Ostus got to work treating Kiara the best he could, weighing the pros and cons on pushing through with this journey on his mind. If he could find a doctor for her, she could be treated properly, get some rest, and then they could start the trip anew. But after coming this far, could they journey back here again? What if they were attacked again with a worse outcome? The mountain trail was long and somewhat strenuous, but not unmanageable. It didn't involve heavy climbing or using ropes to get across, especially now with lack of snow. He wouldn't have picked the route otherwise if he thought the princess wouldn't make it under normal circumstances. Still, her injury changed things... they would have to move slower, more carefully; they'd arrive later than planned.

With the wound clean and the blood gone, Kiara's shoulder didn't look quite as bad. He knew she needed stitches, but he had no needle and thread to perform the task. This made their push to Berinike all the more important. For now, he would have to keep giving her clean scraps of cloth to pack the wound and hope for the best.

"We'll continue to Berinike in the morning," he finally agreed with reluctance, "though I don't fucking like it." He did not want to lose another friend to this war.

Friend... when did Ostus truly consider Kiara a friend? She made it well-known that she disliked him, and it was infuriating to argue with her. At the same time, she was very fun to be around when she was relaxed. He thought her intelligent, beautiful, and as he recently discovered, very capable of taking care of herself. He could easily learn to truly respect her; already she was leagues apart from many soldiers he had met and most women. Perhaps it was a good thing that he was completely out of her league -- he was a mere soldier, no one of any importance to any kingdom, and someone she wasn't interested in. He'd be more tempted to pursue her otherwise, despite the fighting...

With the immediate threat of her safety subdued for now, it was hard for Ostus to keep his gaze on Kiara to the wound. He had given her a blanket to cover up with, though her shoulders were still exposed. Had she ever been touched? Had she ever been with anyone? He had assumed no, for a princess's intact 'virtue' was part of her appeal, but considering she was more rough around the edges than even some common women, he wasn't so sure anymore. 

And the scar across her chest... where did she get that? He wanted to ask her about it, but after everything else that happened in their day, he didn't want to end the night in another argument with her. He wasn't sure if she was up to talking at that moment anyway. So he kept quiet, finished up, and bowed to her once more, highlighting without knowing it the distances between them with that gesture. "I'll be sitting just outside your tent through the whole night," he informed in a gentle tone. "Not even a fucking ant will get in here without getting through me. Try to get some sleep; it's going to be a bitch of a journey tomorrow."