Chapter 2

Pleased with the way things had turned out so far Hank slowly walked back to his tent, it had been a long day, when he was overly tired his leg bothered him more than usual making his limp more pronounced. Just about to go inside the tent Hank stopped hearing a soft voice "my father has a very good soothing balm that might make you feel better, if you would like I could go and ask him for some." Hank turned and looked at the young girl standing a few steps away, she had a kind smile, all he had heard was concern in her voice. Not wanting to hurt her feelings he thanked her, saying that was very kind of her to make such an offer. He watched her smile brighten as she told him she would be right back and ran off, Hank chuckled wondering who she was and who her father might be.

Unbuckling his sword belt Hank ran his hand over the dagger listening to it softly sing to him, chuckling he replied that he had not taken notice of the young girl's heart she had run off to quickly for him to notice much of anything except her smile. Pulling off his vest he set it aside and was about to take off his boots when he heard a sound outside the tent flap, pushing aside the flap he looked at an elderly man standing next to the young girl.

"My daughter tells me you could use some of my balm, I came along to see if you needed some assistance, I am a healer and will do you no harm." Hank also noticed from the symbols on his robes the man was a mage of high ranking. "thank you for your kind offer, it is merely tired muscles begging for rest, nothing serious." Hank watched the man shoo off his daughter telling her to go back to their tent, she wished Hank a good night and once again ran off, this time Hank noticed her dark brown eyes. The old man chuckled saying sometimes youthful exuberance was too much for someone his age, motioning to the balm he offered to apply it and show Hank how to use it. Not wanting to appear rude Hank pulled the tent flap open gesturing for the man to enter. Sitting down Hank got his boots off and tried not to let out a groan as all the tugging set off his leg aching again. Hank rarely let anyone see his scars and bent leg, so was surprised at himself as he let the man whose name he didn't even know open a jar and start to apply the odd smelling balm to his leg. His hands fisted at his sides he wasn't sure if the man was helping or making things worse as he worked the balm into the tired muscles of his calf. Hank let out a yelp as the man wrapped a steaming hot damp towel around his leg, the man chuckled watching the young man slowly start to relax and let the balm and heat do its job. Surprised to feel the ache in his leg start to disappear, Hank felt the muscles of his shoulders slump forward a bit, perhaps he would get some sleep tonight after all. Many times he had been tempted to ask Nat to ease him into sleep but he was always afraid he would come to rely on her magic so instead on those nights he would simply walk off the cramping muscle or lay tossing and turning in a tired restless sleep.

Half asleep Hank watched the man remove the now cool cloth, he set the jar on the chest where the sword and dagger lay inside, Hank saw the man hesitate as if feeling something, he thanked the man telling him his balm had worked wonders, the elderly man smiled back at Hank pulling a blanket over him "I think you will rest well, sleep now." then the man slipped from the tent, Hank frowned as he fell asleep, he had forgotten to ask the man his name, then a smiling face with large brown eyes filled his last waking thoughts.

Rav woke up feeling Natalie pressed close against his chest, for a moment he had been afraid it had all been a drunken dream, looking down at her he purred it hadn't been a dream she was really here, careful not to wake her Rav ran his talons through her long hair breathing in the scent of her, his eyes slide over her sleeping form thinking she had filled out, no longer too thin and frail looking as she had been the last time he had seen her. Now she looked vibrantly healthy a glow on her soft cheeks, his eyes on her lips he leaned down and cautiously kissed her, startled as he felt her hand slide up his neck, his eyes looked into soft sleep filled violet eyes smiling at him. With a growling sensual purr Rav crushed her against his chest kissing her passionately he heard her breath his name into his mouth and deepened the kiss the tip of his tongue caressing her lips and the sweetness of her mouth.

"Here now, it's too early in the morning for such goings on, give a poor elf an eyeful before he has even gotten his poor aching head in order." grumbled Trink crawling out from a still snoring Falk's wing. Trink chortled as he saw Rav and Natalie freeze as they suddenly realized they weren't exactly alone, then disappear. "Well now that's mighty interesting" muttered Trink to himself as he stood looking at a sleeping Jacquilt with Kim snuggled into the curve of his shoulder her tiny hand on his cheek. Still muttering to himself about not enough pretties for a fine elf like himself to sample, Trink went in search of Hank and a cure for his aching head.

Jacquilt lay not moving, feeling Kim's soft hand on his cheek had set his body off into a riot of aching emotions, he could feel himself growing hard and knew he had to get away from her before he did something utterly stupid. Kim half opened sleepy eyes as she felt Jacquilt pick her up and lay her on the still warm blanket he had produced last night, she watched him snug the blanket like a nest around her, "Jacquilt?" Kim said softly seeing something in his eyes she had never seen before. "Go back to sleep, Kim" he said almost snarling as he turned and quickly left, Kim closed her eyes as she rubbed her aching temples wondering why Jacquilt was angry with her.