[RE] Turn the white snow red as strawberries in the summertime

The fox had seen it all unfold from his own hiding place - the singing, the arrow, the luxere running, the woman jumping out of the tree and running. Well isn't this quite the little clusterfuck, he thought with a sigh. But Amalia was unhurt, thank goodness, which left only the man who was bleeding  from an arrow to the arm.

Dropping down and shifting prone, Jigano stood and dusted the snow off his front as he walked towards the little group, offering smiles to those he knew and nods to those he didn't - and Remi as well, not leaving the young man out.

The bard would approach Ronin tilting his head to examine the wound if the man didn't pull it away. "I have some small knowledge of healing," he offered. "Or I can at least escort you back to the infirmary, if you'd prefer? My name is Jigano, by the way. If it's any consolation, I've been training a bit under Isla," he added with a lopsided grin.

Not at all as worried as those around, Remi of course moved to Ronin's side and knelt down, but there was a wry grin on his face. "Show stealer." He chuckled, before patting Ronin's shoulder gently. "Is Sugar going to—" —stiffening slightly as Jigano appeared, Remi nodded silently in return. He wanted very much to say something stupid like well I've been with Ronin when he's been stabbed before, or Since we both know Isla better than you I think we'll be fine thanks, but instead he just took a breath and tried to squelch this odd resentment he had never quite felt before in his life. "What do you think Ronin? Fancy a trip to see Isla?" Remi asked, returning his gaze to his friend with a lopsided smile. "Or if you like, perhaps Sugar could bite along the wound and I could stitch you up here?" Magically needle and thread appeared in Remi's hands as a mischievous grin spread across his lips. REMI Where do you go when you're right next to me?

Roana was watching with rather awe as the singing woman seemed to magically coax the distraught Luxere to her. Her voice was also melodic and lovely to listen to but still, to think that such a creature could be so easily coaxed by a soothing melody! If only her boys were so easily calmed by song. That would make her life so much easier. Sadly, it seemed her sons were actually more feral than the wild animal. Of course, her musings were brought to a halt when the sound of an arrow whizzing passed her caught her attention. She turned, eyes wide as she saw it hit Ronin in the arm. Roana didn't hesitate, immediately going to Ronin's side. Fortunately it seemed to miss the major artery, given blood was not gushing everywhere. Still not ideal. "Who the hell is so stupid as to..." she huffed, shaking her head. But before she could say more some fellow she didn't recognize decided to pop in an act like he knew something about wound healing the rest of them didn't. Maybe she was just irritated which made him seem less...appealing. Not to mention the way Remi seemed to stiffen when the man approached. She didn't know Remi well but she knew him better than this...Jiggy-whoever. "We have it under control, thank you. If you could take a step back we will take care of this. He can still walk after all." Roana said, her authoritative captain's voice coming out. It was an arrow wound to an extremity. She and Ronin had likely seen more wounds like this than either could count. They had it under control. She looked back at Ronin and Remi with a small smirk. "How about we break off that extra bit of arrow and get you to Isla? Last thing we need is for a dragon to get a taste for people." If allowed, Roana would deftly break off the protruding arrow so only a hands-width remained outside his arm, stabilizing it with her hand as she did so. This would minimize the damage while they got him to the infirmary. ROANA be the heroine of your life

"He has been training with Isla." Remi offered, voice even and low despite the fac that his eyes were fixed somewhere around Ronin's chin (actually he was trying to find Sugar in those depths while trying to casually not meet the bard's gaze). "I can only imagine what Isla would say if we let him walk all the way back without at least trying to perform some first aid." Glancing up towards Roana, Remi smiled, before quirking a brow down at the other Ro as if he might actually have something to say about all this. "I'll even hold your dragon for you. " Remi added with a salacious wink towards his friend. REMI Where do you go when you're right next to me?

She listened as Remi approached, offering him a gentle welcoming smile in greeting as he spoke of the Luxere – how they didn’t normally have glowing red ones. Her head tilted slightly at the information as she looked back to the poor creature, her brows furrowing even further together at the sight of the distraught creature. Others approached soon, however, Amalia with a beautiful song to sing and a woman she’d never met who stood beside her and spoke. She nodded her head to Roana with a sad smile in response. There’s another woman that approaches and beginning to sing with Amalia and Rexanna’s head swivels back to the poor creature as more appear to try and coax it. But then hell breaks loose. An arrow, darting across the snow – impaling Ronin in the arm and the man had a curious way of trying to make light of it. Immediately, her body is in motion but it halts as Amalia tries to wrangle the deer. Suddenly Jigano is there helping Ronin and she feels as though she’s overstepped somehow, now having any way to help. There were more than enough people there to help the man to the infirmary and she moves to make room. Attempting to not make much of a scene she steps over to Amalia with concern lacing her sapphire eyes. “Are you okay?” She questions to the other woman she’d met before with that light purr in her voice. It couldn’t have been easy wrestling with a deer – but what a wonderful and intriguing gift she’d been given. RexannA nothing ever ends poetically. all that blood was never once beautiful, it was just red.

coding

A stranger approached and introduced himself as someone medically confident, something that Ronin was quite reasonably happy about. "Ronin," he introduced himself, about to speak again when Remi was suddenly kneeling beside him; the guildmaster offered his friend a lopsided smirk. "Better me than the deer. But if you'd like the show instead I can pull out this arrow and stab you in the arm?" he offered, trying to ignore the hot, tearing pain from the aforementioned arrow and snorting at the alchemist's mention of his 'dragon'. As if recognising her name (Ronin had been reaching her), Sugar popped her head up from where she'd been curled up in the high collar of his coat, looking uncharacteristically subdued as if sensing her master's injured state. "Go ahead," Ronin murmured to Remi as if to say he could take her, about to get to his feet when none other than Roana came into view. He managed to get a greeting out whilst she, Jigano and the rest of the world examined his arm (he was popular, apparently) and his fellow former captain snapped the end of the arrow with barely a warning. Snarling out a curse between gritted teeth and hissing in a sharp breath, Ronin rose very swiftly to his feet indeed. "Yes, I think I would like to go to the infirmary if it's all the same to everyone. I've met Isla previously, though this will be my first experience of her treatment whilst in my right mind." RONIN Darkness is a funny thing. It creeps up on you.

Any anxiety Amalia felt at the prospect of singing before such a crowd is quickly melted away by the luxere's soft, tragic eyes. Those eyes are pools for the girl to fall into, mirrors for the disquiet which plagues her own injured soul. Faced with the trust and pain of such a creature, what can she do but give all she has, risk of shame or injury be damned? So she continues to sing, her alto lilting, a grateful glance thrown to Lily for the sweet harmony. As the luxere draws nearer Amalia reaches out, concern and determination etched across her features. Slender hands grasp the strange crimson antlers; despite the lingering pain in her shoulder Amalia pulls, following the beast's guidance in freeing it from this torment. Her voice falters but a hum remains, soothing, passionate, rising in volume and pitch. "Rae," she sings, "Help me help your child-" And with a pop!, the crown comes loose. She would have liked to comfort it further, but the luxure is away and Amalia is left sitting in the snow, a pair of glowing antlers and a triumphant smile the only remnants of her chance encounter. "May Rae protect you," the girl murmurs to the retreating form. Wistfully she wonders if she will see it again: will the antlers grow back red in the following year, or is the beast now free of his isolating curse? Movement behind her wrests the girl from her thoughts, and she turns to find Rexanna drawing near. "I'm fine," Amalia answers distantly, though in truth she is still somewhat dazed. Turning to Lily she smiles brightly, though a flash of embarrassment colors her cheeks. "Thank you. I think we were able to help it." She rises, still clutching the glowing antlers, which hang heavy and warm from her gloved hands. There is some commotion going on; blinking, she peers past the duo of women, her dark eyes widening at a flash of red on white. "What happened?" amalia There is a color that shines through your skin Like the moon on the wind, when I dare bear you in

He would never have approached if he'd seen Remi move in before him, but what was done, was done. More surprising was the animosity from the strange woman. He'd never met her before, he was certain of it, but her curtness and deliberate mischaracterization of what he'd said were surprisingly hostile from someone only offering aid. But...

He glanced from her to Remi, seeing the way they seemed to close ranks around the injured man, the familiarity between them, and somehow, from deeper inside than he had expected, he found a well of disappointment. He had, for some reason, thought the young man would keep their dislike personal. Private. Not something to be aired about in a choosing of sides. Perhaps Remi realized this as well, offering a half-hearted truth that undoubtedly salved the boy's conscience.

Since he wouldn't meet Jigano's gaze, and the woman had already asked him to leave, he merely nodded to Ronin, speaking quietly. "If you have any questions that need a researcher or loreseeker, feel free to seek me out... once you've been tended to, of course." With a lopsided smile the bard bowed and turned away to let the man's friends begin their first-aid. He glanced to Amalia and Rexanna, offering them nods and wan smiles if they met his gaze, but they seemed more curious about the antlers Amalia had gained. Normally he would have been, too... but there was a coldness in his chest he recognized, one he hadn't felt bite nearly so hard since he had arrived in Caido.

Perhaps Rory was back on the farm, and would have a moment for a small, furry friend... Wrapping his grey cloak around himself, footsteps soft and nearly trackless, the lorekeeper disappeared quickly into the orchard and from there, into the woods beyond.