Elin was sleeping peacefully, enjoying the warm comfort of the blanket as well as Kim's body, when a pounding on the door startled her awake. Elin looked at the door, her heart pounding in her chest then at Kim who was still sleeping soundly. Confused, she couldn't believe that Kim was still asleep at a time like this when normally Elin was the one who had a hard time sleeping.
When the pounding came again, Elin groaned to herself as she got out from under the nice, warm blankets and went to put on her dress which was currently a golden yellow. Elin assumed that was a reflection of her fear of what the pounding was about mixed with her confusion about Kim still being asleep.
When the pounding came a third time, Elin was barely getting the dress on, as best as she could by herself. Then, since Kim was still completely sacked out, Elin made her way to the door, and opened it enough to see who it was on the other side of it.
She couldn't help but feel surprised that it was Jonas. Out of everyone, Jonas was not who she had expected to see. If anything she'd have expected Elmo desperate to let them know they had to get out of there or something.
"Elin, I need your help with something. Get Kim to help you get ready and meet me in the common area downstairs. I'll explain then," Jonas told her, not giving her a chance to say anything before striding away.
As Elin closed the door, Kim woke up with a start. "Wh-wha' was that?" she mumbled, looking around.
Elin smiled at the sight of Kim and her body. If she had her preferences, she'd have stayed a little longer in the room, enjoying that body and let Kim enjoy hers.
"Jonas said he needs me downstairs and that you should help me get ready," she said, walking over to Kim's side of the bed.
"What's he need you for?" Kim asked, sitting up as her eyes watch Elin walk over to her.
Elin shook her head. "He said he'll explain downstairs," Elin said as she sat down, her back to Kim, hoping Kim would start tightening the laces on the back of the bodice.
Instead, Kim reached around her to grope her breasts, her own pressing against Elin's back. "Just let him wait. We haven't had a proper romp since we got here," Kim whispered in Elin's ear.
Elin couldn't help but giggle, enjoying Kim's touch. "I know, but I think I should go anyway. It might be important," Elin said, though she didn't make a move to stop Kim from her groping.
Kim sighed, leaning against Elin. Then giving her breasts a last squeeze, Kim pulled away from Elin. "Just so you know, I'm doing this because you asked me to, not Jonas," Kim informed Elin.
Elin giggled. "I know. Ill try to be quick, then we can have another romp when I get back."
Kim then kissed Elin's neck where it met her shoulders, eliciting a cry of surprise before she started securing Elin's bodice on her.
"I'll be waiting for you to come back, my gem," Kim said, sending goosebumps all over Elin's body.
When Kim finished tightening and tying her bodice, Elin left. She didn't trust her voice after what Kim said, nor did she want to give Kim any indication that she could be persuaded in delaying going downstairs. She already felt her own resolve wavering.
As she closed the door behind her, she felt her previous resolve returning. She then made her way down the stairs, wondering what it was that Jonas needed her for. In addition to whatever it was being down in the common room.
When she reached the common area, she was surprised to see twelve men with Jonas. She wasn't sure what to make of them, but while they appeared young, they were also all caring for wounds. Some rather serious while others more superficial and painful than dangerous.
"What happened?" Elin asked, as she walked over to Jonas.
"These young men said that they were attacked by, uh, demons?" Jonas answered.
"Yes, my friends and I were having fun in the district next to the one for the nobility when we were suddenly attacked by demons. We tried to fight back, but they kept melting into the darkness and we couldn't get a single hit on one of them," one of the young men, a blond with blue-grey eyes and a shirt that had lions embroidered on it added.
"What's your name?" Elin asked, a little uneasy when the young man said that they were in the district next to the noble district.
"My name is Lord Tristan, first son of Duke Rand," the man said.
Elin stopped and immediately curtsied. "My apologies, my lord," Elin said, kicking herself for her lack of decorum. "I am Lady Elin, second daughter of the Marquis of Meadowvale."
The man's eyebrow raised. "I've never heard of Meadowvale," he admitted. Elin was conscious of the attention from the other men at her introduction. "Where is it?"
"It's very far from here," Elin admitted. "I'm really not sure how I got her, but I'm currently trying to find a way back."
The man nodded. "Have you sought a sorcerer to send you back?" Tristan asked.
Elin shook her head. "I'm currently struggling to get enough money to live comfortably. I have the few friends I've made here, including Jonas, but there's only so much I can do."
"Uh, Elin, they could use your skills with healing," Jonas gently prodded.
"Huh? Oh yes!" Elin exclaimed, and took Tristan's bandaged forearm in her hands and she whispered, "Minor Heal."
Tristan's eyes widened as he quickly removed the bandage to reveal no wound. "H- how did you do that?" he asked, his voice full of awe.
Elin smiled bitterly. "When I was brought here, I gained some healing abilities. I'm using those to mostly survive right now."
Then men around Elin nodded respectfully as each got their turn to experience Elin's healing for themselves. As she approached each one, the men introduced themselves. Although, for one of the young men, she had to use her spell twice on him in order to fully close his wound. Not that it was especially bad, but it had looked pretty deep.
"So, this is what you meant when you said you could make our wounds appear as if they never existed!" another man, Lance, cried after Elin was done. Lance had an emblem of an Eagle on his collar, and if Elin remembered correctly, his father was Duke Ander.
"Yes it is," Jonas said, gathering up the bandages. "Uh, Elin, would you dispose of these? It might be best if these weren't seen here right now."
Elin looked at Jonas feeling rather confused. "Alright, but you better give a real explanation about what's going on, like you promised when you woke me up," Elin informed him, partly feeling like she'd been toyed with. Then as she was starting to walk towards the stairs, she called back to him, "I'll have Elmo deal with these, alright?"
"That should be fine," Jonas called back.
Elin started to climb the stairs and noticed the innkeeper come out personally with another round of drinks for the young men. Elin couldn't help but smirk at the sight. Of course the innkeeper was eager to please his guests. He knew they had deep pockets and the reputation of his inn could only benefit from some guests like these enjoying themselves. Especially when the innkeeper was confident the bill would be paid in full, no matter how much he added onto it.
Elin couldn't help but feel like Jonas should have been the one doing this. It wasn't something that she should have to deal with, but rather that of a servant. Though, by the time she'd reached the third floor, she was starting to look at the bandages differently. It might be good for them to have some clean bandages, even if it wasn't these, for the future in the even she was either running out of MP or they needed to ration it for whatever reason.
If they had some, then she could use her non-magical healing skill in treating wounds so they'd be able to heal on their own, without the need for magic.
As Elin knocked on Elmo's door, she wondered how much getting their own bandages, ointments, and salves would cost them. The quality stuff would definitely get pretty pricey, but she was sure they'd be able to get by with some of the cheaper stuff. So long as it worked, it should be fine.
When Elmo opened the door, Elin merely handed Elmo the bandages. "Jonas said to take care of those," she told Elmo before turning to leave.
Then as she was passing her and Kim's room, the door opened and Kim came out. "What's going on?" Kim asked, as she fell in step with Elin.
"Jonas is hosting a party, I think," Elin told Kim. "With some of the sons of some of the local nobility, though he needed me to heal their wounds for some reason."
"Maybe he's trying to get us s windfall or something," Kim said as they took the stairs down to the second floor.
"Maybe, but would he have to bring them here for that?"
Kim shrugged. "Who knows with men. Sometimes they act like they're intelligent while other times they show just how stupid they really are," Kim commented.
Elin nodded absently. She had a feeling there was more to it, but she couldn't say for sure. Almost like she hadn't been given the full story. Not that she'd be surprised if she hadn't. It wasn't like she'd been downstairs for very long before Jonas sent her back upstairs with the bandages.
Elin didn't say anything to Kim's statement. She didn't want to disturb Kim's line of thought and possibly create an argument, but instead she resolved to talk with Jonas when they were downstairs.
Yet, fate seemed to not want Elin to do that, as when she and Kim were walking down the stairs, armed soldiers burst into the inn and demanded to have the young men come with them.
Elin was stunned and really didn't know how to react. Was there something going on in this country that Elin didn't know about? Elin glanced at Kim, not sure if she could expect an explanation from her, but Kim didn't seem to have one. In fact, she looked just as surprised as Elin did.