Tae'nu picked her way steadily along the path worn by the feet of a hundred travellers before her.Looking over to the left she noticed the sun glistening off the river as it meandered its way down to Vesper.Smiling her mind started to wander to the folk there..
How they were all doing.?
Had Lenore recovered from her madness?
Was Anna back at the the Swaggers yet?
She missed the two womens company and was glad to have Agnes near by during this time away.

It was a releif when Kain had insisted she remain at the cottage during the Ophidian invasion.

The time had sped by though,and it was 6 mths or more now since she had waved him off in Hanses care.
Apart from the odd message that a trustworthy traveller brought when passing,there had been little news and no visit from Kain.
She longed to see him but knew better than to worry over him,where his beloved Vesper was concerned.

Almost at her destination now,Tae looked for the welcoming spirals of smoke that always meandered out from the trees,from Agnes' cottage.Tae loved the atmosphere there from the old womans mixing of potions and spells,the fragrances all blending together,stored in small pots Tae liked to sniff and test her knowledge of.

Slipping down gently from her mount,Tae decided to walk the last part of the path.barefooted.
Funny how the two had struck a friendship,almost like sisters.
They shared much together despite the age difference,and Tae knew she could tell Agnes anything and it would never leave the womans lips.
As she came upon the clearing,to the house,she made to hurry forward,eager to see Agnes again.It had been three days since they had met,and Tae looked forward to hearing the latest gossip.


Daydreaming,Tae had taken her mind off the task of getting through the area,safely. suddenly from the gnarled roots of a nearby tree,a giant serpent slithered towards her
No time to even draw her bow,before it wrapped its tail around her ankle,causing her to lose balance.Tae knew if she fell the snake would move in for the kill.
Screaming Agnes name,she tried to wriggle her barefooted leg free.
Alas this only angered the serpent more and its teeth sunk deep into her elven flesh.

Calling for Agnes once more,it was all Tae could do to stop losing consciousness as she felt the pain surging up her leg.

That was until a different sort of pain suddenly ripped through her weakened body.

As her head began to swim,her stomach was gripped in the tightest band of pain she had ever experienced.
Alarm increased as she knew this was not from the snakes venomous bite.

The sound of twigs breaking on the ground grew louder as some thing raced towards her.Tae could defend herself no longer though.

As another wave of pain engulfed her she slid into darkness ,left to the fate of what ever was bearing down on her and the poison of the serpent.

tbc

Agnes stood stirring the pot over the fireplace. She went through the old recipe
ingredents in her head muttering over the price of good herbs these days.

A piercing cry shook her from her thoughts. She looked up and cocked her head to the side.
Another scream and she was running out the door. She ran out the gate useing her walking stick
ruthlessly, a million thoughts going through her head.
A child caught alone, a woman and orcs...? a slew of gruesume images flashed through her mind.

It was nothing though,compared to what she found.
There on the ground was Lady Tae spasming from the poison of a silver serpent.

"Go my babys save her!" she yelled.
As she finished her weaveing a swarm of bees came and attacked the serpent,Agnes's fury driving them on.

Agnes crouched by Lady Tae to see the extent of her hurt. She shook her head as she realised
the poison had caused something far worse.
Agnes summoned another entity and ordered it to carry Tae back to the cottage.
Once inside it carried her upstairs to the Agnes's bed laying her down as gently as possible.
Agnes rushed up after grabbing a cure and healing potion forcing it through Taes clenched jaws, her face lined with more than her age.
It was time.
She sent her apprentice,Bryn for the needed items and layed a cool cloth across Tae's brow.
This maybe more painful that it should have been but that couldn't be helped now.

7 hours later Agnes came tiptoeing down the stairs as much as her aged body would allow.
Bryn slept wearily in the cushioned chair by the fire.
Agnes went about setting the cottage back to rights.
She gathered the bloody rags and fed them in the trash barrel. That thing will eat anything she mused.
Agnes went back to the hearth to salvaged what she could of their supper.

She shook her sleepy apprentice awake gently. "Go out to the garden and
pick a bundle of shade and hang it out to dry,then gather the ingredients I told you this morning. It's time for the tea and we'll need lots of it."

Agnes lowered herself wearily in the chair. Taking up her pipe she crushed the previously dried leaves in and packed it.
Her hands were getting worse. She dreaded the day when she would no longer be able to cast the simplest of spells..

With that thought on her mind she glanced toward the stairs.. "best not smoke inside" she said
aloud to no one.
She made her way to her chair on the porch. Good elven craftsmanship.
She eased into the chair and lit her pipe. keeping an eye on her apprentice as she visibley relaxed.

She had not realized that the events of the day had wound her as tight as a drum,since that mornings disturbing jolt.
She watched to make sure Bryn identified the proper ingredents and correctly gathered them.

This was going to be a long night.
Some one ought to send for Kain ...that boy was never around when you wanted him... best wait to talk to Taethough, before sending her apprentice back to town.

tbc.

Tae lay smiling in the bed, as she felt the slight movement at the side of her. Before she could speak the top of the stairs creaked slowly and Agnes' head popped up above the edge.
" Isilya ",her whisper rasped across the room..."Isilya… I KNOW your in here," came another whisper.
"Anyhow you wake up my Lady ,Agnes sighed.
Tae barely heard the muffled giggle from under the bearskin throw on her bed.

Sitting up she greeted Agnes, and asked her what the matter was.
"Pardon’ m’lady , I’m huntin’ a little rabbit today. The little one’s givin’ me the slip again."

Struggling not to laugh at Agnes straight face ,Tae shook her head innocently, but almost simultaneously both she and Isilya burst into laughter, as the child slipped from under the cover and ran for the door, narrowly missing Agnes’s clip around the ear.

Tae smiled as she listened to the old woman chiding her daughter firmly but lovingly.

Stealing a few more minutes of rest she fell back on the cushions ,excited at the thought of the coming day.

Today she should receive word back from Vesper on Kain’s planned visit after she had managed to get a message taken to her husband.

She leapt from the bed and ran to the window, flinging back the curtains she looked out as the sun began creeping along the town, brightening everything up as it slowly rose in the skies.

This was going to be an especially wonderful day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Agnes searched the yard and the garden, she muttered a curse as she bent to check under the wagon. In the house she check under the table. “Where oh where could she be?” She said allowed playfully. After searching the downstairs she frowned. She best not be upstairs… She thought as she climbed the stairs to the bedroom above.
As she popped her head up she called for Isilya. But it was tae that answered.
“Pardon’ m’lady , I’m huntin’ a little rabbit today.” She said playfully. “The little one’s givin’ me the slip again.” Shortly after the Isilya popped out from under a blanked and burst into laughter along with her mother. Agnes frowned and reached out to cuff the little one as she ran past. She missed, that one was just too fast for Agnes to catch. She hobbled back down stairs and caught sight of her as she made for the door. A quick chant and a flicker of her fringers and Isilya froze halfway to the door. “Got ya!” Agnes trumpeted victoriously. Isilya grinned back at Agnes on the virge of a giggle. Agnes’s grin turned down into the frown that was almost a perminant fixture on the old womans face. “ How many time I gots te tell ye. Yer ma needs her rest n you waken her up all the time ain’t gonna help her ger her streingth back.” Isilya pouted and the look softened Agnes’s face and melted her heart. Sighing Agnes went to her chair by the hearth and sat down. Releaseing the spell she montioned for Isilya to come. “Come here rabbit.” Isilya came as she was called and climbed on Agnes’s lap keeping the look of sorrow on her face knowing she had the old woman wrapped around her little finger. “ We need to get you tamed rabbit. You’re a Lady born an ye need to be a proper one. Yer pa will be comin’ soon enough and we don’t want him te find a heathen instead o his little lady now do we?” “ no we don’t, Now lets go get ye a bath and something perty te wear. Then after yer ma wakes ye can see her eh?” Agnes put Isilya down and started tward the door. As Bryn came in. “Oh there ye be.” Agnes said frowning. “We need te wash the rabbit and I need ye te go fetch the watter te warm. Also Lady Tae may be awake and will need some fresh water te wash up. Bryn noded and turned back outside without a word. “Good lass that.” she said nodding to knowone. Agnes turned twards the herbs such and picked out the rose sent for Taes wash water and some lavender salts for Isilyas bath. She shook her head and chuckled to herself. Aint the rabbit being tamed in this house she mused to herself.