Both of the girls, one a refined young lady with ebony black hair partially held back by a pretty hairpin with peach blossoms dangling from it and the other a buxom young woman with indigo hair and a beauty spot beneath one sapphire eye, were startled by the sudden questioning. Both of the girls wore embroidered dresses made of rare beast skins and were particularly fetching, with snowy white, clean hands and an air of elegance about them. Which made the question asked by Teacher Corne even more heightened. Why were these girls, dressed in garments more suitable for an imperial hunt than a walk in the forested mountains of the institute, wandering in an area out of bounds?
The girls glanced at each other and lowered their heads demurely. The girl with the hair of midnight spoke on both of their behalf; "Honestly, Teacher, we were simply collecting herbs. We were unaware that this area was out of bounds for students."
"That's right," said the other. "We had heard that a rare ginseng had been found in this area and wished to try our luck. The herb is said to improve the healing abilities of both Blood Pills and Crimson Essence Pills. We hoped to find it."
Teacher Corne frowned. While he couldn't dispute such a reason, as alchemists often had a fondness for rare herbs that they would gather them despite risks or means, it was clearly unsafe in the forests about the institute. Granted, these lands were protected and wardened by the schools, but they were still somewhat untamed. First years, for he felt that seniors would not be so ignorant, especially should not wander around out here.
"These girls," Corvus was of similar mind to his brother, but was not so kind as to let ignorance take the blame. "Granted such a herb is useful, but is it truly useful if one can't claim or use it having lost their lives trying to obtain it?"
The girls paled, the darker haired girl even glanced pitifully from beneath her long lashes at the tall, noble, handsome youth named Jin Li, but found that her rescuer's attention was completely elsewhere. Honestly, she had hoped in her heart that he would come and save her from those despicable ruffians and then he had appeared... but he was still too shy to whisk her away...
"Idris said that he knew some martial arts," the other girl was claiming while the first daydreamed, "and that he could protect us." The men felt scorn that the girl would push all blame onto the badly beaten boy and the three students were not so kind as to not let it show upon their faces. The girl became aware of their expressions and fell silent, but didn't retract her words. It was not as if she had lied.
Teacher Corne decided best to take the girls' names and note which schools they were in and let their Teachers deal with their punishment. It was better first to get the beaten boy to the Healers Hall. He glanced over at his younger brother, who pouted but said; "Yes, yes." He turned to his cute apprentice and that person's roommate. "Jin Li, would you mind carrying the boy, Idris to the Healers Hall. You'll find it not too far from the Library, if you are not certain of the location. Meanwhile, Sun and I will escort these young ladies back to the Inner Alchemist School."
The black haired girl, Merylin lifted her pretty face to glance at Teacher Corvus, before switching her glance toward Jin Li, who was bending down to pick up the youth. "Surely we should go with Idris and... I mean, he was hurt protecting us!" The other girl, Lyra frowned, not willing, but found the underneath of her arm pinched and she began to nod in earnest agreement.
"Let them go," Teacher Corne had better things to do than bicker with two female students. He then considered their backgrounds with a sigh. "It is probably best that the Healers ensure that the girls have no injuries before sending them back to school."
And so, the group split into two; Teacher Corne and his student Pike, went back to observe the herds, while Teacher Corvus sullenly lead his student, the three alchemists and that guy towards the Healer's Hall. He later would find out that one of the older stags went berserk, leading a small percentage of the herd to stampede towards the village on their eastern border and Corne and his student were hailed with praise as they not only took the old stag down, but redirected the other beasts towards the herd. Teacher Corvus was most put out that he not only did not get to join in the fun, that he did not get to impress his own student while doing so!
In the meantime, the students that Teacher Corvus lead arrived at the Healers Hall, to meet with others of their acquaintance.