Furry-Within

Perrine listened to Varia intently even though she was still focused on the task at hand. Things just seemed....wrong. In so many way things seemed wrong. She was stripped of her Knighthood because Elara had made mention she would need to leave the Northern Plains and yet here she was starting off in the Frozen Mountains which are part of the Northern Plains. Wynstar had been vague and not nearly as much help as he should have been. Almost as if his concern for his own daughter were not as deep as it should have been. And why send her out on her own to begin with? Certainly he had to have realized Elita was nowhere near as prepared for something if this magnitude as was proper. There were way too many holes in all of this. And why here? Elita had headed in opposite direction so why had Karea put them here in the mountains? Then that sudden wind that convinced the mare to head north along the pass. Her faith in Karea not withstanding it was also a "gut feeling" just like Varia had mentioned. "Just so you know...uhm...magic doesn't really work on me for some ungodly reason." She turned to look at Varia not even giving the slightest hint her mind had also been plagued with other matters. "And as far as "gut feeling" goes I have always gone with mine. It gets me into and out of more trouble than I care to recall, but I am still breathing to see this day." She suddenly felt the urge to pick up the pace a little. Something was just down the road. She did feel it as plain as the day and they were getting real close now. "Something is just down the road. We should pick up the pace a bit, but stay on your guard. This path is the safest through the mountains, but that isn't really saying much." She knickers a little feeling both anxious and apprehensive as she sped up just a tad again.

Elita snorted and shook her head. "So...because you are upset with me....you land us neatly in Wolf territory where we can be attacked and possibly killed. All while that Grelisafar roams around killing innocent people and doing who knows what else. When you could have dropped us off right in front of the palace where I could have warned my father....and his army....of the danger that presents. Where we could have had an army out looking for that thing instead of hiking through these mountains passes trying to get back too....never mind" She snorted again and simply stepped up her pace ahead of him feeling this conversation was about to devolve into an argument that there was really no place for at the moment. A gust of wind whipped up and took her hood off her head. Long locks of her pink mane wafted back in the breeze. There just had to be a reason for all of this, but what was it? Certainly she didn't meet this human and his companion for nothing, but there were no answers that she could see or think of. Was he right? Was she part of something to come? What was it and to what end did she have a part to play?

Varia:  "It was safest," I said, a split second after Erron's warning reached me.  Sliding to a stop, I raised both hands and crossed my wrists before me, the ground rising in a matter of minutes to form a broad wall of rough stone, four feet thick, ten feet wide, and just over five feet tall.  Standing behind it, I gestured for Perrine to do the same and hunker down.  My elemental companion had warned me of something aside from the other Avalar, which was near.  Something large was moving closer, and from what little Erron could sense, there was part of a path ahead that was frequently crossed by it.

At first I could hear nothing but the wind blowing, the occasional bird...there...Ponderous footfalls, something dragging through the snow and rock, and heavy breaths...issuing from multiple throats.  Mist started to form to the right of us, and in moments, most of our surroundings were obscured, save for a faint shadow that steadily grew darker...

Sethis:  "Sometimes...things are not that easy," I said to no one in particular.  Taking a deep breath, I was about to ask a question when Nyxis sent a warning.
"We're about to run into trouble," She told me, her presence drawing closer.
"What kind of trouble?" I asked openly, making it plane I wanted to keep Elita in the loop.
"Our old friend, Death-gale," she stated with no small grimace of her own, her eyes flaring bright blue.  I swore softly, my head coming up as I started scanning for the telltale mist cloud that followed the creature.
"When we were here two years ago, we ran into a denizen of these mountains.  A frost hydra that's got an appetite for cruelty as much as frozen corpses.  If that wasn't bad enough, the bastard has nine heads and enough scars to make up for a couple centuries of fights," I told her, scanning the ridge ahead and feeling the presence of the other Avalar drawing closer.  "We didn't part on good terms that time..."

Perrine not only got low, but quickly sought out an excellent vantage point in some adjacent rocks just a little higher up from the path itself. Needing to get a better view of whatever was approaching. Her hands first went to seek out her twin short swords, but paused and then reached for her trusty glaive. She had just oiled her swords earlier yesterday. That oil would still be fresh and the aroma would be rather pungent right now. The odor would have given her away. Leaving them in their scabbards hid that odor. The glaive, on the other hand, she hadn't gotten around to cleaning and oiling just yet. Not to mention she had better reach with it. In her hands the weapon remained folded so she would better stay hidden. Thumb on the release she could snap it and bring the blade to bear when needed. Steady and quiet she began formulating several possible plans of attack and retreat. The path had many large rocks, ditches, and caves all around the area small enough to keep this thing out should they need to fall back. Caves were the last resort as they would be trapped after going in any one of them unless she could find one that was connected to one or more others. She got her back firm against a boulder she had ducked behind and leaned left craning her head around the boulders edge just enough to get a good look while still having Varia in her lkine of site just off to the right....

"Oh goody." She shrugged and sighed. "First time I see you I nearly get captured by some freaky elf with an eye on his arm and now I am gonna get easten by a nine headed gecko that has a problem with you. Do the adventures never end?" She hardly sounded amused at that point. She stood there looking about until she spotted a niche between to rocks. She slipped easily in between them pulling her cloak back over her head and trying to think of a spell or two she could muster quickly. They had to be potent ones too. Hydraa were nothing to take lightly. Instinct had her hand on the sword's handle ready to draw it. Hopefully that ungodly scream would scare the fowl thing off or at least make it think twice. She peeks out carefully watching to see where Sethis had gotten too........

Sethis:  I had ducked into a shadow not far away from Elita, but behind the Hydra, not that it would matter all that much if some of the heads were looking back.  Peering out from behind the boulder, I watched the draconic creature slowly making its way along the slope.
Its scales were a faint grey/white, with blue tints and patches along its hide.  Six heads wove back and forth, the eyes gleaming the bright blue of glacier ice; the body easily the size of a two story inn in height at the shoulder, fifteen feet in length, and at least half that wide, the necks and tail fifteen feet long, the backs of which were covered with spines that resembled ice and granite spikes.

If this turned into a battle, it wasn't going to be easy.  What little I knew of Hydra's and their ilk wasn't encouraging.  Despite the scars that marked Death-gale's hide, I had born witness to the regenerative abilities it possessed during the last confrontation we had.  It was only thanks to Nyxis that I had survived, and even then, only due to a small cave we had come across...

Varia:  Erron showed me the presence of the others who were nearby, the Hydra blissfully ignorant at the moment to our presence.
"Its not as ignorant as we might like to think," Erron told me, sensing my unspoken hope.  "Its heartbeat has risen...it senses someone is near."
Closing my eyes a moment, I took in a deep breath, placing a finger on the soil and starting to write slowly in the language prevalent in this continent.  I could feel Perrine's presence and the others, and in the soil before them, the words would appear as a warning.
'It knows we are here.'

Ok....what do we have...."Her mind was already racing as she looked over to where she had last seen Varia. "A healer. No way she is going to have any offense spells powerful enough to put a scratch on this thing." Quickly takes a moment to recall what she had on her. "My glaive isn't strong enough to pokes holes in those scales and I can't use it to lop off heads. Short swords are.....too short. Daggers, knives.....shit. Nothing either of us have is going to even scare this thing. It sees us and we are eaten." Perrine was positive it was at least aware something was about. It was searching about as if it had picked up on something. Perrine was always ready for a fight, but this was way out of their capability right now. If she had an entire platoon of knights with her it might have been a different story, but all she had was herself and a healer against nine heads filled with razor sharp teeth atop two stories of heavy scaled hide. Perrine watched with caution and didn't like what she was feeling. "Fuck.......it knows......" she thought to herself wanting to curse this run of bad luck right now.  Had it seen them coming up the pass? No. It would have already known where to look if it had. It might have heard them or even picked up on their scent at some point. It certainly seemed to know roughly where to look. They must have been no more than a few dozen feet from this thing. Even though it hadn't struck it wasn't moving anymore. It stopped where it was and searched. Perrine knew that meant only one thing. It knew they were there, but just not exactly where. The Glaive suddenly snapped open making only the slightest sound muffled by the noises the hydra was making as it shifted about on the snow beneath it's feet. She grimaced and bowed her head slightly pulled the glaive up closer to her chest in both hands. She would not make a single move until she was certain it had found them.....

Elita had a death grip on the handle now. The only thing keeping her from drawing was the fact she knew what would happen the very second the blade came out. The sword's shrill cry would immediately give her away and creatures like this would not be subject to the scream of the sword. If anything it would only enrage the creature further. She squats down as much as she can hoping the thing doesn't notice her and moves on. She lost track of where the human had gone and she really didn't care right now. Her mind had already gone blank. Any spells she had mustered with fleeting memories. Still she thought she could hear something. A very faint whisper almost. Like something was trying to get into her mind. Urge her onward, but to what and why?

Sethis:  I noticed the writing in the dirt, but kept silent, not really surprised that somehow someone was trying to help communicated with us.  I could sense that the Avalar was near, but as to whether the message was from that person, I wasn't about to call out and ask.
"...Sethis..." Nyxis had an idea as to what I wanted to do, and didn't like where my thoughts were going.

"We don't have much choice.  Someone has to act," I sent to her, slowly gathering the magicks around myself, feeling a little less substantial.  Sinking into the shadows, I emerged ahead of the hydra behind a mound of broken rocks, possibly smashed by some avalanche yeas ago.  Chills passed through me that had nothing to do with the coolness of the air as I took a deep breath...

"Follow the leader you six headed twisted excuse for a lizard!"  I shouted in draconic, sending five shadowy images of myself dashing in different directions along the slope before running out myself, my voice seeming to come from each of them at the same time.

There was a roar followed by a frigid blast of air that brushed past my left side, numbing pain biting into my arm as I tumbled behind another set of stones and sank into shadows.  Nyxis was waiting for me, feeding more of her essance into me to stave off the effects of Death-gales breath weapon while cursing me in multiple languages...

Varia:  I started at the sudden unintelligent shouting and the subsequent roar from the hydra as it suddenly lunged forward, moving far faster than I thought was possible.  I felt a surge of alien energy coming from ahead following what sounded like a blast of cold wind.
'Well...'
I didn't finish the thought as I jumped ontop of the wall and made a sweeping gesture with both hands as I spun in place, exerting my will on the already abundant earth energies present.  The ground erupted right beside the Hydra, the rock slamming into it and knocking it sideways against the slope!

Perrine was mildly surprised at what she was witnessing. Had guessed her new friend had access to elemental magic. "Well now. Varia you can color me impressed!" She exclaimed clutching her Glaive bringing the heavy blade of the weapon around, in a readied position, to bear on the Hydra. The sudden shouting just ahead also provided an additional opening. "Foul thing knows we are here now! No turning back...." Hoof hit the ground and Perrine rushed forward to the edge of the path opposite to her. This section of the path was just high enough to get above the hydra in one good leap. Those powerful legs of hers easily had the strength to pull off such a leap too. The Glaive, raised high over her head in both hands, glinted lightly in the bright sun. She had to time this just right. The Hydra, at least one head anyway, looked in her direction just in time to catch that heavy blade right in the left eye. The thing was pinned to the slope just long enough. The Glaive's blade dug  deep and dug fast into the eye as Perrine's hooves planted right on it's cheek, She gripped the shaft of the glaive pressing it inward as far as the blade could go until it actually hit the bone behind the eye. She had to move fast. Letting herself swing around, using her momentum, on the shaft of the glaive letting go with one hand while quickly reaching for a dagger with the other. The Hydra, still reeling from Varia's magical attack and what appeared to be at least 5 people running around down below trying to distract it now had to contend with two additional attackers. She retrieved the dagger from it sheathe tucked just under the right breast of her armor as she let go of the glaive and slid across the top of the head. Gripping the dagger she huffed and swung for the right eye. The blade of the dagger slicing into the eye's soft flesh easily digging deep. She releases the dagger as the head rears back howling in pain. She slips back along the head and attempts to slide down the neck as far as she can. She already had eyes on another head swinging around to see her, One head was now disabled. With the glaive and the dagger buried deep in it's eyes they would not be able to heal up and that head was now blind and nearly useless. She was already plotting her next attack as she managed to reach the Hydra's back stopping her slide by grabbing one of it's icy spikes. Back here any of the heads would be at a considerable disadvantage. Any attack that missed her, be it breath weapon or simply trying to bite, would only inflict damage upon it's own body. Perrine reaches around to her left hip gripping the handle of her short sword to draw it from the scabbard. "Next!" She kind of stood there with her short sword in her left hand gripping that icy spine with her right.

Hearing the commotion Elita froze up. The sudden excitement caught her off guard and her mind just went blank. Trembling, her hand was still upon the handle of her sword. She wanted to draw it out, but she just could seem to get her hand to move. She heard the shouts from Sethis and the roar of the Hydra. Something was going on, but all she could do was sit there behind the rock frozen in her tracks. "Come one, Elita, COME ON! You can't just sit here and do nothing!" She willed herself to move. To do something, but her body just refused to move. She couldn't help but recall the incident back in the town. She had simply reacted, drawn her sword, and lopped that human's hand right off at the wrist. She grit her teeth and tried to push it out of her mind. The Hydra howled. It sounded like a painful one. There was also a rumble in the ground just prior to that. It helped her snap out of her trance briefly. Ears perking at the sound of voices under the roaring and howling of the hydra. Just then...right there...she thought she might have heard.... "Perrine?" It couldn't be! Just couldn't. She had to know! She had to see.. She peaks out a bit keeping her back to the boulder and her hand tight on the sword at her hip.

The nearest head had turn around. This one seemed to be the largest of them and the angriest from the look of it. It's eyes glaring at the equine on it's back. The equine who had blinded one of it's heads and cause the searing pain. This equine would pay for that! It snarled as the blinded head flailed around a bit trying to shake the blades in it's eyes. That wasn't going to happen. Those blades were in way too deep now. Perrine stood there defiant upon the thing's back The hydra was still pinned for the moment, but it struggled to free itself and once it did? This Equine on it's back. Along with these annoying others were all going to pay! They would make tasty morsels indeed. Perrine braced herself ready for the head to strike. Gripping her sword in a ready stance as it finally made it's move. "Let's go, Gecko!" She sneered as the head lunged with it's gaping maw wide open. Her blade came up as she ducked behind the icy spike she had been holding onto to her right, The Hydra craned it's long neck and just missed her. Perrine, who had carefully watched, planted her right hoof and lunged back toward the head thrusting her left had forward. Her sword's tip struck the Hydra just behind the left side of the jaw. There was no scale there. The jaw had to be flexible as to open and close so there was only bare, leathery flesh there, The sword easily slit the flesh and went up to the hilt. The tip penetrated deep enough that it was now on the inside of the mouth. She grabbed the handle with both hand and pulled down. In pain the hydra jerked it's head upward. The two actions combined and caused the blade of her sword to slice the flesh of the jaw wide open. "Shit!" She lost her footing  and slide off the Hydra's back falling down between the creature and the slope it was still pinned against. The hydra moved it's haunches and pressed itself against the slope trying to crush the small equine it now had trapped. Perrine grunts and cries out getting squashed between the rock and the hydra's scaly hide.

"Perrine?!?" She was sure of it now. Somehow...someway it had to be her. Elita could not deny the voice she recognized just now. She round the boulder and just saw her friend slip off the back of the monster and cry out. One head was flailing around with a glaive and a dagger stuck in it's eyes. Another head seemed to be bleeding badly from the jaw and mouth. "Perrine!!!!" The shrill cry carried to the heavens as she drew it out. The sword drew in the air around it and burned white hot. All thought just seemed to stop. Perrine cried out in pain from somewhere down along. "Bastards!!!" Elder Edge chimed as the tip hit several stones sticking out of the ground. The Unicorn charged forward. The Hydra swung one of it's heads towards her as it heard that horrid screaming coming towards it. Elita raised the blade and leapt off the edge. Annoyed by the noise and already in pain from Perrine's attacks the beast was blinded by it's own rage and attacked the Unicorn head on. She swung as hard as she could and the burning blade dug into the Hydra's snout as if it was cutting through butter. There was this hissing noise as the white hot blade seared the creatures flesh while it passed through it. The shrill cry was relentless and only seemed to get even more intense as the sword tasted the hydra's flesh and scale. Dropping to the ground Elita rolled to one side and raised the sword again. She could fee the thing draining her. She still couldn't see where Perrine was and she lost track of Sethis in all the commotion earlier. There was not a lot of time to think. The Hydra seemed to be disoriented now. Too many to enemies to deal with. Elita felt like cursing herself for not having acted earlier, but there was time for that later. She gripped the sword and rushed forward to press her advantage. She had too. She felt the urge too strongly and could not seem to resist it. Running forward she went for the right leg of the Hydra. The sword screamed out and sliced deep into the Hydra's leg severing muscle and bone as it sliced through. "Get away from her!!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs though she doubted anyone could hear her over the sword..............


(apologies if I got a bit carried away)

Sethis:  I winced as I heard Elita's sword shriek after being drawn; but this time both Nyxis and I were ready to deal with it.  There was no way I could do damage to the Hydra as I was, not even with the unexpected aid of the Avalar and her brazen equine companion (what the hell was it with me and attracting equines anyways?).
Sinking into the shadows again, I allowed myself to open completely to Nyxis, our thoughts, our bodies, our energies merging-

- We reached up out of the Hydra's shadow, Seventeen arms of star filled shadow, our face oozing out of the ground beneath the creatures chest.  There was no emotion, no notice of the painful scream generated by the hateful blade the unicorn held.  This thing threatened Us and those We traveled with...It would be consumed and returned to the Void.  Our face split again and again, and again; revealing a many toothed triangular maw where light itself seemed to dissapear and flow out of; easily the size of the Hydra's shoulder.  Hissing we took a bite, the beast howling with rage, the heads writhing along with the body as it struggled to get free, breaths of glacial frost spraying the mountainside as it panicked!

Varia:  I winced as the shriek that filled the air, my ears folding back as I stumbled, shocked and pained by the sound and sudden force of energy the new stranger had released!
'ERRON!'
My companion needed no other prompt to join in.  Erupting from the slope above the Hydra, Erron barreled into the squirming draconic creature, resembling a living reptilian avalanche of stone and crystal, multiple horns curved forward like a bulls crowing his head.
Crystal pierced flesh, blueish blood fountained as Erron kept the Hydra pinned against the stone, his six legs braced to keep the frozen being from getting free.

"El....Elita?" Perrine grunted painfully barely able to breath with the Hydra's weight squeezing the breath from her lungs. The pain was nearly unbearable and she swore she felt a bone or two crack under the pressure. The beast howled and lurched again. This time it was just enough for Perrine to drop to the ground. Freed from it's hide and the rock she rolls out from under the hydra and attempts to scramble away from it. It was about then that the piercing scream filled the air. Perrine grabbed at her ears trying to block the sword's shrill cry. Elita had not even noticed Perrine scramble out from under the hydra as she pressed her attack.  Crippled by that blow to the leg the creature thrashed about as Sethis and Varia set there attacks in motion. "Why......WHY ARE YOU NOT DEAD YET?" She cried out in what appeared to be a blind rage turning to face the wounded hydra as it tried to free itself and attack the forces set upon it. Elita brought the sword up again. The blade shrieked and she darted forward heading right for the hydra's large body. She cocked her arms back and thrust forward as hard as she could driving the blade deep into the things flanks. Like slicing butter the blade sunk deep into the creature burning through scale and flesh alike. Perrine, meanwhile, has struggled to her hooves and stumbled. The pain shot through her ribs and she was down on one knee again in a half daze as she tried to watch all the commotion. She did her best to keep her ears covered as she watched on barely believing the spectacle she was witness too.....

Varia:  Struggling to my feet as the ground shuddered, the Hydra's howl suddenly turned into a piercing shriek of agony that exceeded the screaming of whatever magick had just been unleashed.  Almost as one, the heads raised, writhing madly as if to escape whatever had just happened, then-

-The explosion was dull, but no less force-full as the Hyra's body suddenly burst apart from within, showering the slope with blue blood and quivering chunks of flesh.  What was left of the main body slumped to the ground, the heads and necks laying sprawled in a twisted heap before it, some of them severed from the torso but without any signs of life.

Erron shrank his size to something more useful and less intimidating, going over to one of the strangers that had aided in the attack on the beast.  The screaming had stopped thankfully, but whether due to its source having been nullified, or simply willed to quiescence I couldn't say.  My first concern was to the one companion I did have.
Sliding across the ground to Perrine's side, I knelt and lightly placed my hands on her stomach and upper chest, just below her neck, sending my awareness into her energy looking for injuries...

Sethis:  I stumbled out of the shadows, the world before me appearing to be in a haze as I moved closer to Death-gales remains.
"Fuckn' lizard," I mumbled, swaying slightly as I gazed at one head that had been split open along the neck.  Despite the cold, the blood was running freely, something to be expected from a creature that lived in frozen places, but the thought was vague, distant and unimportant.  Turning in place slowly, I spotted Elita to the right of the body on the lower slope, and two other figures above it, along with another critter that must have been somewhat friendly...well...since it wasn't trying to maul the rest of us to death...not yet anyways.

Elder Edge's piercing cry had died out. The blade resuming it's normal unassuming appearance. The tip thanked into the ground at Elita's feet as she stood there, in some trance like state, covered from head to toe in blotches of blue blood from the hydra. Her eyes seemed lifeless and breathing was shallow. The handle of the sword still clutched in her hands while she stared off into the abyss. The sword had drained her nearly all her ethereal energies and left her powerless for now. She barely had enough strength in her left to stand. Perrine had forced herself back to her feet with 3 broken left ribs and several large bruises along the same area. Swallowing the pain she stood up and moved forward. Taking Varia's hands and gently removing them from her person. Elita, on the other hand, finally felt her knees buckle and she dropped down to a sitting position finally dropping the sword at her knees. She still looked out of it. Perrine strutted towards Elita. Questions running through her head. How had Elita gotten way up here? What was she doing with this stranger? She had taken notice of the human earlier and could only assume he was with the unicorn. "Varia? Would you help my friend? She looks like she is going to pass out..."She had to wince a little. Ignoring her own injury to tend to others was more important to her, but it still hurt like hell. The mare made it look like an art form however as she gave little to no indication she had ever been injured to begin with. Reaching Elita she squats down next to the unicorn and brushes some of the blood soaked hair from Elita's face. "Elita?" Perrine's voice took on a soothing tone......

Elita seemed to somewhat snap out of her daze. "Huh?" She looked at the mare squatting next to her. Her eyes widened, if only just a little, at seeing her dearest friend next to her. "Perrine." Elita smiled as wide as she could and leaned over draping her arms around her friend. "Perrine!" She exclaimed weakly hugging the equine tight as she could. "Easy, easy...." Perrine grunted as pain shot through her left side being pulled into the hug. "Save your strength, Eli." Grunting again. Perrine was already planning on moving as soon as the unicorn was once again on her feet. Looking over to see where Seethes was. "We need to get moving as soon as we can. All that commotion we just made. Someone or something is bound to have heard that. There are things far worse than this Hydra in these mountains. The stench of this thing's carcass is going to attract all manner of company we don't want right now." She looked around as she spoke to the human making sure they were still safe for the time being. "Need time to recoup and regroup." She was still ignoring her own injuries.......

Varia:  "She's just a little drained of energy," I said with a slightly acidic tone, angered that Perrine had moved before I could tend to her injuries.  I called upon the earth energies once more, creating a small link between the unicorn and the ground that would slowly aid her in recovering her energy, without causing any side effects.  I could sense that she was linked to a different element, but not an Avalar like myself...and the human.

"Hold still and let me tend to your ribs...unless you want to die of a punctured lung by all the hugging and travel," I said in  a somewhat calmer tone.  "Take the chest plate off so I can see just how badly you're hurt."  I had picked up a little about just what Perrines injuries had been, but nothing definitive when she moved to what I assumed to be the Lords daughter.
Erron moved behind them and laid down to provide a little shelter from the wind, keeping an eye on the human.  He stumbled forward a few steps as I drew out the herbs from my satchel needed to make a poultice.  It wasn't until he stood within ten feet that I saw the face beneath his hood, just before he collapsed.

Swearing under my breath, I rose and hurried over to him, gently turning him to lay on his back, feeling for a pulse.  Alive, but only by a fraction.  Blood had marked crimson trails from his eyes and nose, the strain of having merged with his Elemental so early before learning proper control the cause.  He'd have one major headache when he woke up.

"Erron...we need shelter," I said calmly, channeling energy to form another small link to the earth to keep the human stable.  Erron gave a gravely sigh that turned into a low rumbling song that caused even the ground to vibrate.  Stone rumbled  and moved, flowing like sluggish water to create a protective shroud over us.  Three openings were left, the largest at the front just big enough to allow creatures of Elita's and Perrine's stature to come and go easily.  One in the ceiling towards the back, and a small one at ground level at the very back, so that when a fire was set to keep everyone warm, the smoke wouldn't drive us out of the cave.
Erron was near the cave entrance, keeping most of the drafts at bay.
With the human stable, I went back to tending Perrine's wounds, applying a wrap after smearing on a potent smelling poultice.
"Don't move around too much," I cautioned, going back into my pack and pulling out a few rolled bundles that I set at the back of the cave.  The largest of them was a combination of dried dung and grasses mixed with herbs to keep the smell down to a minimum, and kill the illness that was inherent in feces.  Second was a break down iron grill that would allow it to keep off the ground until the fire was well started.  Third bundle and the smallest contained the flint and steel needed to start it all.

Once it was started, I left the cave to gather what little bits of flammable scrub and debris there were, making a few trips so that we would at least last the night...

That armor was as tough as any chain mail armor and just as difficult to get off. It was going to take a few minutes, at least, just to get all the clasps and straps loose. Every little twist and turn she made trying to get the chest plate off made her wince and grimace in pain. Elita was right there helping as much as she could, but Perrine was persistent in doing it her own. The last strap popped off and the chest plate finally came loose enough that Perrine, along with Elita's help, was able to get it off. "oh.....Perrine you really didn't prepare for this...." Elita blushed a bit looking at the mare in front of her. Perrine was wearing only a thin white tunic under the chest plate that did nothing to hide her features. "I hadn't planned on freezing my ass off up here in the mountains, Eli." Perrine grunted folding her ears back trying to be as modest as possible in the cold. Elita looked her over careful running a hand over Perrine's lower right ribs. Perrine inhaled sharply in pain. "Yeah....definitely broken...." Elita sighed and moved her hand away. "And since my magic is too weak to do anything....." Elita's energies were nowhere near strong enough and Perrine was immune to all, but the strongest healing spells she had. Perrine found a place to sit for the moment and leaned back hiking her tunic up just a little. You could not see the bruising through the fur, but you could still see her ribs. "Got that covered, Eli." Perrine feigned a smile as Varia set her ribs and wrapped her up. She was not to fond of the smell from the poultice. Perrine was off her hooves for now. Elita was still a bit wobbly as she stood up. She trots over and stands over Elder Edge laying quietly on the ground. She averted her eyes looking over to where Sethis was still laying. With a sigh she left the sword lay where it was for now. Perrine watching her the entire time, but remaining silent for now. Questions would come later when they were all on their feet and away from this place. Despite Varia's efforts they were still not safe here at least not for too long. Elita walked over to where Sethis lay and quietly sat down next to him. "Is he going to be ok?" She asked coolly looking back over toward Varia.

Varia: "As well as he can be for pulling such a idiotic if brave stunt," I responded, adding small pieces of broken brush to the small fire I had going in the back of the cave.  It was large enough for us to at least cook a hot meal and possibly some tea.  "Merging with his Elemental caused great stress on his body and mind in order to help keep the hydra occupied.  The human isn't nearly strong enough to do so for a prolonged time, and not without some form of training or access to his 'Sa's' guidance."

Rooting around in my pack again, I pulled out a pot and kettle, as well as a few more small packets and a water skin.  To the small pot, I added half a clump of what looked like dried plants, herbs and some form of powder, which would make a warming broth that aided in the healing process and restore both the mind and body.  Adding enough water to fill the pot two thirds of the way, I set it near enough to the fire to heat, then turned to make tea in the kettle.

Soon the scent of mint and honey filled the air, along with the savory smells of the soup, to which I added a few more dried veggies to make it more filling.  After half an hour of tending the pot and making sure the human had no other injuries after cleaning the blood from his face, I gestured to the others to come closer.
"Warrior Perrine, the broth will help to give you the physical means needed to help recover.  But don't push yourself too hard.  We won't be leaving here for at least a couple of days if you want to heal properly," I remarked, dishing some of the stew into a clay bowl and handing it to her.  "Lady Elita, the tea will be more beneficial to you in helping to restore your Sa's energy and aid in resting your thoughts.  Erron will keep watch tonight so you don't have to worry about staying awake."  I dished the unicorn woman a bowl of broth as well, then poured each a measure of the tea in small wide cups, made from the same red clay as the bowl's.

Once that was done, I set about making a tonic for the human when he awoke, pulling out a mortar and pestle to grind the various herbs in before I added the mixture to a small flask of pure spring water...

Perrine drank down the broth and frowned at Varia's statement. "No." Perrine shook her head softly and took a look around. "We can't stay here that long. We have the low ground down in this little valley. We're exposed and weak with two people down." Slowly sits up. She wasn't going to stay still any longer than she was comfortable with and this was damned uncomfortable. "I know you are just trying to care for us, but we are vulnerable to attack here. That Hydra?" Nodding in the direction of the hydra's carcass. "He wasn't the biggest and baddest thing in these mountains. All the commotion we made? That might have attracted other creatures. Possibly a certain dragon know to grace these mountains. There are reasons few travel those paths up there. We are in danger if we stay here. Need to get to the caves higher up. Get some high ground. Someplace easier to defend away from that carcass. Whatever else comes our way will be more interested in that than us." She was already getting up and donning her armor carefully. Wincing a little at the pain, but managing none the less to don her armor again. "Please try to understand, Varia. We are dead if we stay here. I can still move and Elita is back on her hooves. All we need is a way to get the human on his feet or find a way to carry him so we can get moving to someplace safer." Perrine looks over at Elita who seemed to be fixated on her sword still laying on the ground several feet away. She just sat there quietly staring at the blood soaked blade laying there in the snow. A somewhat grim expression on the unicorn's face. Perrine only sighed and shook her head again. "Besides. We have an asset with us that we really shouldn't leave laying around in the open. Just another reason to get moving."

Perrine get up on her hooves and finished buckling her armor. She needed to recover her dagger and glaive from the hydra's carcass. "Elita? If you have any spells you can use to try and get him moving again I would suggest you try to use them. Get your sword as well. Don't leave that laying there." Perrine used as serious a tone as she could muster watching Elita snap out of her little trance long enough to nod in response quietly. Elita gathered herself up and went to retrieve her sword. She lifted the thing out of the snow and it didn't make a single noise. Did she not yet have enough energy to power it? Was it sleeping somehow? She felt rather odd as she stood there just holding it looking along the length of the blade. She took part of her cloak and carefully wiped the sword clean of the blue blood. She was still matted in dried hydra blood herself. She thought of a spell or two that may help out, but she wasn't sure if they were going to work or not.......