Carodos
Warmth, there was warmth somewhere, stirring the mind from the bitter cold depths of his own mind. The feel of a hand against his cheek slowly coaxed his mind back to the top, causing his eyes to open at last. Remus awoke in a place that was new, a place almost familiar and yet different from what he knew. The boards above his head had to be those of a ceiling, he'd know them easily for they were like his childhood home. Yet they lacked paint, they were rough... this was not home. On top of that there was a face looming over his.

Hers was a gentle face, beautiful in its plainness and sweet in the careful attention she gave him. She went about her work without his attention, tending to him with the gentle reverence one would expect in the healing of the ill. Her eyes were a soft brown, her hair a matching shade and her features betraying her youth. Those eyes were so expressive, something he easily noted when her eyes met his and they widened in shock.

"Father!" she shouted, turning away from Remus. "FATHER! He's awake!" the girl called, shock written in her eyes.

Now was when Remus noticed he didn't lay upon his back, but on his side. Something tight was preventing him from moving, and his hands were numb. He could barely move at all, and breathing was difficult for some reason. Soon another face joined that of the youth. This was of a large man with a big black beard and black hair that went everywhere. Everything about the man implied that he was a frontier man, and that this girl was his daughter. But what was he doing here?

"Well I'll be," the man said, moving to check upon Remus, "You are awake. Can ya tell me your name?"

"Remus... Prame," he choked out. His voice seemed to be gone and he couldn't find reason for that. The last thing he could remember was the Slirvorm, and that couldn't have been more than a few hours ago.

"Do you know what day it is?"

"The seventh of Eolly."

Father and daughter looked at each other with sighs.

"Well, your mind seems intact, but it is now Hidue. You've been out for a month."

"A month?" Remus asked, unbelieving of the fact. "Where am I? Where is Filan? Is Nilusk safe? Please tell me."

The man waved his daughter off to fetch something or other and moved the chair she had been using so he could sit and Remus could watch him with ease. Remus noted the plain cut, color and fabric of the clothes this man wore. He'd always heard you could tell a lot about a person by their clothes. This was no warrior, noble or even merchant feeling about this man, just the feeling of an average man... could he be a survivor of Nilusk?

"Ya are in Nilusk, have been since ya were found. Filan, that was the name of the bear man right? He and the others left three weeks ago. After ya started to fight the others found ya. Ya were badly hurt. The claw of one pierced your chest. We believed that it was poisoned, which 'swhy ya only woke just now. Ya friends had to leave. My daughter and I have been taking care of ya. After all, ya are our hero..."

"The Slirvorm?" Remus asked, trying to sit up, only to find the man forcing him to lie once more on his side.

"Don't move yet kid. You're still hurt. The claw shoulda gone right through ya lung. But it didn't. 's like nothin' we've eva seen before."

Remus smirked to himself, "I'm a partial shifter, part of it instinctual. My body would have changed whatever it could until the claw was removed. Well sir, I thank you for your kindness towards me."

" 'Snot my doing. My daughter, Kalari, she is the one that tended to ya. We don't have many healers out this way, but she knows enough. Without her ya wouldn't be here at all. She fed ya, changed ya bandages. And she won't let ya leave 'til ya okay. But you have to lay down and sleep more. I'll send Kalari in with some soup and bread and we'll send a message to Darnaw and Sulanet. Filan said ya had family there that would wanna know and we should send word to them..."

With this the man rose and pushed the chair away. Within moments Kalari entered the room, balancing a tray of food. As her father left moved the chair to place the tray upon it and then moved to help him sit. Despite the odd numbness filling most of his body, Remus seemed to sense every part of her when she grew close and helped him to sit up. Her hands were soft, amazingly gentle as if she feared hurting him. Remus watched intently as those slender fingers removed the bandaging he wore and as she replaced it. The timidness of the girl seemed out of place. Remus could sense that this was a woman who moved with confidence, and yet she was reserved atound him.

"I'm not going to bite you Miss Kalari," Remus said. The way she flinched was quite amusing. "I'm only harmful to Slirvorm, though they are harmful to me as well."

The girl resumed the tending to his wounds before taking up a bowl of his soup. Quite amused by the girl, Remus allowed her to feed him, and happily played the role of patient. Suddenly not making the army, losing to Slirvorm and not having friends or family around wasn't as important as it had seemed to be just a little bit ago.

Interlude 2
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