[Amanaduial the archer]

"Ah, excitement. Well, she's using her brain anyway."

Fionel opened her eyes and turned her head to see Tenzin's thin lipped smile. She nodded and closed her eyes again. There was a slightly put off silence, before Tenzin spoke again. "Your back- I can see it is bleeding, the same as Desolyn's. Have you put anything on it yet?"

Fionel shook her head then, as an afterthought, replied. "No, I think maybe it would be best left alone. It will heal in time."

"And if that time was shorter?" He persisted. "I have some healing knowledge, and some salve. Have you need of some?"

Fionel opened her eyes, surprised, and stared at the young man who held out the small pot of salve suspiciously. He would help her? But why? Once again the question which had been growing in her mind came back: why were Rhunnaro and Tenzin helping them anyway? But the salve would be cooling and her back was sore, each mark almost as painful now they had split as they had been when first inflicted. After a moment, she nodded, taking the salve from him. But how was she going to get to her back? She scooped out an amount of the salve and scraped it off onto one of the large rubbery leaves which lay around, so it acted as a palette. Then she handed the pot back to Tenzin in quite a definite motion. "Thankyou." She said, gratefully but firmly.

She began to apply the lotion to her feet and it was indeed very cooling on the blistered and the scrapes where the cheap sandals had rubbed or given in completely. She closed her eyes once more, sighing happily as she massaged it into her feet, living in the moment. But when she opened her eyes again to get some more, Turos was still there. Haven't you got others to help? Said her look, but Tenzin remained unmoving, looking past her at the group around the leaves, now binding the makeshift bandages onto the cuts on their limbs. So he had seen them, and she was last. She eyed Tenzin warily and he seemed to sense her gaze and returned it. She looked away quickly, once more out of habit of not meeting the eyes of the easterlings.

She finished her feet and, with some difficulty, began on her back. She winced as one ragged nail scraped one of the rawer cuts, but carried on, although it was difficult to reach all of her back. It soon became evident that, as she had suspected, she would not be able to reach all of her back, or not well. Turos turned back to her and his look was almost exasperated, but the proud Fionel was not prepared to ask for help from an easterling. Once again to her surprise, Tenzin offered it.

"Oh, come here." He unscrewed the lid of the salve and walked towards her, kneeling down behind her. Fionel quickly scrabbled away.

"No, no- I will do fine, thankyou."

"Fionel, we need to move fast, and Rhunnaro specifically said that you all can't be held back by pain, in back or foot." Once more he moved around. This time Fionel's arm shot out, catching him on the arm, more a reflex than anything else, her ragged nails, scratching his arm. He moved back a step, hand on arm, then took it off and raised an eyebrow at the slave on the ground.

"Ouch?"

Fionel sighed, almost ashamed of what she had done. "That was...unnecessary. I'm.." She couldnt bring herself to apologise, but he seemed to see it anyway, inclining his head. He tried again, more hesitantly this time. "May I?"

Fionel eyed him warily again, then nodded. "Please."

Tenzin moved around behind her, kneeling up, the salve in his hand. He scooped a small amount onto his fingers and, very carefully and slowly, as if he was worried Fionel would bolt or lash out again, began to rub it into her back. At first she stiffened, then relaxed as the lashes began to feel better. After a few rather awkward moments, Tenzin withdrew.

"Done." Fionel thought she could hear a hint of a smile in his voice and smiled sheepishly at him. He returned it, and Fionel felt that something else was needed, beside her thanks.

"So you will head back to Rhun with Rhunnaro? What will you do there?"