They are successful

Venus tried to gently guide Rondo's head into her lap but he was shaking violently and even with his natural defenses against poison, she was starting to fear the worst. Rose was still grinding some herbs from her pack and occasionally checking the broken spear's tip to make sure she was mixing the right antidote. If Venus wasn't fearing for her husband's life, she might have appreciated the girl's thoroughness but at the moment she just saw it as taking up more time that Rondo might not have left.

"Hurry dammit all! By the Divine what is taking so long?" Venus would probably feel guilt about her outburst later if Rondo made it but for now she was reasonably upset. Rose gave a high pitched squeal when Venus yelled at her but a moment later added some water to the mixture and brought it over.

"T-this should do it! With the wound closed we need to pour it in his mouth!"

Venus grabbed her husband's jaws and tried to **** them open while Rose readied to pour the antidote. Her first attempt resulted in Rondo accidentally biting her finger hard enough to draw blood and she jerked her hand back. Rose's eyes grew wide as she looked at the injury but Venus simply grabbed his mouth again and **** it open. Rose poured in the antidote and then rubbed his throat gently to help him swallow. After it was done she looked back at Venus's cut finger.

"Should we be worried about that?"

"No, a small cut like this wouldn't do anything. It takes a major shock to the body and soul to change someone from human to something else. Vampires and were's both bring their victims to the point of ****. That is when their fluids begin to work on the victim. The magic in them takes the dying vessel and turns into something other than what it used to be."

Rondo's convulsions had begun to slow down and he was breathing a little more normally. Venus gently caressed his messy hair as she thanked the Divine that he was ok. She didn't realize she had been crying until Rose reached over and carefully wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Its ok now. He's going to be fine."

Venus nodded slowly, but then she heard something off to their right. Three Orcs stepped out from some trees. They were scouts by the look of their light leather armor and light swords and bows. Venus had seen an orc only once before when it had been captured by a group of soldiers after the rest of its war banner had been killed outside of a town.

Like the other one, these were the size of a normal human male in terms of height, but their muscles were bigger and denser, like dwarves. Their skin was a pale grey color with only a few strings of hair atop their oval shaped heads. Their eyes were dark and sunk into their heads. Just below their piggish noses were mouths formed into perpetual snarls by their protruding fangs.

When their evil eyes gazed upon the two women still kneeling on the ground, the lead Orc gave a guttural command and its two companions drew their swords. Orcs were well known for taking captives, both male and female. What they couldn't rut with, they were happy to **** and eat. Venus began to rise and draw her sword, with Rose quickly following suit, when she heard more footsteps, both behind them and behind the orcs. If they were already surrounded, Venus wasn't sure they could fight off a full patrol and protect Rondo at the same time.