Aevah chuckled, "I'll be back soon..."

Aevah took a breath and moved forward before walking under the intricately woven exposed roots of the tree. As she moved deeper the roots began growing through the dripping stone of the damp cavern and still deeper it went. As glow worms became her only source of light she paused in front of a heavy wooden door over grown with vines... and did not get the chance to knock.

The door creaked open and Aevah hesitated before stepping into the magically lit room she remembered from so long ago. The norn was seated in front of her hearth, knitting... looking every bit like a simple old woman but that was just the way she was choosing to appear. Aevah knew what she could become and didn't relish the idea of seeing the green veined, cat eyed, sharp toothed creature that had spoken to her the last time. Aevah didn't have to let the woman know she was there.

"And so you've returned," said a voice as brittle as fall leaves crackling underfoot. The old woman, the norn, tugged her shawl tighter around frail shoulders and turned to face Aevah... cunning milky grey eyes unseeing and yet seeing everything. "What is it you wish? You do have a wish do you not? You aren't wasting my time again?"

Aevah already knew the woman knew the answer but if the Norn asked a question, you best answer. It was a game of sorts... "I do have a wish."

The old woman chuckled, "And not just for yourself... the wish you desire is for another... for many others."

Aevah frowned, "It is for myself... if I heal this man I gain freedom."

The woman smiled slyly, "And yet he also wishes to be healed... to finish this war... to stop the coming shadows. Such a large, desperately needed wish must come at a high price... yes?"

She hesitated but answered honestly, "Yes..."

"Good... Now you are catching on." The woman tapped at her narrow chin as she considered, "Speak your wish then..."

She hesitated, considering the way to phrase what she wanted to say... "Prince Mhundir has been stricken with a poison called ice venom... I wish him healed of the poison and the damage it has done him."

"Firstly, you will give up your gift of sight..."

Aevah frowned, why would the woman have cursed her with the gift and then take it away when she knew Aevah didn't want it... It didn't seem much of a price to pay but she kept it to herself. Still, the Norn noticed her discomfort, "Not a high enough price for you? I can up the stakes if you wish."

Aevah shook her head, "No... I accept."

The old woman laughed, "Good..."

Suddenly, searing pain scorched deeply behind Aevah's eyes... She felt like her eye sockets were full of lava. She cried out and struggled not to claw at them, suddenly realizing her mistake. The Norn hadn't meant her Second Sight... She'd meant her sight literally... her eye sight. Aevah's once icy blue eyes clouded over and she could feel tears of blood running down her face. When the pain eased... Aevah was blind.

The Norn laughed mockingly and the sound seemed to echo all around the room, "Now... for the rest. I am feeling generous... Instead of taking, I will give."

Aevah shivered and hesitated, "What do you mean?"

The Norn's chuckle slithered over her skin... "There are shelves behind you... On them are vials. You must choose one and take it with you."

Aevah bit her lip, "What are they?"

"Now where would be the fun in that? Go on now... choose."

Aevah turned, stumbling over her feet momentarily and reaching blindly in front of her. Her fingers brushed the wood of one of the shelves and she stumbled closer before feeling for the glass vials and grabbing a random one.

The Norn huffed, "No, not like that... Put it back and this time search for it... choose the one that calls you."

Aevah shook her head, the old woman was crazy but she did as she was told. She put her hand up and moved it along the shelf slowly... For a moment she felt silly until she felt something. A hesitation, a tingle in her palm. Maybe she was imagining it. She paused and slid her hand back in the direction she'd felt the odd sensation before feeling it again stronger this time... like a pull. Nervously, she picked up the vial and moved to open it.

"NO! ... No. Do not open it here... Only when it feels right. Now, we are done."

Wherever Mhundir was he'd feel the magic hit him, it would be painful... excruciating... the poison would flow like black sludge from his ears, nose, eyes, and mouth as the magic forced it out. Then, the power would burn through his veins, his organs, setting him on fire from inside as it healed the damage that had been done.

Aevah tucked the vial away and felt a gust of wind come at her from behind and an odd sense of motion without motion. For a moment she felt nauseous and then she heard the birds and felt the breeze... Somehow she was back outside. Now that she was in the sunlight she realized she could see vague shadows, like deeper dark in an already dark place, because she could see one standing before her... "Kyrtaar?" 

The light, though she couldn't see it... hurt. She pressed her eyes closed and her head pounded momentarily... Auras burst behind her eyes like vivid splashes of color in blackness and when she hesitated she realized that if she focused she could tell what was what. The little flicker of blue was probably a butterfly, it was too small for a bird. The shadowed multicolored one was Kyrtaar... the golden light that reminded her of the sun that pulsed tall and wide was probably a tree. Maybe this wouldn't be completely miserable... if she could figure out what she was seeing auras of.

"Do you have anything I can use as a blindfold? The light hurts..." She grimaced, "Damn Norn..." She was being more upbeat than she felt, she had no idea how she was going to provide for herself, fight, sneak, steal, or much of anything else while blind. On top of that, she knew there was something about the vial she'd chosen... The Norn had saved a life... that was a big request and often called for a life in return. She'd gotten off too easily for the vial not to be something horrible.