The three Azurei warriors grouped around Talyn with interest. They'd heard of some commotion but hadn't gone to investigate. They wished they had. The most experienced of them was a broad-shouldered man with a storied ojih, and he acted as the little band's leader. The other was a woman, shorter and more stout than Ridahne and with slightly darker skin. The third was her apprentice, who was clearly quite young for an elf and his ojih was very simple. 

"They've been found?"
"Yes." Talyn spoke decent Azurian, though he'd been told his accent was poor. "Seems most of them are dead, but reportedly, one is tied to a tree with a severe injury. On the off chance he's alive, you might want him." 
"Aye," the older man said. "We do. But we can learn a fair bit even if he's dead. Where'd they come from?" 
Talyn gave a wobbly shrug. "North I think?"
"Forgive my boldness," the apprentice said quietly, obviously half expecting to be barked at by his master. Her gaze was sharp, as if to warn him that whatever he had to say better be worthwhile, but he was allowed to speak. "But you said the rest were dead? Those travelers killed them? Who are they? Can we speak to them after we're done searching for the one?"
Talyn frowned. "Er, no, I don't think that's wise. The younger of the two is wary of strangers and needs to rest. The other was...very seriously wounded. She was dangerously close to bleeding out, I doubt she'll be up for being interrogated."

The woman's slim brows furrowed slightly. "An elf then. Human women do not fight, and they do not kill multiple bandits. Not the Red Hand. She is Azurei, isn't she?"
Talyn hoped they wouldn't come to that conclusion, but lying would make things worse. Figures--eija were sharp like broken glass. "Yes. She's a Sea guide I believe, but a well trained one. And a spent one. As a physician, I ask you leave her be. She'll come to you when she's able and if she's inclined."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "What's her name?"
Talyn's cool nature served him as he shook his head calmly and said, "I don't know, it's hard to make introductions with an unconscious woman. And I have no experience reading the [I]ku'o[/I], so I don't know her family name. Besides, I had work to do." 
"Hm." The man went stony and distant and Talyn knew the man was thinking behind that stoicism. "We should go." And in a moment they were mounted and melted into the night darkness. Talyn released a breath he didn't realize he was holding and returned to the hut.

Mitaja was pleased to see Darin, though when the human entered the stables, the cat had been sitting poised and elegant but looming near the horses, and her green eyes tracked the stablehands with sharp accuracy. She'd been trained to protect Tsura as well as her handler, and she growled at anyone who got too close to their two horses. Tsura, meanwhile, tossed his head and bit at anyone that tried to take his tack off, though he bumped Darin's back with a soft nose when she came. 

The cat dutifully slunk away to pounce on a sizable rat that she presented to Darin. She could smell more but she'd get them later. Where was her handler? Mitaja knew her role was to stay with the horses while Ridahne was away, but as Darin left the animals the cat yowled loudly. She'd stay here now, but there was no promise that she wouldn't find her way into the hut in the middle of the night.

Konie saw Darin shuffling towards the hut and she scuttled out to meet her, putting an arm around her as support as the elderly woman ushered the human back inside. "Sit now, dear." She was gentle, but that was a very soft command. "You got no more business running around. Come here, child, I'll have a look at you." 

Talyn entered then, and locked the door behind him. It wasn't highly unusual--he did that whenever they had patients in need of rest or space and when they did not want to be disturbed. He went over to check on Ridahne. The soft rasping of her breath was quiet, but even, and that was something. A dark bruise had developed over her throat, and Talyn could just make out the impression of fingers. He got something from a cabinet, a dark bottle, and poured a little bit of its contents into a little cup of water, swished it around, and then began pouring it into her mouth slowly. "A bit of medicine, and a bit of cool water to soothe her throat," he explained to Darin. He didn't want to alarm her. After covering the elf with a blanket, he sat on a cushion with his back against the wall. He was very tired. 

"I think the eija here are a bit suspicious. They're hard to sneak things past, as I'm sure you know, and they asked a lot of questions. I said that she was a Sea guide. Not untrue, I guess. But I sense they know I'm not telling the whole story. The good news is they don't--er...didn't belong to Khaltira-Sol. They're under Hjendi-Sol's rule I believe, so the situation is a little less...close. Konie, I'll let you handle the other Elders. There's mutterings among some that the presence of the Red Hand here recently is due to our guests, and they're not happy." Talyn sighed.