#fenixtj

"Dame, send word to Fenix and if the childling court is at liberty ask if they will come to Vaeltilde, please.
"Vaeltilde, will you take me to the Baron?"

"I Shall, your excellency" The knight bows to both and withdraws

Vaeltilde says "They're still leeching him, Countess. Are you sure you wish to go?"

She nods.

The little Aesin sets her jaw, and moves . She is almost like a little storm cloud holding onto every raindrop, refusing to cry while still letting lightning dance along her eyes

And sshe leads Jessica long saying "Countess Elenoar must tend to Fenix. I will be fine."

"I know you will." with quiet confidence.

They come to a chamber, a knight stands guard at the door.

"Step aside, the Countess wishes to see the Baron and how he fares" Vaeltilde informs him

The Knight looks troubled, but inclines his head, and moves to the side

Jess walks in with her.

They find the Baron being tended to by , of all kith, a troll. The gentle eyed giant turns to see that he has guests, rather than bow, he nods and goes back to his patient.

Jessica approves of this.

The Patient, the Baron, appears to be out cold. A chimerical leech works diligently at the baron's wounded arm... the pale leech is almost white, but every now and then, it takes another drop of blood and a red line enters in it, making it look a bit like a barber's pole

"Healer Wort? How fares the Baron?" Vaeltilde asks

"Not well" The healer answers without turning "The poison used is viriluent, and my partner is having a hard time of it"

"Would samples of the poison help?" She looks to the guard outside. "Go find the knight that came with the patrol to bring me back. I need all the Nunnehi's equipment; give him a robe to wear or somethin, but I want everything, especially the arrows."

"Do as she says" The young baroness adds. THe guard did look hesitant to leave his post.

But now he bows to both and says "Right away" And moves

The childling then says "Countess, our Healer is Master Wort. Wort St. John. He is a commoner, but skilled at his craft. The chimera aiding him is Yarrow" She nods to the leech, "Master Wort, the Countess"

"The poison may give me a clue" Wort answers that first, "I would say it is a pleasure to meet you, Countess, but not under these conditions"

"YO" The chimerical leech speaks up

"A pleasure to meet you both." she says gravely.

"Yarrow, what can you tell us about the poison?" Wort demands.

"Tastes terrible" Yarrow observes, "And it's nasty in other ways too. It's mostly natural, but some of the stuff isn't local, or at least isn't on THIS Peninsula"

"And it appears to be placing the Baron into a coma" Wort adds

"So he's just asleep? " The young baroness says hopefully

"It seeks to kill him, the coma is a ..side effect of his survival" Master Wort St. John observes

At that Vaeltilde looks stricken, but nods softly

The knight arrives with the arrow examples and lays them out for the healer to look over

Hopefully arrows, and anything else the Nunnehi had on him. Too much to hope for an antidote vial but Jessica can't discount the idea.

The healer takes it, and touches the poison with a gloved hand asking "What undoes the damage you have done after you have done it?"

"Time, Luck, and the Butcher's Stew" It says

A scowl crosses Wort's features "I see." And he goes back to tending

"What is the Butcher's Stew?"

"Three powerful namers exist in the Dreaming. The Butcher, the Baker, and the Candlestick maker. To make a complete recovery, some of the Butcher's stew maybe required,"

"Now" the healer goes on "I can keep him alive. But the coma? That may take the stew"

"Or.. the whisper could merely giving me a 'half answer'... that he'll come to be fine with less than that, but why not be spiteful? Fickle thing willow whisper"

Jessica thinks hard. "It seems like the captive Nunnehi might be able to clarify."

Vaeltilde nods then says to the knight "See to it we find out ALL he knows"

The knight bows, and moves to do so

"Pardon me." kindly but firmly "I'll come with you, Thane. Vaeltilde, please stay with the Baron? Hold his hand. Talk to him."

Vaeltilde nods "Okay, but countess... you don't want to go with them. It won't be... well, the toturer knows his business but we're not supposed to watch"

"I will not allow torture in this matter, Vaeltilde." firmly "I understand why you suggest it, but it would ultimately do more harm than good." and she departs with the Thane.

"I don't SUGGEST it, it's standard... "The little girl sighs as the countess walks off "protocal. Oh dear, she's not used to unseelie holds at all is she?"

"I don't believe in torture either, Baroness." The Healer says as he keeps working

and Jessica makes her way along with the knight. They come to a redcap with a black cowboy hat, and black gloves (With some old blood stains on the latter).

"The baroness wishes the prisoner questioned about the nature of the poison he used" The knight explains

The Redcap, a grizzled grump, grins! "My pleasure there"

The Redcap tips his hat to the Countess "Smilebright the torturer at your service, ma'am"