Karen in Alexandria

It is still cold outside, and the wild elf woman with her pink hair and red coat over her red dress has been waiting - like a fair number of people before her - for hours to get into the temple. She watches sadly as the three people a bit ahead of her jostle forward and try to squeeze all at once into the temple. An argument ensues and she gives a tired sigh, and steps forward to try and help diffuse the situation.

Fortunately, the Temple Eluna has called on its divine relations for assistance in dealing with the influx, and outside the doors to the Temple, figures wearing the sunburst of Daeus have been controlling traffic. One of these steps forward as well as the altercation breaks out, an average-sized human with neatly trimmed brown hair. He cuts a slightly disturbing figure, for the right half of his face has three deep furrows down and across it, the flesh not so frozen twisted as if by acid. Set into the ruined eye socket is a green gem in a steel and bronze ring, such that it is impossible to tell if he can see them through it or not. The human eye, though, has its own share of dark circles beneath it, suggesting that he is no less tired than anyone.

"Here now, no shoving," he calls. "They are getting to all, as quick as they can. They're getting them too, you know."

"He shoved me!" Yells one woman, obviously short on sleep but also very irate. The man in question raises his hands and backs away as the woman's glare obviously puts him in his place. "I demand to see a cleric NOW! I've been waiting an hour!"

"Ma'am. Yelling isn't going to get the line to move any faster." Auranar says placatingly. She wisely hasn't moved from her place in line, but the three-person pile up did happen right in front of her so... She doesn't have to go anywhere to talk to the woman who gives her a short glare in response to her kindly words.

"And when you do see a cleric, what will you tell them?" The one-eyed gaze of the man in the sunburst is keen, but not without compassion. "She's right," he nods to Auranar politely. "No pushing, please," he adds to the man, nodding at him to get back in line.

"Well firstly I'm going to give them what's-for for not doing more about these dreams, and then I'm going to _make_ them give me whatever secret potion they're using! It's not fair that they have the solution just sitting around back there and they're denying it to everyone else!" The woman states this very firmly and eyes Dolan up and down. She doesn't seem particularly pleased with what she sees.

The man gets back in line and Auranar politely makes space for him by her, but the woman's words make her blink several times in surprise and no small amount of displeasure. "You came all this way to berate the clerics and demand something from them that they don't have?" At least... she hadn't even heard a rumor that the Elunan's had a potion that they were keeping to themselves. Couldn't imagine that it might be true.

Dolan doesn't move, merely regards the tantrum-throwing woman, his good eye narrowing. "Did you just tell me that you intend to threaten or force the Seers to do something?" A warning, a dangerous one, lies under those words. "You will calm yourself, mistress, you will treat the Seers with respect, and you will realize that while they will do what they can for you, they have no more answers than you. You will do all of these things, or you will not pass the doors of the Temple. Do I make myself clear?" He does not precisely raise his voice, but he turns his head, just a little, so that the right side of his face is in plain view.

"How dare you talk to me so!" The woman states, visibly perturbed by Dolan's warning tone. She doesn't seem to like the scars on his face either, because she takes a half-step back from him. Or maybe its the eye. Unblinking and staring at her. "Where's your shift commander? I want to talk to him about your conduct."

Auarnar sighs and rubs her face, tired. Not only from her lack of sleep but also from dealing with cranky mages who seem to think that they own the world. "Ma'am." She looks at Dolan. "He's just trying to do his job. Everyone here is just trying to do their job and help folks."

"Because my responsibility is the safety of everyone present,mistress." Dolan's tone snaps beneath it - he is getting short-tempered, too. "I'll be happy to explain to him that you're behaving like an unruly mare. Everyone here is in the same situation you are, and will get all the help that the Seers can give. Now please. Take a deep breath and calm yourself, mistress. Please." He nods his thanks to Auranar, his tone losing its edge as he forcibly calms himself. "She's right. There are a lot of people here, and I'm here to make sure everyone gets the help they need."

The woman glares at Dolan, utterly unimpressed by his words. "UNRULY MARE? Why you!" She fumes and steps forward the step that she'd taken back a moment before. "I will not be spoken to this way! How dare you. I demand to speak to your superior. I'm sure he'll have some words for _you_ about speaking to people like that!"

Auranar rubs her face again and divests herself of the line. This is quickly getting out of hand. She moves up to Dolan's side in a show of support and looks at the woman. "Please. Just move along. Look. The line is ready to move you into the temple. Isn't that where you want to go?" She prays that the woman will do just that. But no. The woman is stubbornly holding up the line now.

"Mistress, I can do that, but you'll start back at the end of the line when you're done, because you'll need to step out of line to do so," Dolan offers, spreading a hand palm down in a gesture of peace. "In fact, I think we should do that. Come with me, please." He turns to Auranar, and to the others waiting with her. "Thank you, all of you, and I apologize for the disturbance." The woman is absolutely infuriated by this news, and she storms after the man with fury written on every line of her face. "What do you mean I have to wait all over again? I'm not doing that!" She's worked herself into a frenzy and she reaches out to grab Dolan by the shoulder.

Now, Auranar is no fighter, she's a mage. Yet she's following along because she too stepped out of line and it'd be rude to go back to her spot just like that. Besides, she has an uneasy feeling that's played out when she sees the woman go to grab Dolan's shoulder. Without thinking she moves, getting between the woman and Dolan - it's easy because she's not considered a threat by the woman - and takes a fist to the face for her efforts. It doesn't take Auranar down - she's made of sterner stuff than that - but it does cause a red spot to start welling up on her cheek.

There's a moment of surprised, and utter silence.

Dolan turns as the woman storms after him - just in time to see the other woman take a punch. Fury flashes in the brown eye, and he lunges to grab the unruly woman by the wrist, putting shoulder and body between the two women, teeth gritted. "That's enough," he growls. "You can calm down in the city jail." His grip is that of a fighter strong enough to wield the great sword across his back. "Mistress," he directs much more gently to the woman behind him. "Come with me, and I'll make sure you're seen to, once this one is under control. ZEIN!" He raises his voice, clearly looking for someone.

The woman struggles to get Dolan to let go of her, tugging on her wrist with not-inconsiderable strength, but nothing to match his. Fury grows in her eyes at the word 'jail'. "You wouldn't dare! UNHAND ME!" She gears up to give him a shove.

Auranar is startled by the punch, holding her hand to her face and glaring at the woman who hit her. Any sympathy felt is long since gone now, and she murmurs quietly to Dolan. "I'm fine really. Oh!" She notices the woman gearing up to shove Dolan and tries to warn him. "She's incoming again!"

Meanwhile, a Sunblade has taken note of the ongoings, his hair more salt than pepper these days, but with a stern look in his eye. Clearly called by Dolan's voice.

"I would dare. Sunblade Zein, this woman is overwrought. She threatened to shout at and force the Seers, blocked the line, and punched her," Dolan nods to Auranar, "in the face. She is in need of help, but I dare not let her through the doors until I can be certain of the Seers' safety. I'd like to turn her over to the guard. And, when she returns, she is to join the end of the line."

He carefully holds the woman at arm's length, but is visibly gritting his teeth.

The sunguard nods at Dolan's accounting of things and the woman gives her arm another little jerk. "He called me a mare! A horse!" She's flailing at Dolan now, trying to beat him over the head with her little hand-bag.

The sunguard immediately puts a stop to this however, grabbing her other hand. "You'll have to make a full report at some point Dolan." The sunguard grates out, holding his hand out for the woman's other hand while she oogles at the sunguard for not taking her side of things. After a moment however, the woman is taken off by the sunguard, though her loud protests can be heard all through the temple.

Auranar sighs and looks at Dolan. "Are you alright?" Her question is in something of an undertone. Her hand still on her cheek.

"As soon as I have had her seen to, sir." Dolan nods politely to Zein, and relinquishes the flailing and screaming woman to his superior, turning instead to Auranar. "Yes. Are you? We should have that looked at." Fingers that are suddenly more gentle reach up towards the welt on her cheek, but he leaves the arm that had held the other woman at his side. "That was a brave thing you did, and you didn't have to do that. Thank you."

"I'm fine." Auranar looks embarrassed, lowering her hand slightly to show the red mark that the woman's hand had left behind. It's not a terrible wound, but it certainly left a mark. She lowers her eyes and glances toward his shoulder. "It wasn't really very smart of me. I'm sure you could have handled her alone, but... It didn't feel like you should have to. You know?" She smiles slightly here.

The look she shoots at his shoulder is telling enough to Dolan. "You saw that, didn't you." It's not a question, and he returns the small smile with a boyish one of his own. "It's mostly healed, that's mostly just there to keep the armor from rubbing it." Mostly. "I got caught by a wounding spell a few days ago," he explains, but shakes his head. "That looks like it wants ice, and then I'll take you into the temple myself. I warn you, though, they don't have answers either. Come to that, I'd like to know myself. I'd heal it myself, but that's not my gift."

"I'm Dolan," he introduces himself suddenly, "Redeemer in service to the Knight."

Auranar smiles slightly at his initial half-question. She hadn't realized that she wasn't really intended to see his injury, though it makes sense in retrospect. "That sounds painful, I'm surprised you haven't gotten it healed by one of your brothers-at-arms."

Though the rest of what he says explains why he didn't simply heal it himself. "I'd appreciate some ice for it though... I don't really want to bother the clerics for healing. Seems a lot of work for something so small, and they're so busy. I actually came to see if I couldn't help. I'm a researcher, and moreso, well I'm sure they already know..." She shakes her head and then smiles at Dolan.

"Oh! I'm Auranar! I'm just an apprentice mage and researcher." She smiles a bit ruefully but offers him her hand to shake.

"Andie would have my head if I went to anyone else." There's a warm, almost puppyish affection, a sparkle there in Dolan's eyes. "She's got it covered, but she's busy too, so I just take it slow for a few days." He dismisses the matter, then. "It's nice to meet you. I hate bothering them too," he admits. "Come on, I can do that much for you, and then we'll see if they can find a way for you to help."

Fortunately, at this time of year, ice is in plentiful supply, and the man is cheerful about supplying some, wrapping it up for her to hold to her face, and then is as good as his word.

-End