The following is the conclusion to this thread: Triskelion The great bear's breath was heavy and ragged by the time he reached the Sanctuary on the other side of town, every other huff coming out as a rumbling growl." He had crossed RhyDin at a full sprint, and moving his one-ton body at that speed took most of the energy he had." Heads had turned, Watch whistles blew, but no one was foolish enough to get in the bear's way, not when he seemed equally content to leave people alone other than scattering them from his path.

"Sheryl.?" He snarled her name, twisting his head back into one of his massive shoulders to try to look at her." So much blood...

He did not waste any time on ceremony." When they reached the gates of the Sanctuary, he let out a great bellowing roar to announce their presence." By the time the roar was done, they were twisting into human screams, Sheryl's form sliding off of his naked back to rest beside him as his body once more returned to the shape of Roland the human knight."

A bellowing roar in the somber stillness just after sunset was one way of getting attention." Not to mention when it was paired with and gave way to human screams." The Sanctuary was already on high alert as the construction had started on the new Temple next door, and it was Delphinea who saw the bear in the dim light and sent up the alarm." After only a few moments was the front courtyard of the Sanctuary flooded with warriors." The first and front of them being Isuelt." "What....?" Her dark eyes looked from a naked Roland to a bloody Sheryl and back again." "What in the hell happened?""

Roland himself was not untouched." The bear's wounds were his wounds too, and the flesh of his right shoulder was burned where Dracina's blade had seared it, and the shadow's touch still chilled him to his core..." "Bhaalite witch." She tried to keep us from the artifact...?" The knight shook his head heavily and knelt to scoop up Sheryl where she slay, still clutching the holy"chakram." "She needs healing." She was clawed by ghouls, there may have been other necromancy, I cannot be sure..."

Isuelt listened to what the knight said, though she was little more than still lightly confused." Even still, she wasted no time in doling out orders, "Phin, ready them beds." Poultices, rinses and...the usual.?" Though Sheryl's predicament seemed, according to Roland, to be anything but usual." "Nimue, get your Sister inside." I'll help the knight.?" Delphinea and Janie did as they were told with outstanding speed." Isuelt stooped to help Roland up, being careful of his shoulder." "Talk to me.?" Perhaps she wanted a bit of clarification as they had a quick moment of privacy, heading inside.

Roland's attention lingered away from Issy, following Sheryl until she was out of sight with a worried frown...."The"chakram'she is clutching..." We found it in the library we set out to investigate today." Made with the lost art of Damascus steel and inscribed with Scathach's battle prayer." I am not sure what it is exactly, but there is a holy power in it, I am sure....enough power that one of Bha'al's treacherous acolytes, sought to take it from us with her undead minions.?"

The thoughts running through her head were numerous and one darker than the next." She could almost feel the fetid breath of Bhaal breathing down her neck as Roland spoke." They moved through the open doors, lined with a few other (wide-eyed) Scathachians, and through the hallways into what seemed to be a large bedroom." Sheryl was already in a bed and the room was swarming with priestesses cleaning her wounds and mixing herbal remedies." Isuelt continued quietly as she helped Roland to a bed, making sure that the blankets were there to cover his modesty." "This chakram...I believe I have heard of it.?" She glanced around the room, not seeing the weapon.

Roland looked as well, thinking the same thing, with a frown." "Sheryl has it..." What is it?" Did it belong....to your goddess?" he added quietly, and then grimaced as he eased back into bed, trying his best not to let anything make contact with his shoulder." When his eyes opened again, they were not searching for the artifact, but looking over Sheryl herself." Her wounds, her condition..." One hand balled into a fist in his sheets.

The basins of water for washing as well as the once-white linen sheets were now both deep crimson." There was so much blood surrounding Sheryl, though her Sisters worked effortlessly to stop the bleeding and assess what they needed to do." At one point, Delphinea looked up and over to Isuelt and Roland, a dire expression on her face." Sheryl's face seemed to have lost its rosy glow, she was so pale now and her breathing quite shallow." "We're going to need help here, Iz," Janie looked up from the bloody rags in her hands and Sheryl's lacerated legs and over to her elder and the knight."

No sooner was Roland eased into bed, it seemed, than he was halfway out of it, having just enough presence of mind to cinch a blanket about his waist." Normally he would have been more respectful of the priestesses in their own Sanctuary, but he did not hesitate to part the bodies in his way so he could better see Sheryl — and there, too, he could see that the sisters were confused." This seemed to be their healer, after all. The knight cast another look back at Issy, and then said to the others, "You, and you....help me apply pressure." Hold your hands like this,"here..."tighter..." That's good.?"You." Needle and thread, and keep those bandages and poultices on hand when I need them.?"You." Alcohol, and....in my bag, in my quarters, there is a blue glass vial with a black stopper." Give her three drops at a time as she needs them, but no more than twelve." It will help with the pain." Quickly! "All knights were ready (to varying degrees) to treat their brethren on the battlefield when needed, and while Roland did not feel he was the best at it, he was calling upon all of his experience now for Sheryl's sake.

It was Delphinea who spoke first, "Well we know all of that, it's just that....well, look at her!?" Phin pointed to the flesh that had been cut by the ghouls claws." It was not just pink flesh, but beginning to gray, with black veining beginning to web out from the wounds." "It's...not like anything I've seen.?" Though she was pressing down and preparing thread and needle." Meanwhile Janie, who was actually not entertained by a blanket-wrapped naked man, dashed out of the room with two of the other Scathachians to fetch the rest of the supplies needed."Isuelt walked up to Sheryl's bed, nostrils flared and jaw set as she looked over the situation." She placed a hand on Sheryl's forehead for a moment." This was her one-time student, like most of the girls here, and it pained Isuelt to see someone so young in such a state." Isuelt would have traded places with her in a heartbeat." "Send for a healer." This is magic." We'll need magic to fight it.?" She glanced then to Roland as the priestess behind Delphinea took the order and sprinted out of the room."

Sheryl then whimpered as Isuelt's hand came away from her forehead, her eyelashes fluttered and she opened her eyes after a small battle to do so."The young blonde warrior began to cough, and as she finally regained her breath, she spoke in a whisper, "Roland....it's over there...?" Her chin turned weakly toward the small table beside the bed." A glint of metal could be seen underneath bloodstained cloths.

"Issy," Roland said, nodding the woman towards the artifact in question." Important as it was, he was unable to tear his attention from Sheryl at this point — and stopping the bleeding would go a long way in helping her fight the foul magic that was poisoning her body." Too often he'd seen comrades succumb to blood loss or infection while fighting off a curse or hex..." "It's safe." We did it, Sheryl," he whispered." "And now....I want you to focus on me." Will you do that for me, please?"

Isuelt reached for the metallic object, pulling it free from the blood-soaked linens." As her dark eyes washed over the artifact, her heart rate picked up." It looked like the fabled Chakram of Scathach, the prayer was etched into the blade, indeed." She was quickly mesmerized by its beauty and the thought of what it could mean if it was in fact the actual Chakram of Scathach.?"

Sheryl's large blue-gray eyes, however, were not on the chakram." They were on Roland." "Sir knight," she smiled softly, her voice quiet." "You are safe?"

"Only slightly singed, and quite safe," Roland replied with a little dip of his head." "You have seen to that well..." You are very brave."

Delphinea arched a brow and briefly looked up from her stitching, though she said not a word as she returned to her work of closing Sheryl's wounds." Athena had come into the room before too long, her red hair streaming down her back and stood next to her one time bunkmate, Isuelt." The two of them, being the oldest quietly conferred on the significance of Sheryl and Roland's find.

Sheryl winced lightly as she felt a stinging throughout her limbs, yet she knew that she had earned the pain as she had fallen in battle, something for which she would chastise herself for incessantly later." "You...Roland...?" She was beginning to remember something from a dreamlike state." Her voice dropped to a private whisper and she reached out to the knight." "I remember...a great beast." A bear." With fur as warm as winter's fire...and grace as strong as the sea..."

"That was Arctos....Guardian of the Bretland Wood....and I will tell you his tales," he whispered, with a glance at Issy and the others, "in the days to come." But he aids me and my comrades when I call on him.?" Roland let her hold onto his left shoulder, leaving his hands free to work." "Poultice, please..." Thank you. "Then he shared a smile with Sheryl." "Grace as strong as the sea, you say..." You were impressed?"

She exhaled as her smile widened, she closed her eyes and nodded her head, "Yes." You are quite full of surprises, sir knight.?" Opening her eyes once again, she was aware of the activity around her." "Is it bad?"" She looked to Roland; and keeping her fingers on his shoulder, gave it a small squeeze. Delphinea had finished with one leg and was now onto the less severe other leg." Janie and a few others had returned with all of the supplies that Roland requested." Several of the basins were replaced with clean water and fresh linens were brought in."

"Not so very bad....and as my brother Seamus would say, 'You should see the other guy.'" Janie," he nodded to the sister with the pain medicine, and then explained to Sheryl, "She's going to give you a little bit of medicine..." It will taste terrible," he warned her with a smile, "but it will help with the pain." Where wounds were cleaned, poulticed and stitched as needed, Roland began wrapping her wounds with bandages." "I must take more care with libraries..." Every time I go to check out a book, I end up in battle."

The surfer nodded and shifted through the supplies, figuring she'd found the correct item." She poured the measured fluid into a small cup and held it to Sheryl's lips." Sheryl drank and resisted making a face of any sort." It was Janie, however that made a face." Seemingly, she had just realized that Roland was next to her in nothing but a blanket thrown about his waist, of which it was partially slipping." The bombshell's attention was momentarily split as she gave the knight the once-over with an approving grin." There may have even been a small lick of her lips."Isuelt and Athena, however, had moved toward the door and were continuing to speak in urgent, hushed tones." Athena now had the chakram and was nodding vehemently."

Delphinea was joined by another priestess as they finished up stitching Sheryl's leg wounds." And Sheryl winced at the binding she was feeling, though she stared at a combination of Roland and the ceiling." "I'm sorry.?" She sighed and tried to reclaim a bit of humor, "Think I'll ever get another dance?"

"Of course." You will dance for many years to come," Roland answered her with an encouraging smile, and double checked the bindings she winced at before continuing his work." Eventually he too realized his blanket was slipping, and took a moment to tie it tighter, only then noticing Janie's attention but not tying the two together. "Janie....are you feeling alright?" Do you need water?"" Unlike many of the Order's more handsome knights, Roland had never gotten used to, or been anything other than oblivious to, the attention they often received.

Janie's sultry chuckle was familiar enough to at least Delphinea that a bark came from the hulking priestess, "Janie, take these sullied rags and wash them out." Now.?" There was a shrug of indifference from Janie as she did as Delphinea asked, though as she went, she looked over her shoulder at Roland with a bit of a whistle.?"

"Excuse her, knight." She has the mind track of a lemming.?" This from Delphinea as she gathered the rest of the supplies and ushered the other priestesses away from the bed.

"I do not fault her, it is easy to become distracted in a stressful time," Roland replied, still frazzled enough himself that he still missed the point of Janie's attention." He did look to the doorway, offering a silent prayer, several mouthed words of Latin, that the healer would arrive soon..."Sheryl....how do you feel?"" There was less and less that he and Phin could do now, and he touched the hand that clutched his shoulder.

"Fine..." She tried to laugh." "Sore." A little sick.?" Her Sisters, not giving modesty a second thought in a time of triage, had left the sheets away from Sheryl's body." While her legs were bandaged from the knees down, her thighs were left uncovered." The grey veining that emanated from beneath the dressings were starting to spread.?" "Here...?" Still clutching at Roland's shoulder, her other hand rubbed against her ribcage." There was a shallow lump that was red and beginning to take on the same appearance as the grey webbing that her legs were sporting.?"

Though the pain began dully, its heat was picking up." Still, Sheryl's attention was pulled once more to the knight." "Your...your shoulder." You're hurt.?" Without thinking, she tried to sit up." She blamed herself for his wounds."

"I will be okay," Roland assured her, but right now he was frowning at the lump on her ribcage and doing his best to keep her level." "Isuelt." Athena," he called to them, and turned his gaze back to whatever it was that Dracina had inflicted on her. "It appears to be a cyst," he murmured, keeping his voice low." "Where it came from, I cannot be sure, but there was some sinister magic I saw that witch casting..."

Athena looked up first, followed a second later by Isuelt." The pair now realized that the room was practically empty as they had been so deep in discussion." They walked toward Roland and Sheryl, both of them wearing similar sour expressions." Athena was first to speak, "Cyst." It's gray." Where the hell is that healer?"" She turned her strong chin toward the door."

Isuelt leaned over to lightly run her fingers over the cyst on Sheryl's side." She looked to the young warrior, "Does that hurt?"?"

Sheryl shook her head, and looked from Isuelt to Roland." "Not too bad.?" She lied.

"The New Haven Lodge has healers," Roland offered, looking at them." "I know a shortcut, I can be there and back quickly with one of them.?" His wound still burned with pain and the shadow's exhaustion wore him down, but he kept focused, repeating a"mantra"in his mind whenever he felt himself slipping." He had maintained himself in such a state for far longer than this before...

Isuelt was watching Sheryl closely as she listened to Roland." However it was Athena who spoke up, "Do it!?"

Roland lingered for only a moment, watching Sheryl's face..." Then he swept out of the room, his sword flickering into being again when he called upon it, catching it in one hand." "Bring my horse to the gate," he said, ducking into his chambers long enough to change, which — like any good soldier — he did in a matter of moments.

Isuelt sat down besides Sheryl and leaned her elbows on the bed, bowing her head forward into her hands." She felt as if the world was crumbling." Bhaal was tipping the Scathachian scales into his favor, and Isuelt was scared to death that they were going to lose another of their Sisters." Athena, meanwhile, stayed near the doorway." Her arms folded and her expression was hardened." The pair looked to each other and seemed to have a conversation without words; the women had come to the Island together and had known each other for more than half of their lives." They were to a point where they could nearly read each other's mind.

They waited...