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When Dawn wakes up from his nap, he kisses Bienca and their son, collects some things-- the mundane stuff he'd set aside for Jewel, the Box/Key, and the 'Magic Jar' bottle-- and heads for Jewel's shop. He turns over the mundane stuff first, offers a brief summary of his studies (leaving out most of Fred's more gruesome innovations) and suggests that he'll probably be ready to attempt the Box within the next day. He sets the Box and the Jar on the table, and asks if Jewel would be willing to try a couple of things, first. He wants her to see if she can touch Ellie at all. Then, he'd like her to attempt to contact the soul in the Jar -- he's not sure who/what it is, and he'd rather not let it out if it's malevolent. Jewel sighs. "That such a small thing could have caused so much misery already..." She hugs herself against a small shudder and looks levelly at Dawn. "You've told Bie?" Dawn looks irritable (but this is Dawn, so it's hard to tell). "Yes." He does not volunteer how *much* he's told her, or what her reaction was. Jewel looks back and forth between the Jar and the Box, looking distinctly unenthused about touching either of them. "The Box, we know, has grabbed at least..." she pauses to count on her fingers, "four people, and Bonesteel was touching it when he died, yes?" She chews on her lip and eyes the Jar. "But that," she nods her chin at the Jar, "just has one? It's... like a prison, right?" She twines a lock of hair around her finger thoughtfully, studying the Jar with narrowed eyes, and then the Box. "Alright... Jar first. If that Box is the thing that's been giving me nightmares, I may not be in any shape to look at the Jar afterward." She reaches for the Jar, and hesitates again. "Um. Perhaps you'd better hold it? And... er..." she slants her eyes sideways towards Isa. "If I scream, yank it away from me, alright?" "You're the expert." Dawn settles himself and holds the delicate jar the way she wants him to, then waits for her to work her magic. Or not-magic, as the case may be. Jewel settles herself comfortably on her stool and reaches out both hands towards the bottle, her fingers resting lightly on either side of it. A disgusted expression crosses her face, and she lowers her hands quickly to wipe them repeatedly on her skirts as if she'd gotten some sort of sticky slime on her fingertips. She takes a deep breath and tries again, wincing slightly as her fingers make contact with the smooth stone again. She stares over Dawn's shoulder as her eyes lose focus. Her lips move silently almost as if praying, and then her face contracts in horror and grief. She releases the bottle, bringing her hands to her face to cover her tears. "Sweet gods of light... let her out, Dawn, please, let her out! She's... oh, gods... wait a moment..." She moves a hand to cover her mouth, shoulders heaving as she turns away. She takes several deep, cleansing breaths. "I'm... I'm alright..." She opens her eyes again to look at Dawn. "How did you find her? Were there... remains? What did you do with them? She-- she shouldn't go back to that. She mustn't. Then she *would* be dangerous. She wasn't--" Jewel swallows and stops, her eyes shiny with tears. "Her? Who-" Dawn's eyes narrow. "There was a body in the room where I found this, yes. I burned it." Jewel's shoulders sag with relief, and she nods. "It's alright, then. I... she's... her name is-- *was*-- Alinenir Loruan of House Brightwind." The elvish name rolls easily off Jewel's tongue as if it were her own. "Plague struck down her house. She survived, but she was taken by an orc raiding party as she wandered. She was--" she swallows, "they mistreated her, but could not break her... so they sold her to the Red Wizards, who traded her and some others to Frederach. He--" she stops again, tears rolling down her cheeks. "She still... remembers her flesh. She was still alive when her soul ripped free. Well... mostly. And... she couldn't leave. She was there the entire time... watching... he always made sure she was watching." She covers her face again, shuddering in revulsion. "Sweet gods, Dawn, how could anything human *do* that? Please... release her." Dawn sighs. "And at that, it's probably the least of his- Never mind. You've already seen more than you fucking should. I'll just-- Right." He glances at her once more, to be sure, and then pulls the bottle back toward himself. He eyes the sealed top, then takes out his small silver dagger. He pokes at the seal gingerly a couple of times, to be sure his knife can affect it, then jams it through. Like taking a wax-coated cork from a wine jar, he pulls and twists, and the plug pops out of the jar. Nothing happens. Dawn is left contemplating the open mouth of the little jar, which looks naggingly similar to... something he's seen recently. Then, in his hands, Dawn feels the surface of the jar chill slightly and bead with water, as if someone had just poured a cold liquid inside. A faint, ice-cold draft teases over the back of his hand and swirls around him, becoming stronger as it moves-- a gentle breeze, a light, cold wind, a winter gale. The moving air tosses papers and whips the heavy curtains, and Dawn hears a rising wail of grief and icy fury that is more than the voice of the wind. Jewel scrambles off her stool and dives behind the counter as the strengthening wind circles Dawn, pulling at his clothes, stirring his hair, stroking cold fingers up his back, scouring his face. Dawn curses and tries to summon a protective spell, but the wind rips the words from his mouth before the magic can build around them. He hunches over protectively with a muttered curse, tucking his chin against his chest and squeezing his eyes shut. A sudden crash of pottery disrupts the whirlwind, and it veers away from Dawn. Jewel stands at the end of her counter, a priceless Zakharan vase-- one Dawn recalls last seeing in a locked case behind the counter-- in shards around her feet. She looks towards Dawn, but not at him, her hands trembling but her voice loud and steady. "Alinenir! He's a mage, but not the one you want. Frederach is dust. This is Dawn Firehand, the one who *freed* you. Let him be." She softens her voice, and spreads her hands to display the mess at her feet. "See? You are mourned, and you are not forgotten. Go home, Alinenir. Be at peace." The breeze turns again to take one more turn around Dawn, calmer now, smoothing his hair, twitching his clothes neat again, soothing his wind-chilled cheeks. Dawn feels a last brush of air, this time against his lips, the touch cool but not unpleasantly so-- and then the wind vanishes as quickly as it rose. Papers drift back to the floor. A feminine voice whispers a soft word in Elvish in Dawn's ear, and then is still as well. {{Thanks and blessings on your house, Dawn Firehand.}} Dawn's eyes close as the restless soul "kisses" him, and remain closed as he answers her in a whisper. His elven is accented, but not hesitant. {{Rest, Alinenir Loruan, and dream easy.}} Jewel slumps against the counter in relief, one hand touching her cheek. "Next time, remind me to do this *out*side." Dawn sighs and straightens again, relaxing. He looks around at the mess, then gives Jewel the faintest of smiles, his eyes sparkling devilishly. "But if we'd been outside, you wouldn't have had a death-gift for her, would you?" Jewel rolls her eyes. "You're incorrigible." She smiles a little, pushing the loose strands of hair back from her face, stepping carefully over the once-pricey shards and going to fetch a broom. Dawn helps Jewel pick up the mess, and while she's putting her papers back in order he finds the shop's small larder and puts together a psioni-snack -- three thick sandwiches with several layers of meat and cheese, a handful of nuts, and two bottles of cider. He grabs another couple of bottles for himself and Isa, puts it all on a tray, and brings it back out. "Here. Eat something before you try to make contact with Ellie. If you don't finish it all now, we'll save it for after, and it'll give me a chance to get a running start." He grins, but presses a sandwich into her hand. Jewel smiles more easily at him. "Thank you." She takes a huge bite, eating in an efficient but most unladylike fashion as she studies his face. "Mrv ahn *az* br." She finishes chewing and swallows hard, wiping her mouth with a faint blush before repeating herself. "You've gotten *lots* better." Dawn almost asks what she's talking about, then nods and shrugs. "Wouldn't be nearly so fucking easy if you were peering into *my* head." After she's eaten, Dawn brings out the Box and sets it on the counter. "It's safe enough to touch, but I'll tell you, it's going to have even worse associations on its surface than the other one. And whatever you do, don't move any of the pieces." He puts his scarred hand over the Box and catches her gaze, and his watery blue eyes are as grave as she's ever seen him. "I mean it. Even if she begs you. Don't even open the lid." When he's sure she's taking him seriously, he takes his hand back. "Tell her to hang on, I'll be there for her soon." Jewel nods slowly, making herself look at the Box carefully without touching it even though the very sight of it obviously frightens her. She nods and closes her eyes, and takes a deep, settling breath, a faint crease appearing between her brows. After several moments, she opens her eyes again. "Not a trace of her from out here. Whatever that does, it forms enough of a barrier that I can't reach her in... in this world, at least." She keeps her voice steady, but it's an effort. She swallows. "Right. We're going to have to do the same thing we did with the bottle. Hold it for me, Dawn, be ready to take it away if I scream. Isa?" Her bodyguard gives up her job holding up the wall and steps up to them. Jewel holds up one finger of each hand. "I'll need you to hold my fists closed. Given what this... thing... is, I think it's a very real danger that I'll try to manipulate it if I touch it. Everyone clear?" She looks from Dawn to Isa, eyes serious, waiting for their nods before she continues. "Right." Jewel takes several deep, calming breaths, much more uneasy about approaching the Box than she was about the Jar. She waits for Isa to get a good grip on her hands before moving them slowly towards the Box. She hesitates a bare second before moving her forefingers to brace the surface of the Box. She gasps, and grits her teeth against a scream, clenching her eyes shut tight as if she could block out images already behind her eyelids. "No... I'm alright." She opens haunted, unfocussed eyes. "I'm... let me keep going." She takes another breath and closes her eyes again, frowning slightly. "She was... concentrating. Enjoying herself. Amazed... it was... disturbing, but beautiful. And then... no, wait-- not that way, no--!" Jewel clenches her teeth again as strong emotions shudder across her face: shock, surprise, fear... horror. She is gasping for breath, tears streaking her face. "Ellie... please, Ellie..." Her finger shifts, and Isa pulls that hand back quickly with a scowl. "No, please, I felt... Ellie?" She leans forward, touching her forehead to an edge of the box. "Ellie..." Her lips move quickly but soundlessly for perhaps a quarter-minute. When she speaks aloud again, she sounds distracted, and faintly... amused? "Dawn... she wants to know, how can she help?" Dawn snorts with surprised laughter. "I like your sister, gorgeous. But unless she can tell me all the correct steps *after* the wrong way she took, then no, I rather doubt it. Are any of the-- is she alone in there? Anything in particular I should have on-hand when I open it, besides food and water?" "Give me a moment..." She falls silent again. "No, she was just--" Jewel stops and swallows. "No, she doesn't." She mutters, "Hang on, Ellie..." and falls silent again for a little, frowning deeper. "There aren't any ghosts where she is... not that I can feel. Nor anything else living, exactly. It's... I can't read this like-- like a brick, or a locket or something. It's... warped. Strange. I can't... I... hang on..." Her brow smooths` a little. "Ellie says, it's dark in there and she's afraid to touch anything, she's stumbled over two bodies already. Long dead and dry." Cat cringes a little. "She says she nearly lay down on top of a-- a lady... there's a bed in there, with a dead woman holding a book on her chest. And she tripped over a boy's leg. It... came off. Oh, Ellie...! She says, she thinks there's a mouse or something, she's heard something moving by the bed every so often. She..." her mouth twists a little, wryly. "She hasn't been eager to investigate." Cat is perspiring lightly, her hands trembling in Isa's. "She says, if it's dark outside, make sure to bring a lamp, please." Her brow furrows a moment more. "Hang on, Ellie, a friend will be there for you soon. And you have a guardian angel looking out for you. Love you, pint." Dawn frowns in concentration as he listens, mentally counting off bodies against the list of Flip's "experiments." They fall short, but he isn't surprised, since Ellie probably stopped exploring after stumbling over the boy. He nods easily at Ellie's request for light. Jewel moves her hands back with a gasp, sagging in Isa's grip and opening her eyes. She looks disoriented for a moment. "She's alright. Hungry, scared, but alright. It's... wait--" She twists in Isa's hands and barely has time to lean over before she's sick on the floor. She spits, and wipes her mouth with a violently trembling hand. "I'm so sorry, I... it's... I feel like I've been swimming in the canals for a week." She coughs hoarsely. "Please, water. And food. I don't think I can stand up just now." She looks away, embarrassed. Dawn exchanges a look with Isa, then goes back to the kitchen for more food and a mop. When Jewel's recovered a bit, he pats her on the arm. "Thanks, gorgeous. I know it was hard." Jewel meets Dawn's eyes directly, her expression firm. "I can't do what you do, but gods damn me if I don't do all I *can.* This is still *my* job... and my sister." Dawn picks up the Box and turns it over in his hands, then puts it carefully in his pocket. He considers the Jar, then puts it away, as well. "I think I've got an idea of what to do. I've got some studying to do tonight, and some personal business to take care of, and then I'll open it." He gives her half a smile. "Fix a big lunch." Jewel grins back. "I'll order out." Dawn glances at Isa. "Take her home, and stay with her until Angel comes." Dawn goes home and locks himself in his workshop. He puts the Box away in a lockbox so it won't keep distracting him, and goes back through all his notes. He studies the (now-defunct) magic jar, and the book-box. He reads over Flip's decoded notes until he has them memorized, even though he plans to take the sheets with him. Finally, he puts everything away and sits down at his desk to write. The first letter is short -- only a few lines, really. He seals it with both wax and a magic glyph. The second is longer, most of a page. He seals it and scrawls an "A" on the front. The third takes longer. Several times, he crumples the page and tosses it on the fire. When he finally finishes, the page is nearly full. He takes a small brass key from a hidden compartment in the bottom of his desk and folds it into the letter, which he seals and marks with a "B," and a fly on the wall might notice that his hand is less than steady. |
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