Narnia: Rich In Mercy (artisticHeart and Lillianette)

Oak's hunch was partially right. No, Rinnica didn't spend thirty minutes apologizing to each person she bumped into, but she did stop to acknowledge and apologize briefly, even tearing up a bit if someone had an attitude with her. Luckily Oak was there for her to hide behind. A big, looming bear made for a very effective bodyguard, and they would leave her alone once they realized they were walking together.

Rinnica really enjoyed the jesters. One of them on stage took notice of her and gracefully pulled a flower from what seemed to be out of thin air and hand it to her. "Thank you!" she said happily, and the jester bowed and went on his way. Rinnica grinned as she placed the flower in her hair, her decorative desires now being satisfied after the previous events. Being in the crowds and in the creative activity of the festival seemed to fill the young dryad with energy as she ran around, looking at all the stands and performances.

"Do I dance?" she replied. "I'm only the best in my village! Well, I'd like to think anyway," she added with a giggle. "Dancing is very frequent in my village, we do it all the time. I don't think it's stageworthy, but I've done it for a long time." As Oak went on to tell his story, Rinnica laughed at the thought of Oak dancing in full costume. "Hehehe! I wish I would have been there to see it! Though I would not mind dancing with you one day!" she said with a teasing grin.

As Rinnica spoke, she watched the dancers go on about their performance. The belly dancers especially caught her interest, and she pointed it out to Oak. "The dancers here, Vi Alana's dancing style is a lot like this! It's a mixture of this and..." Rinnica looked around eagerly, then pointed to the classic ballroom group. "This one!"

---

"We can't just yank out the arrows this time. We must be careful about this so that he doesn't lose too much blood," Dawn murmured to Mist. The two began to prepare the areas surrounding the arrows in Gold, numbing the area with a special balm. The balm seemed to help Gold a lot, as his cries began to lessen to small moans of pain. One grabbed a small scalpel to make an incision big enough for the arrow to slide out, while the other quickly dressed the wound to prevent excess bleeding.

"And this had to happen on a festival day, my word. Have mercy!" Mist said as she dressed the wound. "You both are very brave to be taking on such missions during this time," she added. The two continued to dress and numb the wounds with the balm. "Well, this will last for a few hours. We will keep Gold here to change out the bandages and provide medicine for him. Maxwell, how bad is the injury on Elijah?"

--

Kain kept his gaze forward as Eva spoke. Of course, she would be in hiding. That being said, there had to have been much more elves that she had let on. Surely they all weren't concentrated in that one village? Was that why the Witch wanted that village specifically to burn? Kain couldn't help but feel panic beginning to surge in his chest, and all he could say was a quick "Fair enough."

The tiefling made sure to keep his mouth shut as he walked and observed the festival. Some of the dancers had come off of the stage and into the crowds to dance with them. Two fairly young primary school aged children spun circles around both Kain and Eva. Unprepared in the slightest for the activity, Kain stumbled around trying to dodge them, only to fall on his backside as the children ran off. With a groan of pain, Kain wondered if it was better to have stayed indoors for tonight.

"I think...that we should probably head back," Kain then announced, trying to play off the situation as normal as possible. As he was getting up, he caught sight of green fabric and brown fur. He turned and saw Rinnica and Oak talking amongst themselves.

--

Rinnica turned to see Kain and Eva, almost doing a double take as she didn't recognize the tiefling. With Eva not as a mare anymore, Rinnica didn't recognize Eva to be Eva. "Oak... one second," Rinnica said. She then began to make her way towards the two, wanting to see if the tiefling was okay and intending to thank him for treating her well at the prison camp, but suddenly a wave of pink petals overshadowed the dryad and quickly formed into a woman.

"Rinnica, Rinnica!" Mariya shouted. "He's coming! He said 'yes!'"

"What? Who's coming?" Rinnica asked. It then dawned on her just who she was talking about, and Rinnica would have shrieked had she not have covered her mouth. "N-No! Oh Mariya if I find out you're joking!"

"It's true, all of it's true! He told me to come tell you! He said he would be here soon!"

Rinnica was near breathless with the news. "O-Oh, Oh my gosh! What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do?!" Rinnica panicked as she ran around the now-merging groups of Mariya and Oak, and Kain and Eva. She landed near Eva, not even thinking about who she could have been, and held onto her face. "Tell me what I'm gonna do!" she shouted.

As Rinnica ran about, Kain couldn't help but smirk at the sight of Rinnica squishing Eva's face out of nowhere, and turned his head to hide his grin.
 
"Well, I would suggest him being off his feet for at least a week considering there is basically holes completely through on each side. Somehow, the major veins and arteries were missed, but it was obviously strained by running after the injury," Maxwell's tone came off as scolding in a small way, but Elijah paid little mind. There was no way he was going to apologize for saving his comrades. He was the type of person to sacrifice himself in a heartbeat if it insured the safety of others.

"Sorry, but that isn't going to happen. I still have work to do. I have to interrogate all of the rescued prisoners, especially the Teifling," Elijah's tone was stern and he only had a small grimace to his face as alcohol was poured on his wounds. It burned incredibly badly, but it was necessary.

"Then perhaps you should stay home and just have those you need to question come to you. I'm sure there is someone who can assist or you can pass it off to Eva," Maxwell suggested, only to get a negative response once more.

"What is intimidating about someone who can't walk? It sounds like a poor way to go about interrogations. I can agree to be easy on my feet, but I shouldn't be completely off them. I still have things to do," Elijah insisted. There was much to do, and he wasn't going to slow down because of an injury.

"You're a stubborn one, Elijah. Though good at heart. Just like your father," Maxwell gave a small smile in response. Maxwell resided in the same town that Elijah grew up for a large majority of his life. Only he could get away with mentioning Elijah's father without fear of getting socked in the face.

---

Eva took better to the dancing around her than Kain did. She simply let her tail flick in the directions the children moved, while Kain seemed to stumble over. A smirk was present across her face, but karma seemed to have other plans for her as her face was being smushed by the Dyrad she had rescued earlier.

Oak had followed after Rinnica when she had gone off to speak to the others, simply having nothing better to do. Plus, he feared she'd get lost trying to find him again. He was a large bear, but he didn't stand tall unless he was on his back feet. Upon seeing her panicking and directing it towards Eva, he began to panic himself. He knew all too well that Eva didn't enjoy being touched unless it was on her terms. "Rin, you're squishing the princess's face, you know that right?" He tried to avoid eye contact with Eva, a bit scared to meet her wrath as well.

"I am not a princess, but if you'd kindly stop touching me, I'd appreciate it," Eva pulled away from the girl, halfway tempted to take on her true form if people were going to continually give her unwanted attention.

Oak laughed a bit nervously. A good majority saw Eva as royalty since Aslan took her in, but Eva denied that the position was hers. It was the same reason she didn't take part in the festival or broadcasting who she was. The four children of Adam and Eve were the royalty. Eva hated being referred to as a princess. She was the queen of the elves, but that didn't say much considering such a small number remained.

"If you're referring to Aslan visiting, you don't need to do anything. He isn't one for celebrations and showing his power so proudly either. I would suggest getting your interrogation with Elijah over with as soon as possible if you intend to have time with Aslan," Eva spoke, but looked down at the ground as she did so, in a seated position. "He has a habit of coming and going without much announcement."
 
Dawn sighed as she dressed the final wound on Gold the fox. Poor Elijah worked nonstop, and that kind of attitude wasn't going to help him in the long run. "Eva is more than capable to interrogate the others. Besides, a good majority of them are celebrating their freedom at the festival now." Dawn washed her hands and then came back to the others. "Let them stay here and rest for the remainder of the festivities, they've all been through so much as it is!" Dawn said. "And you can finally get some real rest after all of these weeks."

Gold eventually fell asleep, the balm and medicine helping him greatly in terms of relieving pain. Mist smiled, glad he was in a much better state, then joined the other three. "Besides, not everyone here needs such harsh interrogation. A good two-thirds of the group you rescued should be free to go, especially the leopard and the young dryad Rinnica.

"Now, you can take that for what you will, you know best, but I really think you and your party rescued a very nice group that could even be true assets to the Narnian royalty."

--

"The princess?" Rinnica and Kain both said at the same time. Rinnica then heard Eva speak and immediately recognized her as the one who personally saved her back at Elren's camp. "Oh, miss! F-Forgive me!" she gasped as she pulled away. "I'm so sorry, I'm just so jittery about the news! Never in a million years did I actually think that Asla--" Rinnica covered her mouth, so as not to cause a stir among the festival attendees, and continued in a more hushed voice. "that Aslan would actually agree to see me!"

Kain felt shaken with dread to hear that the Lion himself was coming. Sure, he did not want to live a life of destruction and turmoil anymore. Aslan's raid, carried out by Eva and Elijah and his soldiers, was what set him free even though he was undercover as Elren's henchmen. That being said, the tiefling feared that the Lion wouldn't believe him on the matter. Kain made a mental note definitely to stay indoors whenever the Lion did come - he couldn't face him after all that occurred! If Eva was furious during their interrogation... have mercy. Kain didn't even want to think about Aslan's potential reaction.

"He said he needed to visit a few others here as well," Mariya added, taking a glance at Eva quickly before looking back at Rinnica. "Now, I do not know how soon is 'soon,' but I suggest we all at least be prepared whenever he shows up."

Rinnica, Mariya, and Kain turned to Eva as she spoke. She was right, and Rinnica heaved a sigh to try to calm herself down. "I understand... oh!" Yes, Elijah! Rinnica knew he wanted to see her, and she herself wanted to see him, to check on his wounded foot. "Well then, if that's the case, I should go back to the castle. Elijah probably wants me there now anyway."
 
"The word interrogation carries a negative vibe about it, but it doesn't always mean the interview is to go poorly and involve threats. I never said anything about harsh interrogations, you assumed that was the case," Elijah took a rag from the side table and started cleaning the blood off of his boots. "I don't know why I bother, they're no good anymore anyways," he groaned to himself before throwing them into a trash bin of sorts. They were so heavy that they made a loud thud as they hit the basket.

"I can't say anything for the Dyrad yet. The leopard seems friendly, but he doesn't speak common tongue. I will have to leave that to Eva. The teifling is where my concern lies. The rest, not so much. Even if the others were ill-willed, they don't seem to possess the same threat. Demons are masters of manipulation," Elijah was cold with his response, a bit aggravated at the number of people telling him how to do his job as of today. "Your care and advise are appreciated, take care," Elijah started walking from the infirmary.

---

"If Elijah is back and you seem to be done with the festival, then I suppose you should wait in line for your interrogation, Kain. I'm sure Aslan would like to have a word with you," Eva looked at the man for a moment, her gaze could pierce his very soul. She also very well knew that Aslan wanted word with her. There was no way he sent her on that mission if not to test her willpower. In her mind, she could already hear his voice giving guidance.

"This way, you two," Eva started walking towards the castle's more business like quarters. She assumed he would be there, or nearby. Sure enough, he was there walking barefoot out of the infirmary with wounds that looked far from pleasant. "Elijah," she bowed her head to an extent in respect.

"Ah, I was just going to look for you. It seems you saved me a trip," Elijah seemed to lighten up just enough. Eva's jaded self got along well with Elijah's sarcastic and serious demeanor more often than not. The two were rather close with one another since they had a similar past and worked in the same field.

"And I see that that's a good thing considering your injuries. I brought your defendants," Eva said almost in a taunting way. The two often times gave each other grief in a friendly way regarding slip ups.

"Oh, just two coin size holes in my feet. No big deal," a smirk was on his face. With a strong motion, he beckoned the Dyrad to come closer. "You first." He lead her into the dungeon where a single table was with two seats. He had her take a seat before closing the door behind them, now locked. He put the key on his belt before taking a seat. "We'll keep this as simple as possible. What is your story and your intentions post freedom?"

Back outside, Eva beckoned Kain to follow her. "You'll be next, but I think I'll get Elijah some replacement boots before then." For once, she shifted into her human form to open a door and go to the armory. A few rooms down, she opened it to have rows and rows of combat boots. On the wall was a list of people and all their shoe sizes for record. She skimmed to find Elijah's name before pulling a set of boots that was near identical to the ones he had on earlier. After words, she went down to the dungeon where she placed a pair of boots outside the interrogation room and she sat down outside the room.
 
"Hey, that wound is going to get infected!" Mist called out, but Elijah had already left. Stubborn. Mist figured that it was best to leave him alone for now, given his icy response. She looked between Maxwell and Dawn before going to tend to Gold once more.

--

The thought of meeting Aslan was already terrifying enough. Kain hated how Eva stared at him like that. With that news, Kain knew he was not going to get out of this any time soon. "Thank you, for the heads up," Kain replied, almost murmuring it as he turned to face the newly arriving Elijah. He held a neutral expression from then on, even when seeing those wounds in his foot.

Rinnica, on the other hand, was visibly shocked at seeing his wounds. The clay mixture was gone, and the wound was obviously cleaned, but where were his shoes? Where were any bandages?! And the fact that he and Eva were talking so plainly about it like it was another plain day! She was snapped out of her thoughts as Elijah beckoned the dryad to the room. Once inside, Rinnica looked frightful around the dungeon, noting the features and the cold temperature. The sound of the lock made her jump, but she soon stood up straight when Elijah addressed her. There was a pause as Rinnica prayed for further guidance and peace, but soon after began to speak.

"Y-Yes, well, my name is not too conventional I'm afraid, it's Rinnica Who Celebrates Life. I'm a dryad of the village Vi Alana. It's a small village, a few miles east of Cair Paravel. One day as we were preparing for the upcoming festival, we were attacked by members of Elren's clan. They were going to destroy the village if I didn't go with them to prepare potions for their army.

"As for my intentions after freedom, if the infirmary will have me, I want to help them in aiding patients. I am skilled in potion making, and I'd love to offer my help in any way I can. If they're willing to train me, and perhaps help me get over my fears, I'd love to aid in healing any wounds that may come in... especially yours, sir-- Elijah, I mean. Forgive me."

Rinnica could not help but bring up the holes in his foot. She could have sworn the holes weren't that big when she first dressed them earlier in the afternoon, but a lot must have happened since she, Oak, and the leopard went back to the infirmary. "Oh! If I may, and if this helps my testimony at all," Rinnica then began to smile brightly. "The one you were talking to - I don't know her name, but she said that Aslan had arranged this whole raid to save me and the others. Not even an hour before the ambush I was praying that he'd get us out! I think Oak said that you knew something about the Lion telling you and the others to rescue us, so..." Rinnica then bowed. "Thank you, so very much!"

--

Kain had followed Eva into the armory. He nodded at what Eva said, but his mind was still elsewhere. As Eva searched through the walls to find the right pair of boots, Kain continued to think and re-think in his mind what would happen. Forget seeing Elijah and being questioned by him. Mariya the hamadryad's news was much more haunting. Even locking eyes with the Lion that one day during the famous Battle of Beruna, he still felt chills.

In silence, he followed Eva back to the dungeon. Once she sat the pair of shoes down for Elijah, he finally spoke. "Must I see him?" Kain blurted out. "Not Elijah, Aslan."
 
Elijah had a leg crossed over his knee of the other as he listened to the young woman speak. Occasionally, his eyebrows moved as he took in all the information. She was a bit more cheerful than the average Narnian, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. "I see," he said plainly. Letting the room fall silent for a short while.

The bit about treating his wounds struck him as odd. Had the woman not had an innocent way about her, he'd had mistaken her words as flirtatious. Elijah was rather popular among the women, but he never showed any interest. All of them seemed drawn to the strong mysterious man he was, but not once had he responded pleasantly to this attention. In fact, he tend to push away people of the opposite gender. He had a fear of anyone getting close to him and them getting hurt, captured, or tortured for his sake. It didn't settle well with him.

"That would be Eva. She's at the same level as the other Kings and Queens, but she refuses to acknowledge such a thing. Her reasoning being that she doesn't do well with people much anymore and deems herself unfit for such a role because of it. Should you need to know something, she's the one to ask. If you can ever find her," Elijah moved his hand to rub at his facial hair as he thought a bit longer.

"The infirmary informed me of your aid regarding Oak and you did offer help without prompting, so I think that buys you a free pass for the rest of the interview. I would advise going to the infirmary to let them know your request to join is solidified. I expect great things and will follow up with you every once in a while, so don't be surprised if I drop by, especially considering my wounds," Elijah grabbed the bridge of his nose, the feeling in his feet starting to come back. He couldn't say he felt great at the moment. "Lastly, you're welcome. It is our job to serve and protect. If you speak to Eva, I'm sure she'd be happy to get you some place to stay. Take care, Rinnica." He was surprisingly pleasant for the interview. It was very rare that such a thing happened, but the soft face of Rinnica and her personality made it hard to be angry towards her. The interview with the teifling was a whole different story.

---

"You're either a fool or brave to suggest denying Aslan an audience," Eva looked blankly at the wall in front of her. "The only reason you're alive and able to stay here is my decision. The only one above me is Aslan himself. Elijah's interrogation is rather a second opinion on my judgement, nothing more." Eva stopped speaking for a moment. "Aslan sent me specifically to rescue you all, knowing very well your crimes. Nothing gets past Aslan. If he sent me to kill you, that would have been my commands. Yet, the choice is mine. Some say that speaking with Aslan took a weight off their shoulders. As if all their sins were relieved of them. Do you have to see him? No. Is it advisable? Yes."

Shortly after, the door was unlocked and Kain was beckoned to take Rinnica's place. Eva handed off the boots the moment she saw Elijah. "Do everyone the favor, don't get an infection, yes?" She smiled at him, watching him put the new pair on. "If you insist, mum," Elijah rolled his eyes playfully before pulling Kain to his feet by his underarm. Kain wasn't exactly a small man, but Elijah had significantly more muscles. "We might be a while," Elijah pushed Kain in the direction of the chair before locking it. After words, he didn't take a seat. Instead, he paced the room. His hand on the hilt of his sword the entire time. "Kain Everson. A teifling guilty of genocide. How do you expect to defend such a thing?"
 
Of the same rank as the Pevensie children? No wonder Oak panicked back at the festival, and called her a princess! She was surprised to hear that Eva thought she wasn't good with people. Didn't she just save several from Elren's harm? Such a shame she thought that way. Rinnica made sure that Eva would be next on her list to thank personally.

Elijah's attitude now compared to during the mission was quite different, and Rinnica was happy for it. Hearing such praise and compliments from him from the first time brought a child-like grin across the dryad's face. "I can't thank you enough sir... Elijah! I'm sorry!" Honorifics were a bad habit with Rinnica, but she corrected herself each time. "I'll go at once, thank you!"

--

Once again, Eva was right. Here, he had the chance to be absolved of all the turmoil he felt, and he wanted to run away yet again. No, he had to tough this out, no matter how uncomfortable it may be at first. First things first, however, he had to get past Elijah. He had other questions for Eva concerning her status and the Lion, but that would have to be for a later time.

When the door was unlocked, Rinnica nearly jumped out, with a happy expression on her face. Kain gave her a look, but Rinnica only bowed quickly to him and to Eva. "It's very nice seeing you again!" the dryad announced to the both of them.

"You...too," Kain replied reluctantly. Considering where they both were not a few hours prior, Kain felt the awkwardness of it all set in. He didn't have much time to process his thoughts, for in an instant he was knocked to the ground with a grunt. He was pushed into the dungeon, and Rinnica looked on with concern before the door shut and locked.

Rinnica then turned to Eva and bowed. "You must be Eva," she began. "Thank you, so very much for rescuing us." Once Rinnica stood up, she looked around, then whispered to the druid. "Will he be okay?" she asked, referring to Kain.

---

Kain pulled himself onto the chair, still wincing from the pain of being knocked over. He turned to Elijah and watched as he paced the floor. "Frankly sir," he began softly. "I can't. Just as you were under orders to run out the clan, I was under orders by the White Witch to set fire to that village long ago."

"In short, sir," he said. "You can't defend it. You don't."
 
Eva watched Kain disappear into the interrogation room. Part of her felt bad for him while the other part made her feel like he deserved this. Her caring nature battled with her own basis towards the man for his crimes. Rinnica's return was pleasant though. The interview seemed to go well for her, and it was nice to consider one more easy ally.

"Yes, I am Eva. It isn't common I take this form anymore, but this is the true me," the elf gave her a kind smile, a complete change from how she was earlier. Pulling herself to her feet, she brushed off her armor she still adorned from earlier in the day. "As for your rescue, it wasn't a problem. Though by first impressions, we may seem rough on the edges, we do intend to help everyone possible," she stretched her long arms over her head and straightened out her back.

"About Kain, I can not say. His psychical and mental health will depend upon his response to Elijah. Elijah is a good judge of character. His methods are usually psychological. Intimation. Overloading ones senses to cause them to break emotionally, letting their true colors show. Should Kain be truthful about how he was forced to do such actions proves true, then he will be okay. Should he prove to be manipulating others, he will be in for a rather hard time," Eva sighed loudly. "As much as I'm not one for revenge, it is hard to look upon him and not want to kill him right there and then. He is responsible for the extinction of many elf species. Leaving but five elves. One dark, one wood elf, and the rest being high elves."

"I'm unsure what you know of elven history, but the High Elves are generally those of noble decent. Of the elven races, they are looked to as the governing power. Every other year, a celebration is held where all elves take a pilgrimage to the High elven city and they celebrate our differences. The wood elves with bring crafted goods from plant life, be it medicine or artistic trinkets. The dark elven were more skilled in the sciences. They made technological advances and would show off their inventions. There are many other elven races so those are just so examples. But anyway, the main point being that the night Kain circled the entire city with fire and burned it from the outer rims in, everyone suffered. Every elven type. On a day of peace and celebration," Eva's voice started to crack as she turned away to hide the tears threatening to fall. "The screams. The sights. The smell. It all lingers and haunts me to this day. Yet, I'd been given the task to forgive such a terrible thing."

---

"That seems like a rather simple excuse," Elijah barked back at Kain. It would have to do more than mere words for him to trust the tiefling. Housing him alone was a risk in itself. "The White Witch is dead. Yet, you remain with her followers. She was the one you were bond to, but you stayed. Aslan has ALWAYS forgiven those who asked forgiveness. Giving them the tools they need to grow and go towards the path of redemption and a better life."

"You killed off more than twenty species of elves, leaving a number so small I can use one hand to display the living. You surrounded an entire city in fire and have the nerve to say you had no choice? The White Witch thrives on ice. What destroys ice!? The very thing you used to kill!" Elijah slammed his blade into the wooden table to drive the point home.

"Even still, she has been dead for a year! No one else comes near as much as a threat as her. Surely you could have overthrown them! But you didn't. That's what you need to defend. Why do you deserve to live?" Elijah looked at him with his strong dark eyes, reading every movement, word, and body language he could.
 
Encouraged by the kind smile, Rinnica gave a genuine smile back. "The true you looks lovely," she said, stepping back to give Eva a little more space as she talked.

Rinnica listened diligently as Eva explained Kain's situation, the reason he was here, and of the elven history of Narnia. She saw Eva choke up, and nearly reached out to comfort her with a hug, but thought better of it, remembering how she didn't want to be touched at the festival. It wasn't like a hug could just fix everything that happened anyway. Rinnica was not born during the time, but remembered how dryads, naiads, and everyone else mourned during the events' anniversary. It happened more than a century ago, but the loss was so catastrophic that it was surely never to be forgotten. And for the population of Narnia that could live for hundreds of years at a time, that moment felt like it was just yesterday.

"Miss Eva..." Rinnica said, with true concern in her expression. "I'm so sorry. I know it doesn't help much, but please, allow me to express my condolences. And to be asked to forgive it too..." Rinnica couldn't even think of the emotions Eva was going through. "Who...who gave you that task?" the dryad asked.

---

Elijah's words was just empty preaching to the teifling. Here he was, yet another Narnian who could never truly understand the power of the White Witch's persuasion, abuse, and torturous tactics. Kain could feel rage, hot as lava, boiling on the inside of him, and his eyes gave it away. Kain knew he couldn't lose his temper now when he was minutes away from freedom. He dug his nails into his legs deliberately, growling both in pain and anger.

"You think it's so easy, don't you?" Kain hissed. "Always saying how I could have turned away, could have asked Aslan and everything would have been okay. If it was so easy, maybe you can tell me how to break the spell of the Witch, who could track me anywhere I went, and if I tried to escape, it would harm me. Or maybe you can tell me how I could have escaped several decades of torture day in and day out. I tell you, that rickety little device in the corner was nothing compared to what Jadis did to me.

"And my fire magic had nothing to do with Jadis' ice. If Jadis knew how to harness it, Jadis would use it to her advantage. She used me to her advantage. I tried getting out from under her and her followers, even when she died in the battle. But people like you wouldn't have me in their homes or jobs or streets! Where else could I have gone?!"

With eyes blood red, Kain glared daggers at Elijah. He looked ready to speak, but quickly bit his tongue. Kain vowed since Beruna that he would never question this, but he was always tempted to ask if Aslan even wanted him free from the Witch at all - even in her death.
 
"I do appreciate the compliment. Though I have a hard time agreeing with you nowadays. My eyes hold sorrow and my hair remains white. I was blessed with a strange power that reflected my health. My hair would change according to how well my mental and physical health were, different shades depending on my emotions and various other factors. Now, all color has drained from it and has been like that for years. I wish only to feel some emotions aside from pain, anger, and sadness. Though it is as if I'm incapable anymore," Eva spoke softly. This wasn't something she admitted often, yet for some reason, she felt compelled to share it with Rinnica. Her hairs was white like snow or ice, as if to symbolize her frozen heart. "Forgive me for my depressing stories," Eva shook her head and immediately tried to move on from what she said.


Though back on the topic of her task, it wasn't a much better topic. "At first I thought it was an indirect task from Aslan, though I feel otherwise now. I feel that this is my own task for myself. One only I know how to go about in. I'm not the woman I was before, and it hurts to look back and see someone I don't know. Someone jaded. Broken. Something I don't want to be anymore. As much as everyone else who knew me before the massacre, I too miss my old self," Eva sighed heavily. These are emotions she hide inside for god only knows how long, and yet the wound was still so tender.

"I'm sure you'd rather me show you your new home while you'll be staying here, especially if you're with the medical wing. They have special quarters. This way," Eva got to her feet and started walking to the same supply room she had before with Kain. She gathered all the necessities that Rinnica would need along with some other home welcoming gifts. Unique knickknacks made by some of the citizens, wall decoration, and other artistic things that Eva thought Rinnica would enjoy. Every gift was one of a kind when it came to housewarming. They were things that people made for hobbies and for a living, donating them to those who served in one way or another. By the time Eva was done, she had four baskets full of things that she handed half to Rinnica to carry. After words, she led her to the medical quarters. They were inside the castle, right by the medical wing for obvious reasons. The rooms were nicer, with goods comparable to that of what the nobles received. "Does this suit your liking?" Eva asked, hoping to find an easy answer back. Not once had someone complained about the castle rooming. At least not to her face.

---


"When did the words "easy" ever come from my mouth?!" Elijah barked right back at the interrogated man. Elijah looked over his shoulder at the device Kain spoke of. "Oh, you think we actually use that device? Ha. No. The real fun is but another two floors below where we are. Most to keep the screams of tortured souls from being heard by citizens, yet just enough to terrify prisoners and discourage acting out," his words were a bluff, but he wore the act well.

"You clearly didn't try real hard to find a new residence. Even alone as a hermit would have been better. You surely could have found yourself a cave, an abandoned home, food, water, and so on. Did that not cross your mind? Living alone but free? Surely it had to!" Elijah still wasn't convinced. There was always other options, especially when Janis was dead. "Oh, but wait, here comes to excuse that you'd be tracked down. What match would Janis's little cults be to a man who eliminated thousands of elves in a single day, hmm?" Elijah pulled his sword from the table and threw the table aside. It broke for the amount of force Elijah used as it collided into the wall.

In a swift motion, Elijah's foot kicked Kain straight to the ground, out of the chair. Then his foot found its place atop the man's chest,the tip of the blade at his neck. "You never considered killing yourself to free yourself of torture. Of committing crime. What is your reason to continue fighting? I can see that you at least attempted to rid yourself of horns at some point. Or maybe that was another torture session."
 
Upon learning Eva's health condition, Rinnica listened with visible concern. Such a beautiful woman didn't deserve such pain! The dryad made a mental note to make a gift for her or do something nice for her soon, to at least try to lift her spirits. No Narnian needed to be caught in a depression like Eva was. "Please don't apologize, miss!" Rinnica quickly replied. "If you need to vent, please do let me know! I'm willing to listen!"

Somehow, as Eva answered the dryad's question, Rinnica knew the Lion would want her to forgive this, no matter how hard it would have been. She remembered how Mariya and the other hamadryads of Aslan's Camp relayed the news of Aslan's death in place of King Edmund. Rinnica would not eat, drink, or even sleep the night she found out what happened and why. The Lion showed great mercy and forgiveness that night, it was no wonder that he would ask those around him to forgive each other as well.

The subject changed and Rinnica went to follow Eva to the supply room and to her new living quarters. "I appreciate it, thank you!" she said as she followed. Rinnica watched quietly as Eva picked out several things for her to wear, to use for living, and so on. When she got to the decorations, Rinnica didn't say much, but her face reflected her excitement as she watched Eva manage to pick out all of her favorite colors. The dryad even let out a quiet squeal of delight at one point, but quickly slapped her hand over her mouth to try to play it off.

The two made it to Rinnica's room, and the dryad was in shock and awe. She ran around the room, excited to see its every detail. Rinnica stopped in front of the bed, sitting her things down, and grinned to herself as she planned to tease the druid a bit.

"Hmmmm, I actually was expecting something more luxurious... hehe!" Rinnica turned around and winked at Eva. "Said no one ever!"

The dryad ran to Eva and held onto her hands. "Miss Eva, you're wonderful. I never thought I'd actually be living here in Cair Paravel, and I have you and Aslan to thank."

---

Even if it was a bluff, Kain found himself smirking. He'd been through so much worse - what could a mere man do to him? "Child's play," was all he said. "And concerning living alone, I've tried. Several times. How do you think I knew I was being tracked? It was because I was hunted down each time I attempted to escape. You may not have said the word 'easy,' but given your little suggestions, you must think so."

Soon Kain went tumbling to the ground, grunting from the pain. He looked up only to look down the blade of Elijah's sword. Suddenly, it seemed as if Kain became a little too calm, even stunned. Did this man honestly believe that killing himself was an honest way to get out of his situation? Kain began to remember all the times as a child he had been beaten by one or more of Jadis' henchmen, how he wished for death but it never came. It was at this point that Kain had finally reached his breaking point, his eyes turning a deep, blood red.

The tiefling bared his fangs and seized Elijah - one hand on the soldier's ankle, the other on the tip of his sword. With his hands he let a burst of flames singe his ankle and warp the metal of the sword. Not caring for the cuts from the sword, he yanked the sword from Elijah, and pulled him down to the ground. Now the tiefling was on top of the soldier, one foot coming down hard on his arm, and the other knee on Elijah's chest.

"You call yourself a follower of Aslan and you think that killing myself is the right way to be free?" Kain seethed. "Not once was I given the opportunity to ever live a lawful life! You don't seem to understand that this cycle of hating my life, fleeing, and being rejected from others has gone on since I was ten - not human years, tiefling years. You may have your torture room below this one, but I tell you I can show you just exactly what torture I've been through for the last century."
 
Eva remained fairly quiet up until Rinnica grabbed her hands. Her face immediately reddened into a blush. The woman hadn't been touched by another in so long, she didn't know how to react. Even small gestures like hugs were not something she knew, mostly due to her own choice. "I..." She stuttered. Lost for words. An unusual thing for the bold elven woman.

"I am glad you are pleased with the room and your job. I'm sure Aslan will be happy to know you're settling in nicely as well. I do hope you enjoy your stay here and I am sure we will run into one another fairly often," Eva gave a smile to the woman, bowing her head slightly in respect. "Should you need assistance, just ask. The majority of us are friendly, so if you can not find me or Elijah, you'll be pointed in the right direction."


Something in Eva's mind started to cause her head to ache with crippling pain and no matter if she tried, her face couldn't hide it. Very rarely the migraines came on without reason anymore. "I am sorry, but I need to go. Something doesn't feel right and I have feeling it has to do with the interrogation. I'll leave you to get settled in. Take care, Rinnica. It was a pleasure to meet you." Eva gripped at her hair in pain before running back towards the interrogation room.

---

Very few times had Elijah been faced with a challenge when it came to interrogation. Normally, he took more precautions than he had with Kain. Only when he found himself thrown to the ground did he realize his mistake in dismissing help from another mage to silence Kain's casting abilities. Grunt of pain slipped from his mouth.

The groans became louder as his leg was severely burned and his blade damaged. "You were given the option, but it looks like you just blew it!" With Elijah's free arm, he managed to grab the warped blade now on the ground. He grabbed it by the now dull blade and slammed down the hilt on Kain's head. It was a powerful blow, enough to give Elijah the upper hand again. He rolled himself out from underneath Kain's hold.

Next, Elijah went for a cheap blow by kicking Kain in a man's most sensitive spot before grabbing both horns of Kain's and snapping them upwards. The horns snapped in half let out an incredibly loud crack with the separation from Kain's head. "You're a fool to think you'd get away with something like that," Elijah threw the broken pieces of horns on the ground.

---

Eva had run back to the interrogation room as quickly as she could. Her timing was near perfect to ensure that Kain or Elijah didn't die that day. When she slammed open the door, she quickly shifted into her lioness form. Kain was on his knees, his white hair completely bloodied from his now broken horns. Elijah had various burns all over his body and tattered clothing now. "If letting you do interrogations is going to result in someone dying, I suppose I'll have to stick to doing them! Go get treatment, Elijah,"

Elijah looked at the druid in shame. He had gotten carried away and let his emotions get the better of him. There was no doubt in that. He didn't say anything and continued to stand in one place. "Now! That is an order!" Eva growled at Elijah. It was the one time she was thankful for her title.

Elijah sighed heavily, dragging himself out of the room and to where he assumed Rinnica was staying. His suspicions were correct where he saw the room near the infirmary no longer reading vacant. Instead of going to the infirmary, he went to the Dyrad. That way, he figured he would be chewed out much less. "Rinnica, it's Elijah. I need some assistance... Sorry to bother you so soon," his voice was low, not wanting to admit his defeat. His pride was another reason he didn't go straight to the medical wing.

Back in the interrogation room, Eva was trying to see if Kain was even functional. The amount of blood from his horns was intense. She wasn't sure that they would bleed, but in fact they did. Shifting back to her elven form, she took Kain's cheek in her hand. A small green glow lit up her hand and Kain's cheek, sealing off the open wound. "Come on, let's get you help," Eva decided to take Kain as her own patient, knowing if Elijah was in the infirmary, there was no way things were going to go well. They needed to be separated. At least for now.

Eva knelt down and moved Kain's arm around her shoulder before putting her own arm around his waist. She let the tiefling put most of his weight on her as she walked him back to his home. The walk wasn't exactly easy for Eva considering Kain was larger than her, but she made do. When she got into Kain's home, he fell from her grasp onto the floor. Eva knelt down on the floor beside him. "What do you need? I'll get it." The wounds were sealed and mostly he was just covered in excessive amounts of blood, but part of her worried how close he was to the amount being a problem if it already hadn't. In the moment, it was almost as if all of Eva's hatred for Kain's actions were forgotten. When she tended to others, their loyalties rarely mattered. She hated to see others suffer, this was no exception.
 
It seemed she really wasn't used to physical touch at all. Rinnica thought nothing of it but only giggled a bit as she let go. At least she wasn't asking her to step away. Being the only open hugger in a sea of introverts was frustrating sometimes, but the dryad was respectful of personal space.

"Absolutely!" Rinnica responded. "I will indeed. And if you all need me at all for potions or medicines or anything, just let me know as we-- Eva, are you okay?"

Rinnica saw how Eva winced. For a moment, she wondered if Eva already needed hospitalization given the sudden onset of her symptoms. When Eva excused herself, Rinnica only nodded and let her go to her business. She closed the door and sighed as she prayed for Eva's safety.

Well, she was now in the hospital ward of the castle. Her dreams were finally realized, and she grinned to herself. "Thank you, sir," she whispered a prayer to the Lion. It then dawned on her that he was still coming soon, and the dryad brightened up further. Oh have mercy, what even would she talk about? Rinnica never thought she'd get this far to get a conversation with him in person! Would they talk deeply? Would it be a serious meeting? Or would it be fun and celebratory, like how Queen Lucy and Queen Susan and Aslan played together?

The dryad then let out a silly laugh. She would make the hamadryads tell that story over and over again until one or another was sick of it. Rinnica started spinning around the room, giggling as she thought of a game of tag with Aslan as the others did.

Then it dawned on Rinnica. Couldn't he read her thoughts? If that was the case, maybe he could hear her right now? Considering how her prayers were answered previously she didn't doubt that, and her face began to turn red. "You...You can disregard that," Rinnica prayed sheepishly.

---

Before Kain could even respond to Elijah, he yelled in pain from the hilt of the sword. That could have been the beginning of a concussion, Kain feared as he tried to stand up. As soon as he was halfway standing, he took the kick to his groin and doubled over, but such pain was only the pinprick of a needle compared to what happened next.

When Eva came in, Kain was roaring in agony. He was holding his horns, or rather what was left of them. He could feel the blood quickly seeping from his horns into his hands and his now matted hair. Kain didn't even take notice of Eva, only vaguely hearing her talk, but he was in too much pain to pay attention or care. It wasn't until she sealed up the wounds that Kain started to quiet down.

Letting Eva get him situated around her shoulders, he limped and stumbled his way with her back to his new home. Knowing he was bigger than her, he tried his best to walk on his own to lighten the load on her back. Try as he might, he was too dizzy from the blood loss, and the dull pain in his head made him near delirious.

Kain collapsed to the floor in front of the door of the house and grunted from the force of his fall. "Whatever you think is best for head pain," Kain shuddered. "Head pain, blood loss, muscle-ache, you name it. If that man comes by me again I'll rip him apart..." The last phrase was more to himself than anything, but he didn't try to mask it from Eva.

--

Rinnica heard the voice of Elijah through the door. "Coming!" she yelled, being snapped out of her daydream. She opened the door, wanting to greet Elijah with a warm and friendly welcome. Instead, she audibly gasped at his wounds. "You've gotten worse! What happened?!" she exclaimed. "Quickly, quickly, inside!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him into her room and had him sit down on one of the chairs. Upon further inspection, she saw the burns. "Uh, u-uh...!" Rinnica stammered as she looked around, not knowing what to do. Then she stopped abruptly. "Burns... soothing... aloe!" Yes, aloe vera, one of Rinnica's favorite plants for its soothing properties! Rinnica looked around hurriedly for a soothing agent and quickly found supplies in her cupboard.

Rinnica found a bottle of the plant's gel extract, some towels and some bandages, then she sat down in front of Elijah to treat him. "Now this may sting," she said gently. Rinnica began dabbing his wounds delicately with the aloe gel. "Now, tell me what happened? How in the world did you get burned like this?"
 
Eva fought the urged to not slap Kain and Elijah in the face over their not-so-little-brawl. If they weren't in such serious condition, perhaps she'd had knocked some sense into them. The interrogation was supposed to be contact free, not beating the shit out of each other. "Come on, just a few feet more," Eva pulled Kain up for a few more steps before letting him collapse back to the ground. ""I'll be back. Stay put."


Quickly running off to the supply closet again, she took everything she could find purpose for. Washcloths for cleaning what she could, pain medication and ointment, nausea medication to prevent it from even occurring from the pain. The rest of the stuff Kain would need was most easily obtained from eating. Iron to combat the blood loss could be found in meats. She came back to Kain's house, wet the washcloths, and poured him a glass of water. On her way back to him, she grabbed a pillow from the couch. Then she moved to sit beside him, cross-legged with the pillow on her lap.

"Here, swallow these. I'm going to put ointment on you and clean up what I can. It'll likely be good for you to take a bath when you feel up to it to get the rest of the blood out. I'm not particular up to bathing you, so I'll get someone else for that if need be," Eva sighed, moving to lean his head back over her lap as she began working on cleaning the horns and blood from his face. Her touch was incredibly gentle as she used to cloth to clean Kain up. Even after rigorous cleaning with the washcloths, Kain still looked like a bloody mess.

Though, the absence of such large horns made him appear more normal. Eva couldn't agree with what Elijah had did, but perhaps the absence of the horns wasn't so bad. After all, Kain did mention that he tried to remove them before. Now just small stubs came from his head, only about two inches in length on each side. Sighing heavily, Eva began applying ointment where she could reach without moving Kain too much. She handed it off to him if he had other places he wished to apply it.

"As angry as you are, do not go for Elijah. He will be speaking to both Aslan and I tomorrow regarding what happened. If you have any wishes to remain free and start gaining a decent reputation, I would advise heavily against killing a high officer," Eva shook her head. She couldn't believe this happened. Kain seemed level headed enough, which was saying something considering Eva's biases. Elijah normally held his anger in well. He wasn't sure what enraged him so much during this particular session. This was a first. Eva put the washcloth to Kain's forehead and let it stay there to keep him cool as his body started to recover. She let him lay there with his head in her lap as she looked down at him with unamused face. As for days, this was one of the worst she had had in a long time.

---

Elijah looked down at his joined hand with Rinnica and seemed more confused than Eva had been earlier. No one dared touch Elijah. He wasn't the most friendly looking person and some thought he was more intimidating than Oak. The hand holding didn't last long and his hand rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I got a little carried away," he mumbled out, barely audible.

A questioning look only resulted in him sighing loudly. "I got in over my head and started a fight with the tiefling, alright? We don't speak of this. This is between you, me, Eva, and the dickwad demon guy," Elijah rolled his eyes. He didn't make much of a fuss over the aloe since the sting didn't last too long before the chilling soothing effect took over.

"I might need you tomorrow too because I'm sure Eva is going to rip off my head once she is finished tending to Mr. Genocide over there. Why she's helping him, I have no idea," Elijah was annoyed. He had gotten angered over Kain's crimes, yet he was more rash to act on it than the one who suffered the most out Cair Paravel's residents.

"I don't trust him to be around the others. He very well could massacre a whole new set of people before we could do much about it. There is so much at risk. I know integrating him is the right thing to do, but what if it back fires? Literally?" Elijah rubbed at his temples with his fingers, trying to sooth his growing headache from the stress.

"I'm already responsible for my troops injuries and I feel bad enough about that. My position is likely at stake now," Elijah was just rambling. Everything seemed to be getting worse by the moment mentally while Rinnica worked on easing the physical. "Sorry, this isn't exactly your problem. Especially not on your first day," He threw up his heads and made a loud noise in frustration.
 
"As if I can leave," Kain said while rolling his eyes. He immediately regretted the action as a new wave of pain and dizziness took over. "Ungh..."

When Eva came back with the supplies and the water, he looked a bit relieved, seeing that some relief would happen within minutes. He stared at her as she sat cross-legged with the pillow in her lap. Did she want him to lay there? The gesture seemed, well, off, compared to how they treated each other earlier. It wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter though, and he needed the medical care. Kain let Eva move him into place, and he quickly swallowed each of the pills in one gulp.

His horns still stung a bit to touch, but he couldn't help but feel relaxed in Eva's hands. His breathing became more and more steady as she went on, and it almost sounded like he was nodding off to sleep. "I'll be fine bathing myself, thank you," he replied.

Kain's eyes closed as he began relaxing again, still paying attention as Eva continued on. When admonished not to hurt Elijah any further, his brows furrowed while his eyes were still shut. "I hope Aslan does talk to him," he growled. "Maybe he can talk some sense into the brute. Elijah suggested that I could have killed myself to escape Jadis. He's so keen on protecting and rescuing, should the other prisoners have killed themselves to escape? Tch..."

Kain didn't do much with the bottle of ointment except turn it in his hands a few times. He felt the cool of the cloth and opened his eyes to see Eva looking down at him. "Thank you... Eva," he said finally.

---

Rinnica continued putting on oil and dressing the burn wounds. When Elijah first said that he got carried away, Rinnica couldn't help but give him a look. She didn't normally get sassy, but she was quick to see an obvious bluff. The truth came out, and Rinnica's face softened, almost like she felt disappointment. Rinnica would let him rant as he needed, cringing a bit at the sailor-mouth of his.

"Well... if I may, Elijah," she began. "Kain actually tried to save me when I was trapped in the camp. It was hard because of the high demand for potions, but he at least made it easier on me. And I even saw him spare the lives of some Narnians that were about to be kidnapped." Rinnica then smiled a bit to Elijah. "He pretended to be bad at his job for mine and others' sakes."

Elijah continued his musings, and Rinnica would nod and hum as he let out his frustrations. It seemed like both he, Eva, and Kain were under such high stress, and it saddened the dryad. When Elijah threw his hands up, Rinnica jumped with a squeak and nearly dropped the bottle of gel. "Careful!" she gasped. "Aloe is precious to me! Here, let me see your foot."

Rinnica knelt down and took off his boot. Upon revealing not only the fresh wounds but the old wounds from the mission, Rinnica visibly cringed. "Oh my word," she mumbled with a flinch. Holes should not be in anyone's foot, let alone of this size. Despite her shock, she dabbed aloe into both the burn wound and the arrow wounds. "And no, it's okay if you need to vent," Rinnica then replied. She looked up at him with a smile. "I said the same to Eva, and I say the same to you. If you need someone to speak to, you can come to me."

"Besides," Rinnica started as she looked back down at his foot. "Life is too short for any Narnian of any race to be under this kind of turmoil, even if you live as long as a dryad or an elf."

Her head tilted to the side as she worked, thinking about potential medicine. "You know, I think I can make a regenerative potion for your foot. It's an easy recipe, and it will heal up your arrow wounds faster than with regular medicine. Would you like me to try it?"
 
"I don't know what was going through Elijah's mind, nor am I going to try to justify it until I know both sides. Regardless, he went too far ripping your horns off and I'm surprised at his actions to say the least. Just rest. Aslan and I will take care of it, okay?" Eva sighed slightly. Despite Kain's gratefulness, she was still a bit bothered by his snide comments at her after she had gone out of her way twice now to help him. She gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was just in pain and not actually trying to be rude.

"Here, slide over a bit please," Eva guided his head out of her lap so that she could prop her back against a wall before returning the pillow to her lap for Kain to lay back on. She was mostly doing this so if Kain were to have anymore issues and she happened to doze off, she'd be close enough to feel his movements. Eva very gently helped him return to her lap.

"Don't worry about thanking me, just... please try to keep as best as possible in return. For your own sake," Eva gently put a hand on Kain's cheek to check if he were getting a fever, but he felt normal. Gently, she stroked her thumb across his face a few times before removing her hand closing her own eyes. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was exhausted.

In fact, she started to doze off fairly quickly. She honestly just wanted to go to sleep. Her own cautious nature seemed to fade away with Kain so close to her. She felt as if he were going to do something, she would wake beforehand. Plus, he wasn't in the best of condition. He likely couldn't do much and would be at a huge disadvantage if he dared assault anyone. Yet, if his words were true, Kain didn't do much asides from defending himself. "Wake me if you need anything else," she spoke quietly and seemed to slip into her own unconscious state.

---

"Sorry, but I will believe it when I see it. I've seen plenty of people pretend to be doing acts of kindness only to stab them in the back later. I have a feeling that is what Kain is doing. How can one murder thousands and still believe they were in the right?" Elijah stroked at his facial hair, unfazed by Rinnica's scolding regarding his wounds. Truth be told, he was in much worse of a state than he'd ever let on. Elijah was a stubborn man. He could be seconds from death but never give the impression he was struggling.

Though when he almost knocked the aloe from Rinnica's hands, he did apologize. "Forgive me. I'm just frustrated," he sighed heavily and refused to meet the Dyrad's gaze. He was disappointed in himself. He had let himself slip up all too much today. Sure, he had rescued a good number of people, but at what cost?

"I suppose a regenerative potion would be nice. I can get back to work right away that way," there he went about worrying about only work again. It never ended. Work would be his death with how much time and energy he invested. The only time he considered himself off the clock was when he was sleeping. Even then, he had his sword at his side. "I do hope I don't have to drink it though. Last time someone tried some experimental medication on me, I was hurling for three days straight," Elijah sighed. Little did he know, it was just a cruel prank and not a legitimate medication.

Elijah looked down at his feet to access the damage. There was bleeding again, ripped stitches, and bruising mixed in with the hair on the top of his feet. It wasn't the most appealing sight, but well... What else could he do? He wasn't about to be a cripple for the next few weeks.
 
Kain visibly looked like he gave in as his head sunk deeper into the pillow. It was out of his hands at this point. He had only hoped that the Lion would know exactly what had been going on, from start to finish, in his life to at least see why he was provoked. Was his behavior justified? Absolutely not. He knew he'd get more than an earful the next day, Kain may very well get a judgment.

He did as he was told, moving away a little bit so that Eva could get comfortable. When back in the druid's lap, he sighed and nodded his head gently. "I will--"

Kain stopped suddenly. Eva's hand on Kain's cheek felt like such a foreign gesture to the tiefling. Kain soon relaxed, leaning into her hand without even realizing it. "I will," he then repeated. Kain could not deny that this feeling was very nice. He couldn't remember the last time anyone showed him even a tenth of kindness like this. He was disappointed to feel the hand move away but didn't make any noise about it.

The tiefling's eyes fluttered open and shut as he began nodding off once more. Yes, this time surely, he would hold his temper. If you can hear me, Kain thought in his mind, rather prayed. Keep guard over my tongue and a reign over my temper... And with the prayer said, Kain dropped off into a deep sleep.

---

The dryad looked saddened when Elijah didn't look back at her, but continued working. "Oh dear," she replied as Elijah told the story of the bad medicine. "I assure you, you don't have to take it by mouth." She finished cleaning and bandaging all of the wounds, and then stood up. "It does, however, sting worse than alcohol to a wound, but it goes away after a few seconds."

"All right, that should take care of it for now. I'll just need tonight to make the potion and it should be ready in the morning. So until then, wear socks with your shoes. Also..." Rinnica then looked almost pleadingly with Elijah. "Please rest," she begged. "Please don't try to work anymore."

Rinnica went off to the bathroom, tossing the dirty towels and paper away and washing her hands. She emerged again, then gave a kind smile to the soldier. Looking around the room, she then went to her bed where the supplies and house warming gifts were still sitting, and she pulled out a small bag of cookies. She went back to Elijah, took his hand, and placed the small bag into his palm. "Be kind to yourself this evening," Rinnica said. "You've earned it."

Rinnica stood back, allowing Elijah space to get up. "Have a good night, sir... --I mean Elijah." Oh, Rinnica you were doing so well!
 
Eva dozed off herself after a while, lost in her own thoughts as she recapped what had happened throughout the day. A day meant for celebration went from being decent to a tough out real quickly. Her hand did move next to Kain's face again, but it were a subconscious action. She had no control at that point and was lost in her own dreams. Or rather nightmares.

Eva's PTSD symptoms mostly occurred during the night. She would hallucination and replay the scene of the friends and family burning to death. A terrible fate that she felt she shouldn't have survived in comparison to the others. Her muscles twitched, her breathing was staggered, and all through the night her sleep was anything but restful.

Around six in the morning, they seemed to get the worst. She wasn't entirely sure why that happened, but it did. Eva screamed bloody murder and jolted awake, completely out of breathe. Tears were running from her eyes as she realized that she was safe with Kain still laying in her lap. In her sleep as well, she had clasped Kain's bloodied hair and squeezed it tightly to try to rid herself of tension. When she realized what she was doing now conscious, she panicked.

"I-- I'm sorry-..! Night terror..." Eva gently moved the pillow and Kain's head from her lap and ran off to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she looked back at her worn face. Black rings around her eyes, bags under them, color drained, and looking not her best. Though it was just her imagination, she felt her white hair looked more bright than normal.

"... Is one night of restful sleep so much to ask...?" Eva spoke softly, primarily to herself. Her fist was clenched as she tried to fight her battle between her own mind.

---

"Pain is manageable. Hurling, at least to me, not so much. I'd rather take a flesh wound than have a stomach virus any day," Elijah scoffed at his own thought. It sounded more stupid than he intended. He quietly watched Rinnica continue to work, up until she asked him to rest. She spoke that he deserved the self care, but he heavily disagreed.

"I'll rest, but not for the reasons you suggest. I don't deserve to pamper myself when I'm responsible for Kain, Oak, Gold, and Amethyst's injuries," Elijah shook his head, disappointed in himself. His hardest critic was by far himself. "I suppose I will see you tomorrow then. Have a good night, Rinnica. Thanks for you help," he gave her a small nod before going on his way. He carried his boots in head and planned to crawl straight into bed. There was no need for socks for sleep. He wasn't the type to wear them often anyways.

---

Morning came more peacefully for Elijah. He got the most hours of sleep he had gotten in... who knew how long. The first thing he did was gather new clothing and head for a bathe. Although their were easier methods, he enjoyed using the natural lake nearby to clean. It relaxed him just enough to be more enjoyable than his personal bath. The walk to the lake wasn't far, and to his own surprise, he did remember to put on socks before he walked off.

At the lake, he assured that no one was around before he stripped himself of his clothing and hopped into the water. Some concoction of sorts laid by the lake side for him to grab to clean his hair when needed. At first, he just unraveled his hair both facial and top of head. Completely lost in his own world after a few minutes.

Aslan showed himself to Elijah first, approaching the edge of the Lake while Elijah reached out to grab his shampoo. "Greetings, Elijah," the lion spoke lowly. Elijah was rarely ever startled, but being approached while he was bathing was not something he appreciated. He felt vulnerable without his armor and sword. "Aslan. I didn't realize I was expecting guest while I bathed. Do you mind if we postpone for an hour more or so...?" His voice lacked the confidence it normally did.

"That is manageable. I will start with Rinnica then," the large lion turned to walk away, heading towards the residence of the Dyrad. He walked in silent steps at a time that most people were just barely awaking. At the medical wing, Aslan used his bent knuckle of his paw to knock on the door as softly as an eight hundred something pound Lion could manage.
 
Once Elijah left, Rinnica changed into her nightgown and started to gather the supplies for the potion. Thank goodness she had enough to make at least one! As she prepared her workspace, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Elijah. He was such a good soldier, but seemed to push himself constantly. Rinnica knew he had to be very tired. With that in mind, Rinnica was determined to get this potion just right. "Okay, let's be extra careful and make no mistakes. We have an order, we must deliver!" she said to herself. Rinnica sat down at her desk and began her work.

---

Something was shaking underneath Kain's head, and he began to stir. Coming out of his sleep, he heard the ragged breaths from Eva. "Eva?" Kain called gently. "You're not getting sick, are you-- oww.."

He felt a tug on his hair, and realized that Eva had a death grip on it. The tiefling looked up, and almost immediately knew what was happening. Sweating, tears, and shaky breaths? It must have been a night terror. Kain was about to wake her up, but she had already screamed herself awake.

"Eva," he called gently, once she was done yelling. "Your hand..."

Kain sat up once Eva let her go, and was about to speak, but Eva had already run off. "Wait, Eva!" Kain stood, slowly to avoid sudden headpain, and went after her. The bathroom had shut quickly and he sighed heavily. He couldn't help but feel for the elf, knowing the pain that night terrors caused.

"Eva, breathe," Kain called from the door. "Steady your breathing. You're on the grounds of Cair Paravel and it's morning." Kain began doing this exercise when he was an older teenager. The breathing exercise had helped him to keep as emotionless (or to seem that way, rather) as possible.

----

The dryad was sound asleep at the time of Aslan's arrival, hugging onto a large pillow. The small tapping noise caused her to wake up slowly. "Mrrrh...?" Rinnica rose up, her long hair now a curly, bed-headded mess. She was beginning to feel the soreness of yesterday as she stumbled out of bed. Walking past a finished potion and a leafy, flowery mess on the desk, she called out. "Coming..!"

Thinking it was a new patient, she opened the door slowly, rubbing her eyes. "I'm sorry about that, I'll help you in just a moment. Let me just get my--ASLAN!!"

Rinnica jumped back as she yelled, tripping on her gown and falling backwards. Looking up, she saw that she was not looking at a random patient, but into the face of the Lion himself. She quickly scrambled to a knealing position and covered her mouth, realizing she could have woken up the entirety of Cair Paravel. "Sir-- Aslan-- wh--" Rinnica stuttered helplessly. She knew he was coming, but she didn't know it would be like this.

"I didn't, I, it's an h-honor sir!"
 
It was a struggle for Eva not to cry. Her anxiety was telling her that she deserved exactly what she had been through. Being abused, sexually assaulted on two different occasions, her health issues, the elimination of her kind and everything in between. Was she damned? The very person that caused her the most mental turmoil was the same person trying to comfort her at the very moment.

This time, Eva gripped her own hair and pulled on it.The pain and feeling helped her ground herself, though it wasn't the healthiest of ways to do it. Sadly for her, meditation did little to aid her. She would get too focus on reaching a subconscious state that it prevented her from doing so, and she often would forget to breathe, which made everything else worse. "Cair Paravel. Morning... Aslan should be here soon..."

Eva's mind shifted to the idea of speaking with her "father". That would give her some peace of mind, but she also knew that he had much more important matters to attend to first. She was sure he was going to deal with business before he made time for family and friends, although he considered everyone as one of the other.

The anxiety faded away and Eva splashed her face with some cold water before she opened up the door to look at Kain. For a few seconds, she just looked at him with an unreadable expression. Partly due to the fact that she had no idea how to feel. Grateful? It felt so odd for her to extend thanks to the person who caused the night terrors indirectly.

"...thanks for trying to help..."Her voice was still barely audible. Even for an elf, who had bigger ears and therefore more sensitive hearing. She tried to move the topic off of herself, ashamed of her ailments. Appearing weak was one thing she hated. "You should probably bathe and get the rest of the blood out of her hair. I can't imagine it feels great clotted like that..." His normally soft hair was matted and gross. Some of the blood even rubbed off on Eva's hands when she grasped it, but she had already cleaned it off.

---

Elijah had decided to cut his bathing short after Aslan's interruption. He couldn't help but feel awkward and watched even if the lion was gone. He quickly cleaned the rest of his body before leaving the waters, dressing quickly after he dyed himself off as best as he could. He began to braid his hair again. Lastly, he threw on his socks and shoes before grabbing his weapons.

Now, he made his way back to his home. Elijah couldn't help but feel curious as to how Rinnica's meeting with Aslan was going. He knew it was likely better than anything he was about to experience. Especially after yesterday night.

---

The lion couldn't help but chuckle at Rinnica's panicked behavior, he walked forward a bit to enter the room more before sitting down in front of the Dyrad. "I see that I caught you earlier than your normal awaking hour. If it is best, I can come back. However, I'm unsure whose company I will have. Elijah already delayed our meeting," the lion spoke in a calm voice, per usual.

"That is enough kneeling. There is no need for that. You asked for my visit, I just provided," Aslan's words almost had a joking tone to them. It was sometimes hard to read for those who had not interacted with him much before.

"I am glad to learn that Cair Paravel has provided you with good company, residency, and companions. Is there any particular reason you needed me? I have heard your prays from quite some time." Aslan knew why she summoned him, but he still found amusement in how people responded to his favorite question.