2010-05-27 01:42 am UTC (link) Select Had Vera realized there was an air mage at her side, she would not have been shielding nearly as heavily as she was. The bursts of wind made a strong barrier unnecessary. Lessening the mental pressure telekinesis required was a great relief, enough that it canceled out the annoyed glare she had for the elf. Vera's footwork, which had been slowly degrading into a stagger, improved instantly. Her hand found one of the few knives left in her belt and she threw it at the neck of a cloaked figure running at the elf. He was the only brave one and he fell to the ground, choking on his own blood.
She should have tried to arrest him and the thought shouldn't have occurred after she'd killed him.
Vera pulled the mask from her face as cloaked figures, struck by embers and bits of flame by the elf, ran into the woods on fire. Arrows still came, but poorly aimed. Vera could tell they were being fired from farther and farther a distance. She used a piece of her ruined gown to wipe the blood from her mouth, her brow. It was only then that she noticed the wetness at her side. All this time there'd been blood staining her bodice. She had no idea. Pressing her fingers against the darkest spot, Vera tested to see where it hurt most. When she didn't gasp from the pain, she knew bandaging it could wait a little longer.
Smoke that had previously enveloped the carriage was beginning to fade. Vera could see the bodies, still in the puddles and mud, and managed to account for the entirety of her party in a glance. Ten Riders accompanied her to Astarii... ten who had agreed to defend her, to be with her, and none of them would get to return to their families. Vera looked at the mask in her hand. She would have to collect all of them before she could leave. There was no time for a burial. Maybe, if the fire was still there, she could send them to Armas through ash, so that the water of the next rain might wash them home. Otherwise, there was little to be done with corpses. The horses were dead, including that of the elf. The cloaked men had come to kill her. There was a good chance they would return.
"You shouldn't have stopped riding," Vera said. She finally looked at the elf, a deep frown marring her face with all the other filth collected on her skin. "...thank you."