Rosalina looked at the man as he moaned. "Darius?" she asked, her voice held some hope.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"Ro..." Darius murmured weakly as Calista's energy repaired the internal damage of the wound.
------------------------------------------------------------
As the moments ticked on, Calista felt the room spin before her as her blue eyes glazed over. A weakness swept over her body, making it harder to stand and everything seemed to blur in and out of focus. "Ohhhh..." she moaned softly as her blue orbs rolled once and her lashes started to flutter. Yet, she refused to stop until Gareth returned, in case she had not managed to mitigate the severity of the injury.
------------------------------------------------------------
Flying back with the speed of the wind, Gareth arrived back at the abode and raced toward the room. Upon coming on the scene, he felt his heart tighten in his chest as he saw Calista sway on her feet, on the verge of collapse. Rushing to her side, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled the swooning woman away from the bedside.
"Rose, stop," he whispered in her ear as her legs buckled beneath her and she sank against him. Holding her tightly so she wouldn't fall, Gareth sank to his knees as he held Calista against him. "No...must...try..." she murmured as she stared up at the ceiling with blue glassy eyes, as if she were not even aware that he was holding her.
"Uhhh..." she moaned a second later as her blue eyes rolled up and her lashes fluttered close, her body going completely limp as she passed out cold in his arms.
"Calista!" Gareth shouted, fear in his voice as he gazed upon her ghastly pale, sweat-drenched face. Placing his fingers at her neck, he breathed a soft sigh of relief to feel her blood beat beneath his fingers. "You did well," Gareth whispered to the unconscious woman before placing a gentle kiss to her brow. "Just rest now and recover your strength," he whispered to her, holding her close.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina started to cry again. She wanted to aplogize, but the words didn't come out.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Hearing Rosalina start to cry, Gareth turned his attention from Calista to the woman. Sighing softly to himself, Gareth did not know what words of comfort to offer her now. At the moment he was fed up with everyone. He was angry at Rosalina for stabbing herself, Darius for getting stabbed, Calista for not knowing when to stop healing and to take care of hersef and himself for taking so long to return---knowing that several minutes later and his love could have been dead. Rising to his feet, with Calista out cold in his arms, he walked over to the bed to examine Darius' wound. From his quick glance, he could tell that his woman did a good job. The wound was no longer life threatening, but more of a flesh wound that may give Darius some pain for a little while. But at least the man would live. "Your love will be fine," Gareth told Rosalina gently, being sure to keep his voice gentle. "I have the herbs. Do you want to apply them or would you like me to?" he asked, remembering that this woman also had been trained in the healing arts.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

'I will." Rosalina said shakinly. She had to do something. It was her fault Darius was like this.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Giving Rosalina a gentle smile, Gareth simply nodded. Shifting Calista slightly in his arms, he pulled out the leaves from the mortias plant. "Crush the leaves until a green juice is released from the plant," Gareth told her gently. "Then you can apply the salve to the wound which should heal within a day or two when treated with this herb," he remarked softly. Since Rosalina would tend to Darius, he was free to tend to Calista. Knowing that she would physically recover brought him some relief but what worried him now was the mental strain he was certain this who situation put her through. He knew that pulling the knife out had to have been hard for her, yet she found the courage to do so because another life hung in the balance. However, now that the chaos was slowly ending, he could only wonder if the ramifications of this incident would slowly start to manifest itself.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina bit her lip as she did as she was told, and after some time she was able to start to put the salve on the wound. The wound she had given him. She knew what she had to do. As soon as she could, as soon as he was sure to live, she would leave. He would never forgive her. She could never forgive herself. She had brought him so much pain. She would leave.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Gareth remained silent as he watched Rosalina work. "Will you be all right here alone?" he asked her, wanting to tend to Calista as soon as possible.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stirring slightly as Rosalina applied the salve to the wound, Darius did not yet fully awaken. His breathing had normalized shortly after Calista finished her healing and his color was starting to come back.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina nodded as she applied the last of the salve. "Oh . . . Darius." she sighed. She stroked his face, kissing his lips, tears slipping from her eyes. "I don't deserve you." she said.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"Ro..." Darius murmured, hearing Rosalina's sweet voice. Groaning again, his lashes started to flutter as he stirred again, wanting to feel her beside him.
------------------------------------------------------------
Seeing her acknowledgement, Gareth left without a word and carried Calista back to her room. Gently lying the woman down on the bed, he frowned at the cut on her lip. Rising from the bed, he went to the well and drew some water before taking a cloth and dipping it in the bucket of water, gently started to wash the wound. Hearing her moan in pain as a slight frown crossed her face in sleep, Gareth drew back and Calista eventually quieted again. Knowing she kept a few herbs in her drawer, he broke a small piece of the spiny amora plant and squeezing some the sap on his finger, he gently applied it to the cut on her lip. Sighing softly to himself, he then started to wash her crimson-stained hand, knowing the sight of the crusted blood on her skin would only serve as a scarring reminder of what happened. Groaning softly as she felt the cool wet, cloth upon her hand, Calista turned her head to the side, though she did not awaken, nor did she try to remove her hand from Gareth's ministrations.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina sighed. She cleaned her hands off. "You'll live, my Darius. But If I stay, then I will make you misrable. I have already done too much." She said. She went to her bags and started to pack for just her. Once done she sighed, went to Darius. "Good bye love, my Dary." she kissed his head, then left the room.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Groaning as he slowly started to come to, Darius' eyes slowly opened. "Ro..." he called out hoarsely without getting a response. "Ro..." he called again as he slowly began to sit up, feeling a pain coming from his chest as he did so. Grimacing as a hiss of pain escaped from his lips, he glanced around the room to find that he was alone. Eyes falling upon their bags, he saw that Rosalina's was missing. Worried now, Darius pushed himself off the bed, despite the pain that was shooting from his body. "Ro..." he called weakly as he staggered from the room.
------------------------------------------------------------
Finished washing Calista's limp hand, Gareth lightly kissed her knuckles before lying her hand on the bed. "I am sorry that all of this keeps happening to you, love" Gareth whispered before leaning over and pressing a kiss to her pale forehead.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina sighed as she steped out of the house. This was it, she had to leave. Then why wasn't she moving. "I almost killed him." she told herself. "I'm a danger to all I meet."

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"Ro!" Darius called out hoarsely as he staggered out of the bedroom, irritated by his own physical weakness. He was used to being so strong, rarely tiring and when he did tire, he knew when to stop. But right now, this pervasive fatigue was grating on his nerves. He had to find Rosalina before he lost her for good. Following her scent, he staggered outside and recognized her form a short distance in front of him. "Ro! What are you doing out here, love?" he asked her, trying to get to her side as quickly as possible.
------------------------------------------------------------
Turning her head from side to side in her sleep, Calista moaned softly, a grimace crossing her delicate features as her dreams turned dark. She could see the knife again and again, stabbing downward, piercing, cutting, tearing, destroying everything in its path. She could see it stabbing Gareth, stabbing her father, Rosalina and Darius. There blood was everywhere, smeared on the walls, soaked into the ground, stained on her hand, and dripping down her face. "No...stop....STOP!...NO!!" she cried out helplessly in her sleep.
"Rose!" Gareth cried as he shook her to wake her. "Rose, wake up. It's all right," he said again.
Gasping as her eyes opened, Calista stared up at Gareth in confusion, as if she did not know who he was or even where she was.
"Calista, you are safe" Gareth whispered to her the fear skipping across the depths of her blue eyes not lost on him.
"Gareth...?" she whispered softly, her voice breaking as tears filled her eyes. Gently lifting her from the bed and into his arms, the mage gently rocked the young woman back and forth as she sobbed quietly in his arms, her face buried against his chest.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

"I'm sorry Darius. I'm sorry for what I did to you. I cause everyone pain. I have to go. I know you don't forgive me. thats ok. I love you, and I am glad your going to live." Rosalina said, she wasn't looking at him. She couldn't. If she did she would stay. "I'm a horrible person, and everything is my fault. I don't desrve to be happy." she said.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"Look at me, love" Darius whispered as he gently tilted her chin up to his face. "You are not a horrible person, Ro. You are one of the best women I know---so compassionate and courageous. Ever giving and blessed with a heart of gold. You do not cause people pain. Sometimes bad things happen, Ro. Things that you can not control. And what happened earlier was not your fault. It was a terrible accident. An accident that I cannot nor will not blame you for. So you do not need to ask forgiveness for anything, but if that is what you want, I would gladly give it to you," he whispered before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Shh," Gareth whispered to Calista as he continued to rock the woman in his arms. "Everything will be all right," he added softly as he rubbed the small of her back.
"I can't get the knife from my mind..." Calista whispered in between sobs. "I see you, my father, Rosalina and Darius getting stabbed. And then there is the blood. The blood is everywhere. On the floor, on the walls...on my hand, my face..." she whimpered as she drew in a shuddering breath and trembled in his arms.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!