The rooms proved to be simple but clean and spacious enough.  The girls shared one room and true to word, Gairen brought a cot in for them.  Eunhyuk and Leeteuk took the room next to theirs and Siwon and Kyuhyun the one after that.  Their packs were settled unceremoniously on the floor while they situated themselves for baths.  Fortunately, there were two fairly large tubs with a pump for hot water and one for cold as well.  No wonder Gairen charged for baths…  The water had to be heated and they all wondered where that took place as they didn’t see any obvious furnace or piping otherwise.

           Politely, the girls were allowed to go first, which Summer and Kharin did with relish, though not without a backwards glance to Eleanara who slept on in the bed furthest from the door.

           “We’ll watch her,” Leeteuk assured them before they stole off to the baths gratefully, content he was as good as his word.  He sat down on the bed opposite her and sighed, wondering when she would wake up after they made her sleep again.

           Siwon joined him shortly, sitting down next to the other man.  “I hope we’re not making her sleep too much,” he murmured quietly, the concern plain on his face as he echoed Leeteuk’s thoughts.  “I know she needs it, but…”

           Leeteuk finished the sentence for him, “But she needs food and water too.”  He nodded to himself, taking note of her wan complexion.  She looked more drawn than usual, if not rested.  “We’ll let them finish first.  If she doesn’t wake by then, we’ll have her come around,” he decided, looking at Siwon who agreed with a nod.

           While they waited, Eleanara didn’t stir, even when the girls came back and plopped down on the cot, refreshed and wearing loaner clothes from Gairen; well, the inn really.  He had offered since the state of their clothes was something to sigh over and they were only grateful that he didn’t inquire as to how they had reached that condition.  Of course they were curious why he hadn’t but they were content to let it go for the moment, eager simply to recover and remain unnoticed for what they really were.

           They talked quietly, sipping on water and ignoring the sound of their stomachs grumbling; there was time enough for food later and none of them really wanted to split off from the group.  When Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk returned, Leeteuk and Siwon left their vigil in the capable hands of the others.  The baths they took were leisurely, but still faster than the rest and they were back in short order, making sure to have refilled one of the baths for Eleanara.

           When they returned, Kharin was just rousing a very groggy Eleanara.  “Welcome back,” she smiled, supporting her as she threw her legs slowly over the side and blinked blurrily at the unfamiliar room.

           Awareness dawned slowly as Eleanara focused on the faces of those around her.  She realized she was sitting on a bed in a room and across from her was Summer, while in the doorway were Leeteuk and Siwon, smiling encouragement.  As Kharin helped her to stand, she finally managed to ask, “Did we make it?”  Her voice was more of a croak and she grimaced as rasped.

           Summer was quick to hand her a water skin and she drank from it thirstily, more parched than she could recall being in a while.  “We did,” Kharin assured her softly, a hand still under her elbow for support.

           Eleanara both appreciated and resented the aide, but she let the latter slide away as she recognized that while she felt rested, she was still weak.  It was not a feeling that sat with her well.  “Good,” she finally said, the water skin empty and her voice marginally better.  A smile crept to her face, glad simply to be awake, warm and safe.  Her last memories were fuzzy but she did remember Siwon holding her and she looked at him in annoyance.  “That wasn’t very polite of you,” she chided.

           The water elementalist chuckled and had the grace to duck his head but he did not seem repentant at all.  “You needed it,” he stated evenly.  “Don’t even try to deny it.”

           Eleanara seemed about to argue but she paused, and Kharin took that opportunity to prompt her to move forward.  “You can talk later.  Let’s get you to the bath first,” she started smoothly, watching in delight as Eleanara’s face lit up at the thought.

           “A warm bath?” she asked, hardly daring to hope.

           “There are two in fact,” Leeteuk smiled, his hair still damp and clinging to his face in slender strands.

           Eleanara felt her heart flutter and her knees get weak for an entirely different reason.  She managed not to trip only because Kharin was still supporting her.  Gratefully, she allowed herself to be guided out, brushing by Leeteuk and Siwon so that she just missed them.  She couldn’t help but notice how nice they all smelled, which brought to mind her current state and she flushed, catching a whiff of herself.  Two days of unwashed travel and combat did not exactly work wonders for anyone.

           Kharin waved Summer off and gestured to the others that she could handle it.  She could tell the other woman was getting bored and it didn’t take her long to get up to go find Kyuhyun.  Idly, she wondered where Eunhyuk had disappeared to and figured it was just as likely that he was in the dining area.  In the meantime, she focused on helping Eleanara and making sure the bath temperature was still warm.  While she waited for the other woman to slough off her soiled clothes, she politely retrieved a set of the loaners from the cabinet against the wall.  She viewed them speculatively, glad there was a tie in the waist for the pants as they would probably not fit otherwise.  She didn’t realize how accurate her assessment was until she turned around and glimpsed the physical effects of Eleanara’s extensive use of her powers and skimping on food.

           Eleanara caught the look and ducked her head, aware of her own predicament, before she stepped into the bath with a sigh of pleasure, trying very hard to act as if nothing was the matter.  She sunk in up to her chin and waited nervously, fully expecting some sort of berating.

           Kharin didn’t say anything for a moment as she took the time to organize her thoughts and settle the clothes in her hands over the other empty tub for easy access.  Finally, she pulled one of the two stools in the room up beside the tub and sat down.  “No wonder you’re seeing things,” she muttered, unsure if she was more upset or sad.  She reached over the lip of the tub and began to scoop handfuls of water on her hair.

           Eleanara winced but didn’t deny it.  Healthy, rested people didn’t blur realities upon waking…  She could acknowledge that much.  Dejectedly, she looked at her reduced self in the rippling water.  “I didn’t know the extent either,” she admitted quietly.

           “You can’t keep doing this, Nara,” Kharin stated heavily, her hand coming to rest lightly at the top of her back, the protruding spine pressing into her palm.  Eleanara nodded furtively, biting her lip as she fought the tears that brimmed on her lashes.  Kharin leaned around to look her straight in the eyes and she shook her head.  “Sometimes you just have to come first.”  Eleanara blinked but didn’t say anything yet.  Her bottom lip trembled and she nodded in reluctant agreement.  Easily, Kharin slid back around behind her and reached for the soapstone to start working on her hair.  “No more using your element until you’re better,” she specified firmly.

           “But-“ Eleanara started to deny, attempting to look around.

           Kharin caught her head and made her sit still.  “No.  You have to come first this time.”  Her voice softened finally as she asked, “How much good do you think you can do when you can’t even keep up with the rest of us?”  There was nothing the other woman could say to that.

           Amidst the sounds of the water quietly lapping at the sides of the tub, the women were left to their own thoughts.  Kharin recalled the conversation they’d had on the mountain while Eleanara was sleeping.  Is hunger always a side-effect of using our power?  Eleanara’s emaciated body was more than enough to show a direct correlation.  They had not seen the extent of it though due to the layers they all wore.  Adeptly, she patted the lathered hair into place atop her head and murmured, “Lean forward.”  Eleanara complied and she helped to wash her back as another snippet returned to her.  Do you think she’ll be okay?  Leeteuk’s answer had been absolute without a trace of doubt.  Yes.

           Almost as if in answer to the silent thoughts, Eleanara spoke softly, “I’m sorry to have caused you all to worry.”  There was a pause as she took a deep breath, bony shoulders rising above the water and then sinking back down.  “I will do better from here on out,” she vowed, her voice still low but intense.  Kharin was right…  How could she take care of them if she didn’t take care of herself?

           “Good.  I’ll hold you to that,” Kharin agreed, splashing water over the soapy shoulders.

           Eleanara reached up her hand and covered Kharin’s hand before it could retreat.  “Thank you.” 

           “You’re welcome,” Kharin whispered, still annoyed with her but content for now.

           In the main room, Gairen gathered the rest of the party, serving them a hearty stew thick with meat and chunks of tough vegetables simmered to a soft palatability.  He figured it would be a good start and if they were still hungry after, he could always throw something else together.  They all finished a bowl of stew a piece and polished off two pitchers of water before Eleanara and Kharin finally joined them, the latter guiding the former slowly.  She still seemed so tiny and drawn and the clothes hung loosely on her small frame as she allowed herself to be seated next to Kharin and Eunhyuk on the inside.

           She smiled brightly for their benefit, the simple act wiping away the tiredness in an instant.  “It’s amazing what a bath can do,” she laughed softly, reaching for the water.

           Kharin beat her to it and politely poured a cup for her.  “Here,” she set the filled cup in front of her, not sure if she’d be able to handle the weight yet.

           “Thank you,” she murmured as conversation began to pick up around them.

           Gairen’s appearance slowed it again as he brought a kettle of stew out for refills and two extra bowls for the latecomers.  “How are you feeling, Eleanara?” he asked quietly, seemingly nervous about startling her with his powerful voice.

           Surprised that he knew her name, she stammered, “I-I am well…”  Eunhyuk leaned close and provided her the name she was missing.  “Thank you, master Gairen.”

           “None of that now,” he chided instantly, setting a steaming bowl of stew down in front of her.  “I’m just Gairen here,” he winked, treating Kharin to the same service.  She seemed ready to dig in and with Eunhyuk’s assurance, she was more than satisfied it would be good.

           Among polite company, it was hard to eat slow, but Eleanara managed to just keep herself from shoveling food into with a tentative glance at Kharin beside her.  She could see that the others kept sending covert glances her way and it made her more aware of how right Kharin had been.  Determinedly, she continued to eat, allowing her appetite to drive her.

           Gairen kept an eye on the amount of food in each bowl and made sure to refill them when necessary.  All of them asked for seconds, including Eleanara to the general amusement of the rest.  He did have to go get a new pitcher for the water, but that was simple enough and when he returned bearing an additional mug of something considerably stronger than water, he was about ready to join in the conversation.

           He sat down next to Siwon in the last empty seat of the eight person table and took a sip, eyeing the curious newcomers patiently.  “This has been some nasty business with Enrhyll,” he explained slowly, peering at his drink balefully.  “Bad enough that he has declared war on the world, but worse that he controls the elements.”  Dark frowns appeared all around the table.  While it wasn’t exactly news to them, it still left a bad taste in their mouth.  “Aye.  He has the power of the gods and they themselves have deserted us to our miserable fate,” he sighed, a curious mix of acceptance and despair blending in his voice.

           “Have any forces been strong enough to oppose him?” Kharin asked, the spoon resting on her bowl as she took a break.

           Gairen laughed harshly.  “Oh, plenty oppose him.  And they all die.  Enrhyll takes no prisoners.  You either accept his claim that he is a god or you die.”  Put so bluntly, it made many of them look at each other in concern.  This was the man they were sent to fight…

           “The gods haven’t deserted us,” Eunhyuk asserted, placing his spoon in his empty bowl, his soft brown eyes determined.

           “At least you think so,” Gairen laughed lightly, humoring him.

           He frowned at the patronizing tone.  “Just wait.  You’ll see,” he persisted, glancing around the table for support.  No one said anything for a moment, but their expressions didn’t look quite so bleak anymore either.

           “There is always hope,” Leeteuk finally smiled, raising his cup to him in toast.

           The rest followed his example, smiling in turn.  Gairen regarded them speculatively.  They had such confidence that the world was not lost.  He wondered why…  Despite that, he didn’t miss Eleanara drain her cup and then look at her bowl mournfully.  He chuckled and pushed his drink away while he stood up to get the nearly empty pot.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kharin refill her cup and he managed to surprise her when he filled her bowl again.  She smiled at him sheepishly which turned to uncertainty when the others regarded her curiously.

           Kharin didn’t miss it.  “She’s just making up for the meals she didn’t have on our way here,” she winked, nudging Eleanara lightly with an elbow.  "Eunhyuk here,” she started, reaching around behind Eleanara and clapping him on the shoulder, “is just always hungry.”  At his surprised expression, she chuckled and winked at him, drawing attention from the smaller woman deftly as her new target took on a mock-affronted air.

           The charade faded quickly and he laughed, adding, “I’ve always had a hollow leg.  Or so I’ve been told often enough.”  Good-naturedly, he held out his bowl for one more small serving, after which he eyed Kharin and Eleanara speculatively.

           Gairen settled himself again and took another deep breath.  “So where are you headed?  Must be important if the monastery sent you,” he mused thoughtfully.

           “We’re headed for the capitol Lornhaldt,” Leeteuk provided.  “We are to obtain more specialized instruction than they can provide us with at the monastery,” he adlibbed, partially telling the truth.

           “That’s quite a ways from here,” Gairen stated thoughtfully.  “At least a couple weeks.  Are you sure you’re up for the journey?”  His gaze fell upon all of them, but they could tell he was focusing specifically on Eleanara with that question.

           The group looked mildly uncomfortable but Siwon spoke up, “We were actually hoping to resupply here too if possible.  Obviously, we need new clothes and if you had any food or traveling gear that you would recommend we could carry, we would be open to the suggestions.”

           “What sort of weather can we expect?” Summer asked, rubbing her arms reflexively.  She hadn’t been quite as affected as some but she hoped that it was going to get at least a little bit warmer the further they got from the mountains.

           Gairen laughed at the pair and then nodded.  “Aye.  We’ve got a tailor in town who might be able to help you with the travel clothes; seeing as your other ones were dreadfully spoiled.  What happened, if I might ask?”  The rips and tears he understood just fine but the blood on several of them was beyond him.  None of them seemed that badly wounded and only Eleanara had been in need of further looking after when they arrived.

           Kyuhyun picked up the answer to that one with a quirk to his mouth.  “It’s not exactly easy traveling down the remains of an avalanche.  Especially since we didn’t have any of the gear for it.”  He shrugged as he dismissed the question.

           Gairen didn’t seem inclined to let it go that easily.  He stared at the contents of his cup and murmured, “It looks more like you were attacked.”  It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them, but these were dark times and with the patrols they had been seeing… there was no telling anymore.

           Uncertainly, eyes trailed from person to person, wondering just how much they should say.  It was unlikely they would have escaped a brush with the massive snow wolves as they were…  Kharin glanced around, aware how they had no good excuse for it; but maybe if they bent the truth enough…  She cleared and met Gairen’s gaze, her focus intense.  “Well, Siwon and I did fall in our climb down,” she started to explain, drawing facts from their tumble down the mountain.  As she spoke, she reached out with her power and instead of trying to cover everything in darkness, she imagined instead drawing a shadow around his awareness; something to blur the edges enough that he might not press them further.  “One of the fragments of debris caught me in the side and Siwon’s back was torn up pretty good.  They were messy wounds.”  Both statements were true and while she gestured for the others to agree, she maintained eye contact with Gairen.

           Summer was well aware that Kharin was trying to use her element but she didn’t know what it was that she was trying to accomplish.  Slowly, she understood that the shadow elementalist was, in essence, casting a pall over the innkeeper.  A glance around showed that the rest were catching on too, but it seemed as if Gairen was leaning towards believing the partially true explanation.

           As the words sank in, Gairen’s eyes flickered in concern and he focused on Kharin, who looked slightly more relaxed, and Siwon.  “You should have said something if you were hurt that bad,” he protested, beginning to get up.

           Leeteuk stalled him, “It’s okay.  Eleanara studied medicine in the monastery and she asked me to help.”  He understood where Kharin had been trying to lead him.  “I think it’s part of the reason she was as exhausted as she was,” he insisted, looking across the table and nodding forcefully.  “She was so worried about us, she didn’t really take care of herself,” he laughed, eliciting nods from the others as well.

           Distracted and mildly outraged, Gairen fixed his gaze on Eleanara.  “And they haven’t been keeping an eye on you?  You will all have to do better than that if she’s going to go with you to the capitol.”  He crossed his arms stiffly in front of his chest and glared at the others at the table, surprising them with his sudden interest.  “If she’s doing all she can to take care of you, then you damn well better take care of her too,” he growled, making sure they all understood what he was saying and then agreed with him by nodding fervently.

           Eleanara flushed at his protectiveness, embarrassed.  Admittedly, she was the smallest of the group and to him, it seemed as if she was doing the most work, at least insofar as taking care of them was concerned, but…  She pushed her bowl away from her and cleared softly, “It’s partly my fault too.”  She looked at Kharin in acknowledgement briefly.  Gairen looked at her with a puzzled expression and she went on, gesturing at the others around her with a warm smile on her face, “I remember to take care of them but it’s also my responsibility to take care of myself so that I may continue doing what I do best.”  Her conversation with Kharin was still bouncing around her head and she really should know better by now.  “Besides, they do more than you give them credit for,” she added, remembering the trip down where they had all helped her to move forward, one step at a time.

           As she looked around the circle, meeting the gazes of her friends, she could tell they understood what she was saying and appreciated the words.  “We all rely on each other,” Leeteuk added softly.  “We’re not perfect, but together we balance each other out.  With a little more practice and maybe a few more words of wisdom,” he smiled, focusing on Gairen, “we’ll be alright.”

           For a long moment, Gairen just looked at Leeteuk and Eleanara, measuring them and their words.  At last, he took a sip of his mug and set it down gingerly, a large sigh escaping him.  “I will hold you to that,” he stated simply.  Gingerly, as if his age was getting to him, he stood up and settled the chair back in place.  “We will talk more in the morning,” he said, glancing at them from the corner of his eye.  “Rest well tonight.”  With that, he left them alone and made his way back behind his bar, through the door that presumably went to his room.

           His going left a pensive silence in his wake and the friends looked around uncertainly.  Leeteuk finally took a deep breath and focused on Kharin before seeing the others.  “It’s probably about time we went to sleep too,” he spoke into the quiet, startling some and bringing tired nods from the rest.  “We’ve had a long day.”

           Easily, the others agreed with that, though the statement only elicited a quite sigh from Eleanara.  She had not been conscious for most of it…  As a group, they all started to stand up except for Leeteuk who called out, “Kharin.  Do you have a minute?”

           Surprised, she nodded and glanced back at Eunhyuk whom she had been walking beside.  “Go on you.  You need your beauty sleep,” she winked, patting his cheek playfully once and then giving him a light shove towards the rooms.

           “Look who’s talking,” he chuckled, shaking his head but leading the way.  Eleanara glanced between Kharin and Leeteuk uncertainly but then shrugged and followed after.

           Summer and Siwon playfully snagged Kyuhyun by each arm, who gave a long suffering sigh, and paraded him towards the back as well.  “You’re as tired as the rest of us,” Summer stated bluntly to the fire elementalist who quickly loosed himself from their hands and waved them off.

           “I can get there on my own.”  Stubbornly, he put his hands in the deep pockets of the comfortable pants and moved ahead of them to their amusement.  Siwon winked at Summer and came up behind Kyuhyun suddenly, jumping on his back playfully.  “Hey!” the other man cried, startled as he struggled to catch his balance.  Summer’s laughter followed them down the hall, leaving the last two in the room in relative silence.

           Not sure where to start, they both regarded each other in the uncomfortable silence.  Finally, Leeteuk started, “How is she?”

           “Undernourished and weakened,” she answered bluntly, though a sly smile did come across her face.  “I think we reached a bit of an understanding though.”

           “Oh?” he queried, one brow raised.

           “I told her she has to take care of herself.”  Kharin crossed her arms in front of her chest and regarded him evenly as he chuckled.

           He just shook his head, trying to imagine how that conversation had gone.  All humor aside though, he fixed her with a more serious expression.  “What did you do to Gairen?”

           Kharin looked slightly uncomfortable and her arms uncrossed slowly.  She wasn’t entirely certain herself but it had worked…  “I tried to draw a shadow over his awareness,” she admitted slowly.  “We had no good reason for having the wounds and my story by itself would not have held up.”  He nodded in agreement, fully aware of that.  “I just made it easier to accept the story.”

           A heavy sigh caught her attention.  “I can’t imagine it being an easy ability, but it’s good to know you have it at hand.”  He glanced down at his hands in wonder, clearly curious as to what else they might be able to do.  “I’d wager that wasn’t anything you learned in the monastery was it.”  It was a statement more than a question.  Their education there had been very rudimentary and straight-forward.

           “No, but we all do what we can,” she told him honestly.  She shrugged her shoulders uncertainly and laughed.  “I did what I could.  As we all do for each other.”

           Leeteuk had to laugh at that.  “Indeed.  Thank you for telling me,” he smiled, stepping forward to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly.

           “I’ll let you know if I think of anything else,” she winked, a modicum of her usual confidence returning.  Her expression turned serious briefly.  “But seriously.  We need to keep an eye on Eleanara.  Using our abilities draws on more than just our strength throughout the day.”  His hand on her shoulder tightened in understanding and he nodded once.  “That goes for all of us too.”

           “You’re right,” he admitted with a smile, throwing his hands up in mock defeat.  “Come on,” he gestured with one hand, starting for the rooms.  “We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”

           “Indeed we do,” Kharin agreed quietly.  New clothes, new supplies, and a new path to follow as they headed for the madman Enrhyll with no end in sight.  Quietly, she followed Leeteuk back to the rooms.

           He saw her off into the room she shared with Summer and Eleanara, waving good night to them before he turned to the room he was sharing with Eunhyuk.  As he sat down in the dim light, he conceded they really did have a large day to face tomorrow, but they had each other.  None of them were perfect but together, they all made up for it.  Before he laid down, he stood up to blow out the candle on the small table nestled between the two beds, the shadows dancing on Eunhyuk’s sleeping face disappearing instantly.  With another deep breath, he closed his eyes and gave himself up to the realm of dreams.