A Ride to the Dark Side--RPG

[Deorlin]

Deorlin digested Izrenna's news carefully. To return to Edoras? Without Frey? This was unthinkable! He saw the uncertainty in the young woman's eyes. He sensed that she felt uncomfortable - but was it because she regretted her decision to stay behind with him? Or did she know that to return with his tail between his legs, having not only deserted his duty and his fellow chasers, but also his truest and best friend and companion, was totally inpossible for him, no matter what his condition?

Which brought the next obvious question to mind, what exactly was his condition?

"Izrenna, my wounds, how bad are they?" He was just now beginning to feel the rips and tears in his legs and forearms. The wargs had not meant to make a meal of him, apparently. But they had certainly done a good job of disabling him and driving him into the river. It was all coming back very clearly, in fact, much too clearly now.

"Well . . . " Her hesitation alone spoke volumes. "There are many superficial bites and tears on your calves and forearms. but . . . The gash on your thigh is deep, very deep. I think falling in the river actually saved you. The chill of the water slowed the bleeding; otherwise . . ." Izrenna's eyes strayed to the bandage covering the ugly gash running from his right knee up at least several inches. The bone had showed through the torn and mutilated flesh, and they had had to bind it extremely tight to stop the new bleeding. Even now, she feared for the rest of the limb, which was cold to the touch. There was no way he could ride far or fast with such a wound, let alone fight if it came to that. Still, she knew what was in his mind.

"Rest now. Don't think on it." She said soothingly.

But Deorlin needed no time to think of what he would do. Whether Izrenna would help him or no, tomorrow he would be up, mounted or walking, and following the others, to recover his horse, or die trying.