Recovery and Rest

At least the weather has improved. The rain stopped during the night, and now the sun brightens chinks in the stick-and-grass hut that serves as a makeshift shelter for the injured at the moment. It is still chilly in here, but Seldan at least has improved enough to be ambulatory - for specific values of ambulatory. The skin is still paler than it should be, the flesh around his neck and throat still blackened, but he sits now next to the pallet where Zeke lies, wrapped in both his cloaks. Someone has cleaned his armor and gear, and they are now sitting in a neat pile next to the pallet he was in the previous evening. He says nothing, merely sits and watches his kin.

It has been a long time in waiting, Zeke's breathing uneven at times, his tail twitching as if his sleep is not wholly restful though he remains unconscious and has not woken since he fell in the fight. Now however at last he stirs. Shifting and making a slightly pained noise. Green eyes blink to wakefulness and immediately lock onto kin. His tail gives a weak thump, his hand rising to his chest. "Sssseldan." His voice is soft and ill used from being unconscious so long. Slightly pained, but alive.

For answer, Seldan merely extends an ungloved hand to where Zeke can take it, his other elbow remaining on his knee where it can hold him up, a smile that holds both warmth and relief blooming across the even features. It was enough.

"You - do not go." The words are hoarse, difficult, and forced, a man clearly saying no more than absolutely necessary. "Not to Solis. Not - yet." A healer's ear will know immediately that the paladin has no business attempting to speak at all, but he does anyway.

Zeke lets out a little chuckle, but winces when the movement of his chest sends pangs of pain across his body. He takes Seldan's hand with his own claw, sighing in something close to relief that he can feel his kin. This is no illusion. "You ssshould not talk Ssseldan." Zeke's eyes light upon the grievous wound that the paladin had suffered in his stead. Yet his tail thumps again as his eyes track back to Seldan's own. "Thisss one isss glad to wake here, insstead of the Dragonfather'sss realm."

As he speaks his voice becomes clearer, stronger, but still laced with pain.

A familiar gesture, one done a hundred - no, a thousand times, but Seldan's smile softens, acknowledging the admonishment, but ignoring it. "I am - also glad." The pangs of pain are not easy to watch, but there is little he can do about it, right now. "Forgive me."

Zeke looks at Seldan, his expression becoming confused. "Forgive what?" He asks, not understanding in the least what Seldan could be asking forgiveness for.

"I - slew her." Seldan's gaze is sober and steady, and his eyes lower. Despite Zeke's wishes. His hand remains holding the claw, and he seems to feel the need to say nothing more.

While he did take up watch, as claimed, Tlanexhuani was not present at the hut when the sun rose. Neither was he seen upon the immediate grounds since. Not until now, as he becomes apparent at the entranceway. A moment is taken for eyes to adjust to view the interior, then more time to study those healing within. Drying mud clings to feet and legs as he leans upon his spear, quietly observing. Until Seldan's words. "-We- did," he corrects Seldan quietly.

Zeke is silent a moment. Not ignoring in the least the gravity of Seldan's words. Yet... Almost immediately he opens his mouth, absolving Seldan of his guilt. "There issss no-thing to forgive. Ssshe wasss... Hasss alwaysss been, unwell. Ssshe ssaught to hurt innoscentsss. It wasss no wrong thing that you did Sseldan." He looks at Tlanexhuani. "Either of you."

Seldan's eyes lower further, his head bowing entirely for a moment, but when he looks up, his expression has cleared. The absolution is enough, and he turns his head towards Tlanex, inclining his head in greeting. "Even so. Peace - upon your nest." The hoarse voice is not improving with use, unlike with Zeke. "Thank you."

Tlanexhuani straightens enough from the spear to lean it against the outside of the hut before entering. "Peace on your nests," he returns voice still low. "Ssa. Was not wrong..." Agreement and assurance to Seldan, thought the words are not uttered with as much certainty as Zeke. "She iss returned to The Flame. There she will be well, find peace. All here find peace, alsso..." In time, his somberness suggests.

"Peasssce on your nessst, yessss." Zeke replies to Tlan, huffing a soft sigh and giving Seldan's hand a very gentle squeeze. "Thisss one hopesss ssshe findsss peassce in the realm of the Death-sssinging dragon." He seems slightly disturbed by the thought and he peers up at the tent. Words flitter across his face but they remain unspoken for a long time. "Thissss one ssshould go to prayersss... You need healing Ssseldan."

At this he begins to roll onto his side somewhat more, his crystal claw is steady and strong, but he wobbles with the effort of trying to push himself up. The rest of him is not so strong, and the strain of moving makes his chest burst into a thousand shards of glass that burn up inside him. He grunts at the pain, but stubbornly continues to try.

At once, Seldan shakes his head and reaches out with his other hand, using both hands to encourage Zeke to lie back down. His head shakes again, a firm negation. _No._ He does not, this time, attempt to speak, merely seeks to keep Zeke from sitting up.

"SS-" Tlanexhuani begins to agreement with Zeke once more, concerning Seldan. When Zeke moves to rise, however, he takes a step towards, tail flicking sharply. Zeke's kin is nearer, though, and obviously also has his wits. The bronzed blue snorts. "Both need healing. Both need rest. This one fetch healer to tend, bring what iss needed. You are tended." He doesn't move any nearer, which keeps him, maybe quite intentionally, in the entrance.

Zeke is too weak to fight his kin. Even with them both being less than at their usual strength, he is easily encouraged back to his prone position. He sighs and looks at the pair. "Thisss one isss not _that_ unwell." He states, even as his free claw rises to tentatively touch the scales that have turned black. He of course, can not see them, but his touch draws a pained hiss from his mouth. "Sssa!" He grumps, looking at Seldan's wound and frowning.

Seldan merely shakes his head at Zeke again, and once Zeke has relented, slowly and carefully pushes to his feet. He gestures first to Tlanex, then to the small leather pack he'd brought with him, then to himself. His eyes remain firmly on the pack, stacked neatly next to his cleaned armor and gear.

GAME: Seldan rolls bluff: (10)+13: 23

"Resst, Shaman Zeke. You are not sso well," Tlanex bids him firmly, adding words to Seldan's lack even if the softskin's intent for Zeke is clear enough. The gestures and glance seem to also be so, and he moves to retrieve the pack then step to offer it to Seldan.

Zeke seems disinclined to try rising again at least, but he is unsettled by Seldan's condition, and his own. Though he is less than half as concerned about his own wound than he is Seldan's. The blackness in particular concerns him. It is a sign of toxins in the system that could be very detrimental to the paladin's health. "Thisss one thinksss you may be poisssoned Sseldan."

Seldan's expression relaxes, and a grateful smile graces the even features as Tlanex reads him correctly and does as he wishes. He immediately - and gratefully - sits back down by the bed, cross-legged, the pack on his knee, and goes digging around in it. From it he produces a wooden box, which he opens to reveal a carefully packed clutch of glass vials, individually protected and organized by color. This, he turns to show Zeke, and offer him the contents, then also removes a pair of similar-looking wands and sets them next to the box. "See to - yourself," he forces out carefully.

Tlanexhuani's tail sways at varying pace as he looks between the two tended. Two healers, even? He is more certain of this with Zeke than Seldan, but both also fit what the not-healer does know: healers often make the worst patients. That they are kin to one another may not improve that at all. "Ssa," he encourages Zeke. "Take medicine. Gain strength. Then strong enough make kin take medicine." Knowing why they can be the worst patients can still be useful.

Zeke takes the potion carefully, and seems to study it intently. Not that he doesn't trust it, but more that he wants to make Seldan take it for himself. Tlan's words then are well spoken and Zeke downs the bottle of healing liquid and shakes himself mildly as the itchy healing magics take root. He lifts his claw to itch at his chest a little bit and several dead scales flake away. The flesh under them is well healed, but the scales are lost. He will have to grow back new ones. He carefully collects the bits of scale and tucks them into a pouch on his hip before he turns his attention on Seldan. "Thisss one iss much better now. Thisss one thankss you the ussse of your potion."

Wordlessly, Seldan nods, takes back the empty vial, stoppers it, and puts it in its appointed slot. The box is tucked away, and he studies Zeke closely, reading the sith-makar as well as he can for long knowledge of the personality, resting elbows on knees again. He looks weary, and his color is downright _bad_, but he still seems intent on looking after Zeke first.

GAME: Seldan rolls sense motive: (13)+19: 32
GAME: Tlanexhuani rolls heal: (3)+7: 10
GAME: Tlanexhuani rolls heal: (17)+7: 24

Tlanexhuani looks between the two, potentially surpervising. After watching medicine taken and attempting to judge the results, he takes Zeke his word. A shaman's words are truth, of course. He then turns snout, eyes, and focus firmly upon Seldan. "Is medicine for poison?" he asks, pointing a claw at the box. "If yes, take. If not, this one fetch for you take."

"Sssa." Zeke replies looking at Seldan carefully. "Thisss one thinksss that the poissson hasss run itsss coursse. It will not harm more, but the damage isss done." He reaches out to Seldan, telegraphing a pat on his shoulder that is a gentle thing. "Thisss one will go to prayer. Asssk Dragonfather for ressstoritive thingsss. You will be well again sssoon." With this he heads toward the door.

Mutely, Seldan nods, then shakes his head at Tlanex and points at the departing form of Zeke. With the sith retreating, he tucks the box back into his pack, sets the pack a bit away, then turns to lie down on the bare dirt floor with his head on it, twin cloaks pulled around him, and closes his eyes, apparently content to wait.

"Ah.." Tlanexhuani's tail flicks at the explanation on the poison. "Ssa... Ah! Zeke, if wish rest more..." A thought, if late, sparks in the bluescale's head. "This one iss not healer, but may help... small help..." Claws move to pouches, picking through with some uncertainty before retrieving a ... bauble? It is glass, but spherical rather than a vial. It is wound partly with fine wire and looks to have herbs or other dry flecks within it, along with some of the same wire.

He crouches down nearer to Seldan, holding up the item in claw between them. "This one help, if let?"

Zeke pauses near the door, looking toward his kin and Tlanexhuani. Curiosity causes him to linger. If Seldan can be restored now... That is certainly preferable, but one way or another he intends his kin to recover.

Again mutely, Seldan opens his eyes, studies the bauble, then nods without a word. _Do what you will._

"Ssa. Breathe in. May help throat." Tlanexhuani then focus on the thing in claw, and little sparks jump from claw to wire. The filament inside glows hot for a moment, vaporizing the contents. He then exhales upon it, blowing the vapor at Seldan. Aside from the small scent of hot metal, it is not unpleasant, and may be efficient for his ailment given the path. The glass sphere is left soot-blackened and cracked afterwards.

GAME: Tlanexhuani casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 2 DC: 12

Zeke blinks, starting toward Tlan and shaking his head. "He requiressss resstoration. Not healing. The damage isss to hisss blood, to hisss ability to recover." Zeke does not know how to explain in this language so he switches to draconic quickly. "He is poisoned Tlanexhani. He lost a lot of blood, and the poison has sapped his strength so that he can not heal naturally. Until we restore him, he can not heal; not even with your or this one's magics."

Seldan breathes in as instructed - and promptly starts coughing as the smoke from the sphere and the scent of hot metal touches a throat raw and poison-torn. He rolls over on his side and curls up in a fetal ball of pain barely dulled by the effect of the herbs within, his hacking entirely reflexive after a few moments but, for the moment at least, entirely unable to stop.

Tlanexhuani did mention he was not a healer, ssa? His exuberance and tail both droop at Zeke's words. The words of a healer. "Ah... This one-" Then the coughing fit ensues and he blinks. A hearbeat later, he reacts by briskly shuffling back away from Seldan, head and eyes low. It is not that his desire to help has changed; only the realization that the best way to help, now, is to NOT try to help. And to be out of the way of those who can.

Into the breach that Tlan creates moves Zeke. For all that Seldan wants to curl into a ball, that will not help him breathe. Instead Zeke grabs a pillow and elevates Seldan's head with it. A second pillow is tucked between Seldan's legs. Once this is done, Zeke slowly helps Seldan straighten himself out. "Breathe.... Sssslow." Zeke murmurs to Seldan, trying to make sure the other doesn't panic and make his coughing worse. "Watch Tlan, ssso that you know what to do the next time sssa?"

Seldan doesn't answer either of the sith-makar - his entire attention is focused on his ability to breathe, to stop the reflexive coughing before it makes him lose the contents of his stomach. In the end, it is a near thing, but his breathing does eventually clear, and slow, and he is left exactly where Zeke put him, pillows and all, and squeezes his eyes closed, attempting to regather his wits. Agony is clearly written across the lines of his face.

Tlanexhuani straightens up only enough to clear his view to watch, as Zeke suggests. He shares no words; it is not the time, and learning requires open eyes, open ears, open mind, and closed mouth. His tail is curled as his feet, keeping itself out of the way as well.

Zeke offers comforting thrumming to his kin, allowing him in the end the space to breathe. There is nothing he can do for the pain at the moment. His healing is spent and healing would not help in any case. "Sssa kin." He waits patiently for the other man to settle. "Thisss one will go and pray. Ressst. It will do you good." It would help as much as anything else that Zeke could possibly do.

Seldan's eyes finally close again, and he nods once more, without a word, apparently preparing to do just that. His eyes snap open again after a moment or so, but he makes no attempt to move or speak, only - swallows hard. Not a word does he say about a dome of fire blooming into existence, nor the agony that followed that as well. Neither present know anything of that, and yet can the paladin not forget.

Tlanexhuani lowers himself to a sitting crouch once Seldan gets settled, or seems to be settled. His eyes shift from softskin kin to shaman. "This one watch. Only watch. Fetch if needed. Give praise, thanks to Dragonfather, Shaman Zeke."

Zeke nods and leaves them like that. He knows that Seldan wanted Tlan with him, but the paladin needs watching and he... He does not. He leaves the pair and heads toward a private place where he can pray to Daeus, to his Dragonfather and knows that he will be a long time at it.

He has much to be grateful for.

-End