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| Details |
| Author: | Luridel |
| Summary: | Ralaea, accompanied by a small army, confronts the Watcher and gets her arms examined. Nobody is up in arms about anything, and Ismene does not go into angry kitten mode. The alchemists are armed with the knowledge of how to produce more of the antidote. Arms. ~5100 words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
It is a lovely afternoon in the Howling Fjord region, meaning the air is a little chilly but it isn't snowing.
Mordecai waits outside Westguard's inn, bundled in a white cloak, watching the gates and the stables and the gryphon landing area. Those are in different directions, which means he's just looking nervously around a whole lot.
Colson is standing next to him, dressed in his full blue and gold plate, minus his gauntlets, holding onto Mordecai's hand.
Ralaea's gryphon lands in front of the flight master and she climbs off, giving the creature a pat. Then she asks if she can brush it down. And feed it. And probably avoid going near the inn because she's nervous. If no one stops her she will have a new occupation as a gryphon handler.
Estel arrives on foot via the front gate, and she stops by the flight master to update her passport. It takes her a moment, but she goes, "Oh! Rae!" very cheerfully.
Ralaea nods in greeting. "Estel, it's…been a while."
Atley is nearby in full plate, speaking calmly with a trio footmen stationed at Westguard in an exchange of growls.
Estel grins at her. "Sure has. Portals're working, now, so at least I got to skip the boat. Well, the boat boat. I rode on a turtle. That was wild. And then this boat-shaped lift."
"The turtles…yeah. I didn't know they could get so big. …Or that they eat carrots." Ralaea shrugs. "Seems a lot of people enjoy the lift, though."
Estel nods and looks around. "Okay, where's Mordecai? Am I early?" Estel starts down the slope and around towards where the inn presumably must be, looking back to make sure Rae's following her. "Oh! Dane, hey," Estel calls, waving.
Atley, and the three footmen, looking over to Estel. He grunts, and raises a hand, before he grunts at the footmen — and receives grunts in return — and marches over. "Hullo', hullo', you lot," he growls, giving the group at large a single, firm nod as he walks alongside them.
Another gryphon touches down and Ben is half-tumbling breathlessly from its back already. He's not in plate, wearing his ordinary, working clothes, though he has his scabbarded sword slung over his shoulder. "Hey," he calls, jogging to catch up behind Rae and Estel. "Hey, y'all. Mizmainy's comin'. I'm here." He drags a hand through his windblown hair.
Estel looks over her shoulder and grins. "Hey, Ben! Been a bit!"
"Has, yeah." He slows to a walk as he catches up to her, and offers a crooked smile, but his gaze has gone to Rae and he's watching her. "How's the babies?"
Atley nods to Ben, but squints faintly at 'Mizmainy,' as if trying to figure something out.
Estel groans. "I mean, they're fine. They take up, like, basically all of my time, but two kids'll do that. They're kinda learning to speak a little bit? Got some words, at least."
"They had a word when they was with us," Ben informs her. "It was… 'buh,' I think." He grins. "But yeah, they are — uh, a handful an' a half." He surveys the others. "Mr— Sir Atley. Cole, Mordecai. Hey." He surveys Rae again and smiles at her.
Mordecai brightens as the others come into view, and he waves, smiling. "Ben! Estel, Ralaea, Dane. Hello, um."
"Mizmainy is comin'," Ben re-informs, and checks over his shoulder in case Ismene is about to topple off a gryphon herself behind him.
Ralaea nods her greeting to the others. Wow, what a coincidence that Ben, Atley, and Colson are here, her expression reads. "What's this about babies?"
"Me an' Mizzy used to have a couple, but Estel has got 'em now," Ben fails to explain.
Atley snaps the fingers on his gauntlet. Clank! He points at Ben. "Mizmainy's … Mizzy." he growls, inquiring(?).
Ben blinks at Atley. "Yeah? Miz— Miz Ismene. Yeah? From when we was courtin'." His ears are red. "Mizmainy."
"We offered to watch a friend's kids for a bit, and then she went and disappeared, and the kids are getting older." Estel waves a hand.
Atley nods slowly in understanding. "Mis Ismene. Aye, t'tracks." He looks to Estel and grunts. "Aye. I recall hearing somming' of it."
"A friend…disappeared?" Ralaea looks a bit alarmed. "Is she in Cobalt Company? Should we be looking for her?"
"She ain't in Cobalt. Almeiria. Remember, the priestess who—?" Estel waves a hand vaguely. "Yeah. That one."
"I've seen her," Mordecai blurts out. "In Northrend. I didn't realize you were, um, watching her children?"
Estel stares at him. "When?"
"It's, um, it's been several weeks now." Mordecai looks down. "I don't know where she is now. I'm sorry."
Atley grunts and gestures to Mordecai. "If it's who I think 'tis, t'was here. Several weeks, as he said," he growls, gesturing to the inn.
Two more gryphons touch down from the direction of Dalaran, and Sil and Lena move together over toward the crowd. They both look a little on edge, but smile when they see Rae.
"I heard to come for a thing?" Lena says, looking at Rae. "Are you alright?"
Sil waves cheerfully, keeping his eyes on the edges of the camp. He is guarding.
There's yet another flutter by the gryphon master and Jo stumbles off in the direction of the group.
She blinks over to them and looks towards Rae, adjusting a setting of her goggles. "I'm not late, am I? Has everything happened?"
"I'm…alright, yeah." Ralaea stares at all the people. Eight. There are eight people there besides herself. "Are we…expecting an attack? From the Scourge? Or the vrykul? Is there another bone dragon?"
"I just heard… possible danger, good to have friends around?" Lena says. "Are you expecting an attack? I'm not, myself, I don't think the Stormwind murderers' reach is this far. And Sil said he'd keep an eye out in case."
"No, um." Mordecai frowns. "Ralaea, you said the more people the better."
On cue, another gryphon lands, and Cressidha Aspenwood begins to make her way towards the group.
Jo waves as Cressidha approaches. "Hi, Cressidha!" She turns back to Rae and adds, "If that woman tries anything against you, Rae, you'll have a lot of backup."
"Good afternoon, Jo. Good afternoon, everyone." Cressidha nods politely to the others.
"It's your friends, Rae," Ben tells her. "You wanted friends around. Your friends are showin' up. Expectin' a few more yet, too." He glances toward the gryphons again.
Atley grunts and adjusts his gauntlets.
As if on cue, another gryphon lands near the (by now) harried flight path dude. Guy. Him. It's Sabitha, sorry Ben, and she makes for Rae immediately. She does stop just out of arm's reach, to avoid the sense that she's intruding on personal space.
"I'm here! Sorry, I thought I was going to be late." She looks around. "What a nice crowd," she says to Ralaea. "Look how many friends you have!"
Another gryphon wings in. Nobody gets off. If one were looking at the gryphons, one might see Ismene Hazan seated on that particular animal, going through a satchel.
Mordecai smiles shyly at Sabitha and gives her a small finger-wave.
"Hey, Sabitha," Ben says, and then glances at the new gryphon arrival. He takes a step back in that direction, craning his neck. "Mizzy? Ismene? You need a hand?"
Sabitha waves back and looks immensely relieved. "Oh, Mordecai's here. Well, everything's sure to be all right now." She smiles at Rae.
"Yes, I—" She slides off the gryphon. "I just forg— I think I forgot something important though of course I couldn't possibly carry everything important, but it's just alchemy in the field, you know, which isn't at all ideal or something to be desired when one wishes for a full laboratory so one might properly analyze things but one wishes to do an excellent job of course so I think I brought everything but some of the distilling apparatus wouldn't fit so then I wondered about bringing it at—" GASP FOR BREATH "—all."
"Okay," says Ben soothingly. "That's okay. I reckon between you and Estel we are all set. And if anyone got to go back and get anything, we got Lena and Sabitha here to get 'em back again." He holds a hand out to her.
She takes his hand by reflex. "Oh yes, Estel is here. That'll help." Then she pauses to take in the sight of Ben. "Hi," she says, smiling.
Mordecai blushes and looks down at his feet. Oh gosh.
"Hi." He smiles down at her and squeezes her hand, then glances over at Rae again.
Atley looks between the Hazans with a faint look of combined approval and amusement before he peers at the Aspenwoods and gives a nod and a grunt in greeting. “Seems we’ve marshaled quite the force.”
Estel, standing on her tiptoes as if that'll make any difference, waves at Mizzy and Ben.
Sil waves over to greet Mizzy as well.
"So there's…not an attack?" Ralaea seems to be having trouble processing the massive amount of people showing up. "And…this is all…" There are now eleven people besides herself.
"All for you, Rae," Lena nods. "Just in case - better to be safe."
Atley grunts.
Ralaea scans over everyone again nervously. "Uh, well… I-I'm sorry to take up everyone's time." A pause. "But…thank you, everyone. For coming. The abomination is still something of a nightmare for me, so…" She glances at Mordecai. "She's…in the inn somewhere?"
Mordecai nods. He seems to become aware of just how many people are looking at him and shrinks a little against Colson's side. "Um, last I-I checked, yes."
Colson is a steady presence next to Mordecai, a calm wall, his other hand coming around gently to press against Mordecai's hand in his for a long moment.
Mordecai says to the crowd at large, "Um, the person we're going to speak with… her situation is a little complicated. Please be civil, even if she's rude or defensive. She'll probably be uneasy herself with this many people around. You're here to support Ralaea. Let's not start any fights. All, all right?"
Lena, Sil and Jo nod, and make ready to follow inside.
Ben nods firmly.
"Sure thing," Estel agrees.
Cressidha nods. She will not start any fights. She might finish one, though.
Atley squints faintly at Mordecai, working his jaw, before he grunts and nods.
An extra behorned head peeking a good foot or so above the others has nonchalantly popped up at some point, like a seagull that's seen others gathering around something and wondered if there is a spilled french fry.
Ralaea does not go into the inn first, but she does reluctantly follow along somewhere in the middle of the group.
Inside, the tables are only sparsely populated with off-duty soldiers, but a flash of orange hair bright enough to draw anyone's attention flits between them, clearing the empty tables and wiping them down between use. Alynnra Mondragon drops her cleaning rag when the large group enters, and she scrambles to catch it again before it can hit the ground. She succeeds by trapping it against her knee after a bit of fumbling, and lets out a sigh of relief. Safe.
"Hello," she says, greeting them with a bright smile. "Is it…someone's birthday?" Her blue eyes survey them, still wide with surprise.
Mordecai shakes his head. "No, um. We're looking to speak to the Watcher, if she's available?" he asks politely. He sounds like maybe he could be asking about a customer staying at the inn.
Atley takes up a Colsonless space on either one of Mordecai's sides. He regards Alynnra with gruff bemusement, and silence, his jaw set.
Mordecai now has Colson on his right and Dane on his left. He is the least intimidating of the three.
Jo stands by Dane's side, while Lena and Sil stay by the wall.
Ben does not flank anyone because they are a large group and he does not wish to create a fire hazard. He lets the armored guys take up position with Mordecai, and he hangs back beside Rae. He tugs Mizzy up to stand in front of him so that she can see, kind of, and rests his hand on her shoulder. He watches Alynnra.
Alynnra's smile becomes one of polite puzzlement. "The watcher…are you looking for a sentry? There are a few of those, and I don—" She cuts off mid-word and her expression goes blank. There is a long pause, then the smile and cheery demeanor abruptly return. "Oh, yes! I could take you to their room?"
Mordecai smiles gently at her and nods. "If you're not busy - yes, please." He seems unphased by this.
Estel, buried in the crowd, quietly goes, "Huh."
Ralaea hovers close to Ben and Ismene, and even around her goggles, it's obvious that she's glaring at Alynnra. Her fists clench and unclench at her sides. Her jaw is tight. To anyone who glances her way, she looks like a wounded animal.
Atley grunts, unsurprised.
Ismene touches her fingers to the back of Rae's fist, a gesture of silent support.
"Can we all fit in their room?" Sil asks, looking around at the crowd.
Atley tongues the inside of his cheek and turns in place to squint at Sil. “P’raps not. I warrant the larger among us will’ve to linger about here.”
Nunuzac looks scandalized that she might potentially be denied eavesdropping range. Maybe being semi corporeal will do it? The tall figure manages to vanish in the course of the discussion, replaced by a wispy translucent ghost wolf. The spooky vaguely luminous predator shape is not as inconspicuous as she hopes it is.
She stares at the bulkier lads with a toothy and self-satisfied canine grin, like my problem is solved.
"I'll fit," Jo says simply. She's small. Her problem is solved.
"Long as we get Estel an' Mizz an' Mordecai in, maybe a couple’ve others if Rae wants 'em, the rest of us can be in the hall or someplace." Ben looks around at the others. Definitely fire hazard potential.
"Or she can come out here," Ismene suggests.
"I'm small, and if she tries any curses…" Jo looks over at Cressidha. "We should have a mage with her."
Alynnra fidgets with her cleaning rag, looking genuinely concerned. "I, um…there's a place upstairs we could gather?" Her smile turns apologetic. "I wasn't expecting so many of you…" She pauses again to consider her own words. Was she expecting these people?
Upon hearing Ismene's suggestion, she shakes her head. "It would be better to…respect the person's privacy, if we can. I think there's a reason but…"
Mordecai nods and starts for the stairs, still holding Colson's hand. "It's all right. Will you show us the room, please?"
Jo follows. She plans to be in the room. Sil and Lena look uncertain.
Ismene waits, watching Ralaea.
Sabitha squirms closer to Ben/Rae/Mizzy as people start to leave.
Atley’s gaze lingers in Alynnra for a time before he takes a step back, greaves thudding on the tavern floor, and allows others to pass, lingering nearby.
Alynnra nods and sets the rag down on the table she was working at. "I'll be right back!" she calls to the innkeeper, before starting up the stairs. She does glance nervously behind her a time or two, to see who is following. Is that a spectral wolf? Her smile brightens at the sight.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, she heads down one of the hallways and stops in front of the proper room, pulling out a key. For a moment she stares at the key in her hand, as if wondering how she got it, then she shrugs and unlocks the door, disappearing inside. She leaves it open for people to follow her.
Ralaea follows, again though, not first, latching onto both Ismene and Sabitha's sleeves, because they are close by and she can. This might make climbing the stairs a bit awkward.
Ben follows at a protective Loom behind the trio of Mizzy-Rae-Sabitha. He does not trip over them on the stairs.
Jo sticks close to the group, trying to keep an eye on Alynnra as best she can. No one is hurting her Cobaltian right in front of her.
Lena and Sil follow up behind but linger in the hallway.
"I'll keep watch out here?" Lena says. "To stop anyone else if they come. Anyone not… you know, living."
Fortunately, Sabitha's sleeves are a bit long, so she can trail behind and still follow. Ismene follows with no hesitation, though she does check back to make sure the Loom is Husband Loom. "Everyone can wait in the hall, maybe?" she murmurs.
The spectral wolf gives a very slight echoing grumble while trotting to the hallway and collapsing dramatically against the baseboard, snout against crossed paws.
"She should have a mage with her," Jo insists. "I'm not an alchemist, but curses…"
Atley stays on the first floor and leans up against a support column next to the stairs. He shakes his head in silent refusal of a drink offer from the tavern keep.
Cressidha doesn't seem to have a problem with waiting in the hall.
Mordecai squeezes Colson's hand once. "I'll be fine," he says quietly, and lets go, following Alynnra into the room.
Estel walks right on in like she owns the place. (She doesn't own the place.)
Jo follows into the room.
Ralaea follows the others, all but dragging Sabitha and Ismene along, and glancing back at Ben to make sure he's coming. He'd better be coming, her look says.
The inside of the room is tidy, but there is a large axe propped up against the far wall, which Alynnra is now leaning back against with her arms crossed, and on a shelf opposite the bed, her armor is neatly stacked. Her attitude seems to have completely changed upon entering the room. Now, instead of a friendly smile, she wears a look of extreme irritation, and she all but glares at those who entered.
"I have a number of questions," Watcher begins, "Such as why it took so long, and why, when you finally came, you brought half an army. But, I will allow you pawns a moment to explain yourselves first. Out of benevolence." Her tone does not suggest benevolence of any sort.
Ben follows, as telepathically instructed. He takes up position just inside the door, and regards Watcher blandly.
There's a suggestion from Mizzy's expression that she's about to go into her 'fft-fft-fft' angry kitten mode, but she seems to think better of it and breathes through the irritation. See, she can too follow directions.
Sabitha waits, mildly confused, to see who in the pawn army speaks first. Just to give herself an idea of what to say, perhaps.
"I think the explanation is simple," Jo says, shrugging. "We don't trust you. And we support Rae."
Estel sits down on the edge of the bed.
Mordecai steps forward to explain: "Ralaea was concerned that this was a trap."
"And it took you this long to convince her otherwise? Did I not mention I have my own goals in this accursed place?" She lets out a heavy sigh. "Well then. Bring her here. I want a look at it." Watcher moves over to the bed to join Estel. Perhaps surprisingly, some of the venom fades away as she addresses her. "Estel. I suspected they would bring alchemists. Hopefully they're not wasting your time too much, calling you out here."
Ralaea has begun to tremble, the exposure to the familiar demeanor of the Watcher bringing back memories of experiences she would rather forget. She does not move towards the bed.
Ismene takes Ralaea's hand in hers. "It's all right," she says softly. "This is why you came, to be free. We're here for you, and more than us behind you."
Sabitha nods and takes her other hand.
Estel nods. "Hey. So you do remember me, huh?" She smiles encouragingly at Rae. "C'mere. It'll be okay."
"We're all here for you," Jo says, nodding agreement. "We won't let her do anything wrong."
"I know all of Her memories," Watcher acknowledges. "Even the ones I erase."
Still holding Sabitha and Ismene's hands, Ralaea takes a hesitant, shaking step forward. Then another.
The Watcher makes an annoyed tch at Ralaea's slow progress. "Just get her over here. You can keep holding her hands if you want, it would make things easier. Have any healers been keeping an eye on this?" To Ralaea, she adds in more of a commanding tone, "Come here and sit on the bed. I'm going to take your armor off, then have a look at the wrists." She shoots a glance around the room to see if anyone objects.
Jo does not object.
Ben shifts his weight restlessly by the door, eyes narrowed, but he does not object.
Mizzy stretches her arm so that she can stand by the bed. She doesn't yank Rae forward, but does nod. "We're not going anywhere, Rae. It's okay. It'll be worth it, if she does what she says she will. And if she doesn't, we're all here. Ben's here, you know he won't let anything happen to you. He keeps you safe every week, doesn't he?"
For her part, Sabitha clings close to Rae, eyeing the Watcher uncertainly. "Better, maybe, to get it over with," she murmurs.
"If you would feel more comfortable removing your armor yourself, Ralaea, you may," Mordecai points out. "She just needs to be able to examine your arms."
Ralaea squeezes Sabitha and Ismene's hands tighter as if in objection to Mordecai's suggestion, but she makes it to the bed and sits down next to Estel. Fortunately for the two holding her hands, she is wearing cloth gloves rather than her usual gauntlets. She altogether refuses to look as the Watcher, true to her word, begins to unstrap and remove her armor, revealing the afflicted arms, and sliding the gloves off as far as she can.
Ralaea's skin is purple from the backs of her hands all the way to her shoulders, and the Watcher purses her lips as she examines her. "I thought you said you had it contained using holy water. This is…a lot." She reaches out to touch Ralaea's arm, causing her to flinch and try to jerk away.
Estel whistles quietly as she sees Ralaea's arms in person for the first time. "Oh, damn," she says, shaking her head. "Hey, easy, Rae, it's okay. We're right here."
"She has been doin' the best any of us known how to do, considerin' no one is entirely clear what got done to her" — by you, Ben's tone implies, though he is being Polite and so doesn't say it — "and it has been hard as hell on her, so."
The Watcher is good at picking up tones, and she pauses to scowl at Ben before grabbing Ralaea's arm firmly from below and holding it steady, keeping her from pulling away. She prods it in a few places, to which Ralaea doesn't react at all outside of trembling.
"It looks like it's mostly surface level right now," Watcher says. "But. That's only because the muscles are more difficult for it to infiltrate. My guess is, the holy water succeeded in stalling it significantly. If it had been allowed to reach and penetrate her heart, there would have been nothing anyone could do." Fatal, her words suggest. She straightens and moves around the bed to her bag, which sits on the floor beside her axe. "I have an antidote of sorts, but it won't be enough on its own. I'm sure Estel and your other talented alchemist pawns can figure out how to make more after analyzing it, as I'm sure you'll want to do first. If I must, I will send along an ingredient list and you can work from there."
After rummaging in the bag, the Watcher removes an amber colored vial wrapped in linen, which she returns to offer to Estel. "Inject twice per day into her wrists. Morning and night. There's enough for a week, but I suspect you'll need more than that. Don't start until you have more of it, and do not also apply the holy water. This should be fine on its own. If for whatever reason the results are not becoming apparent, seek out a druid, or a shaman. Maybe both, you're a prestigious mercenary company, I'm sure you have the resources."
Estel takes it from her. "Thanks. I would appreciate an ingredient list, actually," she says, smiling. "Don't you 'if I must' me, and don't you 'talented alchemist pawn' Ismene. This is Ismene Hazan. The two of us - and Ben - have both had months apiece of raising Alynnra's son, who is still currently in my care." She peels back the linen a little bit to expose the vial, shows Ismene, and wraps it up again. "That ain't any kind of threat to him," she adds, more gently. "But you should know that Ismene's done just as much as I have. Her name's worth remembering."
The Watcher examines Ismene in silence, her face still frozen in its perpetual scowl, before sighing and forcing her expression to even out. "I…appreciate your efforts, Ismene." Her scowl returns when she looks at Ben, though. "And Ben." His name is said more stiffly. She returns to her bag and fishes out some paper and a pen, scribbling down a list of ingredients using the floor as a writing surface. Once she is done, she folds it neatly and hands it to Estel as well.
"Now, are we quite finished, or did you come to execute me?" Watcher turns her glare on everyone in the room and those she can see in the hallway.
"We don't execute anyone unless there's a good reason for it," Jo says, watching her. "Do you think there is?"
"Thank you," Ismene says primly. "For how long do we keep up the injections? A week after all visible signs, two days, just until it's gone?" She glances at Jo, then back at The Watcher, then just at Rae. That seems safest.
The Watcher shrugs. "Can never tell with you mercenary pawns. Kaela Mondragon died in such an execution, because of her affiliation with the Scarlet Crusade. Now she is affiliated with the Scourge, and you might decide to execute me for having met with her." In answer to Ismene's question, she adds, "It is safe to continue after the visible signs, for a short time. No longer than a week should be needed, if you want to be sure."
Ralaea stares into her lap, as though trying to erase her presence from the room.
Sabitha sets her spare hand on Rae's back, comforting pressure and a delicate offer of a hug if Rae wants one.
Estel unfolds the paper to study the list of ingredients. She frowns a little, leans over, and shows it to Ismene. "Looks legit to me."
Ismene leans toward the paper, reading over it. "As an injection… It's not going to feel good," she murmurs. "We'll see when we mix it up and test it."
Estel nods.
Mordecai says politely, "Thank you, Watcher. Ralaea, time to go, all right?"
Estel tilts her head. "I'd like a word with you after they all leave. Not about this whole thing with Rae, about - Alynnra's kid." She makes no move to get up, although she carefully puts the vial and the paper into a pouch.
Ralaea squeezes Sabitha's hand a bit more, but otherwise remains still until Mordecai calls to her. She gets to her feet and finally releases Sabitha and Ismene's hands, pulls off her goggles and slowly turns to make eye contact with the Watcher. The two women stare at each other for a long time, before Ralaea breaks the silence.
"Your mother…"
"Dead," Watcher confirms.
Ralaea nods and looks away again.
"Say hi to Lord Colson. Alynnra looks up to him as a healer."
Ralaea nods again, then hurries out of the room. She leaves her armor on the bed where the Watcher had stacked it. The Watcher then turns to Estel. "Very well. Stay, then. We will speak when the rabble clears out."
"Estel, are you alright with her?" Jo asks. She seems perfectly willing to rudely intrude, should Estel desire it.
Estel nods. "Yeah, I'll be fine."
Sabitha leaves the room, rabble pawn that she is. Mizzy picks up the armor and hands it to Ben before she, too, leaves.
Jo nods back at Estel, glares once more at Alynnra, and heads out into the hallway.
Mordecai follows Ralaea out immediately, so it's a good thing that Mizzy remembered the armor.
Ben pauses to look from Estel to the Watcher, nods once, and carries the armor out into the hall after the others.
As they start filtering into the hall, some tall enough, some not, might note a gruff and confused Atley head poking around the bannister at the bottom of the stairs, perhaps performing a head count.
Out in the hall, Ismene stops and sighs a little, shrugging at Atley. "I don't know," she says quietly. "We've been given a… an injection and the directions to make more. Estel has them. Whether it does what it's supposed to or not, I don't know. We'll make it, test it and then… Well, then we'll see."
Atley flicks his gaze to Ismene and nods slowly before he glares at the door to the room, and presumably at those housed within, through the wall. He grunts. “If it’s some trick, there will be consequences for ‘her.’” he growls, before giving Ismene another firm nod.
Ralaea does not stop walking until she reaches the outside, where she takes a deep breath, and then a seat, next to the mailbox. She looks exhausted.
Cressidha stands next to Ralaea and asks quietly, "Are you alright?"
"She was…calmer. Than before." Ralaea replies. "Last time was…" She takes another deep breath. "Yeah. I'm okay. Thanks…for coming."
"Of course." Cressidha smiles faintly down at her. "I hope that this treatment works."
Lena comes out of the building with Sil trailing behind her. Lena pauses when she sees Cressidha and Rae talking and gives a friendly wave.
"Would be nice," Ralaea says. Seeing Lena and Sil, she returns the wave. "Thank you both for coming…"
Atley peers at the room with the Watcher for a moment longer before he too steps outside to quietly join the group, aside from his heavy marching steps.