[colour=D4E637][h3]Lyen'Ivhere'Zulc[/h3][hr] [b]Defense Of Relouse II[/b][/colour] Lyen's work made little visible difference to the beach. Especially in comparison to the variable forest the small swamp witch had created. A close inspection might reveal the tops the jagged stone barely making themselves visible as the waves rolled back from the shore: But high tide would hide them better when the enemies landed. Let them wade through the high waters; at the mercy of thunder-mages before reaching the barely covered sand traps placed along the path inland. Her hands were covered in sand and clothes crusted with salt spray by the time she was done. It was growing late but she'd have time to at least change before the battle began. She was stopped on her way back to the camps by another Yasoi, a man a least a decade her junior tried re-directing her towards the Witch Wood. "We're to meet Talit at the tree line." He finished his rehearsed message and turned before she could respond, he was so certain she would follow. [colour=D4E637]"I was assigned to a human Captain this morning and received no such orders."[/colour] Lyen had no desire to hide in the woods while the first battle of Perrence waged barely a mile away. The main force of Eskand would be arriving on the beach and she would be there to witness it. "As you say I suppose" Was all he said with barely a shrug, but this time Lyen took hold of him before he moved away. [colour=D4E637]"Just one thing" [/colour]Oblivious, or simply uncaring about surrounding watchers, Lyen hiked her skirts past her calf, removing the blade strapped there. Unsheathed, it was bight polished silver, barely more than a flash light as she dragged it, without hesitation, across the back of her own forearm. The font of blood made its way down to her finger tips, where did not drip to the ground but instead flowed back upwards, twisting between each finger until a coin-sized pool rested in her palm. The Yasoi man, apparently familiar enough with the process, rolled his sleeve to expose his shoulder, where Lyen finally allowed the blood to fall. Most disappeared into the skin, until only a small raised freckle remained. In her own body, Lyen reached out and felt the man's heartbeat, just barely out of rhythm with her own, and loud at this proximity, but it was a distraction she was accustomed to tuning out. [colour=D4E637]"Ilbin ist Oirase triec"[/colour] With a tight smile, he nodded in thanks for her blessing and they finally parted ways. [hr] It wasn't clear just how controlled and organized the chaos in the camps had been until true disorder and panic erupted. Lyen had only just finished changing when the shouting and crowd of people drew her out of the tent. There was a stretcher, still mounted knights, and far too many pushing hands to see much else. Above it all a splitting howl of agony. "A binder! Someone fetch a binder!" Lyen's heart sank. The role of medic had been the one she'd most carefully avoided up to this point. She'd already spent the better part of two decades tending to the wounds of humans, and had learned as much as she cared to about the subject. But when she saw hands pulling off pieces of armor still fused to skin of the awake and screaming man she stepped forward. [colour=D4E637]"Stop! You're making it worse, step away and let me bind him." [/colour] She dropped two small vials from the pouch of her hip and stepped on them. Using the small wisp of essence they produced she placed a hand on each side of the screaming man's head. Almost instantly his eyes closed and he stilled to silence. It was finally quiet enough for the others surrounding them to hear what she was saying. [colour=D4E637]"He needs water and space. You two, take him into my tent. Someone tell me what happened." [/colour] The inside space of her quarters was tight with Lyen, her patient, and his squire kneeling beside her, keeping the basin water clean and full while retelling the events of Cap Redame to the best of his ability. Lyen listened as she diligently dissolved the plate attached to burnt skin, which she did her best to repair. It was tedious work, gruesome and slow but resulting in much of the man's own flesh being saved. One of the few less fortunate areas was his left torso: The heat there had been enough to melt through the fat and muscle to expose the beginning of his rib cage. She had only just finished grafting the area from some of her preserved remains when a feeling intense dread hit her so suddenly Lyen froze in the midst of her labours. [colour=D4E637]"Something's wrong-" [/colour] Dread quickly melted to panic as the realization for the feeling finally dawned. It was the second heartbeat - the connection to the Yasoi in the woods. He was dying. The impossibility of it stunned Lyen for longer still. It should have been impossible, there weren't nearly enough forces north to face a contingent of Yasoi in the trees. She stood, abruptly ending her work. When the squire began asking questions and demanded she remain she brushed his concerns aside. "He'll live." She said. Badly scared with and with extensive damage to the nerves, but he would survive well enough without any more intervention from her. The second heartbeat she could hear continued to skip and fade. "Zulc!" Her Captain from the morning had suddenly appeared and was blocking her path. He'd allowed himself in her tent, leaving barely enough room for the three conscious occupants to stand. At least someone had reminded him of her name this time. "You're needed on the beach-head." He took no notice of the squire, patient, or blood staining everything including Lyen herself. [colour=D4E637]"I'm needed in the Witch Wood."[/colour] She countered, pushing him out of the crowded space with her. If the Yasoi were overwhelmed, had they failed to even get warning out? She could imagine their bodies littering the forest floor, only to be trampled by a Eskandr vanguard. They'd already been wrong once about Cap Redame. The stories of mistakes made at the city of Vitroux rang in her ears louder than the captain's commands. "Orders are for the second battalion to make for the beach. Its too late for reassignments now. Beach-head Yosai. Now." Lyen glared after him until he turned out of view, when she poked her head back into her tent. [colour=D4E637]"You rode back here on a horse?"[/colour] The squire nodded. [colour=D4E637]"I'll need to borrow it."[/colour] Within five minutes she was riding north of the camp, towards the Witch Wood, and getting her first real view of war. [hider=summary] - Traps set up on beach include rocks to hinder boats trying to come ashore and sand traps for those that make it to the beach to fall into. - Lyen helps save one of the Knights almost killed in Cap Redame - Worried the Yasoi are overwhelmed at the Witch Wood Lyen disobeys orders to go to the beachhead and instead rides for the forest.[/hider]