizuriel]

OOCSorry for delaying this a bit, stuff got busy all of a sudden. Nodding quickly at Kavala’s words, Mizuriel got closer to the dog, as he was wondering who could do such a thing? Even in self defense, which was hardly the case here, there was such a thing as too much violence. Frowning at the sight of the hurt dog, he slowly laid his right hand onto the dog’s tail, focusing energy through it, hoping everything will be alright. The world would have been a much better place if people did not resort to violence so often, but he was not an idealist, he knew it was just a foolish dream, for now at least. As he moved his hand across the tail slowly, he could both feel and see the improvement on the wounds of the animal. He ruffled the fur where the marked hand had passed with the other one, just to make sure he did not miss anything. Finally touching something that did not have fur on it, he touched it again, confused. Finally he pulled his hand back quickly, what he had touched was Riki’s hand. It was probably not such a big deal, but he wasn’t keen on neither surprises nor human touch. Not letting his shuffled notions get to him, he quickly obliged when the other man picked up the dog and called on him to follow to the baths. Once they were here, Riki was gone even more quickly than the two had entered. Quickly getting the water ready, he started heating it up, while casting occasional glances at the dogs. The two seemed to be fairly still, as Sadie seemed to look after the other dog whose name he didn’t know, or didn’t bother to remember momentarily. He pushed his hand into the water, checking the temperature, frowning a little as it was indeed still too cold. He repeated the same action a couple of times before he finally got to what seemed to be a decent heat. While he was still new to bathing animals, he was still quite sure it would work, as while it might have not been ideal, he would agree to bathe Samantha in it as well. His thoughts lingered around the girl for a while longer as he was stopping the heating of the water. Was she really sitting still like he ordered her to? He sincerely doubted that, but he still did not want her to see too much blood. While waiting for the man to return, he looked at the dogs again just to be sure they are still where they should be. Wondering even went as far as getting him interested in the situation outside; Was the man really as alright as he thought he was? Not having doubts about Kavala’s healing powers was not the same thing as believing in miracles after all.

[Kavala]

NoteI'm replying out of order just to finish the dialog with Lakara since I'm off to work for the night in a little bit.

Kavala nodded, impressed. "Very good, Lakara. Very good." She paused, spared a glance for Ixal of kindness, and looked back at Lakara. Kavala trusted Riki and Mizuriel to do the right thing immediately, so since the dog was out of danger, Kavala worried less about her than she did about the man. Concussions were a serious thing and could be life threatening if the pressure built up or something in his head began to bleed.

She turned her head, nodding approvingly as the two assistants took charge of the dog, just as she took charge of Ixal's worst wounds. Kavala couldn't help but admire the way he cared more for his dog than for himself and she vowed they'd do what they could to try to recover his sleigh horse which should have stuck out like a sore thumb in this region between its breed and its coloring.

They would do something about that just as soon as possible. But first both the dog and the man needed to be resting comfortably.

So Kavala shifted so she was kneeling in front of Ixal's resting position. She was awkward in her movements as if the child she was burdened with was something she was unused to dealing with on such a slight frame. But she didn't let it stop her, not really, as she worked around her own body's hindrances.

Kavala reached up and gently touched either side of his head. She ran her slim scaled fingers into his hairline, gently until the webbing prevented her from pushing in further. She met his own gaze with her azure eyes and held him there, as if trying to shelter him in some sort of safe place where she could hold his spirit safe from the pain of hos body as she healed him. "You will be well. Relax." She said softly and tapped the power of the Rak'keli marks - twin winged serpants - spiraling up her ankle. Warmth infused his skull, chasing back the pain and the pressure, alleviating the headache almost immediately. He tasted power in her touch, a warm fierce battle between his bruised and broken flesh and Kavala's will to make him whole. She moved her hands then, tracing the curve of his skull intimately and down his neck and across his shoulders.

Power poured forth, tasting different in his mouth than Lakara's would. Kavala's touch was savory with a hint of the wildness of a horse and the salt of the sea. It poured through him healing the deep wounds, the ones that threatened him the worst. She traced his spine gently avoiding the lacerations that Lakara could deal with and crossed over to investigate his ribs, knitting one and reinforcing another that was not broken but only stress crackled. She moved down to his hips and out onto each leg, still touching and still feeling her way through his injuries.

When she was done, her azure gaze was etched slightly with exhaustion and her opalescent skin was dimmer somehow. Kavala tried to sit up but found she was unable too and growled slightly under her breath. She couldn't quite climb to her feet which had little to do with the healing she just did and more to do with her current physical state. Aweston, who was hovering, wandered over and offered Kavala a hand up, hauling the fat Konti to her feet with very little effort. Kavala thanked him quietly and he adverted his eyes to hide the mirth in them at her condition.

"Lakara, will you see to his lacerations? Sanitize them. If any are too deep, along with the bruising, I can go over them once more. They all look fine though, like you can handle them just fine. Try to clean up his skin too... the scrapes and bruising. Go slow and take your time. He's going to be fine." She said, stretching and reaching down to rub a knee that ached where she knelled before the patient.

[Ixal]

OOCSorry it took me a bit to respond, just got a new job and I'm getting into the swing of things. I'll be more frequent from now on. =] The words being said to him began to morph and blend together, the world dimming at the edges of Ixal's view. He had known that his head was bad and getting worse, but had no idea that it had swelled so massively and been this serious. To be honest, he didn't much care. His concern had been seeing that Aurora was mended and safe. She was all he had left in the world, sad as it seemed. Well, aside from his family in Avanthal, but he had never been close to them. To be fair, they never made the effort, but to be fairer, neither did he. He never felt like he belonged there, so they didn't count in his eyes. After his failed courtship, he was ostracized anyway. The only thing he regretted leaving behind was the beautiful sky he'd found so invigorating and motivating, hence the name he'd given to his companion. This way he could take with him the few fond memories he allowed himself. The large dog was viciously loyal to him and impressively resilient; it was a wonder she had even survived this long, but her recovery would likely be quicker than most, especially with the talented healers presently caring for her. The people and sky above him began to dance and wave as his eyes blurred in and out of focus. He closed them tightly, but exercising the muscles in his head only worsened the pain, so he reopened them to the dizzying sights. The sounds of the world seemed to fade out, and he fought to keep conscious. It was a difficult battle, but he supposed he'd been through worse. His own thoughts were muddled, among them feelings of surprise at his quick decline and gratitude to the people caring for Aurora. He groaned quietly as those very people lifted her from the ground and took her away from him, although she seemed to be in much better condition. His thoughts told him to trust the young man who had promised to take good care of her although he couldn't quite make out the words properly, and only later would he realize this was because Riki had a dog himself by his side. The only thing said to him that was made clear were Kavala's words, stating that she would make him well and that he should relax. He did, and was shocked by the powerful energy that coursed through her hands and into his skull. The pain from his headache was gone immediately, and for this he was most grateful. Instantly his thoughts began to become more clear. It felt like... a light. A warm light that infused his entire body and made him feel almost euphoric. It tasted of the warm sea breeze, reminded him of the horses he had left behind, made him think of his own, wherever she may be. He felt the Konti herself, this exchange allowing him a small glimpse into her. It was only now that he realized she was very pregnant, and he was overcome. Someone so selfless as to put their own burdens aside to ensure his survival thoroughly confused and moved him deeply. He didn't think that even his own family would put so much into him, but here was a complete stranger, nay, four of them, who were doing just that without any good reason. As Kavala finished her healing, he sighed, his body shuddering and suddenly feeling very heavy. He hadn't realized how light he'd felt before until now. His thoughts were still very much confused, and his body exhausted from his journey, although he was grateful that the pain was alleviated. He would have to find some way to repay these people, whether it be with charity or miza. Attempting to sit up, his arms shook with the effort. ---- Aurora experienced a similar sensation as Riki and Mizuriel began their work on her. The terrible, horrible pain was gone from her side, and she began to regain strength now that her mind wasn't distracted by the infliction. She enjoyed Riki's voice, it was caring and compassionate, and somehow knowing of her plight. She felt herself being lifted and moved away from Ixal, a whine escaping her throat as she saw her master lying there unable to help himself. Loathe to leave him like that but powerless against it, she relaxed and allowed the humans to do with her as they would without struggle.

[Lakara]

Lakara smiled a little at Kavala's praise, though she didn't let it stretch too far over her mouth, as the present situation was not really one that called for joy. She heard movement behind her, but she did not turn around, for she knew that it was Riki and Mizuriel moving to take Ixal's dog elsewhere. She could see that the man seemed to be struggling with something though whether it was with thoughts, or the effort to remain conscious, she did not know. But what she did know, was that he had to be healed quickly. She could feel a change in the air, like something shifting, and she instantly understood that it was Kavala using the power gifted to her by Rak'keli. It felt different than when Kara herself used the Gnosis, and she put it down to the fact that she only possessed a single mark, while her mentor had two. She continued to watch as Kavala worked her way over most of Ixal's body, healing where she felt it necessary. She glanced at the Konti's face then, and thought she could see an underlying tiredness. When she made to rise to her feet, Lakara realised a few moments too late that she was struggling. She was about to rise herself to lend a hand, but Aweston beat her to it, so she returned her attention to the injured man. She nodded at Kavala's words, and shifted closer to Ixal. She touched her hand to the start of the first laceration on his torso before taking a deep breath. She called on Rak'keli's mark, the twin serpents that entwined each-other on the back of her right shoulder. The power flowed through her hand, and she gently traced over the man's wound. The wounds were being cleaned, the cuts purifying under her touch, and his skin was slowly knitting itself together. She ran her hand over the laceration twice in total, before moving onto the next, and then the third cut. Next, as Kavala had asked of her, she began to work on Ixal's general scrapes and bruises. She laid her hand over the deep purple marks that had blossomed over his back, and they slowly faded as she willed her healing power forth. She examined him closely, making sure that she had treated each graze and bruise that he had. When she was sure she had found and sufficiently cured each of his various injuries, she shifted so that she could catch Ixal's gaze. She gave him a warm smile. "There. You're all patched up." She laid her hand on his arm. "How are you feeling?" They needed to get him inside now that he had been treated, but she wanted to check that he was not still concussed before he tried to stand. It was not that she doubted Kavala's ability, she was certain that the konti would have removed such an ailment, but there was no harm in checking. She tried to recall the correct way to deal traditionally with concussion. From what she could remember, one should apply something cool to the head to prevent brain swelling, and of course, rest was a must. But even movement could have an effect on a concussed patient as far as she could recall. She glanced up at Kavala, to make sure that she was doing things correctly, and then back to Ixal to await his response.

[Riki Stormheart]

Mizuriel was a quiet man but Riki could interstand that. He was not a man of many words either. When he returned with the herbs and soaps he nodded to his companion. "Is it warm enough?" He trusted his new friend's judgement but he dipped his hand in the water and nodded at the warm temperature. "Perfect Mizuriel!" Riki walked over to the dog and lifted her up carefully. He worried he might hurt her but she needed to be lathered up soon or her wounds would get worse. "Okay, let's clean her up." Riki smiled at Mizuriel as Sadie padded over to the edge of the tub and looked in at the dog soaking in the water. Riki started to work the soap into the dog's wounds with a careful hand. "Are you keeping watch sweetie?" He smiled at Sadie as she watched the dog carefully. He looked at Mizuriel. "Isn't it interesting how she is so concerned with this dog?" Riki was sure there was a sort of kinship involved with the dogs. They were not of the same breed but they knew what to do when another of their kind was hurt. Maybe it was even the blessings of Rak'keli or Riki's protective nature rubbing off on Sadie, making her want to protect others. The dog whined and howled as the pair washed her. "Awww, poor little girl. I know we are helping her Mizuriel but that sound just breaks my heart." After the bath was done it was time to move the dog downstairs. "Mizuriel, can you grab some blankets? My arms are a little full." He motioned to he dog laying in his arms with a small smile. He walked down into the basement with Sadie following intently. She did not seem to take her eyes off of the dog. She ran into a few things due to her lack of focus on where she was walking. "Sade, look where you are going. I've got her, don't worry about it." Sadie let out a small growl and kept her blue eyes fixed on the dog. In the basement Riki laid the dog down on the blankets and looked over at Mizuriel. "Kavala and Lakara probably need us. We should head back. Unless there is something else you think we should do. Are there any special herbs or practices from your homeland that might help her? I only know the healing arts of Endrykas." Riki looked at Mizuriel with interested eyes. He was always open to learning about new things, especially in the healing arts.

[Kavala]

Kavala gave Aweston a grateful look and let him help her over to lean against one of the rails on the round pen that was closest to where Ixal had collapsed. The konti watched the young healers work, both on the dog and on the man, and felt a new sensation fill her. Pride. Deep inside the secret heart of her soul, Kavala had often felt the lack of pride in her life.

The curse on the Denusk Pavilion that had existed long before her mother had answered her Call to come heal the horses of the Sapphire Clan from a plague had taken its toll. It had also took her mother's life. It had left Akela, her konti sister, and her alone in a sea of dark skinned fully human relatives. She'd never felt pride in being a Konti. She'd never much cared for being a woman either for it left her with no choices in her life in terms of how the Drykas were established. She certainly hadn't felt 'part of' something in Mura when she traveled there to study healing. They'd been so naive, so peaceful, so coddled and cherished on their island so far to the north. She'd missed the grass fiercely and certainly hadn't felt pride in riding home and getting captured because of a stupid mistake of taking her horse down a draw that had looked to be the easiest path from the top. It had almost cost Windsong his life.

It had almost cost Kavala her's as well.

And because of that slavery and the subsequent rescue to Riverfall Kavala was here, no better than a slave, trapped in her own ideals and building a glass house around herself. Sanctuary was all she had. The name hadn't been truthfully given for the horse and animals she sheltered. Nor had it been given for the kelvics she healed. Instead it had been given in some foolish dream that maybe finally she'd have some safe place to linger. The Konti had hoped that somehow, in all the mess that her life had become, she'd find some golden ray of sunshine to stand in and feel warmth on the sense loneliness and failure she was often overwhelmed with.

But here and now, those two dominant sensations were driven out by what she was seeing - the team of healers in Sanctuary going to work to help someone truly in need.

It felt right. It felt good. It felt like finally things were coming together. Kavala sighed, leaned back, and let her back pop. Her knees ached and she hadn't seen her feet for a long long time. What she wanted, no what she needed suddenly, was the sea and a bit of solitude. She looked first at Lakara, then at the rest as they wandered back her way.

"Make sure they are resting comfortably. Put them upstairs if you need to or bunk them with Miz and Riki if the stairs is too much. I'm going to ride for the city and report the incident to the watch and speak to them about thieves in the vicinity. I shouldn't be gone long. I might stop off at the sea for a few minutes before getting back. Make sure hes well? They are both out of danger, but he'll need rest and a lot of food and water when he wakes." She added to those that were within hearing distance. If no one was, at the very least Aweston would be.

Then, very carefully, she slipped through a stall out into a far pasture and called one of the horses too her. Instead of trying to mount, it knelled for her and she managed to slip her bulk up on the animals back. From there she simply rode towards town, managing the gate to the pasture from the horse's back. For the first time in a long time, she wasn't afraid to leave Sanctuary on its own. It was in very good hands with more than one dedicated soul watching after its denizens.

[Mizuriel]

OOCI’m sorry, this one completely slipped my mind. I will try not to have it happen again. I know i am posting out of order, but since i was skipped the last round, i figured i could- If i'm wrong, nudge me, and i will remove/repair the post. Mizuriel was still unsure how should he react to Riki’s emotional approach on things, so he just nodded awkwardly. It wasn’t against his nature to be friendly, he just found the man to be a bit too exaggerated friendliness. He found it cute how the boy kept talking to the dog and worrying for this and that, he even reminded him of Samantha to some degree. Speaking of Samantha, it was a good thing she missed the sight of so much blood. Getting lost in thought for a moment, he could hear the dog whine a bit. Realizing he was starting to rub in the soap a bit too hard into its wounds, he quickly corrected his actions. “Sorry” was all he could whisper at the moment. As Riki mentioned something related to dogs again, the man could not help but nod in agreement. Dogs indeed cared about one another more than most people did; which was sad if one would look at it closely. Riki’s next words surprised Mizuriel a little, he never really thought about the pain dog was under while they were doing their job. “I am quite sure there is no other way Riki. We are healers, and while it does sound hypocritical, we need to leave our emotions as far away from our job as we can. If you think the sound of her life is breaking your heart, what would the silence mean to you?” he sighed, not really sure the boy had understood him. They finished quickly after, and not really waiting for a response, the older man added: “I’ll go get those blankets”. When they got to the basement, Mizuriel slowly spread the blankets across the floor. Once he was done, Riki gently laid the dog atop the improvised bedding. The topic of conversation shifted to healing herbs: “I am sorry to admit I have nothing with me that can help the dog with the pain. We can make a trip to the market and get a couple of things though” he exhaled looking at the dog, wondering was there anything more he could do for the animal. He heard the voice next to him telling him they should get back to Lakara and Kavala, but he just replied awkwardly: “You go, I’ll stay” he paused briefly before adding: “Someone needs to bandage the wounds, or they will just get dirty again. Go, they might still need you, I can handle this” he smiled hoping he sounded more self assured than he actually was. He slowly covered the animal’s wound with gauze first, then he started wrapping the bandages around the small body. The ending result was not as good as it could have been, as the bandages made the dog seem like an apparition form an unknown world. Still it was well enough to keep dust and dirt away from the wounds, and as soon as he checked the dog could still breathe with all the fabric covering most of him, he sighed scheduling a trip to the market in his mind. Taking another look to assure himself the dog was alright was all he did before heading out to see what the state outside was.