Sedriks walks up, a young boar slung over his shoulders still twitching. Azais is sitting on a cleared stump, the wood part of the palisade somewhere already.
"Hey, if ye kill this, will yer dagger work?" Azais is still silent, staring at the sooty embers dusting the fresh grass. He sits down opposite and flicks shards of glass out of her hair. “That were a right good explosion.”
Finally she finds her voice. “It was certainly a shock...”
“Where’d Quiz make his way off ta?”
Azais glances around, “I didn’t see much after the blinding explosion. Probably playing with embers.” She takes in the boar at her feet suddenly, and realization dawns. Removing Bitterkiss from its sheath, she plunges it remorselessly into the animal’s skull for a quick death. There is a long, slow exhale, “Hmmmm, guess that does work. Although it’s not the same as a full creature.”
Sedriks watches her intently, noting the stitching of small cuts and the rapid fading of bruises. Then he watches the boar slump to the ground, blood beginning to well out. Raising fingers to his lips, he gives a shrill whistle and gestures. A worker comes over hurriedly and gives an amicable nod to the Bard, “Take this to the cook, make sure she cuts the head off though and burns it. No one eats that. Not even the dogs.”
The worker hefts up the boar and rushes off.
Azais murmurs, not even watching the man’s exit, “Probably wise.”
They sit in companionable silence for some minutes, Sedriks pulling the viola from its case on his back and tuning the strings idly. “So what’s the plan. How much Wytchstone have ye left? Was it all taken in tha explosion?”
“No. We made one successful Panacea, Silea gave it to that woman we rescued. Although I don’t understand why, loyalty to strangers is something I’ve never understood.”
“That woman? Really. Charitable I suppose.”
At this, Quiz wanders over from the partially rebuilt shed, where he’s been looking over the worker’s rapid handiwork to make a new lab. The gnome speaks up, having been listening, “Not my choice either, but I figured Silea would want to honor her bargain. I can respect that.”
Sedriks frowns, “What value, saving the woman first though?”
Azais shrugs, “That’s what I don’t get. Take the cure yourself and give her a reason to help us….although it is a good way to test if it was poison.”
Scratching his chin thoughtfully, Quiz says “I think Ioleth was further along her path. She might not have lasted the time to brew another Panacea.”
“Tell me about this Ioleth woman, she seems a might strange.” Sedriks nor Quiz choose to follow the line of thought about poisoning.
The gnome goes first, “She seems reliable? Has an interest in Azais. That said, she openly admitted she wouldn’t choose Silea over herself, if roles were reversed. I get the feeling she doesn’t like owing favors to anyone.”
Azais adds, “She certainly intruiges me, but not sure if I trust her just yet. Seems I turn more heads when I speak my mind than not lately, perhaps there is something to learn there...” and the elf gives a dry chuckle.
“I think it’d be foolish to trust her yet, especially in light of the role reverse admission. But if ye’ve somethin to learn from her, then that’d be interestin’.” A discordant twang from the violin, “Are ye thinkin’ o’ speakin up more, or less?”
“Neither.” murmurs the elf.
Sedriks gives her a long look, before shrugging, “So what’s the plan, Quiz?”
The gnome has fetched his jacket torch out and is staring at its depths while he thinks, “I think I have the Panacea formula figured out. Mostly. With a few days to prepare, I could get another one cooking.”
“I’m not sure I can take another blow like that,” Azais points at her still bruised fingers, “How badly do you need me?”
Quiz shrugs. “I can certainly use you for the prep work if you’re willing. It’s less explosive. There’s a few things I need. Saltpeter for one, I have a thought on how to filter it into a brewing aid.”
Sedriks frowns, “Saltpeter. We’ve nay of that here?”
“It’s not that common outside of labs. Or firing ranges. We’re also going to need another shard or two of Wytchstone. Unless either of you has a source I haven’t heard of, that means back to the Fellwoods.”
“I can assist with prep and let’s go from there.”
Sedriks mimes checking his various lead bags. “Nope. That I’ve nay more of. We are thinking of going after the meteor site again? For Saltpeter I can perhaps ride to the Forks, round up more guildmates as well.”
Quiz grimaces, “Unless Ioleth knows another source, it’s the meteor site,” an unsure look, “On the subject of trusting others, though… There is an Apothecary in the Forks. He’s crusty but reliable. If we recruit a professional chemist in the brewing, it would go better, but we risk spreading the secret of the Panacea.”
It’s Azais turn to look confused, “Why does it matter if people know the cure? Less mutations the better in my book. There is enough evils hit in this world without Wytchstone influence.”
“Because attempting the cure is….” Quiz looks pointedly over at the shed wreckage, and then at Azais’ still healing burns, “...dangerous.”
The elfess laughs, and then grimaces, “Touché”
Quiz nods, “And because if word gets out that we can brew a miracle cure-all, I worry getting the Riders under their thumb will become a top priority for the Tirondians. Or any number of the other factions.”
Sedriks softly murmurs, almost inaudible, “If ye dinne trust the apothacary, ye could also seek his help, and kill him after.”
Both gnome and elfess pause, as if considering, or as if shocked. “He’s a good man...and good for the Forks. He helped us that first night we arrived in town.”
“Aye, true.”
Azais follows up, “I am not keen on just killing him…”
“Considering the Forks’ position in the eye of the storm, it might be good to leave it as protected as possible.”
Sedriks shakes his head, as if clearing it, “Twere just a suggestion, but I’ve little stake in it either way. What are ye thoughts on the rest of the Riders and the foray into that accursed hut?”
Quiz’s look is confused at the subject change, “I think we held up well enough. I wouldn’t want to send Veruk in there alone. Or...ever again, honestly. Silea impressed me. This disease has made her take her kid gloves off, for good or for ill.”
“Aye, she has an edge to her now, although how much it relates to her deterioration is somewhat troubling. Also Veruk continues to be a thrice cursed fool.”
“What did you make of the lodge?”
“I’d not known such a thing existed, did ye?”
“I had not. It was like the Shiocro. Another world in a too-small box, one that doesn’t make regular sense.”
“It were a lot to take in at once, that is sure. But it did not feel decided sinister?”
Azais cuts in, staring at Sedriks, “Would you ever venture back in?”
Cool green eyes meet hers, but Quiz speaks first, “If we needed to? Yeah. Sinister and strange places are all over the place in Lothlarin. Though I’d prefer not to.”
Sedriks nods slowly, “If there were reason to, certainly. The….music of the place was interesting.” Whatever he has said seems to satisfy the Elfess, for she looks away and back down at her own hands.
“We need to get more than one shard of Wytchstone. I still need some wytchstone essence for my assassin infestation. Although… should they try poisoning me again I am prepared.” and she gives a sly grin.
Quiz and Sedriks both look at her. “Well...that was certainly ominously said.”
Confused, Sedriks says “Ye know the poison they use now?”
Her grin is like that of a cat with a mouse, “Not...quite. Also not necessarily applicable.”
Sedriks shrugs, “As ye say then.”
She titters, “It was spider venom. I just remembered the taste.”
Quiz clears his throat, “Anyway, I’m also in agreement that we should get a second Wytchstone shard, though I have a different thought.”
“Oi? Pray tell?”
“We know the Panacea can rout out the corruption of the Fellwoods from living things...what if we dosed the Leshok?”
Azais frowns, “Do we think it’s corrupted?”
Quiz gives a firm nod, “It certainly has spent too much time near the meteor, and doesn’t carry any lead bags. Maren said it was the spirit of the woods, for all intents. Might be a way to mass purge the forest.”
Sedriks however shakes his head, “We are still shy a dose though, would it not be risky to make a dose and instead of givin’ it to Silea, trying to use it to get more?”
“No I agree, Silea is the prime target.”
Azais nods, “I don’t believe she has the time for that. If we are at the site, we should be able to get more than one if many hands are working, no?”
“That was my thought, yes. We know how to heal Silea now - the hard part is past.” he agrees.
“That’s true.”
“Sedriks, who do you trust to return to the Fellwoods to gather more stone?”
The bard glances around the outpost, “Honestly?” he points at Azais, “I can fashion some tools perhaps, and knowing the state of corruption around the stone itself, perhaps some protective clothing from the forge at the Forks, but we are among the most likely to get such a task done. Trunk is the only other one, he knows where to hit the stone itself.”
Azais smiles her sly grin again, “Precision and greed are what we need - I get it. I think if we divide each step amongst various hands, it may minimize the corruption pull.”
Quiz nods, “As you said, time is an issue. We may need to split the Riders up.”
The bard slides the viola into its case again, “I could leave tonight, if necessary, and head for the Forks to start work. Find you the supplies ye request, Saltpeter and such. What do ye make of the Alchemist?”
“Are we not making the void salts?”
Quiz is still nodding, “That’s what the saltpeter is for. A gold’s worth should do. The alchemist, feel him out, if he seems trustworthy enough and can keep quiet...might be worth getting him onboard. I trust your judgement.”
Azais interjects, “If you leave tonight, when will you be back? I may need both your aid with a small side quest before we encounter the Leshok as a group.”
“A small side quest, what are ye thinking?”
“The Leshok, Is trying to protect anyone from getting near the Wytchstone because it knows the corruption it causes. It’s also an old ally to the elves. Perhaps if I were able to speak to it, it may let us pass more freely, knowing we are trying to cure an elf of its poison.”
“Interestin’, did Silea not try to speak to it yet?”
The elfess gives a shrug, “I don’t recall. Must have hit my head harder than I remember. If Silea will assist me with some research, we may be able to find the knowledge of a ritual the elves used to use to show the Leshok respect and maybe get him to listen to us.”
Both Quiz and Sedriks nod in agreement, “Azais, You, Silea and Meran should research your ritual. With Trunk’s aid, I can begin the alchemical preparations. Also see if Ioleth is of any help, she knows the Fellwoods well.”
Sedriks rises, adjusting the instrument straps on his shoulders, “Sounds like we’ve our plan then. I shall take Malachi and Servilla with me and three horses. We’ll be back in a day or two. Mayhap I’ll hunt down Vork and Cecil to return with me as well.”
“Very well,”
Sedriks pours out three tumblers of Whiskey from a small skin, “Good fortune, Riders.” And they all down their tumblers, flinging the droplets into Quiz’s upright torch to burn bright.
Less than half a candlemark later, the heavy gate swings wide and three horses ride off into the twilight.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments may be screened for content.