There was a collective intake of breath as Tae'loren withdrew his dagger and the stirrings of summoned magic thickened the air. The stirrings froze as he slid the gleaming blade across his skin, his deep red blood beading on his dusky skin. Elariel watched, torn between exasperation, concern and curiosity as Tae'loren used a towel to absorb the blood he squeezed from his palm with great care. When he folded the fabric and handed it to her she took it with her eyebrows creased. He returned his attention to the whole group and spoke. The blood was his assurance that he would not betray them; it was a reagent that would give them the ability to cast any number of spells to control his body or mind. As he finished speaking she saw Neras' eyes alight on the towel with undisguised eagerness. Elariel's fingers clenched on the bottom of the fabric and she struggled not to hold it close to her body, she faced Tae'loren and saw a look of apology there.<br/><br/>"How do we know that you don't hold a talisman or charm to protect yourself against blood magic?" Neras asked, taking a step closer to Elariel. Elariel stood fast and reached into the pocket of her robes. She withdrew a puff of pure wool and pressed it against the bloodied towel. It absorbed Tae'loren's blood well.<br/><br/>"I can test that." Roe'nor stepped up and reached for the wool.<br/><br/>"I can too." Elariel shot him a warning look. Roe'nor withdrew his hand but remained close.<br/><br/>With the towel in one hand and the cotton in the other, Elariel concentrated on the wool and muttered a few words of an incantation. Unlike what Roe'nor would have done, this test would not harm Tae'loren. Instead, the wool began to glow with a bright white light. If Tae'loren had no protection against blood magic his skin would also glow brightly. The  wool in Elariel's hands became uncomfortably warm, so she dismissed the spell before the light began to burn and put the used reagent into the safety of her pocket.<br/><br/>"Well, we still can't let you go alone." Solarius' tone was practical and even as the mages assessed the results of Elariel's test. Roe'nor retreated back into the group with a dissatisfied grimace.<br/><br/>"What four of us escort him to the boundaries of the Wildhammer land and the other two remain to cast the necessary spells? The time it takes to get to the Wildhammer stronghold should be more than enough to create some... assurances." Aidyn's suggestion was sound and there was no reason to disagree, yet Elariel found herself torn. Where would be the best place for her? Could she trust the others to escort Tae'loren to the hold unharmed? Who would be able and trustworthy enough to cast the spells.<br/><br/>"I will stay to cast the spells," Roe'nor offered. The idea of Roe'nor in possession of Tae'loren's blood made Elariel's blood freeze in her veins.<br/><br/>"No, I will," Elariel volunteered.<br/><br/>"My skill with blood magic is more advanced."<br/><br/>"Yes, but I have no intention to use such spells on Tae'loren. My knowledge will suffice."<br/><br/>Elariel knew what Roe'nor meant by advanced. His skills with blood magic were more geared towards pain and assasination. Elariel's work with the mage's guild and her fledgling efforts with the Kirin Tor had involved less violent ways to use blood magic. A couple of spells, though she knew she would not need them, would allow her to survey, and incapacitate Tae'loren. If the other person who remained behind with her was not watching, she would also be able to cast a quick protection spell over him.<br/><br/>"Well I will remain with you, the others can escort the prisoner."<br/><br/>Roe'nor gave Neras a meaningful look and Elariel bit her tongue. She turned to Tae'loren, hoping that he would be able to handle Neras. She had no serious concerns about Solarius, Aidyn or Teirn. She was even confident that they would not harm Tae'loren unless he attempted to harm them or Neras first.<br/><br/>"You should attend to your hand before you go anywhere. I have some salve in my pack that you can use. Will you all be prepared to leave shortly?"<br/><br/>Upon hearing the confirmation from her colleagues that they would be ready, she turned and left the room. She looked at Tae'loren over her shoulder and motioned for him to follow. When they reached her room she shut the door behind them and then laid the towel on the floor by her bed roll with great care. She turned back to him and sighed.<br/><br/>"You gave them the assurance they needed, but it was dangerous. If Roe'nor or Neras get hold of your blood..." Elariel shook her head as she reached for the salve that was still at the top of her pack. Retrieving the towel she wiped the excess blood off Tae'loren's hand before rubbing some salve into his wound with great care.<br/><br/>"I can protect the blood you have given me, but you have given them an idea. Watch for Neras, he will be your greatest threat. Try not to let Solarius close either; I doubt he will hurt you, but he is not above seeking reassurances... I will burn the rest of your blood after I have finished the spells."<br/><br/>Then, with a thought, Elariel reached into her pocket for some fresh wool. Moving quickly she soaked it in the blood from the towel and then cast a protection spell over it. She split the wool in half and tucked some into the bodice of her robes and then put the rest into Tae'loren's pocket.<br/><br/>"I don't have enough time to make a proper protection spell, but that should shield you from one or two attacks before it burns out."<br/><br/>Elariel bent over and rifled through her pack. She found two small metal badges and clutched them in her closed fist.<br/><br/>She looked up at Tae'loren and reached out, pressing her palm against his uninjured cheek. She pulled his face down to hers and pressed her lips against his.<br/><br/>"Please be careful," lips brushing against his before she captured them in a deep kiss. When she pulled away she held the two badges out to him in an open palm.<br/><br/>One of the badges was the crest of the high elves, an intricate miniature shield wrought in gold and sapphires, and a badge with the symbol of the Kirin Tor in gold and amethyst.<br/><br/>"Show these to Ae'oleth, tell him that we would be grateful for his assistance." Elariel stepped past Tae'loren and moved to the door, waiting for him to follow before heading back out to the group.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>