Rosalina wanted to cry. She had been stumbling, tripping, and wandering the woods for who knows how long. Her ankle screamed in pain although she tried to keep her weight off it. "Hello!" She called out. "Can some one please hear me!" All she got was silence. Finally what seemed like another eternaty, Rosalina stopped and sat on a log she found. She was starving and getting cold.

_________________
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)

Sniffling at the ground, Darius let out a soft growl as he picked up Rosalina's scent. Hold on Ro, I'm coming he thought.
With her arms wrapped around Gareth's neck, Calista tried to see if she could pick up any sign of the woman, but could find no trace. "Can you fly a bit lower?" she questioned.
Obeying her wishes, Gareth flew at a slightly lower altitude though he had to slow down a bit to avoid tree branches. "She's been this way," Calista murmured as she caught sight of cloth hanging from the branches. "There’s a sharp drop a sharp drop on the hill a short way off," she shouted to Darius just as the lion leapt down and continued to track her scent, worry passing over his eyes as he caught sight of some blood on the rock where Rosalina had hit her head.
"Gareth...look!" Calista exclaimed as she saw the basket with spilled berries and some blood on the rock. "You don't think..." she whimpered as she clung even tighter to the mage.
"Don't think like that yet," Gareth told her gently, his jaw tightening in worry.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina sighed, after sitting for a while she got up and continued until her ankle gave. Rosalina bit her lip, but started to cry. She was lost, cold, hungry. Her head and ankle hurt, and she had not idea of where she was, or where she was going. "Darius, I need you." she whimpered as she laid on her side and cried.

_________________
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)

As Rosalina's scent grew stronger, Darius picked up his speed, breaking away from Gareth and Calista. "He has her scent," Gareth murmured to Calista as he flew at a steady pace while the woman rested her head on his shoulder. Finally coming upon Rosalina as she lay on the ground, Darius morphed back into his human form and gently took her in his arms. "I'm here, Ro," he whispered to her as he held her close.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

As soon as Rosalina felt the arms pick her up her tears became happy ones. "Darius. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I was about to come back. I marked the trail. But then I fell. I tried to find my way back." she stoped, she was scared, she didn't understand why. "Darius, I can't see. I was knocked out, and when I woke . . . "

_________________
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)

"Shh," Darius whispered to her. "I'm here now. I have you," he whispered. "Don't worry about it," he added in response to her apology. However the news that she could no longer see tore at his heart. This was all his fault. If he just came with her, she wouldn't be injured as she was. Hoping that Gareth and Calista arrived soon, he was going to enlist the mage's help in restoring his sight even if he had force him to do so.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Coming upon the scene a few minutes later with Calista in his arms, Gareth landed easily and walked over to the couple. "Everything all right?" he asked the pair.
"She hit her head and now she can't see!" Darius exclaimed. "Tell me there is something you can do..." he whispered.
Gasping at the news, Calista felt her face grow pale at the man's words. Her new friend couldn't be blind. Even before Gareth spoke, she knew what the answer would be. Unless this was only a temporary blindness, there was no herb to restore sight. Shaking his head, Gareth just gave Darius a sad look. "There are no herbs that I know of that can restore sight. Nor are there any spells I can think of," he remarked regretfully.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina bit her lip. "Darius, it will be ok, right? I mean, if I have to learn with it, thats ok." she said not beliving in her own words. She wanted to see again. But at the same time she didn't want Darius, or Calista to worry and be upset. "Its my fault, the bird startled me, thats why I fell." Then a thought hit her. "THe berries, I was going to try and cook with them."

_________________
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)

"You shouldn't have to endure this. I will find a way to help you see again, and just forget about the berries and cooking for now," Darius remarked. "Calista can cook if need be," he added, taking it for granted that she would prepare all the meals.
"He's right," Calista remarked softly. "I can cook. It won't be any trouble," she added.
"See?" Darius added. "The matter is settled. Let's just get you back so you can rest and your injuries can be looked at."

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina shook her head. "I wanted be helpful, be a proper guest. Calista, you already did to much." Rosalina said, her head turned towards where she had heard the womans voice come from before she turned her face to darius. "Darius, Dary, please. I don't want you to exhurt yourself. If I am blind, and it isn't temporary, then I will have to learn to deal with it." She said and tried to get down to prove she could handle being blind. But as she shifted, she must have twisted her ankle because pain shot up her leg making her stiffen and make a small cry.

_________________
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)

Calista gave a slight smile at Rosalina's comment of being helpful before she remembered that the woman could not see it. "Do not concern yourself with such propriety now," she remarked softly. "Just try to take it easy. Cooking for all of us is not a problem and I can do whatever cleaning is necessary," she added. Gareth tightened his jaw at her words, not liking the idea of Calista overworking herself, but he decided to speak the matter over with her in private. "Speaking of which, I should probably start a meal as soon as we return," Calista remarked. "Gareth, can you summon a wind to carry all of us?" she asked the mage softly.
"That would be a small task, my lady," Gareth replied with a somewhat cheeky grin.
"And can we stop to re-gather the berries?" she asked him next.
"Of course, maiden," he remarked.
------------------------------------------------------------
"Ro, I'll be all right, as long as I know you are safe," Darius whispered to her before kissing her lightly on her head. Hearing the small cry of pain escape from her lips, Darius could only sigh. "You twisted your ankle. You will need to stay off your feet for awhile," he remarked. Turning to Gareth, he looked up at the mage. "Do you have any herbs to treat her ankle?" he asked as Gareth merely nodded.
"I have a few extra herbs from the ones that I used to treat Calista," he remarked. "And I should have an extra bandage which I can use to wrap the wound. But we should start to get back," he added, ready to summon the wind to carry them all back.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina listened to the three people speak. She sighed, she wanted to help. "I could help, you don't need to see to shell peas, or to peel or such." She offered. "I want to help, to repay and aplogize."

_________________
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, just take it easy," Darius whispered to her, not wanting to hurt herself again.
Sighing to herself, Calista knew she couldn't refuse her, but at the same time, she did not want Rosalina to injure herself any more. "All right," she said softly. "I would appreciate your help," she added quietly. "As long as it does not involve fire or a sharp blade," she added. "I will handle those items, not sure if she would want to work with a knife again after what she saw Rosalina do, but she had no choice in the cooking preparations.
"Let's gather the berries and return home," Gareth remarked as summoned the wind to carry them.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina closed her eyes and clung onto Darius. She hated this, she hated not being able to see. "darius." She spoke quietly. "If I never get my sight back, will you stay with me so we can still be free?"

_________________
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)

"Of course I will stay with you. I will stay with you no matter what. I love you, and nothing in this world or the world beyond will ever be able to change that. I don't care if you won't be able to see again. I will stay with you and take care of you," Darius whispered as he held Rosalina in his arms while Gareth carried them on the wind.
When the company returned to the area where Rosalina had been startled by the bird, Gareth landed and set Calista down so she could pick up the basket and re-gather the berries.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina nodded. 'Darius? Whats going on? Why have we stopped?"

_________________
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)

"Calista is re-gathering the berries that you picked earlier to be part of our meal," Darius remarked as he watched the blonde woman pick the berries off of the ground. "She is almost finished, love," he added. "So it shouldn't be much longer." Once she was finished, Gareth walked over to her and gently scooped the woman in his arms again. Giving the mage a soft smile, Calista held on to the basket filled with ripe, juicy berries as Gareth re-summoned the wind to carry them back to the house.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!