Party Hard in Vara|Vara, New Anarlina

[Kender Bard]

Saffron jolted awake at Zack's sudden exclaimation, and she squealed with fright, jolting back upright herself. For a moment she just stared ahead, breathing heavily as her heart hammered in her chest. But after a few moments, she calmed and looked at Zack again. "We're in Vara," she said firmly. "In an inn. The local lord has sent guards all over the place. You're safe now."

[Darastrix]

Safe.

Zack let out a heavy sigh and went limp with relief. They'd made it. "Are you all right?" he asked, raising his head from the pillow. A thought occurred to him, and his brow wrinkled with concern. "And do you know if that man made it out? The one I woke?"

[Kender Bard]

"I don't know," Saffron admitted. "After I fetched the guards, they took us here right away and called for a healer. The healer didn't really know what to do. I couldn't give him the answers he wanted. So he said to call for him if you didn't wake up or stopped breathing or such."

[Darastrix]

"Well, I'm awake now," Zack said, sitting up--carefully this time--and running a hand back through his hair. "His name started with an A, I think. Aelin? No...." He snapped his fingers. "Aelo. That was it."

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet, his movements slow and cautious, though his initial dizziness seemed to be fading. "Will you come with me while I try to find out?" he asked. They might be safe, but he still felt uneasy about wandering around alone in the unfamiliar province.

[Kender Bard]

"Of course," Saffron agreed quickly as she rose. She didn't want to be alone anymore than he did. "But who are you talking about?" She'd completely forgotten the man they'd rescued. Her mind had been too focused on Zack the past hours.

[Devon]

Aelo also made it safely to the protection of the guards in Vara, after speaking with them about what happened there he was sent to the inn to rest. He was tired and dazed, but sleeping was the last thing on his mind. Instead he sat in the inn with a bottle of wine he'd found to keep him company.

[Darastrix]

"The man we found asleep in a tent," Zack reminded her as he made his way out of the room and into the inn's common room. "You didn't have any trouble getting folks to listen to you, did you? From what I've heard, Lord Diokles is kind of an--oh!"

Zack stopped as he saw the man from earlier and gave a sigh. "Looks like he got out, too. Aelo?" he called, as he began walking over. "Thank Efil; I was worried you hadn't made it back."

[Devon]

Aelo looked up at Zack as he finished taking another swig from the wine. His glasses sat in his lap and his eyes looked heavy and red. "Oh Zachriel, glad to see we both made it out of there just fine," Aelo replied slowly.

[Kender Bard]

"Are you all right?" Saffron asked. "I mean, other than the obvious. That must have been terribly frightening for you." She patted herself but didn't find any handkerchief on her person so she just patted his shoulder instead, softly.

[Devon]

"I found Sven," he mumbled. "I don't know what I'm going to say to his family..he didn't even want to come to this party, I just dragged him here thinking it was for his own good." Aelo hung his head for a moment and took another bigger swig from the bottle of wine he had.

[Darastrix]

Efil.

"I'm sorry," Zack murmured softly, bowing his head. Forces, what else could you say to news like that? His usual reaction to uncomfortable or sad situations was to smile and try to make the people around him feel better, but he just didn't have the energy to fake it.

[Kender Bard]

Saffron bit her lip, also at a loss. "Etaf wills," she decided on. She wasn't a devout Etafian and the slightly untrue saying had always been a catch-all phrase to use in sorrowful situations.

[Devon]

Aelo took another drink from the bottle of wine and somberly held it out for Zack and Saffron. "For Sven, please take a drink."

[Darastrix]

Zack started to reach for the bottle, paused, and drew his hand away. He'd just almost gotten himself killed by taking tainted drink from strangers. He swallowed hard as a wave of nausea washed over him, and then shook his head.

"Forgive me," he murmured, "but I can't. I am sorry, but I just can't."

He took a step back, and turned to retreat to the room he'd woken in. On second thought, he'd rather just stay there until Zira come to collect him, and possibly Saffron as well.

[Kender Bard]

"He must still feel ill from what he'd drunk already," Saffron noted. She doubted Aelo was going to poison her, though, and so risked a small sip. She glanced towards where Zack had retreated, hesitant. Should she follow? She had been given a room with him, not her own, and she wasn't sure how charitable the innkeeper would be. But then, she didn't want to crowd him.

She yawned widely and decided to curl up in one of the chairs. "If you don't mind, I believe I'll sleep a little," she murmured.