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THE BOUQUET ESTATE - LATE MORNING
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Narrator: It's been an annoying few days for Teis, trying to figure out the dark whisp of magic within the crystal to no luck. Enver has mostly had to keep her head (And her body) in the right place, though even still, Teis is notably tired coming into today's lesson with Lady Catherine. Gareth is gone anyway at this point, so there's not much use in fretting about the crystal so harshly, though even still, her failure irritates her. She follows along with the lesson as best she can. At the end, she shows off her progress with her own offensive magic with Elizabeth, looking for approval from her Mentor. Carefully, of course - No setting the Estate on fire. While her telekinetic and ice magic haven't made a great deal of progress, her fire magic has come along nicely in the form of a white-hot plasma spike.
Elizabeth follows Teis' presentation with just the smallest of smiles on her face. Can't be too enthusiastic about something so dangerous, even if... okay, even when younger Elizabeth would definitely be excited about such an ability. She looks from the scorched target to Teis: "...you have definitely improved in your control. Still a bit hasty, but confidence and pacing comes with experience." After all, dark magic can take YEARS to seed and bloom. Not that she has experience, of course. Recently.
Teis carefully dismisses the flame, smiling somewhat herself. It's at least enough approval to make her feel proud despite the debacle with Gareth's crystal, if only for a fleeting moment. Certainly the happiest she's seemed all morning through her restrained tired haze, though it doesn't last, ending with a soft sigh.
Elizabeth considers Teis, not really ever having been the greatest at this 'empathy' stuff. "You're... pretty tired, aren't you? Granted, that was an impressive setup."
Teis nods weakly twice with a soft, pitiable frown. "Mmhm. . ." She dejectedly hums. "I can deal with tired. But not worthlessness." Teis deflates.
Elizabeth raises an eyebrow as she shifts her weight (and sizable tail) around: "Worthlessness? You may still have improving to do, but that was far from worthless, Teis."
Teis sighs again, "It's. . .Not that. I'm happy with my results with that. . .Err. What should I call that spell?" Teis momentarily derails, tilting her head. She thinks for a couple of seconds, before shaking her head back to the topic, "I promised Gareth I'd help figure out his weird magic thing before he left town with the guard, but. . .I muff'd it up."
Elizabeth hums briefly at the first thought, before frowning at the second: "...weird magic thing? Care to elaborate before you blame yourself further?"
Teis: "It's probably easier just to show you." Teis reaches into her robes, pulling out Gareth's crystal, a singular dark whisp of energy dancing around inside the runed prism. "He said he got his abilities only recently. And I wanted to help him figure out how to use them, so he'd like. . .Y'know. Not die. I wanted to actually help defend the town and all. . ."
Elizabeth blinks at the crystal, then hums. "This Gareth... he has not always had magic, huh. Hmm. Not that gaining powers is unheard of, but it takes usually excessive circumstances to happen."
Teis: "I mean, I'm always telling people they're more magical than they realise, but. . .Yeah on this one I'd have to agree. What the muffin even is this muffin thing?" Teis angrily addresses the crystal, using her free hand to gesture at it and everything.
Elizabeth looks intently at the crystal for a second... then shrugs. "Unfortunately, my sense of magic is effectively numb, now. I feel like I should be able to sense the nature of that, but as it is, I can not."
Teis pulls the crystal back slightly, glancing away momentarily. Then, she pulls it back fully, sighing as she puts it away in her robe again with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Lady Catherine. I shouldn't be taking my anger out like that."
Elizabeth nods: "Anger can be a good thing at times, but rarely when practicing magic." She glances aside, some memory or another surfacing momentarily.
Teis: "I usually don't. Normally I find it. . .Well, everything. It's just. . .If Gareth dies out there, then it's my fault. Just like it was with Melia."
Elizabeth blinks, considering this: "I mean... it's not. It really is not. While I admire your persistence, taking everything on your shoulders is nigh-impossible."
Teis: "But what's the point if someone dies because I decided to, what? Make someone's drink fizzy?" Teis places her hand on her mouth, dragging it up and over her head.
Elizabeth raises an eyebrow slowly: "I... I am not sure I follow."
Teis: "The thing I've been working on making commercially viable for Sis. It's nearly ready. Would be if not for all the saur stuff. Just need Jen to come over and. . ." Teis stops herself. "Look, not the point. Point is that piece of magitech isn't gonna save a life."
Elizabeth looks at Teis for a moment, then turns to look aside, musing: "Would you then say that your newfound purpose is saving lives?"
Teis: The question makes Teis pause, "I. . .Don't know. I. . .Hadn't considered that."
Elizabeth hums: "We all do what we can, what we are able... what we are willing. I am just an old magicless skunk, I can not do anything towards that effort, but it seems to me you are pushing out from the other side. Doing anything and everything you can - or hope you can - at the expense of your own sanity."
Teis falls silent at that, placing the side of her finger against her lips in contemplation. The gears within her seem to just completely stop.
Elizabeth shrugs slightly: "Do what you feel is right, but don't sacrifice yourself in the process."
Teis: "I. . .I don't know what's right, Lady Catherine. Everyone wants all different things. Enver wants company, Jen wants reassurance, Tarbin wanted. . .I don't know. Ethical treatment of ants? And Sis. . ." Teis pauses. ". . .I'm not gonna talk about Sis. At least Nesseth was easy. . ." Teis grumbles.
Elizabeth gives a dark chuckle: "What in life is ever easy? I've lost so much that I don't have much besides the air in my lungs to lose, Teis."
Teis: "I suppose so, Lady Catherine." Teis sighs. "Guess you're just like my mother. . .In a way."
Elizabeth is taken aback by this: "...M-mother? Um... probably less than you think. What do you mean?"
Teis: "She lost everything too." Teis glances down, eyes gazing against the wall for a moment, "Including me. . ."
Elizabeth looks at Teis quietly, not sure what to add to that. Nothing, really, that's what.
Teis stares at the wall for a few moments longer, letting the silence persist. Eventually, she sighs, "Sorry" Still looking at the wall.
Elizabeth gives the slightest of shrugs: "Don't be. We've all... we all have our ghosts."
Teis: "Well that one's really more hers, but. . .I see what you're saying." Teis looks back now, "Now that. . .I've said it. You kind of. . .Are a bit like her. At least what little of her I remember. Kind and smart."
Elizabeth gives a soft, wry chuckle: "Would you believe that... that's probably the first time someone has said that in years, about me?"
Teis bites the inside of her lip somewhat, thinking briefly, "Is. . .Was it really that bad, Lady Catherine?"
Elizabeth looks down, then aside for a place to sit. She sighs: "If I am finally going to make good of my promise to tell, we're going to need a seat." She nods towards a pair of chairs near the window. "For... for starters, I guess... how old do you imagine I am, Teis?"
Teis follows, taking a seat gently. Sitting isn't quite laying down, but it's close enough. "I. . .Don't know. And it'd be rude to guess." If it were anyone else, Teis would've totally fired a guess.
Elizabeth sits down and smiles: "Indulge an old lady. I promise, whatever you say I will not be offended."
Teis: "Hmm. . ." Teis starts to logically think the answer through, "Well, you. . .Look like you're in your thirties. But. . .You don't act like it. And you've eluded to that you're older than that. Plus all that talk of your knowledge and warnings. . .You sound like you could've been one of my professors at school. I mean, not all of them were old, but like, half were, so. . ." Teis hums. "I don't know. Forty?"
Elizabeth chuckles softly, shaking her head. "What would you say if I told you I am actually sixty-three years old?" She gives Teis a wink.
Teis: "I'd. . .Believe you? And then also ask how. I mean, not like Respite has surgery clinics." Teis pauses, "Okay, bad example. I meant like. You know. I know Sarn had a lot of that stuff. Lots of the older folk where Sis and I grew up'd do things like that to maintain their image."
Elizabeth nods slowly: "Yes, I was somewhat like that. Looks and image were... everything. However-" She glances towards the center of town: "Until some time ago, I looked a lot more my age. That generator out there powering the town? I did the initial jumpstart of it, at my own... expense."
Teis nods. "Yeah. That generator delayed our move out here. So you're the one that fixed it? I thought that was May." Teis questions. "But. . .Why would doing that make you look young again?"
Elizabeth chuckles darkly: "I gave my everything to it... too much. I am not entirely sure how, but once I started feeding magic into the generator, something surged in me and I could not stop. I lost my consciousness and when I woke up, I looked like I did thirty years ago... and not a whiff of my magic left." She sighs and glances at her hand, flexing the nothing left of her magic.
Teis: "It. . .Can do that? I mean, We were told of similar horror stories at school. . .But that's all I thought they really were. Just stories." Teis hums. "So. . .What does that mean? Your magic powers the town, or. . .?"
Elizabeth shrugs: "I do not really know. As I said, I blacked out. I heard it did not all seem to go into the generator, that people saw some 'colored winds' above the town that day, but that's all I know."
Teis: ". . .Maybe there's a way to get it back? To charge you, as it were?" Teis suggests, her brain immediately switching into problem-solving mode, "I can go ask May about it. She probably would've seen the whole thing first hand, right? That's where I'd start."
Elizabeth nods slowly, but then looks at her hand again... her non-wrinkly hand. "Maybe... I am not sure."
Teis: "I'll go ask her. I have to try, at least." Teis nods. "Is this what you've been worried about though? That I might suffer the same?"
Elizabeth pauses for a moment, then nods. "...perhaps, yes."
Teis nods and sighs, "I. . .I understand." She looks at her own paws, flipping them a couple of times before herself. "I. . .Don't know what I'd do if I lost my magic. It's. . .Everything to me."
Elizabeth gives a weak smile: "It was everything to me. Or... I don't know. I'm still me, I think, just... less." She sighs, looking wearier than Teis has likely seen the skunk: "I miss my magic, but I'm at least still alive..."
Teis falls silent, thinking things she knows better than to say. Should she feel pity, or admiration? She doesn't know.
Elizabeth looks down at her hand again, flexing it slightly: "Magic was always my shortcut to... everything. But it has to come from somewhere. I... I took a lot of it from others."
Teis contemplates these words further, feeling a sting of hurt setting in to add to the mix of confusing emotions. ". . .Why?" Teis questions.
Elizabeth looks down, sighing: "Why do most people do things? Ambition. Power. Staying on top. I manipulated, hexed, cursed people so they'd make me look better by comparison. And... probably in the end also just for my own amusement, after my husband's death." She looks into the distance: "I ruined many lives to keep mine from being ruined by anything."
Teis glances away, her face now visibly showing her internal mix of emotions as she processes, though eventually the hurt and subsequent anger win over, ears folding back some as her eyes dart around as she thinks.
Elizabeth glances at Teis before continuing: "I have made a lot of mistakes, more so given to me by my position for years. Power begets power. I did what I had to... or thought I had to."
Teis: "But you came to Respite. Why? What happened? Or did you just want to be a big fish in a small pond? And why tell me?" Teis questions.
Elizabeth shakes her head slightly: "To your last question, I don't even know. Maybe I just want someone to know the truth. To the first, I finally went over my head, got someone with way more power than myself angry, and had to either flee or face the gallows."
Teis: "So you went too far?" Teis questions, "Would. . .You have continued had you not?"
Elizabeth shrugs: "Probably."
Teis sighs, "Look. . .I'd be a bad person if I rejected your openness, Lady Catherine, especially after you've been kind enough to mentor me. But this is. . ." Teis falls silent.
Elizabeth looks at Teis: "I understand. I did what I did, and I am not asking you to just ignore that." She starts getting up: "For what it is worth, I do think you have a lot of potential, Teis. Keep at it."
Teis nods at Elizabeth, remaining quiet and seated, processing through her thoughts and feelings on the matter. She smiles weakly at the compliment but finds herself unable to do verbally respond.
Elizabeth pauses to look at Teis for a moment, then sighs quietly and heads out.
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RESPITE MARKETPLACE - AFTERNOON
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Aelia has been buoyed by her meeting with Cavro, it feels good just to have finally shared her circumstances with someone who's encountered a similar (if not exact) magical accident. She feels a bit lighter, almost skipping into the marketplace, with the next step in her errands list to get some new clothes, and then maybe find somewhere she can dance.
Aelia approaches one of the stalls and starts browsing over the selection of clothing, a little uncertain what the local style even is.
Rhask has been doing her best working the stall while Jennica and Emmeline are occupied and away, respectively. She's currently humming a lilting song to herself as she keeps herself busy with a dwindling supply of trinkets to sell by doing some of her knitting at the stall. She sways a little as she focuses the timing of her knitting to the pace of the song.
Aelia quickly passes over the trinkets anyways, more interested in finding a dress. She peeks up at the lizard knitting, her voice low and a little shy, "Oh... um... excuse me? I don't want to be a bother, but I wanted to know if you have anything in my size?"
Rhask looks up curiously, her song trailing off as she looks at the doe standing across the counter from her. She blinks, then perks up with a smile. "Oh! Are you looking for something new to wear, miss? Uh... you're welcome to browse what I have on the counter right now. If there's nothing that fits, I could custom fit something for you!"
Aelia smiles back timidly, but is admittedly excited over the prospect of new clothes, her old dress rather ragged at this point. "I probably don't have enough for a custom fit... But I'm sure I'll find something here. I want something light, and airy. Something I can dance in."
Rhask hums thoughtfully. "Something... light and airy? Hm... that might be a little hard to find, I'm afraid..." She glances at the clothing she's been knitting, which are all still done in the rather cozy style of her hometown, "My designs are from northern Vamas, so... I'm not really sure if any of these pieces on display match that."
Aelia 's expression drops a little, but she shakes her head, "Well, I need... something. This dress doesn't have much life in it." She reaches down to her coin purse and displays it to Rhask, revealing a very generously filled satchel, "This is maybe... 400 gold? It's not a lot but..." Definitely not enough to commission anything in upper class Sarn but in Respite...
Rhask blinks at the purse and glances between it and Aelia, her eyebrows lifting up, no doubt feeling a bit dubious at how much money she's carrying around being 'not a lot', since it's definitely more than she's ever seen in a single spot ever. "Not a... lot? Uhm..." She holds up one of her finished works and taps at the pricing tag Emmeline taught her how to make, showing the price to be about 30 gold, "...With that much gold, you could buy out my entire stock and still have half of your coins left... I only ask for... maybe 50 gold for a custom fit, too."
Aelia blinks, "I... could? Back in Policaster, this much might be enough to buy me one really nice dress, and certainly nothing custom! I... guess I don't even know how much my room is costing me at that tavern..." She shakes her head, "Oh! Um... s-sorry! Okay! maybe I'll buy an outfit or two? And then... ask for a custom one? If that's okay?"
Rhask smiles a bit. "If you want to purchase several outfits, feel free to browse. Once you've made your selections, I can start getting the measurements for a custom piece." She tilts her head, "Is there anything in particular that you want for the custom fit piece?"
Aelia glances at all the clothing laid out, spotting more than a few she'd like, "Well, something I can dance in... I'm used to Sarn styles, but... I don't know what the local fashions are like, so maybe something more Respite chic? I like greens, and flowerly looking designs, like blooming flowers in springtime..." She stops, blushing as she looks back at Rhask, "N-none of that probably helps you."
Rhask chuckles a bit as she looks over the pieces she considers her usual style, which... maybe vaguely match that sort of idea. She nods after a few moments of thought. "Hm... I don't know what sort of style Respite has, yet, but my own style from my hometown seems pretty popular here. I've been trying to make the clothing a bit more lightweight since Respite is far hotter than anywhere in Vamas, so... I might be able to do something for you."
Aelia picks up an outfit, holding it up to chest to try and imagine what it'd look like wearing it. She definitely seems to favor greens and yellows and pale reds. "I've always been told to trust the designer's eye, so please, make whatever you see fit."
Rhask nods a bit. "Then I'll try to come up with something pleasing to your eye, miss. I just make what I've known for years, though, so I'm open to try some ideas here and there."
Aelia sets down the outfit she'd been eyeing to give Rhask a formal bow, "Oh golly, how rude of me! I'm Aelia. Pleased to meet you!"
Rhask chuckles and dips into a bow of her own, though she remains seated, considering she's still trying to tidy up the knitting she's been working on, while waiting for Aelia to make some selections. "Good to meet you, miss Aelia. I'm Rhask!" She smiles, "We're both kind of new folks to Respite, you know. I've only been here for a few months or so."
Aelia laughs a little nervously, "Oh, uh, yeah! I guess I've been here a few weeks, b-but it only feels like I've really been here a day. I'm still just... trying to find my bearings, you know? Figure out... why I'm here."
Rhask smiles brightly. "Well, nothing wrong with not knowing yet! I only showed up here because I was traveling away from home. It's far, but I like it here aside from the heat."
Aelia laughs with a little more authenticity. "Yeah, I don't know about the heat... Policaster was a port town, so there was always cool air coming off the ocean. This town is... I don't even know yet. Everyone... seems friendly, at least?"
Rhask nodnods. "Oh, yeah! The folks in town are really nice! Well... normally, anyway. Right now, there's a lot of stuff happening out west that's got a lot of folks on edge, so, don't worry too much about anyone being too tense or anything like that."
Aelia winces. "Y-yeah. I was on the wagon that attacked... that... that's not... normal right? Everyone seems to say that's not normal."
Rhask draws a bit of a gasp at that statement. "Oh, wow... I can't imagine how scary that was. But... no, it's usually really safe, so that's not at all normal, from what I know."
Aelia glances away, the attack was awhile aback, but it was still basically yesterday for her. "It was... very. Lots of folks fighting around me... those... whoever they were tossed a net over me, dragged me down off the wagon..." Her hands grip the comforting cloth on the table beneath her before she returns to the moment at hand and glances down. "Oh uh... s-sorry. I do like this one. Maybe a few more sets of clothing? Enough to give me... some actual outfits instead of just this one old dress all the time."
Rhask hums as she watches Aelia with some concern for a moment, then nods and smiles. "Whichever outfits catch your fancy, miss Aelia. I'm always knitting more, after all. And once you're ready for me to take your measurements, I can do that."
Aelia nods, grinning. "Oh yes, of course! I can do that now, or whenever's best. Oh gosh, it's been way too long since I've had new clothes."
Rhask nods and sets her knitting aside and bends down out of sight behind the counter for a few moments to grab her measuring tape. "I can take your measurements right now, if you want, since you're here!"
Aelia nods enthusiastically, "J-just tell me what I need to do."
Rhask smiles as she stands up straight and makes her way around the counter with her measuring tape in hand. "Just stay right where you are! I just need general measurements, that's all."
Aelia straightens up her posture, holding her arms outward "Alright, I've done a costume measuring before, so I guess it's just like that?"
Rhask nods as she starts to measure Aelia. "Yup, I'm guessing so!" She giggles a bit as she goes about what is no doubt almost the same routine as a costume measurement, even though she's completely unfamiliar with that whole process.
Aelia holds still as Rhask takes the measurements, a strange bit of familiarity with this process drawing out a wistful sigh, "They were never terribly complex costumes, but it was always fun to see what those designers came up with..."
Rhask hums quietly as she notes down the various measurements she makes for Aelia's custom outfit. "Well, I hope my work is able to match theirs, at least. I'm not really one for complexity, but maybe my hometown's designs will be something to your tastes."
Aelia giggles, rather enjoying this bit of her old life, further increasing her good mood. "I'm sure it'll be amazing, Ms Rhask. You'd make for a fine costume designer in Sarn, if you wanted, I'm sure."
Rhask blushes a bit beneath her scales as she takes her time taking the last few necessary measurements. "Just looking at what kind of material your dress is made of... that's high praise, miss Aelia, thank you." She stands back up straight again and starts to coil up the measuring tape with a smile, "Aaaand there we go! Done! I can start working on your outfit soon enough, but don't worry about paying for it until it's finished."
Aelia sighs, lowering her arms to look down at her dress. "It's seen better days I'm afraid, but it was all I had left to me after... a-after I had to leave to come here."
Rhask nods a bit as she looks at Aelia's dress. "I had a feeling that was the case. But don't you worry! I'll make you something nice and comfy!"
Aelia smiles, "I appreciate it. And a few more outfits for just... living." She turns back to the table and starts picking out a few more shirts and such, "I hope I can actually make a home here, one way or another."
Rhask smiles again as she goes back to the other side of the counter and takes a seat once more. "It's a peaceful and beautiful place in its own right. I'm sure you'll have no troubles settling in if you're intending to call Respite home."
Aelia: "I do hope so... Thank you for your help, Ms Rhask. I look forward to coming back and picking up the dress."
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RESCUE EXPEDITION CAMP - LATE EVENING
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Hannah sits near the glowing embers of the fire, everyone else there having already gone to their watch or to sleep. The greyhound remains, though, staring into the embers as she thinks about many things, though mostly the danger inherent in this mission.
Nesseth is one of the rangers on first watch, and is currently standing near to one of the banked campfires, his back turned mostly to preserve his nighttime vision. He's not really anticipating any sort of attacks, since they're still relatively close to Respite, but it never hurts to be cautious, especially when traveling in a group as large and obvious as the rescue team.
Hannah looks over to Nesseth, just at the edge of the firelight. "Lieutenant? I'd think you'd be resting, needing to coordinate all of this again come morning..."
Nesseth glances over his shoulder and flashes a little smile at Hannah, though he keeps his eyes angled away from the embers of the fire. "That's why I took first watch. I can rest through second and third watch, that way. Besides, I'm one of the scouts, and every set of sharp eyes is a good thing."
Hannah stands and walks over to stand beside the lizard. "Fair enough. To be honest, this is new territory for me. Never been in a war before... or on one side of it anyway. Helped get things through places as a neutral before, but that's different I suppose."
Nesseth shakes his head a bit as Hannah joins him. "I've not been in anything like this, either. I mean... I've been in a few scrapes as a hunter and a guard, but nothing quite on this level."
Hannah frowns. She takes a more closed posture as she moves from the fire, small wisps of magic playing off the ends of her fingers in a mostly unconscious defensive action, her eyes still adjusting after watching the firelight all evening. "Well, it's for a good cause. Folks to bring back and folks to go home to, right?"
Nesseth nods. "Exactly. I'm just hoping we can get to this 'Abyss' quickly enough to rescue everyone. And, on another angle I guess, we're also doing what we can to make sure these troubles stop sooner, rather than later, whatever it takes."
Hannah blinks a bit as her night vision clears, her body relaxing just a touch. "Right. So you and the doctor are thing? He is handsome."
Nesseth smiles a bit, chuckling. "We are, and yeah, they're really handsome." He looks over at Hannah, "I'm guessing they talked about me when you two met?"
Hannah smirks and shakes her head. "Nah, you just smell like each other, and I heard some of the other guards talking. We only really talked shop. They really know their stuff, at least from what I can tell."
Nesseth tilts his head curiously, then chuckles again. "Wow... that's a really sharp sense of smell you've got, then. I just hope it's nothing overwhelming." He nods after a moment, "And yeah, Plume knows exactly what they're doing when it comes to general medical work and surgery."
Hannah smiles, "Yeah. Kind of odd seeing someone from one of the top families out here just doing their own thing, though. I'm sure they could have gotten a good position back in Vamas if they're as good as you say. I mean, they have the connections to get that Osteoscope sent to them and all..."
Nesseth hums. "Mmh, they could have, with credentials and skills like theirs, but they've got their own reasons to come out to a town like this. A good thing, too, because our previous doctor sort of vanished some time back." He trails off for a moment, frowning, "...I wonder if he's at the Abyss, now that I think about it...?"
Hannah cocks her head, pondering. "Hmm. Could be." She stares off into the darkness. "It's some sort of mine, right? That's rough work. Normal folks probably wouldn't last more than half a year at it if they're not getting proper food and care. Even with it, there's lots of nasty stuff that can get into your lungs down below."
Nesseth nods at the question. "From the information we got from Louma upon her return, yeah, that seems to be the case. It's some kind of gem mine. Forced manual labor, so... we just need to hope these last several weeks haven't been too rough on them." He sighs, "Plume's probably going to have their hands full once we get back, even if no one in the rescue team gets hurt."
Hannah gives a small nod. "Well, my job is to make as little work for them as possible..."
Nesseth smiles a bit. "From what we've heard from the others on that caravan you were a part of, you did an excellent job treating the wounded before they arrived in town."
Hannah gives a doggish smile. "Well, that's why they pay me well... and I mean, it's the right thing to do. I have a gift, might as well use it to help."
Nesseth tilts his head curiously. "A gift? I mean... I saw the magic coming off of your fingers just a minute ago, but I'm guessing you don't mean that?"
Hannah blinks. "No, I do mean that. I can protect folks. I can patch them up too, but that's something anyone could do with practice..."
Nesseth nods in understanding. "Ahh, okay... I'm not entirely certain what to make of magic in general still, as I've not really met anyone outside of a few folks in town that have that ability, and even among them, their skills are so varied." He shrugs, but offers a smile again, "I'm glad we've got magic users like you helping us out here."
Hannah laughs. "Well, thanks. I'd say I'm just a hedge-mage, but I've gotten enough support from the Company that I guess I have to be at least a topiary-mage by now."
Nesseth grins at the pun. "Definitely fancier than an unaffiliated mage, for sure. You've got your powers and you know how to use them well to supplement your profession, and have support from the Silver-Talons."
Hannah smiles. "Mmhm. Anyway, it's getting late. I should get some sleep before we move out again... before I start thinking about what's out there too much."
Nesseth smiles in turn and nods. "In that case, go ahead and get some rest, Hannah, and sleep well because the camp is nice and secure. We'll be moving out around dawn or so."
Hannah gives a little salute in the Vamas style and heads off. "Night, Lieutenant."