Splitting Up Is Hard To Do|Clan Fira, Naurorod

[Northen Light36]

"Ooh..."

Tres groaned in pain as she sank into a chair and closed her eyes. Forces above, she hadn't hurt this much since... She frowned for a moment, opening her eyes. Since when?

After a second she decided it didn't matter. Closing her eyes again, Tres attempted to ignore the fact that she felt like she'd been beaten, sliced up and then boiled alive.

At any other point in Fira's history she'd have been at the healer, or getting some healing water from Artica, but the insanity of the Nightmare attacks meant that anything less than broken bones or the danger of bleeding to death meant you weren't a priority for seeing Artica, Aideen or Estella for healing - even if you were an Elder. Burns, cuts and bruises weren't enough.

Thinking of her sister reminded Tres that Amneris should be in Flame's room, since Artica hadn't wanted her daughter to see the horrors of the healer's huts. "Amneris?" she called. "I've got dinner, sweetie. Your mother's still working."

It was a pathetic dinner Tres knew, opening her eyes to look at the two bowls of watery stew on the table. The constant attacks of the Nightmares made hunting difficult, and Tres was uncomfortably aware of how strained their resources now were.

There was a limit to how much Sensatia could afford to give them - the farms there were still only just getting to the point where the city was self-reliant. But the attacks also made travel difficult and made it far too dangerous to split the clan. They needed every scout and warrior they had left.

At this rate we'll take care of our over population either by being killed by the Nightmares or starving to death, she thought darkly.

[Kender Bard]

"Is Mommy okay?" Amneris asked, turning her dark and worried eyes on Tres. She knew she was being kept away because Artica was doing messy work with hurt people. But she still worried desperately about her mother.

[Northen Light36]

"She's tired, Amneris," Tres replied, reaching out to gingerly hug the little girl. "Very tired. And she's probably going to be working late again. But she's not hurt and I made her eat some dinner before I came here."

And she'd checked on the wounded, including Gemma. Tres was suddenly glad her stomach was so empty as she remembered the sight of Gemma's badly broken arm and leg. She'd be first in line for a dose of healing water in the morning, Artica had assured Tres, but seeing her oldest in that state, and knowing that as soon as her daughter was back on her feet, she'd be back in the line of fire made Tres want to vomit.

The knowledge of how many of her clan were in those huts in need of treatment, and how many others were in as much, if not more, pain as she was felt even worse. "Eat up, Amneris," she told her niece, then added, "Sweetie, would you like to go stay in Sensatia with Flame?"

That question was becoming a ritual between Clan Elder and Heir as the situation grew worse by the day.

[Kender Bard]

"I don't want to leave Mommy," Amneris answered, the same answer she gave every night as she moved her spoon around the bowl. "Aunt Tres isn't there anything that I can do to help?" She wished, for not the first time and not the last, that she was a Fire or a Water or really any Element for that matter instead of a useless Clear.

[Northen Light36]

"You are helping, Amneris," Tres murmured. "By staying safe so that Artica can do her work without having to worry about you. No one expects more of you then that. You're a child, Amneris, not a scout or a warrior."

[Kender Bard]

"Some of the kids are still doing stuff at night," Amneris protested. "I want to help too. I hate not doing anything." She gave Tres a suspicious look. "I don't want to just be in the way... is what why you want me to go?"

[Northen Light36]

"Of course not, Amneris," Tres replied. "Your mother and I just want you safe. And the children doing the night duties are all older than you are." She sighed. "It's good that you want to help, Amneris, and I know how hard it is to not be able to do anything... But you are simply too young."

[Kender Bard]

Amneris looked as though she'd swallowed something sour--she knew she was young and really couldn't argue. She hastily finished her stew and took the empty bowl away. When she returned, she admitted, "I guess I do miss Flame..."

[Northen Light36]

"Then will you let me send you to Sensatia?" Tres asked quietly. She frowned thoughtfully. Maybe it was time to get as many of the younger children out of here as possible. "Perhaps with some of the other Fira children your age and younger. It would, actually, be a big help to the clan if you and Flame could look after them. Do you think you could do that?"

[Kender Bard]

Amneris's mouth quirked into a cautious smile. "Yeah, I know I can and I think Flame can too," she remarked. "You mean it? We can be in charge of the other kids?"

[Northen Light36]

"I mean it," Tres replied with a smile. "But that doesn't mean you can just boss them around," she added warningly. "You two would need to look after them and make sure they didn't get into trouble and try to keep them from being scared or sad. A bit like what your mother and I do, really. Are you sure you're up to it?"

[Kender Bard]

"M-maybe," Amneris replied. "But I'd like to talk to Flame about it first, if I could. Can I do that...?"

She didn't like the idea of making a decision without the older girl. Flame was usually much more sure of things than Amneris anyway.

[Northen Light36]

Tres nodded. "I think we can arrange for you to go see her in the morning," she replied. "It's too late now for me to get anyone to send a message to Thelon. Flame and Thelon will both be asleep, even if I woke someone here up. And it's past your bedtime really as well. Come on, you can sleep in Flame's room until Artica's finished working for the night."

[Kender Bard]

"Okay," Amneris sighed. At least this way she'd likely not just be shoved aside for being too little to be of any help.

---

The next morning she woke early and sought out Tres. It was later enough now, surely.

[Northen Light36]

After a long and uncomfortable night, Tres had risen with the sun and was currently sipping at a cup of tea with her sister and Aideen in front of Artica's hut. She gave Amneris a tired smile. "Up already, I see," she remarked.

"Good morning, Amneris," Artica replied, giving her daughter a fond smile. Aideen, barely looking up from her cup of tea, just nodded in Amneris' general direction by way of greeting.

"Aideen, do you think you could reach Thelon?" Tres asked.

Aideen gave a half nod and touched her sign. ~Uncle Thelon?~ she called, her mental voice practically dripping with exhaustion. ~Aunt Tres wants you. And Amneris wants to talk to Flame.~ That done, she turned her attention back to finding the strength to sip her tea. It had been a very, very long night and she hadn't slept well at the end of it.