One More To the Rescue

One more time, Dolan tests his weight on his left leg experimentally, and nods, as if to himself, pushing away from the statue. The silver holy symbol of Eluna that had been in his off hand, he turns and stuffs roughly into the pack on his back. "I've got to go one place before we leave," he tells his now-companion firmly. "I've got to let Andie know where I am. She might be able to help, too, if she's awake."

With that, he starts off, pulling his hood up and twin cloaks more firmly around himself against the driving wind and rain that pelts streets and houses and lamps outside.

Auranar can't help but look at Dolan's leg suspiciously. She's not sure the man can make it all the way to where they're headed as it is. Now he wants to make a stop? What's more, she's surprised by the location that he's chosen to go. "You want to get your girlfriend involved in this?" She asks, more curiosity than harshness. She keeps pace with Dolan easily. Not rushing him for all she wants to.

Dolan seems to be moving at least a little better than he was - carefully, but not as painfully. "She's a Sunguard," he explains simply. "She's already involved in all this werewolf -" He pauses suddenly, then coughs, and under the hood, has the grace to look embarrassed. "Nonsense," he finishes after a pause. "She won't take me going without her well. Trust me."

The rain seems to have slacked off a little, although the wind in off the mountains sweeps down, driving a remaining dead leaf or two with it and howling through streets and alleyways. It is still quite wet out, and the Daeusite continues, clearly taking his time.

There's almost a flicker of a smile from Auranar when Dolan not-quite curses. "I appreciate your restraint, but you don't have to watch your words with me." Not that she seems like the cursing sort. Her dark eyes drift off into the shadows and worry creases her brow. No matter what her thoughts constantly return to Verna and the concern she feels for the other woman. "Normally I'd wager that Verna could take on any werewolf that crossed her path but... If she is bereft of her Goddesses usual blessings... Gods I'm so worried about her."

"She's a pretty-" Again, Dolan pauses, again with that sheepish smile. "Resourceful woman, but she's not the only one we left behind." The smile fades into seriousness, and when he turns his face more fully towards her, she can see that he is worried as well. "The other one may have been caught by the werewolves," he says warningly.

It isn't a far walk from the Temple of Daeus to wherever Dolan seems to be going, and soon enough, he arrives at the base of the stairs of what appears to be an upstairs flat. These, he does take much more carefully, using upper body on the railing to hop one-legged up the stairs. It's a rather noisy thing, really.

Auranar frowns again watching Dolan hoist himself up the stairs. Thinking to herself that he was far too wounded to be leading her anywhere. But what else can she do? She huddles morosely inside her cloak and follows him up the stairs. Her thoughts are wrapped up in missing her own home, the one that she and Verna built with their own hands.

Dolan seems not to care in the slightest for Auranar's state behind him, instead pushing the door gently with one hand. Seeing that it opens readily for him, he pushes it open all the way and limps inside, holding it for the figure behind him so that they both can get out of the rain and wind.

He's focused, dressed warmly and sensibly for the fickle spring weather, but the left leg of his trousers is slashed open, and blood-stained bandages are visible under it. The bottom of his breastplate is stained as well, and he moves with careful attention to his left side, but it appears to be holding his weight. "Andie, I've got a guest," he calls.

The small domicile is a simple thing, hearth and kitchen, a sitting/living area with a long couch, and a door that leads to the back. Weapons and adventuring gear have taken over a corner of the sitting area, and it's quite obviously not just his, although most if not all of it is marked with the sunburst of Daeus. The place is a bit of a mess.

Automatically Auranar holds the door open for Dolan as he holds it open for her, stepping inside the comfortable little flat. In spite of her best instincts her eyes roam over the place. Noticing the weapons and and gear the former often marked with Daeus' symbol. It might be a bit of a mess, but... it's comfortable. At least, that's her assessment. With the space given a once-over Auranar looks around for Andelena.

The Sunguard isn't dressed in a very Sunguard-ish manner at the moment. Andelena stands up from the couch dressed in a pair of Dolan's drawstring pants, which is to say they could also be her pants, too, and in a somewhat oversized sleeping tunic. She gives a yawn and a wave, followed by a concerned look at Dolan. "The furry bastards are out and about again? Damn, and here I was taking a fucking nap on the couch and missing out on all the fun," she says.

The redhead moves closer to Dolan and purses her lips as she looks over the damage. "Looks like you had a bit too much fun," she quips. "I can patch you up."

She peers at Auranar for a moment before she sets about finding new bandages for Dolan's wounds. "You're the girl from a while back. Shit, what was the name again--sorry, starts with an A, I think? Au..."

"This is Auranar," Dolan introduces, pulling down his hood. His smile is broad enough to be reflected, in muted fashion, even on the scarred side of his face, and he leans up to kiss the Sunguard on the cheek if she'll let him. The smile is short-lived, fading quickly, though. "Sorry to wake you, sweetheart, but there's more fun to be had. We had to leave a couple of people behind to finish the job, and one of them's her girlfriend." He nods to the woman behind him, then settles down on the floor to let Andie have a closer look at what turn out to be a sword-slash across his side and deep claw-marks down his left leg. Someone had previously bandaged them, and they seem to be about half-healed, so he's done something, at least.

"I'm going back to find them," he says, tone flat and serious.

Remembering at least a part of her manners, Auranar curtsies politely to the woman that stands up from the couch. Even lowering her hood so that her features are more easily discernible. Worry is plastered across her face, and she nervously works her hands together. "I... I would say it's a pleasure to meet you again, and under other circumstances..." Her eyes flicker toward the door. Already wishing she was back out in the rain. This polite talk was agonizing. "We're going back to find them."

This last is as firm as Dolan's statement was.

Andelena tends to Dolan's wounds, murmuring a prayer to Daeus to finish off the healing. She goes to dress his bandages as she nods in acknowledgement of the conversation. "Auranar, right," she says. "Well, I sure as shit agree about the circumstances. Let me just finish tending to Bry here and I'll get my equipment on. You need anything before we hit the streets, Auranar?"

She gestures to what passes for a kitchen in the flat. "We have some fruit if you want it. Not that I'm sure you want to eat right now, but not good to go running around on an empty stomach. Body needs fuel to burn. Trust me, Bry worries me every day." And she looks up at Dolan with a warm smile as she says that. "But I'm not gonna be of any use to him if I'm running on empty."

She finishes dressing Dolan's wounds and takes a moment to kiss Dolan on the cheek before she quickly goes about donning her armor.

"Why, because I don't eat like a starving wolf like you do?" The healing and the fresh bandages seem to help Dolan's mood a great deal, and when she is done, he rolls carefully, experimentally to his feet, testing the weight on that leg and nodding his satisfaction. He takes the time to cinch his armor down, looking after Andie as she goes to don her armor with a look of deep affection and frank adoration. "I sure could eat now, though. I've got some dried meat in my pack, too."

So saying, he strides over to the kitchen, moving _much_ more smoothly, and grabs one of the aforementioned pieces of fruit, an early apple, and biting into it. "I'm damn near spent, Andie," he warns. "We'll want to play this careful. The werewolves had a-" he pauses, glances at Auranar, then continues. "Encampment a few hours from here, and they had a hostage. We got her out but we want to be careful if we get there before morning, they might still be looking to kill."

"Thank you, but... I couldn't eat." Even if she wanted to, Auranar's stomach was in knots. Eating now would only fuel sickness. She watched Dolan stride over to the food while Andelena set about getting her armor and sighed slightly to herself. Quietly. Every second here was one less that they were out there looking for Verna, and while the extra arms was nice to have - alongside the healing that Andelena could obviously provide - Auranar was eager to move on. "I hope that they are all right. Both of them..."

"I get it, Auranar--can I call you Aura?" Andelena interjects as she talks while donning her armor. It's something she's done so many times that talking's no bother to her. "You're worried sick. Trust me, been in those shoes. Been in lots of other shitty shoes, too. But here we are."

She finishes donning her armor and she looks at Dolan. "You're still good to go anyway, right?" she asks. "Time's of the essence, it sounds like, and I sure as shit don't want to keep Auranar worrying about her girl if I can help it."

"I'm fine. I'll eat on the way." Dolan doesn't seem inclined to stick around any longer than necessary, either, and quickly enough re-dons the greatsword over his back and then his pack, throwing both cloaks over all. "Raingear, Andie. It's pouring out there," he warns.

Auranar notes that Dolan is moving a bit more at ease now and nods to herself. At least she no longer has to worry if he'll make it out there. Between the three of them... She hoped that they could handle whatever they found. She pulls up the hood of her cloak and nods to Andelena. "You can call me Aura if that's easier for you." She doesn't sound as though she much has a preference. Yet the fingers of her hand tighten on her cloak and she moves toward the door anxiously and opens it. It is indeed pouring outside. Miserable weather for a miserable time.

Andelena nods. "I just like giving people nicknames, is all," she says to Aura, throwing her white Sunguard cloak on that's more suited for the rain and elements than her usual one. Longsword, shield--both good to go.

She looks to Dolan and nods with a familiar smile--one she typically wears to reassure him everything's going to be alright right before going on a mission. "Alright. Let's go. Up to us to bring the dawn and we sure fucking will."

"Always do." Dolan grins right back at her, brown eye soft, turning to usher the both of them out the door and taking another bite of his apple as he does so. He leaves Andie to lock up, instead pulling his waterproof hood up to venture back out in the pouring rain. They've got several hours of journey ahead of them, he knows.

He leads the pair outside the city, quite ready for trouble, his boots squelching on the paving of the road.

-End