The Curse-breakers of Avondor || ONC 2022 || ✔

Chapter 15: The Note

The countess, as Terry suspected, had indeed taken to living in the markerichter's house. By Malodellian standards, the building was in a remarkably good state, both on the in- and outside; the mage suspected that, back in the day, evil Duke What's-His-Name had intended to house one of his own officials in it once the village had been subjugated and had thus ordered his men to try and leave it intact.

The home had long since been stripped of any valuables it may have contained, but much of the dead markerichter's old furniture remained. The wooden tables and chairs had suffered with age, though, and likely contained termites Terry had no interest in meeting up close. She noticed the countess had tried bringing order to the chaos, but ultimately failed. The amount of knick-knacks lying around, some distinctly magical in nature, contributed to an overall disheveled look. Terry wondered about the countess's precise connection to Rosangelo Credi once more.

She didn't ask, though, as Audren's health and survival were the women's top priority now. They moved him to a small room upstairs, devoid of all furniture save for a straw-filled mattress, with pillows of the same kind scattered across the floor, a bloodstained blanket and a corner full of herbs, potions and other medicinal substances. Terry found the sight of it depressing and suspicious, which must've shown on her face as she and the countess placed Audren on the mattress. Especially the state of the blanket made her frown.

"This is where I treat my guests if they need healing," the countess explained, as if reading Terry's mind. "Some are wounded, hence the blood. Some turn out to be bitten, and if that's the case, I can't help them anymore. All I can do then is try my best to ease their suffering until they turn."

The countess continued to speak as she administered the cure for the Wraith's Affliction, a potion to cleanse the soul, and gave Audren another potion to go along with it, one Terry recognized but couldn't name. It was presumably meant to alleviate pain and discomfort or strengthen Audren's body as it combatted his supernatural disease. Terry's father would've known what it was, but she'd never been terribly interested in his craft.

What did interest her was the countess' story, for she spoke of Credi, her family's long-term advisor: how he'd feared wraiths terribly, which was the reason he'd owned the Wraithsbane artifact and a supply of cleansing potions. He'd taught a young Limnaia, intrigued by all these things, how to use them.

"Funny you should mention Credi," Terry told the noblewomam once she seemed done, once Audren's skin colour had regained more of its natural light brown colour and his breathing had grown less shallow. The lord would need time to rest and recover and she didn't know how long it would be until he regained consciousness, but at least he wasn't in mortal danger anymore. "He's the reason we came here. Why we were looking for you."

"Is that so?" The countess sat down on a pillow opposite the one Terry had settled on. It would be wise to sit with Audren a while longer, to make sure he wouldn't experience any nasty side-effects the potions could bring with them. "What's your name, by the way? I'd very much appreciate knowing who my conversation partner is."

"Terreia." Terry didn't provide her last name; you never knew what strange aristocrats could do with such information. "I don't believe I've thanked you for saving our lives just now, so... Thank you. Although..." she paused, unable to keep hints of suspicion out of her voice. "It is a bit odd you didn't come help us sooner. Could've saved Lord Audren the pain."

"You think?"

"Yes. I've heard you're here to help survivors, and it really is a... peculiar choice of place, considering the presence of the wraiths. I figure you may be using them to keep bandits away, and that you use the staff to help those sent here by the nymphs. The wraiths are noisy, so you're easily alerted of new arrivals. I doubt you have much to do here other than watching out for those, so you could have come to our aid before that wraith touched Lord Audren's soul."