Horst looks up from the backpack that is still lying in the snow: "Thank God, at least the messages are still dry after all this time in the snow."
Hildegard takes care to speak Latin: "Albirch has been stabilized, although he will keep some very ugly scars unless vis is used for his face. But let's look at the situation at hand: With those heavy wounds, none of the grogs can travel anywhere. It might be merciful to put them out of their misery here quickly - we can't spend all winter out here and it will take a long time for the wounds to heal enough for them to limp along. Even if I shrank them to child-size, they 'd still be too heavy for you guys to carry: We will have to take Horst - in owl shape - and his messages with us. But maybe we could spend one more day and night here - it would allow us to examine the dead wolves and see if we can find some solution that is less - drastic."
"Things are rarely as bad as they seem. Sometimes they are worst.....But not this time. Horst, please write a message for Durenmar and Theron will carry it back. If I rest here tonight, I will be able to move the worst cases. I would go back to Alpirsbach and await help from Durenmar then go to Dankmar. I do not trust that place but I will accept the decision of my fellows. So Horst, please be quick so Theron has time to bring an answer back before morning."
"The idea is good, my son", Horst replies, "but my mission is to deliver my letter. I have to try to reach Dankmar. Would your friend also fly there? It's closer and the nature of Dankmar's defenses will be no problem for an owl - unless her wing is broken", he adds bitterly, looking at his arm.
"But I see you don't remember the book on the black forest I gave you when you were 14 - that was the year you sneaked off behind my sanctum with that kitchen wench - Gertrude - and thought we wouldn't notice... . Well, wait for tonight, and I will show you that the Gift is not the only kind of magic available to us - my magic is knowledge. Just promise me that you will all sleep like good boys and girls and tomorrow, our situation will be a lot better."
He hands one of the magi a piece of parchment. "It's too cold for using ink, but it should be no problem for an apprentice to magically write a note for the magi of Dankmar that they should come to meet us - they'll know how to find us, if you allow them to use magic for it and it will be less" he stops looking for a word that fits "less upsetting to enter Dankmar that way".
The other wolves - realizing that their alpha wouldn't return vanished into the green canopy of the forest, except for the ones that had been temporarily buried under snow, and the two that Honorus Earth Magic had delat with.
When a fire had been lit for comfort, Horst told how the wolves had attacked his party, how he had broken the wand and how the pack had wounded him before he could take owl shape and hop up a tree. He had hoped that the wolves would leave him alone then, but that the lead wolf wouldn't allow it - how it had been cold and how he had waited on the tree, glad for the warm feathers but fighting against the owlishness threatening to take over his mind.
ooc: Anything left to do before Horst does his midnight magic? Another course of action, maybe? (I'm trying not to railroad this - though the story - I must admit - has been very linear so far)
"Mistress Hildegard, forgive me for being distracted, i must have misunderstood your words.
You weren´t just proposing to put down a loyal and faithful human being that was ready to sacrifice his life, if needed, to protect your own?!?"
[Rabanus voice rises and he builds himself up in front of Hildegard]
"I have so far treated you, despite your physical appearance, as an adult and a fellow magus like any other. But a proposal as naive and inhuman as this i cannot accept or leave uncommented. [Sigh] There must be a way to magically bind their wounds, once Albirich hopefully wakes up from his current state and everyone had a good nights sleep, so we can all reach Dankmar together."
ooc:
Not wanting to be a pickle, but if Dankmar has an Aegis of level 15 or more, Theron wont be able to enter it.
If Hildegard sponts Bind wounds on the grogs, they should be able to walk to Dankmar. No other magic needed.
Of course any other solution would be equally good, so far as noone is left behind.
Horst looks up: "I must agree with you Rabanus, we must be very careful to respect people's lives - God alone has the right to be the judge. This child that you treat as a maga should not so light-heartedly speak of matters justly grave."
Hildegard: "But..."
Horst: "Oh, shut up Journeyman, you've said enough - you of all people as a Mercere should know better then to talk like that. The only reason that keeps me from reporting this to Harco is thatI owe this party my life. So can you heal them?"
Hildegard seems to become even smaller: "No, Master, I'm afraid not. I could bind their wounds so they wouldn't worsen, but it is beyond my abilities to magically set a broken legbone."
Horst: "Then we'll need four bowls and four pieces of bread. The good women of the forest will help us."
ooc: @zlorfik - the parma argument is correct ruleswise, but if Horst thinks that Theron can pass the defenses, he'll know what he says. As for bind wounds - that does not remove the penalties - plus Horst's "magic" will be nicer to watch.
After Theron left, they wait. Horst suggest to cast another ward against wild animals and then they go to sleep. In the morning, the bread is gone and the wounded grogs tell of adrea they all had: A beautiful naked woman came to kiss them in the night - with long brown hair covering her breasts.
The guard doesn't remember the situation, but the wounds of have all miraculously improved, so slow travel towards ankmar is now possible.
Horst, satisfied with this development, rubs his hands and announces: "Tonight we will eat dinner in Dankmar's wooden hall!"
ooc: that should resolve the how to heal question (I couldn't resist the waldfrauen from GotF): anything left to do before they go to Dankmar? If yes, it goes here, otherwise it goes into the next (shorter) chapter.
Hildegard makes sure that the grogs pack a wolfskin for her.
Honorus avoids this and does not help but also does not stop. He wants nothing to do with the Wolf skins.