Katrina wandered back to the outside of the tavern. Talking to herself "Why did I knock over that cart? I knew I couldn't be in another village..." She shook the thought from her head. "Hmm. I wonder whither Rowan's dragon went. She was a nice one. Mayhap she resides in the aviary with him? Now which way was that? North? hm mayhap, I shall go there first."

Siobhan stepped out of the alley when she recognized Katrina's voice. "The aviary is West of here, I believe."

Katrina whirled around with a knife drawn, sliding it back into her belt when she saw to whom the voice belonged. "Oh thou have returned hither too? Wouldst thou like to find it with me? I am not great with directions, well not anymore."

"Alright." Siobhan agreed and began to walk towards the aviary.

"Splendid!" Katrina exclaimed and followed.

The pair walked beside each other in silence, not knowing that they were being followed.

"Here it is, I think," Siobhan said stepping off the wooded path into a clearing. "Katrina, are you coming?"

Katrina rushed to catch up. She was covered with dirt all over her. "Y-yes! Sorry, there was an incident."

"Should we look for Rowan's dragon now?" Siobhan asked taking in the small farm. The lights in the house were still a glow.

"We may as well," Katrina said as they made their way in silence to the larger barn and pushed the door open quietly.

Katrina sensed movement in the shadows, as her eyes adjusted to the dark. "Wait Siobhan, something is here."

Siobhan whispered into the vast space "Hello?" She slid a hunting knife from her belt. Her greeting was answered with a deafening roar.

"There thou art! We were searching for thou!" Katrina said with a bow.

"Katrina is that you?" Ketara asked angrily, "What are you doing back here and who is this?"

Rowan sprang to his feet when he heard Ketara's roar. Fearing the worst he ran toward the Aviary. "Ketara..." He yelled, "Ketara..." No answer. He burst through the barn door and grabbed the pitchfork leaning against the wall. "What's going on?" He demanded. Surprised by what he found.

"Yes! This is Siobhan a friend. Me and Rowan ran into. Finding a place to stay was harder than expected." Katrina explained to Ketara, she seemed a bit off. Perhaps the ale had gotten to her. She looked at Rowan and slightly waved, "Hi again."

"Katrina?" Rowan asked confused, "What is the meaning of this?"

"So sorry to bother thou again. I couldn't find a place to stay and I was hoping Ketara wouldst allow me to stay hither," She apologized.

"Sorry about the bother, Rowan" Siobhan said stepping out from behind a pillar. "Anyways, m'lady, I guess you could share a room with me at the tavern?" She cast her eyes down in disappointment.

Rowan couldn't stand to turn the two women away. "You are both welcome to stay, but my guest room has already been promised. You two can share mine if you wish. I will sleep out here with Ketara."

"Oh, I couldn't bother you more," Katrina said. She took a small pouch from her pocket and weighed it in her hand. "Siobhan. I fear I cannot offer much."

"That won't be necessary, sir." Siobhan said looking disheartened. "But if I may ask, who's your guest room promised to? You can't have many visitors around here... and m'lady, it's no bother to me. I've slept in more uncomfortable spots than the floor."

"Nay Rowan. I cannot do that to thou." Katrina agreed. She smiled at Siobhan "I mean we art two wanders in one day aren't we? The floor is quite comfortable though. I live in the forest remember."

Looking at Siobhan, Rowan replied "A visitor from the northern wastelands. I found him here when I returned from the tavern."

"Another visitor from the north?" Siobhan exclaimed.

"Yes his name is Cathal. He is inside at the moment warming himself by the fire."

"Do thou know him, Siobhan?" Katrina wondered brushing off some of the dirt from earlier.

"Cathal? Yes, I mean, I might. I think so, at the very least." Siobhan stuttered trying her best to mask her true feelings.

"You appear to be flustered lady." Rowan observed.

"It's nothing, sir." She said looking away.

Suddenly the barn door burst open and a cloaked figure stumbled in, clutching a stab wound, and muttering darkly.

"I need help." They rasped collapsing to the floor.

Katrina rushed over to the newcomer and started ordering Rowan and Siobhan around. "Rowan I need rags, as many as you can gather!" She barked, "Also, any wine you have. Siobhan I need a needle or something to that nature and thread. Also, I need your knife."

The stranger winced in pain cursing, "That... If I get my hands on him" the voice was female. "Ouch!" she cried out as Katrina began to undress her to get at the wound. "Thank you," she murmured.

Rowan rushed back to the house to grab supplies.

Siobhan handed Katrina her knife and a sewing needle that she pulled out of nowhere.

"Of course, just hang in there." Katrina said applying pressure to the hole in the girl's side. She took the knife and sewing needle from Siobhan and waited for Rowan's supplies.

Rowan grabbed some linen sheets from the chest at the foot of his bed and a bottle of grain alcohol from the counter, and ran back to the barn. "I had no wine lady but the grain alcohol should do the trick. Here are some clean linens as well"

"Thank you Rowan," she said taking the materials and starts setting up. "I need a bucket of water as well please."

Rowan hurried out to the pump and began to fill the bucket with water. He swiftly made his way back trying not to slosh too much. "Will cold water do or shall Ketara heat it for you?"

Cathal awoke and exited the house looking around in confusion. Seeing Rowan running to the barn he followed. "What..." He stopped short when he saw Siobhan.

"Cathal?!" She cried running over to him.

"I'll need it heated slightly along with the knife" Katrina said handing Rowan the knife without taking her eyes off the wounded girl.

"Ketara a little help," Rowan said as he placed the bucket and knife before her.

Ketara gently streamed a bit of fire to heat the water to just shy of boiling. The blade glowed a faint orange. Rowan carefully picked them up and returned to Katrina's side.

"Here you are lady." He said returning to her side.

The girl looked on in bewilderment, as she beheld the still glowing blade. "No, uh-uh not happening. Why the heated knife?" She tried to back away. "There's an arrow head that needs to be taken out, I let it stay in to staunch the blood flow." She rambled. "I fear I may not be making much sense, and jumping between things."

"Ah. Thank you for the information. You were smart to keep it in," Katrina assured her.

Taking the knife from Rowan, Katrina said "Thank you. Set the water down next to me please." He placed the bucket at her side. She looked at the newcomer, "This will hurt... Rowan and You points to the confused guy in the doorway Hold her. Siobhan find me a stick. We will need it later..."

"I can handle it. I've handled worse before." The girl groaned.

"It is for safety. If you move... It could go wrong fast..." Katrina calmed her stroking the girls hair.

The girl sighed, "Fine, do what you have to do"

Rowan positioned himself to hold down the injured woman's arms. "Cathal don't just stand the hold down her feet."

Siobhan ran off to grab a stick.

Cathal moved to help hold down the injured woman, never taking his eyes off Siobhan.

The stranger took a deep breath, "Just get it over with."

Siobhan returned with a stick and handed it to Katrina "Here, m'lady."

"Okay." Katrina said to the wounded girl, "First, do you have a name?"

"Astraea is my name." The woman panted, "What is thy name?"

"Okay Astraea. I'm Katrina, I'll take care of you. Just relax as much as you can."

Astraea gritted her teeth in pain and frustration. "I am ready, let's get this over with."

"Okay, I'm going to put this stick in your mouth," she said placing it between Astraea's teeth. Katrina examined the wound.

"How bad is it?" Siobhan asked looking over Katrina's shoulder.

"Well she did a good job keeping the arrow head in. It kept her from bleeding out." Katrina said pulling the cut open as wide as she dared. "And I found it. Okay I need to focus, please step back slightly"

"I'll go find something to numb it."

Astraea rolled her eyes. Why was this taking so long.

"Okay." Katrina uncorked the bottle of alcohol and wet the wound. Astraea bit down on the stick nearly breaking it as Katrina began pulling out the arrow head.

Siobhan walked towards the house, but turned and shouted back. "You're gonna need it!"

Astraea tried to relax further, biting her lip to keep from screaming. She rolled her eyes at the woman's words.

Katrina placed the arrowhead to the side and grabbed the heated knife. She quickly looked up to Astraea; "Sorry..." she said placing the blade into the wound causing the blood to clot from the severed arteries.

Astraea bit down on her lip harder.

Siobhan, returned with an armful of various herbs from the garden. "Hey, breathe" She said to the girl.

Astraea clenches her fists.

"Okay. You are doing good." Katrina reassured her grabbing some rags and dousing them in alcohol. She carefully started cleaning the blood from around the wound for a better view.

Siobhan sorted through the herbs. "Lavender and basil will help with the pain, and I think I saw some aloe in the house. But I need to make tea with the lavender and stuff... I'll be back out in a bit." She said running off again.

"Looks good. Now to stitch you up." Katrina said smiling up at Astraea. She grabbed the needle and thread slowly stitching the wound closed. "Okay. I'm done." She said tying off the thread. She placed a rag soaked in the alcohol on the wound, and began wrapping longer pieces of the sheet around Astraea to keep it in place.

Siobhan came running back out "Hey, wait a minute!" She yelled at Astraea.

Astraea freed her hands and legs and sat up. She spit the stick out of her mouth. "Thank you my lady." She nodded to Katrina. "No I am not having that." She turned up her nose at the tea in Siobhan's hand.

"Just be careful with the wound. You don't want that to reopen." Katrina reprimanded. "If it does, I need to be notified immediately." She turned and began washing everything in the heated water bucket. "Oh and Rowan and you" gesturing to the man.

"Yeah?" said Cathal still confused by all of this.

"You can let go of her."

"I did!" Cathal exclaimed tucking his hands in his pockets.

Katrina looked back, "I see. Very good sir"

"If you wouldn't mind, could I stay here for the night?" Astraea pleaded.

"Astraea, here." Siobhan said holding out a mug of steaming hot tea.

"No I am not having that." Astraea said sniffing the tea,

"Of course you are staying the night! I need to watch the wound for at least twenty four hours," Katrina scoffed.

Siobhan glared at Astraea, "You idiot, it's not drugged. It's just to help with the pain and reduce the chance of infection"

Astraea rolled her eyes again, "I knew that Lady..."

"Astraea please drink the tea." Katrina advised

"Just because you..." Astraea stopped and sighed, "Fine" she pouted.

"it's just lavender, mint, basil, and honey. It'll probably taste gross, but you'll feel better" Siobhan shrugged.

Astraea begrudgingly took the tea. "I don't even know your names."

Siobhan rolled her eyes, "My name is Siobhan and this is Cathal"

Astraea frowned, "Those are northern names if I'm not mistaken."

"You aren't." Cathal smirked

"Good drink up the tea." Katrina urged.

Astraea again rolled her eyes but complied nonetheless.

Katrina continued to clean up. Siobhan helped her, all while trying to ignore Cathal's existence

Astraea sighed and sipped the tea. It tasted awful but she finished the mug. "If you wouldn't mind I'd like to take my leave for the night. If you'd be so kind as to show me where..."

"The guest room is in here. Cathal said beginning to walk toward the house motioning for Astraea to follow.

Katrina noticed Siobhan's posture change as she watched Cathal and smirked "So, who are you?" She asked him looking the man up and down.

"He's an asshole," Siobhan glared at Cathal as he led Astraea to the house.

Katrina glanced back at Siobhan with a smirk "Sure."

"Wait! You need help!" Katrina said rushing to Astraea.

Astraea smiled slyly, looking between the two Ignoring Katrina's offer to help.

Astraea stumbled from the loss of blood, but Cathal turned back and caught her before she hit the ground. He looked at Katrina whose eyes burned into him and apologized, "M'lday, I've got her."

"No you haven't I can help myself Cathal," Astraea said pushing him away.

"Okay take good care of her, sir. If you don't. You won't be standing anymore." Katrina warned turning to Astraea she said "I'll check on you in the morning. If you need anything before then yell for me."

"I'm still stan..." She said almost falling again, "I hate this," she mumbled.

Cathal raised an eyebrow at Astraea's resistance "No, ma'am, you can't. Sorry..." He grunted as he gently picked her up and carried her.

"No you son of a b..."

"I told you that he was an asshole..." Siobhan laughed

Astraea looked back at her, "Never thought I'd say this but I agree with you!" she shouted

"I mean he is following my orders." Katrina shrugged.

Cathal ignored her protesting, and mumbled "Sorry..." and continued to carry her into the house.