Memories of Meridran

Tracking Seldan down takes some work, and the tracks take Zeke in a direction the paladin does not often go - outside of town, to the north. It takes the better part of a full day to find him, and it's not until he's an hour or two out of Mictlan that the trail diverges, going into the underbrush.

Finally, though, he'll find it - a campsite tucked away in a small clearing in the forest, a place entirely defined by an opaque dome of magic that the sith-makar will recognize at once from their days traveling outside Alexandria. He'll know that he can walk through it, he just can't see through it.

Here the sith-makar stops, looking at the dome with some trepidation. That it took this much effort to find Seldan... Says something. That Seldan has gone to such lengths for privacy speaks to the same thing. A desire to be alone. A desire to be left alone. Zeke is nothing if he is not conscious of others needs, and he is caught now between his perception of what is necessary, and what Seldan is displaying. Yet... in the end it is not a difficult choice. If his kin wants to be left alone, Zeke will not deny him that right.

Zeke sets up his own - albeit much smaller - campsite beside the dome. All he needs is a place to sit. Which he does, sitting down beside the dome, and settling the tea service in its box at his side. He closes his eyes and prepares to wait. He is a patient sith-makar.

It takes a good hour or more, but at length, the dome fades from existence and finally winks out, revealing Seldan sound asleep, his head pillowed on his haversack. He's still in his armor, but his armor is enchanted to let him do that. It's not the _most_ comfortable thing ever, but he can do it. All of his gear is to hand, including the bow that he carries only when venturing outside of town, within easy reach. His mouth is slightly open, his head in an odd position, and he's snoring quietly.

More concerning are the leaves and twigs caught in the armor, wedged firmly enough that it's unlikely he was in control of the movement that put them there. The other scents are eerily clean, and a fading, jagged red line along one side of his neck says ominous things.

It is good to see Seldan with his own eyes, and confirm that the man is alive. However the healer in Zeke instantly recognizes the fresh injury on the Silverguard and Zeke's pleasure at the sight of his kin fades. It is... an odd place to have chosen to take a nap, but again Zeke is unwilling to rouse the man simply for his own needs. The wound does not appear life-threatening, so Zeke unpacks his tea as quietly as he might and pours himself a cup.

The sounds of patient, quite drinking fill the area, somewhat over-run by the sounds of Seldan's delicate snoring.

There's one other detail that an inspection will find - behind his right ear, beneath all the hair that has fallen away, is a pretty good-sized goose egg. Someone hit him, _hard_, and the paladin is not known for his awareness of what is going on around him at times, or his mundane senses. He doesn't rouse at the inspection.

Zeke's further inspection leading to this discovery leads the sith-makar to let out a soft sigh. He glances skyward briefly, then sets aside his tea and rises carefully to his feet. He has no way of knowing how long Seldan has been asleep. He kneels once more at Seldan's side, and restrains from touching his kin. Instead he hums low in his throat and tries a different approach. "Sseldan?" A gentle, quiet inquiry that is followed by more of the same in varying degrees of volume intended to wake the sleeping man.

It takes a minute, but stir Seldan does, with a groan and a hand going to his head. "What..." He trails off. "Kin." _Oh no._ A hiss escapes his teeth as he sits up, slowly and clearly aching. "Where..."

The blue-scale sympathetically winces at the way Seldan's hand goes to his head. "It isss good that you remember thisss one." Zeke says wryly, tilting his head to try and get a good look at Seldan's eyes. "Not ssso good that you do not remember where you are. You are in the wildernesss sssome-what ssouth of Mictlan. What isss the lassst thing you remember?" His worry is carefully hidden, thanks to his sith-makar nature, but the slight flicking of his tail and his scent betray him.

Seldan's pupils are not the same size, one blown out bigger than the other, and he blinks owlishly at Zeke. "I ... forgive me." Clearly, he has to think about that question. and he leans his weight on one hand, the other gone to the goose egg behind his ear. "It is - hazy. I recall arriving, and I recall leaving - there was a fight." That, he clearly remembers. "I - do not recall coming here, but - I had not wished to frighten Mal." The words are slow, halting.

Zeke shifts his weight, leaning in to grasp Seldan's face quite without his permission. It is necessity that drives him. To tilt the man's face to the light for better viewing of his eyes. What he sees there sets the healer in him off. "Have you been ssssick?" He asks this almost rhetorically. Of course the man has. All the symptoms of a concussion are there. "Thisss one will Heal you."

There is no time for worry from the sith-makar. He is all business now. His warning given he sends a prayer to the Dragonfather, dropping one of his spells for a more powerful Healing which should repair the damage in Seldan's skull. Along with all of the other damage he has taken. Even with this powerful spell cast Zeke does not move, his own sharp green eyes carefully watching Seldan's to see if the damage has been repaired or not.

Instinctively, the ice-blue eyes drop away, in a silent affirmative that Seldan doesn't want to have to give. It's pretty clear that Seldan was worse hurt than just the mostly-healed line on his neck, a line that fades instantly into nothingness. The rest of it clears up under the power of the Draco Solis, his eyes evening out and clearing, the headache fading. He still doesn't resist the hold, though, all his weight on the arm keeping him sitting upright. "I do not challenge the healer, Zeke. Well do I know better," is all he says, although he looks confused, and mildly troubled.

"And yet, you avoid a healer?" Zeke asks quietly, turning Seldan's face one more time before seeming to become satisfied that his spell did its work. "Kin... You have been a warrior for long enough to know that a hit to the head sssuch asss thisss requiresss looking at." He looks pained for a moment, his claw falling away.

"You were bleeding in your head Ssseldan, warriorss have died from sssuch wounds, or been left... Changed beyond healing. Thisss one doess not wissh to alarm you, or make you feel badly, but why? Why would you avoid healing?" He meets Seldan's eyes as best he can with his own.

There is no defensiveness written in Seldan's expression, and he does not resist Zeke, nor does he move overly much. He seems merely - confused. "I ... know not," he admits puzzledly, raising his free hand to gingerly palpate his temple and the side of his head. Experimentally, but does so doesn't appear to bother him. "In truth are you quite correct, kin. I am certain there was a reason, but I have it not."

Zeke let out a breath, relaxing somewhat. "You would do well for now, to take it easssy. Not to move overly-much, and take thingsss sslowly." This advice given he pauses, watching Seldan for many long moments in a way that is at first wholly a healer's perspective, and then at last as one who is merely concerned for Seldan's welfare. "Sssuch woundsss can make one think unclearly. Thisss one isss only glad that thisss one thought to seek you out. The godsss smile on you greatly kin."

This last is perhaps a little wry and Zeke shakes his head gently. "What isss it that you lassst remember kin?"

Knowing full well that Zeke is quite right, Seldan carefully lowers himself back down onto the cloak-covered haversack he'd been using as a headrest, and blinks up at the sith-makar. The headache is vastly improved, but its memory is not completely gone, and he looks over at the gauntlets piled with his weapons, at hand's reach. "I ... remember arriving at Maridran. The Hearthguard Seyardu, Aryia. The bard, knocked out in the nobles' manor." He pauses, blinking, clearly struggling. "There were others. I bade them go on ahead, Eclavdran watches that place and I did not wish him to see me. I - remember leaving, but I was hurting." His hand goes to his neck where the mark was. "I do not recall why."

The sith-makar nods, but doesn't press for more information. Instead he relaxes on the ground at Seldan's side. Taking it easy in a place where he can watch over Seldan. "No sssleeping either. In casse the concusssion isss not fully healed. You ssshould sstay awake for the next day." He gives Seldan a stern but unnecessary look. "You mussst promissse thisss one that if you are hurt, you will go to a healer in the future. Thisss one, or another. Thisss one doess not want you to fall becaussse of the lack of one."

"None other do I trust more, kin. It is as I have said. I know not why I did not, and it pains me that you worry." Seldan closes his eyes at this. "This much do I recall for certain, that I did not wish to frighten or upset Mal. I thought it best that he not know of ... whatever happened." Doubt creeps into his tone, along with confusion. "Of that much I am certain. I know not why, but ... I shall so promise, if you will promise me that you will keep all talk of Eclavdran and his minions from Mal."

"Thisss one ssso promisssesss." Zeke nods very seriously to his own words. He will not share words with his kin's cihuaa if that is what it takes to make sure that Seldan seeks out a healer in the future. "Thisss one will not asssk you further on thisss, you do not need to worry yoursself about what you can not remember. Bessst for now that you resst and heal. Thisss one brought sssome tea if your sstomach can handle sssuch."

"Then I shall so promise as well, that I shall seek a healer at need in the future. I remind you that I have some skill, and some blessing." Seldan seems satisfied with that, and of no mind to cross the sith-makar. Not in healer mode. "I - will try, though I do not hunger." He closes his eyes. "I am grateful that you came to find me."

Zeke retrieves the tea and pours out a cup for Seldan to drink at his leisure. His own is well-cooled now so he joins his kin in the refreshment. He watches astutely for signs that the other man will be sick from the brew. The offer has a double purpose after all. To ensure that the healing has settled properly, and the tea itself is revitalizing. Something that will help Seldan relax and feel better. Such is the nature of Zeke. For now, he allows them to sit in silence, needing not to respond to Seldan's words, nor to voice any others. For now it is more important that Seldan heal.

-End