milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

((OOM: Archie and Svava's flat, Room X Millitimed to earlier this morning, because the mun just got off work.))

Archie enters the bar, clad only in a pair of green, blue, and white striped pajama pants and carying a large quilt-wrapped bundle. Edielwiess is hot on his heels, and they both look rather panicked. For good reason, there's a spill of gold hair coming from the bundle in his arms.

"I need a healer! Please, I need a healer!!"

((OOC: this is not at all locked, but please keep in touch for orginizational purposes.))

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From the back door there comes a ringing whistle, and- oh, lord help us, that's a unicorn shouldering the door open-

"Please," she says, easing herself halfway in. "I am a healer, among my own people. What has happened?"

Archie's eyes are wide and panicked, Edilewiess is yowling rather loudly.

"I...I don't know. She was fine last night, and now... She...she won't wake up and she's barely breathing."

Somebody should tell Archie that he should start breathing as well, or he's not going to be of any use to anyone.

The red unicorn steps the rest of the way through the door. "Lay her on the floor, then," she instructs. "Clear a space around her big enough that I may stand, and then sit down beside her. Take one of her forepaws and hold it while I see what I may find about her."

*Yrael had heard his god-daughter yowling, and came quickly, frowning concernedly.*

Archie... what? *Then he sees Svava's still form. His expression becomes very blank suddenly. She is still in Life, that he can see, but.... With his calm exterior, he reaches down to take his god-daughter into his arms, comforting her as much as he can. Her yowls subside to faint mewling, like a frightened kitten without its mother.*

*straightforward and clear-headed* What happened to her? Can she be healed?

He drops to his knees, cradling her tenderly.

"I don't know. She was fine last night, and when Edielwiess woke me just now, she was like this. Help me clear space for the... unicorn, please Yrael?"

He lays her gently down and parts the blankets enough to pull an arm free.

Jah-lila backs away, inclining her head to the new person even as her tail swishes tensely behind her. "This is new? She has never fallen ill this way before?" she asks, before setting her teeth to the nearest chair and trying to drag it out of the way herself.

"No. Not that I know of."

He stays kneeling by Svava, he seems reluctant to leave her side, though he does push aside a couple chairs that are close enough to reach.

"There... there was talk of a man cursing people who had helped to defeat him before..."

Jah-lila stretches out her neck until her muzzle is within a hairsbreadth of Svava's nose and mouth. "The breath is steady, though shallow" she says after a moment. "And-"

She kneels carefully in the cleared space, canting an ear downwards and lowering her head further.

"I hear the heartbeat, steady and strong. Her breath smelled of no poison or sickness I know of. She is not sweating or trembling as if something has bitten her, I do not see the flushing or darkening of the skin that comes with sudden illness among the pans..." She turns to rest her muzzle briefly against Svava's forehead. "She feels as warm as a pan ought to be, or a little cooler."

She looks to the human who brought her in, and to the one with the green eyes. She's seen those eyes before, and inclines her head in acknowledgment.

"There is another thing I would try, if you are not the sort to object to magic. Some are."

"She has her own sort. I tried what she taught me of it before. It did little to nothing."

Edielwiess yowls an affirmative from Yrael's arms.

"Do what you must."

He strokes the hair away from her face with a gentle touch.

Jah-lila nods and closes her eyes before she begins to chant in her own language, a low, rolling tongue that resembles the calls and cries of horses more than any human tongue. The Bar might translate it, perhaps; a call for strength and wisdom, and a voice to speak to dreams...

It goes on for a little bit as the unicorn stretches out her head. Those who sense such things would notice the air of magic gathering about her, and then its sharpening as her words suddenly stop and her breath hisses.

Jah-lila gives an all-over shudder before opening her green-black eyes.

Archie shivers at the gathering magic, though he would never be able to tell you that was what it is from, he'd just assume it was from the chanting. When it stops, he looks up sharply.

"What is it?"

"The-" She shakes her head. "I do not know your word for it- I have sung away dreams before, to ease sleep and hide from spells, but this is as if someone has sung off her dreams and taken her spirit along with them. She is not there..."

"What do you mean she's not there?"

Jason's voice pipes in worriedly over Archie's shoulder. He couldn't not notice the panic and hurried over, panic creeping into his own voice as he stares down at Svava's limp form.

"Archie...what's going on?"

Archie makes a noise that sounds something like a choked sob.

"No.... Please don't... Svava? Sweetest? Come back."

He doesn't even appear to hear Jason's question, it's taking all that he has not to throw himself down across her weeping.

Jah-lila raises her head to look to the newcomer. "He brought her from her sleep and she was like this- still, quiet so. Some ill spell has hold of her, though I have never heard of such a thing. She must have powerful enemies indeed."

Jason stares at the unicorn for a moment.

"Can you help?" He shouldn't feel odd talking to a unicorn. People talked to him, right? Still.

Jason staaaaaares.

Archie's voice is harsh and strained.

"Can she be fixed?"

Otherwise he is still, holding her hand to his lips, staring at her face.

The mare looks at the too-still form, ears slanting backwards.

"I can try. I know not where her spirit's gone, or what magic was used to steal it- but I have wrestled spellbound storms from their summoners before. I may be able to do so again. But I will need my herbs for this, and a bowl of water."

She jerks her head towards the back door. "Beyond the stables there are some caves, and there is a small one with three sparkling rocks outside and a circle of ash within. My herbs are in there. There is one to strengthen her body, with purple leaves, and another I will need myself that looks like a dried brown root with a sharp scent."

Jason nods, taking careful note.

"Past the stables. I can go. I'll probably make better time. I'll bring everything back here then."

He glances down at Archie and leans close, hand resting on Archie's shoulder. "We'll get her back Archie. Don't lose it now. Wake up and watch her."

He pats the shoulder twice and nods to him, trying to offer hope. His eyes flick to the unicorn.
"I'll hurry back."
He turns and hurries for the back door.

*Meg has arrived, at some point, to stand among the sea of worried faces staring at the limp, quiet form in Archie's arm.

Her eyes are huge, her face is pale, and her tongue, for once, is quiet.

She's waiting to hear if there's some waythat she can help; waiting to hear anything at all.*

"I'm watching her. I'll take care of her."

He may be talking to Jason, but he's gone by now. He may be talking to the unicorn, who he's never bet before thins, but mostly he's talking to himself, the sound of voices makes the shaking a little less noticable.

The unicorn's eyes and one ear flick to the newcomer, but then she butts her head- the part that isn't pointy, anyway- against Archie's shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. "You are her mate, then? Good- if I can find her and I cannot hold her myself, your voice will help her to find something to come back to. Breathe deep, and calm yourself if you can. You cannot help her if you are passed out from panic."

She adds, "My name is Jah-lila."

It was Tim who did this - the Other, I mean.

*Meg's voice, when she speaks, is small and quiet.*

I'd bet just about anything on it - I mean. She killed him last time.

Archie looks up at the unicorn, unicorn, and nods once.

"I am that, I suppose. Jah-lila, it is an honor. I thank you for your aid."

He swallows hard, looking back down at Svava's too=pale form.

"Meg, Meg, is right though. It has been said that he is back and taking his revenge."

His voice may gain just a trace if steel behind the sorrow, he'll be angry later.

Jason staggers back into the Bar with unknown herbs and plant bits in his arms. He spills them out in front of the unicorn and stays hunched over, trying desperately to catch his breath.

"I...hurried...hope this is...the right...stuff."