Smiling softly, Darius gently ran his fingers through Rosalina's hair before rubbing her back gently as she buried her face in his neck. "I love you too, Ro," he whispered. "You mean the world to me. Without you my life would not be worth living."
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Surprise flickered in Gareth's eyes at Calista's words, not realizing how well she could read him. Seeing the look, Calista gave a raspy chuckle and a wan smile. "I've known you most of my life," she croaked. "Mayhap for as long as I can remember..." she added as she drew in a deep breath. "It would be terrible if I hardly knew you at all," she whispered weakly as Gareth reached out and lightly touched her cheek again, love and concern for her shining in his eyes.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina nodded. "I want to check on Calista now." she said.

_________________
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)

Darius nodded at Rosalina's words. "Just be sure you don't exhaust yourself," he whispered to his love as he got up from her bed and helped her to rise.
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Seeing the taxing effect that talking was having on Calista, Gareth merely re-dipped the cloth in water and gently laid it on her forehead again. "Just rest, my love and save your strength," he whispered. "I am going to see if there are other herbs that I can find to help you," he added.
Hearing his words, Calista was about to protest, not wanting to impose any more difficulties upon him, but Gareth gently put a finger to her lips to silence her. "Shh, beloved. This is no trouble. I would move heaven and earth to find a herb to help you," he said softly. "I cannot bear to see you suffer so," he added as he lightly caressed her face.
"I love you so much, Gareth. You are my everything. I would be so lost without you," she whispered breathlessly.
"I love you too, dearest. You have healed my heart, without you, my life would have no meaning," Gareth whispered before leaning over and kissing her cheek gently. "Now just rest," he added soothingly.
Nodding almost imperceptibly, Calista gave him a weak smile as her lashes fluttered close.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

rosalina nodded and got off the bed and went to Calista's room, darius following. "How is she" she asked Gareth.

_________________
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 as Rosalina and Darius entered Calista's room, Gareth gave them a small smile in greeting, but there was no mistaking the concern in his eyes. "Her fever still is very high and shows no signs of breaking. I am going out to search for other herbs that may be able to help her," Gareth replied, his voice tight with worry.
"Then I will come with you. It will be faster if both of us search. Just tell me what to look for," he added.
"Thank you," Gareth told him softly and Darius waved his thanks away.
"Thanks are not necessary. I owe your woman a debt of honor," he remarked before Gareth turned his attention back to the unconscious woman on the bed.
"Hold on, my love," Gareth whispered to Calista. "You will recover. I will see to it that you are well again."

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina looked at Gareth. "I will stay with her." she said looking him in the eyes. "And until she is better, think we should do shifts. that way we can all help and not tire and get sick ourselves."

_________________
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 thank you for your kindness my lady," Gareth remarked to Rosalina with a gentle smile. "But I cannot ask you or Darius to take shifts caring for Calista. It will not be fair to either of you," the mage added. "Besides, Rosalina, you have your own health that you must attend to. If anything happens to you, your companion will be beyond wroth."
"And what happens if you wear yourself out beyond the point of exhaustion?" Darius questioned Gareth. He was not close to the mage but he knew that if something happened to Gareth, Calista would go mad with grief. "Your lady may just die of worry and sorrow," he interjected. "And in her frail condition do you want to risk sending her to an early grave?" he asked as Gareth averted his gaze and turned to glance down at Calista. "You cannot not always do everything on your own..." Darius told the mage softly, a seriousness in his eyes.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

rosalina nodded. "He's right." she said.

_________________
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)

Gareth sighed at both Darius' and Rosalina's comments. However, he knew that the longer he debated the issue, the more time he wasted when he could be using that time to help Calista.
"All right," he finally conceded. "We will try your idea," he told Rosalina quietly. "But now I need to look for more herbs for Calista," he added. "Thank you both for what you are trying to do." Turning back to his lady, Gareth lightly kissed Calista's cheek before lightly caressing her face. "I will return soon, my love. Just sleep," he whispered to her.
Nodding at Gareth, Darius then turned to Rosalina before kissing her gently. "Take care of her and yourself. If you start to tire, I want you to stop. Understand me?"

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina nodded to darius. "Good luck." she told him.

_________________
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)

Giving her a small smile and kissing her once more, Darius merely nodded as he and Gareth left the room to search for some much needed herbs.
------------------------------------------------------------
Sighing softly Daniel soaked the rag again before applying it to the woman's forehead. "Just hold on, daughter," Daniel whispered, knowing that high fevers if left untreated could become deadly.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina sat at the womans other side.

_________________
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)

After several minutes passed by, Calista moaned softly before her eyes slowly fluttered open. Looking around for Gareth but not seeing him anywhere, she figured that he left to find more herbs for her and she sighed sadly, hating to cause him to do extra work. Turning her head then, she caught sight of Rosalina at her bedside. "Rosalina?" she croaked weakly. "How are you?" she whispered before coughing. "Are you all right?" she rasped out as she tried to catch her breath.
"Daughter, don't try to talk," Daniel told Calista softly as he adjusted the cloth on her forehead. "Just save your strength."

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina sighed. "I am fine. My sight has improved agian. I can see but its blurry. But your father is right. You should rest."

_________________
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)

Calista gave Rosalina a wan smile when she mentioned that her sight had improved. "I'm glad to hear it," she whispered weakly. "Don't worry, I'll..." Calista started to say though the rest of the sentence died on her lips. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....." she groaned instead, letting out a long drawn out moan as her blue eyes glazed over completely so that it seemed as if a thin film shrouded her beautiful blue eyes. Head thrown back, her blank fixed gaze stared up at the ceiling into nothingness as her arms, legs and body twitched and jerked violently. Through Calista's eyes were wide open, she was out like a light and heard none of her father's fearful cries as she twitched and thrashed helplessly on the bed.
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"Calista!" Daniel shouted, fear in his voice as he leaned over her bed. "Snap out of it, daughter!" he shouted as he stared into her blank blue eyes. "Can you hear me?" he asked, starting to realize that she was out cold. Tapping her cheeks lightly as if he were trying to revive her, Daniel tried desperately to garner any response of recognition. Yet all his attempts and entreaties were in vain. Calista could neither see nor hear him and just continued to thrash violently in unconsciousness.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina saw Calista. Immideetly she got the cloth and rewet 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)