Priestess! The call came from Peani as she arrived breathless in the room that Eloewyth was in spending time with Andy and Tabby. They had been drawing and coloring pictures of things they enjoyed doing. Andy had drawn a picture of swimming in the lake and Tabby had drawn a picture of riding on top of Dasha.
Eloewyth turned to the sound of the voice and knew instantly from the look on Peani's face that something had happened to Daneries. A quick look to Jaz told her that she was now in charge of the girls and then Eloewyth went off following Peani to "the room"...the room Dani had been in after her attack in the woods. The room Eloewyth was in when she had been raped. The room Raani was brought to to have her body prepared for burial.
Walking inside, Eloewyth saw Ryker standing by the bed on one side and Asher on the other. Both had a pale look on their face as they turn to see Eloewyth walk in. Daneries was lying on the bed in a large red blotch of her blood, which was flowing down her side from a wound caused by a knife still stuck there. An enraged Eloewyth looked to Ryker for answers as she approached the bed and took hold of the hand of the unconscious woman.
"It was the priest, the one named Joel," Ryker said. "He came to speak to her about something. He seemed very riled up when I took him to the office to wait for her." Ryker had a few tears coming down his face now. "I should have stayed with her. I could have stopped this from happening." Eloewyth sighed heavily, as if irritated. "And where is this priest now?" she hissed through clenched teeth. "Our guards are holding him downstairs," Ryker responded. "Bring that filth to me! Now!"
Ryker took off and went to fetch the priest. Peani came behind Eloewyth and wrapped her arms around her. Eloewyth placed a hand on Peani's arm as she held Dani's hand with her other hand. It was not long before Ryker was back with Joel, who was escorted by two other guards. Eloewyth stood and approached the man as he was drug through the door of the room. He let out a curse as he saw Eloewyth who took the opportunity to kick the man in his groin, sending him to his knees onto the floor. Another kick to his face sent him reeling backwards, landing on his back and blood flowing freely from his nose.
Ryker and the guards stood back, a bit of shock and awe as they never had seen this side of Eloewyth, writing her off as weak and frail. Eloewyth went to the ailing priest and grabbed him by the collar of his robes, picking him up and dragging his body to the bed. Ryker stayed close by in case Joel would attempt anything and as he did, Joel lashed out at Eloewyth, striking her leg with a closed fist. Eloewyth turned, an annoyed look on her face, and landed a swift kick to the side of the priest's head, rendering him unconscious. Ryker stopped in his tracks, held up his hands as if to say, "Ok, I see you have this under control," and then took a few steps back.
Over the past months, Eloewyth had spent more time studying the healing process with Holdous. He had instructed how she could in certain situations, use the life energy of one person to help heal another, thus conserving her energy. Looking at Daneries, she tookhold of the knife and in a swift movement, pulled it from her side. A spray of blood covered Eloe's robes, before she had her hand upon the wound. Grabbing back onto the wrist of the priest, a red glow started to intensify from his body. Eloe's body glowed pink and where her hand touch Daneries, there was a soft blue glow.
This continued for several minutes. As Ryker, Peani, Asher, and the guards watched, Joel grew pale as color came back to Daneries and the wound closed. Finally, Eloewyth tossed the arm of Joel aside and moved to look over Daneries. Stripping her down to her waist, there was only a soft blue glow that still lingered where the knife had been. Daneries was starting to get her color back and was breathing easily. Eloewyth turned to Ryker and Peani, "Take her from her to our suite. Bathe her and give her clean robes. I do not wish to have her in this room. It is too full of pain and suffering."
Ryker went to gently pick up the still unconscious Prophetess and carried her from the room, Peani following close behind. Eloewyth then turned her attention to the guards, "Take this worthless piece of filth to village stocks. Have him set on display. I will write a letter to Osiris explaining this matter that I will then have you deliver immediately." The two bowed and drug the unconscious form from the room.
Eloewyth turned to Asher, who was still stunned at what had all taken place. She stood staring at Eloewyth as Eloe approached her. When Eloe stood in front of her she just started to giggle, "You really kicked his ass. I never thought you had that in you." The two started to laugh and hugged. "Will she be ok, my lady?" Asher asked Eloewyth. Eloe nodded, "She will. She just needs some rest."
Asher sighed a sigh of relief and nodded. It seemed she had more to say as she glanced back to Eloewyth. "What is it, Asher? Speak your mind. It is ok," Eloewyth said as she saw Asher's shy grin and returned it with a bit of a grin herself. Asher took Eloewyth's hand and said, "Come with me." Eloewyth followed Asher back to her suite, where Asher stopped and turned to Eloe before opening the door. "You now, mitsress, my love for Raani will never die. She wil always hold my heart, but...I still need someone here to be with and share my life here with too. Raani told me on our visit that she wanted this to happen, that she would wait for me to join her, but until then I needed to have someone in this life to be with." Eloewyth smiled and stroked Asher's hair. "I undertsand, my dear," she said with a loving smile on her face.
Asher opened the door with one hand and pulled Eloewyth into the suite with her other hand. "I wanted to present her to the whole family, but I cannot wait any longer." Eloe looked around the room and saw no one. "Selamat, it's ok. You can come out. I have someone I wish for you to meet," Asher called out into the room. The sound of movement came from the bedroom of the suite and out walked Selamat.
Sela almost fainted as she walked out and saw the Priestess standing in the room with Asher. Asher moved quickly to her to hold her up and giggled as she held the woman around her waist. "Sela, this is...", Asher started to say before she was cut off by Selamat, "I wasn't born yesterday, Ash. I know who the Priestess is...I just never dreamed I would actually get this close to her...even knowing you and you being part of her family." Eloewyth moved closer and extended a hand to Selamat, which Sela looked at for a moment before using her own shaking hand to shake Eloe's hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Selamat," Eloewyth said. "The pleasure is all mine, ma'am," Sela replied.
Asher smiled and said, "Selamat has agreed to come and stay with me, if I can have your permission to allow that, Priestess." Eloewyth smiled and nodded, "Of course, Asher. We would be happy to have her be part of our family." Eloewyth then turned to leave. "I need to go and check on Daneries. They should have her in bed by now." Eloewyth turned back to Selamat. "It was a pleasure to meet you and to have you with us, Sleamat. I will expect to see you at supper. Hopefully the Prophetess will be up and around again so she may also meet you." Eloe left the girls with a hug and a kiss. Sela just stood in awe as she watched Eloewyth leave. A moment later she pointed at the closed door and then said to Asher, "That was the High Priestess." Asher giggled and hugged Selamat, "Yes, I know. She lives here."