"I accidentally brushed up against the new clothes," Zelika lied.
Mik pointed out, "All the stuff was dry, though. This is new. It is bright red."
Zelika weighed her options. She could have Mik pestering her to find out what was wrong and telling Irak'gar to heal whatever wound she still had, or she could inform Irak'gar of what had happened to her. She preferred the latter.
"Can we... talk... alone?" She asked, wincing at Mik's hurt expression. Irak'gar nodded, looking confused and worried, as she dragged him down the hill and out of Mik's earshot.
"It started," Zelika told him breathlessly.
Irak'gar raised an eyebrow. "What started?"
Zelika bit her lip. "You know... that thing. That girls do." Not only was she embarrased, but she didn't know the word in Annaren for a woman's cycle.
Irak'gar sighed. "You are being too vague."
"The bleeding!" Zelika yelled. "The blood on my clothes is not from that goromant!"
"...Oh," Irak'gar muttered. "I'll grab some supplies for you, then. What should I tell Mikerh?"
"Just say I am not hurt. The blood is natural," Zelika replied. Irak'gar nodded then headed up the hill, returning a moment later with some heavy medical cloth and a vial of liquid.
"Laradhel," he explained. "I didn't foresee this happening so I didn't have anything specific to deal with it, but Laradhel invigorates you and it ought to take your mind of any pain there is." He passed both to her then turned away as she used the cloth. She was shocked at the strength of the Laradhel but it did distract her from the cramps. Deciding not to drink it all, for the pain was only a minor annoyance, Zelika corked it and returned it to Irak'gar.
He thanked her and said thoughtfully, "I have little experience with this, but if you believe you ought to return to Baladh, we can always guide you there then continue on our way."
"No!" Zelika cried indignantly. "It barely hurts. I can as well do what I normally do also. I might become moody but I am already, correct?"
"You are," Irak'gar laughed, "but with this new addition I fear for my life! In your female fury, do you think there is a possibility that you may spare Mik and me?"
"I will ponder about it," Zelika smirked. She enjoyed this apparent new power that could make a grown man like Irak'gar cower in fear, even if only playfully. Subconsciously, she wondered if Hem would be scared when he found out, and felt a pang of emptiness that she could not tease him. All the more reason to travel quickly to Turbansk and see if he is there, she reasoned. This would require a good sleep, and Zelika hurried back up the hill in order to do so.
Zelika vaguely became aware that she was awake the next day, and lay for a few seconds before a spasm of pain took her. She scrambled into a sitting position and saw that Irak'gar and Mik were already awake, cooking their breakfast together.
"Laradhel?" Zelika implored. "Pain- it's worse." Irak'gar rummaged through his pack and found the little bottle, passing it to her before returning to his work. Zelika wanted desperately to down the whole thing, but again she only took a few sips before giving it back. If the pain continued, then she might have to end up returning to Baladh after all. For a moment her veins were on fire, then a calming, warm energy settled into her body. However it didn't cause the ache, which had really developed into the feeling of Zelika's innards being torn apart, to subside. She figured it would work for the time being, and she would just have to put up with the hurting.
When the meager breakfast was served in front of her, she pushed it away. "Not hungry."
"Eat," Mikerh suggested. "Irak'gar says we has no lunch today, so our next meal is at Turbansk. You be starved if you do not eat now." Zelika shook her head and muttered, "I should make the horses ready." Mik shook his head and pulled her back down. She glared viciously as he reiterated, "Eat."
"He's right, Zelika," Irak'gar agreed. "Going for a day without food will not make anything better."
"I said I am not hungry," Zelika fumed. They couldn't make her if she didn't want to, and that was that. She made sure they were well informed of this before storming off to the horses. Her anger confused them, for she was normally calm and good with them, and one stepped on her foot, further dampening her moods.
A few hours later, Zelika was plagued by both unbearable cramps and pangs of hunger. Watching the distant city, she tried to concentrate on what it would feel like to have a correct cure for her pain, to eat a huge feast, to soak in water for as long as she wanted, and to relax without the fear of some mutilated creature or a dogsoldier just over the next hill, ready to tear her head off. Of course she was accustomed to the last feeling, but that did not necessarily mean that she enjoyed it.
Irak'gar was giving Mik a lesson, and although he had agreed when Zelika asked not to be included, he still required her to listen in. She had proceeded to completely ignore him, but eventually began paying attention, mostly as a way of taking her mind off the hunger, pain, and fear that created a searing vortex inside her and made her want to cry.
"Name three verbs that have exceptions when it comes to..." Irak'gar rattled on. It was miraculous that Mik could ever pay attention to the lessons- shortly after meeting him, Zelika had come to the conclusion that he had attention problems, and possibly memory problems too. Mik had protested, saying that he simply liked to observe everything that was happening, but Zelika was nonplussed. Even as she thought about this, though, he turned and smiled briefly at her, glad that she was watching the lesson again and he had company, before looking at Irak'gar again.
After the lesson had ended they stopped by a river surrounded by a few strands of trees, looking for a bridge. Irak'gar asked Zelika to go one way and Mik to go the other, while he stayed and tested to see how cold and deep the wide stream was and if they could cross it. Zelika trotted her horse along, biting her lip at the jostling, and after ten minutes or so turned back to go and tell Irak'gar that she had seen nothing when another horse and rider on the other bank attracted her attention. As they approached Zelika saw that it was Mik.
"There is a bridge where I was gone. I told Irak'gar and he is going to it. Race you there!" He turned and his horse broke into a gallop. Zelika stared after him; she wasn't sure she would be able to. But if she raced it could take her mind off the hunger and pain. On a whim she nudged her horse into a gallop and leaned close to it. Her stallion was larger than Mik's mare, and his long strides began to catch up even though Mik and the mare, Kamika, had the advantage of a head start.
As Zelika sighted the bridge, her horse put on an extra burst of speed and pulled ahead of Mik's. They sped to it then screeched to a halt and trotted prettily across. Mik and Kamika slowed to a canter and continued past them for a few spans before stopping. The stallion, Ileos, slowed to a walk at Zelika's request. She noticed Irak'gar and his horse standing nearby and went to greet them, while Mik turned and began heading towards them.
"Well, now that that's figured out," Irak'gar said once they were both within earshot, "I have good news. We have been traveling faster than I thought, and we ought to ride into Turbansk in the next couple of hours."
"Good," Zelika muttered. "Which way? The sooner I fill my stomach and get something to stop the pain the better."
"You said it not hurted," Mik protested.
"And I was speaking truth," Zelika responded. "It did hurt not then, it just hurts now."
Irak'gar sighed, "I am quite tempted to give you both another lesson on negations, but that can wait until Turbansk, if Zelika here is so impatient to get there. We stay at a walk, however. You've both tired your horses."
"Fine," Zelika huffed. She found herself discovering, bit by bit, a deep aversion to traveling. Could they not just get to Lirigon by magical transportation? She didn't know much about Bards, but it seemed reasonable enough to assume they could do that if they could heal themselves and others or make themselves look like a tree, like Hem had.
At the memory of her friend, excitement bubbled up inside Zelika. This was possibly a very important part of her journey; if she found him there, then perhaps he could join them and they could all go to Lirigon together, Saliman too. She concentrated on these thoughts and the pain seemed to lessen due to the distraction. Even if Hem wasn't there, she'd find him eventually, and when she did...
Well, that was the part she hadn't gotten to yet.
A/N: Next stop, Turbansk! :D I am, unfortunately, still totally undecided on the matter of Hem, Zelika, Mik, and pushed buttons. It's so hard to decide what will happen! T-T