<font color="skyblue">She is aware of the winds, but does not feel them, although she hears Cyril's chanting in her head. She changes the rythm of her chant to match his, and slowly spread her hands, sending an invisible wall of fire outward, slowly sweeping down the tavern. Where it touches it cleanses, where it touches it does not burn. As it works it way downstairs, it sweeps over the poor innocents killed by their own hands by the Wind. Unfortunately, she can do nothing about their souls, as the Devouring Wind has them now.

She feels the sudden release of the winds, and keeps chanting, slowly moving towards Cyril, and comes within a hair's breadth of touching him, letting the fire course over him..........</font>

[edited for having a blonde day]

[ 03-02-2002: Message edited by: TAOWolf ]</p>

<font color="skyblue">She hesitates, afraid he will turn down her offer to help heal him again.............She lowers her hands slowly, the fire slowly flickering between her hands, and she turns to the hole in the wall, looking out at the forest. She will wait until he asks her to do so, although the sight of his hands.........the burns do not disgust her in any way, she just can't help but want to try to ease his pain of it...........As she waits for him to say something, anything.........She listens to the forest, listening for familiar whispers...............</font>

[ 03-03-2002: Message edited by: TAOWolf ]</p>

<font color=teal>He stiffens for a moment feeling the touch of something from outside, a strangely friendly touch, that simply offers itself and withdraws. Turning he sees her hands, and the uncertainty in her face. His breathing has returned to normal and the free motion of his fingers tells him that he was able to end the song at only small physical cost to himself. “KayLisa,” he says, “I am sorry .... I was not expecting .....” He brushes a hand against the cloud shaped clasp of his cloak and the stormy mantle over his mind draws aside. How can he express this? “In focusing upon the storm, we are taught to close ourselves to all other forms of embrace ..... whether friendly or not. And, in all truth, no friendly touch has ever reached for me while I sang the storm song .... It is ..... a song of battle.”

Hoping she understands, he continues, “Can you maintain these flames that burn between your hands? Maria is in danger and ..... I can drive the vile breath from her but I can do nothing to heal or comfort her.” He pauses then and glancing first at his hands and then to her eyes. Surprised at how easily the words are spoken, he says, “And I would imagine your touch would be a great comfort to me as well once this is finished.”</font>

<font color="skyblue">She smiles, nodding her head as the flames dance between her hands. ~One day I will tell him about this fire~ She almost laughs ~yes, he is one with the winds and storms, but has yet to realize I am one with the fire and the lightning~ The prophecy flashes thru her mind.

She walks towards him, the flames dancing merrily between her hands and up her arms. "Lead the way, my bold wind dancer. Let us heal Maria together. Then I will turn my attentions to you." She winks at him, and waits for him to take her to Maria, the flames reflecting in her eyes. She has yet to know that the purple has become a permanent feature to the silver..................</font>

<font color=teal>The others are only just recovering their feet and their wits as the two of them move through the building to Maria. There is a coldness about her that is perceptible even without touching her, and her breathing is now little more than a shallow rasping in her throat. “This is how it was with my wife,” he says simply. “But this one I can help.” He kneels beside the bed and withdraws a small flask from the pouch on his belt. He speaks into her ear as he unstoppers the flask. “Do not worry, woman, your children shall not be orphaned this day.” A small gust of wind leaves the container and swirls over her nose and mouth. He clutches the storm reaver tightly in his right hand, his other hand upon her forehead, and intones a soft chant. The small wind grows in both size and intensity until it enfolds her body. With a gasp of his own breath, life again moves through his hand and into the wind. “Breathe,” he says to her as his own breathing slows to match hers. Slowly the new and living air fills her lungs displacing the poisoned breath of the Devouring Wind. He smiles, feeling warmth return to her body and stands – the burns on his hand are very deep.</font>

<font color="skyblue">She moves to the bedside, smiling down at Maria......it is good she had the fetish I gave her, or she would not have survived at all, for Cyril to help her.......She kneels down by the bed, and spreads her hands apart, slowly letting the flames course over Maria..........the flames turn soft blue, in match with Maria's kind aura, and centers over her forehead. She raises her hands slowly, allowing the fire to withdraw. As the fire leaves Maria falls into a normal deep sleep. Still keeping the fire between her hands, her eyes now glowing a bright purple-silver, she turns to Cyril. "Now is your turn, please lay down somewhere............"</font>

<font color=teal>Even though he has decided to receive the touch of her healing, the instinct to refuse is still strong – This movement of life must never become too easy for me. Life can never be given cheaply ..... I must feel the cost ..... – But there is something else here that gives him pause. The memory of those last painful moments with his wife has been awakened here. He does not move for some time as he looks into KayLisa’s face.

“Only the hands,” he says quietly, “only the hands.” He sees the questions in her face and smiles. “There is a painful memory within me in which past and present love have met, and I will not lose the feel of it .....” He stops speaking then and stretches his body out along the floor.</font>

[ooc: He is still too keyed up by the storms to easily fall into slumber.]

[ 03-03-2002: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]</p>

<font color="skyblue">She smiles gently at him, waiting until he is still on the floor. She raises an eyebrow when he tells her to just heal his hands, but understands.</font>

<font color="brightblue">She kneels down beside him, and gently kisses him on the cheek. "Relax, I promise this won't bite you." She takes his right hand carefully between hers, hearing him gasp with the sudden touch. She lets the fire play slowly over his hand, the light turning to a dark purple, matching her eyes. She softly chants to herself as the flames course up and down from his fingertips to his elbow.

As the fire slowly moves, the burns start to fade, the burnt skin slowly healing until only faint scars show. She releases that hand, and takes the other, performing the same ritual.

When that hand is done, she sways slightly, and blinks, regaining her balance. She takes her hands, and lightly lays them on each side of his face, and the flames die down, slowly fading away, leaving her hands with barely noticable scarring, that if looked at closely, looks as if they are burned. Before the runes on her palms can contact him and put him to sleep, she pulls her hands away, looking at them, as she falls back against the wall.</font>

<font color="skyblue">"In my pack, there is a small blue bag, with a silver rope tying it together. Would you please make some tea for me out of that? Only two pinches per cup." She sways again, and the light in her eyes dies out, leaving her pale. She dons her gloves as she slowly slides down the wall. She smiles faintly at him, and passes out............</font>

ooc: I will assume that from this point onward KayLisa will be at least basically aware of the first reason for Cyril’s reluctance to be healed.

<font color=teal>He retrieves the bag from her pack and then turns to her. On one knee beside her, he touches her cheek and listens to her breathing. – It was a good thing she stopped at the hands. – He kisses her lightly on the forehead and rises, laughing to himself – Such a long history of sudden collapses in so short a relationship ..... – He picks her up and settles her gently into the soft chair across form the bed. Moving into the kitchen he meets a worried Bartleby with the words, “Maria will be fine. KayLisa has healed her.” He returns in a few minutes with her tea.</font>

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Cyril Darkcloud:
<font color="teal">Such a long history of sudden collapses in so short a relationship .....</font><hr></blockquote>

<font color="skyblue">*LMAO* :D you have that effect on her....

IC: She opens one eye, knowing she was only out for a few minutes. She looks around slowly seeing Cyril with her tea. She starts to sit up, and groans, lifting a hand to her head. She chuckles softly, then quickly looks up, looking at Maria and then his hands. She shakes her head, to clear the fuzziness, and curls up in the chair, watching Cyril. She needs the tea desparately, to renew herself and the power, but she does not ask for the tea. Instead, she asks "Is Maria okay? How are your hands? Is the Barkeep, okay, does he need healing, too?" She clears her throat, her voice hoarse.....</font>

[edit for wrong color typed in, ('nother blonde day)]

[ 03-03-2002: Message edited by: TAOWolf ]</p>