At the opposite end of the encampment, Hummeth had finished recounting the orders he'd received, and with the assistance of two burly guards, was checking the bindings on their captives.

The three hostages were arranged near a small fire, lying adjacent to one another. After the administration of the second sleeping drink, the elf's eyes had drawn closed; a side effect that had been unexpected, but not unwelcome, as his blank stare could no longer disturb those watching him.

Only Sade lay awake, rigidly observing the proceedings with a mixture of resentment and fright. To ensure his cooperation, the guards had gagged him, unwilling to risk the event of him attempting to call out for help. His normally light brown eyes had deepened to a rich chocolate as the rage and insult of what had happened and how he was being treated brewed deep within him. Rendered completely helpless, he angrily ground his teeth around his gag as he listened to the others talk about him and the other two captives, as if they were no more than cattle to be prodded into obedience.

"Did they say what should be done with them come our departure later this day?" a light-haired man asked, standing apart from the guards. He was of average height and build, with several days' worth of dark blonde stubble accumulating on his round face. From his demeanor, it was easy to deduce that he was the head of the small faction.

"Nay, sir. I believe they were beginning to discuss that when I left," Hummeth responded, bowing his head slightly.

The leader, a man named Estaf, grunted, crossing his arms in front of him as his gaze traveled to the three prone bodies. His movement revealed a large jagged scar that ran the length of his bicep, a lasting reminder of the cost of a moment's hesitation. "I see. Well they'd best discuss quickly. For now its best that we take the advantage of this brief respite. You know where to find me, should anything change. Stay alert, and be cautious at all times. You can trade off with the other two after a few hours." Having delivered his orders, the blonde left the group to seek out his bedroll.

Sade let out a disgruntled groan and turned his head away from the guards. He dejectedly gazed at the sleeping form of his mentor, silently willing him to arise. As he studied the man, he became aware that on the back of the healer's head, a large welt had begun to form. The makings of a frown pulled at the edges of his mouth, though were largely ineffectual due to the gag firmly secured there. "When did that happened?" he asked himself, puzzled by the peculiar swelling. His mind quickly scanned his memories for a possible cause to the evident trauma, but could not recall any incident that would have incurred such a knot.

His brows furrowed together as he cast a fiery glower in the direction of the guards, muttering curses at them which were further muffled by the cloth lodged in his mouth. Obviously something had gone wrong with their plot to drug the three of them, and Tewarn had suffered the penalty. "Perhaps he did not take the draught, as the rest of us did, and... He tried to stop them? ...He attempted to flee?" his mind ventured, considering the many possibilities for the man's injury, based on the knowledge he'd sequestered since reviving. During the guards' many conversations, he'd been able to piece together enough information to have a vague idea of what had transpired the previous evening, though the healer had never been mentioned specifically.

Regardless of the details, he knew that whatever had happened had resulted in the wise man being forcefully subdued. He also knew that Tewarn was fully capable with weaponry; therefore, it stood to reason that he'd attempted something of a more assertive nature. Once again the young man found himself wishing the experienced healer were awake, that he might be comforted by his wealth of inner-strength, as well as given of the full account of the night's activities. From his position, Sade could not determine the full damage caused by whatever had felled his mentor, and thereby could not accurately formulate a guess as to how long he would be unconscious, though he now understood why it was taking the other a longer time to recover.

After a time his gaze traveled beyond the rhythmically breathing body, to the much smaller form beside him. Yet again he found himself lost in reverie as he marveled at the being: its tiny pointed ear (for only one was visible to him), shimmering golden hair, and pale luminescent skin that reflected the moonlight as if calling to its other half.

Just as before, a calming tide settled upon his nerves, dulling his worry and ebbing his uneasiness. Captivated by the slumbering creature, his mind drifted away to a place apart from reality, where time was but a distant memory, and all that existed was a gentle warmth that permeated the air, whispering a song of peace that overwhelmed his senses, and comforted his soul.

"Sade!" a gentle voice beckoned, fading in and out as the apprentice healer struggled to follow it to wakefulness. He blearily raised his eyelids and gazed up at the blurred image above him, confusion marking his features as his mind fought to make sense of the input it was receiving. A garbled moan escaped from his throat as he squirmed, unable to move his arms, yet not aware enough to comprehend why. His efforts served to rouse his mind however, which immediately recognized the bonds still containing him, as well as the moist gag that interfered with his attempts at words.

A soft chuckle reminded him of what had awoken him, and with an indignant scowl he sought out the source of the offending noise.

Grey eyes stared down at him; their corners pinched in amusement as they observed his stirring. "Good morning," he greeted with a small smirk, gently resting a hand on the youth's shoulder.

"Mmmhhmnhen!" Sade exclaimed; both surprised to see the healer awake, and also irritated that the man appeared much less bound than himself.

"Easy, my young friend," Tewarn warned kindly, pushing down slightly on the younger man's shoulder. His eyes still gleamed with amusement, yet a faint shadow of another emotion flickered in their depths, one the brunette could not quite identify. "Be at peace. I would like to remove your gag, as I'm sure you also would prefer, but you must be calm."

The younger man followed his mentor's gaze as it traveled to the nearest of the guards. A momentary flash of anger rushed through his veins as he laid eyes on one of the men who had participated in their abduction, and he was sure his eyes reflected it before he was able to quell the sudden impulse. Thankfully, however, the guard appeared not to have noticed, and instead continued to stare off at some point in the distance.

"I need you to promise that you won't attempt anything – that you'll cooperate with these men," the healer explained, his tone heavily laced with bitterness as he complied with his instructions.

Sade glanced at the guard a second time, inwardly berating the man for his treachery, before turning his attention back to his teacher. He could tell how much the older man loathed their situation, and could easily sense the immense restraint he was exercising to remain on good terms with their oppressors. He snickered around his gag, resisting the urge to wink at the healer. He could tell that something was brewing within the older man's mind, some clever scheme to free them and make the others pay for their diabolical actions. Unable to reply with words, he offered an assenting grunt and nodded his head, glancing over to see that his reaction was noted by the watchful sentry.

The man grunted, offering him a tight-lipped nod. "Very well," he conceded, approaching the young man. "But watch yourself. You won't like what happens if we catch you disobeying us, or breaking your word." He sneered at the bound man for a few moments, bending over so that his face was directly over the other's. "Have I made myself clear, boy?" he breathed, glaring icily at the brunette.

The brown head nodded a second time, fear causing his light brown eyes to widen as curly strands bounced in response to the motion. He unconsciously held his breath as the muscular figure continued to glower at him, his angry gaze letting the young man know the extent to which he was despised. After a small eternity, the guard finally removed the gag from his mouth, just as his chest began to convulse from the lack of oxygen. A gasping breath shuddered through his torso as his lungs frantically sought to drown themselves in that which they'd been deprived of.

The sentry sneered wickedly at the young healer, pleased that he'd been able to intimidate him to such an extent that he'd ceased to breathe. Continuing to gaze at him menacingly, he removed a few of the bindings, enabling the young man to sit up. His shoulders quivering with his quiet laughter, he returned to his post in much better spirits than he'd been in all morning.

Tewarn cast a reproachful glare at the guard before turning his attention back to his apprentice. "How do you fair?" he asked, watching as the flush slowly dissipated from the youth's complexion. "Are you hurt?"

The young man shook his head as he reflexively worked his jaw, which was somewhat stiff from the many hours of restraint. "Nay," he answered finally, a smile pulling at his lips as he delighted in being allowed to speak again. Glancing up, his grin faltered, as he suddenly remembered the state he'd last seen the healer in. "And you? Does your head pain you?"

The older man smiled wistfully, a ghostly sadness dulling his gaze. "Aye, it does some. But it is a small matter, and will pass."

Sade frowned at the response he was granted, eyes narrowing skeptically at his mentor. "What happened? How did you come to be injured?" he blurted, his curiosity finally getting the best of him.

"I was told you awoke some time ago," the healer informed him, watching the younger man for a sign of affirmation.

Confusion settled on the brunette's features as he furrowed his brows at the odd reply. "Aye," he answered hesitantly, unsure of the direction of the conversation.

"Then you likely have overheard enough to form some idea of what occurred last night," the older man remarked knowingly, awarding him a firm gaze that declared his statement had not been a question. At the small confirmatory nod that followed, he continued, "Unlike everyone else, I did not drink from my glass, as I recognized it to be tainted with the sleeping drug. Instead, I feigned sleep, and when they made their intentions clear, I endeavored to fend them off. My attempt was foolish and destined for failure, as it proved. I only succeeded in creating a small delay before I was overcome."

Sade sighed as the tale was completed, patting the healer on the shoulder. "You acted in the only way you could. You were very brave," he consoled, smiling encouragingly at the man who had just become his hero.

Tewarn laughed as he read the awe in the younger man's eyes. "Thank you for your support, but I really do not deserve the praise you deem to give me."

"Yes you do," his apprentice insisted, his dark honey colored eyes sparkling with admiration. "You acted far more courageously than I could have."

Despite himself, the healer felt a blush creep onto his cheeks. "Perhaps," he mumbled, turning away from the younger man in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

The brunette beamed as he regarded his teacher, sniggering slightly at the discomfort the man displayed at being commended for his efforts. Silence pervaded the area, and after a time the younger man began to wonder what had captured the healer's attention so thoroughly, as he had yet to look back. Following the man's gaze, he groaned at his own ignorance.

Just as he had been an innumerable number of time, the healer had been caught by the allure of the elf-child, and sat entranced, his eyes fixed on the sleeping elfling.

"Why does he yet sleep?" he heard himself ask, unwittingly falling into the familiar trance created by the mesmerizing being.

His words served to partially free Tewarn from his engrossed state, who frowned slightly as he visually examined the blonde, forcing himself to remain alert. Recalling the previous evening, he studied the child, searching for anything that appeared different about his appearance. His gaze narrowed on the boy's face, his eyes, which were now closed. "Sade, do you remember his eyes closing after we gave him the draught?" he asked, suspicion ringing in his tone as an idea formed in his mind.

"Wh-I?" the young healer exclaimed, startled from his daze. "Oh, I... I don't..." he stammered once he registered the question that had been posed, his mind racing to remember the finer details of the previous evening. "Nay," he answered finally with a small shake of his head, a frown forming on his lips as he glanced up at the older man. "They were open," he confirmed decisively, shocked at the revelation.

The auburn man let out a slow breath, his lips pursed together as he somberly regarded the small elf. "That's right. We also know that we were all, well, all save myself, were administered a dose of the tonic. That would not have been enough to keep us all asleep for such a long period as it apparently did. I believe it to be fairly reasonable, then, to assume that a second dosage was given while we slept. When I administered the brew to the elf, I gave him a much smaller amount than would be given an adult. I believe that whoever delivered the second dose did not adjust the quantity, and inadvertently gave the child an excessively high dosage."

Sade looked down at the elf, his gaze fearful as he watched the steady rise and fall of the small chest. "Is that... Will he be okay?" he asked softly, dreading the answer as much as he anticipated it.

"I cannot say for certain," the healer admitted grimly. "He does not appear to suffer harm, but until he awakens, we can not be sure."