The Fellowship Grows, the Journey Continues (RP)

In response to Roald, Ezmaray says, "She approached me, night of the solstice." She exhales softly, pausing with thought, garlic pressed to his bite. "I do not know if her ... Jordish? ... was already passed by then. Perhaps she already was seeking companionship... But I was... I attracted her attention." Ezmaray removes the garlic and releases Roald, stepping back around to the empty ring of stones that would become the fire pit (if Albert ever got back here with some firewood!).

"In truth I do not know much more about Lille than you do," Ezme admits as she takes a seat on a log. "All I can say is she... she has untamed spirit." She snorts a laugh, averts her eyes to her knees, and shakes her head slightly. "But... I think her heart is in right place..." she finishes softly.

Roald nods
''I see, she seems trustworthy and kind. In addition to that you already know her and say more or less the same. I think she'll fit right in''

"Wha..?" Ezmaray blinks groggily up at Theo and props herself up on her elbow to look around. It's relatively dark - not a star in the sky. She hadn't felt the rain through the outer, water resistant layer of her bedroll, but the precipitation appears to have done a number on their fire, which sputters weakly at her feet. "What do you mean they will not wake...?" She rolls on her side to study the still form of Daryl, who lies nearby with rain-splattered face. "Daryl?" she shakes him gently, then more vigorously - to no effect. Frowning, the trapper rests the back of her hand to his forehead to check for a fever. As she does so, she notes his eyes moving rapidly under closed lids. "He is dreaming..." she murmurs.

Ezme turns urgently to Theo as she climbs out of her bed roll and moves toward the others to check on them. "Did you see anything? What happened??"

After checking their prostrate companions one by one, she rises to face Theo, working hard to mask her growing concern. "We will figure out how and why soon. First thing first," Ezmaray says firmly. She looks over at Albert, who rests safely in the shelter of the tent. "We need to adjust the fly of tent, to provide shelter to Roald, Lille, and Daryl. We do not know how long they will be out like this.... If they soak through, they may grow ill on top of.. whatever this is. We will unstake the tent here and here and use rope to re-tie to those tree branches. I will get rope."

With swift and urgent instruction, Ezme leads Theo in an attempt to protect their vulnerable companions from the elements.

"Okay. Now why them and not us...." It is more of a statement of intention than a question. "You were not stung, were you, Theo?" Ezme inquires as she steps delicately between her companions to Albert's side. He was the first to be stung. She checks the sting on his arm, then turns around and gently rolls Roald over on top of Daryl to check the one on the back of Roald's neck -- she knew that sting had gone untreated for far longer.

"I was not stung..." Ezmaray answers distractedly.

Upon first glance, Albert's sting doesn't look bad at all -- just a couple dark streaks underneath the skin. Ezme inhales sharply with dismay when she looks at Roald, however. Some dark substance -- presumably the venom? -- had pooled there at the base of his skull. Too disturbed to be embarrassed, she enlists Theo's help to remove his upper garments, discovering that the venom from Roald's other sting had seemingly traveled up his torso to the very same spot, leaving subtle dark streaks in its wake.

Ezmaray shares a concerned look with Theo, then flits back to Albert, rolling him onto his stomach to inspect the back of his neck. There, too, the substance seems to be pooling. She glances at Albert only briefly before hurriedly pushing him off Lille and dragging the druid out of the folds of her fur blanket. The girl's body feels unexpectedly cool to the touch.

"Quick! Check Daryl!" Ezmaray barks to Theo as she flips Lille onto her stomach, knowing that the knight had also sustained a large number of stings.

It's obvious from her first glance at Lille's lightly dressed form that something from all four insect bites was traveling directly toward Lille's head/neck. An even larger pool is gathering there on the young girl -- promising to soon be the size of both Albert's and Roald's spots combined.

Ezmaray leans in close to inspect the area around Lille's neck better, her upper lip curling with puzzlement. As she studies it, she notices the shadowy pool almost swirling before her eyes, taking on shapes like ocean mist as it hits the rocky coast and curls into ghoulish forms. Ezme reaches out tentatively to touch the area, then withdraws and gasps.

She'd expected inflammation, but this -- it was freezing to the touch! Ezmaray reaches out again, pressing two fingers against Lille's neck. The shadowy pool withdraws from the warm pressure of her fingers, then swirls and eases back to refill the space once she removes them. Ezmaray shudders from the coldness, goosebumps running up her arm to tickle her own neck.

Her brow furrows with consternation, then her eyes suddenly widen. Was that the shape of a horned wolf she'd seen the swirling venom on Lille's neck briefly form? No... Certainly she was imagining things now...

The trapper looks up at Theo. "How is Daryl?"

Ezmaray quickly rolls Lille up to Roald and wraps them both up in the fur blanket so that they can share body warmth. She then dashes to Theo's side.

The knight's metal armor is unfamiliar to her. She fumbles to figure out exactly how to remove it, but working together, they are eventually able to take it off. Ezmaray hurriedly unbuckles the gambeson underneath to reveal the knight's cold, clammy skin. Sure enough, the same dark streaks... the same pool near the base of his skull. She turns to Theo.

"It seems to withdraw from touch. Or heat? All I know is it is slowly freezing them -- especially Lille and Daryl." Ezme grimaces at the sizzling fire pit. "Hate to say it, but it would be useful about now to have blasted flame of what's-his-face..." An idea strikes her. "Maybe search Albert's body for holy symbol? Maybe it will really hate that? In meantime..." she glances at Daryl hesitantly. "... I will try to ... warm him."

With that, Ezme wraps the cold, limp knight up in her warm embrace, pressing her cheek to his. Surely he isn't that cold? Yet the act feels like hugging an icicle or taking a plunge into arctic waters, and Ezme immediately starts to shudder, her teeth chattering audibly. Still, she determinedly clamps her hands over the dark pool on his neck. With that, a second wave hits her -- an overwhelming feeling of insecurity, loneliness, and abandonment. This blast was even worse than the cold. Ezme clenches her eyes shut, willing herself not to withdraw.

"C-Cold?" Eyes squeezed shut and swamped as she is by the dark emotions emanating from Daryl, Ezmaray struggles to concentrate on Theo's words or actions.

On the plus side, the knight does appear to be warming up. That or she's cooling down? All she can say for certain is that the difference in temperature between them seems to be leveling out.

Ezme opens her eyes. Daryl does not appear to be stirring, but there's at least more color to his cheeks. She releases the knight, experiencing immediate reprieve from the dark emotions and coldness as she does so. Checking his neck, the pool of venom is still present, but seems smaller and less turbulent. Maybe, with enough hugging, she could remove it entirely? But right now she should probably turn her attention to Lille.... With numb, shaky hands, Ezme tucks Daryl's clothing and blankets around him.

She stands to look at Theo as he lays the staff down on Albert's chest. "I think... I think that helped Daryl. I should.. I should try also with Lille, but first... I will need some time ... to recover..." she manages between chattering teeth. (Ezme assumes the young lad would feel shy about hugging the barely clad girl, plus... Ezme wouldn't want to subject him to the awful feeling that came of actually touching the venom pools.)

Ezme reaches for her own blankets to wrap around herself and curls into a shuddery ball. She is only barely getting cover under the tent fly. Water cascades off the top of it, puddling nearby and splashing her slightly. "In my pack... There is trapper hat..." She nods with her head toward the pack. "Can you fetch it?"

Theo scurries to the pack but hesitates momentarily before opening it. "Go on," Ezme encourages him. "Nothing inside will bite." With her permission, Theo starts opening the pack and reaches in. "The dead coon in there is long past that sort of thing..." Ezme adds dryly.

Theo shoots her an uncertain look. She shivers, expressionless, then smirks and shakes her head slightly to confirm that she jests. Theo shakes his head and averts his eyes, looking slightly abashed, then starts pawing through the contents of Ezme's bag. His hand hesitates as he lifts what appears to be a leather bound journal. There is also a pen and ink in there. Interesting.... His curiosity is piqued, but time is probably of the essence, and it's none of his business, besides. Finding the fur cap, he grabs it and brings it over to the woman.

"Thanks," she says as she takes it and shoves it onto her head. She tightens the blankets back around herself and shivers quietly.

At this point, the lad is at a loss about what to do. He stands awkwardly for a bit, then finally crouches a few feet away from the woman. The trapper stares toward Daryl, her expression darkening. She shudders again -- this time not from the cold -- then turns her eyes to Theo, watching him wordlessly. She notes the worry creasing his face.

"We will get them back," she reassures. "And if we cannot figure it out, we will get someone who can.... I promise, you will not be stuck alone with me forever." She smirks humorlessly and looks away.

"I... I do not know yet," Ezme confesses. "Just... let me warm up little more... Then maybe we can try something with staff....?"

Her brow knits. She is confused about how her reassuring words only served to distress Theo more.

"You are not alone... I am here..." She pauses. "Or is this the problem...?" She tries to read his face, then goes on reassuringly. "It is no big deal... You would not be first person to be weirded out by me...."

(It's an odd position to be in, trying to reassure someone that you are okay with them being weird around you so you can help them feel more okay around you.)