"Thank you," the man had said.

Erudessa blinked. [i]Thankyou? I don't know that word. Or is it two, as in 'thank you?' I think my language instructor mentioned it in passing, but I don't recall her emphasizing it. The men of the Imperium must not use it often. Was it...was it an expression of gratitude? Yes, I think that's what it is. What's the appropriate response to that? In Elvish, one uses the same word for 'thanks' that is used for the acknowledgement of thanks, but Common may be different. Some small expression of humility should work.[/i] After a brief moment of consideration, she bowed her head.

[i]I'm still missing something.[/i] She looked at Finnigan, at the chair, and at his splints. [i]The healing spell. I've forgotten the healing spell![/i] Erudessa motioned for Lanik to 'wait a moment' and knelt to put her hands on the wooden splints. [i]A lingering spell is needed here. Assuming the average regeneration rate, three days worth of mana should more than cover everything.[/i] She poured her magic into the wood and chanted a few words. With the operation completed, she stood up and brushed off her cloak.

The other soldier still looked weary, like he needed her healing magic too. What ailed him, though, didn't need magic to cure. [i]A smile heals more than a tear,[/i] she'd always tell her acolytes. But this was a human. Humans were brutal. Humans would eat you alive. There was never a reason to smile at a human. Nonetheless, he needed healing, and bearing a bright attitude came part and parcel with the healer's work.

So Erudessa smiled.

"Fear not, he will be able to walk again. Just give him a few days, and he will be up and running with the rest of you. Speaking of running, your friends should be here any minute now, so...what I mean to say is..." She wrung her hands as she searched for the right words. "...I have to run."

"Run where, elf?" said a voice behind her. Erudessa spun around to find hundreds of Imperial soldiers staring back at her. [i]I've been made.[/i] She pointed in the direction of the Gap and replied, "Um, that way?" The soldiers laughed and charged at her. She turned to run, but several soldiers came up behind her and grabbed her by the arms. "N-No!" she cried as she kicked and pulled against them. They wrestled her to the ground and pinned her arms behind her. Then, an unusually large, burly soldier pushed his way through the company and slowly clapped his hands. His name was Gurgle Moor, captain of several hundred Imperial soldiers and owner of the largest slave trading organization in the world. "Congratulations, Sir Lanik Wintergate! I must thank you for catching the Engineer for us. That was a pretty clever ploy you made there, luring it out to heal your friend. I would never have thought of that myself."

[i]It was a trap?[/i] Erudessa shot an accusing glare at Lanik. [i]You set me up, you little rat![/i] Her look didn't escape the big soldier, and just for cruelty's sake, he decided to play it up. He patted Lanik on the shoulder and lazily waved for his men to take Erudessa away. As they hauled her away to the wagon cage, Gurgle crowed, "The battle's over, son. An elvish turncoat broke open the wall and let us in, so we got us a goldmine of slaves to bring home. We couldn't have done it without you keeping their Engineer away. Hit me up if you want a discount on any of my merchandise."

He turned to Finnigan and pointed at him. "Hey, look at that! You guys even got the elf to work for you! Genius, man, genius. I could use fellas like you in my company."