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It turns out that there was really not much point to making a schedule. Kas and Helen visit the witch clan whenever Helen feels like it, and stay as long as she wants, and go when she wants to be somewhere else, and it all adds up to plenty more time spent with the clan than away.
After the aquarium jaunt with Ranata, it's a little more than a month before they visit the clan again.
truthwright
Rinda takes longer to find than the queen did, but eventually she's located, and brought to see Kas.
"Hmm, don't know," she says, after looking him over, tossing some celery seed onto him and muttering a verse, and looking him over some more.
"Hmm, don't know," she says, after looking him over, tossing some celery seed onto him and muttering a verse, and looking him over some more.
"Deep curse, very fast, very permanent," says Rinda, mostly to Ranata. "Might be able to unravel it with the sacrifice they used but they'll have burnt it, yes?"
"Probably," says Ranata softly.
"Probably," says Ranata softly.
Ranata puts her hand on Helen's other shoulder. Castarilan hums in patterns around girl and daemon both. "Is it worth finding a second opinion?"
"Oh, if you must, call the allied clans, ask them what their cursebreakers say, but I think they'll tell you the same," says Rinda, shaking her head.
"Oh, if you must, call the allied clans, ask them what their cursebreakers say, but I think they'll tell you the same," says Rinda, shaking her head.
carillons
Kalavar becomes a viscacha and flumps into Helen's arms, and Helen hugs her and cries into her fluff, leaning on Ranata.
carillons
Kalavar buzzes bee-shaped up to Castarilan, and Helen hugs Ranata and cries on her instead.
carillons
A lot of hug.
And a lot of crying.
And then... Helen doesn't know what then.
Her tummy grumbles. Well, that's a suggestion.
And a lot of crying.
And then... Helen doesn't know what then.
Her tummy grumbles. Well, that's a suggestion.
"Let's go to Charlie's house," murmurs Ranata, "or - no - should stay on clan grounds - let's get some food into you, at any rate."
The clan grounds are culinarily self-sustaining, and presently they have scared up some chicken and vegetables.
The clan grounds are culinarily self-sustaining, and presently they have scared up some chicken and vegetables.
carillons
Helen eats the chicken and also the vegetables, and she leans on Ranata, and she shivers. Kalavar turns into a mouse and perches on her foot.
Long hummingbird beaks are not very good for nuzzling, but Castarilan does his best to be comforting anyway. "You'll be fine. We'll take care of you."
"Oh, sweetie," says Ranata. "We'll try the other clans' cursebreakers. Rinda doesn't know everything."
Hugs.
After the promised hour, Charlie finds them. He sits on Helen's other side and puts his arm around her; his daemon snuffles at Kalavar.
After the promised hour, Charlie finds them. He sits on Helen's other side and puts his arm around her; his daemon snuffles at Kalavar.
carillons
Kalavar turns into a chinchilla and huddles up to Kesathi; Helen sits between her grandparents and closes her eyes and sniffles periodically, and if she's not crying she only just barely isn't.
"Y'know," says Charlie, "if you can't break the curse - then - well, I died, once, got out easy because I was - special to Isabella."
Ranata makes a hmm sound.