"Calista, step aside please," Gareth told the woman softly, not wanting her to get caught in the cross-fire.
"No," Calista remarked adamantly. "I won't stand aside and watch the two of you destroy each other."
"This matter does not concern you, woman," Darius remarked a bit harshly not in the mood to deal with either the mage or his lady.
"Do not address her in such a fashion," Gareth snarled. "You truly are a man of your nature---a true beast whose manners to women are much to be desired."
"And you are blind everyone's problems but your own. If you had sense you would never had told her such news!" Darius lashed back.
"Please both of you, stop!" Calista yelled, keeping her place between them. "The two of you need to calm down---please!"

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina wenced as she felt a cramp, that meant it was starting to work. But she went back to the house, put the bottle on the bag before going to the kitchen. She had heard the yelling. "Darius?"

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Turning sharply at Rosalina's voice, Darius forgot all about Gareth and Calista for a moment. "Yes, Ro?" he asked as he walked over to her, his tone softening as he spoke to her.
"I'm sorry, Rose" Gareth whispered to Calista as he gently pulled her into his arms and lowered his head. "I just couldn't forgive how he berated you earlier," he whispered.
Giving Gareth a weak smile, Calista gently touched his cheek with her fingertips. "I know and I appreciate you defending me, but please don't fight with him. Rosalina loves him dearly and no insult against me will be worth senseless bloodshed," Calista responded, not feeling herself to be worthy of such protection.
"I beg to differ, Rose" Gareth whispered, hating how little she thought of herself.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina tilted her head. "What was all the shouting about?" She asked trying to hide the pain on her face as the cramping worsened. She could feel blood trickle down her leg, but ignored it.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"Nothing to concern yourself over, Ro. Gareth and I were having a...heated debate," Darius remarked in a tone that was almost challenging either of the other two to tell Rosalina what the argument was about. Annoyed with his tone, Gareth was about to tell Rosalina what happened when he felt Calista put her hand on his arm and he remained silent instead.
Smelling the scent of blood, Darius was more annoyed than concerned, thinking that the scent was coming from her wounded wrists. "Ro, you should rest, dearest," Darius said instead to change the subject.
"Yes," Calista agreed, remembering that the woman had suffered severely at the hands of Drake. "Are you all right?" she asked after a moment, thinking that she saw a flash of pain cross the woman's face.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina nodded tensely. The pain had increased. "I think I will lay down." she said leaving for her room, knowing a great deal more blood was running down her legs. Once in bed she held onto her stomach, moaning, not ware the bleeding had gotten worse as she laid down.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Noticing that the scent of blood still lingered strongly in the air after Rosalina left, Darius glanced down on the ground and saw the trail of blood. Feeling his heart tighten in his chest, the color drained from his face as he tore from the room and toward the room he and Rosalina were sharing. Bursting into the room, he found her on the bed, holding her stomach, the pool of blood widening around her. "Oh Ro, what did you do?" he whispered as he took in her pale face, the sheen of sweat on her forehead not lost on him either. "Hold on dearest. I will find a way to make this better," he whispered.
Wondering what the chaos was about, Gareth glanced at the ground and drew in a sharp breath. "By Heaven's might..." he muttered, drawing Calista's attention to him.
"What-" she began to asked by the question died on her lips as her blue eyes fell on the blood trail. "By the grace of-" she started to utter before she raised her gaze to the bag and spied the nectar in the bottle. "Oh Gareth!" she exclaimed her face going whiter than a sheet as she recognized the contents immediately.
"Do you know where to find the Athia rose?" Gareth asked her urgently, seeing the shock written on Calista's face.
"I-I think so..." she whispered numbly. "Then gather them quickly and prepare them immediately. I will try to sustain her with my magic," he remarked.
"I can heal her with a touch," Calista whispered.
"No, Rose. You are still too weak. You will never survive the attempt."
"Can you keep her stable long enough?" Calista whispered.
"I will try," he remarked. "Now, hurry, love," he whispered. "Gather the flowers while I grab the pot and water. Then I will kindle a fire as soon as soon as you return."

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina barely heard Darius's words. Moaning and groaning she was able to shake her head. She didn't want the child. She didn't want the effects to stop. But she didn't know what condition she was in. She was loosing alot of blood, too much. She cried out as the pain increased. She kept her eyes sqeezed shut in pain.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"Ro, hold on," Darius whispered as he sat on the blood-filled sheets. Taking her into his arms, he held her close, being careful not to harm her any more. Feeling a panic fill him, he did not know what to do. He was not skilled in the healing arts and from what he had witnessed, Gareth seemed so much more adept. Mage if you had any sense of compassion you will come to her aid, Darius thought to himself rather bitterly.
Racing through the home, Gareth grabbed the large pot they used to make the herbal tea for Calista before running outside to the well to draw water and place it in the vessel. Moving back into the house and to Rosalina's and Darius' room as swiftly as possible, he set the pot over the fireplace.
"Calista left to gather the necessary herbs," Gareth remarked quickly. Without another word, he stepped over to the bed and placed his hand on her forehead as he chanted an incantation to help sustain her until his lady returned.
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Knowing that the rose grew some distance away, Calista mounted the mare Gareth had captured for her as she grew to womanhood. Wincing as pain shot up from her body, she dug her heels into the creature's flanks and urged the animal forward with all due speed, praying that she would not be too late.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina wasn't sure of what was going on anymore. She was in so much pain. The only noises she was making was a mix of moans, whimpers, and groans, with her crying out every now and then, especially when Darius moved her into his arms. She laid in his arms, stiffening with every cramp, clutching her stomach trembling horribly.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"What's happening to her?" Darius asked Gareth, but the mage chose not to respond as he continued the incantation, keeping his hand placed on her forehead so that the sustaining power would have a stronger effect than if he stood some distance away. At this point he knew that the only thing that could save Rosalina was a drink prepared from the Athia rose and he could only hope that Calista returned with the flower in time.
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Calista finally arrived at the meadowlands where the roses grew some distance from Andestea. As she was drawing in reign, a small creature jumped out of the grass, startling her mare which reared suddenly and unexpectedly and roughly threw her from its back. Crying out as she landed hard on the ground, she heard a crack and felt a sharp pain travel up her left arm from her wrist. Groaning as she tried to stand, she sank to her knees again as she felt flashes of pain hit from her ribs. "Oh," she moaned as she placed her right arm over her midsection, a grimace crossing her face as she tried once more to rise to her feet. Walking gingerly to the animal, she grabbed the bridal and tried to calm the mare. "Shh," she whispered, her voice thick with pain. "It's all right, Bella," she cooed. When the horse finally calmed down, Calista limped over to the a patch of the roses and gingerly sank to her knees again as she picked a few flowers, flashes of pain shooting from her left wrist as she did so.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina whimpered some more, opening her eyes. They were glassy and had a hard time focusing. She opened her mouth, but all came out was another cry of pain. "D-D-D-Dariuuuus!" she cried out in pain again. She wanted him with her, not realising he already was.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"I'm here, Ro," Darius whispered to her as he leaned over and gently kissed her cheek. "I'm here," he whispered again. "Everything will work out," he added, not sure if he was trying to reassure her or himself. Glancing over at Gareth for reassurance, he could not read anything behind the mage's intense hazel-green stare.
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Not making a comment but simply continuing the spell, Gareth could only pray that Calista remembered one other important ingredient, one that he failed to mention to her in their moment of haste. The petals from the Athian rose would stop the poison but would do nothing to help her heal from the blood loss. The only herb that could do that was the juice from the dewberry fruit, and all he could hope for now was that the young woman had not forgotten his lesson from long ago.
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Gathering enough of the roses, Calista placed the flower in the pocket of her dress and limped back to Bella, ready to remount her and return home when she remembered about the dewberry fruit. Knowing that it grew in the same meadow a short distance away, Calista dragged herself to the plant before kneeling down to pick several bunches of berries and slipped them in her pocket beside the flowers. Finished at last, she walked back to Bella and painfully remounted the beast before turning the reigns and urging her to return to her home with all the haste possible, being sure to hold on tightly so she did not fall again. Keep her stable, my dear mage, Calista thought to herself. I will return to you soon.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina closed her eyes again. Her breathing had become ragged. Every thing was fading it seemed. the pain seemed less, and so had her trembling. Her cries were becoming fewer, and her whimpers and moans quieter.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Hearing her breathing become ragged, Darius felt his heart tighten in his chest as he grew more frantic. "Can you do something more?" he demanded Gareth.
Gareth sadly shook his head, breaking the incantation for a moment to reply. "I was never fully trained in healing magic. I can sustain her for as long as possible but unless Calista returns with the herbs and the medicinal drink prepared, there is little more I can do," he added quietly before trying another healing chant in the hopes that it would prove to be a little more effective.
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Urging Bella home with all the speed the mare could muster, Calista finally arrived back home a few moments later. Painfully she dismounted as swiftly as she could and gave the mere a gentle rub on her nose before limping into the house and into Rosalina's and Darius' room.
"Do you have the herbs?" Darius demanded of her rather harshly as she limped into the room, at the moment too concerned over Rosalina to notice that she was wounded from a fall and exhausted from the hard ride.
Nodding wordlessly, Calista made her way to the single table and pulled out the roses and berries. Watching her, Gareth felt a sense of pride that she remembered the berries and an agitation fill him as he studied her movements. Just from her bearing, he could tell that she had injured herself again on her journey. His frown only deepened as he watched her tear the rose petals, noting the grimace that would cross her features every now and then as a sharp pain continually shot up from her broken left wrist.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina whimpered some more, but she didn't stiffen any more. her strength was leaving her. HEr breathing was still ragged, but was becoming shallow.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)