Seeing Predian drop, Rharan crouched, raising his shield, and scanned the horizon quickly for enemy archers or mages... but there was nothing here.
Letting his guard down a bit, he knelt to check on his leader. "Predian? Sir?" There was no sign of life from the friar other than his slow breathing. Sheathing his sword, Rharan began softly chanting the Latin prayers he'd learned from Lord Prydwen so many years ago, asking their Lord for strength and wholeness of body. He felt the familiar gift of healing power build within him, but couldn't feel the power aiding Predian.
A couple of wheezing coughs shook through the friar's prone form. Rharan tried to help Predian sit up, thinking to aid him to catch a good breath. The man was burning to the touch. There was a bit of blood around his mouth, brought up by his coughing. Some sort of swelling around his neck. And his skin... nearly the pallor of a zombie's, other than the dark splotches that seemed to be forming as he watched.
"Dear Lord..." Rharan glanced up the hill towards Erasleigh, still flying Ascension's banner. He lifted Predian up, shocked by how light the man was... how frail. Lord be with you, my friend... how long have you been hiding this?, the paladin wondered. You couldn't have lost so much strength overnight...
Running up the hill to the fortress, he spoke softly to his liege, not sure if the man could hear him or not. "Predian... hold on, sir..."
He caught the attention of one of the guards. "
ou! You've a cleric on duty this morn?"
The guard shook his head, glancing with concern at the body in Rharan's arms. "Nay, nor a friar..."
Damnation, what incompetence does our money buy here?, Rharan thought to himself. He took a deep breath, opened his mouth to question -- then glanced down as Predian shivered suddenly. No... No time for this, Rharan. "A minstrel, then, at least?"
The guard shook his head again, while a couple of the other hired defenders noted the commotion and came over. "Just the hastener, sir..." He paused, getting a good look at Predian's face. "Is.. is that..." The guard looked up at Rharan with concern.
Glancing up at the guard as he knelt and gently lay his friend down, he snapped off an order. "Form an honor guard. Now. We're taking him to Sauvage." Not waiting for a response, Rharan removed his cloak, and carefully wrapped it around Predian, paying no attention to the guards as they assembled.
((more coming later today))
