Seeing Darius vomit blood and listening to his wheezing was more than Calista could take. As she stared into the man's deathly pale face, a sudden guilt swept over her as she realized that he was now in this state because of her...because he had gone to gather herbs to help her. Tears now streaming down her face, she lowered her head as the droplets of water fell from her blue eyes and splashed on to her hand. "This never should have happened," she murmured to herself. If it wasn't for me, Darius wouldn't be close to dying and Rosalina wouldn't be so heartbroken. I have to try and to find a berry, a root, a herb...anything to help him. I can't just stay here, she thought to herself. Slowly climbing to her feet, Calista found she could not even look Rosalina in the eyes because of the guilt she felt. "I am going to try and see if I can find a herb that may sustain him long enough for Gareth to return," she mumbled more to herself as she turned to walk away.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina looked up. "Are you sure you will be ok?" She asked. "Your weak yourself." she asked. She didn't want anything happen to Calista as well.

_________________
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)

"Do not worry, I will be fine," Calista replied softly as she finally raised her head to glance over at Rosalina with tear-filled eyes. "I cannot stay here any longer and do nothing. Maybe if I walk the woods again, luck will favor me and I will be able to find something that will hopefully keep Darius stable until Gareth returns," she added softly. "Take care of yourself. I shouldn't be too long," Calista added before giving Rosalina a weak smile and turning from her and walking slowly away---all the while saying a silent prayer for Darius and wishing for her mage to return.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina bit her lip as Calista walked out before she could say anything. She looked at Darius, and her heart broke to see him in such a state.

_________________
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)

As she left her house, Calista could feel her heart sink all the greater as she thought of Rosalina and Darius and her role in this entire fiasco. Please let him live, she prayed to the heavens as she walked almost robotically along the familiar forest paths. After walking morosely along the familiar ground for about ten minutes and failing to find anything, Calista felt a pain in her stomach. Groaning softly as she drew in a deep breath, she placed her hand over her abdomen and bent over slightly. The walk had not been long and she was already exhausted. Pausing for a few minutes, she rested her head against the bark of a tree before continuing on her way. When she was deep within the forest, a bit of hope filled Calista as she spotted a herb that would temporarily help Darius's symptoms. Kneeling on the ground, she was about to harvest the plant, when she found herself roughly tackled to the ground and pinned on her back.
"Oof!" she exclaimed as the air left her body and she found herself gazing helplessly up at a large burly hunter---the same hunter that had tried to defile her five years ago. As she opened her mouth to scream in terror, the man merely covered her nose and mouth with his large paw-like hands to stifle her scream so that it only came out as a muffled cry. Already physically exhausted, the woman could offer little resistance as a coldness seeped through her body at the realization that she was terribly alone.
"Relax my pretty girl. I only want to have some fun with you," he whispered as he bent close to her face so that she could feel his hot breath on her skin. Face turning pale at his words, Calista started to feel faint.
"Oooh..."the terrified woman moaned as her blue eyes rolled back and she swooned in fright. Smirking as he felt he woman go limp, the hunter slowly released his hand from her mouth as her head slipped down to her shoulder.
"I have waited five long years for this..." the man murmured as he gently caressed her closed eyelids before gently stroking her cheek and running his dirty fingers over her lips. "Don't worry, my dear. It won't be too bad..." he whispered to the woman that lay passed out cold beneath him before he began to ravish her.
------------------------------------------------------------
As the moments ticked by, Darius' condition slowly worsened. A slight paralysis developed in his lungs and his breaths began to come in short, painful gasps.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

hearing him start to gasp, Rosalina paled and became even more scared for his life. "Hold on Darius, please my love, hold on."

_________________
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)

Despite her pleas, Darius could feel himself growing weaker as the moments ticked by and it grew harder and harder for him to breathe. Drawing in another painful gasp of air, Darius' heartbeat began to slow as his life slowly slipped away.
------------------------------------------------------------
Finally finding the necessary herb, Gareth flew back to the house with all the speed that the wind could afford him, praying that he was not too late. He knew that Calista would be heartbroken for her friend if Darius died and he would never be able to forgive himself for having failed her. Yet, even as his thoughts shifted from Darius to Calista, a feeling of dread passed over him at the mere thought of her name and in his heart he knew that something was terribly wrong.
------------------------------------------------------------
Arriving back at the house within five minutes of finding the plant, Gareth quickly raced into the guestroom, praying that his feelings of dread were caused by senseless fear and not a mere shadow of a cruel fate that had already fallen.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

THe moment Rosalina saw Darius start to become paler, his lips turning, and he breathing become worse, she felt her world start to fall apart. she felt numb.

_________________
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)

Entering the guestroom at a near run, Gareth's heart sank as he heard Darius' labored breathing. His worries only intensified when he saw that Calista was notably absent. Seeing Rosalina look rather shell-shocked, he knew that now was not the time to question her on anything. He had to make the potion and then try and find Calista. Just please don't let me be too late, he prayed silently, the shadow of doubt growing all the greater in his troubled mind. After kindling a fire in the fire place, Gareth grabbed a pot and fetched some fresh water which he immediately started to boil as he started to crush the herb with as much skill and speed as he could muster.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina didn't acknowledge Gareths return. she never even noticed.

_________________
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)

Once he finished crushing the herbs, Gareth quickly placed them in the warm water before mixing everything together. After about five minutes, the brew was complete and the mage quickly poured some of the contents into a cup. Walking over to Darius' bedside, he gently lifted the man up and being sure his head was tilted back began to slowly pour some of the liquid down the man's throat. Yet much to his dismay, the poison had so affected him that he had trouble swallowing the medicinal brew and most of the liquid sputtered out of his mouth as he began to cough.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina watched, her eyes lost like a childs. "Save him." she begged in a small voice. "Please."

_________________
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 to glance briefly at Rosalina, Gareth felt a sense of compassion wash over him, but he was still fearful to promise more than he could deliver. He then stopped pouring the drink down the man's throat until Darius stopped coughing before trying to pour the liquid down his throat in a slower trickle, which was rather difficult considering his own impatience to search for Calista. When the man still continued to cough, Gareth tried to reduce the flow even more and found some relief in the fact that he could now swallow the liquid although it was an arduously slow process.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina watched, praying, hoping, that the drink worked.

_________________
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 Gareth finally managed to trickle the remainder of the drink from the cup down Darius' throat, he gently laid the man back down on the bed. As the herbs began to circulate through his body, Darius' breathing slowly began to ease and his rest at least seemed to be a bit more peaceful.
Unable to remain silent any longer, Gareth turned his full attention upon Rosalina. "Where is Calista?" he asked her, praying that Rosalina would tell him that she had merely gone to rest in her room.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

"She said she would go and get something to help darius until you got back." Rosalina 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)