Diavla watched Tom negotiate, then hand over several gold coins. Everyone was well-satisfied with their purchases by the time they left. There wasn't much need to get more armor for the other four elves at the moment—they could buy supplies in Oak Mill, and Arven already had looted leather armor. Meanwhile, Sheema, Brallik and Rillik would not be fighting if they could help it, so it also made sense to equip the potential fighters before worrying about the others.

Since they were headed right back into the city, they didn't bother putting on their new armor. Not wanting to carry it around for a long time either, they brought it all directly back to their rooms. Eubexa was curious about their purchases, so they showed them off to her.

For her part, Eubexa had finished going through the Library's book. She had taken down a lot of notes in Elvish using paper and ink that Diavla had bought for Kervan. As soon as she told Tom this, he asked for a report. Eubexa started with an apology for Tom, then explained in both languages.

“The book does not specifically state the location of any elven embassy. However, there is one nation of interest. The Republic of Kataroche has banned slavery—and yes, that includes elven slaves, not just human ones. It is likely that they would have an embassy, or some way to contact the elven nations, at least. And we would be free as soon as we reached it.

“Before we get our hopes up too high, remember that this book is probably twenty years old. The government could have completely changed between then and now. But from what I have read, Karatoche is our best target.”

Once Tom had digested that, he asked, “Do you need more time with the book? Or would another be better?”

“More books are always better, Master. I am done with this one. A book specifically about Karatoche might tell more recent news.”

“All right, I'll try to get you one. Thank you, Eubexa.”

Then Tom asked Eubexa to translate for him. “Everyone, we have a lot to do. Does anyone want to try going out without me, or should we all stick together when we go out? I am trying to be careful of your safety, but Rivermarch doesn't seem bad except for a couple of spots. For example, someone needs to go to Whistler's and ask them to send the rest of the clothes we've ordered to Oak Mill. That's a very safe part of town. Likewise, for the Library and the Temple. Then, everyone except Eubexa needs to go with me shopping for weapons. After that, what do people think about the general stores? Are there more goods that we need, or other things you want to buy while we're in the city? Sorry, Eubexa, that was a lot. I'll shut up so you all can think about it.”

“What do we need at the Temple?” Kervan asked.

Eubexa listened, then translated. “Master says that he wants to take me in for more Healing, to get this book cleansed before we return it—just in case, he says—to pray, and to get a lesson in Demon Hunting.”

Kervan grimaced. “Why does Tom want to spend more gold on Healing you?”

“Kervan!” Varga cried out, looking shocked.

Kervan winced. “I don't mean…Saa, I mean, why doesn't he just wait? Then we wouldn't have to spend the gold,” he said meaningfully.

He means wait for Sheema to Heal her. I see his point, but… Diavla shook her head. “We shouldn't make Eubexa wait until her foot heals naturally.”

Eubexa cleared her throat. “Or, you could just tell me that the elf in the woods is the Healer, and they will be able to Heal me for free once we find them.” The sickly elf then said something in Western to Tom while the elves all looked at each other. Diavla didn't pay close enough attention, but heard Tom's response well enough.

“There are four more elves in the forest. One elf is a Healer.”

Diavla sighed. That settles that.

“That makes more sense,” Eubexa said. “Hopefully, that's the last secret you're hiding?” she asked the elves.

Varga sighed. “Yeah, that's it.”

“Good. I'd rather everyone be comfortable talking to me without dancing around topics.” Eubexa switched back to Western. Diavla got the impression she was asking Tom not to spend gold on her. Predictably, Tom objected, at length. Eubexa heard him out, then bowed her head. “Yes, Master.”

The sickly elf sighed. “Master is taking me to the Temple next, then bringing me back here. What does everyone want to do?”

“I will stay with Tom,” Diavla declared.

“I will go buy more paper, since Eubexa has been using mine,” Kervan answered.

“What are you writing?” Diavla asked, curious.

“I'm keeping track of our finances, or trying to, at any rate.”

“I will keep Kervan company going to the store,” Orvan added. “Better not to go alone.”

“Thanks.”

“I can run to Whistler's by myself,” Varga declared.

Diavla raised her eyebrows. “Do you have enough Western?”

Varga smirked. “Elf go Oak Mill… Wait, what's the word for ‘clothes’?”

“ ‘Clothes.’ ”

“Right. Elf go Oak Mill. Clothes go Oak Mill, please.”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow. Elf go Oak Mill tomorrow. Clothes go Oak Mill, please.”

Diavla frowned at her friend. “I suppose that will be good enough.” She narrowed her eyes. “What are you up to?”

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Varga gave her a wicked grin. “Juggling!”

“Is flirting involved?”

“…Maybe.”

“Uh-huh. What time should Tom go out searching for you, and where?”

“I'll be back here in a few hours, at most.” With that, Varga didn't even wait for Eubexa to translate for Tom. She grabbed her pack and emptied half of it out, then skipped over to Tom and kissed him on the cheek before dashing down the stairs.

“What…?” Tom stared after the redhead with a baffled expression, then turned to Diavla, who shrugged.

∘ ⛥ ⛯ ⛥ ∘

Half an hour later, Diavla and Tom walked back into the Rivermarch Temple, with Tom carrying Eubexa. He immediately hired human Healers to take care of the sick elf, giving her both general Healing for the ravages of her disease, and specific Healing to help her foot mend. There were some tense moments at first, as the Healers seemed to want to blame Tom for Eubexa's face and sickness, but the veiled elf spoke up for him, fairly loudly and vehemently. One of the Healers who had worked on her the last time showed up and clarified the situation further, which also helped.

Tom also apparently had to explain about the collar Eubexa wore. Diavla presumed that Tom wasn't giving them the whole story. He probably was just telling them it was a punishment collar that he was using backwards to help Eubexa with the pain. At the Healers' request, and with the sickly elf's consent, Tom turned off the pain suppression. Aside from a brief hiss of pain, and some stress in her voice, Eubexa gave no further sign of what she was enduring.

Once that was settled, the Healers cast a cleansing spell on Tom and the Library's book, then got to work on Eubexa. Tom excused himself to pray. After checking with Eubexa that she would be all right for a little while without her, Diavla followed her human to watch over him. He knelt before an altar in one of the alcoves spaced around the room. She kept a short distance away to one side and behind him, then knelt as well, so that she wouldn't look out of place.

She stared at the icons above the altar Tom had chosen, wondering at their meanings. Taking a deep breath, Diavla sought a meditative state as well. The environment was actually strangely conducive to it, and she was surprised at how quickly she succeeded. She began to call upon her spirit-sense.

There were several kinds of spirits clustered around the altar: spirits of Healing, Justice, and War primarily, though there were others. Some of those spirits were moving over to Tom as she watched, and more were gathering from elsewhere. Again, Diavla couldn't tell what they were doing. Tom wasn't casting a spell in the human way; he wasn't making a call, exactly…yet a few spirits were approaching him anyway.

When she had woken that morning and sensed that Tom was having a nightmare, she had tried to soothe him. Somehow, she had ended up sharing his dream. The spirits had seemed to decree that she would do the soothing. The interaction of human and elven magic was confusing.

Spirits of Curiosity were gathering around her, as she followed those thoughts. Not too many, but enough to be potentially noticeable if someone else were using their spirit-sense nearby. She frowned, struggling.

HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND.

Diavla hadn't realized she was calling until it was done. Spirits dove into her head and her core. Diavla grew a bit dizzy. Just as she thought she would lose her focus completely, the feelings abated. She took a shaky breath. In that moment, some thoughts and insights crystallized for her.

Elves and humans both view magical ability as something you either have, or you don't. The theory has evidence: either you can make a call that has a noticeable effect, or you can't. Either you can cast a spell, or you can't. Perhaps it is true of elves, as we always believed. When I watch an elf call, either they summon all the nearby spirits of a particular Idea, or they don't get any, beyond stirring up a very few just by existing…

But humans are all spirit-touched. Just…not very strongly. They reach out, they call, but feebly. If you took an ordinary human, and put them through training at an elven temple, they might come out able to “cast very weak spells”, as they put it. That's why two of their Healers can work together, because neither one is calling upon all of the spirits in the area. In contrast, two elven Healers working near each other would be competing for attention from all the local spirits, making the two together less effective than one Healer.

What does this mean for Tom?

Tom is just, and warlike—those, I understand. He is curious as well. Healing is a strange one—I wouldn't have expected it of him. He's not a physicker. He does not seem to have wounds on his soul that need Healing. Perhaps it helps his fitness? I should remember to use spirit-sense on him when he is exercising.

Diavla came back to herself when Tom stirred, and stood up when he did. They repeated the entire process in front of another altar. Diavla did her best to memorize the symbols, so that she could ask about them later.

Finally, they returned to Eubexa, who immediately asked Tom to suppress most of her pain again. “I've already gotten spoiled by it,” Diavla heard her mutter in a worried tone. “I'm getting weak.”

Tom paid the Healers for their services, then went to a different part of the Temple that Diavla hadn't seen yet. He knocked at an office door, and a partly bald human invited them in. Diavla couldn't follow the conversation, but she understood when the man handed Tom a small wand in exchange for coin. They chatted for a few minutes. Apparently, Tom was getting a lesson in how to use the thing.

When they left the Temple, Tom asked, “Eubexa? Do you want to (something) the Library?”

“I can't touch anything, Master. I can't get too close to people.”

“Eubexa, you're exaggerating,” Diavla chided.

“I am not! People stumble, trip, shove—there are many ways someone could touch me and get my disease.”

“Not with the way you are wrapped up like a king's remains. And your clothes just got cleansed by a spell. Tom, we go to Library.”

“No, Diavla, please…” Eubexa begged. Tom stepped over to the wall of a nearby building, waiting while they argued.

Diavla hesitated. “Why not?”

“I don't…I can't…”

“Would you want to, if you could?”

“…Yes, but—”

“Then, as Head Slave, I'm ordering you to do this. I want you to have the experience. If I'm wrong, I'll apologize, but you need to learn that the world will not end if you get close to other people. The Library is a perfect place to try it, easier than the street we're walking down now, and you won't ever have better protection than being carried in Tom's arms. We're going.”

Eubexa was silent for a moment. “Yes, Head Slave,” she half-whispered. Then she cleared her throat. “Tom, I would like to see the Library, please.”

Tom looked back and forth between them a moment. Diavla guessed that Tom had missed most of their exchange. Then he smiled and said, “Good. (Something) we go.”

They entered the Library, Diavla paying the fee for all three of them. They caused a mild stir, but the people in the Library tended to be a bit quieter than elsewhere. Diavla returned the book they had borrowed and collected the two gold for Tom since his hands were full. Then they headed over to Sage, who was again answering questions.

“Hello, again,” Sage greeted them when it was their turn. “Welcome back.”

Tom gave Eubexa a formal introduction to the librarian. “Sage Booker, (something) I (something) Eubexa Corvolli.”

The two women began to talk. At first, conversation was stilted. Sage clearly didn't know what to make of Eubexa. But once they started discussing the book, the words began to flow. Questions and answers went back and forth. It was all in Western, and Diavla couldn't follow the discussion. Tom's expression showed that he was almost as bad off.

Tom turned his head so that Eubexa couldn't see his face, and smiled at Diavla, tilting his head slightly to point out how lively the sick elf was getting. Diavla smiled back. It was heartwarming to see so much life in the long-tormented woman. They both carefully kept quiet so as not to interrupt.

Sage appeared to be enjoying the conversation a great deal. Eubexa's voice grew stronger, less hesitant. Diavla felt tears forming for a moment, but wiped them away quickly, with a smile. She recalled a line she had once heard in a play:

There's a dance or two in the old girl yet.