Pax: Market Day (Chyril 26 TT) - (open)

[Ulder]

Ulder stayed close to Elaine.

"Right here! Over here!" He shouted to the men returning with tools, waving his arm to help direct them.

One of the local women seemed to ask him something. In a practiced way, he used his soldier's instincts to assess her as she spoke. She seemed to carry herself differently than the others, more regal perhaps, maybe more confidently. Whatever it was, he felt compelled to answer her.

"I know nothing of mines or tunneling my lady. But we're here to help. This is Elaine, she's my wife. She can sense things, and right now she's sensing that there are two men trapped underneath us."

He shot an arm out to point at Elvin.

"That is Elvin, he's more than capable of assisting in his own way. He's a trusted friend. We'll do whatever we can to save them."

Without much more of a thought, Ulder grabbed a shovel from one of the returning men and nodded his readiness to the escaped miner.

"Will you show me?" He asked calmly.

[Elvin Motricé]

"And here we go again... Never ever turns out exactly the way you imagined it," Elvin thought with some regret as the short man interjected, he had hoped that he could have hidden his powers a little while longer.

Elaine's cry had an immediate effect on Elvin, he knelt and put his staff down and brought his hands together for a moment, expanding his senses into the Aether and weaving a spell to examine the structure of the underground by tracing the brown-colored strands of Earth. The sorcerer spent a few moments grounding and shielding, adding an additional layer to prevent physical harm to the layered shield he used when practicing his art. "You never know what these people will do."

When the small, yet complex, weave was complete the Professor brought his down - palms first - on the ground. The sand around his hands flattened when he released his weave and closed his eyes, extending his senses into the earth, while keeping half an ear on what was going on around him.

The mage answered Kaelara after Ulder had finished: "I might be able to deal with the supports, at least before starting to dig. There's..." he frowned in concentration, focussing on his weave once more.

[Guido Cercatoro]

Ulder led Elaine to the two injured men, one of whom replied to the achadheil’s query.

“The tunnel collapsed, poor old Eron got trapped. Screaming he was, we couldn’t make sense of what he was saying. We dragged him out but there was another collapse. I got my arm broken and we just managed to get him out. He’s got a bad chest injury and his face….” The injured man spoke to Elaine in a relatively calm manner for one who had been so close to death. Yet, the achadheil could sense a tinge of fear and reticence in his voice as if he was holding something back.

Two men returned carrying some tools and Ulder was handed a sturdy spade. In response to Kaelara and Ulder’s urging, the uninjured man nodded his head. “I’ll take you down. You’ll need me or you’ll get lost. The Lady’s right though, we mustn’t rush things until we work out how stable things are. There may be aftershocks or new tremors. I can’t understand how it happened. It all appeared so stable down there. Eron said……..anyhow best get on with it.” The man grabbed a pick and walked over to the mine entrance. The two men who had returned with the tools also joined him ready to assist.

Elvin completed his weave and placed his hands on the ground before extending his senses into the earth. The sorcerer’s weave moved through the earth, at first easily and then more slowly as he entered rockier strata. With a sudden surge, he broke through into an empty space, presumably the tunnel, and followed it as it moved downwards. As far as Elvin could tell, the tunnel appeared to be of natural origin. For a good few flickers, he felt no sign of any problems but then his senses reached an open area from which many tunnels appeared to branch out. As the Professor attempted to ascertain which way to extend his weave, something disturbed the large empty area which he had found. It was as if something small and cold had scuttled across his senses.

[Kaelara Mentahn]

A sharp glance leveled at each of them at Ulder's introduction, and though it was clear he wasted no time beyond the barest of courtesies, she welcomed the acknowledgment of her concerns. Ulder, Elvin, Elaine...

"Kaelara..." her lips paused before closing after her family name, for already Ulder was turning to the shorter man below. A flicker of frustration settled within, for she was neither garbed for nor of the strength which suited the task of saving these men.

Elvin's actions, though quiet, somewhat subtle, set her ease at a distance - there was something in the focus which made him trail off that seemed to lend her earlier judgement weight. Perhaps he is indeed a magick-meddler. The thought, indeed, came with a flicker of dismay - for such powers were difficult for her to grasp understanding of, she who loved the truth and solidity found in things seen and touched. Illuminatus, grant this one does not find madness in the touch of magick here, as Torc has...

Not wanting to distract his concentration, the shopkeeper turned to Elaine, kneeling beside her while leaving the achadhiel woman room to move.

"I know little of healing, Elaine, but I have two hands if you would direct them." Her eyes flickered to the two injured men, then to the nearby crowd, eyes searching for one of those vascillating observers who might be chivvied to fetch bandages and such paraphernalia as this newcomer might need.

[Elaine]

He's afraid. Shock? Elaine's mind worked fast as she nodded in a visual response at the man's story. What was it down there? Gods, please, not again...

The woman swallowed her own fears and set to work, feeling for the break. "So what was it down there? Some kind of animal?" It was a gamble, and maybe not a wise one. Yet the Achadhiel had to know what was going on; what she had felt in that short moment.

She smiled gratefully at Kaelara. "Well met, lady, well met indeed. I want to try something, but I would very much prefer something keeping the break steady. I do not wish to upset the body any further than it already is. Good sir, stay down. We will help you." This last was of course directed at the patient. If there was anything she did not wish to do, it was to upset him by talking over his head the entire time.

Elaine would wait for Kealara to stabilize the man, then started up a soft hum, hoping to draw on the body's memory of being a whole.

"Mind and body
A whole as one
Blood runs through
Mending being done"

As she had done so long ago -was it that long? It seemed like yesterday, and yet the world had changed since then- in the Caesar's bedroom, so did the young woman try to call up the link between Mother and this man, using herself as a conduit by touching both.

"Bones will remember
The muscles will heal
I send you this gift
the surge that you feel"

Elaine tried to open up, to be that vessel to transport the energy to the wounded man. It was vastly different from trying to find the cause of that horrid poisoning that had taken the Caesar. Here was a clear cause and not a life threatening situation, yet for a working man a broken arm would mean no pay. And yet it was of importance to help speed up the healing process.

At least, that is what she told herself. The underlying reason that she might not be completely aware of had much to do with her failure to save the Caesar, despite finding the source and being that conduit. She needed to get this right, to help instead of hearing it slip through her fingers again.

Her right hand was still over the break, her left on the ground, feeling for that familiar tingle. Yet if all else failed, it would be nothing but a simple lullabye while others with more knowledge set his arm. As such she kept the melody soothing and nurturing, like waves on a calm sea

"Mother will guide you
Trust in her voice
Do not feel forced
For your's is the choice"

It was too important to miss. No way she could just force her ideas upon others. If he rejected her way, that was his good right.

Now if only this would settle in the right place. Elaine focussed on directing whatever energy she could feel towards the hurt area, starting the mending process.

"Mother will smile at you
Trust in her eyes
Allow her to heal you
The Mother is wise."

There was nothing much more she could do. If anything there still was a real life threatening situation going on under their feet. If she spent herself completely right now, there was no way she was going to be able to help out any further.

[Kaelara Mentahn]

OOC: A little timely bump, perhaps?

IC: As instructed, Kaelara's firm fingertips clasped the man's arm, holding it steady, willing away those minute tremors or twitches that sometimes occur when one wants only to be still. What Elaine did next initially puzzled her, and it was only when the throaty cords of song emerged, that a glimmer of memory surged to the fore. A singer... but hands steady, the pieces began to click gently in place, the man Ulder's careful escort of this Lady Elaine, the slightly distant look in the pale blue gaze that didn't quite fasten on the things her attention was directed upon. A singer with no sight... Unlike the tangle of her earlier emotions, curiosity and unease surged to the fore. The emergency at hand was not the place for idle conversation, so despite a faint, sudden intake of breath, she remained, waiting, and watching.

Her skin prickled, the hairs lifting on the back of her neck, but whether it was pure imagination that she could sense something, or just the realization of what the person of her side must be capable of, she wasn't sure. No simple people, are the ones of whom prophesies are made...

[Ulder]

Ulder grabbed the shovel, and nodded his readiness to the other men. A quick glance at Elaine to make sure she was well, and then he made his way into the mine's entrance, carefully picking his steps as he followed his guide.

[Guido Cercatoro]

The injured man lying on the floor continued to whimper as Elaine sought to deal with the other man’s broken arm. The man readily offered his arm for Kaelara to hold steady but he grimaced a little at her touch. He replied to Elaine’s questions in a grim tone.

“Animal? ‘Tis strange you say that, lady.” He paused for a flicker, breathing heavily. “We have been down there a few times and every time….well, some of us felt that we were being watched. Might have been imagining things, of course, but most of us are experienced at this sort of thing. I’ve been down many a mine and I ain’t felt like I feel down there. And Eron here,” he indicated the moaning man with the gashes across his face. “He kept saying he heard things in his head. We all laughed at him. Shouldn’t have done, poor sod.”

Elaine’s song rang out as she tried to assist the healing of the man’s broken arm. As her hand lay over the break, she felt her senses move down below the man’s flesh. She sensed that it was a clean break, one that would, with a little assistance, heal relatively easily. Her soft melody crossed the gap between her own hand and the break, caressing the two sides of the shattered bone. Each side of the bone felt like a separate verse of the same song. Yet, as Elaine called on the Mother, the words flowed together and the verses knitted together as if they naturally followed each other in the same song. The achadheil the warm flow of the Mother’s healing flow throughout her own body and the same warm energy push the two strands of bone together. With her own hand on the break, Kaelara also felt a surge of warmth flow over her fingers.

Pre-occupied as she was with her healing, Elaine was unaware of any further sensations emanating from the ground on which her other hand lay.

**********************************************************************************************

With a grim nod, the man who had agreed to act as a guide in the caves below handed out lanterns to Ulder and the other two men. He would also hand a lantern to Elvin should he decide to enter the tunnels.

Immediately inside the entrance, the tunnel dipped sharply downwards. The sides of the tunnel were deeply scarred with evidence of burning. This part of the tunnel had presumably been carved out by the fireball that had destroyed the house. The tunnel was just tall enough and wide enough to walk down with comfort. After around fifty paces, the tunnel ended in what appeared to be a small, natural cave. There was nothing of note in the cave. However, another downward sloping tunnel led out of the cave to the west.

“The fire blasted through to these natural caves,” explained the guide. “Although as you will see, some of the tunnels further along ain’t natural.’

“I’m Geren, by the way,” continued the man. “Now follow me but take care, it may be unstable”

Geren led the way down the second tunnel. After a few paces, a slight tremor ran through the ground, dislodging a few small pieces of grit from the side of the tunnel. Geren stopped and as he did so a low chittering sound could be heard coming from further down the tunnel. He hesitated, clearly unsure as to whether or not he should continue.

[Elaine]

A deep sigh of contentment as the melody settled. Elaine could not help but smile as she slowly withdrew her hands. "Easy now. It will heal. Please do not entertain anyone by doing backflips or walking around on your hands, and you will be fine in a few days. It was a clean break and I feel no lingering dangers of infection."

She put a soft hand on the man's shoulder. "You were lucky, sir."

Only then did his answers register.

Being watched?
Voices in his head...

Cold panick gripped her.

No.
Impossible.
This is not the Citadel.
Impossible.

It was hard to contain her breathing.

Have to.
Man needs my help.

"Alright." She forced another smile. Now that she was sure the Mother heard her songs in this place, she could try to help the worse injured man. The woman felt no corruption this time, no shadow trying to seep in through her voice. It had to be safe now to help Eron.

"Eron it is. Lady Kaelara, would you assist me, please?" Fatigue was pushed aside as the rush of helping out drowned the need to rest. She'd be able to sleep that night. Right now she was too overjoyed that something was finally working as it was supposed to work!

Thank you Mother!

If people allowed her, she'd repeat the gesture, only this time with a hand on Eron's stomach -not daring to touch the wounded area- and one on the ground. Once again she concentrated on the flow she'd felt moments before, trying to call up the natural stream of energy that should exist between the land and it's people.

"Mother, hear my voice
Eron, hear my Song
Relax your mind and open
Your body will be strong"

It felt different with this one. She'd have to concentrate on the inner workings before moving to the flesh.

"Mother, guide my hand
Eron, hear your Song
Heart is beating, blood is flowing
Now help it all along"

There was a necessity to get Eron to want this. Unless he was able to move with the melody that was his own, it would be quite impossible to help heal him. If his will was strong enough, he could survive. If this had scared him too much, they were in for a fight.

Elaine took it much slower, much more focussed, waiting for a response from the always waking will of man.

[Kaelara Mentahn]

The descriptions of the healed man only firmed her unspoken determination to avoid the enclosed spaces beneath the earth. Despite the cellar storage in her shop, and the thick firm stone of her home, there was something about such dark confines as stretched below her feet that left her hands chilled with unease.

"As you wish," she was shaken from her thoughts by the blind woman's request, her slightly smaller frame moving along-side the healer, her colder fingers grasping the other womans arm lightly as they rose, leading the woman to Eron's side. To prevent any fumblings, her hands sought to guide Elaine's own hands near the injured areas, with a murmur for which hand was settled where.

A tinge of panic had crossed Elaine's open features, and that glimpse had startled and worried the adhiel, who cast a glance towards the ragged tunnel. Yet before she could inquire, such matters passed from the Achadhiel's concern, her lovely voice rising with both power and.. 'courtesy'. Experience, though brief, had formed a distrustful knot in the Adhiel's core, for they seemed a wild, impassioned kind -- and one that was swayed by the city's own presence. 'But this... gentle power... almost seeks permission..' Despite herself, she felt her initial prejudices ebb, respect for this Healing woman blossoming.

[Elvin Motricé]

Elvin withdrew his hands. "Something down below..." He felt that no time could be wasted and stood up. Ulder had already exerted his leadership capabilities and one of the guards handed him a lamp. With a nod, the Adhiel accepted it and looked at Elaine.

It was the first times he witnessed the use of faith to heal someone and lamented that he could not study it more closely. "Elaine, is he stable enough to entrust him to other caring hands? You felt what was below and I suspect we'll need that gift," the Professor asked, oblivious to her panic, with a tinge of regret in his voice. He didn't like putting his friends in danger, nor the feeling of leaving a wounded man but the blind bard's strong reaction to whatever lurked below outclassed his own sense of it by far. The survival of those who went down those tunnels might very well depend on it.

He would have liked to convey those feelings with words but Ulder was already leading the men down. He looked at Kaelara: "Lady, it's a dangerous thing I ask of you but could you guide my friend down, should she chose to follow? I might need my hands free to be of some assistance if the need arrives." With a last nod the sorcerer turned and followed the others down.

Elvin looked at their environment with interest and a feeling of apprehension. Who knows what they have awakened? If they knew what horrors could await them, would they be as brave?" The Adhiel knew many of the dark things that had been present throughout history, it was one of his fields of research after all.

He wondered how steadfast their impromptu group would be when faced with a true horror. The Professor came to the conclusion that the only one he truly trusted was Ulder, a proven friend.

As they walked, he started spinning a multilayered protective shield against both physical and mental harm. And so when the chittering began the Professor let his shields fall in place around him and sent out his awareness, carefully maintaining his shields to protect him from a mental assault...

[Guido Cercatoro]

“Thank you, Lady.” The man whom Elaine had assisted spoke in a voice tinged with traces of awe, respect and perhaps even a little fear.

Elaine placed her hand on Eron’s stomach and began her song. Once again, she tapped into the energy she had felt a few moments before. Yet, this time she sought to calm and reassure the injured man before attempting any healing. As the warm energy filtered through the man, he moaned loudly. The warm flow that the achadheil felt as the energy flowed through her touched Eron’s mind and, as it did so, it became a conduit for the man’s own thoughts. Elaine sensed a terror that her own touch had augmented rather than assuaged. The poor man was terrified. Through her connection with the man, the achadheil sensed the reason why. Small black bodies scuttling through the mine. Red eyes. Hunger. The fear reminded her of the citadel but the danger appeared to be very different.

Kaelara…… felt the warmth in the singer’s hands as she touched Eron… heard the moaning of the prone man as the healer's touch flowed through his body…sensed Elaine’s hand become rigid as the singer encountered the blackness in his mind….

Elaine and Kaelara dimly heard Elvin’s words as he spoke to them. The Professor was unaware of what was transpiring within the injured man.

**********************************************************************************

If Elvin moved down the tunnel, he would soon catch up with the rest of the party who had come to a halt at the sound of the chittering. The sorcerer began to weave his shield but he found it difficult to concentrate, for the sound of the chittering not only sounded through the tether but also echoed in the aether, disrupting the energies he could sense. It took some effort but he managed to construct a rudimentary shield, although he was not convinced it was one that would withstand an attack for any length of time.

The chittering continued. The explorers waited in the tunnel, trying to decide how to proceed.

***********************************************************************************

Back on the surface…..

Eron screamed. His body began thrashing around violently.

[Kaelara Mentahn]

Elvin's words tugged insistently at her ears, and yet her attention was wholly absorbed in the immediate need before her though a vaguely affirmative but distracted noise slid from twixt her lips. Though she could not understand the powers at Elaine's command, the Shopkeeper found the symptoms of otherness at work both intriguing and worthy of concern. There was something about the sudden tautness of each tendon in Elaine's fingers that forced her to lean forwards, whether to lend physical support or what no one would learn.

As the injured man began to thrash, she caught a flailing hand neatly under her chin, the abrupt movement clicking her teeth closed with a jarring spasm of pain. Though slight, her nimble fingers sought to restrain that one arm at his wrist, the other pressing straight down on the portion of his arm near the shoulder. Brute strength, though necessary, was something the slight Adhiel could not hope to achieve. And yet.. Mind flickering through rapid possibilities, she swiftly rose to a half-crouched position, levering her body forwards so the weight of her frame might aid her restraint of the figure. Even as she did so, her voice rose, strident tones discordant with urgency.

"Hold him down! I need a person on each leg and his other arm!" Her words spun out sharply, amber eyes ablaze and imperious as her gaze darted up to meet the glances of those lingering about uselessly, hoping the weight of slight condemnation would spur them to action if necessary. "Keep him still, for the healer." The adhiel would not take no for an answer, and though she struggled with her portion, would spare no qualms on eyeing individuals and commanding their attendance if her earlier efforts were of no avail.

Her words emerged, strained, for the man, being what he was, was surely no light weight, and even if her trick at clasping his arm might hold, she had no idea on how long it might last.

"Elaine, you must do what you can swiftly, else he might injure himself further, even as we try to hold him." Or others... Muscles tight and jaw bearing a mild ache, her voice was strained with the exertion.

Illuminatus... her thoughts whisked the prayer into being, you are a god of light and wisdom, I pray you aid this lady, and speed whatever means she uses to heal this man, you have led her here for some purpose - the halfling you sent in my dreams let this be known - guard her, Father of Light.

Despite the growing chaos about her, the act of praying calmed nerves that were heightened with adrenaline, focusing her on the matter at hand, even as it recalled her god's recent influence in her life. Forgive my impertinence, I know I see little of what you intend here... but I make this request in your name, knowing you have drawn these strangers and I here for some reason of your own...

[Ulder]

Ulder turned to face Elvin and the others.

"Any idea what that is?" He whispered in the close confines of the tunnel.

Elvin seemed to be concentrating rather intently, so rather than push the issue and break his friend's focus, he glanced around the narrow spot, looking for any signs of the trapped men, or the source of the horrible chittering sounds.

[Elaine]

Elaine touched the darkness. Her first instinct was to withdraw, to hide and run from the cold that had captured her before. Yet she could not. A life depended on this and it was not hers to botch up. She needed to make this work, but that meant working fast and grabbing a Song with a completely different angle.

Her lips mouthed the words even before her mind decided:

"Hush..."

It was very closely related to that which she had sung for the Caesar. A part of her did not understand why it was called up now, other than that the man was stuck in a darkness as well as the Caesar had been.

"Hush now, blackbird's calling
To guide you through the night
Hey now, bear is calling
So rest at ease you might"

Her first priority was to free him from the prison of fear. She had to completely ignore her own terror in order to project the comfort this man needed. Her voice followed the tones of the soft lullabye, the Song that held such power before in trying to free the ruler of the Seven Isles. She had failed, back then, yet she still was not sure what had happened that day. And thus Elaine had to try again.

"Rest now, dolphin's calling
To jump you to the sun
Ease now, life is calling
The life that you have won

Remember when the night seems dark
That dawn is always near
Remember when the night seems endless
The light will lift your fear"

She could not continue without feeling the results. Everything hinged on Eron's reactions. Even though Elvin's words registered in a way, this was hardly the time to look up and react.

[Guido Cercatoro]

Above ground

As she suspected, Kaelara’s own strength would have been insufficient to totally restrain the thrashing man. However, her quick actions stayed the man for a few flickers giving the nearby guard and two other onlookers time to react to her shout and add their weight to the adhiel’s own. Yet, even with a person on each limb, the injured man was only just restrained. As she begged Elaine to act swiftly, the adhiel attempted to offer a prayer to her God but the effort required to hold the man down interrupted her concentration and she knew that she had failed.

As she began her song, Elaine continued to feel the man’s terror. It was a primeval, raw terror that emanated from deep within poor Eron. At first, the achadhiel’s song appeared to have no impact for the searing terror that burned through his senses showed no sign of abatement. However, as she continued, the blind woman could sense that the melody was seeping into the man’s mind. The naked terror was now interlaced with confusion and a little dash of hope as if he sensed something other than his fear. Yet, the fear was not easily assuaged and Elaine’s poetic song, although comforting, was also alien to his mind. Elaine sensed that although she had a foothold within Eron’s mind, she might need a slightly different approach to reassure the man that this new song was not simply a different part of his terror.

Kaelara felt the injured man’s struggles weaken considerably and it was now much easier to hold him down, even though he was still in need of restraint.

Below ground

Elvin remained quiet in response to Ulder’s question but flashes of fear raced across the faces of the other men in the party. Geren gulped and glanced at Ulder. “I’ve heard that sound before…”

As he glanced down the tunnel, the erstwhile soldier saw a small dim shape scuttle across the ground. For a flicker, he caught sight of what appeared to be a pair of small, deep red eyes, then the eyes were gone and all was quiet.

Geren remained frozen in place, clearly waiting for one of his companions to take the initiative. One of the other men in the party now looked terrified and ready to race back out of the tunnel. The second, a big muscular man, looked more resolute. “Just a large spider,” he said with a nervous laugh. “Creepy but nothin’ to be ‘fraid of.”

[Ulder]

In another life, and in another time, an uncontrollable shiver would have traveled down the length of his spine. But after the horrors of the orcish raids, the death and blood he'd seen as a soldier, and the terrifying destruction of the Changer, all he felt was a heightened sense of alert and danger.

He gripped the lantern and held it out ahead of him, while the other hand gripped the handle of the shovel tightly. If any of the crawling things came too near, he would bash it into oblivion.

"Let's find your men. Once we locate them, we'll use one of the lanterns to create a ring of fire with the oil to give us a perimeter to work within. Once the men are free, we'll move them ahead of us up the tunnel, and we'll follow them out, burning the way behind us if need be."

He glanced at the others, taking time to specifically keep the gaze of the more resolute of the two. If Geren was going to be unpredictable, he at least wanted another that would follow his lead.

He nodded his readiness to proceed.

[Elaine]

While some seed of hope was planted, it was not nearly enough to soothe the poor man's distorted mind. Elaine's thoughts went too fast to put into words, yet one thing she understood: as she had cringed at the touch of the Changer, Eron was trying to withdraw from that which he did not know.

And rightly so. Poor man.

Immediately her focus shifted, letting the Song trail of. Whatever good it had done, was allowed to remain, yet she had to reach this man in another way.

One hand went to his forehead, much like a mother would do to check on her sick child. The other hand remained close to the wound. "Lady Kaelara, please do what you can. Or maybe there is another healer around." She mumbled, lifting her head. It was not easy, shifting from the very real possibilities of Mother's Songs to the unsure realm of tangible reality.

"Eron...Eron, can you hear me." She spoke softly, stroking his hair to comfort the man. "You're safe. My name is Elaine Bannon. Next to me is the lady Kaelara. You are safe." If the mind was what he feared, physical touch would have to be it. And so she kept up the motions, trying to stroke away his fear while hopefully other skilled eyes had a look at his actual wounds. The blind woman knew there was hope for Eron. She had sensed it already. Yet now he'd have to be pulled out of the corner of his mind, into the safety of the day.

Mother, he may fear what he hears, but let him accept your healing touch.

[Kaelara Mentahn]

Kaelara's muscles felt the ache of her sudden demand, and she was too occupied with maintaining her grip to feel much relief at the other's prompt acquiesance to her demands.

Elaine's words left her a bit befuddled as she herself studied the wound more closely, eyes briefly departing to seek what she might help staunch bloodflow with, for such a strong reaction from this Eron was sure to have increased the amount emerging from his body.

"Where is the healer someone left to fetch?" A touch of asperity graced her tone, and again, she found herself demanding the assistance of those observors. "Someone fetch me a cloth, something to at least cover the wound." Should she be successful in procuring such, Kaelara would find herself hovering over yet another comatose body, knowing little about what she might be doing other than preventing dirt from entering the wound or more of the body's fluids to depart.

Her arms wearied, she would motion for the same figure who fetched her cloths to take her place holding the man's arm. There were so many, now, clustered around the body, she could nearly feel the others' hot breath upon her neck.

[Guido Cercatoro]

Below Ground

(OOC: I’ll move Elvin along with the party)

The muscular man nodded in agreement with Ulder’s words and set off in the lead down the tunnel. After a few flickers hesitation, Geren followed. Once Ulder had joined the line, Elvin and the scared-looking fellow would bring up the rear of the party.

The chittering sounds had ceased and the would-be rescuers soon emerged from the tunnel into a large cave. A few lanterns had been hung around the edge of the cave and it appeared that several exits led off of the vast space. A few large cracks were dotted around the surface of the cave.

The cave appeared to be natural but at least one of the tunnels leading off was not, for the entrance was surrounded by a finely constructed stone frame. Anyone closely examining the frame would find that it was of an extremely high standard of workmanship, perhaps surprisingly so for an underground tunnel. Unfortunately, a crack of around three feet in width had been opened at the entrance to the tunnel. The near side of the crack was stable but the far side looked a little crumbly.

“Down here, I’m afraid” said Geren, pointing down the unnatural tunnel.

Above Ground

Elaine’s soothing words had an almost instant effect on Eron, presumably reinforcing the hope that had entered his mind when he had heard the achadhiel’s song. However, whilst his struggling diminished, the terror that he was experiencing was still apparent to Elaine. Her words and song had given the man strength to fight his inner horror but it still festered within him.

The blood was still seeping out of Eron’s wounds, weakening him further, but Kaelara’s plea produced immediate results and she found a clean, white square of cloth thrust into her hand. The young female achadhiel who had produced the cloth readily agreed to take the adheil’s place in holding Eron, who was now scarcely moving.

The soldier who had taken it upon himself to find the healer pushed his way through the large crowd that had now gathered around the stricken man. “The healer is on her way, she is just binding a wound so she may be a few burns yet.”

Eron groaned and his eyes flicked open and he muttered a few words. “Don’t go…red eyes…so many of them”

[Ulder]

Ulder followed down the tunnel and looked around in both wonder and concern when they entered the larger cavern. The inner workings and craftsmanship were all but lost on the former Captain, as he knew little to nothing of this type of work.

The crack was indeed troubling, and the strange tunnel concerned him deeply. Perhaps if they had more time, they could work to shore up the entrance around the crack with heavy timbers or something similar, but getting the injured men out was more pressing and urgent.

"Geren, we'll go down and get the others. Stay here and keep the way open. I want to know if the crack seems to be enlarging, or you see anything that we need to know about."

Ulder didn't think he had to clarify what he meant.

"If another collapse happens, we'll need you to go get more help."

It was a convenient excuse for the man to stay put. If he was frightened of the glowing eye things, perhaps here where there was more light would embolden him. Plus if another collapse happened, he didn't want to be trapped down here with no one to know.

"Elvin, maybe you can shore up the tunnel entrance while we work."

He nodded his readiness to the muscular, more brave one, and made his way down the unnatural tunnel with the lantern held high, and a strong grip on the shovel.

[Elvin Motricé]

OOC: sorry for the long delay but real life is keeping me occupied

IC:
The Adhiel didn't respond to Ulder's question because he was too intent on the effect of the sound on the Aether. He didn't doubt his ability to withstand the disturbing effect of the sound if the need should arise. His mental training and his contact with the effects of the Nether had made it absolutely necessary that he could shut out any interference and use with the energy there was.

He moved with the others in the meanwhile sorting through all the facts he knew. "A city that seems to change, a distortion of the Aether. Are those things that disturb the Aether related?"

When they reached the unnatural tunnel Elvin stepped forward. The sorcerer wondered if it was wise to tell this to the entire group but taking Ulder apart might create even more fear. "Ulder, before we go on," the silver-haired Professor began, "that chittering... It ripples through the Aether, disturbing the normal flow of energies. It's hard for me to weave magic here. Also, if this sound can disturb the Aether it might be able to invoke physical effects," he raised his voice slightly, "Rest assured though, there are only a few mages who are more skilled then I and none of them are in this city," the look he gave Ulder clearly expressed that he only tried to assure the fearful men.

He turned to the unnatural tunnel: "I wonder..." "If they send out signals on the Aether, might they be able to communicate through it? Lets try a basic emotion..." The sorcerer closed his eyes for a flicker and uttered a single strange word, sending a ripple of pure energy through the Aether that carried only a mental impression of a feeling: peaceful tranquility.

[Elaine]

Elaine smiled in gratitude as not only Kaelara but also others realized this man needed a full time healer and not just a comforting song! She took Eron's hand as he pleaded with her not to go.

"I am here, good Eron, I am here. You are above ground in the daylight. There are no red eyes here, none of that."

Meanwhile her mind worked feverishly. Red eyes? What on earth could that be? With the firm conviction that red was connected to fire, she could not think of any creature with fire in their eyes, even if it was only a manner of speech.

"Stay with us, Eron. It is a beautiful day and you will have many more to enjoy in life. Stay with us." She urged him, stroking his hair with the other hand. " You are safe now. You are safe." It suddenly struck her that this was probably the very tone of voice her mother had used on her after she had come home in a panick.

The thought brought a smile to her lips. It wasn't so bad to recognize her mother in herself. Not bad at all.

"It's alright, Eron." There was a purpose behind calling his name. By keeping that name up, he might feel pulled towards life more than towards death.

[Guido Cercatoro]

(OOC: I will split off the underground thread - Ulder and Elvin please continue here. Elaine and Kaelara continue with this thread)

[Kaelara Mentahn]

OOC: Sorry! Missed this one!

With little to do, Kaelara watched Elaine for a sign of what was necessary, keeping an eye on her surroundings, and maintaining pressure on the wound. Not for her were the sweet bedside mutterings of comfort, so she left such to Elaine.

A little purposeful jolt to stir him from his thoughts... she'd found that the recipients of a slap to the jowls were more startled by the sound than any meaningful pain, but this was Elaine's patient, and if she hoped to clear the man's mind with soothing words... Well, at least I won't work at cross purposes.

She peeked at the bandage, not breaking the seal borne by the pressure of hands, but determining whether or not the blood was seeping through.