"And she still has not yet returned?" Gareth remarked incredulously, not expecting Rosalina to reply to such a question. "Something is wrong..." he muttered under his breath. "I can feel it," he added in the same hushed tone. Drawing in a deep breath he glanced over at Darius for a moment before turning his attention back to Rosalina. "If his symptoms become worse, have him drink more of the broth," he told her. "I have to search for Calista. I fear my heart is telling me that something terrible has happened to her..." he whispered more to himself before leaving Rosalina to care for Darius alone.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina nodded and took darius's hand and held it close to her. "You have to come back to me." 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)

Lying practically lifeless on the bed, Darius did not respond as Rosalina spoke to him, entreating him to return. Although the herbs had stopped the worse of his symptoms, he was still deathly pale as he laid in bed.
------------------------------------------------------------
Sometime later, Calista slowly started to come to her senses. The first thing that she became aware of was a large form on top of her. Groaning softly as her eyes opened slightly, a piercing scream escaped from her lips as she became aware of her second defilement. Fearful that someone heard her scream, the hunter let loose a barrage of curses on the woman. Picking up a nearby smooth stone, he struck her hard across the forehead with it before dropping the bloody tool and darting off into the darkness of the woods.
Calista did not even have time to react before her attacker hit her with a stone and dark spots danced across her blue eyes before everything went black. A second later her eyelids fluttered close and her body went limp as she was knocked out cold, a stream of blood flowing from the side of her head.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Calista! Where are you? Answer me!" Gareth shouted as frantically searched for her. Hearing the scream of a woman, he quickly flew in that direction with all the speed he could muster. "Calista!" he called her name again, a sense of dread stealing over his soul.
Coming upon the prone form of a woman on the ground, Gareth felt his throat tighten as he quickly rushed to her aid. What he came upon practically caused his heart to cease to beat. "Beloved!" he screamed as he saw Calista lifeless on the ground, one side of her forehead bloodied and the skirts of her dress a rumpled mess, telling him that she had been ravished. Landing at her side, he knelt beside her and carefully swept the motionless woman into his arms. "Rose!" he shouted. "Wake up!" he pleaded as he gently shook her without getting any response. "Come on, love," he entreated as he drew her close against him and pressed his lips against the crown of her head, panic in his voice. "Love, can you hear me?" he asked softly as he began to tap her cheeks and jaw with his fingers, desperately trying to rouse her. "Come on, my darling. Please wake up, let me know you are all right," he begged as he buried his face against her body as he drew her closer. After about five minutes of Gareth tapping her face and even sprinkling water on her skin, Calista groaned softly as her lashes fluttered weakly.
"Rose?" Gareth whispered as Calista moaned again before her eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Who...?" Calista started to ask, a frown on her face as she gazed up at Gareth's blurred image with glazed blue eyes.
"Love, it's me..." the mage whispered, the fear still present in his voice.
"Gareth..." Calista whispered weakly.
"Yes," he replied softly. "Love, how many fingers am I holding up?" he asked as he held up two fingers.
"I don't know." Calista murmured as his image swayed and kept blurring. "Four..." she mumbled drowsily before her blue eyes rolled back and her lashes fluttered close.
"Calista!!!!" Gareth yelled, fear gripping his heart as he watched her glazed eyes roll back and felt her body slacken in his arms as she passed out once again.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina began to shake as she started to cry. "Please Darius. I need you. If I lost you, what you become of me."

_________________
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)

A soft groan escaped from Darius' lips, although he showed no other sign that he had heard her. Nor did he show any sign of waking.
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Shaking Calista again, Gareth desperately tried to rouse her. When she did not stir, the mage felt a strong hatred fill his heart for the one who not only defiled her but badly wounded her in her already weak state. Placing one hand under knees and his other hand under her upper back, Gareth carefully lifted her up as he climbed to his feet and glanced down at the woman that lay as limp as a ragged doll in his arms. Her blonde head hung over his forearm and her arms hung lifeless at her side. Sighing sadly to himself, Gareth could only grit his teeth at the sight of the bloody wound as he carried her away, his heart filling with worry for her.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Darius?" Rosalina spoke up, hope flickered in her chest for only a moment. But it died quickly.

_________________
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 groaned once more before a gasp escaped from his lips and his body began to contort and jerk violently again as he became caught in the throes of another seizure.
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Flying back to the house, Gareth carried Calista straight to her bedroom, not bothering to check on Rosalina and Darius. He figured that if Rosalina needed him, she would come to enlist his aid and at the moment, his only concern was for the woman that lay lifeless in his arms. After he gently laid Calista down on the bed he gently brushed a few strands of blonde hair back from her face before racing to the well to draw out more water. Once done with that task, he poured some water into a bowl before he set the bucket of water on the side and he gathered a few herbs. After crushing the plants, he mixed them in the water to create a healing paste to apply to Calista's head wound.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina cried out as Darius once more started to seize. "No." She cried. The poison was cured, right? She tried to hold him still.

_________________
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 continued to shake and twist violently as Rosalina attempted to hold him still. As his convulsions continued, some foam started to bubble at the corners of his mouth.
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After mixing the paste, Gareth picked up the bowl as he walked over to Calista's bedside. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he bent over her prone form as he dipped his fingers into the paste and tenderly applied it to the gash on her forehead. Once finished he brought out some long strips of cloth and gently wrapped it around the top of her head, being sure to cover the wound. "Why did you leave the house alone?" he whispered softly as he set the bowl on the side and gently took her limp hand in his.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina didn't see the foaming. She just tried to hold him still.

_________________
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 groaned again as the seizure continued and the foam bubbles grew larger. Midway during the seizure, he bit his tongue hard, although he was not aware of it.
------------------------------------------------------------
Sitting by Calista's bedside, Gareth just continued to monitor the woman's condition, needing to be sure that she would not suffer any further injury. "From now on, you are forbidden from leaving this house without me," the mage whispered to the unconscious woman, although he was not sure if she had heard him or not.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina finally noticed his mouth, but cried out again as she saw blood. "Gareth!!" she called, unsure why Darius's mouth was bleeding as he shook harder and harder.

_________________
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 Rosalina shout his name turned Gareth's attention away from Calista for a brief moment. Hating to leave her side in case she awoke and found herself alone, Gareth hesitated for a brief moment before leaping to his feet and racing to the guestroom to answer Rosalina's summons.
"What-?" he started to ask but the question died on his lips as he saw blood coming from Darius' mouth as the man convulsed violently in bed. Cursing under his breath, the mage rushed to Darius' bedside and quickly turned the man on his side so that he could hopefully vomit out the blood.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina lookeda t Gareth. "Why is there blood, why is he seizing. I thought the drink was to help cure 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)

"The drink has stopped the spread of the poison but until he fully recovers he still may suffer from some of the symptoms...of which the seizure is unfortunately one of. Once his seizure ends we need to try and administer more of the brew. More poison than I have anticipated may have entered into his bloodstream which would explain why more of the severe symptoms are still lingering," Gareth explained a bit sadly as he kept a firm grip on Darius as the man continued to convulse and cough out blood. "As for the blood, I am not sure. It could be from biting his tongue or..." he started to say but his voice broke off for a few minutes. "It could be a lingering symptom from the poison."

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

rosalina nodded, she helped to try and hold Darius. Paleing as he started to make strange noises in he throat.

_________________
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)