Soon Luke joined Dirge, standing over me in laughter as he offered me a hand up. I accepted his hand with a sigh, wholesomely unamused by their levity. As he hauled me to my feet, the aches and fatigue made itself apparent in my body. I looked over myself as They talked tuning them out to take stock of my injuries. I immediately covered my chest alarmed. To not even speak of the rag that was my riding jacket that somehow managed to cling to my body, my iron chest plate was rent with numerous horizontal gash, tearing all the way through the thick metal. A small bottom portion had been completely sheared off, barely hanging from its leather straps. Numerous shallow cuts adorned my chest where the blades of dirge's armor were long enough to pass through my armor. My shoulders and neck leaked blood from trails of lacerations from his clawed gauntlets.
"By the Aethern Dirge, what is that armor made of? Poor Saora looks like she ran through a horde of trolls!"
Dirge's laughter ceased, the mirth in his eyes seemed to dim. "Ah, it's the pride of the of our people, sadly it can no longer be reproduced."
Their conversation lulled from Dirge's sudden somber tone. Even some of the surrounding wolf-kin seemed affected by the sudden change.
Dirge broke the lull, his voice not quite filled with the mirth he displayed earlier. "Well Captain Luke, you best see to your people, I'll take Saora here to our very own.... eccentric healer, to get patched up."
"Ah, yes yah' right, I'll align our camp to the Western side of the hill, I'll catch up to ya and Saora later, yah've yet to introduce me to the leader of your merry band."
"Haw-haw your right there, I'll take you into town to meet him on your return. We'll find him in the tavern no doubt." Dirge answered, while yet again reaching up to correct his flapping ear.
"Sounds like my kind of man Dirge, until later then." Luke spoke while turning to walk out of the Wolf-Kin encampment.
"Saora, if you would follow me please." Dirge turned walking deeper into the camp before awaiting my response.
Sighing heavily I followed after him, keeping my arms crossed over my chest as we walked between the scattered tents and campfires.
"You should be proud, that was a good fight, and not many could last so long against one such as I." His left ear flopping down as he turned his head to address me.
"I'm not sure you're complimenting me, or yourself." I answered still irritated due to my ruined equipment and doing my best to ignore the occasional Wolf-Kins who blushed and avoided my gaze as we passed through the camp, apparently some had seen more than they should, before I managed to cover myself.
Dirge upon noticing my irritation, spoke while his ear snagged my attention, he had not noticed it's most recent collapse. It dragged and flopped against his head with his every move. "I hope you'll accept my apologies for their attention lass. The Band of Fluffy Tails is entirely male, it's been almost a year since most interacted with a female."
I stopped dead in my tracks. " Band of Fl-flu-fluffy Tails. psshtt.... ha...ha...haHaHa!" I struggled to reign in my laughter "What kind of-haha... name is that?"
Dirge chuckled lightly as I hastened myself to catch up, "Well it was decided by the boss, You'll have to come with your captain to the tavern to meet him, you'll prol'ly understand when you meet him."
"I-I see." I answered, doubting if I would actually enjoy accompanying Luke to anywhere alcohol was served.
I followed Dirge into a larger tent, The smell of strange herbs meeting my nose, as I passed through the flap that acted as the entrance. In the dim light Dirge, while pinching closed his more sensitive nose with one hand was trying to get the attention, of the other occupant of the tent, his voiced altered comically, due to covering his nose.
"Simone.... Simone..... SIMONE!"
The last call, a shout that startled the Wolf-Kin, his hands seemed to move unnaturally fast as he dropped and then attempted to catch a small glass vial that ended up shattering against a large wooden work table. I had to hold my own nose as the three of us watched as the liquid within the vial mixed with various contents of the table, releasing a noxious cloud as it began melting through the table to sizzle upon the ground underneath. The older looking gray haired Wolf-Kin bent down under the table to continue observing the liquid add it bubbled and sizzled under the table.
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"uhh... Simone." Dirge spoke, once more trying to catch the attention of the other Wolf-Kin. Simone, I assumed at this point, bump his head on the underside of the table as he tried to stand.
"Yes, yes, what do you need Dirge?" Simone asked, rubbing his newly bruised scalp.
"Simone, This is Saora here, she requires some medical attention." Dirge answered while gesturing towards me. When Simone finally noticed my presence, his unusual yellow eyes pieced my own. With his unnatural fast movements, he moved towards me hand outstretched to initiate a handshake. My hand met his own, and with a dizzying twist I found myself haphazardly seated on the edge of a cot. His hands crawled upon my neck and shoulders, like prowling spiders searching for prey. My limit of creepiness maxed out, I instinctively attempted to bat his hands way, his seemed to do nothing to dissuade him as his hands seem impossible the catch with my own. He only ceased when Dirge latched a hand onto his shoulder, digging in a tight grip to get his attention.
"Simone, take it easy will yah, It takes time for some to get used to your.... personality." Dirge spoke into his ear from over his shoulder.
"Uhhh, Ah yes excuse miss....... uhh?"
"Saora." I supplied my name as i watched how he clasped his hands wringing them together in a fast and albeit creepy manner. His eyes traveled to his shoulder where Dirge's hands were clasped to mine own.
"Ah I could tell those wounds were Dirge's work, you'll need some antiseptics and cleansers as well, I've seen the kinds of places those hands have been." Simone spoke with a soft-spoken voice as he turn and dug through various crates on his work table. Glass vials, clinked together as he shuffled through them, removing three before returning to stand before me. His creepy mannerisms shifted suddenly, turning into a profession shopkeeper as he explained the contents of the vials.
"Use this one here first," he spoke while indicating a vial filled with a pale green liquid, "It will seal the wounds and promote healing.... Then half a day from now use this one, it will cleanse and prevent any infection. Once the wounds are mostly healed this third one will prevent any scars from forming, as such a thing wouldn't be very lady-like. Though be very careful the contents of the first in second vial don't mix, so be sure the clean the area thoroughly before applying it."
The third vile caught my attention, as I looked between it, and the very similar looking substance that was continuing to burn a shallow hole in the ground under the table.
"Uhh... I think I'll be fine with just the first two... some men must like scars... I think." I answered with the first excuse I could think off, to prevent whatever that substance was in that third vial from coming in contact with my skin.
"OH, indeed some do, I once knew this Fox-Kin, had the cutest little scar right above her umm... Ah another time perhaps?" Dirge's reminiscing faltered as he acknowledged Simone's and my own judging looks.
I pulled the first two vials from Simone's grasp, and moved towards the flap of the tent, Dirge following my lead to escape the awkward atmosphere. Simone waved us off muttering with his soft voice something along the lines of "I'm surrounded by savages." as we exited the tent.
We weaved our way west through the camp, again winding our way around tents as the rest of the Wolf-Kin prepared to settle in for the night. Occasionally passing armed Wolf-Kins as they relieved others, changing over guard shifts, as the sun started to settle on the horizon.
"I know Simone is .... somewhat unpleasant, but as long as we remain uninjured we don't have to deal with him. It actually ends up as a good motivation for our band not to make careless decisions." Dirge spoke interrupting our silent walk.
"Well, I see how that good be a good thing, I guess" I answer still plagued by the feeling of spiders crawling over my body.
As we approached the border of the Fluffy Tales' camp and the Long Riders Troop, He spoke again. "Well get yourself patched up, and hopefully you'll accompany your captain to the tavern in Roderan later. I'll have to show how to party like a wolf." He turned leaving with a chuckle.
"oh, uh ya cy'ah later Dirge!" I called after his leaving figure. He answered with a wave over his shoulder as he continued on."
I walked down one of the organized lines of our own camp, towards the center, where the horses would be tethered near the supply wagons. I found my mare among the other horses. I threw my saddle bags over my shoulders, as they clanged against the shield on my back. A Long-Riders tending their horses stopped at the noise to look at me before continuing with their own task. The added weight of the saddle bags agitated the wounds on one of my shoulders and the back of my neck, causing them to begin bleeding again. I still had a few more task to complete before I could take care of them. I made my way to the supply wagons, avoiding the tracks of mud their wheels tore up as they rolled in earlier. My height allowed me to lean over the closed tail-gate of the covered wagon, as I pilfered some spare blankets. Just as i managed to grab a few throwing their rolled up forms over my already agitated shoulder, a familiar squawk of incomprehensible yelling rose in alarm. I twisted my heard to see an angry Darington jogging towards me from another wagon, shaking a closed fist over his head in some form of threat. I took of running through the camp not willing to relinquish my ill-begotten blankets (I'm only borrowing them).
I turned my head to see that Darington gave up his chase before I even made twenty paces, grumbling all the while. Since I have no idea what he's saying I can only assume that he figured a couple blankets wasn't worth chasing me threw the camp on his old bones. I slowed to a walk as several witnessing Long-riders let loose a few chuckles. I made the way the border of the two camps at a relaxed pace. I still had to set up my tent if i wanted any privacy while tending my wounds.