Rhea went to retrieve her wooden arrows, which were still mostly undamaged except for the slight dulling on the tip from penetrating flesh and bone. Afterwards there was a bit of commotion outside, so Rhea left the others inside as she made her way out just in time to see their enemies retreating.

It took just a moment to scan the scene and piece together who was missing. Typical. The archer fell into step behind Aurea with her bag slung over her back while still wielding her bow and a few arrows in her hands. She scoffed when she saw Rabbit and Lera, "the fights over, just so you two know."

Seeing the archer so calm and nonchalant, her arrows held so carelessly in her hands, confused Lera. Wasn't she supposed to be up high, hailing down arrows upon the beasts? She could come up with one reason. So the young woman, pulling Rabbit by his uninjured arm, headed outside the building to see the battle resolved.

No more beasts. No more bats.

And hearing, slowly returning. She couldn't hear what Rhea was saying, but a scenery is worth a thousand words.

The girl shook at the man's approach and tried to press herself into the wall further. When Visage actually made contact with the girl, she screamed.

"Let me go!" She screeched as she tried to push the man away. Visage could feel that she was cold, her shaking could have been because it was she was shivering not just from fear. Then the girl tried to pry the changeling's arms from her neck, she didn't feel at all safe, screaming and pushing. All that noise however, was bound to attract something and it did.

The sound of leaves rustling came from the front door and footsteps from the back of the church itself. Something had found her and by extent, maybe had found them.

With the corner of her eye, Aurea noticed the approaching ranger and turned her head towards her, slowing her step a little if the woman wished to join her. Rhea lived to Aurea's first impression so far, coming out unscathed, as if she haven't even fought. Bloodied arrows in her hand were telling otherwise however. The knight gave her a faint smile. "Glad to see I haven't been mistaken..."

As they approached the building, founding Lera and Rabbit, she shrugged at Rhea's comment. "Don't say it like they've been cowering here the whole time, they did good. Out there on the front line...You were busy elsewhere, as I can see... Have you got your bearings back together?...And..." Aurea first faced the merchant, then the historian, whom arm was on a sling. "...What happened to you?" He was fine when she saw him falling back.

Rudolph's eyes seemed to consume the glow of the metal, not reflecting the orange glow that shined on the rest of his face. He was so consumed in his work he felt like he was young and back in Dorrondar, working in the great forges of the Dwarven fortress, surrounded by brethren and hearing their efforts echo and shake the stone hall. The dwarf began humming softly, the tune reverberating in his chest, a nostalgic Dwarven work tune where the only instruments needed was hammer upon anvil and the sound of metal hissing in water. He was snapped out of his work by Visage's voice. "Wot gal?" Rudolph looked up to see the shivering, disheveled girl. "Where'd ja pick up dis whelp?" He got up from where he sat and hearing that she might be infected, grabbed his knuckle duster and put it on his hand. "But first, lassie 'old 'er still." Walking over to the girl he explained what he was going to do as he did it, grabbing her arm. "Now wer gun see if yer a werebeastie. If this dun do more than feel cool to the touch, then yer clean. 'owever, if it burns ye. 'm gun snap yer neck like a bundle of straw." His mechanical hand opened around her neck as he glared at her and glanced down at her arm to see the reaction she had towards the silver.

"Don't worry about my bearings. From where I was watching, it looks like I can't put but so much faith in at least two people in this party, maybe three. Assuming the other half of our rag-tag team haven't been killed yet, I've got a bad feeling that they're about to be up to their necks in shit." Rhea scoffed again, obviously pissed off at the position she's finding herself in. "You know, if I had to guess I'd say that bloody changeling has them all sitting around a fire, drinking coffee, and trying to talk out their problems."

She sighed again, after seeing Lera's obvious predicament and Rabbit's sling. "Just so we're clear, I'm here to watch after my own back, not babysit. If you can't handle it, go home."

"What?" Esther was surprised as the girl was transferred to her arms. "You risk us all, Visage." The Order member simply looked at the bawling girl, afraid and shaking. Esther's eyes focused on the girl for a moment before widening her eyes.

"She's from the caravan," she muttered, bringing the girl's face for her to see. "I recognize her, Bearer's mercy¹, how are you still alive young one?"

"I..." The girl calmed slightly seeing a familiar face. "Order mistress, I... some weird thing tried to choke me and.."

The dwarf made his approach and delivered a speech that scared the girl; which caused her to dig deeper into Esther's arms. The Order member nodded to Rudolph, signalling to go for the test.

As the silver of the knuckle duster touched skin, the girl had no reaction and neither her skin. The disciple and the monk nodded to each other, agreeing that at the very least, their newest room mate was safe. Mari shook her head and decided to look away, busying herself with other things.

"I guess she survived by fleeing," Esther commented.

FOOTNOTES
¹: Bearer's Mercy is a misnomer. The Lantern Bearer is known to be merciless to those who need to die; however, it is used simply to mean it isn't her time.

"Excuse me, what are you implying?" Aurea's voice became harsher, as she semi-crossed her arms, pressing her palms against her biceps so that she could still hold her sword. That however turned out to be harder than she thought, her hands slipping from all present, still fresh blood. She managed however. The knight turned towards the ranger with an annoyed frown. "In contrast to you, I've at least saw them out doing something, instead of sight-viewing." That would explain why there were so many of these flying beasts in the air.

She listened to the girl's screed, and her frown deepened. "Then go." She spoke without much emotion. "Prove your worth. If you're by so far superior than anyone present, why bother? Go to Highmount and get your gold. Unless you expect to be taken there in the carriage as everyone else does the dirty work."

Rhea shrugged, "I'd love it if I could trust you all to guard my carriage. It's much easier to appreciate the scenery from a cushioned seat."

"Too bad we don't do babysitting here then, huh?" Aurea smiled faintly, gave everyone a last look, Lera and Rabbit a bit of a warmer one, and then brushed by Rhea, departing in the direction of the town's hall, searching for Sir Dreimon. Guess she was in fact, mistaken after all.

One would expect regaining your missing sense would be a pleasant one. As soon as the ringing ceased, a different kind of ringing echoed across the small house they were in. An argument between Rhea and Aurea, the archer and the knight. A prissy archer taking potshot and credit, a knight with a modicum of awareness and morals. So trite. Even so, the conversation was enlightening. Now we knew Rhea was the antisocial lone wolf type, one we ought not to put our lives in.

Lera looked at Rabbit, "I'll go on ahead. I want to make sure Aurea is alright." She pat him gently on the injury, a regretful smile on her face, and went past Rhea outside.

"Even dead weights can crush." A faint whispering, then Lera headed off.

The inhabitants of Thornfell were in a mess. The people who had fled indoors came out slowly then upon realizing it was safe, they went ahead and began helping out. Aurea walked towards the townhall and saw who she was looking for. The knight captain had come to the hall as well. Sir Dreimon was busy handing out orders to his men and the militia. Miraculously, all of his men and militia were accounted for but most were injured severely; broken bones and dislocations, large gaping wounds on the arms and legs that literally tore through the armor. Large sections of the streets were dedicated to men on blankets, treated by those who could. Time would still tell if those wounds would turn them into lycanthrope.

"Ah, Aurea," Sir Dreimon said and relaxed at her coming. "Luckily everyone is here, no one outright perished but that is what worries me. They may be kept alive for the disease to spread to them. Lera? I hear that you work for a shop, do you happen to have medicine?"

The rest of the town began to do whatever repairs they could do, immeidately, the gate was swarmed by the city's capable workers, attempting to bring it back up.

"Aight, sorry bout scarin ya whelp." Rudolph retracted his hands and patted the girl on the head. "Tis a scary time fer us all, so we all bit antsy. But yer safe now, we gun keep ya safe. Just... don't look around much ayy?" With that said, the dwarf looked to Esther. "Oy'd ask ye if ye wanted to look after the little un, but dunt think she wants anyone else lassie." He then turned to Visage, "So what dis bout footsteps and guests? Ain't we sealed in ere like a jar of pickled fish? Less this threat's a mole, ain't too much of a threat as far as Oy see it." The dwarf marched back to his forge, putting down the sword he completed and putting a new one into the forge to begin heating it. Soon the room was once again filled with the sound of clanging metal and the dwarf's humming, the rythmic tune filling the room with its deep notes, like the beat of waves against a shore or the shifting of ancient trees in the forest.

"I got with me basic medicines and some first aid kits," Lera pointed at the town hall where she left most of her stuff, "I can also go around town to gather up the necessary supplies for everyone. Then I'll help with patching everyone up. I've had medical training, after all." She puffed her chest then headed out. She would bring back with her a few bag's worth of supplies from the shop she works at, as well as other shops in the vicinity. It would be unlikely for the owners to be there, so she'd take the liberty to take what's needed for everyone. Or ask nicely, if she could.