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A tired smile stayed on MacKensie's face as she recieved treatment from the villagers.  Her deep lacerations, now treated with healing ointment and salve, were fairly noticeable, highlighted by the tears in her tunic and undershirt.  Rips and ladders in her tights showed the minor cuts and scrapes she'd recieved from the various times she'd been thrown around the courtyard.  Her swollen eye had gone down but was still difficult to see out of.  She was pretty beat up.  And yet that tired smile remained.  Clive was alive.  Although he didn't give much of an explanation, it didn't matter.  He was alive.

To add to this; so much of her anxiety had been resolved during this mission.  Her strong-headed push for her friends to take the Gold Class mission had not resulted in any deaths.  Her confidence issues, regarding her acrobatics, were no more.  And Zigmund was dead, never to haunt them again.  The metal ninja's death had provided a distinct, dark sense of satisfaction.  Back in the Mazy Hillocks, it had been chaos - with Lillianna clinging to life after being impaled, Aurok the Maneater stomping around the confined canyon and demanding most of the attention... amidst all of that, it had been MacKensie and Zell who stood against Zigmund towards the end, furious anger in the frenchwoman's eyes and the englishman's voice as Zell promised to cut Zigmund's head off.  And in spite of the seeming futility of the promise... in spite of the extreme power-gap... it had been MacKensie and Zell again, at the end, delivering that promise.  Of course, none of it would've been possible without all of the courage, skill and fury of Second Chance as a whole (and however the vicory came, it would have been a bittersweet joy,) but the way it ended, made victory just that little sweeter.

And so she sat there, beat up and aching, with a tired smile, staring through the busy scene around her sightlessly, only occasionally paying attention to see her friends were doing well, and sharing her smile with them.

[Colour=Pink]"Adam,"[/colour] she said to the red-eyed man she sat beside.  [Colour=Pink]"What was it like?"[/colour]  She let the question hang for a moment as she stared into the distance, before finally turning her head to look upon her equally beat up friend.  [Colour=Pink]"To shapeshift - to be an animal."[/colour]  Many things in Mytheria were fantastical, but there was something special about Adam's new power.  After all, what young child hadn't dreamed of being a bird in the sky?  Or perhaps played pretend as a lion.  It was almost like he'd lived what was a wish of so many.  She would digest his answer thoughtfully (tiredly) but her follow-up statement would remain the same.  [Colour=Pink]"You were incredible."[/colour]

She stayed put, content to rest, until she noticed the young man who approached Barracker and remembered his face.  That made her get up and go over to where the Paladin was, approaching as she heard her name.  [Colour=Pink]"Steven,"[/colour] she greeted.

Steven Sullivan.  In reality, he was the luckiest of all of George's ambush squad, yesterday evening, in the fight before the moonlight opened up the temple.  He was the spearman who surrendered.  Others were not so fortunate to survive, let alone escape without injury.  But it was all in the past now.  MacKensie shook the man's hand and recieved his thanks with warm humility, wishing him well and thanking him for coming back up the hill to give Second Chance aid.  She spent a moment with Barracker, speaking with the village elder, Antonius, finding out that Cherrad was offering them a choice to get some bedrest in the village or give them a ride back to Valhiem.

[Colour=Pink]"What do you think?"[/colour] she asked Barracker.

Bedrest sounded good, but many of their injuries would be best dealt with at Valhiem's hospital.  After hearing the vampire's answer, she went around to hear what the others thought.  Seeing James asleep in the shelter, right in the spot he first sat down, brought a smile to her face.  He certainly deserved a good sleep after his performance.  Their leader's genius had once again shined brightly, somehow out-thinking a seemingly invincible foe.  She would not disturb him.  The rest of them were capable of making this decision without him.  Zell was nowhere to be found, but she was confident that he would go with whatever decision the rest of them made, so that left Clive, Fenna and Adam.

[Colour=Pink]"It wouldn't take long to reach Valhiem by wagon, seeing as we walked here and it only took an afternoon,"[/colour] she said to the others.  [Colour=Pink]"I think that a quick nap and some food would not hurt, but perhaps a direct and prompt heading for the city hospital would be the wisest course of action."[/colour]  She shrugged weakly and apologetically.  [Colour=Pink]"In truth, I am not sure."[/colour]