[sylvanSpider]

Percival saw the brief look of hurt on Dead Waltz’s face and, for a moment, he felt a pang of guilt. It wasn’t that he didn’t like touching her specifically, it was that he didn’t like touching…well? Anyone really. He knew she knew this about him, but given Waltz’s affinity for ignoring people’s personal bubbles, he could see how she would assume the worst. But less that a moment later, Waltz was back to her chipper self and relief washed over the scholar. “Cooking food for me is impossible? Well now, I feel like that’s an exaggeration, don’t you? I can’t think of many people at all that enjoys that many onions in their soup and I don’t fault them for it either. Gods, I spend all of my time in the wilderness and I can cook better than the sop they had in the kitchens at that tavern,” Percival said with the smallest of grins. These trips down Memory Lane would likely lead to more embarrassing stories starring him given the pair’s history and he was eager to change the subject.

The scholar adjusted his hat turning his attention back to the dark mage, “Gods, maybe not childbirth but it seems close to it now, doesn’t it, Waltz? I started adventuring as a young man and I had to heal for Waltz on my first assignment. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t partial to her. She does her job well and her company is…interesting…to say the very least.” Percival paused for a moment to consider Wisp’s words. No one could fault him for not being a decent listener – when drink wasn’t in his veins anyway. Drawing his pipe and content with the answer he was about to give, answered her, “It’s not like I was ever trying to sleep with the lass, at least as far as I can remember. I can understand if she finds me intimidating – we would have been rivals had she not been in a different class. We both sat at the top. But back in those days she spoke almost exclusively to another lass. Can’t remember her name, but the two of them were inseparable and kept to themselves for the most part. It is intriguing to think about though. The other lass spoke in Arabella’s stead whenever they needed to interact with the rest of the party. I never would have imagined that the halfling would be the remaining adventurer.” As he spoke, he loaded his pipe with another round of tobacco and when he was finished he looked up to find Waltz busy clearing the brush for them. Had she not been preoccupied, she would have had first access to the bowl, but as it stood, Percy was all too willing to indulge himself. “That I can confirm,” he said chuckling and finally puffing.

Finally, the trio came to the clearing that the knight was laying in, Arabella already there and assessing the situation. Percival let his eyes follow the knight’s when he mentioned to tree to gauge the direction that Kastivi was in and was surprised at just how close she was to the knight. She hadn’t gotten very far from where the knight had fallen before she high-tailed it up a tree and, for the time being at least, she was safe. From his perception, he figured that it was only Christoval’s hound that had been hurt – Kastivi’s, then, was still on a mission of retrieval without hurting her. His eyes turned back to the knight as he stumbled to his feet and Percival let out a sigh at the stupidity of the knight, drawing his book quickly and muttering something under his breath.

Christoval’s ankle began to emit a faint glow and Percival nodded with understanding, flipping to a different page, resuming his muttering in a long dead language. The words still held their power, however, and Christoval would begin to feel refreshed of his injuries for the time being. The spell that Percival utilized was fast-acting but not permanent. The permanent healing spells almost invariably required him to lay hands on the wound – a feat impossible in moments of battle. Once the hound was slain the knight would be in pain again and Percival, being the great healer that he was, would commence the actual healing.

Arabella needed only the dark mage’s word to the barbarian before she took off in Kastivi’s direction, and not having to travel very far, came across the hound trying desperately to get to the apprentice above it. The halfling laughed, “Should have known you’d be resourceful with this exercise. So tell me, was it your fault the knight got hurt?”

Kastivi blinked, moving her eyes from the hound trying to get at her to her mentor who was laughing at her. Her cheeks immediately reddened and she bit her lip, looking back down. “I…I let my emotions get the better of me. I knew my orders and thought of nothing but protecting Christoval…”

“Then you’ll be pleased to know that though he suffered an injury because of you that he’s in good hands? Percival is on the scene now and aiding him. So tell me, this wasn’t the hound that you hurt, correct? This one is still on a mission of retrieval?”

“That is…that is correct….”

“Excellent, then your punishment for hurting Christoval is to climb down and let the thing take you back to Wisp. Then you get to apologize to Christoval.”

Kastivi sighed.