Narnia: Rich In Mercy (artisticHeart and Lillianette)

As soon as Elijah approached the grizzly bear, Rinnica began tearing at the leaves and the flowers. She pressed her fingers against them to check for stickiness, and smiled when it was just right. She winced when she heard Oak groan in pain as the arrows came out, and worked extra fast to get the mixture going. With the sticky leaves and flowers, and a bit of clay in the ground, Rinnica began making patches on the bear.


"This is in no way enough for a treatment, " she began. "But this will last you till we get back to Cair Paravel."

Oak's wounds were patched up, and Oak reached to lick Rinnica's cheek, causing her to giggle a bit. "Thank you, Miss Rinnica," he said, and then turned to lick the Leopard as well.

Rinnica nodded to Oak with a smile, then moved over to Elijah's foot. With ththe clay, leaf and flower mixture she began to smooth it over his foot. "This helps to keep the blood from flowing. Like I said, it's no replacement for traditional treatment though, but it helps for a quick fix."

--

"Is that so?" Kain asked. He followed her to the cabins and looked around his new room. It was much better than what he had been used to, so this was tantamount to living in Cair Paravel.

"Thank you, ma'am. Even if I don't get an upgrade this is just fine," he said. "Which, by the way," Kain turned to face Eva. "I don't think I've gotten your name."
 
Elijah nodded at Rinnica, "Thanks." He kept his deeper appreciation to himself. The medicine had a numbing effect on his sore foot and made it tolerable to put his boot back on. "Oak, take the leopard and dyrad and head back. Arthur, you cover them. I'll finish up here and then I'll join," he didn't wait for much of a response before walking off. Slightly slower than normal since his foot hurt so badly.

He wanted to make sure that Gold and Amethyst were at least safe. After all, he was the leader and a firm believer in not leaving anyone felt behind.

Oak gave a low chuckle, "Thanks, little lady. Let's get you back to safety." The bear started walking back towards Cair Paravel. Expecting the others to go. The leopard looked a bit conflicted who to follow but eventually stayed with the group when Elijah pointed to the others.

"Don't take offense, he's a bit rough around the edges but he isn't really so bad. He's just gone through a lot for someone his age," Oak defended Elijah even in his absence. The bear was far more understanding them some of the others.

---

"There is a bathroom, kitchen, bed room, and a small living room area. You can rearrange things as you like. Add or subtract if you have the funds. Though this should get you by for a while," Eva spoke more calmly than before though still clearly upset. Even if the man proved useful to Aslan, she was unsure if she could ever look passed his crimes.

"Evangelion Adair. Though most call me Eva," the leopard didn't look at Kain more than she had to. It was a hard situation for her to be in. She was a kind woman at one point, but years of torture changed a person. Usually not for the better.
 
Rinnica smiled up at Elijah before standing up. She was almost about to protest him leaving the group to continue the mission, but thought better of it. Instead, she did as she was told and followed Oak, Arthur, and the leopard back to Cair Paravel.

How sweet was Oak the bear! Rinnica gently nuzzled him, being careful of the wounds and its patches. "Anything I can do to help!"
"Gone through a lot?" Rinnica asked. "What happened?"

This time Arthur was the one to relay Elijah's backstory to Rinnica. The shock only grew on the dryad's face.

"That's terrible! I'm so sorry," she exclaimed.

Arthur shook his head. "It was a rough time, indeed."

---

As Rinnica and the group left Elijah, Gold was sniffing around for more clues for any other prisoners, and for hints of potential ambushes as well. He heard the footsteps of Elijah and turned sharply, only to relax when he recognized him. "What happened, sir?" the fox asked. "You're limping."

--

Kain looked around the room and found the whole situation amusing. Being a type of "prisoner" right now to Eva for a few hours has been better than the last one hundred years of his life. To think one of his victims had treated him with even this kindness, Kain almost smiled...almost.

"Kain Everson," Kain replied. "I guess I am in your care."

He then moved back towards Eva, keeping a respectable talking distance. "So Eva, what would you have me do now?"
 
Oak gave what the equivalent of a smile would have been for a bear, "With all considering, he's an honorable man. He has his suspicions for a good reason. Just give him some time. He'll warm up. He always does." The bear continued walking, slower than he would have liked, but everyone seemed to accommodate to his injuries which he was grateful for.

"Have you ever been to Cair Paravel before?" Oak asked nonchalantly.

---

"Archers attacked Arthur and Oak. Oak is decently injured, but I have him and a few rescues heading back," Elijah shrugged about his injury. It wasn't a huge deal. He had managed much worse than a stab in the foot. "It'll heal. I'm not worried about it. Just a stab wound. Nothing more." He tried to disguise the limp more not to worry his comrades.

"Any luck?" Elijah asked, looking to the fox and up towards Amethyst who had been accompanying Gold.

---

"Nothing for the day. I will be tending to our rescued group once the others return, but aside from that, my duties are done for the day. Have you eaten, bathed, so on? I can see to getting you some clothing that doesn't give off the impression you work alongside Jadis still," Eva continued walking, heading towards the storage for supplies.

As she arrived, she shifted back to her elven form. There were certain things that just weren't easy to do without fingers. "I'm assuming you need clothes, shampoo, conditioner, food, water, tooth brush, hair brush. Anything else that comes to mind?"
 
Rinnica smiled back warmly at Oak, taking the words to heart. Looking ahead, she began to think. She has had it very easy nearly all of her life - all 60 years of it, if that were believable. The only real time she suffered despite a sickness here and there was just these past two days under Elren's eye. Rinnica vowed that she'd do some kind thing for Elijah when he got back.

Snapped out of her thoughts, she turned to answer Oak again. "I haven't," she said. "Not for the coronation either. In fact I haven't even been to Aslan's camp when it was still up. I really wanted to be a part of Aslan's army, helping him and his warriors with medicine and potions and herbs, but my village didn't allow me to go. They said I was too inexperienced and immature.

"So for that reason I stayed behind and let the hamadryads fill me in on what was going on. It was a little painful having to experience it in stories rather than in person, but it is what it is."

Arthur then chimed in, "And now look, Aslan wanted you to help Elijah and the rest of us."

Rinnica visibly blushed and looked down at her feet as she walked. "I s-suppose...so."

---

Gold looked troubled at the news of Oak and Arthur. At least all of them were okay, and were going to get treated - something Gold wanted Elijah to be doing, but Eli was going to press on as he always did.

"Not in terms of prisoners," Amethyst began. "We were nearly attacked by another guard, but we defended ourselves in time. He was the only one to try to attack us."

Gold wove himself past Amethyst and Elijah. "I've been picking up a strange scent recently. I don't know who it belongs to or what, but I feel uneasy thinking about it."

--

Come to think of it, Kain had done neither. He didn't exactly feel hungry in terms of a growling stomach, but it certainly explained the growing fatigue he felt. A bath and a meal would be great after being up as early as he was.

Kain leaned against the doorway of his room as Eva rummaged through the store closet. "I think I'll need all of the above and nothing more," Kain replied. "Frankly you've taken care of me more than most."
 
"Aslan knows where to dispense his faith. He will provide you with the resources you need to flourish, don't worry all too much. You'll have plenty of people to help guide you," Oak continued to walked casually down the ways. It was quiet and it looked like they were going to make it back to the city without any disturbances.

In a different tongue, the bear started to speak with the leopard. One who didn't speak in English and to humanoids. "You are welcome to stay and serve with Aslan if you so wish, leopard. He is welcoming to all and I am unsure if you have a home to go home to. Many of us don't anymore," Oak didn't want to assume anything but it was a harsh reality. Eva wasn't the only one who lost her home and the majority of her race.

The leopard was surprised when the bear spoke, but happy to have some information on what was going on. "I'm afraid my husband and cubs were already slaughtered. I have nowhere to go. I'd be happy to aid any side that is disposing of Jadis's followers if I'm being truthful. For everyone's sake. No one else needs to suffer and I would be thrilled to see peace return to Narnia," the leopard hung her head low as she recalled watching her family slain before her.

"We all do. You will be in good company with like minded people," Oak tried to be as supportive as possible without prying for details on such a sensitive topic.

---

"Is that so? What particular scent are you picking up on?" Elijah couldn't say he noticed anything out of the norm. It was one of the benefits of having such a diverse army. Some species were better fit for certain tasks than others. Elijah kept his sword to his side, walking behind the fox. Keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

---

"That's depressing that you haven't even had basic care. Even our prisoners get those things," Eva sighed. Perhaps she had been hard on Kain. She didn't know his story, but it was hard to look at him without biases. She lost everything because of him. At the same time, she did gain a lot too. It was similar to after a forest fire, the new life was healthier than what was previously there.

Eva handed off most of the supplies as she got them for him, taking her best guess at his clothing size to pick out a couple basic garments before walking with him back to his cabin. When they were back inside, she placed the clothes down on the dining room table alongside the other supplies asides from the food. "You can bathe if you so wish while I cook something," she started getting an idea of what to cook off the ingredients she had at her disposal. Perhaps a simple chicken breast, fresh fruit, steamed vegetables, and plain rice.
 
Rinnica gave a sheepish smile to the group and laughed a bit. She was sure that Aslan would do as Oak had said. The thought that the dryad would be useful to the Lion made her giggle a bit. Maybe instead of "no," it was just "not yet" -- bless him.

As Oak and the leopard talked. Rinnica rested a hand on the leopard's back. Arthur looked questioningly to Rinnica and the dryad shook her head. She herself didn't know the language, but she understand feelings very well.

--

"It belongs to a Narnian, I know that much," Gold responded. "It gets fresher depending on the direction. So far its coming from-- LOOK OUT!"

Gold jumped to tackle Elijah, away from an oncoming arrow. Amethyst immediately took bow out and shot in the direction of the arrow, clipping a dwarf as he tried running from one bush to the other.

"The fox was right, it did belong to a Narnian."

Gold looked up to see the source of the voice - none other than the leader satyr, Elren himself. He grinned a strange grin as he readied a mace.

--

Kain took the supplies, nearly dropping them as he walked but regaining balance. All throughout their time here, he wondered why Eva was being so nice. She could have easily just passed some bread to him, but no, she was cooking as she announced. He was given clothes, cleaning supplies and the like. Maybe being under her eye was going to be easier than he thought... or maybe she was using this as a way to make him lower his guard.

"Thank you," he said quickly, and turned to go to the bathroom and shower. Maybe all of this was too good to be true, and he'd be treated worse here under the guise of good room and board. He splashed himself with hot water several times, trying to shake the anxious thoughts away. If Eva were to kill him, he supposed she would have done it by now. In that knowledge, he exhaled and tried his best to have a clear head.

His bathing time was over and he dried himself off. Kain put on his clothes, white hair still wet, and walked back into the kitchen, watching as Eva cooked.
 
As the group eventually arrived back to the town, Oak and Arthur went different routes. Oak took Rinnica straight to the infirmary to acquaint her with the other medics should she choose to stay. Well, alongside getting more help. This wounds were aching even through the mixture Rinnica provided and he was ready for some relief.

"Our main team consists to Mist, Dawn, and Maxwell. Others pick up where they can't as needed, but these three are our first responders. They're all incredibly intelligent and friendly. Don't feel bad about asking them any questions if there is something you're unsure of," Oak intentionally plopped down on the floor as they arrived into one of the medical rooms to get farther treatment.

"Sorry, guys. I'm back again. Couple archers wanted to make a rug of me, but ole Elijah showed 'em up," Oak gave a low, amused laugh as he laid on the floor patiently.

---

Elijah shot an annoyed glare at the leader, not in the slightest mood to talk. "Did is the correct word!" He charged forward and had little motivation to capture the leader. Certain creatures were too much of a risk to imprison and with no orders to do so, Eli planned to make quick work of Elren. "Focus the others, I'll take care of this scumbag," Elijah's sword clashed loudly with the satyr's mace. The two metals clanking at each parried blow.


---

Eva turned to nod at Kain when he thanked her, but otherwise kept quiet. She was far too lost in her own thoughts to know what else to say.

Kain returned just as the rice had finished cooking. It was the last staple for the meal and after one final stir, she prepared a plate for the tiefling. She set it on the table with a set of silverware. After words, she began putting the remaining food in containers for storage or if one helping wasn't enough.

"Your horn. Why is it broken on one side?" Eva questioned out of nowhere.
 
"Oak," Maxwell said in a mock stern tone. "How many archers have been after you now? And what's this clay on you?"

"That, erm, was my doing...sir," Rinnica spoke up. Maxwell looked at the dryad, who had knelt near the bear. "To stop the bleeding quickly from the arrow wounds."

"Huh," Maxwell said. "Sounds like you're trying to audition for a spot here in the clinic!"

Rinnica smiled sheepishly. "N-no... well yes I want to help but I'm not trying to-- thank you, sir." Rinnica finally said, when she realized she was rambling, and Maxwell laughed.

---

Elren continued to strike and strike at Elijah, despite being parried each time. "What? You're not gonna try to detain me?!" he spat. "How are you gonna find the other clans without my knowledge?!" With that, Elren lifted his leg and gave a strong kick.

In the background, Gold and Amethyst fought diligently against Elren's remaining fighters. They were nowhere near as strong as their leader, but the remaining two dropped their weapons in surrender: another dwarf and a minotaur.

"Enough, we quit!" the dwarf said. He and the minotaur (to the best of the minotaur's ability) fell to their hands and knees in front of Amethyst. The centaur moved towards them and held them down with her hands, making sure to press her weight on them so that they couldn't move. "Gold, help Elijah out! I'll take care of these."

"Got it!" Gold then bounded to Elijah and Elren, weaving between them and coming out behind Elren. Quickly he jumped onto Elren's back and bit into his shoulder.

--

For the first time in a long time, Kain's mouth watered. He covered his mouth and faked a cough to hide it. "I appreciate the meal. Thank you for making it. Won't you eat?" Kain asked as he sat down. At whatever answer she'd give, he'd nod as he began eating. The buttery feeling of the rice was heavenly, and continued to eat very quickly. Despite that, he kept a calm and collected face about him, hiding the fact he was actually...excited, for once.

When addressed about his horn, he stopped mid-bite. Sitting his fork down he looked up at Eva, still with a neutral and expressionless face he said, "I tried to saw it off. I wasn't successful." And with that, he took his next bite as if what he said wasn't surprising.
 
"Hey, I'm not the world's smallest target. I'm a bit of an easy shot, sadly," Oak rolled his eyes but in a playful way. "You try moving eight hundred- something pounds fast enough to dodge arrows." The bear stuck out his tongue at the cleric before chuckling again lowly.

Mist walked over and looked down at the clay. The warm temperatures helped it harden but that wasn't something a little water couldn't fix. "Not bad for a temporary fix," she turned to the dyrad and gave a small smile. She began pouring water on the wounds to remove the clay and clean the bound. What they had planned was much less pleasant than placing clay on his skin.

"Well, they are pretty deep so it looks like we have to sew you up. I know you don't like needles, but we'll make it as quickly as possible," Mist started prepping needles with metallic thread to seal the wounds.

Oak shot a dirty look at the woman, "Nope. Not happening. Not unless I'm drunk." For a large animal, needles were the one thing he wasn't a fan of, funny enough.

The third healer made an appearance now. "We can arrange that!" He held up a giant bottle of alcohol out of no where. Normally it was used for disinfecting, but it would serve the purpose. A loud sigh came from Oak's mouth following.

---

Even after being knocked into a tree and the breathe out of him, Elijah didn't back down. "I don't need you for that information. I can just raid your camps and figure that out for myself or ask your subordinates. I'm not leaving someone like you alive to harm my army! Enough talk, you bastard!"

He charged forward a second time just as Gold distracted the satyr just enough for him to decapitate the leader like it were nothing. He was careful to make sure that Gold wasn't hit in his strike before moving to pick up the head of the beast by the hair.

With it still in hand, Elijah walked over to Amethyst. "Bind their hands and bring them back to the prison. Gold, come with me. We're going to finish searching their camp for any information. And send a message."

Once they arrived at the small hide out, he took a lance he found on the ground, piercing it into the ground. He put the head of the satyr on the top of it with the idea that if any of the other clans traveled to the hideout, they'd get the message that Aslan and his army weren't playing games any longer.

---

"No, I'm fine," Eva spoke quietly. Elven diet was different than most. She relied mostly on naturally grown things. Fruit, nuts, vegetables. Especially as a druid, she refrained from eating meat if it were possible. She knew other species required meat in their diet, elves just weren't one of them.

Eva rose an eyebrow at his question. It only made more questions for her to ask. "And why is that? Horns for tieflings are like a bone. Breaking one is incredibly painful, yes?" It seemed like a masochistic thing to do.
 
Maxwell smirked, chuckling at Oak's remarks. He watched as Mist and Rinnica talked, and how she smiled back when complimented on her handiwork.

"I appreciate it, thank you!" Rinnica said. "Since we're on the topic of stitches, you're probably going to have to do that with Elijah too when he comes back. He, Gold and Amethyst are still out there." The dryad then turned to the bear. "Don't worry, I'll stay near you," she began. She then winked at him with a small giggle as she added, "but I won't drink with you."

She had come to really like Oak, and was glad he was gonna be okay despite having to get sewn up. She looked up at Mist as she sat next to the bear and the leopard. "So what happens now? Since I've been rescued by Elijah and his team, what do I do now?"

---

One decapitation was enough, but two made Gold nearly sick to his stomach. Amethyst watched with horror on her face and she looked away when Elijah grabbed the head. She wouldn't look him in the face as he talked but merely nodded as she grabbed the rope from her bag to tie up the prisoner's hands.

Gold padded behind Elijah at a much slower pace than usual. "Elijah," he started, hesitantly. "What I'm about to say may sound outright heretical, but the decapitation is...too much. I know full well we were, and apparently still are, at war with Jadis' followers but not even Aslan went that far when killing the Witch!"

Gold moved to face Elijah, even as he was driving the lance in the ground. "You can listen or you can ignore, but you've got to be careful. These moments may come back to haunt you."

---

Kain didn't know how to respond. Not once has anyone asked about the nick in his horn, nor has anyone caught him in the act the night he tried. It hurt like all get-out, but how could someone explain that they wanted to remove it because they hated it? Everywhere he went, all people noticed were the horns, and immediately thought Kain was evil. Kain put his fork down entirely and leaned back in his chair as he tried to put a spin to it. He wouldn't lie, just a summary of what happened without the details.

"I tried cutting it off because... because it was giving me trouble. Both horns at the time were just nuisances and I tried cutting them off to make things better, but it only made it worse and so I quit trying."
 
Oak took the bottle between his two paws, a humorous sight for those that weren't used to seeing a large beast sitting and using his front appendages. Putting the bottle to his mouth, he finished it off with one throw back of the drink. Something that would easily kill a human, but for a bear his size, it would only cause him to be buzzed at best.

"Well, I suppose you take up training with these three here until we get word otherwise. Perhaps Aslan will make an appearance himself at some point, I don't know. Maybe Elijah knows," Oak was starting to feel warm from the quick consumption of alcohol. "As for our leopard friend, Eva attends to most wildlife that do not speak to humanoids. If you want, you can try and find her, or simply ju-- Hey! A little warning would have been nice!"

As Maxwell started stitching up Oak, the man gave a laugh. The Reptilian always joked around with Oak about his injuries, just to keep things interesting. "As I was saying, you can stay here and observe or go find Eva. But I will admit, she's not the easiest to find. She could take any animal form and she normally prefers that to her Elven form nowadays after... well... That's another long story."

---

Elijah was taken aback by the fox criticizing his tactics. Foxes weren't known to play by the rules for the most part. Especially those who aligned with Jadis at one point or another. A big sigh escaped his mouth.

"I understand your concern, but I have but two things to say in that regard. Firstly, intimidation methods are important. If putting a dead man on display encourages Jadis's followers to surrender, that is one less life being put to death. If it protects our army, that is all that matters. Second, if you want to talk religion, you must also keep in mind repentance..." Elijah wiped his hands on his pant legs before searching some of tents for anything of use. Maps, letters, so on so forth.

---

Eva saw through Kain's act rather clearly. Hundreds of years of interactions helped as well as being a common interrogator. Learning to see through lies or vague stories was a specialty. "You were ashamed of your bloodline and being associated as nothing more than someone whose ancestors meddled in the dark arts in other words?" Her arms were crossed and she watched the man closely.

Behind his yellow eyes, she could see a broken man. One she recognized only because her own eyes held such sorrow. "What had you have done if you hadn't been forced to do Jadis's bidding? If you had freewill."
 
Rinnica snickered a bit, watching Oak toss down the alcohol. If she had even a 10th of that, she'd be loopy, one of the downfalls of being a lightweight. She nodded a little distractedly as she looked around the room, but sharply turned at the mention of the Lion.

"He may?!" Rinnica gasped. With a grin on her face and her cheeks getting pink with joy, she leaned in to Oak. "And you said Elijah may know?! I have a hamadryad who was willing to try to find him if he was roaming the land so this is great!!"

With glee she went on to explain how she wasn't able to be an attendant at the Lion's camp and how she really wanted to meet him.

"I'm sorry... I've just heard all the stories and I just want to meet him for myself."

Rinnica listened to the rest of what Oak said, and tilted her head upon hearing about Eva. "What...happened?"

---

"I know repentance is key," Gold said. "But the chance to do so is not yours to take away. It's better you hear this from me even as a subordinate than if the Lion himself said something... I'll leave it alone. Let's continue onward."

Gold continued to search with Elijah through the tents and the open tables...

---

"How did you know--" Kain shook his head. He couldn't help it, it was probably all over his face. Kain should have thought better than to make it a euphemism.

"What I would have done... probably a knight, or maybe doing something with my hands like in making weapons. The fire magic I know can probably help blacksmiths... in all honesty I didn't think about it. Anything really to aid the children of prophecy."

Kain finished his meal and he nodded to Eva. "You're a wonderful cook," he said straightfaced.
 
"There is no need to apologize for your excitement over Aslan. It's a blessing in itself just to gaze upon the Lion," Oak had set down the bottle before giving out an atrocious belch. He covered his mouth quickly, "Do forgive me, " he shook a bit, forgetting that the medics were still tending to him.

They didn't forget. In fact, Mist snapped at him. "Oak! Stay still! You're going to hurt yourself more if you don't stop!" She was a dwarf so tending to a beast as large as Oak already required a stool. She didn't encourage any other problems.

Oak made a loud bear grunt but listened. "Eva doesn't particular like to speak of it often. She is an Elf druid. There are only five elves in existance left. Most of which are hidden in different spots in Narnia. Jadis and her followers burned everything. If I'm being honest, I think the Tiefling with her had something to do with it. I've never seen her that angry. She is intimidating, but incredibly loving to those she trusts. She just... has had it worse than a good majority of us all," Oak paused for a moment to try to word things properly. "Aslan looks to us all as his children for the most part, but he has adopted Eva as his own. She is by far the closest with him. If you wish to know about Aslan, ask her. I can't promise she will tell you much at first, but give her time," Oak made a whimpering noise as they started on the third and final wound to stitch.

"You're such a big baby!" Mist teased at the bear.

---

Elijah looked at the fox, "You misunderstand my intentions, Gold. I know you're trying to look out for me, but I have to look out for the rest of the army. If me being damned saved just one life, it is worth it," the man wasn't sure how to explain himself fully to the fox. "I am not like Jadis and her followers. They mutilated the bodies and made their deaths drawn out. I do not. A decapitation is one of the least painful deaths because the brain is severed from the spine. The reason for putting the head on stick is to discourage others from doing as this satyr did. Some acts are unforgivable and we should not put Aslan's people at risk for someone who clearly didn't care to repent. Had he surrendered and refused to fight, it had been different," Elijah found a small map with writing all over it. It seemed to show the location of most of the clans from what he assumed. He pocketed it before turning to Gold. "It is complicated at best."

---

"Thank you," Eva nodded at Kain's compliment but didn't answer the other questions. There was no point in explaining herself and how she could read emotions well.

"I ask that you think more seriously on the matter and write of what you would like to do. Should we deem you an ally, you might find yourself a job as a knight, blacksmith, forgemaster, or whatever else you might come up with," Eva felt it was unlikely due to her biases, but she wasn't about to take away the chance she offered Kain now.
 
"Heheh, yeah..."
Rinnica leaned forward, her chin to her knees as she thought about he did come to Vi Alana to pick up those that would work at his camp. Rinnica didn't get to speak to him in person, but still got to see the Lion, and she remembered how excited she was during the time. There were many times she wondered how her first talk with Aslan would go, often this would send her into daydreaming about all the scenarios that could happen. Rinnica stared ahead, already at the start of another daydreaming session... until Oak let out his belch, and she had to put her face to her knees to keep from laughing out loud at him.

Dawn rolled her eyes and turned to Rinnica. "What a gentleman, right?" she said sarcastically with a wink, and Rinnica only nodded as she covered her laughter with her hand.

Continuing with their conversation about Eva, Rinnica frowned. Eva was another one that had been struck with an extremely bad blow in life. Rinnica was shocked to hear that Aslan took her in as a daughter, but she knew it'd be something he'd do for one in dire need. Rinnica made a note in her head to ask Eva about that later on. The dryad then felt the bear shake and smiled as she scratched the top of his head a bit. "You're almost done. You're doing better than I would have, if that makes you feel better."

---
Gold wasn't going to argue with him anymore. He figured he could at least point out that this may be a wrong ethical move in a respectable way, but when Elijah spoke his defense he figured to just leave it here in the now-deserted camp. "You know best sir," he simply said.

"I believe we've combed through this place enough to get what we need. Are we to head back?"

---

Kain sighed quietly. He honestly didn't think he would get this far, to be able to choose his profession freely. All throughout life it had been chosen for him. Again a quick smile came across his face, surprised to see how things have turned out. For once, he let this smile linger as he'd simply nod for his response to Eva and begin to stand up. "I'll see what I can come up with."

Kain looked out of the window to see the sky turned a bit more orange than blue as it turned from afternoon to early evening. With the festival going on, there was sure to be some loud noise to end the day, and he almost dreaded it. He turned to Eva and asked, "Since it seems you'll be watching my every move from here on," he began, "what is it you would like to do now?"

--
The hamadryad floated through the air of the forest as she looked around in her formless state. If Mariya was unsuccessful in finding the Lion, she would head back to wherever Rinnica was now. She didn't know why she even went anyway, for Mariya knew, like all of Narnia, that Aslan comes and goes as he pleases. Oh these young dryads, sparkling with curiosity and an endless amount of ideas. Mariya was coming up to 200 years of age, and hadn't seen such wild and childish ideas as what came from Rinnica. She couldn't fault her, though. "One Who Celebrates Life" must have a very optimistic view of the world around them.

Mariya ended up out of the forest and near the seashore. She looked at the waves and studied them, thinking that maybe it was time to turn back...
 
Oak gave an intense glare back at Mist. "You're a real pain in my a-- HEY! Can you not?! That hurts!" A roar of pain rumbled from his mouth, shaking some of the glass bottles that were on the counter with the seer vibration. Some even fell on the ground and resulted in a glare right back from Dawn. "It's mutual, ya big 'oof!"

The bear huffed at her as the other workers started cleaning up the room. "I bet, Rinni here wouldn't be so hard on me!" He stuck out his tongue at the others before giving a small smile at the dyrad. His breathe now reeked of alcohol and he was ready for a nice long nap.

What felt like eternity came and Oak was finally rid of all needles stabbing at him. Taking them out was much easier. "Thanks, Aslan," he pulled himself up and shook his fur off again. The feeling off disinfectant wasn't his favorite. Bathing was fun. Alcohol baths weren't.

---

Elijah nodded at Gold, "Yeah, let's go," he started walking back towards the city. As if in queue, one last arrow found its way into Gold. Clipping him in the thigh deeply.

The moment Elijah noticed, a dirty look was across his face. He picked up the fox in one hand while charging the shooter. Deflecting each arrow skillfully either with his blade or by moving aside. This last attacker was killed by a stab through the chest, kicking the body of the enemy to part the blade from him without setting Gold down. After, he adjusted the fox over his shoulder. If they took out the arrow, they risked blood loss issues, but he wasn't going to let his comrade walk off a wound like that. "Think you can manage the run back or do I need to play doctor?" He tried to stay positive but was clearly annoyed so many men had been injured on this mission. He was prepared to run back with a fox in hand and he could go quickly since he traveled alone, but he needed confirmation the fox would be alright.

---

"As for my duties, I'm done for the day. We try not to cramp a lot of work into one night. You're welcome to do as you please. Whether that be sleep, enjoy the festival, or whatever else you do to pass time," Eva responded a tad dulely. She never was one to participate in celebrations much anymore. Ever since she was taken in by Aslan, she worked. There was no play. She used to do everything. Sing, dance, drink, joke, you name it. Depression had long since taken its course on her. "I'll follow whatever."

---

Aslan watched the hamadyrad closely, almost laughing at how close the woman had come to finding him and yet had no idea he was silently there. He walked forward, taking a seat next to the standing figure. "You called?" The lion spoke casually as if he hadn't been overlooking the creature.
 
Rinnica visibly jumped when Oak roared. Once everything stopped shaking and rolling, she gently pet Oak on the head. "There -- cough -- There, there, dear," she said, a little hoarse from holding her breath. She now remembered why she didn't drink alcohol much - the intense smell. She was willing to endure it for Oak's sake though. "It's over now. No more needles!" she tried to encourage Oak.

As Oak got up, Rinnica went to help the others in cleaning up the area. She giggled at being called "Rinni." It had been a moment since anyone called her by a nickname, and it felt special. "So, the festival... Things are going on tonight, right?"

---

The fox barked loudly as the sharp pain took over. Everything else became a blur once Elijah started fighting off his attacker. Gold was glad he didn't take out the arrow. A large grizzly bear like Oak was one thing, but a small fox like Gold was another. "Let's just go back, now!" he grunted, already feeling a bit delirious from the pain.

--

"You'll follow?" Kain repeated. He sighed a bit as he contemplated his next step, moving closer to the window to look outside. Everyone was getting set up for the nightly festivities. A cat suddenly jumped up onto the window sill and stared at Kain. It tilted its head and pawed at the window, in which Kain responded by tapping on the window. The cat played with the tapping finger for a bit behind the glass, but soon ran away into the crowd.

Come to think of it, at one point he really wanted to attend a festival like this. He remembered how he was always intrigued by fireworks. He remembered how one time someone played a tune and soon it was like figures were being made from the flames, like a puppet show made from fire. He hadn't seen it since he was a child. Kain was (sort of) a free man now, so maybe...

"I think I've changed my mind, I might go out for just a little while...Just to see what all goes on."

--

The hamadryad gasped, and her petals quivered at seeing the Lion. Immediately her figure formed, and she bowed before Aslan, then sat in front of him. "Sir, good evening!" she exclaimed. How long had he been there?! Mariya thought she would have come up empty-handed but here the Lion was! "I-I did indeed call. I don't know how to explain this but..." Mariya trailed off but then continued.

"There's a young girl, dryad, and her name is Rinnica... She asked me to find you and ask if you... would come to see her at Cair Paravel. She wanted to personally thank you for arranging hers' and the others' rescue from Elren the satyr."
 
Oak grumbled and starting make his way out of the room. Staying in a medical room was not his forte. "Thanks everyone," he said in a gruff voice before walking, beckoning Rinnica to follow.

"Yeah, it is a festival celebration the year anniversary since the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve were crowned," Oak could have used their names, but he was unsure of how sheltered Rinnica had been from the war and events following.

"There is all different types of fun going on. Dancing, karaoke, drinking, jousting, small games. Like horseshoes, something Peter called racket. Some talent shows, ya know. The typical. If you haven't been to one, it is a good time. After a while it gets repetitive throughout the years. Want me to show you around?" Oak was wobbly as he walked, but he held his own decently. Giving a big toothy grin to Rinnica, though he had been told it looked more threatening than a smile should considering his sharp teeth.

---

"You don't have to tell me twice," Elijah ignored his own injuries and took of running as quickly as he could. Holding Gold in his arms in a way that gave the least amount of bouncing as he did so. He managed to get back within five minutes, rushing to the infirmary the moment he could.

By then, Oak and Rinnica were long gone. "Gold needs assistance as soon as possible. Once you're done with him, I have a much less serious one too, but him first," he placed the fox on the examination bed for the medical staff to overlook as he took a seat in a chair within the same room.

---

"Yeah, I'll follow," Eva shifted to her snow leopard form and flicked her tail habitually. She wasn't going to follow too closely, but close enough to intervene if need be. Part of her was interested in what the man would do, but the other part was still very much on edge about it. Very few earned Eva's trust easily. She walked behind the tiefling, moving a paw in front of her as a gesture for him to lead on.

---

"No more than a few minutes, really," Aslan laughed and gave a small bow back in respect. One much smaller in comparison to the dyrad's. "I suppose I could manage to drop by. I have a few others I need to check up on at the same place anyways," Aslan spoke, referring to the kings, queens, and his adopted child. There were others he wished to see, but ones without simple titles. "You can return to her and tell her I will be there soon."
 
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Rinnica saw Oak motion for her to follow, and quickly handed some bottles off to Maxwell. With a bow, she quickly ran off to catch up with the bear.

"Ohh I see! That's wonderful!" she said. Rinnica had always wanted to meet the Kings and Queens of Narnia, especially Queen Lucy. She seemed so vibrant and kind! She continued to listen to Oak, hearing about the festivals activities. The dryad's face began to brighten and brighten, especially at the thought of dancing - her specialty.

"O-oh, I--" Rinnica was a little scared at his teeth, but once the initial shock wore off she grinned happily. "Yes please! I want to go!"

--

"That Oak..." Maxwell sighed. "Ahh it's okay, he's still a good bear."

Dawn spoke up as well. "And it seems like Rinnica fits right in with all of us! Once she's done with whatever Elijah has to do, I think we should test her medical knowledge--"

Dawn was interrupted by the sound of doors slamming up. She gasped upon seeing Gold nearly passed out and Elijah carrying him. She heard of what needed to be done and immediately got her supplies ready.

"I think we can take care of you both. Two on Gold, one on Elijah!"

--

With Eva now in her snow leopard form, Kain began to walk out of the door and out into the festive grounds. Considering the vibrancy of the city, he would not walk far before he saw stands and dancers and attendees. Kain kept his face low to avoid any stares from anyone close by. The thought crossed him that he should have brought a cloak, but that would look even more conspicuous in a crowd like this. Kain elected to simply ignore the gazes, something he had become accustomed to.

"Do you always go about in a different form like this?" he asked suddenly. "I mean, why not the true elven look?"

---

Aslan was reading her mind! Mariya only awkwardly nodded and listened to his reply. With surprise coursing through her petals, she nodded. "I will go at once, sir!"

With that, her form disappeared into a cloud of petals. Wow, it actually worked. Simply asking the lion actually worked. Mariya was surprised at how easy it was! Maybe Rinnica knew a thing about perserverance in her young age. Quickly she flew through the forest air back to Cair Paravel.
 
Oak kept the pace brisk, hoping to fight off the crowd with an intimidating looking bear moving so quickly forward. It was his intention to help guide Rinnica through successfully. Off first impressions, he assumed she would bump into all types of people and spend many minutes apologizing to each and every one of them.

There first stop was in front of some of the jesters. They often did basic magic tricks and illusions alongside jokes. To the side of the stage there was another figure blowing up balloons and contorting them into animals. Oak, if he was being honest, saw very little resemblance between the creations and their model. However, it kept the young or young at heart Narnians happy.

A little while up the road, they came up to the dancers. There were all different types of acts going on. Aerial Silk dancing, belly dancing, classic ballroom dancing, and just about everything in between was being represented in some way or another. Oak could tell by the way the Dyrad lit up this was where she wanted to spend a decent amount of time. "You seem amused. Do you dance at all?" He paused for a moment, shaking his head. He remembered an embarrassing time where one of the festivals was short on staff and employed him temporarily. "I was dressed up and danced a couple of years ago since one of the dancers fell sick. I'm sure you can imagine how silly it looked." Oak gave a small snort before turning to look back at the Dyrad.

---

Elijah sat down in a chair to reveal his feet. With how much he had exerted himself for his comrades' safety, the wound had been made worse than it was initially. The old blood was caked in with small bits of hair on the surface of his feet. Even though the wound hurt like hell, he wasn't one to complain about physical wounds. Especially not when others needed help more than him.

Maxwell moved to attend to Elijah. More often than not, they tried to match genders of staff to patient just in the event of treatment in more intimate places, even if now wasn't one of those times. "I see Oak wasn't the only one with arrow injuries," he said quietly to Elijah. The healer wanted to be quiet to let the others discuss Gold's rough case.

Gold was in and out of consciousness, giving out loud cries as the staff started to clean his wounds to get a better look at what they were deal with. Elijah's face dropped to more sour expression than before. He hated to see his men suffer and had a bad habit of blaming his poor leadership for their injuries, even if it wasn't so.

---

Eva's ears flicked back in annoyance at such a personal question. It made sense for her to be interrogating Kain, but a counter question wasn't what she expected from the teifling. Was it even fitting to give a proper answer considering the main reason she was the way she was now was due to the one asking? She sighed a moment, but gave in. Honesty was one thing she had a habit of giving.

"More often than not I am in an animal form. There are very few elves in existence anymore, and I don't intend to broadcast who I am to make the numbers lessen. I can not be caught off guard once more and anymore parish from it. Tell me, what seems more intimidating? A large beast or a elf with minimal weapons?"

---


Letting out a low chuckle, Aslan got to his feet and started making his way towards Cair Paravel. He took his sweet time, something he commonly did. He figured there was no reason to interrupt a festival, so he intended to make his appearance the next afternoon. That way, most everyone should be recovered from a night of partying.
 
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