Lusseriel was sitting near a fire, her journal in hands and her sword, newly cleaned next to her, the content of her bag being mostly a mess on the ground around her. Harp strings there, bee's wax here, sword and shield cleaning supply there, a random piece of wood (what was it even and what was it doing in her bag to start with?) there.
She glared at the offending bags and boxes that didn't cooperate and dried instantly and started writing in the journal, leaving it all on the floor around her.
"Today was the worst, people are the worst, I'm not a healer and I swear on all that's holy the next one who comes to me with injuries to heal, I will... I don't know yet but I'll think of something. It'll be suitably horrible.
Also my shield took a beating and I need to change one of the straps if I don't want to just lose it the next time I need it.
But anyway.
After our last adventure in securing the door of Dol Guldur, we gathered up, ready to attack the fortress and actually enter the premises of it.
Dealia looked enthusiastic and optimistic enough about it. Also she seemed to love Oates, Wyck's adopted pet dog. He's cute. The dog that is. Wyck's reaction as Dealia seemed to pay more attention to his dog than to him was fun. The three of them were quite entertaining.
Annag, Ilthirian and Aireliniel joined us there near the camp-fire.
Candath and Threnduil seemed to be missing. I suspected there was perhaps an issue with Threnduil. He seems to attract trouble after all but so far it's unconfirmed so...
We went to speak to Goldagnir and went back to Dol Guldur. We entered the place. There were troubles from the start. Drakes, orcs, men, spirits, that kind of trouble.
It was a long battle that ended up with us facing a Cargul and a fell-beast.
I'm not ashamed to say it; I was fast out of the fight. I have no idea how they managed to do that, but Ilthirian and Annag beat them both. The fell-beast is dead, and the Cargul... Well who knows with those? It's probably dead. Hopefully.
Ilthirian and Annag were quite amazing.
Wyck was injured, but mostly everyone seemed fine. At least we were all in only one piece and standing on our own, so I think I'll count that as fine enough.
Thankfully Wyck didn't need too much nagging before he went to the healers.
And we discovered that Wyck's dog is a bit of a thief when a hobbit has pockets he can reach into. At least the thing didn't attack anyone of us in the confusion of battle. I'll count that as a resounding success considering it doesn't seem to like elves very much.
And I don't know how, but when Candath joined us the conversation deviated on the fact that Candath is old and from Beleriand, that is now under the sea... And Dealia understood he's somehow a fish that turned into an elf? I'm... not really sure how that sounds logical but...
But if I stay long enough with the company I think I'll tease Candath mercilessly at every possible opportunity for being an old fish-elf. That's just too good to pass up."
Lusseriel was laughing quietly at the memory of that particular conversation.
Trying to explain Beleriand to a hobbit was an interesting experience but being told a fellow elf was somehow an old fish that turned into an elf... That was golden.
"Hobbits truly are wonderful beings. Candath will possibly come to hate me but eh...
That was about the last light hearted conversation we had of the day. Was it really only one day? Battles have that ability to make a day feel like an Age.
Anyway, our next task was to infiltrate the Dungeons of Dol Guldur and retrieve if possible Bori I still thought that optional but... and Tindollion if luck was on our side.
And if possible, we were to Not Die in the process.
Dealia looked uneasy at the prospect and she decided that perhaps going there wasn't the best path for her, which I wholeheartedly agree with.
There was a tiny bit of discussion, but overall we all agreed it was for the best and only those who were suicidal willing and aware of the risks would go.
And in her decision to leave us to our quest, I think Dealia showed far more wisdom than I ever did. Good for her. I hope we'll meet again and that she'll be able to leave the forest without trouble, but I think we'll all miss her.
And we went. And I thought the battle earlier was chaos? Lesson learnt, things can always be worst.
We found Bori. I suppose we had to free him and return him to the dwarves. Anyway. Threnduil somehow got separated from us. Yes, nice way to say we sort of may have lost him briefly. But Candath and Wyck went after him.
The place was a mess of confusion, there were trolls, giant trolls, cursed uruks. numerous orcs…
Somehow Threnduil found Tindollion, Candath and Wyck were fast to join him, Aireliniel went after them, Tirnelion as well and I could only see after a moment that reinforcement were coming and we needed to leave as soon as possible. I ran back to them to hopefully offer one more sword and enough help to get OUT before we all ended in those cells if even we survived the ordeal.
I didn't want to face a giant troll and its company in battle frankly enough.
We managed. Somehow by miracle, we managed. Bori is... Fine. Somehow. I don't really care, but he's in one piece as far as I can see and still breathing, so that'll be my brain dead dwarf measure of health here.
Hopefully he learnt his lesson about being too prideful to live. And if not next time he can rescue himself.
And of course, as we arrived at the camp, Candath asked if I could take a look at Tindollion.
I. AM. NOT. A. HEALER !
Do I need to sing it in Khuzdul on the music of the Noldolantë for him to understand? Damn elf.
We needed a real healer...
But as no one moved and she lost consciousness... Well, I did check up on her. I sent them, someone at least, get water and a healer. I at least got the water...
And to be fair with them it's possible that, considering the situation, any healer on site may have been too busy to care for us but still!!!
I started to check on her wounds. So she's bruised and may have a concussion, she has cuts all over, but I couldn't see or feel anything that would kill or leave her with a permanent disability. Unless she's suffering from a nasty hidden head-wound, or a slow-acting poison I couldn't detect, she should be just fine with some rest, food and care.
I can't say she won't be in pain for a while though.
But that's pending her return to consciousness. If she suffers from a concussion it may be beyond my abilities to help and it may be a major problem. I just hope she's not already slipped into a coma. Hopefully she wasn't under Black Breath. I couldn't feel any agitation from her and I couldn't detect signs of it but I wouldn't exactly rule it out entirely. Not yet at least.
Wyck asked me if Tindollion will be alright and if I could do some elven healing. It's nice to know he worries for his friend but quite frankly, as a acting healer, I can say that more stressing than healing a recovered prisoner of a Cargul is being a healer working under the eyes of a fretting group.
Also I'm afraid that "elven healing" doesn't work well when said healer is 1) NOT A HEALER, yes that bears repeting, and 2) just out of a battle, and barely cleaned up enough to act as a healer.
Valar's sake my own sword and shield were at that point still bloody and awaiting cleaning against a wall. Was I supposed to go from "let's kill everything in sight that is not an ally" to "let's encourage healing" in a heartbeat? Not only it's totally different sets of skills but it's an entirely different frame of mind that is needed!
Anyway, rant apart, I tried to wake Tindollion up, and not only it failed, but on top of that I bloodied everything in my bag looking for the vial I needed. I had to clean up everything as soon as I was done patching up Tindollion.
On another note, I feel I should check if anyone else is injured, I think I saw Tirnelion dealing with his own injuries? But if I do that it may just encourage them. Perhaps I should just trust them to know what they're doing... With their health..."
Lusseriel looked at her journal with a frown, clearly unconvinced by what she just wrote.
"Yes, no, I think I'll check with them next time I see them. And if I discover one of them have dismissed an injury without treating it I'll just slip the information to a healer and let them deal with it. And if I have to haunt their steps and slip said information to every single healer we may cross path with until the lesson is learnt I will!
Now I'm waiting for my belonging to mostly dry up and I don't think I can explain the relief of being cleaned up and wearing a clean armor. Blood is not my favorite clothing color, more so black blood, and worst of all would be the blood of another elf."
Lusseriel sighed and looked at her belongings around her. She spied her harp and after a few moments of consideration, decided she had nothing to lose by picking it up.
She snapped her journal closed and put it next to the mostly dry bag and picked up the harp.
