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n the infirmary, they are led to a corner partitioned by bamboo hangings. One of the healers there nods at Takashi and continues changing the wet cloth on the patient's forehead. The patient in question is an islander woman, her black hair short-cropped and her eyes clear yet distant. She begins to speak in an urgent tone, but her words are gibberish. One of the islander tongues, Takashi supposes. "You see," the messenger says, turning to Takashi, "we're not sure what to do for her. It doesn't seem to be ordinary delirium, or concussion, or anything we can think of. Possibly it is a malady of the soul..." At the mention of soul the right corner of Frenil's mouth quirks upwards. Then his eyes narrow as he attempts to recall a memory. Takashi nods in agreement, "I wonder..." he says, scratching his chin, "I wonder, what could be the cause for such a sickness..." Thereafter his voice trails off, as Takashi begins to search his memory for any helpful information he might have learned. It occurs to Takashi that he's never heard of anything *quite* like this...but he's had occasion, in the past, to treat victims of wraiths-from-beyond-the-wall. And in their delirium, sometimes such victims have spoken of shadows with their eyes. The messenger breaks off as Commander Aris enters. He wears grey and his eyes are grey, and there is a grey, grey weariness in his voice. "...except we have never known wraiths, beyond the Wall or otherwise, to kill in such a lingering manner. They are swift, efficient killers, whatever their cause." Aris almos sounds as if he is lecturing trainees new to the Wall. "I wanted to ask you, Vrenil? Hrenil? if you had seen any such malady in the Ashen Lands." Frenil's half smile has subsided, but at this attempt at his name it returns, becomes full, but he makes no attempt to improve Aris's pronounciation. "It is certain that she was attacked. It is the manner that puzzles us, and obviously Kit herself is in no condition to tell us what happened." He frowns slightly. "Though I would have thought that he who accompanied her would have been more helpful." The smile dissapears again as Frenil tries to call up the memory. He answers slowly, with a distinct Ashenlander accent. "My people generally do not treat such wounds as these. It is known, though, that some wraiths have poisoned claws, and if she was burned, it would have been with magic." Here he smiles, thinking how lucky he is that none of the wraiths that attacked his tribe were mages, and also smiling at the fact that he is stating the obvious, delaying for the memory to surface. The messenger says, "I've met such." Her eyes become dark. "My brother..." [GM's note: Magic-using wraiths? Hmm. They might commonly be known as"greater" wraiths, though "lesser" wraiths aren't necessarily less to befeared...just for quick nomenclature.] Takashi's attention turns outward again, when Frenil begins to tell his story of magic-wielding, manshaped wraiths. During Frenil's speech Takashi listens attentively, trying to absorb all the information that is offered. "Ahh...now I remember," says Frenil. "There is a story passed down among my people of the time before the Shatterer's Bargain. It is of manshaped wraiths." Here he grimaces, controlling a snarl. "Among their other abilities was the ability to sometimes take over their targets minds, and control their bodies." A quick explosion of harsh laughing, just as quickly quenched. "I am telling stories to frighten children here." He says this with extra emphasis , both in tone, and with a twist of lips. "It is more likely to be a poison. Some have very odd effects." Aris nods slowly. "Normally I would be inclined to agree. But Kit and her companion are both highly skilled mages; especially, I can't think of any wraith able to overcome them both. Ghostwolves, bonestalkers, stormbirds, sandcrawlers...none." [GM's note: Ghostwolves are white, silver-eyed wolves that are in fact common as wraith-guardians in Qenar. Bonestalkers resemble spider's webs...or a necklace of gaping mouths. Stormbirds are cloud-colored birds that summon lightning, and sandcrawlers are snakelike, with six stubby legs and venomed claws. Frenil may know these--and others--under different names. Takashi would most likely be familiar with Qenaren names for wraiths, hostile or otherwise.] Frenil grins to himself at his lack of comprehension of these names, and, with a lifted eyebrow gives a clearly quizzical look to both Aris and Takashi. Takashi seems to be lost in contemplation and doesn't notice Frenil's look. Aris raises his eyebrows and says, "We must call them different names...over the years, our sentries on the Black Wall have compiled a bestiary-of-sorts. Sometime I'll have someone show you one. Perhaps you can add to our knowledge of the lands beyond the Wall." Frenil studies the islander as the others talk. As far as he can tell, the islander is a woman like and unlike any other. The musculature of her hands, however, seems to suggest that she is not unfamiliar with the arts of combat...when she's conscious. "Mhh, poison is definitely a possibility as is the involvement of magic," Takashi muses, "but while I can do little about the former without checking some tomes on poisons, I might at least try to do something about the latter..." Takashi then closes his eyes and begins to draw breath in a slow and elaborate fashion. Once Takashi feels at ease he opens his eyes again, and searches Kit for any residues of mana, which a powerful enchantment might have left behind.
Back: Frenil & Takashi's Prologue 1 Torch image provided by Clipart Castle.
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