Lord of Azure Flame Chapter 6: Standing against the Bolivian Army

[-Cynthia-]

As the group walked towards TISME, Morgan noticed Tessa acting strangely. She examined the girl's awkward gait carefully. SHe was trying to disguise it, but was doing a poor job.

"You've twisted your ankle." Morgan said matter-of-factly to her. "We are in a hurry obviously, but your ankle is going to slow us down more in the future if you make it worse. Next time we rest, I demand that you elevate it, bandage it, and put ice on it. Swelling is just going to make it heal more slowly."

[Balcerzak]

Dealing with the post-trauma waitress was giving Tessa a headache. Or maybe that was the exhaustion. But at any rate, it certainly wasn't helping matters. The entire conversation was broken into small pieces due to various interjections with questions, or counter-assertions.

In the end, she gave up on explaining death, and counted small victories at having sort of re-established some basics of the group dynamic, glossing completely over the fact that the transitive property doesn't always apply in friendships between individuals, just happy for the moment that in this case it was true.

She only managed to get around to laying out the very basics of religion and the metaphysical, The Lady opposes The Lord, one is beautiful and knowing and wise, the other is terrible and cruel and vengeful.

The hug... hadn't gone quite as well as she could have hoped, but perhaps it was the fact that the decision to move out had finally been made that caused it to break down, she had felt like she was making some progress, though that could just have been her imagination. At any rate, when Kamilla clearly wanted out, she was quick to oblige.

Smiling at the woman's final question she answered quite confidently, "Yes, that's Arrin. He's a quite good friend actually, very pleasant company."

When Kamilla's attention was sufficiently distracted with new people to pester, Tessa let a frown slip across her face. She'd heard the angry whinnies, and while she'd been facing the wrong direction to see exactly what had gone on, she wasn't oblivious enough that she couldn't make some guesses, especially when she saw the way Kelas kept wincing. She didn't know which horse kicked, or why, (aside from the fact that it wasn't Trevor, as it hadn't sounded a thing like him), but even if Kelas was lucky and didn't have any broken bones, she was liable to end up with a bruise the size of a grapefruit if she left it untreated. Since the nomad was trying to take it stoically, she likely didn't want to bother the group, or slow things down while they needed to get a move on to TISME. Tessa decided to respect her wishes, and not make a fuss and demand to heal her right away. As soon as they had some breathing room though... the healer bided her time and waited for her chance.

Tessa had intended to simply walk along, leading Trevor, but her ankle was not particularly fond of that, and she had to give it up almost immediately. Morgan had actually caught on, and started to scold her, and she turned red in embarrassment. "...I understand, when we get some moments to spare, I'll do what I can for it. The Lady doesn't grant selfish prayers, so it'll have to be just what I can do with my own skills, but it should be okay. Ice might be hard to find... unless, oh wait, we'll be at the mage's academy. Nevermind."

Rightly rebuked, she made her way back into the saddle, following along behind the group from atop Trevor. Calling back to the packhorse she said, "C'mon, you too, Francis, let's go." It just stood there with a dumb look on its face until Trevor nickered to it, before it dutifully resumed following the stallion as usual. Letting out a little sigh, she felt like she'd just completely wasted her effort.

From horseback and near the rear of the group, she'd had a terrible angle during the pickpocket incident, and was more or less dozing off in the saddle anyway. Arrin's cry of "Irina's at the gates everybody, come on," jerked her back full upright though, and she looked around at the mage's academy that they'd finally arrived at. Sure enough, the wyvern rider was just up ahead.

In an attempt to pre-empt Kamilla's inevitable tide of questions, she turned and spoke to the girl, "That's Irina. She's Isotov's, the man with red hair there, she's his sister. She seems nice enough, but I have to admit, I don't really get along all that well with him."

[[OOC: Thankfully, preview caught something, and I sewed it in. May not have actually been properly chronological, but whatever, unless anyone complains, I think it works better like this.]]

[Inactive Account]

OOC: WHY DOES IRINA NOT REACT TO BEING FOUND what is this

The pickpocket had fled; Irina had been found. Trying to hide his apprehension, Arrin approached the grand gates of TISME.

"Hope they've got healers in this rat-warren," Kelas muttered as she rode forward. "Looks like Tessa needs one," she added a few seconds late.

OOC: We about to wrap this up, I'm guessing?

Edited June 4, 2010 by Darth Lacuna

[Kanami]

Kamilla had just finished greeting Aiya when Tessa's friend, Arrin? Called out something she didn't understand, but she figured this Arrin, was always shouting out things, a bit like the newspaper boys on street corners. She was about to pester someone else asking who the woman up ahead was but Tessa seemed to have figured out her actions and quickly explained to her that it was Irina, and also told her who Isotov was.

Pointing her finger around at the group, "Arrin, Aiya, Irina, Isotov, Tessa" she said, immediately getting corrected as she got Irina and Isotov mixed up. Trying again she smiled as she got the names right, and looked around if anymore of these weird people were going to turn up when she noticed the scaly beast beside Irina. Tugging on Tessa's clothes she pointed at Kiev, "Big flying snake?" she asked curiously,

Tessa didn't really seem to know much about wyverns herself, but she told Kamilla what she knew. She thought she noticed a quick sigh of fatigue or perhaps it was Tessa getting sick on answering so many questions. Kamilla wandered over to a few of the others she hadn't yet spoken to.

(I was so sure we'd get a battle of some sort yesterday :/ Ah well)

Edited June 4, 2010 by Kanami

[Phoenix]

@ Lacuna LMAO!!! XD (Sometimes ... people are just facing the wrong direction)

Once the group was close enough, their chatter and footsteps caught Irina's attention. ( XD )

Overjoyed that Iso had survived, she ran up to and hugged him! That's when she remembered that Ixion wasn't there.

Irina: Hey. Where's Ixion? Didn't you bring him with you? Oh, and where are Damian and Esphyr?

Iso: They'll catch up, I'm sure.

Irina: I know you hate Ixion, but what about Damian and Esphyr?

Iso: Damian can take care of himself, and Esphyr's with him so I'm not worried. Let's go.