Continues from Easier But Not as Good

Xanadu Weyr - Waterfall Cave
Cleverly hidden behind the illusion of stone, a cave has formed at the base of the waterfall itself, large enough to host several individuals comfortably, or one person and a dragon. The walls are moist and textured, with small rivulets of water draining from the cave floor down into the pond beyond. Moving further back into the cave finds a dry floor and a smooth rear wall. Two sturdy camp chairs lean up against the back wall, along with a generous bedroll, wrapped in water-tight animal skins. A small bundle of firewood rests off of the floor on a makeshift stand, drying.
The roar of the falls is loud here, making conversation difficult from any range other than close, and the sheer volume of water makes it almost impossible to see through to the forest beyond. The only way out appears to be via the water, back the way you came.
The good lord above only knows what kinds of dreams Tenebrous is having right now. There are two remarkably good looking women sleeping in the Bat Cave and he's got a whole bag full of medical stuff. Back. Away. Slowly. But if the good lord knows what he dreams about, he's the only one. With Thea's fall happening just before Dark and the two staying up late talking, the morning caught up with them through the night. Then there's Phylicia's entrance, and…well, it's evening again. For a time, as Tenebrous comes out of his drug-induced sleep, he simply stares at Thea's form, his face a mask of contentment and frustration. But then he pushes that saside, rising silently, and pads over to Phylicia's bedroll. He touches her shoulder gently, holding a finger to her lips for when she opens her eyes.
It might take a bit of a shake to get Phylicia to respond, but when she does, her eyes warily creep open, looking at the hand touching her shoulder her eyes trailing up to the shoulder, and then face. Oh. Phy sighs quietly as she brushes off his hand, extracting herself from the bedroll and shoving on her boots. Her hair is /really/ something to behold this time, since she went to sleep with it damp. She's not drugged though so she takes two moments to ruffle through the new back she brought with her, dragging out a roll of bandages and a jar of aloe, stuffing them into the crook of one of her arms, before she guestures for him to lead with her free hand. "What's up now?" She asks, her voice pitched at a soft whisper as she works at rubbing the sleep out from the corner of her eyes.
Tenebrous gestures towards the front of the cave, near the waterfall. "We need to talk," he murmurs, his voice almost lost in the rush of the water. Then he stands, still shirtless, and pads over to the very edge of the water before sitting down on a camp chair.
Phylicia tries not to inhale sharply at the words, but she inhales nonetheless. Talks that begin with that phrase /never/ mean anything good in her book. The fact that he's shirtless doesn't seem to bother her so much as the bruises across his back, which still cause her to cringe slightly as he moves. Before sitting down, she drags the chair marginally closer so she might be able to hear him. "About what?" She also tries to keep the apprehension out of her voice as she sits cross-legged in the chair, carefully tucking the aloe in the hollow her legs create, before unwrapping her current bandages.
Tenebrous murmurs, "You didn't even wait six hours before walking back here. No sleep. No recovery. Some would say you disobeyed. When Thea and I left the Infirmary, we did it because we had a signed statement saying we could, approved by a healer master. What's your excuse?" He raises an eyebrow slowly. He's clearly not angry, but if he's anything beyond curious, it's impossible to tell.
"I also didn't have a knock to the head, or a compress on my thigh." Phylicia says matter-of-factly after letting out a breath, but not snobbily so. She's just saying. She lifts her left hand up to her face as she tries to make sure no grit has stuck to her hand before she applies a fresh layer of aloe to the burns and then .. attempts to wrap her own palm, her face frowning in concentration as she fails the first time. "As far as I knew, they didn't say I had to stay." She pauses, thinking about her words. "I should've slept first. I should've. You should've rested first too, though. And Thea. Before flying off for quiet space." She sets the bandages down in defeat, another sigh escaping her. "And so help me, I worried." She finishes, waiting for his response as she half-glares at the bandages.
Tenebrous leans down, not missing a beat, and picks the bandages up, waving one of your hands over to him. "Never minding the fact that we're older and have been doing stupid things for longer…" Then he abruptly locks eyes with the girl. "I'm older. I've been doing stupid things longer." He looks back down to her hand. "The forest takes its toll," he says quietly. "And to be honest…I thought that you'd reconsider your apprentiship after a good night's sleep with M'nol. It would make things easer on both of us."
Phylicia blinks as he locks eyes with her, giving him her left hand. "Just because you've been doing them longer doesn't make them any less stupid." She points out before her lips quirk in a lopsided smile. "Some people would say you being older means you shouldn't /be/ doing stupid things anymore." Was she teasing? Maybe. Either way, her hand seems to be a good place to focus for the both of them. The burns are still a little warm, but they're not too much beyond a first degree, maybe light stages into second degree. "All a night with M'nol would have done is put me in a better mood." She points out to her mentor gently.
Tenebrous begins wrapping her hand with firm intent after slathering the wound with salve. "While I can't speak for Thea…" He's quiet for a moment. "I know my limits. I've ignored them from time to time, but I know them." The bandage is shifted a little tighter. "That's what age and stupid brings me." He finishes with the hand, tucking the edge of the bandage away before looking back at the girl. "I assume you came back because you wanted to?"
Phylicia's cheek twitches as he pulls the bandage tighter, and then wiggles her fingers just to make sure she still can after he tucks the end of the bandage in. Satisfied that it's not overly tight, she holds out her other hand to him, in a silent entreaty to do the same for that one. Her usual response might be more sarcastic than not, but this time she just takes it - mostly - seriously. "I wasn't shoved out the door, by any means." She starts off, trying to make her tone light. "And I want to learn. I really do." Her eyes raise from her hand, blinking only a few times still a little owlish from being woken up. "I figure I still have five or six days, by your agreement. If things continue at /this/ rate, I may just go to Master Fraille and deal with her cane." Oh, so that's the rumor she's heard about the ancient master. "But if things aren't as bad…" She lets it trail off, lifting her shoulders in a shrug.
Tenebrous begins wrapping the other hand, more out of instinct than direct volition. "I worry about you, Phylicia," he says somberly, keeping his voice low against the waterfall. His eyes flicker back to Thea, now slumbering in a bedroll instead of on the floor. "You're not the first to approach the Master for apprentiship. Obviously, the others were less…stalwart than you." One side of his mouth twitches before he looks back to his work on her hand. "I can help you learn the plants and their ways…but I don't think you signed up to be a part of this." He looks around at the cave as he makes another pass with the bandage. "It may be easier for you to continue your education at the Weyr. We can take the occasional hike, but…" When he looks up at the girl's face, there's mute concern in his eyes. 'I don't want you to turn out like me.'
"Well, so does M'nol." Phylicia half-chuckles really trying to lighten the mood. "But he trusts me to pull out if I can't handle it. Or at least call him if I need help." Her eyes dart back to Thea when his does, which causes the girl to blink. That's not where Thea went to sleep. Having one of her hands being tended to, makes it difficult for her subconscious gestures to happen, so she pauses after trying to move her right hand turning to nibble on her lower lip instead. "Look." She starts off slowly, trying to pick her words carefully. "I don't know what … issues you have," And here she holds up a hand in case he was thinking of interrupting, "but I'm not gonna pry. It's not my business." However, it would really help to know if it would impact her safety. "Just .. trust me to know my own limits?" She asks before she lets her face break out into a grin. "I'm not going to turn into a hermit with you. I like my comforts, thankyouverymuch."
Tenebrous murmurs, "She was having dreams. Patting around with her hand." His eyes flicker back to THea's form. "My bedroll is further away from the fire…" Then he looks back. "I hope you're right, young ma'am. I do have…issues. And this won't be the alst time you find someone in the forest who shouldn't be there. Someone like you. SOmeone like Thea."
Phylicia wiggles the fingers on her right hand, in a subtle attempt to get him to apply a new layer of aloe, and finishing the bandaging. Having her arm that far out isn't very comfortable. But then she scowls lightly. "I get it that you're worried about me, but for Faranth's sake, Ten.." Her tone isn't angry, just a little exasperated. "Take me out for what would be a 'normal' trip, and stop trying to scare me away with warnings. I'm a big girl." Okay, so that last might be a touch of a bluff.
Tenebrous snorts once. "Be careful what you wish for. Yesterday's trip *was* normal. That's…part of what I do here. I don't just work with plants. I try to work with people sometimes, too. You'll be a part of that, the longer you stay out here. But then, I think you already are." He gives her once last look before standing. "She's Weyrstaff. You might get a few more hours of sleep. They'll come for her soon, and then the questions will probably start. YOu'll want to be awake for that." He's already padding back towards the bedrolls.
Phylicia tries not to snort at his comment about working with people, and manages to keep her tongue in check. Instead, she finishes up with her hand and quietly deposits the salve and bandages back in their bag just as quietly. Being small and light has its advantages. Though she stops by his bedroll for a somewhat pert remark. "If yesterday was normal, I don't know how you're still alive or not a cripple, sir." Is her remark before she slips back into her bedroll, waggling her fingers at him in a signal of 'good night again', a wicked little grin on her face, before she pulls the blankets back up, snuggling down. She'll get back to sleep after a little bit.
Tenebrous watches her for a moment as she settles herself before sitting down against the back of the cave, between Thea and the coals. His eyes unfocus slightly and he shifts to become more comfortable, and then he's still, listening to the others breathe around him. "Strength and courage override the privelaged and weary eyed…" The lyric is barely breathed and nearly silent, reminiscent of his words from earlier in the night. The lyric is quickly swallowed up by the waterfall's constant thrum, a mother's warning to a child to be still. People are sleeping…
Continues in Dawn Heckling