The Northern Trail (Vonghese x BeauteousDeath)

[BeauteousDeath]

She would whimper, shiver, and turn as she slept. She would wake for brief moments, finding that Karth was laying beside her. When she felt cold, she would curl into him, or huddle against him, seeking the warmth, but there were the few times that she wasn't cold, that she felt her own fever, and she felt as though she were suffocating. Everything hurt, she felt as though her entire body was being squeezed, she'd never experienced this before, and it was when it was at its worst that she woke and took slow, deep breaths, her head on Karth's shoulder, her hands tucked between them. She bit her bottom lip to keep from making a noise, and tried to go through her memories of what she can eat or drink to help with the aches and pains that she was experiencing. She had a good idea with the fever and figured that with it snowing outside, it should help things, help bring the fever down when it was becoming too hot. Thankfully, at that time, she was delirious or hallucinating. She hoped she wouldn't end up like that, it would be embarassing. As far as she was concerned. Besides, who knew what would come out?

Yarrow, she thought then. That could help with the fever, getting it down quicker. Oh she hoped she'd be able to bathe soon, the yarrow would make her sweat, and she would also need quite a bit of fluids. She didn't realize that when she thought yarrow, she had actually muttered it aloud, along with "Peppermint leaves", Juliana suddenly moved her head from his shoulder and bringing her cloak up she started coughing, it was a dry cough, but it sounded painful. She didn't move from that spot then, still somewhat curled into Karth, but more down at his side now, her hands under her cloak, one hand pressing on her chest and throat, the other was rubbing her face after she'd finished coughing. Her head hurt more than before.

She didn't dare look up at him for the moment, but she did speak to him finally, and actually meant to speak, "Are my bags near?" she asked him softly, her voice sounding just slightly hoarse from the coughing fit.

[Vonghese]

Yarrow and peppermint leaves. Karth jerked his head at Laithe, and his captain quickly moved to the princess's bags, The peppermint leaves were easily found by scent, and yarrow was a staple part of battlefield medicine. He brought them both back and headed outside to fill a cooking pot with snow for melting. Karth cradled Juliana close as Laithe worked, surprised at the heat radiating from her small body. She was still lucid, so she was safe for now, but if she started raving he'd need to take her outside.

"They're right by," he said quietly. "He's got the plants. How should they be prepared?"

He felt her forehead as he did so, and caught Gwuern eyeing the two of them. His captains expressed no opinions on the subject, but Gwuern seemed... well, quite amused by the whole situation. Karth could tell because the old man looked as if he'd bitten into a sour fruit.

[BeauteousDeath]

She was shivering again as she curled into Karth again, her head on his chest, coppered limp curls fanning out over herself and his torso as she clutched her cloak tightly around herself. "B-boi-boil th-the wat-er f-f-f-irst...," she stammered out. Oh how everything was hurting, she moved from his chest, bringing her cloak covered hands to cover her mouth as she coughed again. Once she was done, she took in a couple of slow, deep breaths, the coughing had nearly left her breathless. Then she huddled under the covers again, "Onc-ce i-it's boi-ling, gr-groun-nd ya-rrow and t-tear pe-ppermint and st-steep it un-ntil luke wa-arm," she stammered out again between chattering teeth that she struggled to control. She felt cold. Knew she had to have been burning up even more though, but she was colder than she felt since coming out of Parsamore. Was that only mere weeks ago?

It seemed much longer.

On the other hand, it didn't seem any time at all since Karth kidnapped her.

Juliana curled into him again, seeking warmth, and hoping he wouldn't be thoroughly disgusted with the perspiration on her skin.

[Vonghese]

Laithe couldn't hear the princess, but Karth had caught her words. He relayed them to his captain and the man nodded, setting the pot by the small hearth and stoking the fire before beginning to work over the leaves. He had no idea how much to use, and ended up dividing the herbs into two dozen tiny parts, using Karth's map as a work area. He ground the first part into powder with his dagger pommel and the fuller of his sword, and tipped the leaves into the bubbling water, moving the tincture away from the fire to cool. While Laithe worked, Roake sat with a scrap of wood, whittling a rough spoon. Karth watched both work and felt considerable pride in his men.

He was working as well. She was sweating, yet shivering violently. The thought had occurred to him that stripping her and substituting easily changed blankets for clothing was going to have to happen soon, and he figured that, awkward as it would undoubtedly be, the sooner it was done the better. Hot stones, that was what they needed. Gwuern was already ahead of him, bringing one over wrapped in cloth to prevent it from burning them. He tucked it down between the two of them and pulled Gwuern down to tell him his concerns.

"Best to do it now," the old warrior nodded. "I've got two more stones ready to go, and by the time she's done and in needing of more heating, the tincture will be done. I'll tell the men to turn their backs."

Karth turned to Juliana and hunched his shoulder down, trapping the stone's heat between them. "We've got to get you out of that clothing," he said quietly. "It's already wet, and will only chill you. I'm going to wrap you up in a blanket as soon as I can, but you're going to be cold. Your medicines will be ready as soon as you are. I'll work fast. Are you ready?"

[BeauteousDeath]

She barely heard anything that was being said around her. She heard something about her clothes being stripped, something about those words stirred something in her head. She wasn't quite sure what...

She was was being sat up, heard some stirrings in the room. She'd just finished being indignant with Alaric of Mondera in his treatment of the maids. She couldn't focus on anything, and the room was spinning. She was back in the library of the Monderan castle, coming to after he'd hit her with his fist, causing her to fall to the side and hit the side of her head. She remembered that now, coming to finally after she didn't know how long. She sat up then, and rubbed her face with her hands with a very soft sounding groan. She started standing then, looking around and froze as she saw him, standing over her suddenly. Amber eyes widened with fear and alarm and she started scrambling backwards, fear and adrenaline pumping through her veins that put strength into her body once more. Her breathing grew rapid and she screamed out, as he grabbed her arms and yanked her up against him. Alaric leered at her, "Did you really think you could order me around, princess?" he asked her.

"Let me go, Alaric.. now!" she told Karth then, she truly didn't see him, she saw only Alaric. The most recent experience of an abusive man, and the look on her face showed fear, alarm, and resignation. Tears fell from those amber eyes of her, slowly streaking down her cheeks as she struggled with all her might to get away from him, crying out for help, for the captain that Karth had killed when kidnapping Juliana those weeks ago, she did this when the event actually happened. Only then, Jarl did come in and saved the princess. Saved her from the brutish ways of the Monderan prince, but knew he would be the one to escort her back to Mondera from Parsamore again, the king wouldn't have allowed the betrothal to end. Women didn't have much say, but Juliana had always had a little more spirit than the typical Parsamoran woman.

Juliana continued to struggle, calling for Captain Jarl, and shrinking away from Karth, whom she thought to be Alaric.

[Vonghese]

"She's dilerious!" Karth called over his shoulder, fear making his voice tight. "She doesn't know us!"

"Get her out of those clothes!" Gwuern snapped. "She's soaked through. Quit dithering, boy!"

Only Gwuern could ever speak to Karth like that, and the harsh tone sent Karth into action. He wasn't so concerned with being able to control her as it was keep her from hurting herself. He wrapped her up in one arm and steadily ripped away at her clothing with the other, tossing it aside. "Blanket," he called, and Joake tossed him one. He wrapped her quickly, spinning her around once and putting her back in the nest, then stood back and removed his outer layers of clothing till he wore his thinnest breeches and shirt. He got back in with the trembling girl, pulling the skins around them. Gwuern came over with two more hot stones and he tucked them in, whispering softly to the terrified princess, cradling her gently against him. She continued to rave, pushing ineffectually against his chest, eyes wide and terrified. Karth considered, then took the opposite approach, rolling over and presenting her with a silent back. Her fists beat against it, but he hoped that with nothing to encourage her delusions, she'd calm soon.

Inwardly, he wondered who Jarl was. She'd never mentioned any man other than cruel bastards, he didn't know if she'd known any. If so, what had Jarl meant to her and where was he now?

[BeauteousDeath]

She begged and screamed and cried for Alaric to stop. It was then that Captain Jarl had come in, and pulled the princess away, whisking her from the clutches of the Monderan prince. She laid there, trembling from fear, shivering in cold, and burning up, gasping for breath. Jarl only guided her to the carriage, ordering servants to hurriedly pack Juliana's belongings. Within an hour, with the Parsamoran soldiers standing guard around the carriage, the Monderan servants had finished loading the carriage with the two trunks of the princess's belongings. The princess finally stilled, her temperature was starting to calm down. She was still crying, though it was silent now, as it had been that last day in Mondera before traveling back to Parsamore. She was still shivering some with the cold, but she was curling up toward Karth again, falling asleep again.

Every so often, amber eyes would open up a little, showing lucidity, but would then shut again in sleep. While asleep, she would whimper, and moan softly. It seemed it was the only time any complaint would be heard from her. While asleep.

After a couple of hours of this, she woke up and rolled away from Karth, feeling hot, she pushed back her hair. It was only then that she realized she was only wrapped in a blanket. She stilled then, wondering when that happened, the pondering look was prominant on her porcelain like face. She still felt very ill, and when she took in a breath and was about to speak, she had to quickly turn her head from Karth and bring up a corner of the blanket that was wrapped around her and spasmodically cough into it. When done, she took in a slow breath and turned back on her side to face the Skarl prince/warrior. And oh how she was longing for a bath already. She felt sticky, among other things, and she was sure she looked a mess. And a mess she was, her curly coppered locks were knotted, and she looked too pale, amber eyes were bloodshot and puffy from the tears earlier.

"I seem to be missing my clothing," she told him softly, only loud enough for him to hear.

[Vonghese]

He'd dozed off, though he hadn't rested any better than Juliana. He felt her moving in a more controlled, deliberate way, and carefully rolled over to face her, meeting her hot, fevered eyes with his own blue ones. Frowning, he brushed away a stray scrap of hair that clung to the stains under her eyes.

"We had to change it out," he said, just as softly. "It was chilling you. You were delirious, raving and calling out for someone. Must have been a bad dream to hurt so much, I'm glad you're awake now. How do you feel?"

Inwardly, he was quite relieved that she was awake. Slowly he extended one arm, beckoning, and Joake brought over a bowl of soup, and a cup of the tincture she'd ordered earlier. Karth took them both carefully, setting them down within easy reach. First he brought up the cup. "Your medicine," he said. "Drink up."

[BeauteousDeath]

She gave him a confused look at first, but then the memories of what she thought had been a bad dream came back to her. She flushed then. Embarrassed, she sat up a little, careful to not look at Karth. Her back toward his men. She grasped the cup, silently, and drank it up. It was kept luke warm, so it was a perfect temperature to just down it, as it was supposed to be. She looked at the soup and immediately felt nauseous, "I'm not sure I can handle that right now," she told him softly, feeling a little dizzy.

Juliana laid down again, unable to support herself on the one arm any longer. She stayed on her side, facing him, but not looking at him. "What all did I say?" she asked him then. She just hoped she didn't say anything stupid, or whined for that matter. At the same time, it wasn't as though anything were secret with her. She didn't carry any, none that she knew of anyways. Her father and his men were always careful in what they said around her. Usually, the didn't bother holding their tongues around women, but she was sharp, or sharper than the typical Parsamoran female, she usually started asking questions when she shouldn't.

She shook her head slightly to clear it of those memories and finally lifted her eyes to meet Karth's.

[Vonghese]

Karth handed back the soup and they returned it to the pot to stay warm for later. He made sure everything was tucked in again, and studied her thoughtfully. She seemed... well, almost ashamed, if he read her correctly. Of course, being male, there was no way he could be certain, and knew it. Instead, he thought about what she'd said again. The oracle of Versalt had only spoken in ravings, but one had to be careful that the spirit being channeled was a benevolent one. Many had been deceived by devils instead. The oracle of Versalt had been a priestess of Callebrimbor himself, only she had been immune from a devil's machinations.

"You called for Jarl," he said, meeting her eyes again. "I do not know the name. Was he someone from Parsamore? A prince, perhaps?"