Caedyona
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Caedyona ~ Life and Truth
Posts: 174
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Post by Caedyona on May 23, 2008 7:31:59 GMT -5
The man stopped. Pushed his gaze to the elven girl lying on the ground, and then back to the man standing in front of him with a sword to his throat. He shook his head, "Are you touched in the head? Peoples lives are not connected to trees...although she looks sick. You should take her to a doctor, not be toting her around the woods with you." Stepping back, he looked at the two of them, his concern now that he was in the presence of two people who had some sickness. "Keep her sickness away from me. I have enough problems of my own...my child has some sort of sickness, also. And I'm to perform two tasks to save his life. I must chop down this tree, and hand deliver a letter. The mage will cure my child after both are done, not before. Every second you delay me could be my childs life." Lifting the axe into a defensive position, the woodsman let his gaze flow over the two people before him, cautiously. "And what kind of man would let a child die to save a tree?" He waved towards the tree with his axe, "It's a tree. A beautiful one, no doubt, but a tree."
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Post by leonyr on May 24, 2008 4:39:02 GMT -5
"Gods man!" Leo roared. "I'm a healer! Don't you think I would have healed her if I could!" He stepped forward and placed the sword against his throat once more. " I'm warning you. Do not touch that tree!" He stared at him. " My name is Leonyr. This is my betrothed, Dyona. I'm begging you, don't make me hurt you!" He risked a quick look at Dyona. She was still breathing, but her skin had taken on an ashen hue. " Look, I'm sorry about your son, maybe I can take a look at him, help him. But I can't let you carry on."
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Post by narym on May 24, 2008 4:54:27 GMT -5
Back at the clinic Narym spared a few moments to explain what had happened. " Ok Cass, what happened was this. After you went out, Dyona changed with the lunar eclipse in front of Leo's eyes. She turned bit by bit into a griffin and Leo says it hurt her. It was different from anything she had described to him. We got her outside and she flew off, looking for food, human food. Fallow and Brynd trailed her. Do you remember the dive she took at you and the man you were with? That was Dyona! She attacked the enemy camp, successfully at first, then they shot her full of arrows. She managed to get on the ground and then changed back. Leo and I got her here but she has not really regained consciousness yet, apart from when she tried to speak. As I told you the other day, Dyona is connected to her Tree, on a different plane to this. I have a feeling that her tree is dying. I cannot heal that. I'm hoping Leo can help her. He's with her now." She sought her mind for anything she may have forgotten. " Oh, why can't I heal her? All her wounds are clean and should be ok, but as you can see they're not. It's all connected to the Tree. I daren't follow her where she's gone, I need to watch over her body. I have never encountered anyone like Dyona, I'm out of my depth. And I'm afraid to make things worse." Phew, a very long conversation for Narym! " I wish Kaden would get here," she muttered. " I want to tell him about the army! We could do with a wizard or two right now!"
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Caedyona
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Caedyona ~ Life and Truth
Posts: 174
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Post by Caedyona on May 24, 2008 10:21:22 GMT -5
The woodmans entire body changed when he heard Leo was a healer, "Wait...you'll look at my son? I've had four healers look at him, and none knew what it was, only this mage who came up." He paused, and then nodded, unintentionally scratching his own neck with Leonyr's sword, "But it's worth a shot. If you can heal him, I'll not chop down the tree, though I must still deliver the letter to Cody. What say you? Come with me?" His voice finally broke as he showed his own desperation. "He's so small, you know? And.."
Dyona's eyes had opened, and she struggled to her knees, her lips still ashen, but her eyes were animated. Her voice was a whisper on the air, "If you go, Leo, you'll appear to them as a ghost...and you must not lose your way." Finding her feet, she stumbled to the trunk of her tree, and curled around the base of it. Her breathing eased, as the connection between her and her tree was solidified with touch, and an amazing thing started to happen, her tree, very very slowly, started to heal itself. Back on the Clinic bed, she relaxed into what appeared to be a healing sleep. In only a few moments, her colour had improved, and her breathing evened out.
The woodsman hesitated, "A ghost? Maybe I should bring my son here, instead of the other way around..." He looked askance at Dyona and Leo, uncertain. Dyona, seconds away from sleeping, mumbled "He might lose his way...finding his way back to his body...the choice is not mine..." She drew in a slow deep breath, and smiled gently at Leo, "I must rest...we will be fine...but we must rest together and heal." Her eyelids drifted closed, and a slight smile clung to her lips as she fell into a healing sleep, leaving the woodsman looking uncertainly at Leo.
"What did she mean, he might lose himself?" The axe was left lying on the ground near the base of the tree, but it was clear that he was worried, he watched uneasily as the tree and girl appeared to be healing, "Are they truly connected? I hadn't known...but why would someone want me to cut down a tree that was connected to a life? That mage was scary, true...but I thought he was a miracle, coming to save us at the last instant..." He shook his head, but spoke again, "I think there is more here than what it appears to be. But I don't know what I should do...I'm only here to heal my son, not to harm someone else. You must come with me. Please."
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Post by leonyr on May 24, 2008 10:50:39 GMT -5
Leo was torn between staying to watch over Dyona and going with the man. He looked from one to the other. " Is your son far away?" he asked. " Can you bring him here?" He lowered his sword and walked over to Dyona and knelt by her side. " She appears to be healing, " he muttered half to himself. He looked up. " If you can bring him here I can remain watching over her. If you can't....... I will come with you, even though I may lose my way. We don't live here, this is my spirit self that you see. I think!" He touched the Tree. "Greetings Renalia," he said softly. " I am relieved that you are healing." He felt a shiver flow through the trunk. " This man didn't know what he was doing, please forgive him." He stood and faced the man. " You were tricked. For some reason this mage wants to kill Dyona and get to Cody. Cody is a young boy, like your son. An innocent in all this. Bring your son here and I will do my utmost to heal him for you. Then perhaps we can discuss what is to happen next." Leo looked at the man earnestly. " I mean you no harm. Nor your son. If I can help you I will."
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Post by narym on May 24, 2008 10:57:50 GMT -5
Narym sighed with relief. " Ah Dyona, thank the gods!" The elf's colour was returning to it's normal hue and her breathing was improving. Narym removed her hands slowly and sat down in the nearest chair, exhausted. Without removing her eyes from the sleeping elf she spoke to Cass. " We are going to need at least one other healer here Cass. If we are attacked, I cannot fight and be here at the same time, neither can Leo." She smiled at her friend. " Do you have any alcohol nearby? The healer needs a shot!"
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Post by cassandra on May 25, 2008 21:59:02 GMT -5
"Yes...I happen to have a flask of Vodka right here..and..well..but..Narym we do have another healer here...it's just that he's 3 years old..Cody isn't usual in any other way, do you think you could work with him, and train him to take over for you when you're not here?" Cassandra said as she passed her friend a shot, then took one herself...her life was never dull, that much was for sure!
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Post by narym on May 26, 2008 5:02:37 GMT -5
" Cody! Of course!" Narym nodded. " I'm so tired, I think I must be addle pated. Is that the word you use?" She took the flask from Cass and took a good long swig. Ah, that was better. She could feel the spirit course thru her body, bringing it alive. " Cody will be great, he won't need much training. But I think we should have another healer in reserve. One that can do field dressings and on the spot healing, so that Cody can remain safely inside the castle." She took another swig before handing the flask back. " I know Cody is special and able to take care of himself, but he is still small. And still vulnerable. Besides, you can never have too many healers!" She looked at her son. Leo was still standing by Dyona's side, holding her hands. "I wonder what's going on there?"
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Post by Kaden on May 26, 2008 10:35:58 GMT -5
Kaden finally made his way to the clinic, having realized along the way that he didn't actually know where it was. Finally he decided to try something he learned; dropping the temperature only around himself and following the path created by Narym and Cassandra's body heat as they'd went to the clinic. It was still untested, so it still took a while, but he made it eventually.
"Ok, so how's she doing?" Kaden asked as he got there.
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Post by narym on May 26, 2008 11:31:40 GMT -5
" Ah, Kaden!" Narym greeted tiredly. " The patient seems to be rallying. But not because of anything I've done!" She yawned widely. " I'm glad you're here tho. I have some information on the army camped out on doorstep!" She told Kaden what had happened to Dyona, where she had led Fallow and Brynd and gave him an idea of the size of the army. She tilted her head. " There's an old boys reunion going on out there!" she smiled, referring to the three dragons. " I dare say Syn will do a recce of his own!" She turned her attention back to Leo and Dyona. " I'll be glad when they're back with us," she continued. "I could do with a good night's sleep!"
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Post by Kaden on May 27, 2008 0:32:24 GMT -5
"Army? There's an - Since when has there been an army camped out on doorstep?" Kaden asked before she began telling him the story. He paid rapt attention to her as she did, thinking all the while. "Do we even know whose army it is?" He asked first.
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Post by narym on May 27, 2008 2:37:15 GMT -5
"Ah well, that would be Lord Terrils army! " she replied ruefully. "Leo was with them until he realised what the man was really like. Now he's on a ' leave of absence'!" She looked up at Kaden, really glad to see him. She had been feeling that the whole weight of castle security would be too much for her. Now she had two ice wizards, even if Merlin was off gallavanting with Lily somewhere! " Leo has friends still, in the army, who won't be fighting for Terril when the time comes. Mystics Warriors as well as ordinary human soldiers. So we can expect some help!"
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Caedyona
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Caedyona ~ Life and Truth
Posts: 174
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Post by Caedyona on May 27, 2008 11:47:55 GMT -5
Dyona slept as the woodsman left, returning shortly with an infant bundled in his arms. The child was crying quietly, and he stopped a short distance from the elf and her tree, waving Leonyr closer to him, so they wouldn't wake the girl. His voice was quiet and filled with stress, "He won't stop crying...but it's the blue spots that we're worried about." Pulling back the blanket that was keeping the child warm, he exposed the strange blue spots that were covering most of the infants body. "We've taken him to several healers, but they don't know what it is...the mage said he knew, and he'd heal him, if I chopped down this tree and delivered a letter. He said he'd know if I didn't do both, and my son would probably not survive." The woodsman's voice was tense, and uncertain, as he explained what he knew and how he'd come to find the tree.
Dyona slept deeply, the trunk of the tree repairing itself with remarkable aclarity, as Leo spoke quietly with the man a short distance away. A shadow detatched itself from the surrounding forest, and slid over to her, unnoticed by the two men. It caressed her healing tree, leaving behind a small dark mark in the heart of the tree before settling near her. The mark was quickly covered over as the tree healed itself, and the shadow looked like nothing more than her own shadow as she curled around the trunk of the tree. In a sibilant voice, it whispered to her as she slept, tossing fitfully for a moment before settling back down...
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Post by narym on May 27, 2008 13:08:49 GMT -5
" I have seen this before," Leo said softly as he examined the small boy. He looked up at the woodsman. "This is the result of poison, not a disease!" He opened his pouch and looked thru his small stock of herbs and potions. " Ah!" he declared happily. He produced a small vial. " This is root of sindallan," he said. " If you mix this with fresh water from the stream and give it to him, it will purge his system." He held out his arms for the child. " I'll hold him. I also have a balm here, I'll apply it to the blue spots, it will ease the pain and help them heal." He saw the hesitation in the man's eyes. " Trust me," he pleaded. " I wouldn't hurt a small child."
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Caedyona
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Caedyona ~ Life and Truth
Posts: 174
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Post by Caedyona on May 27, 2008 13:31:26 GMT -5
The woodsman nodded, his eyes betraying his anxienty, as he watched Leo working. His voice, when he spoke was unsure, and filled with misery, "Who would poison a child? Why would someone do this to my child? I just don't understand..." He helped as Leo applied balm to the his son, and looked over to the girl that was lying near the tree he'd been chopping down, "I almost killed her, didn't I...why would someone want that..." A sudden thought caught him, and he started rifling through his clothes, searching for something. Suddenly producing a letter, he looked at it angrily, "This...I'm to deliver this letter. To Cody. But I'm not sure who Cody is..I was told that I would know after I'd finished with the tree." He pushed the letter towards Leo as though it was a viper. "I don't want it...burn it, bury it...I don't care. I don't want to know about anymore of this."
Dyona lay silent, hearing the sibilant whisper in her ear as she slept, "You are mine now...you will listen to me when I call you...and soon, together, we shall ensure that my grandson grows into his...full potential. I shall find you, through your tree, where ever you go...and you will hear my words as though they were your own..." Shifting in her sleep, a cross look came over her face, but it was smoothed away as the words poured into her and her tree, "Be at ease, child...I shall call you when I'm ready..."
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