WG - The Mystery of the Poisoned Healer Options

[Black Hand]

"I guess it got bored waiting for me..." He shrugged. He was used to walking, even preferred it. He didn't need all sorts of foods,gear, and skills to maintain his legs.

The offer for food sounded better than he'd expected. He hadn't eaten since this morning when she thought he was making a potion, only realizing it at the suggestion.

"That does sound good...after we check it thoroughly of course. I needed to instruct you on the potion for Maxical anyways. I wrote down it's instructions but you may still have questions." He nodded accepting her offer.

[mALX]

*

The Wobbly Inn Suite Kitchen area:


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Eyja:

"To be honest, I was so hungry this morning that I ate without checking for poisons." Eyja spread her arm out, inviting him to take whatever he wanted from the stores there.

"As you see it is fully stocked; there is plenty here, and the fireplace is set up for cooking. I've seen how cooking relaxes you, so I'll sit and let you take over. Use whatever you would like; just make sure you leave a couple sweetrolls and some strawberries for Maxical. That's all she ever eats unless they have S'Jirra's Potato bread."

Eyja sat in one of the chairs at the table, dusting off the crumbs from her meal and tossing them into the fire.

"You are right though, now that we are back here there is always the question of who the intended target of that first assassination attempt was. I haven't had time to even dwell on it since this happened with Maxical."

She watched him expertly checking over several items for tampering. "Unless they were targeting the inn itself, I would have to think they were targeting someone local, maybe someone on the staff. One of the guests may have been followed here, but then why not take them out on the road?"


*

[Black Hand]

"To be honest, I was so hungry this morning that I ate without checking for poisons." Eyja said inviting him to the larder.

"Really? Well. I suppose you would have smelled something or we'd have noticed any ill effects by now." He remarked looking over the foodstuffs. He did his usual ritual and soon determined the food was safe.

"As you see it is fully stocked; there is plenty here, and the fireplace is set up for cooking. I've seen how cooking relaxes you, so I'll sit and let you take over. Use whatever you would like; just make sure you leave a couple sweetrolls and some strawberries for Maxical. That's all she ever eats unless they have S'Jirra's Potato bread." She commented.

"That can't be healthy." Sethyas shook his head, laughing. But, who was he too judge.

"I wish you'd said something this morning though. I'm always willing to break bread with people." he said nonchalantly.

He grabbed a few miscellaneous items, and set them up for later use.

He then set up a teapot alongside the fire.

Immediately going to work on the vegetables, cutting carrots, celery, potatoes and some leeks into small chunks. He grabbed a small pot, and put them in with some butter to start simmering. Than he grabbed a paper-wrapped ground meat. Smelling it seemed to indicate it was fresh and probably boar meat. He dumped this in the simmering pot as well.

He than went to work on some flour, kneading it into a thick dough, and lining the bottom of a pan with one section. When the smell of the simmering meat and vegetables rose to nearly being complete, he dumped these into the pan, and grabbed the white, salty goat's cheese and layered it evenly on top. For the completion he put the second section of dough on top of that, pinching the lattice shut. He put the lid on, and put it over the fire to bake.

About twenty minutes, and some Shepherd's Pie. He thought, clapping the remaining flour from his hands, and than washing them in the basin.

"You are right though, now that we are back here there is always the question of who the intended target of that first assassination attempt was. I haven't had time to even dwell on it since this happened with Maxical." Eyja said, as he prepared some Trama Root Tea, pouring cups for the two of them.

"Unless they were targeting the inn itself, I would have to think they were targeting someone local, maybe someone on the staff. One of the guests may have been followed here, but then why not take them out on the road?"


"Speaking of which..." Sethyas pondered. "Maxical mentioned she saw a man drug Abiene's tea? I don't know what state she was in...or does that have nothing to do with this?" He said, blowing on his cup.

"But otherwise, yes...who was being targeted if at all? But, the quality of the poison doesn't suggest an amateur at all, I'm going with the idea that Abiene was being targeted, and by someone with either the skills, or the resources to hire someone of that skill. This suggests someone wealthy with a large enough secret to hide, or someone who is very skilled that made a involuntary slip that could lead to their downfall."

[mALX]

*

Eyja gave a half laugh, half choke. "I will ask, but I think Maxical realized Abiene had been poisoned, and just jumped to the conclusion it was done by some man wanting to have his way with Abiene. Abiene is a beautiful woman, and Maxical is...naive. She has no real experience; went almost straight from being a pampered teen to this service for Akatosh."

Eyja hesitated, unsure if he'd been made to feel awkward by Maxical equating his smell with that of her husband.

"The man you smell so much like was her husband, a Dunmer named Gils. Their marriage was brief, he was killed before it was even consumated. Since then she has been hunting the necromancer that killed him and took his soul. I don't know how much you know about female Khajiit, but they are loyal to their spouses beyond the grave. You need have no worries; you may smell like him, but you are not him. She'll have no thought of anything but the memories and the loss."

Eyja flushed with embarrassment when she recognized immediately that he was making Shepherd's Pie. Her past coming back to haunt her. She caught the quizzical expression in his eyes and flushed deeper.

"I...Shepherd's Pie was the package of delivery when I poisoned marks. I make a delicious one, and never had to worry they wouldn't receive the full dose."

She tapped her finger on the table, meditating on his words about Abiene being the target. "Abiene did tell me a list of secrets she held; clients she had treated."


*





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 4 2013, 09:54 PM

[Black Hand]

Sethyas chuckled. "Have no fear. Believe it or not, I'm a married mer. Plus, casual dalliances are...quite some time behind me." He said, gazing into the reflection of the tea as though it showed distant memories. Though he'd had one or two flings in his distant past, they were more 'passion of the moment' rather than something in his nature.

His brow did furrow at the revelation of her husband dying before it all truly began. Too much like Ilmeni. "I...I-I am sorry for that..truly." What is it with you two and sharing my pain? He thought sardonically.

Her recognition of his dish came somewhat as a surprise. So the coincidences continue. Mephala may be behind this yet.

"Do you? Well, I'll have to get the recipe from you...both aspects of it." he jested darkly.

When she spoke of the clients list he nodded appreciatively.

"We'll need that, as well as follow the tea. Who made it? Who brought it to her? If she made it herself, who was in the tavern at that moment? Any of these things can be the detail we need to find our assassin." he sorted out in his mind.

[mALX]

*

Eyja:


"I asked her if the one she ordered the tea from was the same who brought it to her, but it was all a fog to her still at the time; the effect of the poisoning itself and probably shock and fear learning about it. She was pretty far along with it, the whites of her eyes were showing blue. The only reason she lived is that Maxical dragged her to the Guild and insisted a mage there heal her steadily. It kept her organs going even as the poison was trying to destroy them. She'd have died in her sleep otherwise."

Eyja tapped her finger quietly on the table again, a nervous habit when she was thinking.

"She may yet remember. I know she ate at the buffet; I saw her take a large breakfast from it and attack it with gusto. Since no one else was poisoned, it must have been in the drink. The Proprietor has a list of guests, but the one who did this wouldn't have signed a register."

Eyja turned around in her seat to face him.

"There was a huge crowd for breakfast here all morning, only a couple of them guests of the inn. Abiene took her tea outside to drink, probably to escape the noise. Maxical did the same, she hates crowds. Maxical liked that bench because you can hear the Priory bells sitting there. She sat beside Abiene and struck up a conversation with her. I stopped by the bench to get Maxical not thirty minutes later. Abiene was...scattered, unable to focus on the conversation. Neither Maxical or I knew her, so could think nothing unusual about it. But when I came inside to talk to you, she must have worsened. Honditar said Maxical had to all but carry her through the gate, he was moved to help her by the sight."

Eyja held up one finger. "One hour. It had to be liquid to act that quickly. She told us she was to be at work at eight, that is her scheduled hour. Schedules make easy targets."

She took a forkfull of his Shepherd's Pie without asking, then pointed her fork at him with a grin. "Mine's better. I'll give you the recipe."


*





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 4 2013, 10:44 PM

[Black Hand]

Seth took it all in, building a picture in his mind. It did add up as she said. They knew her schedule, when and where to best strike, and left it all within a huge cloak of faces. Perhaps the best form of stealth. A noise in the dark focused the mind. A miasma of faces confused it. No doubt the rest of the crowd would yield a similar story.

The list of patients then, and there was but one rule that he carried from his time in the Guild.

Follow the money.

An assassination attempt of this calibre and sophistication...he would've hired the perpetrator in a heartbeat. Despite the fact that this person was now; whether they knew it or not, his target, he couldn't help but admire the level of skill.

That also made him think: It was a woman's touch.

He blinked as he thought it that same instant she stole some of his food. Was he just being sexist? True he could be just as subtle, and had in fact been in the past...

It was just a hunch, something about the way she said that her's was better. Men were aggressive, women were subtle. It wasn't a matter of superiority, it was just playing to strengths. Women didn't need to be stronger than men physically, they could just pout, show a bit of skin and the hard work was done for them.

Men on the other hand preferred to be hands-on watch and admire their work. They could be but a shadow in the dark with a hidden blade, but a woman would be far more likelier to poison and watch from a distance.

Just like Mephala's Duality. No wonder He/She is represented in Hermaphroditic Relief.

He took a sip of the tea before he shared his thought.

"Just a hunch...does this strike you as something a woman would do?" he shared.

This post has been edited by Black Hand: Aug 4 2013, 11:49 PM

[mALX]

Eyja:

Eyja shrugged, laying her fork down to let him know she was done swiping his food.

"It had to be a pro, and they can come across as either male or female at will when their work is analyzed. I usually leave markings of a male behind for the investigators if a body is left to be found."


*






This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 4 2013, 11:46 PM

[Black Hand]

True. He thought.

"Just a hunch as I said. It is getting late, and my mind is working more slowly than it should." He said, getting up from the table, leaving the potion for Maxical.

"As I said, you might have questions concerning it, but I believe that the note should be sufficient." his eyes motioned to it.

"I can't quite finish my meal, and I feel the effects of a heavy meal and a long day. I'll meet up with you all in the morning, rest easy for now if you can. I am glad she is safe. If you need me for anything, you know where I am." He said amiably, the rims of his eyes becoming as red as the rest of them.

"We'll go over the list, and try to eliminate as many possibilities as we can." He said rubbing his eyes, and taking the tea with him.

"Oh, sorry. You were courteous enough to offer me your kitchen, shall I clean this up?" He offered.

This post has been edited by Black Hand: Aug 4 2013, 11:57 PM

[mALX]

*

Eyja:

She waved him away from cleaning up with a laugh. "No no. Cleaning up a mess is something I am very good at, I think you have seen my skills at it once already."

Eyja walked him to the door, but stopped him before he opened it.

"Seth...thank you. Thank you for everything."



*






This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 5 2013, 12:03 AM

[Black Hand]

He just smiled at her, a rare expression to say the least.

"I am alive to do these things you thank me for, because of you."

He gave her a very serious look.

"I am...." he paused for a moment, shadow falling over his face.

"...very tired, so we can finish this in the morrow." He said breaking into a yawn.

This post has been edited by Black Hand: Aug 5 2013, 12:09 AM

[mALX]

*

Eyja tilted her head to one side, wondering what he'd started to say. "We are even then, or I am in your debt. You saved us all from that Orc twice."

She waited till she heard his room door close and latch before closing her own and latching it. Eyja brought the medicine he'd left behind up to Maxical's room and checked on her, then slumped down into the overstuffed chair by the bed to read the instructions.



*

[Grits]

Abiene, morning

Abiene woke disoriented. It took a moment to remember where she was and determine that she was not late for work. We’re at the inn. You’ve been dismissed for the week. And Maxical is safe.

The violence from the day before had not returned to haunt her dreams. She had feared waking in the night unguarded and shaking with old grief brought close again. It hadn’t happened.

The seed of an idea from the night before had blossomed in her mind. Abiene was anxious to try it, with permission of course. But first things first.

Abiene went through an abbreviated version of her morning exercise then splashed her face with cold water from the basin. She took a sip of her potion as she had been directed and tucked it away again carefully wrapped in a shirt. Hunger gnawed at her. That was a good sign.

An enticing aroma made her mouth water. Was that coffee? She glanced down at her modest nightgown. Not suitable for the tavern but between the girls it would do. She opened the door to the suite and padded barefoot to the kitchen area.

[mALX]

*

Eyja:

Eyja heard Abiene waking up and coming down the stairs just as she was finishing up the cleaning of the kitchen. She had pulled every dish, glass, and utensil and washed it; not willing to trust an inn's staff to have done a thorough job.

By the time Abiene reached the kitchen Eyja had laid out a bowl of fresh fruit in the center of the table, a hunk of cheese on a plate, and the loaf of bread Seth had made on a clean cutting board with a slab of butter on a plate beside it.

"Seth stopped by a few hours ago, and made us a Shepherd's Pie if you are hungry. It is delicious, but I didn't tell him that; I told him mine was better. He left this potion for Maxical, and these instructions."

She set the potion and instructions down on the table and ladled out some of the pie and the bread Seth had made onto a metal griddle, balancing it over the fire in the fireplace while she talked.

"Abiene; Seth and I checked all the food in this kitchen for signs of tampering. You will be safe as long as you only eat or drink in here; but we have to keep the doors sealed from staff or others entering to keep it that way. I used a spell to magically seal the doors to this suite, and after you returned last night I sealed the room door as well so the staff can't enter again. The spell is tamper-proof, only Seth can enter. Seth's room is next to ours; if someone knocks on our room door, don't open it till you hear his coded knock."

She rapped it out on the table for Abiene, then pulled a scroll from her pocket and set it on the table.

"Here is a copy of the spell so you can come and go at will, but ensure you seal the door behind you each time so none can enter while you are out."

She wrapped a towel around her hand and flipped the bread.

"Seth thinks for the time being it would be best to assume you were the target and isolate your means of food supply to something we can control. That will force the assassin to find another means if you are the target. He will have to come out of the shadows and reveal himsef, and Seth and I will be watching for him."

She put a towel over her hands and pulled the griddle out; laying it on the hearth while she pulled a clean plate out.

"It would be best if you could stay close to the inn, it is always best to force enemies to come to where you are prepared for them. That is here, where Seth or I will be protecting you. Whoever did this is a pro, someone has hired them. A pro wouldn't lose control of the packa...poison until it was in the mark's hands. That means it is very possible you were the target."

She set the warmed pie and bread onto the plate, then dropped a dollop of butter on the bread, setting it before Abiene along with some clean utensils.

"Seth made the homemade bread too. Here, let me pour you some hot coffee." She continued talking while she poured.

"The cost in gold for a pro like this one was...the one who hired them would be very rich, and probably with high or dark connections. Think of these clients whose secrets you hold, which of them meet that criteria."

Eyja pushed a bowl of sugar and a small pitcher of heavy cream in front of Abiene before plunking down in the seat across from her.

"I know this is hard to hear before breakfast, but they will strike again; and if we don't face this proactively they may succeed next time. They will have to get you out from the safety of this suite, and everyone knows you are the healer. They could pretend an illness and the staff would immediately send you into their hands. You must be wary of every call that takes you from this suite."

Eyja leaned back, cutting a piece of Seth's bread and buttering it. She took a large bite, chewing it ruminatively; then washed it down with coffee from her own cup.

"Try the coffee, you'll not taste another as good. It is Maxical's, she has it imported from another province. Fathis got her spoiled on it from childhood, and it is one luxury she will not do without."

She took another bite of the buttered bread. "Maxical's fever broke finally, and the vein is back to normal on her forehead; but that wound on her stomach is still terrible. I don't have any but basic spells; but kept healing her every time I woke. I think we all needed the rest."



*





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 5 2013, 07:56 AM

[Grits]

Abiene

Eyja had already laid out an inviting breakfast, and the smells of fresh bread and savory meat pie made Abiene’s stomach gurgle.

“Good morning,” said Abiene. “At least that’s my best guess. I have no idea how long I slept, but it was well worth it.”

Eyja gestured at the fireplace. “Seth stopped by a few hours ago, and made us a Shepherd's Pie if you are hungry. It is delicious, but I didn't tell him that; I told him mine was better. He left this potion for Maxical, and these instructions.”

Abiene sat down at the table and looked at Seth’s instructions. Eyja would be the best one to keep track of Maxical’s medication, but Abiene was eager to learn anything she could about overcoming addiction. The Mages Guild tended to ignore unprofitable ventures, and the chapels of the Nine focused on faith as a cure. The knowledge she needed most was held by those who were too busy practicing to teach. Abiene often found herself struggling to re-discover that which was already known but out of her reach.

Eyja spoke about codes, magical seals, a spell scroll, and tampering. Abiene blinked up at her then reached for the coffee.

By Dibella, this is magnificent! She closed her eyes and breathed in the aroma. A slight smokiness told her the beans had been expertly roasted. Earthy and cereal notes hinted at a complexity that she would not want to sully with sugar or cream. The coffee felt velvety in her mouth, the taste a rich balance of flavors across her tongue.

Eyja served up the hot food, talking of intrigue and assassins. Abiene felt completely out of her depth again. She simply listened.

Until the shepherd’s pie hit the table. Abiene scooped a healthy portion onto her plate. Take it easy, she warned herself. This morning she had a longshoreman’s appetite, but her stomach still remembered scamp skin and electrocuted Altmers.

Eyja spoke between bites of her own breakfast. “Maxical's fever broke finally, and the vein is back to normal on her forehead; but that wound on her stomach is still terrible. I don't have any but basic spells; but kept healing her every time I woke. I think we all needed the rest.”

Abiene nodded. “We did need the rest. You did well getting Maxical through the night, I’m sure it was your constant care that she needed most.” She kept her voice neutral. Eyja had tried to conceal the depth of her devotion once Maxical had awakened, and Abiene did not want to make a reference to Eyja’s strong emotions. For all Abiene knew Eyja might consider her admission to be a sign of weakness.

“This morning I feel ready to take on the next challenge,” Abiene continued. She raised her cup. “Maxical must import this coffee straight from Aetherius, and Seth’s shepherd’s pie is so good I’d wager it has healing properties. Someday I’d love to taste yours so we can compare. Thank you for this.” She smiled at Eyja, her heart lightening in her company. “You’re right, rest and nourishment were what we needed.” Though I would dearly love to feel the weight of a man.

“Eyja, I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve forgotten that code already. Would you show me again?” Abiene repeated the simple rhythm, a blush heating her cheeks.

“I thought some more about the poisoning as we rode back here, but first I’d like to focus on Maxical. Remember how you asked about magicka yesterday? Let’s use your analogy of a well. Each person is a well, and magicka flows or seeps in like water. Spells draw magicka like buckets from the well. Different schools of magic draw from the same well, but you might say they require different buckets. My bucket for Restoration would be very small, since my experience makes those spells cost me very little magicka. In healing I can draw many times from my magical well. My Destruction bucket would be large, as I am unskilled and the smallest spell requires more of me. With only a few spells my well would empty. ”

Abiene paused to allow Eyja to stop her or ask a question.

“I bring this up because you asked about Maxical’s inability to heal herself. I don’t understand her condition, but in our terms I would say that her Restoration bucket has no rope, so she cannot access her magicka at all with those spells. I’m afraid I can’t explain her Destruction anomaly. But the point I’m getting to is this.”

She took a deep breath to settle her nerves. What she was about to propose was akin to Necromancy and not approved by guild or chapel. She hoped Eyja would not judge her harshly. “After we resolve Maxical’s abdominal wound she will benefit from a restoration of the organs damaged by the shock spell. I’m talking about more than just healing. For example if her arm was severed I might heal the stump, but it would take true restoration to re-grow the limb. They don’t teach that at the Arcane University, at least not any more. There are of course powers in this realm and outside it that can accomplish such things, but they are unavailable to me. If you have access to them you should use them. Otherwise I’ll do my best, but I’ll need more than my own magicka well to do it. I can draw from Maxical’s magicka and yours if you will allow it, as I did yesterday. The effect is not painful but it can be disconcerting.

“But first we must address the stomach wound. If I’m right we’ll find shards of Welkynd stone in the flesh over Maxical’s abdomen. I’ll need to examine her again, but I hope I’ll be able to remove them with my debride spell. They’re probably in deep or I would have noticed them before. The spell dissolves anything that is not living tissue and converts it harmlessly to air. It’s not strong for safety reasons, so it will take some effort. Also it’s not safe to allow air bubbles to form in Maxical’s abdomen. If the shards are deep I’ll use my blade to open the flesh so they can escape. In surgery at the healing hall I use another practitioner to safely immobilize and anesthetize the patient. I know the spells but I’ll need all of my magicka in case something unexpected occurs. I would suggest a potion that will put her to sleep and paralyze her nerves if possible. It would only need a short duration. I make my preparations slowly, but I work quickly with the knife.”

Abiene’s watched for Eyja’s reaction. This was not the time to mention that the spell would also dissolve the fur on Maxical’s stomach leaving a significant bald patch. Hopefully I’ll have enough magicka to regrow it before anyone notices.

[mALX]

*

Eyja:

Eyja showed Abiene the coded knock again. “The code will change daily, you understand. A safety precaution in case someone is keeping surveillance in chameleon outside the door.”

Eyja’s frustration was growing as she talked by Abiene’s blank expression and automatic nodding. Abiene wasn’t listening. She was her own worst enemy, She and Seth couldn’t keep her alive if she didn’t take this seriously. She needed to reach her, wake her up. Eyja had learned one weakness Abiene had that first day in the road.

Eyja looked Abiene directly in the eye and spoke loudly. “JERRIC!”

She watched a myriad of emotions flicker over Abiene’s face before speaking again.

“Now, do I have your attention? Good. Seth and I are trying to keep you alive, Abiene. We need your help to do it. You have to come out of that fog of denial and realize it is very likely someone you know wants you dead and has hired a pro to do it. Pro‘s don‘t fail, they keep coming back till the job is done. Seth and I can kill one, and another will be sent by the organization. You have to take this seriously.”

Guilt washed over her at Abiene’s obvious shock, but she didn‘t soften her voice. Abiene needed to be proactive if there was even a possibility this assassin was targeting her.

“I’m sorry, Abiene; but we are doing all we can to keep you alive, and you are not helping us. In the end it is you who will lose your life if you cannot listen when help is offered.”

Eyja reached in her pocket and pulled out a silver ring with a sapphire stone.

“Here, you’ll need to wear one of these. It detects life forms whether the person is invisible or not. If you see a pink form and no one is there, run. Get behind a door and magically seal it or run to me or Seth with all speed. Throw stuff behind you as you go to trip them up; bottles or vials, books, anything you can get your hands on. Don’t hesitate or feel foolish, any hesitation could cost your life.“

Eyja took Abiene’s empty plate and utensils and began washing them as she talked.

“Restoring her organs...how much successful experience have you had doing this? And if there are air bubbles in her stomach, won’t she just fart them out?”

Abiene mentioned cutting into Maxical’s already wounded stomach, and Eyja spun around with the dripping dish in her hand.

“Cut her with a blade? NO! Er...will it help her?“

She turned one way and then the other, dripping the soapy water from the plate into an arc on the floor.

“I want to see the blade you will use first, and personally sterilize it before it touches her. I don’t know where it has been last, and don’t trust anyone’s version of clean but my own when it comes to her. Hanni...Arch Mage Traven taught me his own method for sterilization of instruments.”


*





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 5 2013, 07:27 PM

[mALX]

Maxical:

Several times in the night she woke, unable to tell if she was still dreaming or really was awake. Seth standing over her and Eyja's sleeping forms like a dark guardian. Was he really there? He was like a shadow that lived, moving more silently than even Eyja as he slipped back down the stairs.

Maybe it had been part of a dream, a vision. The soft red of his eyes in the dark, the faint scent of his body. Sweat, dirt, the brandy and smoke. Everything about him a paradox, just like Gils. There was no doubt he was someone's assassin, but she knew he wasn't here for her. Eyja trusted him, and she didn't make mistakes.

It wasn't his red eyes that haunted her dreams, but those that glowed on the wolf Earana had guard her bed in that sanctuary below the city. That wolf and the terrible aching need for that cream.

It didn't take much to figure out why Earana drugged her. She wanted someone to take that jolt for her, and no one in their right mind would have stood willingly to be electrocuted by the gathered forces of nature.

Maxical drew on every resource she had within herself not to cry out for that cream. She had to fight this, would not become like Gellius, who would sell his soul for a vial of Skooma. The worst part was, expending all her willpower on fighting this would leave her weak in other ways.

She didn't dare confront Malan without every resource available to fight him. He would smell her weakness like it was an odor in the air, and end the victor over her just like he did over Gils and Fathis. She needed to cure this completely and heal this wound before he smelled her frail state and hunted her down.

Some time through the night she'd heard Eyja and the Dunmer Seth discussing an assassination attempt. Maybe Malan had already found her. If that sweet Abiene had taken the hit for her, she would have never forgiven herself; even though it wouldn't have been at her hand or will.

Maxical fretted and tossed with the pain and worry, several times waking Eyja up. She'd never seen Eyja so exhausted, but even in her sleep she'd continued casting healing on her stomach to ease the pain.

It was the only way the night was bearable, kept her from crying out with the pain of that stomach, the ache for the cream. For once Maxical didn't gripe about Eyja's hugging, but nestled in and took comfort from it.


*





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 5 2013, 11:19 PM

[Grits]

Abiene

The code will change daily? It was all Abiene could do to keep from burying her face in her palm. She took the silver Detect Life ring, but there were no pockets in her nightie so it stayed on the table.

Eyja was right. Abiene did need to focus on her own situation now that Maxical was out of immediate danger. Eyja and Sethyas stood between her and a professional killer by their own choice. Abiene had to do as she was told or risk losing their protection.

She had always preferred to make mistakes rather than surrendering her judgment, but now the stakes were too high. Abiene brought her knees up and tucked her gown around them to keep from fidgeting. Then she stood to help with the breakfast dishes. Eyja was washing so she picked up a dish towel to dry them.

Eyja had some questions. “Restoring her organs...how much successful experience have you had doing this? And if there are air bubbles in her stomach, won’t she just fart them out?”

Abiene bit her lip. “I’m afraid that the air bubbles might not be in her actual stomach, but possibly throughout her tissue. There would be no way to pass them and at the worst she might experience arterial…” Abiene decided to cut the lecture and get to the point. “She could die.” She put one plate away and picked up another. “I have minimal experience restoring organs. One of my patients is recovering kidney function through regular treatments, and I have improved liver function in two others. I believe that Maxical will be able to live a normal life if she chooses not to undergo such a treatment, but she will need regular healing to keep herself going. To… manage the processes that her body should be doing on its own. Many folk live in such a condition. This type of restoration is not widely practiced.” Possibly to keep healers in business.

Eyja sprayed a great deal of soapy water as she contemplated Maxical’s surgery. Abiene dropped the dish towel and swiped it around with her foot to dry the floor. She had her own concerns about Eyja’s method of sterilization, but it was not Abiene’s way to confront and argue unless sorely pressed. Instead she stayed silent, listening to Eyja’s concerns. They could discuss the specifics after she agreed. Eyja’s reaction was not unexpected. Most people including many health practitioners shared it. It made no sense to cut into flesh for the purpose of healing unless one could see the source of the problem festering underneath.

Abiene spoke when Eyja seemed finished, or at least too upset to continue. “Maxical may be better off seeking the Arch-Mage’s help in the long term, but I am confident that I can close her belly wound. I’m happy to show you my scalpels, and there’s something else I have with me that might ease your mind.” Or possibly make you vomit. “Master Selvilo is the finest surgeon in Cyrodiil, and I am his only student. I waited two years for the position to open so that I could come to Chorrol and study under him.” Abiene softened her tone so that her pride wouldn’t sound like arrogance. “It’s true that I’m unskilled in combat and ignorant of my own safety. To you and Sethyas I must seem like a bumbling child. But I am among the best in what I can do. If you will not allow me to treat Maxical’s wound I must urge you to take her to the Arcane University immediately. You trust the Arch-Mage, and you will follow his advice. Whatever you decide please let me examine Maxical again when she wakes. She has a hard fight against addiction. Constant pain is not helping.”

Abiene picked up the dish towel. “Shall I go get my things to show you?”

[mALX]

*

Eyja:

Eyja watched Abiene fiddle with the life detect ring and then set it on the table. Did she think she could put it on only when she wanted to check for an assassin’s presence? She was as stubborn as a child, protecting her would not be an easy task.

When she finished with the last dish she took the dishtowel Abiene had used on the floor to the utility area by the suite door and added it into a pile of used rags she had scrubbed the floor with earlier.

When she came back she scrubbed the table with a fresh towel and then washed her hands thoroughly. As she was drying them, she looked pointedly at the ring on the table, then held her hand up to Abiene to show her a matching ring on her own finger.

“It has to be worn to work. Your finger or toe doesn’t matter. I did not mention Arch Mage Traven’s training to belittle yours, Abiene. He trained me in every way to protect Maxical with her disorder. I have to be careful for her sake. Let us have a truce between us of our stubborn wills, it will make protecting you easier, and my Nord ways more tolerable and palatable for you. Did you not learn Nords are stubborn from your Jerric?”

She followed Abiene to her room to view her surgical equipment, grabbing her own pack on the way.

“This surgeon you are in training with, will he attend?”



*

[Black Hand]

Thank You, Seth.

The words actually could cause him pain.

He wasn't worthy of them, nor would he ever be. To end a life, ended all of the possibilities that life held. For good or bad. Future acquaintances, future families...everything.

Was it so strange that the early Morag Tong wanted to 'murder the world'? True enough that they were Sithis-worshippers. Nothing like the asylum-escapees of the Dark Brotherhood who actually thought that Sithis was conscious, or even was made more powerful by their 'ritual'. Sithis was just emptiness, an infinite expanse of nothingness that swallowed the multitude whole.

Anu was infinity, and Sithis was negation; subtraction. The interplay of these primordial forces made Oblivion, Aetherius and the Aurbis. Their world was the eddy in the stream that entered the mouth of Sithis' cave.

Within that eddy, there was Causality.

Within that causality, he had learned it wasn't so much that it was random, so much as patterns associating themselves with other patterns of similar nature. Treachery followed treachery. Vengeance followed vengeance.

Kindness, Love, Compassion, followed themselves. But they alone could overcome these other patterns. The Mortals of this world, were the harbingers of these patterns. When he could forgive himself, then perhaps, these ideal patterns would not hurt him.

Sleep, or you're no good to anyone. He commanded himself.

His consciousness slipped into the void of dreams. A place that Vaermina only ever came by once in a great while. No, this place belonged too Sheogorath mainly. A place where he dreamed he was alive, and normal.

Red eyes opened to the dawn.

Coffee? Haven't smelled that in years. Much less that good.

He heard the pitter-patter of feet on the tavern floor, feminine. Certainly not used to sneaking.

The voices of Abiene and Eyja talking confirmed his suspicions. He donned his armor and weapons scanning the entirety of the quarters for any clues of tampering. Nothing struck a chord.

Best to let the girls have their time together. They've earned it. He thought making his tea, and opening the windows and the door just a crack, to signal he was awake and available.

Inhaling his hackle-lo, he heard Eyja beginning to scold Abiene speaking aloud a name unfamiliar to him.

Jerric?

*Seth and I are trying to keep you alive!* The muted voice carried.

*Pro‘s don‘t fail, they keep coming back till the job is done. Seth and I can kill one, and another will be sent by the organization.*

That they did.

I'll kill every last one. Then the one who hired them. Seth thought violently.

It sickens me when people prey on the the truly good and charitable like Abiene. Her type was the only reason Setsuna and I didn't starve. The rest turned us away as penniless 'demons'. It's about damn time people like me repaid our debts for people like her. His eyes reduced to narrow slits.