"There's the town square, and - Pippi's house has a loft window, actually, so let's just go there!"

He takes off running for the town.

Allegra does not share Brant's sense of urgency and follows him at a reasonably brisk walk but nothing like a run. It wouldn't be dignified and she is rather acutely concerned with looking as dignified as possible with the eyes of the whole village - or town or whatever it was meant to be today - on her.

She looks out for anyone who is gazing curiously or fearfully at them to smile reassuringly at.

Oh, everyone is curious.  They're pouring out of the houses - and some of them from the woods - to look at them and shout questions about who they are and what their world is and are they going to help stop evil witches and can people come back with them.

Most of them are humans, but there're also some dogs and birds too.  Most of the humans are wearing some shade of blue.

(Brant is jabbering to some other kids his age who've gathered around him, and waving impatiently for them to catch up.)

"We'll give a speech and answer questions in the town square in a few minutes - if you can all gather there it will save us repeating ourselves. Please pass it on. We have one obligation to meet first."

Allegra is not quite shouting but is definitely using her best Carrying Commanding Tone, like she used to use on the battlefield. She repeats the message a couple of times as different people move into earshot and start asking questions.

The town square looks very deliberately established, with space for a couple hundred people if they squeeze in.  As it is, unless there're a lot of people, there'll be a lot of elbow room.

There're several houses with loft windows and balconies next to it, but Brant is standing at the door of one of them waving.

Allegra leads her ritual team over to the door with the practiced air of one who has moved a small unit through much more hostile crowds than this, and ushers them all in.

"We'll need to get everyone in the location with Pippi, two minutes, and ideally some soap and water to clean up afterwards, clean bandages suitable for hands if you've got them, we have some but only a limited supply." she explains, all brisk and businesslike now. "If there's somewhere the floor will be easier to clean that would be ideal, we shouldn't make a mess but accidents happen, or if you can safely bring Pippi outside."

A woman, who looks like she's been crying, holds out a small carefully-woven basket with a blue butterfly-shaped sapphire in it.  "Here she is, ma'am.  I've got soap and water and bandages in the back room; you can do it anywhere - or right here."

(The floor is squared-off wood planks that look dented from long use, but well-polished.)

"No really, they're nice!" Brant interjects.  "Why don't you do it in the Annex out back, if you think it'll mess up the floor?  It's still just dirt and straw there."

"Excellent, we'll move to the annex. This won't hurt anyone but us, but people who aren't used to it might find it upsetting to watch; you're welcomed to watch anyway if you would like to. We will be very careful and discuss her options with you before we do anything but look."

She gestures to one of the ritualists to take the basket, which they do very carefully, like it's got a baby in. They proceed through to the annexe, place the basket in the middle of the floor, arrange themselves in a circle around it, and draw their ritual knives.

"This will take about two minutes and we are absolutely not to be interrupted, after which the bandages and so on will be appreciated," she tells Brant. 

Pippi's parents stand by the door, inside, nervously.

Brant stands back next to them, with a triumphant smile on his face, twitching with excitement.

There is a ritual.

It involves the ritualists using those ritual knives on themselves - carefully, along the top of the arm, some alongside existing bark patches from previous wounds - and then applying the blood to each other's faces in the form of the rune burnt into Allegra's face.

And then they all peer at the basket and make somewhat confused gestures and say things like "it's connected to... No, that doesn't have a..." a lot.

Allegra doesn't seem to be a direct ritual participant and is mostly looking alert in all directions, as if she will absolutely take down anyone trying to interrupt this ritual with her big stick.

Pippi's parents take the knifing in stride, but they're looking more and more nervous as the ritualists are looking more and more confused.  Quietly, though.  They're not daring to interrupt.

And then - there's a bang almost like a small thunderclap outside, and cries of shock and horror.  Someone screams, "Arzela!"

"Go and distract her for just one minute - not you, Brant, the adults, she might snatch you," Allegra advises in a brisk, order-giving tone. "Where's she likely to come in from so I can block the way..."

Pippi's parents are rather reluctant to leave!  But after a few moments, the mother says, "Ma'am, it sounds like she's heading for the square, so she'll be coming the same way we did, or else through the yard and that door.  I can get her to wait and make a show in the square, I think..."

She reluctantly steps to the door; if there's no response she'll leave.

Allegra nods, moves to be able to quickly cover the relevant entrances, says "Thank you," with relieved sincerity.

The ritualists don't appear to have noticed anything happening outside their ritual huddle. 

After a minute, there's the sound of screaming in the square.  Brant and Pippi's father both look worried.

After another minute, the door to the Annex shakes, and a shrill voice from outside calls, "Open!"

Brant looks at the ritualists with a shred of hope...

The ritualists look awkward and shuffle their feet.

"I've never seen a permenant curse without a clear break condition like this," one offers, apologetically.

"I still think we should destroy the flower and see if it helps..."

"Basically, the only sure thing is to get the witch to take it off," confesses a third.

Allegra opens the door, and tries to look confused and naive rather than angry. 

The witch - who's wearing a crown - isn't looking angry either.

"And who might you be, coming into my territory?"

She speaks smoothly, but with an irritated air.

"Allegra Foundhome. I'm sorry if we've messed anything up? One of the people here came to us in distress and we were just trying to help with their problem, but it looks like they need you anyway."

"Ozi-quadi-gili."

She flicks her fingers in from Allegra, as if beckoning for her to come.  A magic spark flicks from her fingers but immediately vanishes in the air.  (If they can feel any magic, they won't be feeling anything here.)

Her eyes go wide for a moment, and then her face settles into a smile.  "I'm the Witch Arzela.  I see you're new to this place - what are you planning to do here?"

"Mostly, get myself and my people home - we only intended to look in briefly and get the person who lives here back home safely, and maybe help their friend if we could, but we couldn't step back across the threshold."

Allegra isn't best pleased with the unknown magic system but doesn't give any obvious outward sign of this - she weighed up asking curiously about it, but discarded that for now as possibly too distracting and threatening.

"You... couldn't get back across the threshold.  I take it you want to get back?"

She glances around.  All the Oz-ites are trying their best to look nonthreatening like they're not doing anything at all.

"At least, by yourselves?"

"Yes - I mean, we'd be happy to take anyone who wanted to go, but we're mostly looking for a way back to where we left the rest of our people and our houses and everything..."

This is a calculated performance, attempting to look clueless and harmless. Allegra is very good at calculated performance but isn't sure what that magic is directly reading - if it's not standard magic it may not obey the limit of mental sanctity.

Fortunately, Arzela can't read their minds.

Unfortunately, she's assuming they're plotting something anyway.

It's usually been a good assumption with other witches who aren't staying in their own territories.  Even though she still doesn't have any clue what Osco of the Emerald City was plotting last time he went traveling.

"I looked at the portal already - it must've been just after you came through.  I think I can open it with the yarrow staff I have in my house - but I'll need to re-weave some spells first, to stay up when I take it out.  Would you be interested in helping me there?"

"Sure!" 

Allegra weighs up pushing her luck here. Her people are counting on her to get them home. But so far the witch seems like she's also putting up a cooperative front, this might be the best time to push for concessions, and she doesn't want to burn all her bridges with people who might plausibly come save them from the witch when it turns out she's not actually cooperating.

"I don't suppose you could lift the curse on the kid in this house first, though? I know she was probably trespassing, but kids do that sometimes, I'd expect she's learned her lesson now?"