RP:A Minor Misunderstanding

From HollowWiki

Part of the Thy Kingdom Come Arc


Summary:After hearing a commotion upstairs and fearing the worst for Hildegarde, Pilar rushes to her assistance.



East Hall

Pilar returned from her brief sojourn down to Xalious feeling... kind of confused. She had gone to pray at the village's famous Tree, had hoped that the God of Magic might show her favor... and she ended up meeting a rather strange feline woman. She wondered if it meant anything or if it was just a coincidence. In the fading sunlight, she made her way up the stairs to Hildegarde's chambers, hoping to check on her friend and commander.

Hildegarde, in an effort to follow Ashe’s advice, had done her best to return to normality. What else could she do? She had grieved but now it was time to push forward and plot to retake Frostmaw properly, a goal that seemed almost within grasp given how close they now where to the City of War. So here, out in the balcony of all places, she elected to train amongst her men. Northern Kuronii and elves, the few who had come from Sage or managed to escape from Frostmaw, served as her opponents. Two burly northmen and one elf. Not that it seemed to frighten the knight: one had to push themselves in order to succeed and survive in the field of battle. If one did not test themselves, they weren’t likely to succeed. One Kuronii leapt forward, only for Hildegarde to side-step him gracefully and slam her elbow into the small of his back to make him stumble and crash head first into the railing of the balcony. One down, an elf and a man left to go. The elf was nimble, but the man wasn’t. The Kuronii paced a few steps away, watching the elf and then watching Hildegarde. He’d wait for an opportune moment, like a lion waiting for the kill. The elf ran for Hildegarde, feinting to the left and landing a quick strike against Hilde’s eyepatch which caused her to howl with pain and stagger back. The elf stepped in quickly, throwing a punch aimed at Hildegarde’s throat but she suddenly stepped forward and swung both arms around the elf to entrap him in a bear like hug. Her arms strained and bulged with the effort to restrain the elf, but soon the little man had gone limp and was unceremoniously dropped. That’s when the Kuronii man sprung. He leapt at Hildegarde. Unlike the others, though, he was armed. He wielded a sharp hunting knife and didn’t seem afraid to use it.

Pilar heard the grunting of effort on her way up, but that howl of pain sent her into a sprint. Panic had set in. Was Hildegarde being attacked again?! She ran out to the balcony in time to see the Kuronii man leap, knife in hand. "Hildegarde!" Pilar cried, scared for her friend. She was about to watch her friend die and there was nothing she could do to stop it, or so it seemed to her. Panicked, without thinking, she threw out her hand and a large flame burst from the ground between Hildegarde and her assailant. At least, it seemed to be a flame. Closer inspection would reveal several oddities, not the least of which was the lack of heat. Was the flame even real?

Hildegarde had no time to waste when the knife wielding Kuronii came for her. Her open-palm slapped against his wrist and she stepped in to try and defensively remain out of the knife’s swing, but to also offensively reach her opponent. If she could keep striking, he wouldn’t be able to strike! But the burst of flames-that-aren’t-flames separates the two with a noise of fright from Hildegarde and a noise of irritation from the Kuronii. Rather than lose an advantage, the knight braves the flames – though in leaping through them she feels no heat – and launches herself towards the Kuronii man. Swiftly, she tangles her fingers into his bushy beard and jerks his head down with one hand while her knee comes soaring up to strike against his chin; her free hand shoving out to keep the knife from wildly swinging at her torso or leg. Her blow connecting, he is knocked out cold and the knife clatters to the ground. Hildegarde is left standing over him, huffing and puffing victoriously.

Pilar 's heart, had it been beating, would have stopped when Hildegarde jumped through her flames. But the dragon was unharmed, and soon had her attacker defeated. Pilar sighed in relief and hurried over to Hildegarde, calling her name. "Are you alright?! What happened, where's Lisbeth?" Then she noticed the other Kuronii and the elf and looked at Hildegarde, still worried, but also confused. "Were you attacked again?"

Hildegarde had expected to be burned, but upon feeling no heat from the flames, knew it was some form of trickery. It’s only when Pilar hurries to her side and calls out her name does she realise it had been Pilar trying to defend her. “She’s having a bath,” she murmured, “I was training.” The Silver looked around at the unconscious trio, realising how it might look. “Oh… Er. It’s better to fight more than one person, sometimes. Just… er… you know. Challenge yourself,” she said apologetically, hoping it might explain the situation! Blood seeped from the eyepatch; like a red tear rolling down her cheek.

Khitti shouted, "Hildegarde! Zhere is some sulking, undead guy here zhat seems to zhink he knows you! Shall I let him in to see you? Or do you vish for me to ever so politely show him zhe door?"

Pilar felt a little foolish at jumping to such dire conclusions. Her embarrassment was forgotten, however, when she got a good look at Hildegarde's face. "Hildegarde, your eye." Pilar looked around the room for medical supplies, then started when she heard Khitti's voice coming from downstairs. Upon Hildegarde's invitation to the mysterious undead, she turned and watched the entrance nervously.

Hildegarde had replied to the shout instinctively. “Let’s move these men out of the way. Worry not about my eye, it’s already as damaged as it’ll ever be,” she said with a briefly reassuring smile. Quickly, the knight grasps the wrists of the bigger Kuronii man and hauls his body off into her chambers. He can rest there and come to in a slightly warmer and more comfortable environment. She does the same for the second Kuronii man, who had his head smacked against the railing. This leaves the elf for Pilar.

Pilar looked at Hildegarde. She was still going to find something for it, though. That blood, though... How long since she'd fed? It was so tempting... But, wait, what had Daermon told her about dragon blood? Wasn't it bad for vampires? Okay, so that was off the table. Because asking to lick your friend's face was otherwise an okay, not-weird thing to do. Anyway. The elf. Pilar carefully, but easily, lifted the man into her arms and deposited him with the others. Hooray for vamp strength!

Hildegarde, with the bodies handled, returned to the balcony and tried to tidy it up a little. But there wasn’t much that needed fixing, just the position of the chair and the removal of the knife; which she tucked into her boot for safe keeping. The Silver offered Pilar a little smile, “Do you have gloves?”

Pilar followed Hildegarde around, looking for some direction. When she got it, searched through her satchel, frowning. "Um... no, unfortunately." She looked up sadly at Hildegarde, as if this was a massive oversight on her part and that she had failed her friend.

Hildegarde nodded, “That’s okay,” she assured her. “My blood will burn you if it touches you,” she said gently, “so you must be careful not to touch it or get it on you, okay?” She would hate to see Pilar become harmed due to the purity of her blood being so acidic to vampires. The knight wiped away the red tear from her cheek and decided that it could be left alone for now. It’s not as if that eye could get any worse.

Pilar 's eyes widened. She knew dragon blood was poison to vampires, but not that it had corrosive properties. Good to know! "Thank you for telling me," she said. She looked at Hildegarde's bleeding eye. "I... I wish I knew healing magics. I keep telling myself I must learn, but I... I don't know who to ask. The nurses here, they are so busy..."

Hildegarde had once wanted to learn how to heal, though she knew she had no aptitude for magic. “Can you stitch or sew?” she asked. “I learned some field medicine. Not quite like Lady Josleen, but enough to keep a soldier stitched together until we can get him some proper help.” Basics that most soldiers had to learn, especially in Frostmaw where not knowing could be a death sentence.

Pilar lifted her hand and wiggled it up and down, the universal "eh/so-so" gesture. "I did learn to sew, yes, but I was never any good at it. I could fix a tear or add a button, that's about it... But, if you would be willing to show me, I would be very grateful."

Hildegarde smiled at Pilar and gestured for her to sit down, “I will not show you on myself, given that my blood can harm you. But I will ask Josleen to make time for you,” she said, as if this was a very great gesture indeed. It was obvious that Hildegarde respected Josleen mightily, with the reverence in her voice and implication that Josleen was a rather busy woman. “She is a kind woman. She’ll teach you, I am sure.”

Pilar sat down as she was bidden. "I've met Miss Josleen before. She seems nice. I don't want to impose, though. Whenever I see her around camp, she's always tending a patient. I'd hate to take her time away from those who need it."

Hildegarde shrugged her shoulder, “You can learn through observation. Ask to be her shadow, swear to not get in her way,” she suggested in an effort to be helpful. “Observe over her shoulder and slowly try to become involved. I will try to speak to her, too, if you like?”

Pilar thought about the offer for a moment, then nodded. "If... if you're sure I won't be a distraction... I'll ask her myself. Thank you for the suggestion."

You said to Pilar, "I have faith in you, Pilar. You'll do great things."