It was mere moments before the orc woman stepped through, having to dip her head to slip beneath the entrance. Janette followed quickly behind, eyes still glistening and immediately fixing upon Gregory.

“We have done all we can for now. His breathing is strong once more. This is a good sign. Valise is the most talented healer I have ever known." Emmet turned to look at the woman herself, as did everyone else.

Valise wasn't just talented. She was damn-near inhuman in her knowledge and skill. Open exploratory surgery and treatment in the space of an hour? The greatest doctors in the empire couldn't have hoped to accomplish such a feat.

Janette stepped out from behind Algra to take a wooden bowl from a chest of drawers at the side of the tent and dip it into a large barrel of fresh water. She took the bowl to Valise and knelt down before the tired alchemist to allow her to wash her hands of her patient's blood.

“I'm sorry I yelled at you. This wasn't your fault." Her voice was a little hoarse from crying, but it was honest.

“No, it Ulag's." Algra growled with the rage of a true orc.

“Proving master. He put Gregory with worst pack he knew, then he set them against best to prove a point. He will regret using my..." She almost said "mate" but caught herself at the Last moment. "Using Gregory to release his own spite.”

“Now Algra, we can't have you challenging the proving master. You still haven't pledged yourself for Grolfir again. You'd be waging war on the entire camp."

Algra looked to Emmet, and for a brief moment the old man felt a great swell of pity for anything that she should decide to make war upon. Then common sense flooded back and he shook his head.

“No! He wouldn't want you to do something so reckless.” Emmet pointed to the fallen human on the bloodied table.

“After this? He does not talk to me of recklessness!" Algra almost roared the words at Emmet who, to his credit just managed not to soil himself.

“Algra?" Janette raised herself to her feet, leaving Valise with the water bowl. The small voice of the red haired girl took quite a Lot of the thunder from the orc's expression.

“Algra, don't do this. It won't help him. I know you're angry that this happened. We all are.”

"Which brings me to the point of whose fault this really is!" Emmet re-took charge of the situation and Looked over all who were assembled.

“Whoever let the mad-man loose."

Everyone fell quiet for a moment as if just remembering that only a day before Freddie had burst into flames before the entire camp. The catalyst of the series of events that had led Gregory to rest upon that table like a slab of bloodied meat.

"I promise you it was not I." Valise stood and offered the bowl of water over to Talina.

“Gregory had asked me to demonstrate my wares for him. I was with him when it happened."

“She was," Algra agreed.

"Then it was someone else in the camp?" Janette walked back over to Algra and slipped her hand into the orc's, offering a Little squeeze of comfort that seemed to calm the great warrior.

"It could have been anyone. We're merchants. Orcs walk through our tents every day to see the girls dance or buy our stocks. Any one of them could have done it." Emmet took the bowl of water from Talina and washed his own hands as he spoke. "I think someone has it in for our young friend here and until we find out who it is then I would suggest that we concentrate on helping him recover."

"Can we move him?" Janette looked over to the bed which would undoubtedly be more comfortable than the bloodied table.

“Not yet." Valise was still looking intently at her patient.

“Tomorrow morning before breakfast, perhaps. If he stays the same."

“Or gets better?" Janette asked hopefully.