Starting Life From Zero: Far From Home

Chapter Eleven

Ram stood over Steve, pushing her hand down against him to force him back onto the staircase where he was sitting. There was a scowl on her round face and even with the hair blocking her eyes it was clear to anyone looking at her how upset she was.

"Will you hold still?" Ram said.

"Couldn't we go somewhere more comfortable to take care of this," Steve said.

"I will not allow you to track blood all over my floors!" Ram shouted.

From her spot at the top of the stairs Emilia tried to understand what she was taking in. Ram was over an injured Captain Rogers, not tending to him but waiting for something. Just as she was about to rush down to his aid, Rem came running from the hall that led to the kitchens.

"I came as soon as I can. What happened?" Rem asked as she dropped to her knees next to Steve's shoulder and began to cast a healing spell over the spot where he had been hurt.

Emilia descended the stairs as he was explaining to them what this was. "That Elsa woman from before ambushed me in the woods, I fought her off easily enough. Then a mabeast dove out of the forest and bit me."

"Dearest sister, I thought that you said that you repaired the barrier?" Rem asked.

"I did," Ram said. "But if this person is damaging the barrier to draw us out there to keep fixing it I can't exactly be held responsible for that."

Rem turned back to her healing with a small hmpf, but said nothing else as she focused her efforts on Steve's shoulder.

As Emilia reached his side, Puck flitted out from behind her hair. "Did you say that you were bitten by a mabeast?" Puck asked.

"Right, my guess is a Wolgarm. We need to find someone who can remove a curse," said Ram. "It'd be best if we went and got Lord Roswaal," she said as she got to her feet.

A small voice echoed down the hall from opposite the kitchen. "That won't be necessary, I suppose," Beatrice stepped into view clutching a book to her chest, the cover of which was almost as wide as her. She padded down the hallway, yawning as she walked.

"Good morning Betty," Puck said.

"Hey, Bubby!" Beatrice said in that super sweet voice she seemed to reserve for him.

Steve grunted. "It's a bit demoralizing laying here like this," he said.

"It will be even more demoralizing if you get any blood on my freshly mopped floors," Ram threatened.

"Come on now, Ram, Rem is just going to have to go over what you mopped again to get what you missed anyway," Puck teased.

As Rem finished, she lifted Steve's head with considerable easy and deposited it on her lap. "Is that better, Captain Rogers?" Even as she spoke her words were becoming clumsier.

"I think so," Steve said. Then Rem started to run her hand through his hair. "Yeah, actually."

Beatrice crowded in before he could answer and touched his shoulder, trying to reveal the thread of the curse. "Wait, did you kill the Wolgarm who bit you?" She asked.

Steve nodded, his eyes closed as Rem moved her fingers through his hair.

"Hmm, then there is no curse, I suppose."

"That's it?" Steve asked.

"That's is, in fact."

Rem started as he went to sit up. "You should still take it easy," Rem suggested.

"If it's possible maybe take someone with you if you go out or exercise inside of the property?" Asked Emilia.

Steve got to his feet and rotated his shoulder, trying to get a feel for it. "I'd be more careful, but I get the idea that she got what she came for," he said.