"He's stable for now." Corin brushed his hands off and stood, "But he will need it properly cared for when we get to the nearest village. Surely, they will have at the very least some form of healer there." He had needed to fix the bandaging some, and now needed to set about getting the man more thought of using a dead man's dirty clothing was irking but there was nothing as of yet that could be done for it. If they had water to boil... no there was none and even if there was, they had no pot to boil it in. They had done what they could and, Aslan willing, it wouldn't cause any form of infection.

Once again, he took a scan of the area. "We'll have to get a stretcher - or make one rather. Send out a scout or two ahead to get the lay of the land."This wasn't the first time he had been in a bit of a bramble. He just usually had a few more people accustomed to such things with him - or had been alone. It would be different this time with only one tested warrior, a wounded knight, and civilians. Aslan provide, mayhaps there would be more survivors.

If there hadn't been wood, supplies, - and bodies - scattered everywhere it would have been a pretty area. A spot you would take a family for an afternoon picnic or the like. Did they do that in Calormen? What sort of people were they now? He had not been here since he was a boy. The first time, and last for that matter, had been blasted terrible. Were the people all that harsh? Had they grown softer over the years? That Rabidash fellow was tisroc now, so probably not.

"He saved my life." Fesh brought Corin from his thoughts, she was staring at her brother, her voice soft, "When I was separated from the queen and nearly fell into the ocean, he kept me from falling. Before the waves broke us apart, when we both were tossed in, he gave me something to keep afloat." Her face crumpled and went into her hands, "And this is how he pays for it."

"Worry not," Aravis rubbed her back, that motherly tone she had for Ram slipping out, "All shall be well in due time."

Corin agreed. It was a blasted, blasted tragedy for all these lives lost. Good men they were. At least from what he had heard of them. Cor himself swore his life on the captain due to a diplomatic mission that left him indebted to him with his life. Only the best crew for his wife was to be look at what had happened to so many of them. He couldn't think about that now, though. There were still the others to keep alive.

However, they still had two natives of the land with them. One of whom had lived there his whole life. A plan would be made once the situation and people were assessed. They would be right as rain. Surely.

xxx

Aravis surveyed the land as she comforted the maid. Home. Or what had once been so long ago. Not once would she have thought she would ever come back to these shores. Traitor as she was.

Now here she was, shipwrecked. Over a decade later, her tale must have been long forgotten among the tarkaans and the like. They had planned on never setting foot near Tashbaan or even announcing who they were, just in case. For all those in Zalindreh would know, they would be wealthy barbarian traders. Aravis herself would be disguised as a slave so the want of another would not seem as suspicious, as Archenlanders were forbidden from such atrocities. However, Aravis was not naive enough to think none did it. Every barrel has its bad apples.

Or, that had been the plan. Now, they had not even the money to buy a fish in the market. Much less a girl. Whatever were they to do? They would have to comb through the wreckage for anything useful.

"Help." His voice came again, slow and rasping. From the looks of it, he was pinned beneath the pile. Unable to move. But were there injuries? Deathly ones?

"Are you hurt?" Arrosh crouched down, out of sight from the others. Prince Corin would be along this way soon. Unless the knight was in need of assistance. One could hope.

"You!" There was a gurgle in the large man's throat, but if he was well enough to tell who spoke then mayhaps there was no serious injury. Or he truly did not like Arrosh so much as to be able to tell despite the injuries.

"Yes, me, sir." Arrosh answered his voice gone cold, "Now listen here, if I'm going to help you, I need to know if you're hurt." Of all the creatures to live through this it just had to be Sir Orran. Knight was not the only one out with the Lady of Luck. If the brute discovered what he had done… Arrosh refused to think of it. It couldn't happen. It would not. Not if he could help it.

"I'm trapped beneath this heap." Sir Orran spoke between shallow gasps, "I… I can't seem to feel my legs. I can't," There was a pause, "Feel a bit woozy I do." His barbarian skin was as pale as the sand with a high noon sun glaring against it.

Arrosh squatted down further, yes, the man was dying. He could leave him. Let him suffer and die. Problem solved. But what if he were found by Corin and saved? The large man could say that he had been abandoned. Problem not solved.

"Look here," Arrosh said again, coming closer to the pile to be heard. No one was coming, Corin seemed to be dealing with Sir Morri and the queen was still absorbed by Fesh. Good.

"I can help you and, believe it or not, I want to help you." He came back down to look the man in one bloodshot eye, "But I need something from you." This wasn't going to be pleasant.

"What might that be?" Each breath seemed more laborious than the last, with every word was a rattling breath.

"An oath of loyalty to me – or at least an oath to stop hating me." Arrosh answered, trying to phrase his words properly, "You are a man of honor and principles, I can tell. Swear by your precious god Aslan, and everything you hold dear, your loyalty to me and I will save you. Or, your amiability, if that is something someone can swear over." There had to be a decision soon. The knight would only hold Corin up for so long. If the man said no... Measures would have to be taken. Measures that seemed accidental. By Tash let it not come to that.

"I would rather die!"

It was starting to look like he was going to anyways. But that wasn't something someone told another in moments like these.

"In return for your oath, I not only will save your life but, right now, I swear I will never intentionally cause harm to my sister, Aravis, or anyone of her party. Not that I would ever anyways." Arrosh glanced to where said party was. Corin seemed to be setting the knight up against something and Aravis was still beside Fesh. "I just need your word of loyalty or friendship, Sir Orran. Going into this sort of territory with a divided group will break us and nobody will be safe. Calormen is not kind to outsiders in the best of circumstances." Please, let this be enough.

There was a pause, Orran's breaths coming in short, shallow gasps. The pounding in Arrosh's head seeming to keep the beat of the fleeting time passing.

Mayhaps the man would die before anything could be done.

xxx

"Your majesty," Zeep came from behind the cover of a piece of wreckage just big enough to hide her, "Do you wish for me to continue being here in secret? Or shall I be revealed?" The queen had stayed with the maid but had ceased talking with her. Both in their own world of thoughts.

Aravis turned to look at the mouse, a weak smile that only just reached her eyes came, "Zeepijeet, there is no use in hiding now." She sighed before she brought herself back to being the strong, confident queen Zeep had always known, "This is just a setback, an unexpected path we were given to travel. Aslan preserve us, I know we shall get through this scrape."

"There we go!" The satisfied exultation from Corin came as he finished with the young knight. What was his name? Zeep had yet to hear it given.

He was a tall, well-built lad who couldn't be over 20 if he was a day. His dirty blonde hair was long, coming to his shoulders, and his face still held the innocence to that of a child. Untested in battle and not yet accustomed to the harsh reality of the world. Even with his face contorted from the pain in his leg Zeepijeet could see that. She herself was mostly untested in battle, though not completely. But from the realities of a harsh world? Not so.

Corin stood brushing his hands off from the sand, "Well, Morri, I'm sure you'll be right as rain in no time. Youwon't bleed to death at the least." He stood over the man, Morri it seemed his name was, "There will be no walking - at the very least on that leg, for you. No need to worry, however, something shall be done."

Aravis rose from her place and walked to Corin, saying something even the mouse could not pick up. The prince shook his head gesturing out across the sand, "I-"

The queen fixed him with a look fierceenough to shut the mouth of a talking squirrel. Turning to the mouse, she said, "Zeepijeet, please join my brother in the search for survivors."

Zeepijeet curtsied despite having no skirt, "Yes, your majesty!" With that she set out across the beach in the direction of where she had last seen the young man.

She really hoped he wasn't afraid of mice or rats. Not all took kindly to her kind as the Narnians and Archenlanders did. Not even all the Archenlanders were keen about talking mice.

"We are in desperate need of a plan, Corin." Aravis began as the two walked a short distance from the knight and the maid. The older sailor was slowly making his way from the spot they had previously left him but was far enough away for now. "And it would be best to know the thoughts of the other before the others are informed as to what is to be done."

"You are our queen," Corin shrugged, his eyes ever scanning the perimeter, "Whatever you decide shall be done." He had never been much of a leader among the court, but he had made for a decent soldier and commander when the mood suited him.

"Yes, I am the queen, and all know that a wise ruler takes the advice of others before coming to a decision."

"As far as I'm concerned, we simply have a party of our strongest move ahead, steal the girl away, and make sail on an Archenlander or even Narnian trading ship. Though, depending on how things are going with the search and how long it takes us..." He trailed off, not willing to speak of the disappearances of their dear friends or what their loss may cause. Aslan willing, they had been found.

Aravis thought on it, "That is a brash plan and would be good if all else fails." The plan was not a good one but it was far from the worst she had heard from the lips of her brother in-law. If it was up to him, he would settle most disputes and problems with a boxing match.

"Well, the first thing we need to know is where the blazes we are and who we have with us." Corin stretched his hand out towards the mainland. "Obviously enough we are in Calormen. But what part? Are we close to Zaldrah? Or Tashbaan?"

"Zalindreh." Was the absent correction, "If we know where we are, we should be able to find how close we are to Tashbaan. Or Zalindreh for that matter." She glanced up at the young man before her, "We still have an ambassador in Tashbaan. After what happened with Rabidash, none were willing to throw Trunin out. He has yet to be of any use this last decade but mayhaps he can help us to be fitted out with what we need."

"If we are near that disgusting city."

There was hope to be had yet. Not all could be lost. Aslan would guide them.