"A Healer? No, unfortunately not," Nikolai said as he took Mentiri's shoulder over his own. "And I can say that I'm not very good with a spear, but I have my own blades to defend myself with." With his free hand, he opened his slightly tattered vest to show the handles of quite a few daggers
"And there's dozens more where they came from. Do you expect whatever Mentiri is pointing at is going to come right to us?" Without weighing just what exactly those small, dark figures might be, he brought his own thoughts out- "How about we try to find somewhere, far away from whatever those figures are in the distance, and try to help Mantiri here out with what's ailing 'im, eh?" Nikolai pulled half of 'Shaii-T'ai' from its sheath in his belt and pointed to the south and west of where they were.
"There's a cave a little ways back that way, we can make it there and start patching Mentiri up a bit before those two unknowns think anything of us. Unless you really want to go and meet them with only two of us?" I really hope she doesn't want to go meet them with a fight. "By the way, I'm Nikolai, who might you be?"
xxxx
Lavenda let out a low whistle when the stranger revealed a collection of daggers she wouldn't be ashamed to own. Hopefully he's as good with them as he seems to think he is… Although if he really is Mentiri's friend, he's probably picked a few things up. At least. Retreating wasn't all that appealing to her instincts, but a little nudge of logic warned her fighting with two of them, not to mention defending Mentiri, would not be an easy feat.
Bloody Mentiri, always thinking about himself… Wanting to get rid of that line of thought as quickly as possible, she took the injured man's other shoulder. "I'm sure they are," she told Nikolai across Mentiri's chest, which was thankfully still moving. You're alive… for now. But when you wake up, you had better be ready to answer for a few things! Properly! The Aiel woman shook her head.
"I've seldom seen a look like the one he got when he saw-" she jerked her head- "them."
"Which means they're quite dangerous, and likely Shadowspawn of some sort." A sharp, hot metal scent floated to her on the wind. "And definitely evil." Grudgingly, she turned away from the distant pair.
"I am called Lavenda," she told her new companion. "and I highly suggest we get somewhere to 'patch him up'". Lavenda had rarely seen that look before, but if whatever was coming could put it on Mentiri's face, she wanted high ground.
And Mentiri fighting alongside her.
A few extra spears would be nice, too.
xxxx
While conversing over what their decision would be, Nikolai heard the all too familiar "thunk" of an arrow meeting the ground close by. "I find this plan of action fairly appealing, Lavenda. Shall we go?"
As they turned he heard, and saw this time, an arrow meet with the trunk of a tree, not a foot away from his own head, almost dead center where his stomach might have been. "And, ah, let's make a tad of haste?" Damnit Mentiri, why are you so heavy?
Nikolai looked over his shoulder at the attackers now and saw there was only one. "Uhm, this may or may not be good news, but where two stood, there now stands only one. Experience declares the other is either magically dead, or is coming right for us where we can't see 'im. Knowing the lucky streak I've been having, he's coming right for us." And once we get to said cave, what are you going to do Nik? You just told the woman you can't heal. Well, this cloak was nice and all, but I guess I can part with some strips of it for Mentiri's health, light knows he deserves it.
"Too bad we don't have enough wood and time to make a small cart of sorts to drag him along behind us, eh?" And where in the Light is Mentiri's sword?
"A little more on subject, any ideas on how to keep this fellow busy whilst we make an escape? I'm sure juggling won't take to his fancy much, but with enough of this waste around us, I'm sure we could make something work to our advantage while we save our skins." Just don't get hit by an arrow Nik, that's all you gotta do, just don't-get-hit.
xxxx
A hiss escaped Lavenda's lips as yet another arrow barely missed them. "Stand still," she told her companion, as she lifted Mentiri away from him, grunting a little. Light, for someone so frail looking, he must have kept most of his muscle! Carefully, carefully, she draped the injured man over Nikolai's shoulders, like a stray sheep. Except heavier. And skinnier. "You can still walk?" It was more a statement then a question. Quickly, she took her small shield from her back, hooking it to cover Mentiri's upper back and neck. With one last thought, she briskly slapped his face, hoping to hurry his regain to consciousness.
"Now go," she told him. "I can move easily unseen, and may even be able to catch this… whatever it is. At the very least, make it hesitate to show it's face." The Aiel grimly strung her small bow, taking a wickedly barbed arrow from the quiver on her hip.
At least I can make him- it- stop to lick its wounds, she thought. She hoped so. They needed at least a few minutes to ensure Mentiri wouldn't bleed to death from any wounds he had hidden. Watching the newcomer stagger away, she smiled. It seems the roles have reversed, Mentiri. Once you tried to save me. You may have to again.
She padded stealthily behind the sparse bush, nigh on impossible for someone who had not seen the vast desert that was the Three-fold Land. Her cadin'sor, dyed back to its original colours since she left the greens of the Wetlands, blended perfectly into this grey landscape. She nocked the arrow, swiftly firing at a lump that seemed to be a head, thought not by the scent. Lavenda wrinkled her nose. Aha, she thought, as it moved, her arrow barely missing. Found you.
Slipping from tree to tree, she edged closer, while still keeping Nikolai and Mentiri in the corner of her eye.
They'll be safe soon…