~28~
"I'm so glad you're okay!" said Karzad for the hundredth time, looking Nayru over. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Nayru said.
"So Zarij has been overpowered by the ring…" said Rondansa, adjusting his slightly askew glasses.
"Yes, she was, but I think she's alright now…" said Nayru.
"Where did you leave her?" Karzad asked.
"She was knocked out cold," Said Nayru, "she had been holding us a few rooms over, I left her with Londaris."
"Let's go is if she's come to," said Rondansa, and Nayru led them back to the room. Londaris walked up quickly.
"Master!" he said, "Are you alright?" "Yes, yes," said Rondansa a bit distractedly. "Where is the girl?" he asked.
"Oh, she's over here," Londaris said, "still knocked out." They all went over to Zarij. Karzad winced at the sight of her.
"What happened to her?" he asked,
"She was caught in the dungeons and beaten," Said Nayru, looking down at the pitiful form.
"Well, I think it's best that we wake her up," said Rondansa.
"Yes," Said Londaris, "and not just leave her lying here."
"She's horribly hurt," said Karzad, "I think we ought to clean her up a bit before we wake her, she could go into a panic."
"Good point," Said Rondansa, "but for now I think we need more light, these rooms are terribly dark!" Londaris agreed to get something to light the torches with. He returned a bit later with a burning torch.
"I found it on a bracket in one of the halls, we can use it to light the torches in here," They did so, and soon the room was well lit.
"These wounds in her back are terribly infected, I need some water. Nayru, could you go to the underground door and get some water from the river and put it in this pot?" Karzad asked.
"Of course," Said Nayru, taking the pot and heading off into the hallway beyond.
****
Karzad rummaged through his satchel. He pulled out a pair of scissors first and cut off all the clinging filthy rags on her back. He then cut the mats from her hair and trimmed it evenly around.
"There," Londaris said, "she looks better already." Nayru returned a moment later, with the pot full to the brim with water. Karzad pulled out a clean white cloth and wiped her back clean of all the dirt and dried blood. Then he cleaned the wounds gently. Pulling off the old scabs, which underneath revealed long pinkish scars, and cleaning some of the infected open wounds. After he had done that he got out some potion from his satchel and rubbed it on her cuts. It bubbled for a moment and then sank in.
"A disinfectant," he explained. "It will make it heal faster, and destroy any infections in the blood stream." Then he bandaged her wounds. They turned her over gently. First he cleaned off her face and then most of her body. Rondansa sent Londaris to get more water and when he was gone they cut the remaining rags off her and cleaned her body completely. They got the rest of her pretty much cleaned up, the cuts and scratches on her face and body were treated, and Nayru pulled a soft linen nightshirt from her bag to put on her.
Then they had to think what to do about her hands. Londaris returned with the water, and Karzad got out a fresh cloth and soaked it with the cool clear liquid. He put some healing potion on the rag with the water and then softly rubbed it on her hand. The charred blackness mostly came off in chunks of burnt scabs, revealing huge scars. There were still some bloody cuts, and he treated them with the disinfectant and then wrapped her hands up in bandages.
****
Nayru went and found some straw in one of the chambers. She brought it in and they laid it out as a sort of cushion and then Nayru lay her soft cloak over the poking shoots. She slept for the rest of the day night and then the rest of the day, and they let her, talking amongst themselves and waiting. The next day, they awoke and found her to still be sleeping. They got up and were just settling down to breakfast when she first stirred. Novur noticed it and called out to the rest. They all forgot their meal and rushed over to her side. She moved again, and let out a low moan, and then her eyes fluttered open. They were green again.