And now the hard part|Clan Fira-Rccus, Naurorod

[Northen Light36]

Tres sighed as she looked at Shadow, currently deep in a mindmelt influenced sleep. She was not at all looking forward to this, for all she knew it had to be done. A part of her was terrified, well aware of some of the emotional wounds Shade could and would likely rip open in the worst states of withdrawl.

Quietly she made her way over to her husband and reached out to hug Thelon tightly. "Thelon, love, promise me something? Promise you won't hold anything Shadow says or does against him? Please, he'll hate himself enough when this is over."

[Kender Bard]

Thelon frowned and didn't answer at first. He looked at Shadow with a brooding frown instead. You said you respected me, that you wanted happiness for Tres and I. I hope that wasn't all just part of the Mindmelt either.

"I won't," he finally agreed. "I've decided I'm going to treat this whole affair as if I was dealing with a particularly damaged Mind. I'm no Mind Healer, either, so it's going to be difficult to be patient, but I will try."

[Northen Light36]

Tres smiled slightly. "It's not going to be easy for either of us, but thank you for trying," she replied. "Just try and remember that the person mindmelt withdrawal turns Shadow into isn't the person he really is."

Tres leaned against Thelon for a minute, trying to draw strength from his presence, then sighed and got to work making their camp more comfortable. Every few minutes she'd glance over at Shadow, watching him sleep with a sort of protective concern. Shadow's drugged sleep made him look far more then four years younger then her and gave him a vunrability that reminded her of when they'd been children. Don't worry, little brother. I'll look after you. It'll be all right, she thought quietly.

After awhile, Shadow began to stirr, slowly opening his eyes and looking around with a hazy puzzlement and vague alarm. This wasn't the little hidden room he normally slept off his doses in.

[Kender Bard]

Thelon had done what he could to assist Tres. He'd been in Fira long enough to pick up the rudimentary skills of clan life. Far be it from him to use his title to weasel out of work.

When he noticed Shadow was awake, he gave Tres a mental nudge and went to stand by her, watching Shadow warily.

[Northen Light36]

Tres looked over at Shadow, watching him for a moment. He's still under the influence, I think. We'll get a sunmark or two of reasonable behaviour out of him before the real unpleasentness starts, I think. Maybe less. I don't know how much of a tolerance to it he's built up. "Awake then Shade?" she called, keeping her tone light. "How are you feeling?"

"Wild-flame?" Shadow asked. "What's going on?"

"You've been using mindmelt again," Tres said quietly. She walked over and knelt beside him. "Forces Shade, why? You promised us."

"The dreams..." Shadow murmured, his eyes half closing again. "I couldn't sleep. And it was there. I was going to get rid of the letter when it came, but I forgot and the dreams were so bad..."

[Kender Bard]

Thelon crossed his arms and followed Tres, standing behind her. "You've scared off your wife, Shadow. And you've been cruel to your friends. This is going to have to end if you ever want to keep what remains of your life."

[Northen Light36]

Shadow closed his eyes, a flicker of grief and pain crossing his face despite the mind numbing effects of the mindmelt. "I know... But I can't... I tried." Shadow's tone was shamed and dispairing. "I need it..."

"No," Tres said softly. "You don't, Shade. You just think you do. Let us help you?"

Shadow looked at Tres and Thelon, then nodded slowly. "If you want to..." he murmured.

[Kender Bard]

"You're not going to thank us later, I imagine," Thelon told him. "But we'll do our best. We've got things set up here to make us all fairly comfortable and I've got things well in hand at home."

[Northen Light36]

"Mmm, I don't imagine I will," Shadow agreed drowsily. "So I'll say it now. Thank you both." He paused, then looked at Thelon abd added softly, "Keep her safe, Thelon. Please."

[Kender Bard]

Thelon gave Shadow a very hard look but nodded. "I'll do what I must. And I'll try not to hurt you too much if it comes to that. Get some rest if you can sleep some more. I imagine the sleep will help."

[Northen Light36]

Shadow nodded, closing his eyes and rapidly falling back to sleep.

Less then an hour later though, he started to stir again. Though not awake, he groaned softly in his sleep, grimacing and starting to twitch and squirm in discomfort. Tres looked over and set aside her mug of tea, since it suddenly tasted like dirt. "Brace yourself," she said quietly. "It's starting. Keep an eye on him while I make some willowbark tea. Hopefully he'll be a little more rational if we can treat the pain." Reluctantly she added, "If it gets too out of hand, we might need to tie him up to keep him under control."

She gave Thelon a look that silently begged him to be the one to make that desision. Tres wasn't sure she could make it.

[Kender Bard]

"If it does, I'll make sure to bind him," Thelon answered. "The thought had already crossed my mind at any rate. But let's try the tea, first, before we resort to that."

[Northen Light36]

Tres nodded, giving Thelon a slight smile of thanks before turning her attention back to making the tea. She used her sign to make the fire hotter and the water boil faster, so the tea was just about ready when Shadow finally woke up fully.

Shadow grimaced as he sat up slowly and rubbed at his head. So soon... he thought fuzzily. Need to take a larger does...

"Don't worry, we'll deal with that headache in a minute," Tres told Shadow. "Tea's nearly ready."

Shadow frowned, feeling a familiar stir of irritation starting up inside him. I don't need TEA. I need another dose. Forcing himself to keep his voice even and calm, he replied, "All right. Where are we anyway?" If he just knew where they were, there were some soahcian's in the Linnod temple, surely.

[Kender Bard]

"Somewhere in Naurorod," Thelon replied vaguely. He already had one hand touching the sign on his chest lightly. "I don't suppose you remember our conversation from earlier, do you Shadow?"

[Northen Light36]

Shadow looked warily at Thelon. "Yes, the sand and the heat told me that much. I'd like to know where in Naurorod. And which conversation? We've had a few lately." Forces he hated it when people turned deliberately stupid and evasive. He gritted his teeth as his headache seemed to worsen.

Ugh, I don't need this now. It can't be that hard to find Linnod. Shadow started to get to his feet.

"Sit down, Shade," Tres said warningly.