Rhone had been wandering, something he didn’t do too often. He had enjoyed the date he had with Luvena near the sea, but now it was time to come home. There was still so much he needed to do, so many plants he needed to nurture. Even though so much time had passed since the floods had decimated Terrastella, some of the trees and plants still suffered. Many were dead or waterlogged and Rhone had been working to make sure that they were healthy and alive. He had been near the sea for a week or more, so he knew he needed to get back to his plants. While they would still be alive, they would not be as tall and healthy as they should have been if he had stayed close.

As he surged through the fields, his thoughts meandered. They thought of nothing and everything all at the same time. They were mindless and fleeting and yet, visions of Luvena with rosemary and thyme in her hair kept distracting him. Before he knew it, he was in the middle of the fields, no where near the cliffs he wanted to be.

As he changed direction, he was pleased to see a familiar face up ahead. While he hadn’t seen the shark-horse in some time, he did remember meeting her in the swamp so many moons ago. Briefly he wondered if she would remember him, but in the end, he decided that it really didn’t matter.

Instead of continuing towards the cliffs, he moved closer to the other. And as he drew near, he could see that she was badly injured. His pace quickened and he rushed to her side. "Are you alright?" His voice displayed the concern he felt. He wanted to help her, to make her wounds go away. "Will you make it to the hospital?” It hadn’t occurred to him that she might not want to go to the hospital. In his mind, the injured went to the hospital to get fixed. It never occurred to him that there may be another course of action. But ever the kind soul, Rhone was determined to help her out. While he might not have the skills to physically heal her, he could help her in other ways.

@Below Zero

Rhone always had a kind and caring heart and it ached when he would see others suffering. He wished he was a better healer, that he could take away her pain. Even though he did not know her extremely well, she was still a member of Dusk Court and that made her family, at least in his eyes.

When Bel began to explain that she was fine, that she had been patched up by someone from Night Court, his heart skipped a beat. "Luvena…" She would have done such a thing. She was a kind soul and knew no strangers.

Upon realizing that he had said her name out loud, he looked at her with a soft smile, trying not to draw too much attention. Luvena was not his to call anymore. She would always be his friend and he would always care for her deeply, but they were not an item…at least not anymore.

His attention was pulled back to her when she said that it was her own fault for getting injured. He cocked his head, looking at her curiously. "How so? I don’t think anyone intentionally hurts themselves…" At least most people didn’t. Those who did needed help and not in the physical sense. They were not themselves, letting their mental toughness dissipate. He did not think that was the case with Bel.

At her invitation to follow her back towards the swamp, he nodded his head softly. "Aye, I would feel better knowing that you got home safely." He could smell the metallic taste of blood in the air and no doubt predators could do. He would do his best to insure she made it home safe. After all, he would most certainly blame himself if she perished or got more injured on her trek home and he had done nothing to prevent it. "You’re more than welcome to share my hit tonight. I can help tend to your wounds in the morning and at least keep you safe form predators." He doubted that she would actually accept his invitation, but it made him feel better to at least offer it.

As they walked in silence, he could see the way she hobbled along, the way her muscles ached and her body grew more tired of keeping up with the façade she was putting on. But it was her question that distracted him, if only for a moment. He shook his head. "I’m afraid I don’t know any personally. I heard the Champion of Battle in Denocte is quite skilled." He’d seen the tall silver black mare before and she looked just as intimidating as she was tall. Her body was riddled with scars but she seemed to have a nice demeanor. "…but while I am no soldier now, I did fight a fair few battles in my prime. I can certainly give you some pointers once you’re feeling more up to it if you want." He offered her a genuine smile, hoping that if she did not want to travel to Denocte to get her lessons, then maybe she would allow him to share his wisdom.

@Below Zero

He listened quietly, but actively, when she began to speak about the attack and how her injuries had happened. He tried to envision what went down and for the most part, he understood. He could not deny that she was right, that distraction could have been fatal to her and her bonded. But he said nothing, knowing that she was already beating herself up over the matter.

But in the end, he offered to walk her back to the swamp. He was already going in that direction towards his hut and it would be ungentlemanly like to just let her wander off injured. "It’s really no bother, I’m already heading in that direction." He offered her a smile, then offering her to stay in his hut with him tonight if she wanted. Already he could see that her bonded was quite offended and already he felt bad for making her feel that way. "I don’t mean to discount your abilities, Yuki. I just wanted to offer you both extra protection and a roof you’re your heads tonight. I swear my intentions are pure." He hoped his words would soothe them enough, at least offering them some sort of peace.

She went on to try to figure out how to sleep on land, being that she normally slept beneath the veil of water. He smiled. "My magic allows me to grow plants. Once we get to the swamp, will you at least let me make you a bed?" If she wasn’t going to join him in his hut tonight, where a bed was already prepared, then surely she would allow him to make her a nice place to sleep tonight.

The conversation gradually meandered through various topics, but grew serious when Rhone offered to show her a few tips and tricks. It had been years since he had done any formal fighting, but he still had a few good moves in him. Not to mention, he loved to teach and perhaps this was just one way to do so. When she agreed to his training, he offered her a smile. "Good, then once you are fully healed, I will teach you to fight on land." He had a lot to learn from her too. He was nothing but a fish out of water when he was out of his element in the water. She could probably teach him a few things too.

@Below Zero