[Tevildo]

Dorran groggily pulled himself up off the forest floor, his head throbbing with pain. The world spun crazily about him. The force of the cat's attack just moments before had sent him sprawling onto the ground. Tentatively stretching out one leg and then the other, he was relieved to discover that he had not been seriously injured. Still, when Dorran attempted to stand and come over to Brand, the young man showed signs of being dazed and disoriented, and had some trouble walking. The wind had been knocked out of him.

Lady, who had sprinted boldly out of the thicket when the cougar attacked Dorran, now threaded her way through the bracken to stand beside her master, gently nuzzling his head. Despite the shallow cuts on the horse's flanks and withers, she looked to be in decent shape. The wounds needed cleansing, but that must wait till they returned to camp.

With great effort, Dorran knelt down beside Brand. The young man was not a healer, but he had plenty of experience caring for sick and injured steeds. Dorran reached his hand out to Brand's chest, felt the steady beat of his heart, and then began to examine his body and limbs. His friend had been knocked unconscious by the weight of the falling cat and had suffered a number of injuries. Fortunately, these wounds did not seem to threaten his life. There was little that Dorran could do for Brand since he did not even have water or clean rags. It was unlikely that Brand would wake up immediately. Moreover, Dorran's own wounds, though relatively minor, made it impossible for him to carry Brand on his own. He had no choice but to try and make his way to the main camp and get someone to help him.

Dorran took off his coat and placed it over Brand's upper body, and then dragged the carcass of the cougar well over to the side, beyond the ring of trees, so that no scavenger would bother his friend's fallen body. Dorran thought of trying to mount up on Lady but that did not seem like a practical idea. Glancing about the clearing, he found a stout branch on the ground that he could use as a staff and slowly began to make his way back down the long path as quickly as he could. The distance back seemed infinitely longer than when he'd gone running after the cougar. After what seemed like a very long time, he thought he recognized some familiar sights not too far from their camp. Dorran cried out in the darkness, "Incana, Vaenosa? Anyone there? Can someone help me with Brand?"