Village Idiots....

[Darastrix]

Schuldig strode through the streets of Khelek's capitol, heading back toward the palace. Since he had accepted the position offered him, and he had that book, and especially since his feelings were such that he didn't want to disappoint Efil (Damn, it must be love), he'd actually taken the initiative to go around and purchase some healing herbs and the like.

On his way back, he was stopped by an older man, probably in his sixties from the look of him.

"Young man, are you a healer?"

'No, I'm a delivery boy,' Schuldig thought irritably. Well, he still didn't like people sometimes. Against his better judgment, he nodded slowly. "In a sense," he said carefully.

"Well, I have a problem. Any time I touch myself, it hurts."

Schuldig had to bite his lip to stop himself from suggesting the man use more lotion for his...extracurricular activities. "Does it now?"

The man nodded and demonstrated, poking his own arm, his forehead, his leg, wincing each time.

Well, it was a good thing he was immortal, because if the guy had some sort of odd illness, Schuldig certainly didn't want it himself. Sighing resignedly, he set down his pack and took a seat, glad the man had accosted him in the square where there were some stone benches. ...COLD stone benches. "I don't know what it'd be off the top of my head," he muttered, touching his signs and teleporting the large, heavy book into his lap to begin flipping through it.

"It's the damnedest thing," the man said. "Ever since I got my hand smashed in a bar fight, this has started. You know any injuries that can spread like that?"

Schuldig stopped and glanced up from the book, staring at the man in growing irritation. "No, but I dearly wish stupidity was fatal. Take off your damn glove."

The man blinked in confusion but did so, revealing a swollen, purple index finger.

Schuldig smacked his forehead with the palm of one hand. "Your finger is broken," he said flatly. "And I don't have any splints on me." Well, he did, but his sense of charity had fled quickly in the wake of his annoyance. "Do you know any other healers around here?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, but they didn't know what was wrong with me."

Several colourful phrases sprang to Schuldig's mind that aptly described the problem. "Well, nobody in all of Naruta can cure idiocy," he snapped, "but if you show them that finger, I dare say they can manage to take care of it. Now go bother one of them before I make you hurt everywhere, whether you touch yourself or not."

Startled, the man started to wander off, muttering about how young people didn't respect their elders anymore.

Schuldig picked up the book and thumped it against his own head a few times. "Holy fuck, what a moron."

[Kender Bard]

Thouth had paused to watch the scene unfolding, smothering a giggle of amusement. He pulled his wings in tighter, shivering. Autumn in Khelek, even this early, held the bite of winter. Soon it'd be snowing.

He started to pass when he glanced at the book again, the gold lettering on the green leather making him pause. He caught a flash of a word. That book looked damned familiar. Wandering over, he tilted his head, trying to read it. "What is it that you have the- stars!"

How? What? My book!

"How'd you get my book?" Thuoth sputtered in shock.

[Darastrix]

Schuldig blinked up at Thuoth in surprise. "What are you talking about?" he asked, arching a brow as he extended his awareness toward the other man's mind. "It was given to me."

[Kender Bard]

If Efil's mind had been akin to an ocean when she was a mortal, Thuoth's mind was like gazing into the vastness of the night sky itself.

"By who?" Thuoth pressed, clearly agitated. "Oh my precious." He fairly whimpered and reached out to touch the binding again. "Who has stolen you away from your home?"

[Darastrix]

He blinked again and shook his head. Damn, they had huge mindscapes. 'Efil, you stole one of his books?' Schuldig thought, amused as he guessed who he was talking to. Thuoth had to be the only Force who would get worked up over a book.

"Well, you can't really use it," Schuldig said reasonably. "Not until you get a certain item back to Mentis, right?" He held off on mentioning who'd given it to him; he didn't really want Thuoth upset with Efil. "I'll take care of it."

[Kender Bard]

Thuoth blinked at Schuldig, eyes widening slightly. Then he peered closer at Schuldig. "You seem familiar," he mumbled. "Can't for the life of me place why. But how did you know that? No, stupid question. You must have come into contact with one of my siblings didn't you?"

Thuoth shifted uneasily, wondering if it had been benign contact or otherwise.

[Darastrix]

Schuldig nodded. "I might be familiar for a couple reasons. One, Nagi's one of your followers and we're kind of close, and two...."

~I'm Efil's White Swan.~

[Kender Bard]

He snapped his fingers. "That's it!" he declared triumphantly. "You were considerable news in the heavens but as usual we easily forget the details of those who aren't our immediate concern. Well. I suspect Taed didn't forget. Well well! Does that mean you met my dear sister?"

If so, then perhaps this man was agreeable and he could find some assistance in continuing his quest. Thuoth had planned to stay in the temple and use the remains of his funds to replenish his supplies, but it'd be nice to have somewhere a bit warmer to stay. Perhaps this white swan would not be averse to dinner at a tavern or some such. Besides, for all his bookishness, Thuoth did find he enjoyed companionship. He couldn't read and ride his horse at the same time and so the trip had been terribly dull.

[Darastrix]

There was a slight softening of Schuldig's expression as Efil was mentioned and he nodded again, smiling faintly. "We've met a few times, actually. She stayed in Lucifer's palace for a while, helping a Mind healer and me work on Farf. She's ascended now," he told Thuoth.

[Kender Bard]

His expression was mixed. Happiness, envy, and relief. Mostly he was glad for Efil to have returned to home well. And it seemed she did some good while she was here! "Excellent, excellent," he murmured. "Ah, I hate to sound presumptuous but perhaps you'd be agreeable to dinner tonight somewhere? I have no plans and I must rest yet before I can continue onward to Mentis. Company would be most appreciated." He ruffled his feathers, feeling a bit self-conscious.

I miss Lady Jane, he thought suddenly and sighed. She was a fine friend.

[Darastrix]

"Company or 'company?'" Schuldig couldn't help asking. He grinned at Thuoth and winked. He wasn't seriously contemplating seducing the Force, but he recognised the self-conscious attitude and just felt the need to tease the man a bit like he did Nagi at times.

Besides, he and Efil had never discussed what he might be free to do since, for the time being, they couldn't be together. He thought she might allow for human companionship, but her siblings were proooobably off-limits.

[Kender Bard]

Thuoth stared uncomprehendingly at Schuldig until it dawned on him and he blushed fiercely. "Er, um, regular company please," he stated, hunching down slightly in embarrassment. "Actually you mentioned Nagi. I would like terribly to spend time in his company as well." He gave the other man a stern look. "And I mean regular company for him as well. I was going to spend the rest of the night in the temple but that's boring and lonely."

[Darastrix]

Schuldig laughed and held up his hands. "Relax, I'm only teasing. And I wouldn't suggest you do anything with Nagi, anyway. He's got enough to worry about." He might suggest something to Nagi, just to get a rise out of the young man, though.

Chuckling, he got up and retrieved his pack and tucked the large book under one arm. "Dinner's fine, and Nagi's back at the palace. Come on."

~You can meet your niece, too, if you want.~

[Kender Bard]

"What?!"

Thuoth reached out, lightly touching Schuldig's shoulder though he wanted to spin the man around and shake him. "A-are you implying what I think you are?"

Efil! You have been busy!

Thuoth didn't seem upset at the thought. Just immensely surprised.

[Darastrix]

Schuldig glanced back, suddenly very glad that this was Thuoth and not, say, Worg he'd just told that to. "If you think I'm implying that she had a mortal child while she was here, then you're right," he said quietly. No sense beating around the bush NOW. "Harmony doesn't know Efil's her mother, she thinks her mother was a mortal woman named Filly and that she grew up in Acoia."

~So if you don't care if she knows you are a Force, you can't tell her you're her mother's brother. It would only confuse her and I won't have her put through that. She's still just a child.~