Elva had been watching Kire like a hawk, as if afraid she would get up and disappear in a blue flash the minute her attention went elsewhere. Kire had insisted she rest in her own room, and Elva insisted she accompany her. Kire grumbled at it, and the healer wasn't sure if it was because she didn't like being babied-- which would be true any day--or because she had foiled the Paladin's plans to sneak off. The moment she was sure her cousin was asleep, however, she relaxed, if only for a bit. She sighed, wanting badly to smoke, realizing with a wry smile that if she had Kire's power, she would have done the same and gone back to the battlefield. 

She had just about made up her mind to fetch her pipe when someone knocked on the door and peeked in. "Ruli," she breathed, already standing up to follow him to the hall. She took one more look at her cousin as she strode out. He looked, well, like someone who had just been through a hellish battle, but beyond that he seemed alright. Elva nodded at the news, relieved despite what he said about Narda. The giantess was one of the hardiest people she knew, and if she was already being treated by the healers downstairs, she would be alright soon. Unless Ruli was making an understatement.

When they returned to the infirmary, Elva noticed the wince from Ruli and clicked her tongue. "If you want, someone can help you put ice on that later," she said, before turning to her friend. Narda was already out of her armor, wincing as the healers attended to her. She didn't look too happy, but otherwise let the healers work on her in peace. "Kire's asleep. Thank the gods, and I'm sure she we will be happy you see you," Elva said, and Nard nodded with a grin. 
"In case it isn't clear, we won. Was touch and go for a while though," Narda said, then gave an account of what had happened as best she could, pausing to grunt softly now and then as healers applied medicine to her skin. 

They turned to Ruli when he asked his question. "First time was during the attack at the Capital. Not since. And the exploding thing is new. As Kire and Daryll explained it, blood magic takes a lot of resources, so making a whole battalion of such abominations must have been draining," Narda answered. 

Elva frowned, making a gesture to ward off evil and bad luck. Nard looked amused at her friend. "This needs a smoke," she muttered, "Excuse me." She strode through a nearby door. Ruli would have seen a glimpse of a library, cases filled with books and samples of herbs in vials and bottles, before she rejoined them, pipe and tobacco box in hand.
"Where's mine then?" Nard asked. Elva barked out a laugh. "None for you till you're better." Narda pouted.

"Alright then. Daryll--that's another cousin, Ruli--has a theory that, besides the Capital being important, they needed access to the dormant magic in the land."
Narda tilted her head. "Does this have anything to do with the Red Tower?"
Elva nodded, turning to Ruli. "The Red Tower is a structure within the Palace grounds. It's been they're ever since the Palace, maybe longer. Kire received her Ring there. It's got old magic in its bones. That place only ever opens to Wyverns or whoever we allow inside, and theory is that it's tied to the Paladins somehow. But we don't know what the Gemini want with it, if they did want it." 
"Makes my skin crawl thinking of what they have been brewing in the Capital, what they'll throw at us when we try to take it," the giantess commented. 

Elva went quiet as she smoked, feeling the same way. "You two hungry? When you're done I can have food and water brought in. I'd offer wine, but you can't have any," she said, making Narda frown.
"Always the sadist."