Move 311: After Fighting the Big Ugly
Grell Nest--Early, Day 29 (Marpenoth 14)Aloysius and Jana returned from the cavern with Aloysius carrying a hand-held mirror and a steel flask. By the time the group prepared to move the unconscious Blacky, Arachne had regained her mobility. Everyone relocated to the nearest cavern to rest and recover.
"Finally," the gnome mumbled, rolling over and crawling out from under her blanket. "So many things to do... First..." She got up on her knees by the seated Azrun. "Thank you for watching over me," she said to him, then bent to kiss his nearer hand. "It was very comforting to have you close by like that." She gave him a smile that managed also to be solemn. "Now, I have fences to mend..." Looking very diffident about it, she approached Jana.
Azrun smiled, "You are quite welcome, Arachne."
"What did you find, Aloysius?" Echo asked. "I've got a spell if it needs to be checked for magic. I memorized it to look at Arachne's ring." She paced around, looking nervous and restless.
The mage's mood had apparently calmed somewhat, and now he looked to be rather morose. He looked around at everyone else and gruffly announced, "Once we've taken our rest, I've something to show the rest of thee. It isn't anything that can't wait."
With that, he found a spot against a nearby wall and sat down, looking at the mirror and the flask.
"Anyone want to come with me to that pool and take turns on creature watch while we clean off the goo from that thing?" Jana asked, wrinkling her nose at her gore-covered armor and clothing. "Or if you feel up to making that waterspout thingie, Arachne, that'd be great, but don't do it if you're not feeling up to it."
"Oh, um, sure," Arachne said shyly. "I've just been lying around doing nothing -- absolutely nothing. Nothing that worked, anyway. I think I'm feeling up to it. Are you feeling up to freezing again --? Well, that's up to you. Um..." She scraped her boot on the ground, then said quickly, "Jana, I'm sorry about what I said before. You're right and we are awfully chaotic and I was upset because I thought I'd been trying to do the best I could and be helpful and it wasn't really helpful after all and -- and I'm nasty and shouldn't've said what I did and I'm sorry." She shook her head and gazed at the ground. "Getting paralysed really does give you time to think about stuff -- um: If you still want to go back up to the surface, let me know. I'd likely need a little time to rest up for the trip."
Olaf looked at the mage a bit strangely. He went over and said, "Since your return from the room I've felt... better. I'm an old, suspicious man, and unexplained good feelings make me nervous. Could you tell me what you found?"
"Me too," Jana chimed in, frowning.
Aloysius gave Olaf a long, blank stare. He then handed him a metal flask and a mirror. "Stargazer is unsure as to the etiology of thy sudden mirthful sentiments," he said. "But here are the only two items of interest that I retrieved from yon cavern. Feel free to examine them, Stargazer currently has no means of examining them for arcane auras."
The gnome glanced at Aloysius and especially at Olaf, then dropped to the ground with a sigh. "Not just me, then," she muttered to herself. She pulled the ring she was wearing off her finger, got up and went to Echo. She held up the ring to the woman. "If you're collecting for another round of magical analysis," she said, "maybe you should take this now? While I think of it?"
Olaf looked carefully at the two objects, examining them for marks or symbols.
"Cold beats stinky," Jana replied in an even, expressionless voice. "And yes, I'd still appreciate your doing me that favor when you're up to it."
Echo took the ring when Arachne offered it. "Do you want me to check the stuff you found too?" she asked Aloysius again.
"I'll go with you to watch while you get cleaned up," she told Jana. Her voice was tight and she avoided meeting her eyes. "I need a couple of minutes to cast this spell if you can wait."
"Of course," Jana replied to Echo. "There's no rush. Checking that stuff over is far more important than my being squeamish," she added with an unconvincing smile. She busied herself cleaning her sword and removing and cleaning her armor.
Aloysius seemed to study Echo for a moment before answering her. "That would seem most efficient," he said, using a tone that was far less morose than the one he had been using earlier. "Olaf is looking at the flask and the mirror just now, but he should be done soon, Stargazer would think."
The mage then began looking at his hand intently. He used the index finger of his right hand to trace slow circles on his left palm. He would then look closely at his palm for a few seconds before repeating the ritual again.
Azrun watched the group, "If I could, I'd like a chance to look it over when you are all done. Perhaps I can discern their origins maybe....I'd like to at least try." He looked at his clothes and cuts, "Perhaps I should get cleaned up a bit too. This blood might attract unwanted critters. Let me know when you ladies are finished and perhaps me, Renn, Aloysius and Olaf can go get cleaned up again too." He looked to Arachne, "I don't think I need the shower again, but just cleanup a bit. Thank you for offering it though."
"They're all magical," she reported. "The mirror radiates alteration magic. I can't tell about the other two." She handed the ring back to Arachne and turned the flask and mirror over to Azrun. She walked to the exit and stood next to it, fidgeting until Jana and Arachne were ready to go.
Azrun cocked his head to one side, "Alteration? That's interesting." He took the items from Echo and thanked her. He then began to study the items closely.
Jana moved to stand next to Echo until Arachne was ready. "You okay?" she asked Echo in a quiet voice.
Renn nodded from where he knelt near Blacky. "A chance to clean the blood and grime from the battle would be most welcome," he smiled. "Blacky should be in fine condition once he comes to, thanks to Olaf," Renn grinned.
Arachne pushed the ring Echo had returned back onto her finger. "As if we thought the grells would just ornament themselves with the pretty metal trinkets," she muttered to herself. "At least I can take it off and put it back on again -- that ought to be a good sign, according to what's-his-name -- Murdstone? And I'm not obsessing about keeping it safe from everyone else who might try to steal it. That'd be another good sign, except that no-one but me could wear it anyway. And it's not making me talk to mys--" The gnome broke off the soliloquy, looking around and then over at the entrance where Jana and Echo were being patient. She scurried to them. "Coming!" she called.
Aloysius watched as Arachne headed towards the entrance. He then stood up and went over to Azrun.
"Azrun, might I borrow those spell-encrypted gems we found with the grell earlier? I'd like to finish examing the last one. Also, I believe you still have Good Pug's spellbook. Can I borrow that as well?"
Azrun nodded, "Sure, Aloysius. I guess at some point I'm going to need to study them again too. I've used up my spell for today though."
Aloysius took the gems and the book with a nod. "I need to speak with you and Echo about this book," he said pensively. "And mayhap Arachne as well." He headed off a little ways from the others and began looking at the gems.
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