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The Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions
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<blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 544978" data-attributes="member: 2323"><p><strong>[PLAIN][Realms #202] Some Time in the Country[/PLAIN]</strong></p><p></p><p>Finian helped the healer get Ruze out of the travois and across the dirt courtyard to the door he'd indicated. A sign hung beside it that read, "Rherram Ongensleer, Healer" in every script that the Companions knew how to read and several that they didn't. The door itself was locked and the old man patted at his shirt as if he expected to find the key there. It had been taken from him by the cultists, of course, and Draelond was obliged to put his shoulder against the door to allow them entrance to the room beyond. Rherram lead them through the shattered doorway into a large hall whose ceiling was open to the rafters of the peaked roof. The floor was earthen, but a raised wooden platform ran around the room a foot off the ground. On the platform were arranged a dozen narrow beds, dressed in white linen and separated one from the other by white draperies. The room was illuminated not only by the light that streamed in through the windows, but from several cast iron chandeliers hanging from the rafters that had been enchanted with Continual Flame spells. The room smelled faintly of antiseptic.</p><p></p><p>"Finian, m'boy, I'll need your help," Rherram said as they eased Ruze down onto a nearby bed. "Get everyone undressed while I get some supplies from my lab. You'll find a gown under each pillow." </p><p></p><p>The healer disappeared through a side door that led into the rest of the house leaving the Companions alone in the infirmary. Finian sighed as he looked around and Ledare asked, "Are you sure this man will be able to help us, Finian? What do you know of him?" Draelond was leading her blindly toward a bed and she stumbled as she reached the raised platform.</p><p></p><p>"He helped me when I was last in Strenchburg Junction. He didn't have to, but he did," the Archer said. "I trust him more than some people we've been forced to rely on since this all began. And he IS a competent healer."</p><p></p><p>Ledare's armor creaked and clanked as she eased herself down onto one of the beds. She let out an exhausted sigh as she sat there, her eyes crusted with yellow-brown. She touched them lightly with her fingertips and her mouth twitched in revulsion and worry. "I guess that we have little choice in any case," she said weakly. "We're not in a position to turn down whatever help we can get."</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>As it turned out, Rherram wasn't just a competent healer, he was an excellent healer. After determining that Finian hadn't succumbed to anything contagious, Rherram enlisted the Archer to assist him with the others. It was a humbling experience for the half-elf since the old man was easily twice as skilled at healing as he was. Rherram's skill level rivalled Finian's mother, Caralie's and the Archer found himself relegated to mixing herbs and wrapping bandages. Still, with his help, Rherram was quickly able to examine and treat each of the Companions.</p><p></p><p>The healer determined that Ledare and Kirnoth, like Ruze, had contracted pudding lung. And they and Draelond had all been infected with skin ripple through the diseased wounds dealt to them by the mendicant. Draelond's and Ruze's cases of bubbling pussties weren't life-threatening, although the puss-filled blisters that were spreading over their flesh were disgusting in the extreme. Ledare's infection of eye crust was minor, the healer announced; her sight would likely return by the next morning. Kirnoth's however, had firmly taken ahold of the elf and would require greater convalescence to cure.</p><p></p><p>By the time that Orin's Shield had begun to dip toward the western horizon, Rherram had treated everyone as well as he could. Draelond and Ruze were slathered in ointment and wrapped in bandages, looking a good deal like greasy mummies. Ledare and Kirnoth had twin poultices strapped over each eye with a blindfold. Rherram and Finian had erected cloth tents over Ruze, Ledare and Kirnoth's beds. A small charcoal-burning stove boiled water in a kettle set beside each bed, releasing medicated steam into their afflicted lungs.</p><p></p><p>"Come, Finian," Rherram suggested. "Let them get some rest. They need time to heal and we need to eat something."</p><p></p><p>Finian nodded reluctantly and surveyed the scene in the infirmary with concern. The baby, who lay in a bed far from the diseased patients, still hadn't moved or made a sound.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>"Did the thieves hang after I left?" Finian asked suddenly. He and Rherram had eaten a cold meal of dried fruit and crushed barley cereal and while the healer gathered up the bowls, Finian had been leaning back, deep in thought. He now regarded Rherram expectantly.</p><p></p><p>"You mean Councilman Ozmea and his sister," the old man said with a nod. "The Baron means what he says when he passes sentence, m'boy. I think what's left of Wearonna's still hanging from a tree near the caravanserai. I don't get out that way very often."</p><p></p><p>"Have there been any other incidences in town?" the Archer asked, picking absently at his teeth with his thumbnail. Rherram chuckled at the question.</p><p></p><p>"No, m'boy!" he said. "Most all of the troublemakers in the Junction come and go with the caravans. And seeing a woman's corpse hanging in irons right outside your front door tends to give a body pause. No, the Baron knows a good deterrent when he sees one."</p><p></p><p>Finain nodded grimly. "I'm glad justice was served," he said.</p><p></p><p>"Yes," the old man agreed without much conviction and lowered himself back into his chair. "Now, before we get some rest ourselves, why don't you tell me what possessed you to die your hair?"</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Sunday, the 4th of Wealsun, 1269 AE</p><p></p><p></p><p>The patients were awakened in the morning by the baby's squeals. Those who could see spotted a plump woman seated across the room nursing the infant. She looked up, regarding them with a warm smile as she shifted the child from one ponderous breast to the other. Rherram entered then, and conferred briefly with the woman before coming to check on his patients. "Feeling better, I hope," he said as he began to check bandages.</p><p></p><p>Most of them were feeling a good deal better. All save Kirnoth felt ready to get out of bed; their wounds had healed considerably under Rherram's care. The healer wouldn't allow Ruze or Ledare to leave their beds, however, lest they interrupt the pudding lung steam treatment. The Janissary thought that might be just as well since she still felt somewhat weakened by the eye crust infection. After Rherram had snipped away her blindfold and wiped her eyes clear of accumulated muck Ledare was relieved to have her vision return in full.</p><p></p><p>Kirnoth had continued to deteriorate through the night, however and was too weak to even lift his head by the time Rherram made his rounds. "Don't worry, good sir elf," the healer assured him as he changed the poultices on his eyes. "We'll have you cured today. I'm confident that you'll turn the corner by sundown."</p><p></p><p>Finian spent most of the day discussing the finer points of herbalism with Rherram. Not surprisingly, the Archer was particularly concerned about healing both the damage caused by the viper-wolf venom and that done to his mangled left ear. Healing the damage to the Archer's reflexes wrought by the viper-wolves was beyond Rherram's abilities, but he had heard of magic that might be able to do so. It was called the 'Grove of Renewal' and was considered a sacred site by the Druids of Dridanis. Unfortunately, Rherram had no idea how to find the Grove; his only suggestion was to seek out the Cult of Dridanis near the Freehold of Redwood.</p><p></p><p>"As for your ear...," Rherram muttered, holding Finian's chin and examining the scar tissue critically. "I believe I have some elf hazel in the lab. It won't regrow the ear, but it'll clear up the scar tissue so it doesn't look quite so nasty. What'd you use on it? Woundwort?" Finian nodded and Rherram wagged a finger at him. "You're stuck in the old way of doing things, m'boy. Follow me to my lab and I'll show you some new medicines that I've learned to make."</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Moonsday, the 5th of Wealsun, 1269 AE</p><p></p><p></p><p>The group continued to heal and the wetnurse, Jisselleen, continued to tend to the child, who had begun to act - and cry - like a normal, two-day-old infant. Ruze had completely shaken the bubbling pussties and Rherram predicted that even the reddish bumps that remained would likely be gone by Godsday. Draelond's case persisted, but it too had dramatically diminished when the healer checked beneath his bandages; his prognosis for recovery lagged a day behind the Battleguard's. None of them had yet shaken the wet breathing and bubbling cough associated with pudding lung, although, again, Ruze seemed to be doing better than the others. Kirnoth's eye crust lingered, although Rherram assured him that he was making regular progress. He remained blind and too weak to rise from his bed.</p><p></p><p>Finian spent the morning shooting rats that had been eating some of Rherram's valuable herbs. The rest of the day he scoured the surrounding countryside, gathering mushrooms and medicinal plants, and being careful to avoid the town and its inhabitants.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Godsday, the 6th of Wealsun, 1269 AE</p><p></p><p></p><p>Ruze had returned nearly to full health. Some of his injuries hadn't fully healed, but he'd completely recovered from his bought of pudding lung. Draelond was close behind him; the pussties had dried up, but his skin was still pocked by numerous red welts where the blisters had been. His wounds were all but a bad memory. Ledare continued to suffer from phlegmy coughing fits despite Rherram's medicinal steam treatments. Her constitution, weakened so long ago by spider venom, was struggling to fight off the illness and she and Kirnoth remained on the same recovery path. Rherram thought that it might be cleared up by Earthday. The elf's strength continued to slowly return and he felt well enough to sit up and engage in conversation with the others.</p><p></p><p>They all wondered and debated whether or not they'd put an end to the Aphyx threat entirely or merely stopped one part of a much larger scheme.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Waterday, the 7th of Wealsun, 1269 AE</p><p></p><p></p><p>Ruze, Draelond and Finian were all fully healed. Draelond's welts had almost completely faded, leaving him, if not handsome, at least no worse-looking than he had been. Ledare and Kirnoth's chests continued to rattle with every breath, but their coughing had eased up considerably. Rherram removed the elf's blindfold and cleared away his eyes with a clean rag, eliciting a gasp of joy from Kirnoth. At last, he could see once more. He still felt weak, but he could now sit up in bed and read some of Rherram's books between steam treatments.</p><p></p><p>With Kirnoth's returned sight, the group's spirits were considerably boosted, and there was laughter in the infirmary for the first time since their arrival. After another rat hunt, Finian made another foray into the wilderness in search of herbs to replenish some of Rherram's supplies.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Earthday, the 8th of Wealsun, 1269 AE</p><p></p><p></p><p>Rherram pronounced both Ledare and Kirnoth free of pudding lung and he dismantled the tents and medicinal kettles. Everyone's wounds had fully healed thanks to Rherram's handiwork, and Kirnoth's strength had very nearly returned to normal. "By tomorrow at the latest," the healer assured them.</p><p></p><p>"Then that's when we'll head back to Barnacus," Ledare said, stretching. "We've imposed on your kindness for too long as it is."</p><p></p><p>"At last," Finian sighed after Rherram had left them. "I'm worried about Grey House."</p><p></p><p>"About Gwaedry, you mean," Ledare jibed and the Archer's face grew red.</p><p></p><p>"Her too," he admitted.</p><p></p><p>The four Companions who were able spent a good portion of the afternoon sparring with one another in Rherram's dirt front yard. They tried new combat maneuvers that they were hoping to eventually master and generally worked the kinks out of limbs that had been stuck in bed for too long. For his part, Kirnoth remained inside, reading "A Treatise on Distillation and Its Usefulness in Modern Alchemy". He didn't feel much like swinging a sword, but he was quite pleased to note that his access to the Weave had not only returned, but it seemed to be greatly increased as well. He concentrated on the energy patterns and felt confident that he'd be able to produce some new magical effects with a little practice. In all, it was a glorious afternoon, and they had all worked up a considerable appetite by the time Orin's Shield dipped into the hills to the west.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It was at dinner that Rherram brought up the subject of recompense for his services. "For the most part, I collect my herbs myself," the healer explained over a spicy potato and leek soup. "I enjoy the fresh air and I think it helps keeps me young. Mind you, Finian has helped me immensely these last few days collecting herbs for me while I tended to you and the baby. But, some of the herbs that I used to heal you all are exceedingly rare and can't be found around these parts."</p><p></p><p>He paused, blowing on a spoonful of soup.</p><p></p><p>"I had wondered if you all would mind collecting a few medicinal plants that will be difficult for me to replace without your aid?" He forced his eyes up and looked at them as if embarrassed by his request. "I'm sorry to surprise you with this at the last minute, but there didn't ever seem to be a good time to ask. And now... with you all preparing to leave..."</p><p></p><p>"We have the baby...," Kirnoth began, but Rherram cleared his throat to interrupt.</p><p></p><p>"Jisselleen and I will be happy to look after the child until you return. That is, if you decide to undertake the task for me, of course," the healer said. "I don't expect you to commit to anything right now. I'm sure that you'll want to discuss this amongst yourselves. If you are willing, we can go over the details in the morning."</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>"I don't know about hunting for herbs, but what about leaving the baby with Rherram?" Ledare asked. "We are not in a position to care for an infant. Who's going to nurse her? Ruze?!"</p><p></p><p>"Hey!" Ruze chuckled, clutching his man breasts in mock indignation. They all shared a laugh but Ledare wasn't letting her point drop so easily.</p><p></p><p>"Taking the baby with us seems like it would be bringing her closer to danger," she explained. "Leaving her behind - if we could find a way to ensure her safety and anonymity - would be best, I think."</p><p></p><p>They discussed the baby and their future plans at length, but hadn't yet reached a decision by the time that they bedded down for the night. Sometime later, they were awakened by what sounded like Kirnoth screaming. It was full dark in the infirmary - the Continual Flame chandelier had been capped off so that they could sleep more easily- but the white disk of Great Celune was visible through the window and she filled the room with her silvery radiance. It took longer for Draelond's and Ruze's eyes to adjust to the near darkness, but both Ledare and Finian saw immediately the horror that hunched beside the faerie elf's bed. A skaven stood in the moonlight, its fur seeming to blaze like silver fire. It regarded them with evil red eyes and hissed menacingly, its clawed hands balled up at its chest.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jon Potter, post: 544978, member: 2323"] [b][PLAIN][Realms #202] Some Time in the Country[/PLAIN][/b] Finian helped the healer get Ruze out of the travois and across the dirt courtyard to the door he'd indicated. A sign hung beside it that read, "Rherram Ongensleer, Healer" in every script that the Companions knew how to read and several that they didn't. The door itself was locked and the old man patted at his shirt as if he expected to find the key there. It had been taken from him by the cultists, of course, and Draelond was obliged to put his shoulder against the door to allow them entrance to the room beyond. Rherram lead them through the shattered doorway into a large hall whose ceiling was open to the rafters of the peaked roof. The floor was earthen, but a raised wooden platform ran around the room a foot off the ground. On the platform were arranged a dozen narrow beds, dressed in white linen and separated one from the other by white draperies. The room was illuminated not only by the light that streamed in through the windows, but from several cast iron chandeliers hanging from the rafters that had been enchanted with Continual Flame spells. The room smelled faintly of antiseptic. "Finian, m'boy, I'll need your help," Rherram said as they eased Ruze down onto a nearby bed. "Get everyone undressed while I get some supplies from my lab. You'll find a gown under each pillow." The healer disappeared through a side door that led into the rest of the house leaving the Companions alone in the infirmary. Finian sighed as he looked around and Ledare asked, "Are you sure this man will be able to help us, Finian? What do you know of him?" Draelond was leading her blindly toward a bed and she stumbled as she reached the raised platform. "He helped me when I was last in Strenchburg Junction. He didn't have to, but he did," the Archer said. "I trust him more than some people we've been forced to rely on since this all began. And he IS a competent healer." Ledare's armor creaked and clanked as she eased herself down onto one of the beds. She let out an exhausted sigh as she sat there, her eyes crusted with yellow-brown. She touched them lightly with her fingertips and her mouth twitched in revulsion and worry. "I guess that we have little choice in any case," she said weakly. "We're not in a position to turn down whatever help we can get." As it turned out, Rherram wasn't just a competent healer, he was an excellent healer. After determining that Finian hadn't succumbed to anything contagious, Rherram enlisted the Archer to assist him with the others. It was a humbling experience for the half-elf since the old man was easily twice as skilled at healing as he was. Rherram's skill level rivalled Finian's mother, Caralie's and the Archer found himself relegated to mixing herbs and wrapping bandages. Still, with his help, Rherram was quickly able to examine and treat each of the Companions. The healer determined that Ledare and Kirnoth, like Ruze, had contracted pudding lung. And they and Draelond had all been infected with skin ripple through the diseased wounds dealt to them by the mendicant. Draelond's and Ruze's cases of bubbling pussties weren't life-threatening, although the puss-filled blisters that were spreading over their flesh were disgusting in the extreme. Ledare's infection of eye crust was minor, the healer announced; her sight would likely return by the next morning. Kirnoth's however, had firmly taken ahold of the elf and would require greater convalescence to cure. By the time that Orin's Shield had begun to dip toward the western horizon, Rherram had treated everyone as well as he could. Draelond and Ruze were slathered in ointment and wrapped in bandages, looking a good deal like greasy mummies. Ledare and Kirnoth had twin poultices strapped over each eye with a blindfold. Rherram and Finian had erected cloth tents over Ruze, Ledare and Kirnoth's beds. A small charcoal-burning stove boiled water in a kettle set beside each bed, releasing medicated steam into their afflicted lungs. "Come, Finian," Rherram suggested. "Let them get some rest. They need time to heal and we need to eat something." Finian nodded reluctantly and surveyed the scene in the infirmary with concern. The baby, who lay in a bed far from the diseased patients, still hadn't moved or made a sound. "Did the thieves hang after I left?" Finian asked suddenly. He and Rherram had eaten a cold meal of dried fruit and crushed barley cereal and while the healer gathered up the bowls, Finian had been leaning back, deep in thought. He now regarded Rherram expectantly. "You mean Councilman Ozmea and his sister," the old man said with a nod. "The Baron means what he says when he passes sentence, m'boy. I think what's left of Wearonna's still hanging from a tree near the caravanserai. I don't get out that way very often." "Have there been any other incidences in town?" the Archer asked, picking absently at his teeth with his thumbnail. Rherram chuckled at the question. "No, m'boy!" he said. "Most all of the troublemakers in the Junction come and go with the caravans. And seeing a woman's corpse hanging in irons right outside your front door tends to give a body pause. No, the Baron knows a good deterrent when he sees one." Finain nodded grimly. "I'm glad justice was served," he said. "Yes," the old man agreed without much conviction and lowered himself back into his chair. "Now, before we get some rest ourselves, why don't you tell me what possessed you to die your hair?" Sunday, the 4th of Wealsun, 1269 AE The patients were awakened in the morning by the baby's squeals. Those who could see spotted a plump woman seated across the room nursing the infant. She looked up, regarding them with a warm smile as she shifted the child from one ponderous breast to the other. Rherram entered then, and conferred briefly with the woman before coming to check on his patients. "Feeling better, I hope," he said as he began to check bandages. Most of them were feeling a good deal better. All save Kirnoth felt ready to get out of bed; their wounds had healed considerably under Rherram's care. The healer wouldn't allow Ruze or Ledare to leave their beds, however, lest they interrupt the pudding lung steam treatment. The Janissary thought that might be just as well since she still felt somewhat weakened by the eye crust infection. After Rherram had snipped away her blindfold and wiped her eyes clear of accumulated muck Ledare was relieved to have her vision return in full. Kirnoth had continued to deteriorate through the night, however and was too weak to even lift his head by the time Rherram made his rounds. "Don't worry, good sir elf," the healer assured him as he changed the poultices on his eyes. "We'll have you cured today. I'm confident that you'll turn the corner by sundown." Finian spent most of the day discussing the finer points of herbalism with Rherram. Not surprisingly, the Archer was particularly concerned about healing both the damage caused by the viper-wolf venom and that done to his mangled left ear. Healing the damage to the Archer's reflexes wrought by the viper-wolves was beyond Rherram's abilities, but he had heard of magic that might be able to do so. It was called the 'Grove of Renewal' and was considered a sacred site by the Druids of Dridanis. Unfortunately, Rherram had no idea how to find the Grove; his only suggestion was to seek out the Cult of Dridanis near the Freehold of Redwood. "As for your ear...," Rherram muttered, holding Finian's chin and examining the scar tissue critically. "I believe I have some elf hazel in the lab. It won't regrow the ear, but it'll clear up the scar tissue so it doesn't look quite so nasty. What'd you use on it? Woundwort?" Finian nodded and Rherram wagged a finger at him. "You're stuck in the old way of doing things, m'boy. Follow me to my lab and I'll show you some new medicines that I've learned to make." Moonsday, the 5th of Wealsun, 1269 AE The group continued to heal and the wetnurse, Jisselleen, continued to tend to the child, who had begun to act - and cry - like a normal, two-day-old infant. Ruze had completely shaken the bubbling pussties and Rherram predicted that even the reddish bumps that remained would likely be gone by Godsday. Draelond's case persisted, but it too had dramatically diminished when the healer checked beneath his bandages; his prognosis for recovery lagged a day behind the Battleguard's. None of them had yet shaken the wet breathing and bubbling cough associated with pudding lung, although, again, Ruze seemed to be doing better than the others. Kirnoth's eye crust lingered, although Rherram assured him that he was making regular progress. He remained blind and too weak to rise from his bed. Finian spent the morning shooting rats that had been eating some of Rherram's valuable herbs. The rest of the day he scoured the surrounding countryside, gathering mushrooms and medicinal plants, and being careful to avoid the town and its inhabitants. Godsday, the 6th of Wealsun, 1269 AE Ruze had returned nearly to full health. Some of his injuries hadn't fully healed, but he'd completely recovered from his bought of pudding lung. Draelond was close behind him; the pussties had dried up, but his skin was still pocked by numerous red welts where the blisters had been. His wounds were all but a bad memory. Ledare continued to suffer from phlegmy coughing fits despite Rherram's medicinal steam treatments. Her constitution, weakened so long ago by spider venom, was struggling to fight off the illness and she and Kirnoth remained on the same recovery path. Rherram thought that it might be cleared up by Earthday. The elf's strength continued to slowly return and he felt well enough to sit up and engage in conversation with the others. They all wondered and debated whether or not they'd put an end to the Aphyx threat entirely or merely stopped one part of a much larger scheme. Waterday, the 7th of Wealsun, 1269 AE Ruze, Draelond and Finian were all fully healed. Draelond's welts had almost completely faded, leaving him, if not handsome, at least no worse-looking than he had been. Ledare and Kirnoth's chests continued to rattle with every breath, but their coughing had eased up considerably. Rherram removed the elf's blindfold and cleared away his eyes with a clean rag, eliciting a gasp of joy from Kirnoth. At last, he could see once more. He still felt weak, but he could now sit up in bed and read some of Rherram's books between steam treatments. With Kirnoth's returned sight, the group's spirits were considerably boosted, and there was laughter in the infirmary for the first time since their arrival. After another rat hunt, Finian made another foray into the wilderness in search of herbs to replenish some of Rherram's supplies. Earthday, the 8th of Wealsun, 1269 AE Rherram pronounced both Ledare and Kirnoth free of pudding lung and he dismantled the tents and medicinal kettles. Everyone's wounds had fully healed thanks to Rherram's handiwork, and Kirnoth's strength had very nearly returned to normal. "By tomorrow at the latest," the healer assured them. "Then that's when we'll head back to Barnacus," Ledare said, stretching. "We've imposed on your kindness for too long as it is." "At last," Finian sighed after Rherram had left them. "I'm worried about Grey House." "About Gwaedry, you mean," Ledare jibed and the Archer's face grew red. "Her too," he admitted. The four Companions who were able spent a good portion of the afternoon sparring with one another in Rherram's dirt front yard. They tried new combat maneuvers that they were hoping to eventually master and generally worked the kinks out of limbs that had been stuck in bed for too long. For his part, Kirnoth remained inside, reading "A Treatise on Distillation and Its Usefulness in Modern Alchemy". He didn't feel much like swinging a sword, but he was quite pleased to note that his access to the Weave had not only returned, but it seemed to be greatly increased as well. He concentrated on the energy patterns and felt confident that he'd be able to produce some new magical effects with a little practice. In all, it was a glorious afternoon, and they had all worked up a considerable appetite by the time Orin's Shield dipped into the hills to the west. It was at dinner that Rherram brought up the subject of recompense for his services. "For the most part, I collect my herbs myself," the healer explained over a spicy potato and leek soup. "I enjoy the fresh air and I think it helps keeps me young. Mind you, Finian has helped me immensely these last few days collecting herbs for me while I tended to you and the baby. But, some of the herbs that I used to heal you all are exceedingly rare and can't be found around these parts." He paused, blowing on a spoonful of soup. "I had wondered if you all would mind collecting a few medicinal plants that will be difficult for me to replace without your aid?" He forced his eyes up and looked at them as if embarrassed by his request. "I'm sorry to surprise you with this at the last minute, but there didn't ever seem to be a good time to ask. And now... with you all preparing to leave..." "We have the baby...," Kirnoth began, but Rherram cleared his throat to interrupt. "Jisselleen and I will be happy to look after the child until you return. That is, if you decide to undertake the task for me, of course," the healer said. "I don't expect you to commit to anything right now. I'm sure that you'll want to discuss this amongst yourselves. If you are willing, we can go over the details in the morning." "I don't know about hunting for herbs, but what about leaving the baby with Rherram?" Ledare asked. "We are not in a position to care for an infant. Who's going to nurse her? Ruze?!" "Hey!" Ruze chuckled, clutching his man breasts in mock indignation. They all shared a laugh but Ledare wasn't letting her point drop so easily. "Taking the baby with us seems like it would be bringing her closer to danger," she explained. "Leaving her behind - if we could find a way to ensure her safety and anonymity - would be best, I think." They discussed the baby and their future plans at length, but hadn't yet reached a decision by the time that they bedded down for the night. Sometime later, they were awakened by what sounded like Kirnoth screaming. It was full dark in the infirmary - the Continual Flame chandelier had been capped off so that they could sleep more easily- but the white disk of Great Celune was visible through the window and she filled the room with her silvery radiance. It took longer for Draelond's and Ruze's eyes to adjust to the near darkness, but both Ledare and Finian saw immediately the horror that hunched beside the faerie elf's bed. A skaven stood in the moonlight, its fur seeming to blaze like silver fire. It regarded them with evil red eyes and hissed menacingly, its clawed hands balled up at its chest. [/QUOTE]
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