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One of Adustes' brows began to rise at the half-dragon's choice of words, but he managed to stop it before it become noticeable. Ignoring the impression that was beginning to form of the gehennan, he gave a nod and said, "Very well. Wait for me to finish tending to injuries, and then we'll be on our way."
He turned back to the group and called out, "Vellek!" Glancing about, he easily spotted the mercenary and began toward him.

Listening to the priest's conversation with the newcomer, Vellek scowled at the conclusion they reached. He didn't like the fact that the man, or whatever it was, would be accompanying them for any amount of time. He just hoped it wouldn't be for long.
He looked up from his mount upon hearing his name and saw Adustes approaching him. His horse's reins in one hand, he stepped forward and met the priest's advance, tucking his torch behind him and into his belt, where it continued to allow him to see, without blinding the shadar-kai.
"Let me see your wounds," the priest said when he came to a halt. Vellek held up his hands, displaying the slash across his forearms. In their current position, Adustes couldn't miss the cut in the mercenary's shoulder, and though it wasn't as easily visible, he spotted the line of blood running over the small scale-like plates of the armor from the man's side. Upon noticing the latter wound, Adustes scowled and looked the human in the eye. "Next time you are injured, make sure I heal you before tending to your mount. A horse holds no value to my expedition. I do, however, require that you keep your life and limbs intact, so you can do the job I hired you to do. At least until we leave this forest," he admonished, more than a hint of his annoyance carrying over to his voice.
Vellek tightened his jaw, but accepted the rebuke with only a curt nod.
Adustes didn't need to closely inspect the visible wounds to see that each was deep. And the fact that the hidden one bled through the man's armor wasn't a good sign either. He was lucky that Adustes had chosen the profession he had. With a soft sigh, he returned his hand to his holy symbol and incanted his last prepared healing prayer, asking his deity to mend the mercenary's wounds. His plea was answered and positive energy -more than that produced by his wand- welled up in his hand. He touched it to Vellek's side, and the magic flowed into him, reattaching flesh and muscle to bone, and sealing the whole of the torso injury shut, though very little was left to affect the other wounds. The priest's scowl deepened somewhat as he moved his hand to the mercenary's shoulder and he expended a charge from his wand. Muscle and vein knit back together, but the energy was insufficient to heal the wound even halfway.
Adustes was tempted her expend another charge on it, almost out of spite, as if the wound itself refused to be healed, more than any desire to sooth his companion's pain, but he refrained from doing so. He knew he had to use the device sparingly. The journey ahead was still a long one, and he wasn't yet able to retain many curative spells each day. The wand had already become instrumental to continuing onward. It had to last.
He moved Vellek's forearms together, and placed his hand over both gashes. He expended one more charge, and this time the energy was enough to close the wounds entirely, and the excess contributed to Vellek's shoulder.
"That is all I can do for now," Adustes said. "I will finish off that wound when I can prepare more spells. Until then, I will bandage whatever is left when we stop for the day."
"Sounds good," Vellek replied with a tight grin.
Adustes turned and approached the rest of his companions and gray half-dragon, pressed a hand to his own wound and expended two more charges from his wand. They weren't enough to heal his own injury, but its severity was diminished to that of the wounds he normally inflicted upon himself. He would need to keep it well-tended, but that aside, it would need no further attention.
He stopped a few paces from the gehennan and said, "If we are to travel together, I suppose introductions are in order. I am Adustes Céasadh. What is your name?"

After a long moment of silence, Adustes looked back to his companions, finding that they had all missed their cue and appeared to be waiting for the dialogue to end. With an internal sigh he introduces each in turn, and says, "I assume you're all prepared to continue on?"
He then turns to Furian and gestures for him to lead the way to his camp.

Furian half listened to the introductions Adustes made and then turned to lead them to his camp. Moving through the brush was a little slow but fortunately his camp was not far. After about a half hour they reached the edge of a large clearing and there near a small boulder stood a horse next to a fire that had by now burned to coals.
Furian checked his horse briefly to make sure nothing else had been stolen while he had been away then turned towards the group. "There is a well worn game trail that continues north from here." he said gesturing towards the other side of the clearing. "It is most likely the quickest way through the Cold Wood."

Furian looked back at his horse and camp, pondering the question a moment. "No, I travel by night, I had stopped here to eat." Furian moved to his horse and untied a string of hares from the other side. "I was interrupted before I could put meat to fire."

Furian was confused as to why these people were staying for him to eat when he had pointed them on their way but decided not to concern himself with it. He began cooking the hares in silence, they were just about finished when Adustes spoke.
"The Cold Hills." He said simply as he took one of the hares off the spit and bit into it.

Furian swallowed and eyed Adustes curiously. All things considered it was obvious the priest wanted something from him, most likely the security of greater numbers for his journey. He just wished he would stop wagging his chin about it and get to the point. Furian looked back to the fire, turning the other hare still cooking there. "Make your point priest."

Furian stood from his meal slowly and looked down at the man before him with a more serious gaze. There was nothing changed in his countenance, but the air around him and the reflection of the fire in his eyes made the expression for him. "I suggest you speak simply out here Adustes Céasadh, not because I am simple but because it is faster and leaves less room for misunderstanding." He paused a moment to search the sky and pointed towards a bright star in the north. "I am heading straight north to breach the Cold Wood quickly and my goal is only a few hours into the hills from there." Furian lowered his arm and turned his attention back to Adustes. "I mean you no frustration. If this course suits you than I agree, if it does not than be on your way."
Confident that this explanation was long enough to be clear Furian retook his seat. He could not understand the use of subtlety in communication, it only seemed a waste of time to him. So much more could be accomplished if people would just speak plainly to each other.