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Date Posted: 20:28:51 01/15/02 Tue
Author: Erlic & Valhorek
Subject: Another attempt
In reply to: Isobel 's message, "Kidnapping averted" on 11:12:10 01/15/02 Tue

Valhorek found that trying to get some rest was simply out of the question. For some reason he simply couldn’t get comfortable, and finally gave up, deciding to ponder through some tomes he had found. He was just about getting started when he heard Isobel’s voice yelling that Ravin had been wounded, and to quickly hurry.

The healer quickly gathered his medical kit, and arrived inside the tent where he spotted Ravin on his knees, with Isobel trying to comfort him as best as possible. Val was amazed at the location of the dagger that was wedged inside the assassin. He didn’t need to realize that the blade had struck an area between the lung, and the heart, and removing it was not going to be an easy task.

“We have to lay him down,” Val commanded, “and we have to do it very slowly, and carefully. The slightest move might kill him.” With Isobel’s help, the healer grabbed Ravin pinning his arms to his side. He told Isobel to pull slightly at his waist, while he slowly brought Ravin to a lying position on the ground.

That in itself was a difficult feat for the slightest wrong move could prove dangerous to Ravin’s well being. Once he was lying down, Valhorek realized that the next part was going to be the hardest, and the most dangerous. He probed with his psychic powers, and realized the blade was less than an inch from the lung, and the heart. He needed to remove the weapon in such a way that it wouldn’t damage the surrounding organs. He was going to need more help with this.

**********************


Erlic had returned from his assassination, and had dressed back to his original clothes. It was then he heard the commotion, and wondered just exactly what was happening. By the time he reached the tent, he spotted Valhorek looking over a still conscious Ravin with a dagger protruding from his chest.

The guild master looked around, and noticed the faint trace of pavrene permeating the tent. Pavrene was a liquid one placed on a rag, and then held the rag up to someone’s face. The smell of the liquid immediately placed one in an unconscious state with the least amount of effort, and the effects could last anywhere from two minutes to ten minutes. It was a favorite of the assassins, and lately had been found on the open market, especially on the streets of Bizmar.

He was quick to observe that the back of the tent had been ripped open, and some attempt to kidnap Alakbar had been made, with Ravin suffering most of the damage, at least that was what he knew at the moment. That probably explained why Justin was also unconscious outside the tent. He had seen the man earlier standing guard in front of the tent for security reasons. It quickly became evident to Erlic that the men after Alakbar were the elite force known only as the Slayers, probably the most deadly of assassins on the continent of Neromba.

Erlic’s senses were on guard, trying to sense any form of impending danger that might occur while dealing with his friends. Isobel was quick to inform him that one of the Jann women was found dead in the food tent with her throat sliced. Perhaps the intent of the assassins was twofold, to kidnap Alakbar, and also to prevent Sheikh Daraba from finding the treasure he needed to become the ruling authority in the area.

The guild master decided he would have to be more careful in the future, especially if his friends were to be concerned. For now he was more concerned about the well being of Ravin. He was about to say something to Val when Rowan entered the tent. Erlic simply looked at the elf, his eyes shifting, and somehow sending out a message that he was sure Rowan would comprehend, a message that informed the elf of assassination attempt. To Erlic, it seemed that Rowan immediately understood, and simply nodded his head in confirmation. Not a word had to be spoken between the two; rather it was already understood.

**************


The healer looked up at Erlic. “I’m going to need your help,” he stated. “Someone’s going to have to hold him down firmly, while I try and pull out the knife carefully so as not to further injure him.” Erlic simply nodded at the healer stating he’d do whatever was needed.

At the moment, Valhorek didn’t need any of his tools; rather he needed the strength, and confidence that he could do the job. He positioned himself over Ravin with one knee on either side of the thief’s chest. He went to grab the dagger, and stopped, wiping his hand on his trousers to eliminate the perspiration that had already formed all over his hand.

“Hold his shoulders down,” Val commanded. “Just make sure he doesn’t move.” Already there were beads of sweat forming on the healer’s forehead, as he pressed with his own knees against Ravin’s lower torso. Between he, and Erlic, they should be able to hold the thief in place securely, while he removed the dagger from his chest.

The healer could feel his heart beating furiously. Normally a dagger entrance wasn’t that bad, but considering the potential hazards of removing it made Val even more nervous. Erlic looked at the healer, and try to offer him a vote of confidence. The healer merely smiled, as he wiped his hands on his trousers once again.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself, and his breathing as well. He opened his eyes, and concentrated with his psychic power on the area where the blade was lodged. He wiped his right hand one more time, and gently placed it on the area around the blade. All he had to do was lift straight up, with no angle whatsoever.

Fortunately, Ravin was in, and out of consciousness, and possibly was in a lucid state where the pain wouldn’t affect him too much, at least not for the moment. Val wiped his hand one more time, looked at Erlic, giving him a nod saying that he was ready, and placed his hand on the hilt of the dagger. He was extremely nervous, and didn’t know if he could pull this off. He mouthed a silent prayer to Apollo before placing his other hand on the hilt as well, taking careful precautions not to jar the blade. He counted to three, and pulled straight up, every nerve fiber on edge with stress, as the blade finally came free from Ravin’s chest.

With his psychic powers still focused on the wound, Val breathed out a sigh of relief when he discovered he had done no additional damage to the thief. He quickly wiped his hands, glad that that portion was done with, and quickly grabbed a clean bandage, applying pressure to the thief’s chest. He could now loosen the clothing, and start his suturing.

The internal part would heal on its own having sustained no major damage, so Val only had to worry about closing the chest wound. After cleaning the area, he applied some numbing agent to the bandage, and then placed it on the area around the wound. He had to incorporate one of his psychic techniques of bloodstop to slow the bleeding down while he started to suturing process. Once the bleeding slowed to a favorable speed, thanks to his special abilities, Valhorek started to sow the wound up carefully, and methodically, suturing with tiny loops in hopes that it wouldn’t leave to large of a scar. Ravin would still have a scar, but at least it wouldn’t be as ghastly as some of the one’s he’d seen left from other practitioners of medicine.

He had finished the last stitched, and cut the end with a very sharp scalpel. He applied the disinfecting salve on the bandage, and placed it over the wound. He then wrapped that area in clean bandages to hold it firmly in place. Another scan with his healing powers confirmed that the wound had closed nicely, and that so far, no infection had started to set in. The next few hours would be important in Ravin’s overall outcome.

“He can’t be moved for the next couple of hours,” Valhorek stated after sitting down next to Ravin, and taking a long swig from his whiskey skin. His nerves had been on edge, and now that the operation was over, as well as being a success, he would remain here to watch over Ravin in case anything else transpired.

Val then quickly checked on Justin, who was merely knocked out from the poison from the assassin, and would wake in a short time, and then on Alakbar, who basically had been knocked out with pavrene, an anesthetic that some of the healers had started to use to keep their patients unconscious while they performed on them.

Erlic immediately rushed out of the tent, and headed to where he knew he could find Lieutenant Ardesmar. The tall Jann immediately came out. “I was wondering,” Erlic began. “If we can postpone our departure for a while. It seems that one of my men was severely injured trying to intercept one of the assassins that was headed for the Sheikh’s tent.

Ardesmar quickly entered the Sheikh’s tent, and told him the news. A few minutes later, the Sheikh himself came out, and held Erlic in a bear hug. “It is Fate who shines her light on me this very fine evening,” he stated with a proud smile on his face. “Yes, yes,” he continued. “We will stay until sometime after midnight because of the valiant effort of your man who would rather face death in order for the Sheikh of the lands to live longer. Allah be praised this very evening. Yes, yes. It is Fate indeed. He lives, yes?” When Erlic nodded, and explained that he couldn’t be moved because of the injury, the Sheikh smiled. “Ah yes, Fate has smiled upon him as well. We are both fortunate to have such a valiant person with us, yes? Good! I will inform my people. Sometime after midnight. May Fate shine longer on me.”

With that he, and Ardesmar returned to the Sheikh’s tent. Erlic tried not to smile. He had to conjure up that lie, or the Sheikh wouldn’t stand waiting around while other assassins tried to formulate a plan to have him killed. Of course he would have to explain this little incident to Ravin, but if nothing else, he had bought his friend a little more time to rest.

Erlic returned to the tent, and informed the others of when they would leave. Val breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that since Ravin was pretty strong, he would heal well under his supervision. Already Val had concocted a potion for the thief to drink, which would help him rest, and heal, although it wouldn’t knock him out.

Since his services weren’t needed any longer, he made his way out of the tent via the back way, and followed the bloodstains in the sand, and eventually found the dead assassin. Again, he searched the body, and found the unusual compass. It seemed to point in the direction of the Jann camp, but of what purpose it held was yet to be determined. Erlic decided that it was an item Boris, his alchemist at the specialist’s guild, would enjoy deciphering. The guild master would have to wait until then to discover its usefulness, if it had one.

Among the other items were the same pebbles that Erlic had seen before. They exploded slightly upon impact, and usually cause minor burns to anyone within its radius. There were the usual varieties of poison that the guild master pocketed for future use, along with some narrow shurikens. It was quite evident that the Slayers employed anything within their means to accomplish their goal.

Finding nothing more, Erlic returned back to the tent to see Ravin resting comfortably. He stepped outside, and informed those there that they would be departing sometime after midnight. He approached the campfire, and poured himself some of the java. It had been a very long day. Marz, Tristan, and Corum had accidentally encountered one of the assassins, he and Rowan had killed off two more, and another was now deceased, but only after attempting to kidnap Alakbar, and severely injuring Ravin. This was supposed to be a simple journey into the dessert to retrieve some magical items, and then to return. But it seemed Fate would have it no other way, and such was the nature of her wisdom.

Erlic sat, and drank from the strong liquid, thankful that none of his friends had met with death.

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