"Everyone out of the way!" Sir Deismon shouted as he brought the strange man forward. The man was shrouded in a tattered green cloak and carried a brown satchel on his left side. He approached the comatose woman and eyed her carefully, assessing from a distance before getting up close.
"May I have some room to work?" He asked calmly as he knelt on the opposite side of Arella. He kept his head hidden beneath his hood, masking his face in shadows. She blinked silently for a few seconds before slowly raising to her feet and backing away.
'That voice, I have never heard a voice like that until...there is no way, right?'
She stared in awe as the cloaked man started pulling out vials and herbs from his satchel. After a few moments she shook herself from the trance she found herself in and turned her attention to the distraught swarm of people behind her.
Arella gestured for Sir Roland to gather the citizens and follow her to create some distance between the fallen woman and them. A young man muscled his way through the crowd, making his way to where Arella was guiding everyone. Sir Roland stiffened at his approach and grunted before Arella put a hand on his arm, telling him to stand down. She looked up at the young man with questioning eyes as he spoke to her.
"M'Lady, Greta...Greta is my sister over there. Please, M'Lady is she going to be alright?" His voice cracked as he choked on his emotions, panic threatening to drown his mind. She placed a hand on his shoulder gingerly, trying to provide some sort of peace with her touch.
"I can assure you, we will do our absolute best to ensure your sister is okay. I will personally make sure Greta is well and healthy, alright. What is your name?" She said hoping her words would coax the troubled man. He looked at her longingly and she could tell that he wanted nothing more than for her to tell him his sister would make it out of this alive. "Greylin M'Lady, my name is Greylin." His voice trembled as he spoke. She smiled grimly and squeezed his shoulder gently. "A strong name. Well Greylin, I will make sure Greta has the best care." She replied before removing her hand and guiding him over to the rest of the flock of people.
Arella shifted her gaze over the mass of scared subjects, she couldn't send them away knowing they would worry about the well being of Greta but she also didn't want everyone to be staring at her or swarming her if she came to. After careful deliberation she decided it would be best to keep everyone informed and try to calm them as best as possible while keeping there attention away from the rescue efforts.
Squaring her shoulders, she straightened her back and addressed her citizens. "This morning's run has taken a sharp turn. Our young Greta has collapsed unable to breathe, and I understand how awful that was to witness. We are doing everything we can to heal her and make sure she is well. I will not rest until we get to the cause of this and fix it. I do not expect any one to turn around and return to their homes with a crisis still on-going, however I will only ask this of you all, please respect distance. Do not crowd her or our healers and do not stare, we don't want to startle her when she does come to." Her voice was firm in her demands yet had a tenderness that echoed through the group. They all looked up at Arella in shock and wonder.
She turned to Sir Roland and instructed him to watch over everyone as she went back to check on the progress with Greta and the bizarre man, feeling all eyes on her. It had only been a few minutes but Arella had to admit that even she was a bit worried. She approached cautiously, circling around the man as to not disturb anything around him or Greta.
"How is she?" Her eyes danced between what he was doing and Greta's body. He glanced up from his herbs and parchment briefly before shifting his gaze to the mortar and pestle he was using to grind up herbs.
"She will recover, I am making a tonic for her but I need some water." He spoke, seeming unfazed by the whole ordeal. Arella nodded, quickly turning her head to the side before shouting behind her. "Koda! Front and center my little cub." She commanded, moving away from the man as she waited for Sir Haymond to bring Koda to her.
Koda bounded up to Arella, apprehensive as he remained slightly troubled by everything that was happening. Arella crouched down and reached for Koda's hands, comforting him as much as she could. "Alright my warrior, I need you to run over to the well in town and get me a bucket of water please. Hurry back, this is very important and I am counting on you." Her eyes glowing brightly at the young cub, she smiled lightly and squeezed his hands gently. Koda sucked in a sharp breath and spun around abruptly as he sprinted across the stone walkways toward the center of the village.
Arella turned her attention back to the man hunched on the ground. She lowered herself back down and raised her eyebrow at the man. "So, you are a healer of some kind I take it." She commented bluntly. He cocked his head to the right and scoffed as he continued grinding and mixing herbs.
"You seem to be very observant." He said sarcastically as he chuckled to himself. Arella scrunched her face at his crass statement. She lowered her voice and glowered at him. "You are lucky you are aiding my people at present. If you were not I would have you remove your hood and face me like a true man." She almost growled as her words dripped with a slow burning anger. For the first time, the man looked up and met her gaze. His bright green eyes shimmered as specks of yellow swimming within them, trapping Arella almost as if she was caught in an enchantment. Her breath hitched and caught in her throat for just a moment. She has never met anyone with eyes as enthralling as his. She tried to peer further to see what the rest of him looked like but he shrunk away from her piercing eyes.
Flustered, she felt her cheeks flush as she cleared her throat to address him once again. "Do you have a name, or shall I just refer to you as manner-less vagrant." She asked roughly, trying to mask her embarrassment.
"Cassyus. Cassyus Meridel. Curtesy would dictate you also give your name, unless your city doesn't follow the same customs as the rest of the world." His voice was gruff yet somehow still sounded playful. Arella curiously clicked her tongue against her teeth at the realization that he was a traveler.
"Arella. Lady Arella Evynne at your service." She retorted snootily, tilting her chin in the air as she watched Cassyus's eyes widen. He jerked his head toward her and gaped, face flushed as his cheeks turned a deep red. Before either one could speak, Arella heard the sound of tiny stomping feet and stood up to meet Koda as he returned with the bucket of water.
She grabbed the bucket from him with a smile, whispering praises in his ear before she turned to Sir Haymond to escort him back to the crowd. She passed the bucket to Cassyus and sat back down. He tilted the bucket as water poured out into the mortar and pestle with most of it splashing on the ground messily. He placed the bucket on the ground and took the mortar and pestle in both hands. In the next moment he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and released orange flames through his lips to the mortar and pestle. After a few moments the water began steaming and he terminated his fire breath. The herbs seeped into the now hot, muddy looking water.
"Can you please tilt her head up My Lady? I don't want to have this go down the wrong way." He asked timidly, as Arella was taken aback by his sudden formal mannerism. She grabbed Greta's shoulders and slowly, carefully lifted her as she nestled behind her, propping up her upper body against her own. Arella brushed Greta's black, silky hair out of the way and opened her mouth. Cassyus brought the makeshift cup to the unconscious woman's lips and gently poured the tonic down her throat. Once all of it was gone he lowered the mortar and placed his hands on her chest. A red-ish amber light glowed beneath his hands for a few moments before fading away.
As the light vanished, Greta spurred and coughed as her eyes shot open. She lurched forward as Arella reached out to steady her. Cassyus started gathering his herbs and materials while Arella assessed Greta's condition.
"My dear are you alright? How are you feeling right now?" She questioned without trying to overwhelm the poor girl. Greta gasped and tried bowing her head as she realized who was sitting beside her.
"No no, there is no need for that right now. I am more worried about you. Your brother is also going out of his mind to find out that you are alright." Arella's voice sang softly, relief clung onto her every word as she eased back.
"I am so sorry for causing all of this trouble M'Lady, you have my undying gratitude for saving me. I am just so embarrassed this happened during our morning run." Greta said, shame flashed across her her face as she thought of the whole city seeing her collapse. Arella shook her head and gestured to Cassyus behind her. "Actually you owe this man your thanks. He is the real hero for this day." Cassyus snapped up from the sudden mention of his name when he saw the two ladies staring at him, one in awe and the other in appreciation. He stammered as he waved it off as nothing major, trying to slink back into the crowd that had now migrated back to see Greta alive and well.
Arella stretched for his arm, hooking him with hers and accidently yanked him back into her in an attempt to keep him from running off. She shot him a look and he sighed, realizing he was not going to get away from her. She turned her attention back to Greta as her brother Greylin hurriedly made his way up to them.
"Oh thank the Gods you are alright! I was so worried Gret! Thank you M'Lady you saved her." Greylin beamed as he buried his sister in a tight embrace. Greta tried to push him off but eventually caved in and hugged him in return.
Everyone cheered and hollered as Arella stepped forward. She raised her hand as a hush washed over each and every person. "We have a hero in our midst here in Evynne. He rose up to the call in our hour of need and I speak for all of us when I say, we are truly in your debt Cassyus Meridel." She turned to Greylin and Greta as she continued. "I am extending two rooms for you and your brother in my castle, we have the best clerics and casters there to monitor your condition." Her words echoed with a finality to them as her voice carried over the crowd as applause erupted at the conclusion of her speech. She turned back to the knights that moved behind her and instructed them to escort Greta and Greylin to their new living quarters in the staff area of the castle.
The citizens trickled out slowly, heading back to their homes or businesses to begin their day of work. Greta and Greylin were trailed by a small group of knights to help gather their belongings and bring them back to castle Evynne. Once most of the crowd had dispersed, Arella motioned for Cassyus to follow her as she began making her way the lake on the other side of the city.