"I've been doing fine," Gala answered Aloysius' query. "I've never spent much time on a farm before. I've been learning a lot....what happened to you?" she turned to the wounded Etienne and Jana. "Do you need healing?"
Gala frowned over Jana' s persistent throat wound, "This is the type of injury that requires more than a simple healing spell, like what I had to cast on Johnt when the priest in Thurmaster shattered his arm." She prayed quietly over Jana's mangled throat. "Can you talk now?" Jana made a few noises before her speech came back clearly, but it returned. The priestess cast a few more spells, managing to get everyone healed well enough that with a night's rest, they would be at full strength.
"So, you said the others will be here later today? Will you be staying tonight?" she asked in a slightly uncertain voice.
Aloysius smiled fondly at the Morning Lord as she tended to the injured. He advised her that he was feeling pretty good and deferred any magic she may have offered him to one of the others.
"Yes," he replied in response to her question. "Blacky, Arachne,
Lasiar, and three others that you have yet to meet are supposed to meet
us here later this evening. We have an important task to attempt
on the 'morrow. Do you remember Echo? She was captured by Ranchefus
and is being held hostage. He told us to meet him in a place called
the 'Gleaming Glade'
tomorrow night if we wanted to try and get her back. That
is what we intend to do."
The mage turned and glanced back at the barn. "Kuiper, is there someplace that I could find some quiet in order that I might complete my study of a new spell I just acquired?"
"We don't want to be any trouble," Jana said, coughing just a bit. "Uh, any more trouble than we've already been, I mean."
Gala said something quietly to Kuiper then went back inside the farmhouse. Kuiper considered Aloysius' question for a moment, "I don't know how quiet the barn would be, although you're welcome to it. It might be quieter in the back of the house."
"Ain't that the place in that ghost story the old man in Milborne tells? Gleaming Glade I mean..." Daelen asked, despite not having been invited to join in the conversation. "If I were goin' up against a bunch o' spooks, I'd ask me for help."
"Aye," replied Aloysius. "'Tis rumored that an extra-planar creature of some sort doth reside in the Glade. Since thou dost seem intent on assisting us, we gladly welcome it."
He looked back at Kuiper. "Stargazer shall simply find a shady tree for the time being to do his work. If need be, I shall move to the barn." He glanced back to the southeast. I hope the others arrive soon.
He moved off, looking for the aforementioned shady tree.
As Gala cast her healing spells and the party spoke of the rendezvous, Jyohtki wandered aimlessly. When Gala left, and Aloysious went to look for his shady spot, she moved back toward the forest herself, climbed a tree, and promptly began speaking to the birds, waiting for the other party to arrive.
Etienne thanked the young woman for her healing as she left to go. He then turned to Kuiper, "Sir, if you don't mind, I'd like to sit here on your porch and go through my gear. Between acid spitting beetles, other monsters, and damn near dying a few times, I don't know what shape anything is in."
He looked around the area, "You've got a nice place here. Once I'm done here with my equipment, I'd like to help you with anything you need. It'd be nice to do something with my hands that doesn't require a sword or prayers."
"I'm gonna try to get some rest," Jana said, to no one in particular.
She found a quiet, reasonably comfortable place and sat down with a pained
expression. She soon slouched down ever further, eyes closed.
