Bledrann Awakes

It\'s been just past a full day since the attack on the keep, and most of the Wulf are hard at work cleaning up the mess, making repairs, and fortifying. The injured have all been moved to within the keep and are under the care of those trained in the healing arts. Those of importance are even lucky enough to get beds in lieu of mats on the floor.

Jadiran has been keeping a fairly constant vigilance over his friend since the moment he found out Bledrann was hurt, and has been loathe to leave his side. Maybe no one expected the youngest son of Dunhallow to be this worried over anyone but his concern certainly seems genuine.

It\'s still early in the morning, and the young archer is dead asleep in a chair next to the bed where his friend is still unconscious. It\'s warm in the small room, with a low fire burning in the hearth.

[Brev(#30997)] The figure on the bed stirs and groans. The sound is wordless at first, but then comes a thick mutter. \"Ale. Got a headache the size of Kierkgard.\"

[Brev(#30997)] The invalid\'s head is bandage-wrapped, and someone has cleaned him up a little.

[Verge(#32426)] Wrapping a piece of cloth around the heavily bleeding wound of one of the injured lying sprawled out on the floor, is one of the only healers on duty in this early hour of the day. A hardy young woman with sunbleached light brown hair pulled away from her face and into a very loose ponytail sits there, concentrated on the task before her. Upon hearing the fian\'s muttered request for ale, the healer lifts her head to peer at the injured Bledrann, shaking her head and speaking, \"There ain\'t any of that left here -- I can\'t give ye any more ale!\" Standing up, she then promptly heads over to the fian to adjust the bandage around his head.

Jadiran has seen better days himself, at least so far as his appearance is concerned. His brown curls are a tangled mess, he\'s still wearing the older, roughspun garments from when he went on the sneak mission the other night, and he has thin bandages around his wrists where he had numerous small cuts from rope burn.

The archer from Dunhallow is too deep in sleep to be woken by the soft complaint of his friend, but when the healer comes over and begins making noise, his green eyes blink open slowly. He looks over at her with bleary eyes as he sits up, yawning, then regards his friend.

Abruptly, Jade sucks in a sharp breath, snapping fully awake. \"Bledrann!\" He exclaims.

[Bledrann(#30997)] Bledrann lets out another groan. \"Don\'t shout,\" he mumbles. \"Jade, just how much did I have to drink last night-\" The words cut off abruptly as he feels someone touching his poor abused head, and opens his eyes to stare into the face of the young healer. \"Guess you come with the hangover,\" he mutters, blinking, and tries to sit up. Unwise move - the motion triggers a fit of retching.

[Verge(#32426)] The healer, peering over her shoulder at Jade, makes a harsh \'shhhh\' sound at the prisoner. \"Don\'t want to wake everyone in the buildin\', do-- oh my, I\'ll get a bucket,\" she shakes her head at the mess made by Bledrann, as she had been distracted by Jade and not seen him trying to sit up. Scurrying off to a little storage room in the corner, a loud \'clank\' and a few thumps are heard while presumedly the healer searches for a mop of some sort, and a bucket, with which she comes back into the main area carrying. \"I dunno who it was that let ye have all that drink - gonna have t\' have a word with the other healers,\" she comments, placing the bucket next to Bledrann\'s feet and mopping up the mess.

Jade lets out a soft laugh of relief when his friend speaks, sagging back into his chair. \"They weren\'t sure if you would wake up again..\" He says, keeping his voice softer now. When Bledrann is suddenly sick to his stomach, all the concern and worry rushes back. The archer draws in a shaky breath, obviously uncertain of what to do. \"Just rest, Bledrann. You got hurt in the battle, got hit on the head really bad, they say. Don\'t you remember?\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] By this point Bledrann\'s retching has ceased. \"Healers?\" he mumbles, then tries again to move, more cautiously this time, and manages at least to turn his head. \"Where - what?\" is his response to Jadiran\'s words as he forces an eye open and squints round the room. \"Not the Boar\'s Tail.\"

[Verge(#32426)] The vomit on the floor seems for the most part cleaned up while the conversation continues between Jade and the Fian. \"Nay, ye\'ve been \'ere \'least two days already,\" the healer says to Bledrann, unafraid to interrupt their conversation. \"Ye been unconcious since I got \'ere.\"

\"We\'re in Redvyrne Keep. You helped Desmond retake the keep from the Bear. They\'re all dead.\" Jadiran says, his brow crinkling in worry again. He looks over at the healer questioningly, his green eyes wide. \"Is this normal? Why is he so confused?\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] Bledrann directs his mumblings to the healer first. \"And who are you? Did we-\"

Jadiran\'s words cut across his question, and he tries again to move. \"Desmond\'s dead? Did I kill him?\" The murmurings trail off toward the end, as though his lucidity (if that is what one could call it) were fading.

[Verge(#32426)] \"He received a pretty bad blow to the head gave him a concussion. Aye, it\'s fairly normal, though it migh\' take \'im several days to return to normal.\" Pausing, she turns back towards Jadiran. \"But t\' be completely honest, I\'ve seen cases where it takes months for them t\' get back t\' normal.\" Turning to answer Bledrann\'s question, she introduces herself quickly, \"M\' name\'s none of yer concern I\'m merely a healer on duty here for the mornin.\"

\"No, Desmond isn\'t dead.. He\'s hurt a bit, but well enough.\" Jade has some scorn in his voice as he speaks of the other Fian. \"Practically considers himself Ceann already, the bastard.\" The archer pushes curls back from his face, \"They say you fought hard..\" He adds, chewing on his lip as he glances up at the healer again.

\"Months? Really? But he\'ll be okay, right?\" The young man asks, appearing desperate for some reassurance.

[Bledrann(#30997)] Perhaps Bledrann has received too much information at once for his fuddled brain to absorb. \"I fought a Ceann?\" he exclaims, sounding alarmed, and turns his head swiftly toward Jadiran. The abrupt motion sends him back into unconsciousness before he can hear the healer\'s answer.

[Verge(#32426)] \"He\'ll be relatively alrigh\' fer now don\'t ye worry, the other healers will have t\' keep an eye on \'im fer a few days b\'fore we can tell how much longer he needs to rest \'ere for.\" Seeing as the Fian will not need the bucket, the healer dumps the soggy mop into the container for her to clean up afterwards. After the Fian appears to fade into unconscuousness again, she adds, \"He might \'ave some difficulty adjustin\' for the first few days -- I\'ve seen cases where they \'ave emotional difficulties after recovering from an injury like tha\', or blank gaps of memory.\" A shake of the head at the Fian. \"Shouldn\' try an\' get \'im too worked up, \'e needs time t\' recover fully.\" It seems at least a few silent minutes pass while she returns to the storage closet to fetch some clean bandages and cloths, afterwards beginning to undoe Bledrann\'s bloodied blandages to check on the wound and then place new bandages on. \"Desmond tied ye up fer tryin\' t\' avoid his orders, then,\" the healer looks back over her shoulder at Jade, assuming this was the case for Desmond keeping him in the Keep as a captive, although she knows nothing of the job Jade was ordered to carry out to help take back the keep.

Jadiran nods along as she talks, listening carefully. \"Okay..\" The young man reaches over to adjust some of the blankets, attempting to make his friend more comfortable. He watches while she changes the bandages, covering a yawn as begins to wake up more properly. Her question earns a tentative glance from the archer. Jade has handsome features, save for the old scars on the left side of his face. \"He was being unreasonable.\"

[Verge(#32426)] \"Unreasonable \'bout what? Wha\' could\'ve caused him t\' decide to keep ye here all locked up? I suspect he only hands out those kind of punishments t\' serious crimes,\" she exaggerates, obviously trying to intimidate the young archer for some reason or other. Dabbing a cloth soiled with alcohol on the open wound near the top of Bledrann\'s head, she then reaches for a clean bandage and begins wrapping it back around his head. After a moment, while waiting for the archer\'s reply, she glances to take a better look at the boy\'s features. \"Yer Mainchin\'s son, aren\'t ye?\" A brow is raised, and she changes her tone slightly to one of more respect.

Jade scowls. \"I came into the keep alone when all those Bear were in here, -alone-, and got the hostages out. Desmond wanted me to come back in for the assault and be his tour guide. I refused. They would have recognized me and targetted me immediately with their archers.\" The archer shakes his head, the tight curls that are usually restrained bounce about. \"It was too dangerous, and Desmond was angry about it so he tied me up.\"

The young man leans forward in the chair, propping his elbows on his knees. \"I don\'t know why he doesn\'t want me to leave, other than the fact that he probably doesn\'t want me to tell my father .. I guess.\" Jade shrugs at that. \"He wants the support of Dunhallow when he makes his claim for Ceann.\"

The scorn of earlier returns to his voice, \"My father will be furious when he finds out what Desmond did to me, after I risked my life for him. It\'s an insult.\"

[Verge(#32426)] Suddenly, the healer\'s expression seems to change almost entirely while she takes in the archer\'s explanation of the reason for his punishment. \"Oh...\" A long pause, and she subconsciously watches the young man prop his knees up onto the chair, absorbed within her own thoughts for a moment. \"Well.. well, why didn\' \'ee choose someone else to along with ye? That sounds highly unreasonable, ordering a lone man to sneak in with all those Bears, an\' then askin\' \'im t\' go back in, leadin\' the way.\" The healer shakes her head, sending her ponytails swaying back and forth. \"Well didn\' ye try reasonin\' with \'im?\" Her brows are furrowed by a frown, and she peers questioningly at the young archer. \"Think he holds somethin\' against yer father, then?\" No comments are given upon the remark of his father being angry, although the healer continues to listen intently.

\"Why? I don\'t know why.. You go ask him. The Fian isn\'t the most reasonable sort of man. He wants to be Ceann and he\'ll step on anyone he has to to win it.\" Jadiran gives a faint shrug, letting some of his irritation slip away. \"It\'s over and done with now. I don\'t think he has any problems with my father. They were friendly enough last time they talked. Are you sure Bledrann will be alright?\" He looks to his sleeping friend again, a wry smile crossing his features despite his concern. \"Bledrann was pissed off because I couldn\'t get the gate open, wanted me to sneak back in and open it.\"

[Verge(#32426)] The healer\'s eyes narrow in a suspicious examination of the archer, as if she could tell whether what he states is true or not by reading his expression. \"Desmond is a brave warrior, one of the best we have. I wouldn\'t be to sure he\'d be so... I think yer misunderstandin\' \'is intentions. Surely that must be the case,\" she says this almost as if it justifies an official explanation of the whole matter, mostly to settle the conflict within her own mind upon receiving this news regarding the Fian. Her whole expression melts away into one of slight concern when the archer turns his attention back onto Bledrann. \"Oh, aye, \'e just needs to be looked after while he rests fer a while. But.. so, how did they all make it back into the Keep, if ye couldn\'t lead \'em back in?\"

\"Oh, he\'s brave, all right.\" Jadiran rolls his eyes. \"But -he- wasn\'t the one willing to come into this keep when it was armed to the teeth with smelly Bear warriors. He isn\'t the most honorable sort.\" The archer sits back in the chair again, eying her. \"Unless you think it\'s fair to tie a man up asking him to go on a suicidal mission to rescue hostages. I\'m sure he\'ll take full credit for winning the keep.\" Jade lifts up a foot to show her, \"Won\'t even give me back my boots.\" Sure enough, he\'s only wearing dirty stockings on his feet. \"They were -nice- boots.\"

[Verge(#32426)] \"Oh, well.. I\'m sure there\'s a reason for his carrying out of the plans in that way.\" The healer feels almost cornered as the archer prods her to question the sensibility of Desmond\'s actions. \"Well.. no, I suppose it ain\'t fair for a man to be forced in like that. But, \'ang on, didn\'t -you- \'ave a choice in this? Why didn\' ye have a talk with Desmond about yer concerns over it all? I mean, if it were -me-, I wouldn\' jus\' go in all nilly willy if I didn\' \'ave any confidence in the plans.\" Her mouth takes the form of a round \'O\' when he points out his stockings, as if she had not taken notice of this fact. \"Oh, how long have ye been like tha\'? I should find ye an extra pair of boots \'round \'ere,\" she comments, peering about the room in search of an extra pair of footwear, before turning down to glance at her own feet.

Jadiran waves a dismissing hand when she speaks of finding boots. \"I\'ll find some when I have the freedom to go somewhere. It\'s just a matter of principle. He has my other gear stuffed away somewhere too, probably.\" The archer hangs one arm over the back of the chair. \"I told him the plan was stupid, but someone had to do it and I thought it was an honorable cause. I just think a little bit of gratitude would have been nice. Maybe some recognition that I saved those people.\" He adopts a sad sort of expression, \"All the girls look at me as if I\'m some kind of criminal.\"

[Verge(#32426)] The healer wipes her hands distractedly on her stained apron while he dismisses her worries. \"Perhaps it\'d be beneficial if in yer future ye considered yer ability to carry out orders, b\'fore jus\' decidin\' t\' go on with somethin\' because of the recognition it\'ll bring ye,\" she says, matter-of-factly and in a rather scornful tone, apparently misconstruing his statement of it being an \'honorable cause\'. \"An\' does anyone else know of this? Has anyone else had a word wi\' Desmond?\" The healer questions the boy intently, apparently having forgotten all about the other injured patients in the room for now. \"Ye may not be a criminal but for one thing ye certainly are a bit brash.\"

After a moment, the healer once again peers around the room cautiously, as if the walls might be eavesdropping. \"An\' t\' be honest, that was quite a foolish thing of Desmond t\' do -- what kind of punishment is it to take a man\'s boots from \'im? Can\'t work \'round the Keep, or help with any handywork that needs t\' be done \'round \'ere,\" she adds.

Jadiran frowns when the woman grows offended. \"I didn\'t really have much choice in the matter when my father volunteered my service without my permission, now did I? And I thought I had a good chance of succeeding in the mission, yes. The hostages are all safe now and no one else was willing to take the risk.\" The archer\'s expression grows injured again, \"So I\'m a terrible person because I didn\'t want to go right back in to a keep full of angry Bears that got tricked? Hadn\'t I done enough for one night?\"

When she talks of Desmond\'s decision regarding the boots, Jade has the barest flicker of a smile. The same had occurred to him of course, though he likely wouldn\'t have left Bledrann\'s side regardless. \"I don\'t tell Desmond how to run things around here..\" He says with a shrug.

[Bledrann(#30997)] A moan from the bed heralds Bledrann\'s return to consciousness, having conveniently remained under for most of the painful wound-dressing process.

[Verge(#32426)] \"Now, wait, if ye managed to stay within the keep while Desmond\'s warriors made it there, was it really -that- dangerous?\" She tries to picture the scene of it all, but comes to a blank. \"Say, how -did- ye manage to trick all them Bears single-handedly?\" The woman questions, her tone carrying a touch of respect for the young archer, but at the same time scornful suspicion. \".. Eh, I might have a word with the head healer \'ere, t\' see if we can find ye some extra boots. Could use a helpin\' \'and around \'ere.\"

\"I went in alone first.. then after I got the hostages out, they assaulted. I didn\'t want to go back in because I was tired, and Bear would know right away who it was that betrayed them and be aiming their arrows at my chest.\" Jadiran explains, \"And as for how I tricked them, well..\" A proud grin spreads across his face and he seems about to launch into a colorful explanation, but Bledrann moans and the archer is completely distracted.

\"Bledrann?\" He asks in a softer voice. \"Do you want anything? Are you thirsty?\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] \"Jade?\" The identification comes easily, even before the injured man has opened his gummed eyes. \"Head hurts. Where are we?\"

The healer is called away as another patient needs attention and Jadiran is left alone with his friend. The archer tilts his head to the side for a moment as Bledrann doesn\'t seem to recall anything from earlier, then answers with a grin. \"We\'re in Kiern\'s halls, Bledrann. I\'m sorry to say that your sister finally did us both in.. with a hachet, right through your skull. She took my head clean off but Kiern was kind enough to sew it back on.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] Bledrann opens his gummed eyes a little wider. \"Wha-\" he mumbles, incredulous, then lets out a sigh. \"Got the mother of all headaches.\" Clumsily he raises a hand to his bandage head, and stops. \"All right, where\'s my beer an\' my girls?\" Some scrap of recollection surfaces, for he murmurs thoughtfully, \"There /was/ a girl ...\"

Jadiran laughs and gives Bledrann a gentle slap on the shoulder. \"There was, and then you vomited all over her shoes, so I\'m not sure if she\'ll be back for a while.\" The archer says, even more relieved now that his friend is conscious a second time. \"Are you thirsty? And if I explain things this time around, do you think you\'ll actually remember them?\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] The slap brings on another groan, whether real or faked it\'s hard to tell. \"I what?\" Bledrann demands sharply, a little of the muzziness falling away. \"Yes, I\'m thirsty. And my head hurts. Where\'s the ale?\" The other question is not answered, but he gingerly - very gingerly - turns his head so that he can view Jadiran. \"You look a mess.\"

\"Not as bad as you do..\" Jade responds, grinning. He stands and moves to a small table where a pitcher of water is sitting and fills a cup. He returns to the bed, but doesn\'t hand it over. \"I\'ll help you with it, you probably don\'t want to move too much.\" Unless the man objects, he\'ll aid him in drinking from the cup, continuing to talk. \"And it\'s true. You emptied your stomach all over the floor. It didn\'t smell too good, but I guess healer\'s are used to that kind of thing, right?\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] Bledrann tries to push himself up, then stops. \"I don\'t think I want to move much,\" he mutters in echo. \"I don\'t remember,\" he mumbles after a pause. \"Was she a looker?\"

Jade reaches to carefully try and lift Bledrann\'s head so that he can hold the cup to his lips. \"She was okay, wasn\'t much interested in me. Everyone is treating me like I committed some horrible crime, but that\'s Desmond\'s doing.\" He explains, trying to be gentle with his friend, but he\'s far from a practiced healer.

[Bledrann(#30997)] Bledrann breathes raggedly as his head is lifted, and manages to swallow some water before he splutters and gasps out, \"\'nough.\" Once he\'s got his breath back he mutters, \"Kiern! When can I get up? And ... what did you do this time? Some Fian\'s daughter?\"

\"Sorry.. \" Jade murmurs, and tries to ease the man back down carefully into the pillow. He sets the cup on a bed table, then sits down again, sliding the chair over to where Bledrann can see him more easily. \"It wasn\'t anything like that. You remember that the Bear had taken the keep, right?\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] A grunt escapes Bledrann\'s lips as he is eased back down, and he is silent for some time save for slightly laboured breathing. That eases, and he squints over at Jadiran. \"Bear?\" He closes his eyes, then murmurs, \"Training ... in the Gap ... against Bear. Now, why would I do that? Doesn\'t make sense.\" His brow furrows, then he mumbles, \"Head hurts when I try to think. Tell me what happened.\"

\"Maybe I should wait until you\'re feeling better..\" Jadiran says, frowning. He\'s quiet for a moment, then tries explain as simply as possible. \"The Bear came in and took Redvryne Keep. Then they raided some farms and took hostages. You and Desmond put together an army and attacked the other night after I snuck in, tricked the Bears, and rescued the hostages.\"

He pauses, gives his friend a chance to process the information, then continues, \"Desmond had me tied up when I refused to go back in after I rescued the hostages, and won\'t let me leave the keep now. I\'m guessing it\'s because he doesn\'t want me to talk to my father, but I got a message out with someone else.\" Jade smirks, then adds, \"You\'re -here- because you got hit on the head pretty hard in the battle and can\'t think straight.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] As Bledrann listens, his usually haughty features twist in perplexity. \"But-\" he murmurs, and trails off as Jadiran continues. When the explanation is over he raises a stiff hand to his head and touches the bandage lightly, wincing. \"That I can believe. Feels like someone cracked me over the head with a smith\'s hammer. I lost?\" Self-concern is uppermost, though from the frowns he gave as Jadiran was speaking he\'s clearly /trying/ to think about the rest.

\"I don\'t think so. I wasn\'t there, but, I think they said you ran the man through. I could find your sword and see if it\'s covered in blood?\" Jadiran asks, grinning. His own details on Bledrann\'s personal involvement in the fight are sketchy at best. The archer grows serious again. \"Desmond is going to push to be chosen as Ceann. He\'ll probably be pushing for your support as soon as someone tells him you\'re awake. Don\'t make any decisions until you\'ve had a chance to think more clearly about it, Bledrann.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] \"Wait-\" Bledrann turns his head a little too quickly and then stops, swallowing. \"Wait. You said you carried out some big rescue and I was fighting elswhere ... was I fighting Desmond?\" His features screw up as though he senses something wrong with that idea. \"And ... uh, is there a bucket somewhere? Just in case? Don\'t feel so good.\"

\"No.. Desmond led a small group that came in and opened the gate. You were waiting outside, leading the rest of the army.\" Jadiran stands up and moves to collect the bucket that the healer had pulled out earlier. He shows it to Bledrann, then leans down to set it on the floor next to the bed so the man knows where it is.

[Bledrann(#30997)] \"I was? Why can\'t I remember?\" Bledrann\'s tone is sullen. \"You\'re saying Desmond tied you up so you couldn\'t fight beside me? Or behind me,\" he adds with the barest ghost of a smile on his lips.

As he sits down again, Jadiran cracks another grin. \"I wanted to go with you, but Desmond wanted me to sneak in with his group through the tunnel. I refused to go, because I didn\'t want to be a huge target for all the Bear I had just fooled an hour earlier. That\'s when he tied me up. He didn\'t even need me there.. I did my job well enough.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] \"I\'ll have words with him,\" Bledrann promises darkly. Though whether he\'ll remember that promise tomorrow, or the next day ... He sighs, then something occurs to him. \"Jade, were /you/ hurt?\"

\"Me? .. \" The archer is quiet for a moment, then shakes his head. \"No. Not really. I was lucky.\" He answers in a vague fashion. \"Is your head starting to feel better? This is the longest you\'ve stayed awake.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] \"It didn\'t hurt when I was asleep,\" mutters Bledrann sourly - definitely a sign of recovery. He pauses for a few breaths, then continues. \"If /you\'re/ not hurt, you shouldn\'t be here. Eat. Sleep. Find a pretty girl. I\'ll just rest. I .. I think I need some time alone.\" His face is chalk-white, ane he swallows again, sure sign of a roiling stomach.

Jadiran watches the man for a few moments, then nods. \"Yeah, okay. I\'ll come back and check on you though, okay? Maybe I\'ll go bother Desmond and distract him from coming and hassling you.\" He stands, that worry showing on his face again, \"Take it easy... The healer said you should rest.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] \"I am resting,\" Bledrann mutters. \"Maybe /you/ should. Forget the pretty girl. Now, go!\" The last word is spoken urgently, and his breathing is shallow as he waits the other to leave.

\"Okay, okay!\" Jadiran responds, and hurries to leave before his friend deliberately tries to get sick on him. Maybe he can find that healer.. she wasn\'t horrible to look at.