Always an adventure [OPEN]

[Storm]

"It really is. I don't tend to wait and rest for views like this often. Its nice. " He sighed with a soft smile. Taking the food gratefully he leaned back into his makeshift seat.

"where have you traveled to?" He asked watching the sun peacefully.

[Hope]

"Oh, here and there. I've mostly been making my way south from Hyoite, where I was born." Acadia paused, then added, "I began traveling with a wandering band of explorers for a while, so I've been to the Yoreiq Isles and seen Essyrn, though we began traveling back northward from there as conditions were hostile. After that group... left... I began traveling alone, making the rounds around the nations. I've been through Serendipity at least three times in my journeys and always return to visit a friend. He goes to the local college, and I like to check up on him."

There was a pause as Acadia thought about him, and it was obvious they had been friends for a long time. "What about you?" she finally asked.

[Storm]

He chuckled "I think I have been everywhere. Or as close as I will get at least once. I travel between here and Hyoite quite often actually. My partner, Whitebone, was born up around those parts and is obsessed with the Fell so I have helped him out more times than I can count. But I like it down here. Warmer and not as hostile. The coast was my favorite trip so far, mainly because there was nothing to do."

He turned to look  at her "Its good that you check up on your friend. Not many people do anymore. Magic is getting a bit messy in the past years. Gotta take care of those who accept that ya got it."

[Hope]

"Yeah," Acadia mumbled. "Well, he's enrolled in Wyrdwood so he's got it too." Her cheeks flushed a bit, as she added, "He thinks he's so cool, and immortal, sometimes. But I still love him to death."

As they finished their meal and began to get ready to travel, there was a cry from somewhere within the mess and tangle of tents. Acadia froze, startled, as the wail came again. A second later, more voices called out, screaming "Help!"

[Storm]

He shrugged "Doesn't change anything. Someone gotta be there. Can't ride high forever" He mumbled placing his food down and cleaning the wood dish. Malki felt the energy hum through him as the yells for help hit his ears.

He jumped up in a flash following the direction of the noise. He kept his hand on the hilt of his sword. Weaving through the tents he stopped short at the mess in front of him.

[Hope]

Acadia ran after Malki, and then stopped short.

There was so much red that at first, she almost didn't see the child.

Blood was everywhere, so much more blood than she could've ever thought possible, still oozing from the child's body. A collapsed tent was piled on top of the screaming child, and as he flailed about, he tangled himself further into the tent canvas. One of the stakes used to hold the tent in place was driven deep into his shoulder.

Malki leaped into action, an authoritative figure in the midst of the hysterical surveyors, and Acadia waited anxiously for some instruction.

[Storm]

Malki pushed through the crowd with a frown. Taking a sharp look at Acadia he nodded "I need a shelter with plenty of clean rags. Boiled water for herbs." He said taking out a knife and cutting off the child's shirt around the stake. He left the large stake in the shoulder as he lifted the child onto a nearby wood plank. Dragging him away from the crowd that gathered he spoke softly to the child.

"Hey there" He said using the cut shirt as a rag to clean the blood from its body as he inspected to see if there were any other wounds on his body. After finding none of significance he pulled out his bag and dug for his sewing kit and a small herb pouch.  "Stay still little guy, I got you. We will make this pain go a way soon alright? Can you do that?" He asked softly to the kid running his hands through his hair.

[Hope]

Acadia dashed to the communal fire, filling up whatever pots and pans she could find with water and placing it on the embers. She kept the crowd a short distance away from Malki, knowing that overcrowding someone who was injured was definitely the wrong thing to do, and instead distracted the people by asking for clean rags and available shelters.

A woman offered up her wagon, and Acadia brought the first pot, by now boiling with water, into the shelter, along with some clean rags. She checked outside to see a frantic couple bustling around Malki and ran over to investigate as well as redirect Malki and the child towards the wagon.

[Storm]

Following Acadia to the cart Malki settled in "Acadia. You said you have a way with snow? Can you do ice? or cold?" He asked as threw some herbs into the water laying a rag over the top to keep the water in and let the herbs seep into the rag. He took another clean rag and pressed it to the wound firmly and yanking on the spike, pulling it smoothly from the child's body. Replacing the now gaping hole with the rag he kept firm pressure. Quickly pulling up the mask that lay around his neck over his nose he took a  deep breath as he held pressure,watching the blood start to slow a bit.

"I am going to need you to freeze the tissue around the wound. The deeper the better. Not blocking if off but enough to slow the bleed." Malki said.

[Hope]

"I..." Acadia paused. She had never actually tried using her snowfrost powers in a real situation before, not since her traveling tribe had shamed her and abandoned her for it. But Malki was confident, and Acadia had developed some control through some unofficial training with her Wyrdwood Academy friend.

Though she was short for time, Acadia drew out a few water droplets from one of the hot pans, tentatively freezing them over, giving her power a test run. She wouldn't want to hurt the child in any way. Then she lowered her hand over the boy's wounds.

She felt cold seeping from her fingers, through her fingers. Closing her eyes, she focused more on her intuition, her sense of self, letting it travel with the cold. She felt the pull of tissue, the numbing of nerves; she let coldness glide into the blood vessels, felt them constrict and slow the blood.

There was a slight tingle, and quickly Acdia withdrew before ice could form in the veins. The boy's blood was clotting, and his nerves had temporarily numbed his pain.

[Storm]

"See? Not so bad" Malki said with a grim grin. With the blood slowed enough he replaced the rag with a new clean one and grabbed his sewing kit.

"This is going to be the tricky part. I am going to need you to push the skin together so I can sew this up. Its not too deep of a wound where we can't. It just hit one of the large arteries. "Malki said as he threaded the needle and tied it off. "After we get the wound stitched we are going to have to grind up some of the herbs and make a soft paste. It will help slow the bleeding after the ice melts."

[Hope]

They began working in tandem now, as Acadia held the wound together and Malki stitched it up. The boy had calmed now that the pain had eased and the stake was no longer jutting out of his shoulder. Just as they finished, the frantic couple, whom Acadia had asked a camper to distract and keep outside while they worked, pushed in through the open doorway.

"How is he?"
"Is he going to be alright?"
"My sweet boy!"

[Storm]

Malki tied the not over the damp rag that now was used as a binding over the wound. He helped the boy sit up a bit to drink the warm herb water that had been boiling over the course of the procedure. As he left the cup in the boys hands he dipped his own into an extra bowl and started to clean the blood off.

"He should be ok for now. When you get a chance find a doctor. He will be able to procure herbs and medical supplies to ensure his wound heals cleanly. he is going to need quite a bit of rest however." Malki said looking up at the couple that entered into the  room. 

[Hope]

"Thank you so much for your help," the man said, pale with relief. "If there's some way we can repay you..."

//thanks for letting me throw in a fun little plot twist! just let me know if i'm being too overbearing

[Storm]

Malki smiled sadly and shook his head "No need, save for a doctor. I can only do so much"
He patted the man on the shoulder and headed outside. Nodding to Acadia "We should get going if we wanted to make good pace before dark"


(Psh you all good, Its a welcome plan)

[Hope]

Acadia followed Malki out. The sun was well into the sky by now, and it would begin to get hot soon. They walked along beaten trails and paved roads, picking their way through roots.

[Storm]

Looking around for a clear spot near the river Malki put his pack down.

"We might as well camp here tonight. Take some rest, no need to rush things" He said stretching and moving to the river to fill his canteen with water.

[Hope]

Acadia followed suit, pitching her tarp against a bush to create shelter for the night. They had some food remaining from earlier that day, but she thought perhaps they would have to hunt or gather soon. They had been steadily eating away at their rations all day.

The night air was refreshing after the day's long journey, and Acadia relaxed as she let a hand stir the river water.

[Storm]

"There should be a small fishing village under a days journey. We can probably stock up food there, after that though we will have to hunt if we want to reach the riverlands" Malki said pulling together a small fire.

"How do you feel? That was a lot of blood this morning" He asked

[Hope]

Acadia wasn't sure of what to say. She thought she ought to be saddened, or sickened, or something, some emotion. After all, it was her first time seeing an injury like that. But she didn't. She felt nothing. "I feel... numb, I guess," she told Malki. "Is that wrong?"