She opened her eyes, then grabbed his wrist. "No." she said haorsely. "Get...her to safety." her jaw clenched against the pain. But she had gotten worse wounds before. They needed to cauterize it, to stop the bleeding, ad she didn't want Holly to witness that.

Morohtar frowned deeply. "Holly? Can you go look for some herbs for me? Athelas if you can, please." Holly nodded and wandered off into the trees, her hood pulled low over her face to disguise herself. Morohtar turned his attention to Lairiel. "Forgive me.." he said sadly. Morohtar set to work on building a small fire. "You might want to find something to bite on," he murmured as he held one of his metal claws into the flames. With his free hand he passed Lairiel a water skin of ale. "Drink this," he instructed.

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She closed her eyes. She had done this before, without anything to bite onto. She drank the water, coughing as some of it went down her wind pipe. "Just do it." she rasped out, knowing what was to follow.

Morohtar pressed his claw onto her wound. The smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils. He had to stop himself from vomiting. He started to bandage up the wound. "Sorry..." he grimaced. "Are you alright?" He tilted his head to her briefly before looking over his shoulder. Holly still had not returned. In a way he was glad. He doubted that Holly had a strong stomach.

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She strained against the pain, sweat breaking out on her brow. When he was done, she gasped for air. She barely hear his question, but did catch it slightly. She could only nod. "Find...Holly..." she gasped as she tried to sit up.

She strained against the pain, sweat breaking out on her brow. When he was done, she gasped for air. She barely hear his question, but did catch it slightly. She could only nod. "Find...Holly..." she gasped as she tried to sit up.

"Drink some more ale, it will help." Morohtar stood and walked in the direction Holly had took. It should not have taken her this long to find some Athelas. This forest was thick with it. "Theo?" He called out as he peered between the trees. "Where are you? Forget about the Athelas...we don't need it..." He grew tense as he looked around the forest. Holly could not have gotten that far.

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She could tell something was wrong. They should have gotten back by now. She groaned as she stood up, then pushed the pain behind her as she followed Morohtar's path. She called out, using the false name.

Morohtar could here Lairiel calling and so fell silent. Surely Holly would answer to Lairiel's calls if not his. He waited for an answer that did not come. He began to look at the ground in front of him, peering for Holly's tracks and any accompanying ones. "I think she is gone Lairiel. I think those men were her uncles crones. I think they were a distraction..." His voice grew grim and thick with worry.

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"No...no!" she found a trail and broke into a rub, following it, worry etched plainly over her face. She would fin Holly's uncle and she would kill him. She couldn't, wouldn't, fail Holly. If she had just told them to keep going, if she hadn't gotten wounded. Her breath rasped as she continued running, the wound getting to her. But she didn't stop. Not until she had found Holly. She kept following the trail.

The trail suddenly vanished before her eyes. All that was left was a scorch mark on the ground. Morohtar caught up to Lairiel. "Do not out-do yourself, Lairiel..." His eyes fell to the ground, to the scorch mark. "We are going to need all of our strength for this." His eyes grew sad. "I shouldn't have sent her away..."

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"My...fault...not...yours..." she stared at the char mark. "no" her eyes burned. She turned to him "take me to where she is." she panted as she spoke, but she ignored the pain, and the blood as the wound had re opened. She would get Holly out of there if it was the last thing she did.

"I cannot shimmer like her uncle can. Durion is a powerful wizard..." He glanced at Lairiel's wound. "And in being so powerful we cannot go to him guns blazing with injuries. We must be strong. Sit down and let me tend to you wound." He instructed carefully. "Where is Lairelosse?" He asked glancing around.

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"I am here." Lairelosse emerged from the brush. "I am sorry, I should have followed her..." she glanced at Lairiel.
Lairiel grimaced "My...wound is fine." she ha failed. She never failed. And she would make it up to Holly somehow. "I'm going to kill him." she growled out, her eyes flashing.

"Our only option is to go back to Gondor. Her uncle would not leave his mansion. His mansion is where he is most powerful. I only hope Holly can wait that long. We have a long way to go." Morohtar grimaced.

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Lairiel began walking in the direction of Gondor. Not that it was a very fast pace, and she limped. Lairielosse gasped. "Lairiel! Your wound needs tended!" Lairiel shook her head dismissively, and Lairelosse looked to Morohtar for help.