Narrisa looked at the woman in surprise. It wasn't difficult to see that Jenna had a passion for what she had inherited from her mother. Mistaking that for eccentricity would be a mistake she wouldn't make. She'd book that to her memory.

"It's ok. Right now, anything would be better than what I'm working with right now," she smiled, tapping the side of her head innocently. "Nothing really . . . Um, Just I can't remember." She felt a little bad she couldn't offer anything else. "I know, it's not much to work with, but he said it would wear off in time. So I'm not sure what else I could tell you. Are Blessings from Rhode usually that pestering?" Then again, she really didn't want to know. She looked towards the large pot in the middle of the place, wanting to change subjects.

"So, is there any way I could help?" She leaned over the brew that the woman was making, seeing if she could see any of its ingredients. Other than the fire that boiled the pot from beneath, there was too much smoke for her to directly identify any shape or size of the contents of the brew. "What are you working on now?"

“Hm. Well Blessing are like magic imparted by the Gods. Arcane magic is all bookish and learned though many people here think it's the work of demons and devils since Blessings are the only true form of magic,” she shakes her head. “For a Blessing you are chosen by a deity good or evil so I don't know why the clergy is so big about getting rid of just Arcane stuff, probably because there are so few evil deities that operate in the open ...”

She shrugs. It all was just utter nonsense to her but Jenna barely kept appraised of magic. “His Blessing shouldn't be as persistent and if Edgar says a couple of days then a few days it is. He has more experience with arcane stuff which is a surprise where he still refers to me as a witch. Maybe because my intuition is good.” Or because it riled her up, Jenna pointed to the cauldron with the wooden spoon.

[color=#BFBFF]“It's not magical or anything but I was working on a tonic to increase vision in the dark by enhancing natural receptors in the human body so he's in luck. I guess you are too. Grab that pot, and that vile and that one.” She grabbed a few things herself.[/color]

[color=#BFBFF]“That just has to simmer a bit. Follow me.”[/color]

She lead the way to the edge of camp where there was a small pit and she set the cauldron over. She fed a few sticks into the pit and ignited it after a short while by smacking a few stones together until she formed a spark (unless Narissa used some of that fire magic that she'd be thankful of).

[color=#BFBFF]“At the hospital I had to work on memory enhancing tonics often enough for the infirm. I'm not saying they'll do anything for you but they might increase the rate of your memory coming back.”[/color]

She giggled, looking at the woman and then the material in front of her. "Magic is so . . . Complicated," she sighed, after hearing the explanation. She had understood it, without really getting a grasp for it. It was as if her mind was already filled with something and was already too full to make room for more. She held onto the vials that Jenna asked her to hold, making sure to treat them carefully, not wanting to drop any of them or break the glass.

Following the younger woman from behind, minding the people they came across, giving soft nods, making sure she looked at each and everyone's face. If she saw them before, maybe her memory with get jogged, like when she saw Edgar. When nothing came up, she sighed, looking ahead to the pit that Jenna was leading them to. "There? Ok," she walked a little more forward, eager to see what needed to be done. The quicker she helped with this, the quicker her memory would come back.

She watched the girl flick two stones together. Again and again, a small spark flickered into the air before dying before it could even reach the wood. Narrisa watched, frowning before her eyes widened. "Hey! That's right, I can use fire!" Right? She looked at the logs in front of her, then looked back down at her hands. Her magic was one of the things she could remember, the feel, the mana, the inner glow that rose so eagerly to her fingertips. Yes. IT felt so natural, she knew there was no mistaking it. Gingerly lifting it towards the logs, she muttered something under her breath, words she didn't even know. But the mass of mana growing under her fingers let her know she was doing the right thing.

Jenna's words died a little about her hospital work as she saw the woman doing this, the mutters too low for her to hear, too.

A flame spotted from her fingers before it shot out at the woods, bursting the wood into flame with popping and crackling sounds. She smiled softly before sucking her finger tips into her mouth, the fingers stinging over the top.


"I did it!" she squealed, a loud laugh leaving her lips before she had to suckle at the burnt fingertips again.

Jenna's eyes widen and she points. “WITCH!” But after a moment she giggles.

“OK, bad joke. That's pretty neat though I wouldn't go using it outside this camp much given how people of this Shadow are a bit, well, yeah ...”

She goes about having Narissa help her add a bit of this or that. Mixing the tonic one way then another. It grows later in the evening before the sky above begins to darken. “Alright, I think the other tonic should be ready about now -”

Her eyes widen as creatures. Roughly man sized with gray -green skin, tusks, and porcine features rushed forward from the woods out of the darkness, weapons and armor a hodge podge of things. Their beady eyes were focused on the women, was that lust within their eyes as others emerged from the trees at various points.

She freezes, looking at the fear in Jenna's eyes. "Witch?! Where?!" she yelled, whipping her head back and forth . . . Before laughing along with the woman. The laugh helped relieved the tension she hadn't even realized she had, letting the worry of her memory sink back again. Hearing Jenna's warning, she gave a nod before helping with the rest of material.

Things went mostly easy, besides knowing which to put which first and how much at what amount and portion. It was easy to mess up, had Jenna not been there to help her and stop her before she put anything off too much. Nothing in her memory was set off by the tonic they were using.

"Looks like nothing here, either," she pouted, seeing the brew complete, but not her memory. "Sorry, got a little hopful there," she smiles sullenly before she looks up at Jenna. UNlike the mock fear that had entered her eyes before, a paleness drained her face, a wideness to her eyes that wasn't there before.

Terror.

Narrisa looked back, seeing just what had captivated her companion as she felt the same features of terror grab at her. "Oh no . . . Jenna, what are those things?" she gasped, rising to her feet again.

“So you didn't do much brewing.” Jenna stated plainly. “You didn't seem the type though given the help you needed, no offense, though the tonic might help get something back at least. It just needs an hour or so, then fifteen minutes to cool and then we shall see. Either way the tonic will do no harm but assist you memory.”

But when the creatures made their appearance Jenna jumped up to her feet. Others in the camp had engaged the creatures and she wiped out a glass vial whipping it at the feet of one of the creature's generating an irritating puff of smoke.

But there were more, three more to be precise near them and coming up on the pair of girls quickly.

“ORCS!” Narissa got her answer as Jenna fumbled for another vial obviously unprepared for this.

Narrisa screamed, snatching up Jenna's arm "We have to get back to Edgar!" she yelled, not allowing the other creatures to get any closer. She couldn't tell if Jenna had any more, but between the two of them, they were slowly getting out numbered. With more to come from outside the camp.

"Where are they coming from!? Why are they attacking??" she yelled, dashing closer to the camp with Jenna in hand. But even as they got closer, the carnage of the attack was riding on. Other bandits, fighting against the orcs, were facing just as hard a time. The bandits were at a disadvantage, it seeming that none of them had gotten warning or anything before they were assailed. The orcs were even armmed, no two armors alike, their weapon between rusted and bloodied already, but one thing was for certain.

The enemy had the upper-hand.

But where was Edgar?!

"Edgar!!! Edgar!!" Narrisa screamed, trying to reach the inside of the camp. But it seemed the closer they got to the center of the camp, the more orcs were working their way into it as well.

They ran, Jenna getting out the vial she was looking for as Narissa pulled her along. A substance like grease smeared the ground when the vial shattered slowing down their pursuers.

This was a war party of orcs. No doubt about that. The orcs were numerous and they had been out numbered. Surprise had been on the side of the orcs too and the bandits fought on bravely.

As they got closer to the edge of the camp it was clear that Edgar was not within shouting distance or was preoccupied though when they did fin him he was covered in blood though it had not seemed to be his own. He was busy battling a near seven foot tall orc though four other orcs surrounded him nipping at him though he was able to block one of the smaller ones with his shield, the large one with his sword and side stepped another ducking beneath the blade of another.

Damn he was good but even being this good his luck would not hold for long against five of them.

Her eyes widened at the sight of him, Narrisa stopping in her tracks as her body came to a sudden halt. He seemed alright, for the moment, but even she could see that whatever upperhand he had was slowly slipping out of his grasp.

"Edgar!" she screamed, seeing the fight in front of her and the losing side, their side, slowly closing in. Her eyes darted around, seeing the other men and fighters around. What would they say? Would they turn her in? Fear her? Her eyes darted back to Edgar.

No matter.

Her lips slowly rushed a hushed word, shadows forming and spreading around the girls. If Edgar died, it would not matter at all who won or lost this battle as her eyes spun a vicious yellow color, all traces of the once warm brown bleached out as her hair flew behind her. Her voice echoed in the air until it turned to a harsh shriek.

Suddenly, flames of arrows appeared above their heads, fiery, sharp and alive with the licks of mana flames. "GO!" she screamed, leaving no confusion of whom its owner was as they shot out into the ground, impaling many of the orc warriors. But most of the arrows didn't bother with the enemies near by her or Jenna. No, they tended to the battle with the bandit up ahead as they found their home into Edgar's enemies.

The roar of flames, the screams, bodies clattering to the ground as several of the warriors were incinerated. The others? Orcs were a superstitious bunch. They were afraid of magi and were quick to flee from the area, even the larger one was not immune though a strong commander could force them to brave the effects better.

Edgar brained one of the warrior's as he turned to run though he was not as forgiven as he cut them down when he could.

He himself had been wounded, a gash to his right leg, which had Jenna scrambling for a whit paste.

The enemy near them had given them a wide birth.

“Thanks for the assist.” Jenna was already rushing forth to apply the paste to the wound.

She gasped, the flames passing out as they left nothing more of their existence. No more than the singed holes they left on their target or the ground. Narrisa trembled at the sight before her. Had she. . . . Had she really done all that? She paled at the scene, then looked to Edgar. She did not quickly return his gratitude, still paling.

Her body trembled against, sending weak spells to her knees as she fell to them. She grabbed her arms to herself, holding her body as a sudden chill ran through her and held. What was going on?

"What....what happened?" She chattered, looking to Jenna and Edgar for answer as fatigue swept her form. Even now she could see that now wasn't the time for this, the creatures backing off, yet still very present.as she remained on her knees.

The paste was a cool contraption that stung a little as it was a;;lied though other bandits were not so lucky as their positions were over run given the numbers of the war party.

Others melted into the forest rather than throwing away their lives when it was clear that they could not win.

Edgar lifted the orc up that he had rendered unconscious in a fireman's carry. Jenna, once the paste had between applied Jenna was at her side coaxing Narissa to her feet.

“Come on, we got to go.”

She nod shakily as she was pulled up, her dress sullied by the dirt on it, not even near as much as she watched Edgar easily heft up the unconscious creature. No, they couldn't bring that thing! They were just trying to kill them!!

"Edgar, no, you can't!!" She tried to stand in his way, only for her limbs to nearly cave. Jenna continued to help her along, renting her own words hollow. What if that thing woke up as the still escaped? Everything seemed to be falling apart

Edgar was willing to take that chance of the creature waking. He flicked his gaze towards Narissa and shook his head as if not to be swayed from this.

“I want answers.”

Jenna assisted Narissa along and the quartet made about the same speed. The young girl using some of her tonics though it was clear that Edgar had to abandon the body to fight against other orcs more effectively.

Without the body Edgar assisted Narissa along until the three of them had traveled out of the path of the orcs, Edgar shaking his head and grumbling.

He buckled as adrenaline left his body and he felt the stinging wound to his leg having to sit down for a second.

Her limbs begged to crumble, begged her to stop. But with the danger still too close, Edgar still injured and pushing forth, Narrisa could do naught but ignore the cries of her muscles. Her dress caught in several low bushes, her arm flinging to scatter fire upon any Orcs that drew too close to them. Only twice had she needed to do that, the monsters still much wary of her, but twice was all it cost her to nearly black out on her feet. Several times Jenna had to roughly pull her shoulder. She was still amazed at the young girl's strength. She gave Jenna a quick look of appreciation before letting the world come back into focus.

Even though it seemed in those bleak moments of unconsciousness it seemed the inner recess of her mind was showing a cave. Was it a clue to her past? She couldn't tell, her mind was still too entangled with all the mysteries of this shadow and the dangers still about.

Finally, it seemed hours later, the sun already drawing to a close in the horizon, they stopped. Narrisa crumbled to the ground, curling into the sweet surrender of the rest spot, surrounded in a bedding of short grass before she heard the heavy collapse of her male companion. She opened her eyes, looking to the panting male, seeing the cut already persisting pass Jenna's tonic.

"Ed . . .edgar, your wound," she said meekly, crawling over to his side. Even her limbs felt drained, the strength sapped from the magic. She should have known better and, somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she did know the price of her magic did on her body. But the fear of seeing what had almost came of Edgar . . . She knew she had purposefully ignored such a basic knowledge. "Why didn't you stop earlier? We could have rested sooner, why did you push yourself so hard, you oaf!" She wanted to swat him, but fear of if it would actually do damage stayed her hand.