Chapter Three: Trials Toward the Desert

Ashwyn was unable to open her eyes for more than a few seconds before the pain overwhelmed her. Not being able to see caused her to loose her balance in the soft sand and she dropped to her knees. Never having to deal with being blinded she could feel the panic welling up inside her. If she couldn't see, how could she fight? How could she help complete this mission? And worst, would Sigurd even want her anymore? Her heart was pounding against her chest and she felt her breath rate increasing as she began to hyper ventilate.

She dropped her bow as her fingers began to shake and then with her blindness she couldn't find it again, which only increased her panic. Her hands were shaking, her legs were shaking. All she could do was sit on her knees in the sand, fingers clutching the sand as she tried and failed to control her breathing.

She was reminded of the only other time she couldn't see anything. She was a small child, maybe 5 or 6. She and her father were in the woods, deeper than she'd ever been before. They didn't set up a tent as most would. Her father didn't believe in disturbing the landscape. They were huddled down in a hollow of trees and she was just dozing off while her father kept watch. She closed her eyes for what felt like a second, and when she opened them again it was nothing but blackness around her. Her body hurt and she didn't know why. And the world was black. With her keen elven eyes she'd never experienced total darkness before and it frightened her to not be able to see shapes in the darkness. She called for her father but it was silence she was met with. She felt panic then too. And then she remembered what happened next...

Way up above her she spotted a pin prick of light. In her sleep she had fallen through a sink hole and landed on moss and clover. The hole she felt through was narrow and she was surrounded by dark clay so it appeared like there was nothing but blackness around her. Her father used a rope to climb down to her and pulled her out and suddenly the world had shapes again. But her father couldn't pull her out of this darkness. She felt the panic rise up again until she heard her father's voice.

"You're eyes are a rare gift, Little Wyn." His voice, strong but gentle, filled her memory. "But never forget your other gifts. Listen. Feel. Taste. These are also things you must use to survive alone in the deep."

Remembering her father's words, Ashwyn took in a deep calming breath and let it out slowly. Her heart rate slowed and she felt herself stop shaking. She focused on her other senses. The cooling sand beneath her. The dryness in the air. She heard Sigurd swing his blade and heard the crack of the creatures shell. She could hear the woman struggling against the pincer that held her and Lopiena and Cirro near her. She could hear Zane and his spells behind her. She still couldn't find her bow but she knew where she was now.

"Pip?" She called and the pup was immediately at her side, nipping at her outstretched hands. "Pip, my bow."

Pip yipped and trudged over to where she'd dropped her bow and brought it back to her. She smiled and pat his head before taking it. "I need you to be my eyes, Pip." She said, picking up the pup and putting him on her shoulder. She wasn't sure sue fully trusted her legs, so she stayed on her knees and took aim towards the scorpion that sounded nearest.

"Tell me when I'm lined up." She said to Pip as she moved her nocked bow slowly to the side. When the bow was pointed towards the creature, Pip nipped her ear. She nodded, listened for a moment to discern everyone's position, and then let her arrow fly.

[Ashwyn fires arrow at Scorpion 2. Attack roll (at disadvantage): 19/18 - Damage: 7+2=9 piercing damage]

Cirro watched the woman thrust the bundle at Lo and decided to try and help the woman pull from the grasp of the creature. He pulled the fork-like weapon from his back and used all of his strength to swing it downwards towards the claw that holds the woman.

[Attack roll: 11]

The weapon struck the claw but it only clanged off of it, causing no damage.

Zane was still focused on the scorpion attacking Sigurd. He focused his mind and fired another eldritch blast towards the creature.

[Attack roll: 14 - Damage: 5]

Moving slowly through the shifting sands, Lopiena finally reaches the woman only to have a bundle...was that an infant's cry?...thrust at her.  Pausing the barest of moments to comprehend what is being asked of her, Lo watches Cirro strike the scorpion's claw to no avail.  She should probably take the infant and run, but a child needs its mother...and right now Lo cannot accept losing any more lives to violence and pain...

The woman's pleas break something inside her, and any thought of self-preservation dissolves into nothing. Call it misplaced maternal instinct. Call it the need for life to be reborn out of the ashes. Call it what you will, but suddenly nothing is more important than protecting this infant and mother. Standing up firmly, Lopiena looks at the joining of the claw to the leg. All appendages have a weak spot at the joints, and armoured scorpions are no different. Flipping her staff so the silver side faces the creature, Lo drives the point of her staff at the joint holding the claw to the leg with a power she didn't know she had.  Following the thrust with her own body, Lo places herself in between the scorpion and the woman and jerks the appendage back in an attempt to get the scorpion to release her.  

(Attack roll: nat 20, Staff d6, rolled a 5.  If the thrust was enough to sever the claw from the body, there's enough movement left to push the woman back at least a little; if not...well it's a risk).

Sigurd smiled as his sword cracked through the scorpions carapace, he went to pull it back and suddenly felt like his arms were incredibly heavy, his eyes glanced to the piercing wound from it's tail and watched as it foamed... they're venomous... he cursed himself for being careless, of course there was poison, they had stingers for god sakes. Feeling his vision begin to blur, Sigurd also felt a retching sensation from his gut as bile and froth spewed from his mouth causing him to loose balance for a moment. Clenching his jaw, he shifted into his hybrid form, albeit slower than usual.

As if trying to keep himself coherent Sigurd began to pound on his chest plate, the loud banging rang in his ears before he jammed his thumb into the stinger hole with a growl, The adrenaline kick would have to be enough to finish the job.

Ability: Second Wind: Bonus action to heal 1d10+4 HP (7+4=11)



Feeling his blood pump harder he wondered if his body would process the poison better in his hybrid form... no time to worry about that now. He held his sword tightly with both hands and swung down on the same spot he had hit before.

ATK: 10+6 = 16 DMG: 2d6+4 slashing 3+1(5 on re-roll with great weapon fighting style)+4 = 12

Sigurd let his blade connect again with a sickening thunk, His eyes looked over to see Lopiena dispatch the other scorpions claw and free the woman. Still high off his adrenaline rush he pulled the greatsword from the carcass of the first scorpion and and swung it in a fluid motion to bring it down on the second with a harrowing roar.

Ability: Action Surge allows for an extra action
ATK: 18+6=24 DMG 2d6+4 (5+5+4=14)

Ashwyn heard the scorpion go down and she immediately turned her ears towards the other scorpion. "Pip, where is it?" she asked.

Pip yipped and tugged at her ear until she turned to face the right direction. She nocked another arrow, her muscles automatically moving through the familiar motions. She pulled the bow string back and, at Pip's yip, she let her arrow fly.

[Attack roll: 10]

The arrow struck the scorpions carapace and bounced off, causing no damage. Ashwyn heard it clank and hit the sand and she cursed under her breath.

Struggling with the woman to get as far away from the scorpion as possible, Lo turns at the crack of carapace as Sigurd destroys the scorpion he's fighting.  Looking up briefly to see where he and everyone else are, Lo is alarmed at Sigurd retching with the poison just prior to shifting. He needs healing...or a cure from the poison, at least!  He's too far away, though...until he rushes the scorpion still pursuing her! Perfect, he's within touching distance.  Lo is just about to reach out to Sigurd when the woman stands up next to her.  Feeling power flow out of her is...surprising, but much more surprising is feeling the woman's power surge out toward the scorpion!  Watching the woman with wide eyes, Lo barely registers the death of the second scorpion when the woman collapses.  Forgetting everything else momentarily, Lo touches the woman's face as if trying to figure out her story with just a touch.  Still, there's work to be done.  Focusing inward to the calm within, Lo pulls her own power out this time.

"Heal."  Not sure if the woman is just drained or needs further healing, Lo hesitates with the desire to see her wake up but turns instead to Sigurd.  Reaching out to the oozing wound caused by the stinger, Lo seems to almost make a pushing motion as if forcing the poison out while chanting the spell in Druidic. "Restore." That done, Lo looks at Sigurd carefully...he's more than proven his incredible ability to heal, but poison is one of the things that can actually harm him...when Lo notices Ashwyn standing off to one side.  Ashwyn's eyes are closed, and it looks like tears are leaking out...and all things considered, it's pretty unlikely that she's overcome by emotion at the deaths of two scorpions.  Slowly walking over to her, Lo looks at her face carefully.  "Ashwyn?  Are you..."  Reaching out to touch her face, Lo finally notices the sand crusting her eyes.  Gently placing her hands over Ashwyn's eyes, Lo starts chanting in Druidic again. "Restore."

Magic nearly spent, Lo barely manages to keep herself upright.  Don't touch the ground.  Looking around at the rest of the companions...Zane looks fine, Cirro...hard to tell, and the rest seem to be slowly recovering...the woman though.  There is more to this person than meets the eye.  Slowly walking back over to her, Lo looks at the woman's face again and only when the bundle she's holding writhes does she remember the infant.  Not sure if the woman will panic if she wakes up and the infant isn't with her, Lo refrains from taking the bundle from her arms but carefully pulls some of the cloth away from the infant's face to check on her.

(Spells used: Cure Wounds rolled 7+4 spell mod = 11; Restore doesn't require a roll for some reason)

Sigurd watched as the scorpion sizzled, sticking his sword in the sand he fell to his knees. In the cold desert air his body burned, whether it was the poison running through his veins or his body burning it out of his system it still wasn't a pleasant experience. He watched his breath as he stared blankly into space.

The wounds from the scorpions slowly began to knit themselves back together and the poison would be either sweat out or expelled from his mouth, he wasn't dying, one of the benefits of being a magical werewolf though it didn't hurt any less. When Lopiena cast Lesser Restore on him he felt the nausea and burning fade away in an instant, though his body still ached from the fight and his other wounds he'd be back to full strength after a nap, or a coma.

He smiled as Ashwyn was healed, he was impressed with her as he hadn't realized that she was blinded yet still able to land an arrow on target, she truly was something.

Ashwyn couldn't see what the woman did, but the intensity of the magical field around her was almost overwhelming. She had dropped to her knees and sighed. Though water waa a precious thing out here she considered washing her eyes out. Instead she brushed the sand from her eyes and then heard Lo approaching her. She allowed the girl to touch her and as the magic washed through her the burning in her eyes cleared away and she sighed. She carefully blinked a few times and though things were blury there was no pain.

A few more blinks and her eyes cleared. Ahe sighed in releif. "Thank the gods..." she breathed. Her eyes washed over the others briefly, taking note of their positions, they landed on Sigurd and she instantly noticed he seemed....off. She stood and moved to his side.

"Are you alright?" she asked, quickly looking him over.

---

Cirro and Zane relaxed as the monsters fell. Zane turned to the collapsed woman. "A druid.... What are the odds to find a druid out here?"

Cirro shrugged. "I didn't think anyone lived out here anymore."

Still by the woman's side, Lo checks on the infant again. Seems to be just fine, that's something at least. Though the fact that the woman isn't waking up is a concern...reaching to her face again, Lo tries to heal again and almost blacks out. Nothing left...barely enough energy left to stand. Still trying to keep off the ground, Lo crouches next to the woman with the help of her staff. With just the balls of her feet touching the ground, Lopiena looks for all the world that a stiff breeze might blow her over...but she doesn't want to leave the woman's side. Ignoring the spots floating around her vision, Lo inspects the woman as if trying to place if she'd ever seen her before...no chance of that, but it's so surprising to find another Druid out here. Especially since the Wasteland is still screaming at her...Lo has been able to push the screaming to one side only by focusing on something else, but it's still there.

Closing her eyes briefly, Lopiena considers what happened to her when they'd first arrived at the Wasteland. The dying, the screaming...probably should have anticipated something; she'd seen areas destroyed by wildfire before and the land always recovered in a year or two, not fully of course but fire is part of the natural balance of things. Fire restarts the growth of the forest; smaller shrubs and grasses take over at first, followed by fast-growing trees that are eventually replaced by the larger trees. The fact that the Wasteland is the way it is...for 300 years, according to the Queen...there's something much larger at work here. Lopiena has never heard of a spell that can keep such a large portion of the earth from restoring itself, but the wrongness of this place...there's something holding the earth back. And that very wrongness is what is permeating her very sense of self. All of the calming exercises, all of the emotional control she'd been brought up under...all of it was just games compared to this. The Wasteland had given her an ultimatum: either get her emotions under control or go completely insane. Shivering next to her staff in the evening breeze, Lo realizes the doorway to insanity is far too close at the moment...

Sigurd sat on his knees, his tail thudding against the sand when Ashwyn spoke. "I'm Better thanks to our little druid.." he said with a soft pant, the taste of bile still very much on his lips "Not great, but better..." His fur kept the biting cold breeze at bay as he slowly felt his body mending "How about you? sand in the eyes is never fun..." He wasn't concerned about it much since she'd been healed too, really the only thing he wanted to do was nap...in the sand... for a week.

Ashwyn frowned at SIgurd's words. She was worriedabout him, but he said he was fine. SHe could see he wasn't feeling well but at least Lopeina had helped him. WHen he spoke of her own injury she slumped slightly. "I'm alright.... embarassed more than anything. I.... I don't like it when I can't see...." She said with a bit of a flush to her cheeks.

SHe looked out at the wastes around them. "I've been dreading this part of the journey the most. I... I'm out of my element. I mean, I suppose we all are but... all of my skills were honed in the forest. i feel like a fish out of water out here." SHe shook her head, ashamed at her own shortcomings.

---

Cirro moved to kneel next to the woman. He felt her forehead and found her pulse. "SHe's alright. JUst exsausted her magic power. it's drained her." Helooked up to Lo. "As it my imagination, or did she borrow some of your magic to case that spell of hers?"

Zane nodded. "It certianly seemed she did." He looked at the scorpions. "I wonder how she got herself into such a situation as to be chaised by these creatures. ANd with an infant no less."

"Sight is only one of your senses, Remember that" he said softly "Even blind you still sunk an arrow in the scorpion." Finding his strength again he made his way over to her and put his hand on her shoulder and smiled "we'll persevere through this, my pride as a fighter is staked on it"

Looking over to the others he sighed, an unconscious woman and now an infant... Sigurd stared at the bundle, his nostrils flaring. In hostile terrain the child would be a liability... he couldn't help the small growl that escaped his lips.

Ashwyn smiled as Sigurd touched her shoulders. "You sound like my father." she said fondly. She stood and turned towards the newcomers.

"Well, hopefully she can tell us more when she wakes up." Ashwyn said to the others. When ahe heard Sigurd growl she turned to him, confused. "Sig? What is it?"

Slowly pulling herself back to reality...Zane and Cirro are right next to her, how did they get here so fast?...Lo shakes her head to get rid of the spots in her vision and immediately regrets the movement when her head starts pounding to the point of near exploding.  "Magical exhaustion...yeah..."  Lopiena had always been warned against over-exertion; it was the main reason she'd been slowed in her spell knowledge as a child.  It had frustrated her to no end that she knew only one spell, and a simple one at that; when she was finally allowed to learn something new she went too far, too fast...and after the third time she'd found herself tucked in bed with no recollection of how she'd gotten there she'd finally admitted that maaaaybe Gramma and Mother might know what they were talking about.  That was a long time ago though...she'd been more careful since then, but between the scorpions and this strange woman Lo had forgotten herself and given too much.  Perhaps seeing the woman give her all had made it seem like a good idea at the time, but now standing up is going to be a challenge...and what are Cirro and Zane saying again?

Nodding carefully at Cirro's question, Lo tries to stand and gives up the idea almost immediately.  "Yeah...some magic...borrowed.  Don't know how."  Blinking between him and Zane, Lo looks at the woman and the infant again.  "Need to move...don't know...ugh."  Focusing inward, Lo tries to force her mind back into attention.  More than two word sentences would be useful!  Breathing in and out slowly, Lo carefully pieces her jumbled thoughts into some semblance of communication.  "Not safe here, don't know if more are coming..." Come on Lo, time to show that stubborn streak is useful for more than just annoying people.  And talking to yourself is not the first sign of insanity!  Climbing up her staff hand over hand, Lo finally rises from her crouched position.  Leaning against her staff with her eyes closed, she sways gently in the breeze while trying to remember how to walk again.  "Zane...don't know where she came from, but going away from there might be good.  But how to move...and where to go?  Don't know."

There was a primal urge stirring inside Sigurd, that voice was coming back again as he stared at the child, there was mental flash of his jaws clamping swiftly down on the infants throat in the dead of the night to stifle any cries or screams, there was a pang of confusion between whether he wanted to do it out of tactical necessity or hunger... When Ashwyn spoke to him he snapped out of his daze and broke his eyes away from the small human "N-nothing, That baby may be an issue, Revive the mother and keep it quiet. I'm too tired to deal with another attack and I'll be damned if I meet my end because of some baby..." he said with a slight growl in his voice before settling in the sand with his back to the group.

Ashwyn nodded to the first part of Sigurd's words. "Yes... it will be... interesting..." She agreed. But then his second statement made her frown. His voice was.... oddly aggressive. She felt a gnawing at the pit of her stomach at what that meant. But he'd said he was fine... right? He wouldn't lie about that... would he? She decided to leave him alone for the moment.

She moved to Lo's side and took the baby from her, since she looked like she was about to collapse herself.

Cirro knelt next to the woman and laid a hand on her. Then he looked back at Sigurd and he nodded. "He bowed his head and pressed his palms together. He muttered a few words in Sylvan and his body began to glow. Slowly the glow transferred from his body to the bodies of each of his companions, whether they needed the heal or not. Just in case.

[Prayer of Healing. Everyone earns 15 points of healing]

As the healing spell washed over her, Ashwyn felt refreshed. She hadn't been wounded, persay, but her eyes no longer stung. She cradled the baby as it continued to sleep and looked up at the sky. The moon was beginning to rise now and the moonlight was beginning to shine down on them. The air was getting colder but it wasn't unbearable yet.

She turned to Zane. "We should get the tent out. And some blankets. We'll all freeze tonight without them."

He nodded and began pulling things out of the bag of holding while Cirro helped him. Cirro pulled a blanket out and handed it to Ashwyn. "For the baby." He explained.

Ashwyn smiled at him and nodded. She took it and wrapped the child in it.

By the time the tents were pitched and the woman and baby placed inside one of the tents, the moon was bright and shining over the area they stood. The air was chilly and the distant breeze foretold colder temperatures coming. She loolked over at Lopiena.

"Well Lo, it's now or never." She said, wondering if the girl would still go through with her ritual.

Looking up vaguely when Ashwyn takes the baby, Lo tries to smile but there's nothing left. At least Cirro can still do something...as his healing washes over her Lopiena feels a little more alert, and the general aches of struggling through the sand seem to melt away. Nothing more to heal, really...physical healing isn't really what she needs at the moment. Well hopefully the healing will help Sigurd, and the woman...who is still not waking up.

Watching Zane and Ashwyn set up tents, something nags at the back of her mind. "Shouldn't we be...moving on? Is it safe...well..." It's definitely not safe to try and move an unconscious woman, and Sigurd looks...less than himself. Looking at him with the eyes of a healer, it's clear he needs rest...a lot of it, and soon. Trying to smile again, Lo shuffles over to Ashwyn and Zane to help set up the tents. Though it's readily apparent she's useless in anything involving thought at the moment...finding herself staring blankly at a rope for an unknown amount of time, Lo decides she's better off out of the way. Maybe go retrieve her pack...and Ashwyn is saying something? Uhh. Staring at her blankly, Lo doesn't seem to comprehend what she's driving at, but there's something...at the back of her mind...something important...looking around, Lo finally notices the rising moon. "Ohh...full moon...the ceremony...but..." Looking at Ashwyn again, Lo appears troubled. How can she go through the ceremony when she can barely stand? " I...don't think I can..."

Ashwyn knelt in front of Lopiena and touched her shoulder. "It's up to you. But we'll only get one shot at this until next month. And I don't know about you, but I hope to be done with this next month." She smirked.

Cirro sat next to Lo as well. "If you need help standing I can hold you." He offered. He didn't know what ceremony they were talking about but he knew he wanted to help.

Zane blushed, being reminded of the ceremony Lo wanted to do. "Uhm... I... don't know about that..." He said, embarrassed.

Aswyn rolled her eyes, but also smirks. "You may want to rethink that when you find out the details. Or... maybe you won't." She winked at Lopiena.

"You seek to preform the Full Moon Bonding Ceremony?" A new voice behind them spoke.

Turning, they would see the woman standing at the entrance to the tent. The infant still slept inside and she appeared weak but standing strong. Looking at her now, after the battle is over, it was easier to take her in. She was human and stood at 5'7" and was very lean but strong. Her arms and legs were exposed and it was clear they were toned with strong muscles. Her skin was a deep tan, obviously no stranger to the desert sun, and her blonde hair was pulled into a long braid that stretched to her knees. She had bright green eyes that seemed to sparkle in the moonlight.

Her face was edged and angular and the wisdom in her eyes said she was in her early 40s. Her clothing was loose fitting and made from natural tan fibers. It covered her chest and flared out around her legs, flapping slightly in the cool breeze, and her feet were bare, sinking into the sand. They were clearly calloused and tough. It was obvious shoes were not something she was used to wearing. Around her neck hung a long chain. At the end of it was a silver pendant with two eyes surrounded by seven stars. Sigurd and Ashwyn would both recognize it as the symbol for Selune, the goddess of the moon.

She looked at the others. "Thank you all, for your assistance. I am Jacquelyn. Jacquelyn Cromwell. I've been expecting you." She said with a smile.

Looking at Ashwyn...she's right of course, it's now or never...Lo glances from Cirro to Zane with almost half a smirk before it fades again. Mentally fighting against pounding in her head...between that and the screaming it's very hard to think...Lo shakes her head slowly. "Don't worry Zane...I can't..."  Closing her eyes, Lo regrips her staff a little tighter. "The ground...screaming at me.  I can't touch it.  Not with skin."  Besides, it's getting colder.  Some things just are better when it's warm out.

At the voice of the woman, Lo looks up too quickly and almost falls to her knees with a groan. Well...that's probably more appropriate anyway.  Shifting slightly into a kneeling position, Lo bows her head before the older woman while still carefully avoiding skin contact with the ground. Slipping automatically into Druidic, Lo addresses the woman respectfully.  "Teacher." Gah, what were the proper protocols again?  "I thank you for your presence this day." Uhm. Head pounding...oh, she gave a name. That's important. "I thank you for the honor of your name." Good enough. Switching back into Common, Lo keeps her head down repectfully and indicates each of her teammates in turn and according to what she knows so far of their ages. "Zane. Sigurd. Ashwyn. Cirro. And I am called Lopiena. We request..." head pounding...don't show weakness!  "...the honor of...your presence...for the Full Moon Bonding Ceremony."  There. Protocols are done.  Breathing out slowly, Lo waits with her head down for the inevitable reprimand.  That was terrible!

Jacquelyn looked curiously down at Lopiena for a moment. Then she burst into laughter. It took several moments until she was calm enough to speak, but even then, she smiled widly.

"Oh dear girl, why so stuffy?" She waived it off. She dropped to her knees before the girl, rather roughly but it seemed intentional. She took hold of her cheek and forced her to meet her gaze. "The earth does not need you to stand or recite silly phrases. The land goes on without us. Ritual slows us down. Makes us fight upstream. We must flow with the passage of time. Let the land take us. You are in a perfect state to connect to the land." She nodded with a smile.

She took Lopiena's hand and moved it towards the ground. "All you see is what is burried deep." She placed her hand on the sand. When it touched the screaming would continue in Lopiena's mind, shared by Jacquelyn, but her voice would be heard in Lopiena's mind above the chaos. "You loose yourself in the chaos. You must find the life." Jacquelyn forced Lo's mind to another place. In her minds eye, she showed her the many rare desert plants, cacti with beautiful blooms, rare flowers that only bloom in the cool of the night. And the animals: many species of lizards and rodents with their young, thriving in the hot climate.

"The earth changes and then moves on. There is so much life here. If you will allow yourself to see it." She said, finally removing her hand from Lopiena's and hoping the girl continued to feel the life of the desert flowing around them.

---

Ashwyn watched from the sidelines, having moved back when Jacquelyn began guiding Lopiena. She wandered backwards towards Sigurd and sat next to him, but wasn't sure if he'd want her to touch him. So she just remained near him, letting him decide if he was ready to rejoin them.