On Patrol (Continued from Let's Go to the Prancing Pony)

[Bêthberry]

Carrying her herbal satchel awkwardly in one hand, Bethberry wound her way back through the bush. She caught up with Arcon, who refused any immediate attention, saying he would search the bush around them to ensure a safe perimeter. He strode off through the woods, his bloody sword still dripping at his side.

Bethberry then turned to the clearing on the path, where Periwinkle stood near Holly, sniffing around her with disdain. Birdie was holding Holly, who had regained consciousness, up.

I will need a fire for hot water, for I must clean and rebandage my arm. As soon as I move it, the wound commences bleeding again. Gandalf, if you are unhurt, can you get one started?

Gandalf immediately replied to the affirmative and started a small fire, disappeared for a bit, and then returned with two kettles of water for heating.

Bethberry pulled a small smudge pot out of her satchel, which Gandalf lit for her and placed on the ground near the elves. Soon, the smoke from the dried aster and comfrey would work to help Menelduliniel and Estalarion regain consciousness. Perhaps the smudging would even help clear Holly's head.

Bethberry filled the smallest kettle with agrimony and yarrow, for washing wounds. With a cup, she took hot water from the other kettle and prepared an infusion of horehound for Holly to sip, to counteract the nausea and vomiting. She wouldn't let Holly eat anything else, not until they knew she was recovered. Birdie helped Holly over to sit on the ground near the smudge pot by the two elves.

The daughter of Goldberry and Tom then invited Naaramare to wash her neck with some of the water, yarrow and agrimony and gave her a small poultice of arnica, to guard against bruising and swelling where the highwayman's blade had pressed against her throat.

Birdie, come back here if Holly is okay. I saw scratches on your arms. Come, wash them with this cleansing water to ward off any infection and wipe them with these beardtongue leaves.

Finally, Bethberry unwrapped the drenched swaddling around her arm and bathed it, too, with the agrimony and yarrow until the water ran clean and clear of blood. Placing some bistort leaves and a crushed stalk of horsetail over the cut, she then asked Gandalf to wrap a clean linen around her forearm, tightly.

She gave to Naaramare some maralroot and lemon for the other pot of boiling water, to make a soothing drink to boost the travelers' endurance. Needing rest herself, she then sat down and leaned against a tree, whose coolness was a welcome relief to her.

She closed her eyes. If only those young elves had not been so headstrong and foolish as to ignore Periwinkle's intuition, then perhaps none of them would have been ambushed and harmed by the brigands. She hoped they would soon come out of their swoons.

[ July 11, 2002: Message edited by: Bethberry ]