Linde helps keep Cyrus out of trouble as they leave Stonegard to see Stillsnow, then Victor's Hollow. She is surprisingly good at the job.

Ophelia had not the heart to stop Cyrus from cleaning off the worst of the blood from everyone's clothes in Yvon's cellar. The strange dust did not stick to clothing as much as the awful smell. She nearly cried with relief and praised Aelfric when they were able to see blessed daylight. Cyrus kept muttering to himself after they got Therese to the inn. Alfyn kept reassuring him everyone else was fine, even if Yvon certainly hadn't been. They had done their best, and no one was torn up about the headmaster dying from his own stupidity. They were more disappointed that it didn't succeed, but next time they would do better. They hoped there wouldn't be a next time but all signs pointed to someone else going to try those blood-crystals.

Stillsnow was going to be a welcome change of pace. Ophelia found herself wishing dearly for the Archbishop's council a lot and the rumors of Stonegard were a major point of concern. She had been somewhat chagrined when she overheard people talking the next day. The townsperson who had accompanied them part of the way down seemed to have added his own rumors to the paid ones. Gossip had mixed in interesting and alarming ways.

"That cleric isn't the original one who was gonna do the Kindling I hear. I bet she's got more people than normally needed for bodyguarding her because she was investigating that demon researcher. Do you think she's planning to do more?"

"We gotta be careful. I don't want her to inquisition at me."

"I hear Aelfric himself blessed her with the power to purge sinners with the light of the flame and make them suffer in agony for their crimes against heaven! Me pal said he saw what she did to those demonic mages what were holed up under the creepy house uphill. He said she made them bleed for their evil!"

"Wait, what if some those people with her are repentant sinners turned traitor to atone and be spared? I bet that's what that scholar is doing. Lila said he was doing some creepy magics in the inn. He tried to pass it off as a cleaning spell. Can you believe it?! A cleaning spell. What idiot is gonna believe that? She then heard him being lectured by the cleric. She was threatening him to behave or be smited."

"Wonder what that shifty-looking guy with the Fool's Bangle did to be repenting."

Ophelia listened to this all with a fascinated horror and hoped none of this spread. What would His Excellency say?

The party allowed themselves to relax a little. They had defeated a freaking dragon. Why was there a dragon guarding a patch of herbs? H'aanit's stoic calm returned. They gathered the herb-of-grace and Cyrus made no attempt to hide his fascination with the plant. He was gushing about the tales he'd heard of the stuff on the way there and now was taking in every detail of the herb and the dragon. H'aanit and Linde came back to the party after examining the gathering monsters at the edge of the clearing.

"We need to leave whilst the monsters will not attacken us. Cyrus, what are you doen with yonder bottle?"

Cyrus started corking the blood-filled bottle. "I was going to collect some for later study. It stands to reason that dragon blood might have unique magical properties. I think I read in the book that it was dragon blood used in the making of the Dragonstones."

H'aanit knew exactly what book he was referring to, "Leave the blood behind to respect the dragon and the law of the forest. Let it nourishen the land."

The now guilty looking Cyrus looked reluctant so Olberic played a somewhat underhanded card. "Aren't you worried about being a good example for Tressa?" he said. Cyrus dumped out the bottle without further resistance. This prompted Tressa to complain that she wasn't a child.

On this particular day everyone else had been dead exhausted and it was H'aanit's turn to watch the scholar. This served double duty in that she wasn't going around provoking fights. Therion on Cyrus watch served a similar purpose. (Two wrongs could make a right when it came to reducing petty crime, seduction drama, socially-inept scrutiny, or beasts pouncing on pedestrians.)

Cyrus began to contemplate what he wanted to do. He was still VERY miffed about the loss of his copy of -From the Far Reaches of Hell. He had the majority of his notes on hand at least. He had wanted to revisit the chapter where he couldn't tell if the Hornburgian read "change mountains to living ones" or "rocks changed of men." Since they knew Redeye petrified Z'aanta, Cyrus suspected it was the latter. If Susanna could not help, he wanted to make sure they had an alternative ready.

Cyrus sighed, chose the most comfortable looking seat in the tavern, then braced himself. He positioned his book for the day well within reach. Linde took her sweet time languidly oozing as only a cat could across his lap. Now that Cyrus was well and truly trapped, H'aanit left to gather ingredients for Alfyn.

The party found, by some good fortune, that the most effective way to keep Cyrus out of trouble was to have Linde take care of him. H'aanit would make sure there was a good chair next to a table. Linde sometimes preferred if they had him seated on an inn bed. The party would then get a bottle of whatever drink Cyrus chose for that hour or so. If out of town, the bottle was optional. H'aanit would then make sure a book or two was in reach of the man, along with writing materials. He then would sit down. The snow leopard would then arrange herself across Cyrus's lap. He would be effectively immobilized until Linde let him up for a bathroom break every now and then.

This was mostly fine with Cyrus; The problem was that he wore black. Linde seemed to have some previously unknown ability to shed fur at will. Any cat owner would have been able to tell him that cat hair defied conservation of matter but it was only now that Cyrus would have believed them. His poor black robe was covered.

In Victor's Hollow this morning, a woman walked by the bench as she was bringing porridge to people. Cyrus had elected for something other than alcohol since it was not even close to noon. "Good morning sir! Lovely day isn't it? Would you like any thing else to eat or drink?"

"I am quite well supplied with sustenance this morning. It is a lovely day, but not as lo-" Linde lazily flicked her tail right into Cyrus' mouth and across his tongue. "Mpphbbt"

The woman laughed at this demonstration of the other method which Linde used to avoid Cyrus problems. "That beast really is just a big old kitty-cat. Holler if you need more milk." Cyrus was left trying in vain to get the offending hairs out of his mouth while the server left. He felt somewhat betrayed. All he wanted to do was state some basic facts about the weather and how lovely the people were in this town. Linde repeated this method when a scruffy looking man came by and Cyrus was going to ask him, based on his own deductions, if he were some low-level combatant of the fighting ring.

Linde was also effective when following Cyrus around town. She would, with an almost supernatural foresight, playfully chomp at his hand, cape, or leg when Cyrus was about to say something that might lead to trouble. Cyrus-induced trouble was cut by 80%.

At least in Victor's Hollow hours later, nothing weird was happening yet. Tressa was simply treasure hunting today and Olberic was entering the tournament. Ophelia felt confident he would be fine in one-on-one combat. Alfyn, H'aanit, and Primrose were planning to attend to watch the fights. The rest of them were accompanying Tressa in case of beasts in the caves where the chest lay.

They will regret splitting the party next chapter.