The Sword of Truth (Legend of the Seeker) IC

[Ezmeralda]

Ellynara hooked her arm around Ellian's, as if he were her escort, "You're implying that women are not as strong as men, and therefore need protected. Which, while gallant, isn't completely true. But you should know I'm only teasing you. You are right, it would save time. Still, I don't like dragging you into this and having you do it. I am causing you pain and that's the last thing I want to do." she frowned.

"According to Meeru, the test of pain is nothing compared to an Agiel. And I'd have to agree with him. Nothing will prepare you for it. In fact, comparing it to something might make it worse. I'd suggest just keeping your mind open to whatever it may be instead of comparing it to something. I've had many people teach me. Male and female. And while I tend to learn quicker with other sorceress, I can still learn pretty quickly from a wizard. Still, there probably isn't time for that at the moment."

She smiled, "Yes, I noticed that many times. He'd becomes like he once was. Knowledgeable and wise, yet still very curious and eager to learn. A true scholar, and would make a good teacher. As would you, I think. Kindness is a good trait for a teacher to have, but discipline is also good. We...probably shouldn't talk like this, though. Who knows who might hear..."

[Hagazussa]

"You are not causing me pain Sorceress, I have offered to accept it to save another, if I refused I do not think you would force me, and neither would Laretta. I am a free man, making my own free choices."
Ellian said sternly but then he smiled before turning serious again.
"You are right however, we should not discuss this here."

Early morning was a hectic time in the People's Palace, the servants of novels ran to and from, soldies changed guard assignment and outside of Laretta's room Sonny still stood at attention though the men with her had changed. Sonny offered Ellynara and Ellian a slight nod of her head as they passed her but she did not speak with them. It took the two magic users about ten minutes at a brisk pace to get to the Mord-Sith section and Alaine's room. When Ellynara and Ellian stood outside of the old Mord-Sith's door Ellian glanced around nervously he did not like being in this section of the palace, and what magic user in his or her right mind would be. From one of the neighboring rooms could be heard the sound of a man screaming in agony, and from another room was the sound of a woman weeping. A young man, a wizard with dirty blond hair hobbled past carrying two buckets of warm water on his way to fill his Mistress's bath, the man had a haunted look in his ice blue eyes. Two Mord-Sith passed with a girl no older than fifteen on a leash behind them, the girl was covered in cuts and bruises and kept her eyes fixated on the ground. Ellian looked at the girl with shock in his eyes then he leaned over to whisper to Ellynara.
"This is not a good place."
Screams echoed in the hallways, weeping filled the rooms, and even stern faced Ellian looked like he wanted nothing more than to run away.

When Ellynara knocks on Alaine's door it takes about a minute and then the old Mord-Sith opened and gave the sorceress a smile.
"Ah Sorceress Ellynara, please come in...and this is?"
The woman said and looked at Ellian, the wizard glared at her for a moment then he gave a polite bow.
"My name is Ellian Tanamell wizard of the second order, I am pleased to make your acceptance my Lady."
Alaine gave a slight laugh.
"I am Alaine Ometi and I have not been called lady, well I never have, just Alaine will do. Now come in the both of you before my Sisters find two magic users standing in the hallway here to tempting to resist."

[Ezmeralda]

She rose an eyebrow at him, "Did you expect it to be a good place?" Her face showed she didn't like it either, as she had a serene, emotionless mask on it.

"Good morning, Alaine." she said pleasantly as she walked inside, her mask now released, "I brought him here to look at Renata. Together, I think we can work something out to let her see again, either through her gift or her eyes. How is she? Has she recovered herself at all?"

[Hagazussa]

"Yeah I expected the Mord-Sith section of the People's Palace to be a happy place filled with roses and pussycats."
Ellian commented in a dry, sarcastic voice before he took Alaine up on her offer and walked into he room. Alaine smiled to Ellynara and nodded towards the bed, Renata was sitting there now, she was still far to pale and she looked sick but she was sitting and seamed stronger.
"She is better, again thank you for saving her life."
The old Mord-Sith said in a kind voice.

Ellian walked over to Renata and spoke softly to the girl.
"Hello, my name is Ellian, I am here to help you."
Renata at first looked terrified, everything scared her and after what she had been though that was not so strange, but as Ellian sat down by her side an took hand hand in his she calmed down.
"Do you know what is wrong with her Alaine?"
Ellian asked as he looked into Renata's unseeing eyes.
"An Agiel did damage to her brain, her eyes seam fine but she is not seeing."
Alaine said in a worried tone of voice. Ellian nodded.
"I see, let me see what I can do."
The wizard muttered, he put his hands on Renata's forehead and whispered sweet words of comfort when the girl got restless.

Alaine looked at Renata and Ellian with some concern in he eyes.
"What is he doing to her? Using magic to figure out what is wrong with her?"
The old Mord-Sith said worriedly then she added.
"And what about you, there was a young wizard you feared for the safety of yesterday, how is he? Did he survive?"

[Ezmeralda]

"You are welcome. I am always willing to save a life." Ellynara smiled.

Ellynara took a seat next to Renata to observe Ellian. "Hello, Renata. It's Ellynara. Remember me from before? Let me know if you need help, Ellian." she looked back at Alaine, "Yes. he is what I like to call Delving into her body to see what is wrong. Delving is just using your gift to enter someone's body to get a better look at what's wrong. And Meeru is fine for now. But his brain is swelling and he seems to forget his location frequently. Regardless, he lives."

"We were wondering if..." she glanced at Renata, "...if you could do us a favor after Ellian is done with Renata....one you probably won't like at all...but it's an idea we have to heal Meeru's brain. We need to know what it's like and what could've possibly happened.."

[Hagazussa]

Renata lightly turned her head in Ellynara's direction and she smiled.
"I...I remember that someone was here, someone who spoke to me, you made some of the pain go away."
The girl whispered, she was still very weak but at least she was not at death's door anymore.
"Thank you."
Renata added with a small smile.

Ellian after a while leaned back and took his hands away from Renata's head then he sigh.
"I can not repair the damage to her brain, but perhaps you can Ellynara, she have some scarring in there, and I can not do anything with that, I can not remove anything, you can, perhaps if I direct you, then you can do something about the scarring, I do not know if that will be safe though. I can also try to enchant her eyes to let her see with her gift that might be safer but off course it have it's own problems.

Alaine looked at Ellynara with a puzzled look in her eyes.
"I am glad to hear your friend has survived but swellings of the brain is a serious condition. If you need my help you shall have it, but what is it that you want me to do? I must admit that I do not get your drift here."
The woman said with a slight smile.

[Ezmeralda]

"You're welcome Renata. And perhaps we could find a way to restore your sight."

"Mm. You want me to remove the parts of her brain which are scarred with Subtractive and restore it with Additive. It could work, but then again, she could die almost instantly if I'm not quick enough. What do you want to do Renata? Would you prefer to see with your eyes or your gift? I've heard you can actually see better with your gift, but it might be difficult getting used to."

Ellynara leaned over to Alaine, lowering her head next to the woman's ear, "We want you...well not want, we need you to...to put your Agiel in one of our ears. Well, Ellian's rather, though I did offer. In order to heal Meeru's brain we need to know what happened to him. Or at least have a pretty good idea of it....We're insane, right?" she chuckled.

[Hagazussa]

Renata looked frightened, she fidgeted with the fabric of the bed covers and after a while she spoke.
"I do not want anything else done with my head...I...I...loosing parts of myself, parts of my memories that is worse than the pain, I will rather stay blind, an if there is a chance I can use my gift to see, then that is much preferable."
Renata's eyes begun to water and she turned her head in the direction of Alaine who only nodded.
"It is your choice Renata, like I said I see myself as your jailer, not your owner, you have to make these choicer for yourself."
Renata smiled slightly.
"Thank you Mistress.
The girl said then she turned towards Ellynara again.
"Then I will rather want to learn to see with my gift, I do not want you to do magic on my head...please."
The girl was quire frightened and on the verge of tears as she spoke.

Alaine lowered her voice to, she had raised an eyebrow at Ellynara's explanation.
"Ah...well have heard of such magic that would require an understanding of the wound to be healed, and I am willing to do it, after all I am a Mord-Sith that will never change. Lord Richard gave me back my compassion, my desire to do right by others, but there is a side of me that have always enjoyed seeing others in pain so it is no bother for me to do so, but are you sure, the one of you that would go through it...I can do it safely but it would be excruciatingly painful...are you sure...I mean it will be bad. If he is the one to do it...do he know what it is he is asking?"

[Ezmeralda]

"Then, I guess Ellian will have to teach you. I've never seen it done, to be honest. I only know of one sorceress that uses her gift to see, and I've never met her in person to ask how, unfortunately."

"I don't think he does, but I think it's better that way to be honest. If he tries to compare it with something, you start thinking 'oh it won't be so bad' but then that just makes it seem like it's a million times worse when it comes, you know? I tried to do it myself, but he said it'd save time if he did it since he wouldn't have to teach me." she shrugged. "Regardless, let's take of Renata first."

[Hagazussa]

Ellian nodded.
"I have heard of that. I can not do what she dos though. What I however can accomplish is to enchant her eyes so she can send her Han to them to activate the magic to see."
The dark haired wizard smiles and put his hands over Renata's eyes again, the young girl tensed.
"Will this hurt?"
Ellian gave a small laugh.
"No, not at all, you will feel warm, and you might get a feeling like when your arm fall asleep, you know that itchy feeling, but there should be no real pain, are you ready?"
Renata nodded and Ellian begun to mutter ancient words, the magic he did was complex and demanding and within the power spell that protected the People's Palace this stretched him to the limit. Ellian begun to sweat and his eyes strained with concentration, eventually he stopped his spell and shook his head.
"I can not do it, not here, we have to take her outside of the palace and the power spell, I can do it there, the magic is just to complex to complete inside of the barrier."
Ellian had to support himself on one arm on the bed stand as the magic working had clearly tired him out.
"I am sorry, there is only so much I can do inside of the People's Palace."