Best reasoning was to get the cuts and bump on her head seen to, and that alone was a predicament. If she went to one of those magical healing spots, well, who knows what would happen if they applied their talents to her. She cringed and shook off the thought entirely. Then again, if she went to a mundane place where they cleaned her up, sent her on her way, well, there'd be questions and plenty of them when she returned to the brownstone. Some would be about her person, others about what she had been thinking, and even more about her careless manner of taking care of her clothes. Arabella, she had realized in the passing weeks, was a clothes fanatic. If Arabella weren't such an evil person, Lirssa would introduce her to Locke. Well, only, she wasn't talking with Locke on account of his dating Katie-Katie-ballerina-lady.
"What a killer mess this all is," she grumbled as she came to a small herbalist's shop with its slanted roof and smell of earth and green. The woman behind the counter was young and quick to approach Lirssa. There were all sorts of questions she wanted to ask if the gaping mouth and wide eyes were any indication, but Lirssa gave a narrowed look and pursed her lips. It was a look she hoped would nip any questioning in the bud, and it did.
"Let's get those scrapes tended. Any hurts I can't see?" She directed Lirssa to a stool by the counter and then went about gathering a mortar and pestle, a jar of some pale, graying leaves, and another jar of orange petal looking things. With confidence in her work, she mixed small amounts of the ingredients with a spoonful of oil.
Lirssa shrugged and felt the ache of shoulders. "Probably some under my shirt back."
A sweet snicker, the lady looked at Lirssa, "I can see those."
A sharp frown, Lirssa twisted her neck with some pain, and looked to see just how tattered her blouse back had become. It was like a cat-sized dragon had taken its claws to it. "Butter and beans. I gotta stop ruinin" these clothes."
"Whatever you were up to didn't do your body much good either." Fingers stained dark green around the nails dabbed into the oil and she lifted it to take a delicate inhale. "Right now, let's clean with water first and then this should be ready by then."
Lirssa nodded. "I hurt my head, too. Right back here." She pointed at the back of her skull, not daring to actually touch what must be a significant bump. It sure felt like it was a rock back there.
A white cloth thick with water was rung out and applied to her cuts over hands, cheeks, and through the rends in her shirt. While the woman was back there, she checked the bump to Lirssa's head. "Good thing your hair is so thick. You might have bled much worse if not for that."
"Bleeding" Great." A groan, Lirssa let the woman tender her from start to finish, the oil had felt particularly soothing after the initial sting. While this went on, Lirssa considered the implications of what had happened. Foremost, she had to be a great deal more careful in her wandering and scouting about. Today had been close. Anything could have happened. She could have been used to really hurt someone.
"All done then. One and seven, please." The stained and now oiled hand held palm up expectantly. Lirssa wanted to argue the price, but the woman had refrained from asking questions, and there was something to be said for that. So, Lirssa paid without haggling, gave her thanks, and left the shop with a glance over her shoulder. The woman was back at her work, the same sorting and trimming of herbs as when she had arrived. It was as if Lirssa had been a ghost that only temporarily disrupted a hum-drum day.
The sun had gone past its zenith, casting long shadows from the high buildings so the cross streets lay in a cool blue half-light. Lirssa wandered her way through the streets, not really sure where she was headed, but walking along still. It was rare to get a first glance from passersby much less a second, but two or three did to frown at her tattered clothing and murmur their guesses as to why she was in the state she was.
Following steps, something in their sound or the neck hair prickling feeling of eyes on her back, turned her about just as Jasper clamped a hand on her shoulder. "Think you'd just run off, did you? Break your word?"
"I didn't!" Lirssa growled and kicked at his shin. The result was his fingers gripped her shoulder fiercely instead of letting go as she had hoped. "Let me go. I'm just taking a walk about. I was going to come back." Jasper must have believed her because he did let go. She rubbed at her shoulder where his fingers had felt like they were punching into her bones.
Arabella stood with her pert nose wrinkled slightly in disgust at the sight of Lirssa. "What have you been up to' I won't have you drawing attention to yourself with street brawling. And what?s this?" Her fingers reached out as if she had been dared to touch the tattered fabric of Lirssa's blouse. "More clothes you plan on having mended" Honestly, Lirssa, such continual rebellion cannot go unpunished. I think—" but Arabella's voice faded as her opal eyes locked on Lirssa's. A swirling, shifting feeling jellied Lirssa's legs and flopped about her already throbbing head. "She's been touched, Jasper. I can smell it." Arabella sniffed as she got near like a wolf sniffs a dead rabbit hoping for some bits of meat. "Elliott," she breathed.
"Get away, you barmy lady!" Lirssa pushed away and crouched down, ready to spring over the nearby garden wall if need be. Elliott had been the man they said she had helped get away. Had he been the blue robe or was he hiding away in one of the houses nearby and had seen her" Lirssa could not know for certain. Was he just as bad as these people" Was he worse"
"Lirssa, you made a promise. You would not want harm to come to your friends, now would you?" As cool and sharp as ice chilled knife, Arabella smiled.
"You hurt them and all deals are off, you got it?" Lirssa's hands began to curl into fists, causing the recent cuts to break away their half seal of oil and forming scab.
"Then stay still and let me find Elliot." Arabella's hand had more strength in it than its pale delicacy would indicate. Fingers grabbed Lirssa's jaw and held her there. On the sidewalk, people continued to pass by. None dare interfere with a magical teacher scolding a student, which is what they saw in Arabella and Lirssa.
Lirssa felt shrunken, cold and small inside herself. The vibration of seeking, the need to find coursed through her like a snowmelt swollen stream. It pushed away and ate at the edges, wore against her sense of self, and surged on and outward seeking. Turning in on itself became a whirpool, pulling down and down into a cavern of darkness.
When Arabella released her hold, Lirssa crashed back into herself she fell to her knees. Arabella held a hand to her own pale face. "Help her up, Jasper. Let's return home. Elliott is not to be found this day."
Big hands drew Lirssa to her feet. She went willingly along with them, just as she willingly dressed in new, stiff and formal clothing. Just as she willingly sat and ate dinner, silent to the conversation that buzzed about her. Just as she willingly went to bed at the hour dictated.
There, in the hollow of the richly furnished bedroom that was called hers, she thought about the day, all that had happened, and what she would do next. If she found Elliott, maybe he could teach her to close her ability away from others. Should she find him' What if he used her like Fitzhugh and Arabella" He had before. He had been fighting that Justus fellow and she had heard the determination to defeat the other man in any way possible. What about her promise" What about her friends that might be hurt if she played one more act of defiance" Maybe she should just tell someone and see what they said.
Sprawled across the bed, she looked to the window where the first stars twinkled their merry, free spirited light.
Should Lirssa: a) Keep to her promise and just go to bed to face the next day thus keeping her friends out of harm" b) Seek out Elliott" c) Break down and the next day after helping Arabella find whatever knick-knack, seek help from her friends"
"What a killer mess this all is," she grumbled as she came to a small herbalist's shop with its slanted roof and smell of earth and green. The woman behind the counter was young and quick to approach Lirssa. There were all sorts of questions she wanted to ask if the gaping mouth and wide eyes were any indication, but Lirssa gave a narrowed look and pursed her lips. It was a look she hoped would nip any questioning in the bud, and it did.
"Let's get those scrapes tended. Any hurts I can't see?" She directed Lirssa to a stool by the counter and then went about gathering a mortar and pestle, a jar of some pale, graying leaves, and another jar of orange petal looking things. With confidence in her work, she mixed small amounts of the ingredients with a spoonful of oil.
Lirssa shrugged and felt the ache of shoulders. "Probably some under my shirt back."
A sweet snicker, the lady looked at Lirssa, "I can see those."
A sharp frown, Lirssa twisted her neck with some pain, and looked to see just how tattered her blouse back had become. It was like a cat-sized dragon had taken its claws to it. "Butter and beans. I gotta stop ruinin" these clothes."
"Whatever you were up to didn't do your body much good either." Fingers stained dark green around the nails dabbed into the oil and she lifted it to take a delicate inhale. "Right now, let's clean with water first and then this should be ready by then."
Lirssa nodded. "I hurt my head, too. Right back here." She pointed at the back of her skull, not daring to actually touch what must be a significant bump. It sure felt like it was a rock back there.
A white cloth thick with water was rung out and applied to her cuts over hands, cheeks, and through the rends in her shirt. While the woman was back there, she checked the bump to Lirssa's head. "Good thing your hair is so thick. You might have bled much worse if not for that."
"Bleeding" Great." A groan, Lirssa let the woman tender her from start to finish, the oil had felt particularly soothing after the initial sting. While this went on, Lirssa considered the implications of what had happened. Foremost, she had to be a great deal more careful in her wandering and scouting about. Today had been close. Anything could have happened. She could have been used to really hurt someone.
"All done then. One and seven, please." The stained and now oiled hand held palm up expectantly. Lirssa wanted to argue the price, but the woman had refrained from asking questions, and there was something to be said for that. So, Lirssa paid without haggling, gave her thanks, and left the shop with a glance over her shoulder. The woman was back at her work, the same sorting and trimming of herbs as when she had arrived. It was as if Lirssa had been a ghost that only temporarily disrupted a hum-drum day.
The sun had gone past its zenith, casting long shadows from the high buildings so the cross streets lay in a cool blue half-light. Lirssa wandered her way through the streets, not really sure where she was headed, but walking along still. It was rare to get a first glance from passersby much less a second, but two or three did to frown at her tattered clothing and murmur their guesses as to why she was in the state she was.
Following steps, something in their sound or the neck hair prickling feeling of eyes on her back, turned her about just as Jasper clamped a hand on her shoulder. "Think you'd just run off, did you? Break your word?"
"I didn't!" Lirssa growled and kicked at his shin. The result was his fingers gripped her shoulder fiercely instead of letting go as she had hoped. "Let me go. I'm just taking a walk about. I was going to come back." Jasper must have believed her because he did let go. She rubbed at her shoulder where his fingers had felt like they were punching into her bones.
Arabella stood with her pert nose wrinkled slightly in disgust at the sight of Lirssa. "What have you been up to' I won't have you drawing attention to yourself with street brawling. And what?s this?" Her fingers reached out as if she had been dared to touch the tattered fabric of Lirssa's blouse. "More clothes you plan on having mended" Honestly, Lirssa, such continual rebellion cannot go unpunished. I think—" but Arabella's voice faded as her opal eyes locked on Lirssa's. A swirling, shifting feeling jellied Lirssa's legs and flopped about her already throbbing head. "She's been touched, Jasper. I can smell it." Arabella sniffed as she got near like a wolf sniffs a dead rabbit hoping for some bits of meat. "Elliott," she breathed.
"Get away, you barmy lady!" Lirssa pushed away and crouched down, ready to spring over the nearby garden wall if need be. Elliott had been the man they said she had helped get away. Had he been the blue robe or was he hiding away in one of the houses nearby and had seen her" Lirssa could not know for certain. Was he just as bad as these people" Was he worse"
"Lirssa, you made a promise. You would not want harm to come to your friends, now would you?" As cool and sharp as ice chilled knife, Arabella smiled.
"You hurt them and all deals are off, you got it?" Lirssa's hands began to curl into fists, causing the recent cuts to break away their half seal of oil and forming scab.
"Then stay still and let me find Elliot." Arabella's hand had more strength in it than its pale delicacy would indicate. Fingers grabbed Lirssa's jaw and held her there. On the sidewalk, people continued to pass by. None dare interfere with a magical teacher scolding a student, which is what they saw in Arabella and Lirssa.
Lirssa felt shrunken, cold and small inside herself. The vibration of seeking, the need to find coursed through her like a snowmelt swollen stream. It pushed away and ate at the edges, wore against her sense of self, and surged on and outward seeking. Turning in on itself became a whirpool, pulling down and down into a cavern of darkness.
When Arabella released her hold, Lirssa crashed back into herself she fell to her knees. Arabella held a hand to her own pale face. "Help her up, Jasper. Let's return home. Elliott is not to be found this day."
Big hands drew Lirssa to her feet. She went willingly along with them, just as she willingly dressed in new, stiff and formal clothing. Just as she willingly sat and ate dinner, silent to the conversation that buzzed about her. Just as she willingly went to bed at the hour dictated.
There, in the hollow of the richly furnished bedroom that was called hers, she thought about the day, all that had happened, and what she would do next. If she found Elliott, maybe he could teach her to close her ability away from others. Should she find him' What if he used her like Fitzhugh and Arabella" He had before. He had been fighting that Justus fellow and she had heard the determination to defeat the other man in any way possible. What about her promise" What about her friends that might be hurt if she played one more act of defiance" Maybe she should just tell someone and see what they said.
Sprawled across the bed, she looked to the window where the first stars twinkled their merry, free spirited light.
Should Lirssa: a) Keep to her promise and just go to bed to face the next day thus keeping her friends out of harm" b) Seek out Elliott" c) Break down and the next day after helping Arabella find whatever knick-knack, seek help from her friends"