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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carnifex" data-source="post: 1247881" data-attributes="member: 227">There was absolute silence all around her. She heard no voice, no whisper, no impatient rustling of garments from those who stood watching. Not even the stamping of horse's hooves, or the steady hum of insects came to Wyshira's ears as she sat with bated breath and eyes closed. Either the whole world waited with her, breathlessly, to know Wolf's fate, or the augury spell wrapped her in a protective blanket of silence so that she would hear the answer when it came.As was the manner of the spell, a simple divination that asked for some divine, but not infallible, guidance through a simple answer, it gave her a single word imprinted across her mind.Weal The word was an impersonal voice in her head, neither male nor female, young nor old. She let herself breath again, and the world came rushing back. She heard the creak of leather armor just above her; a nervous cough muffled behind a hand; the wind in her ears."It's all right!" she said, opening her eyes and looking up at Ebri with a smile of relief. "Go ahead and give him the Asgar leaf. The augury said Weal." * * *Mel watched Sebastion move off and felt pleased at the simplicity of her explanation of arcane potential. That must have answered his question.For a few moments she stood idly looking around the battleground and listening to talk of Red Talons. Everyone seemed to have something important to do. She wished she had that sort of initiative. Kale was as busy as a little bee, rounding up the survivors, and she even saw him strap a sword to her saddle! He gave her exactly the look she'd been expecting: Don't run with it. How could she be mad though? She smiled back in gratitude.But the knot of worried faces over Wolf eventually caught her attention. She peered over Wyshira's shoulder. "What's going on?" she asked anyone who had time to answer."Wolf doesn't look good." Oh, I hope no one heard that."Is there anything I can do?" Instinctively she looked for Kale. He always had a plan of action. Mel had the will, she just didn't have the plan.* * *With Wyshira having given the go-ahead, Ebri dosed the semi-concious form of Wolf with the substance. For a minute or two there appeared to be no effect but then it became clear that the man was slowly coming round to conciousness.He weakly strained his neck to try and look around. "I feel like sh*t," he gurgled, attempting to prop himself up on an elbow and failing, too weak to move under his own strength and looking sickly still."Now ask me how you look," Kale murmured with a wry smile.Wyshira wanted to hug Wolf, she was so relieved to hear him speak! She was worried by his extreme weakness though and wondered how things would go if the party was attacked again before she could restore his strength in the morning. There was still an archer out there somewhere with poison arrows and a grudge against Wolf."You say this monastery is a day's ride away?" she questioned, speaking to Angelo Dar'Averask for the first time. Turning to the others, she went on, "It might be better for us to find a defendable place to camp for the night, rather than try to make it all that way. In the morning I can prepare a few spells to help Wolf get some of his strength back."The sudden realization hit Melisande that she no longer should be looking for direction from mercenaries; she had a Purpose now. She had to find something useful to do for herself. However, being no use as a scout or healer, it took some time for something useful to present itself. At last she homed in on Sir Angelo Dar'Averask."Well, Sir Angelo, I wish you'd teach my horse to come when I whistle like yours does. Look at her! Five minutes ago she was kicking with panic, and now she's eating again like nothing at all." (The irony of this observation was utterly lost on Mel.)She took Sir Angelo's arm, mindful of the joints of his heavy, dark armor. "While we prepare our departure I'd like to hear all about your Order of Black Knights of Zhatan. I'm especially interested in knightly codes, oaths, things like that. And all the rest." She turned an earnest blue faceful of eager curiosity on him.</blockquote>

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