Her eyes blinked, once, twice. And then Cirice was over her. She was shouting something, unheard over the ringing in her ears. The pale white moon hovered over the lavender womans shoulder, like a warm mother reassuring a daughter in crisis. The moons light bathed her body in cool energy as Cirice frantically lifts her out of the water and casts a hasty spell.



    Slowly, surely, the pain floats away. The ringing gives way to the worried sounds of a half healed cleric. The burning from her chest gives way to the cool night air as Gwendolyn returns to full consciousness all at once with a sharp inhale. Two deep coughs and the breath is returned to her, held in Cirices arms.



    “I’m…I’m alright. Was that your magic?” She asks, taking a deep breath. She looks at the site of the explosion, and seeing no movement returns her eyes to Cirice. “A thousand thanks are in order then. Hopefully that is the last of those damned birds.”



    Her eyes turn to the skies as a few remaining thunder clouds return to cover the glowing crescent above. No birds in sight. Finally. The cool breeze across her body reminded her of one important fact. She still wasn’t wearing a towel. A bright-red blush covered her face as she scrambled out of the moonelfs arms, and quickly threw on one of the towels scattered across the cobbled grounds of the freshly destroyed spa.



    “Uh, thanks for everything. Please, allow me to cover your stay. It’s… the least I can do.”

“Yeah!” Cirice says with a grateful sigh, “I’m glad you’re okay. Just one thanks is enough. I think we’re safe now.”

As Gwen hops out of her arms and hurries to cover herself, Cirice realizes she too is naked and she squeaks in embarrassed surprise, grabbing a soaking towel from the water and using it to cover herself. It stings as it hits the not-quite-fully healed burns.

“You don’t have to do that, I was only coming for the bath anyway. I live in my wagon outside so I can save on lodging. Its a library and it flies too!” She adds, “Thank you so much for the offer though. Perhaps you could give the money to the people here, to help pay for the damage the creatures did? I can mend some of this but not all of it.”

“Yeah, Yeah that might be best” Gwendolyn says, chuckling with embarrassment for their situation. “Didn’t expect this much of a mess to be honest.” Noticing the twinge of pain from her new friends face, a candle lights in her mind. She walks over to the down and damaged maul, and tries to pull the compartment open. The heat from the residual embers sizzled the surrounding pool of water, but a quick crack breaks open the side.



    Withdrawing a small crystal bottle, one of the few to survive the explosion due to it’s size and shape, she brings it over to the water where Cirice had grabbed the towel. Inside is a small amount of fluid comparable to a teardrop, tinged blue with the winter cold. Dipping down to the pool, she handed it over.



“Here drink this. It’ll make you feel better, no side effects. Promise.” Waiting a minute to appreciate the silence of the post battle, she pipes back up. “What makes a woman with your abilities want to ride around in a wagon full of books anyways. I’m sure you could find patronage at any one of the courts around Charon.”



Essence of the north

“Thank you.” Cirice says gratefully and drinks the potion without a second thought. As the soothing cold mends her burns she sighs with relief. “As I said I’m a cleric, I can do the most good by being among the people, helping in the field and spreading my faith than I could in a court as a mage.”

She looks at the ruins of Gwen’s maul and tries to mend it with a spell, the damage repairing itself slowly under her touch¹. “My talents are best used to serve all of Charon. That is what my Goddess tells me. And I love helping people. I'm sure you must feel somewhat similarly. Why else would an esteemed Lady such as yourself help protect people otherwise? Those with power should use it to help those without, that is what I believe.”

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1 Mend Object