The caravan rocked and creaked, its sodden wooden structure groaning as the wind howled around it, as it flew through the storming skies.

Lightning dashed through the air as Cass heard the horses whinny out in alarm.

"Hubert!! Are you sure you know how to fly this thing or not?! You're going to kill us at this rate!", she yelled angrily, storming over to where he stood driving the caravan.

Andrew glanced at her as she approached and turned back to the window, yanking the steering gears to the left, "My Demanitus!!!", he cried out in alarm.

The caravan barely grazed the side of a giant cliff as it rocked wilder through the gale.

Blowing out in frustration and stress, Andrew gritted his teeth, "Yes, I know how to drive this just fine, Cassandra. But things are a little difficult right now! We're in a middle of a storm!"

"Then take us out of it!", she yelled at him, almost losing her footing again, as the caravan swayed harshly.

"Do you see anywhere we can?!", he yelled right as a lightning bolt zagged right past them.

The two both screamed as the caravan spun wildly, throwing them against the opposite back wall.

"HUBEEEEEERRRRT!!!", Cass yelled as the sky hurtled past the windows showing their terrifying descent as they were pasted to the wall.

Fear gripped them both as shock and gravity kept them where they were.

Shaking his head Andrew tried to snap out of it... he had to get the controls or they would all die for certain!

Andrew bit his lip in concentration as sweat went down his forehead as he tried to pry his way back to the controls.

"Al-mossst there!!!", he yelled, his teeth scraping together so hard it made his jaw pulse with pain as his fingertips brushed the controls.

Cold rain blew through the window as it shattered from the pressure of the spiraling caravan, glass flying everywhere as Cass yelped in pain. Chaos reigned on them unrelentingly. Giant sky-shaking booms rattled their teeth while the shrieks and whinnies of horses filled their ears.

Cass's face was ashen with bright specks of blood as she clung to the wooden surface she was forced against.

"HURRY!!!", she screamed over the deafening roar of the rushing wind and rain, "PLEASE!!!"

Throwing himself onto the lever with a heavy grunt, Andrew pulled it upward and slammed his fist on a button overhead.

With several creaks and moans, the wooden structure slowed its deadly descent as he pulled against the lever with all his might.

"HOLD ONNNN!!!!", he warned as he watched the dark green grass get closer, seeing the landing would be inevitably harsh.

Instead of crashing into the rushing and very close ground below, the caravan smashed its way through several tall pine and fir trees.

Screaming and hollering in sync, Andrew and Cassandra slammed and hit the walls, floor and ceiling of the caravan before finally dropping to the floor in exhaustion.

"What... the... HELL HUBERT!!!", Cass managed to huff out prying her head off the floor as she wiped away the blood spots on her face, "Once I'm ready to get up... you are SO DEAD."

Andrew didn't answer back, biting his lip to prevent from saying something he'd regret. Instead, he stood up slowly and looked out the shattered bits of window, looking up at the waving treetops and lightning streaked sky.

Taking a shaky breath he bent down and helped her up into a sitting position, "Looks like the storm's gonna continue for a couple of hours... just rest for a few seconds while I check on the horses and see the damage.", he instructed gently as he rubbed his aching arms, "Be back in a couple of minutes, please stay still Cassandra."

She glared at him but didn't argue, too tired to do so as she adjusted her weight slightly and pain went through her body.

Andrew gave a tiny smile before turning and walking out the door, hearing the two horses snorting in pain, "Hey, You alright Fidella and Fiero?", he asked rushing over to the scared animals.

He grabbed a fistful of both of their names as they jumped and reared around in confusion, talking to them in a soothing calm tone.

After a few minutes the horses settled down, their eyes still wide with fear as he checked them for injuries. "Looks like you're fine.", he said cheerily patting them both on the muzzle, "You'll be alright."

Thunder cracked outside causing Fidella and Fiero to back up and paw the floorboards, but beyond that they stayed calm.

Andrew furrowed his brow in concern and gave them each one final pat before heading back outside into the caravan.

Hopefully once the storm ended and he saw the damage for the caravan, it would be repairable. He knew if they had to go on horseback in the end, Cass would probably never forgive him for his stupid mistake.

But he had no way of knowing about the storm... otherwise he would have waited until morning.

But then again... Cass has pushed him to get going immediately so they could go to The Spire, just because she had the whole hair-brained idea that the Diverion kid was Varian.

He stopped.

Diverion... when his mask had first been unveiled- he had reminded him of someone else he had known... someone long ago.

Yet then he looked like Varian to Cassandra...

He shook himself, his head hurting before he realized that he had forgotten to check up on him along with Cass.

It probably would be a good idea to check on him now.

Andrew hurried over and went to his side of the caravan, opening the door and looking around for the slim teenager boy.

"What are you doing?", Cass called as she watched him rush past.

"Just checking up on Diverion!", he called as his eyes swept the small area, "Hey kid!! You okay??"

"Diverion?!", he called looking at the empty bed and wooden floor, "Hey kid? Where are you?? Diverion!?"

He then suddenly heard a slight groan and he whipped around, seeing Diverion curled up on the ground near the door with his hands wrapped around his ribs.

"Whoa!! You okay kid?", he asked kneeling down beside him and trying to see the damage done to him, "What hurts? Are your ribs broken?!"

There was no answer except for some groaning and he guessed Diverion as still unconscious.

Diverion's gloved hands were still wrapped around his ribs tightly as he tried to pry them away. Andrew was afraid if he moved the teen, he would only hurt him more.

He tried to gauge out Diverion's reaction, but the mask made it hard for him to see how much pain he was in and evaluate the injuries. After a moment of hesitation, he took off the mask and saw the teen's face was pale and in cold sweat.

"That not good...", he trailed off watching him breathe heavily with his violet hair plastered to his ashen face. A thin line of blood was running down his forehead as well.

"You found him right?! He didn't get away somehow did he?!", Cass fired, poking her head into the room.

She gasped when she noticed Andrew on the floor and the injured teen.

Dropping to her knees beside him she checked his pulse, "What's wrong with him?!? What happened??"

"I don't know exactly! I just found him here on the floor and then I noticed him holding his stomach... he's still out cold and I don't want to risk moving anything more then I have to...", he answered as her eyes darted over his body.

"Well, at least you have enough sense to not move him.", she mumbled as she pulled on his hands gently trying to make him let go. "Andrew give me a hand here, I need to see what's exactly wrong here."

"Since when are you a doctor?", he asked bending over to help, "And how exactly are we supposed to unstick him? He's stuck in this position."

"Wanting to be a guard requires a lot of training, including some medical knowledge y'know.", she responded her face contorted with concentration, "So I read up on it and had a bit of training in my free time back then. I'll admit I'm not prepared for something like this, I don't know, but I know I can help somewhat.. I think." She stopped tugging for a moment and looked at him, "Wait... you hold him still while I try to get him to relax his grip."

Andrew did as he was told, holding his breath as he kept Diverion still as Cass managed to pry his clamped hands off his side and set his limp arms down at his beside him on the floor.

He looked at her as she bit her lip and moved aside his dark coat and stared at his shirt, her movements slow and cautious.

"I know this is stupid after what I just said and all, but I feel like I'm not helping anything.", she broke out as she pushed Diverion's shirt up and staring at some bruises on his ribs, "Like how am I supposed to help him if he's got a fractured rib?! And what if he dies because I didn't help him properly?"

"I'm sure he won't die Cass...", he said slowly, "And if he's got a broken rib we can just wrap it up."

She snorted, "Easier said then done. He's in the fetal position here and we can't just roll him over, at least, I don't think we can... Arrrrgh!!!", she slammed her head into her hands, "I don't want to screw this up!!"

Andrew watched her a little unsure what to do as he glanced at Diverion's unsteady chest rising and falling.

This was a life they had to make sure stayed alive.

Whether he was actually Varian or not didn't matter- they were responsible for this and they had to fix it.

"Cassandra, look at me.", Andrew said his voice strong and even, "This kid needs help... and I can't do this alone. We're even in this, I only know as much as you do- if we work together, I know we can figure this out. I need you to believe in yourself."

She stared at him, "Forever the optimist aren't you?", she asked shaking her head, slightly laughing a little, "It's like I never left Rapunzel."

"There's nothing wrong with trying to be positive, but I'm telling you right now if you don't start trying, Diverion isn't going to get any better.", he retorted.

Lightning lit up the room as Cass got up and pulled out a roll of gauze, cloth and some herbs for pain relief. "Fine, I'll try."

Andrew did a small grin, "Shall we get started then?"

After nearly half an hour of discussing in short sentences how to move the pale teen and trying to do so, they were finally able to look at his injured side.

Surprisingly, even though he was slim, Diverion had a good build as it showed with the outline of abdominal muscles next to his ribs.

Blue and purple bruises were over the middle left rib and his ragged breathing whenever he took an intake of breath, showed definite proof of a fractured rib.

Andrew helped wrap him him up in the soft cloth around his ribs as they then tightened some gauze over it.

Concentrated silence filled the room as the two worked and Cass finished up by tying a cloth around his forehead over his bleeding head.

"I-I think that's all we can do for him...", Cass said quietly as she watched Diverion's pained breathing.

Andrew put a gentle hand in her shoulder and wiped his brow, "I think he'll be fine, as long as we keep him steady so he can heal.", he then grabbed her hand, "You alright though? I mean the way you got yourself banged up and all..."

She rolled her eyes, "Besides being sore? I'm fine, all I got was shaken up."

"I'm sorry it's all my fault we're even like this..."

"No, don't be.", she rushed over him, "It's my fault... I was impatient and bossy and pushed you to get us going. If I had just waited til' morning I'm sure things would've been different."

Cass smiled at him weakly as he squeezed her hand gently, showing her wordlessly that he forgave her.

The two sat there comfortably until Cassandra pulled away, clearing her throat, "I'll.. I'll straighten up the caravan and make some tea while you keep on eye on him.. also see if I can find out where the heck we are."

Andrew raised his arm, but before he could say anything she had walked off, leaving him alone with Diverion as the gentle sound of rain filled the air.