Joden reeled back, swaying. Amyu moved to support him, even as Master Eln moved in from the other side. Lara’s hands were on his back.
“Joden?” Amyu said, her worry clear. “What are you seeing?”
“Y-y-you tried b-b-bloodmoss on El-l-loix?” Joden closed his eyes, and shook his head, willing the image away. But the vision was still there.
“Amyu told you?” Eln sounded resigned. “I’d hoped it would counteract the poison of the wyvern sting.”
Joden watched as Eloix plunged her dagger into her own throat. “S-s-she didn’t let you g-g-give mercy.” he looked at Amyu.
“She considered me a child,” Amyu said, her brown eyes open and staring at Joden. “And I did not tell you that.”
Joden was shaken, but he caught the glance that Lara and Eln exchanged.
“Let’s get him on the table before he falls,” Lara said. “We can start on answers then.”
Amyu pressed herselfinto a corner of the room, and watched as the two healers examined Joden. She was grateful that their focus was on their patient, but she knew her reckoning for her actions was due. Any delay in that was welcome.
Still, for now all that mattered was Joden.
“Sweet Goddess,” Lara frowned as they stripped Joden of the white cloth, little more than rags now. “What happened to you?”
The healers were looking at his body, only Amyu was focused on Joden’s face. His expression was one of pain and sorrow. “I-I-I,” he grimaced as he tried to force out the words.
Lara froze. “Joden?”
Master Eln was pulling down bottles and jars from his shelves. He looked over his shoulder with raised eyebrows.
“Joden doesn’t stutter,” Lara said grimly. “At least, he never has before.” She turned, and those fey blue eyes pierced Amyu like an arrow. “What happened?”
Amyu tore her gaze away, and looked at Joden. Joden sighed, then nodded his permission.
“I went into the mountains, searching for airions,” Amyu started.
“We will speak of that later,” Lara’s words were crisp and firm, but without heat.
Amyu nodded. “I failed. I’d just decided to give up, when I…” she hesitated, then made a decision. “When I saw a flutter of white. I climbed higher, and—” she kept to the essentials of the tale.
Lara and Eln listened in silence. Amyu couldn’t tell if they believed her or not, but that mattered very little.
“That is all I know,” Amyu said finally.
“Let us check you over,” Eln said. “And treat these cuts. Not much we can do about the bruising…”
With relief, Amyu saw that they were going to drop the issue for now. They went over Joden’s body, using bloodmoss and ointments and various creams.
Finally, Master Eln stepped back. “Well, you are clearly in a weakened state. You need food, water, warmth, and sleep.” He hesitated. “There is no sign of a head wound. Do you remember any blows to the head?”
“N-n-no,” Joden managed, and tried to continue, but Master Eln cut him off.
“And you say that the stammer started before the fall, is that right? Are you sure?”
“Y-y-yes,” Joden took a breath. “I-I-I wo-wo-wo—”
“Joden is a Singer,” Lara said. “He’s never had trouble with speech before this.”
Joden started again. “I-I-I—”
“Well,” Master Eln talked over him. “The convulsions are a concern. When did the first one occur?”
