Nuada followed behind Dain as the young singer stomped down the corridor to the solar. He could see what he wanted to do to the Viceroy. He took off his lenses and slumped into a chair.

"...He acted l-like a c-child denied a t-treat." Dain said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "...when it was his r-riders who raided u-us..."

Dain did not stutter anymore unless tired or stressed, Nuada guessed after that meeting his son was a bit of both.

"...and you wonder why I go about dressed as a commoner and hide in the Orb Weaver as much as I can."

"I always th-thought it was Atara's thing..." He said. "I c-can also see why T-Tam said no..."

"...You could have too."

"And t-turn down th-the intrigue..." He rubbed his temples, biting his lip. "...D-damn, C-c-can't th-think..."

"Have you eaten anything since before the meeting...or drink?"

Dain shook his head, "...T-to b-b-busy."

"...Rest your voice." Nuada told him. "I'll get us some food..."

Dain nodded, that sounded good.

#

Crevan sat by the hearth, a blanket over his shoulders. He was unaware of the three in the room with him. The purging had wrought havoc on him, the twitching of his fingers and ticks were highly pronounced. The fool move of drugging himself to the gills had not helped his case in the eyes of the healers.

"...Get him to eat, he's about four stone short of healthy...though I suspect he was never much for eating, Sage and all." The healer said. "His mind will take a bit to reconnect, and the nerve damage is a bit worse..."

Regis frowned, "...The healing sleep?"

"We could, but that would only make wakeing him all the more troublesome. Considering how deep we would have to place him, it could take days for him to be fully aware." The healer said. "...It will be a few hours before he knows anyone's here as it is."

Regis looked at the third in the room, one of the table who had volunteered to sit with a fellow brother.

"...I do not mind the duty a bit longer." He said. "If I wasn't here, I'd be in the garrison with little to do, and well...this could easily have been myself or anyone of my brothers..."

Regis nodded. "...Lady Pen is coming to look him over, as she has experience with Soul Rot. This little...misstep...may have set back the healing."

The healer had to agree, this had complicated things.

Pen frowned when she came, Regis and the watcher greeting her. She looked beyond them to look at the Sage, a mug in his hands. She looked to the Higher vampire.

"...You got him to eat, that is good."

"Not much, just some broth and grain bread," Regis said. "I don't think he could eat more than that, despite what the healers say."

"We'll work him up to a good meal." She said. "...I need to see him, all of him.."

The watcher made some excuse, as she had prodded him the same way not too long ago. He did not want to watch another. The sage raised his head when she approached him, he stood to let the blanket drop.

He stood naked before her, letting her see the devastation he'd wrought upon himself. He felt goose flesh rise at her touch, though she seemed detached in her inspection. She was looking at him as a healer first and foremost, but the touch felt intimate at the same time. When she went to inspect his legs, he turned slightly from her, not wanting to show any reaction.

"It is naught that I have not seen before..." She said, running her hands over his thighs. "...Though I am flattered..."

A slight blush came to his skin, almost like he was a youth again rather than a mature male.

"...everything seems stable." She said, standing. "A bit of exercise and food...and we will address the other problems as they come..."

He nearly set himself on fire manifesting his clothes so fast. Pen's hidden smiled said a lot.

"We will start with exercise..." Pen said. "Tomorrow..."

She departed stopping beside Regis, whispering something to him before she vanished out of the room.

#

Crevan sat and retrieved his mug, that had been strange. Such an intimate but detached touch. It was even stranger that he'd reacted, Ciri had been the only human woman who had attracted him, and that had been because of her resemblance to Lara. He looked at Regis, then back down at his mug. Her touch made him think of the sweet she had offered him before the fair.

"You're not the only one who reacted like that when she inspected them," Regis said. "His majesty did the same...Though I admit you look better than he did when she finally got to inspect him."

"That was uncomfortable..." Crevan said. "but why do I want her to touch me like that again."

"As I said, not the first," Regis said. "Come to the hall tonight, there is a table there...you have others."

He turned to see the watcher returning, seeming less tense without Pen in the room.

"Our friend will bring you..." Regis said. "I'll see you tonight..."

The Higher Vampire stopped to talk a moment to the watcher before departing.

Crevan was surprised by the others at the table. There was a healer, a merchant, Several Thorns, Ravens, a noble and Regis. Some had known the same demon as he, others a different species but the same class of demon. Each spoke of the struggle, the request not to be left alone for one reason or another. They spoke of arrangements, of new brothers who would ask for help when ready.

The healer had taken one look at him and bluntly said he wouldn't wake for a month if he was so stupid as he'd been again. The others confirmed that threat, as one or two had experienced it. They talked for most of the night, with his watcher escorting him back to the guest quarters after they were done. He had tried to assure his watcher he wasn't going anywhere, but it was clear the other male had heard that bullshit before. He wrapped himself in a blanket while his watcher settled in by the hearth.

Crevan woke from a very erotic dream, groaning. He had almost slunk to the privy to resolve his problem, but he wasn't about to bring himself to such base action. He rose and put on clothing, he wasn't about to parade around. He looked at the hearth, his watcher was intent on the flames.

"...Need the privy?"

He sigh. "A cold walk more or less..."

His watcher rose, "OK, I know a few cold corridors...they'll shrink anything..."

The corridors were very cold, and what he needed.

#

Pen watched as Crevan and his watcher came to breakfast. The watcher was pointing out things that wouldn't wreak too much havoc with his digestion but would help ease the gnawing hunger he'd undoubtedly face.

"...They were up very early." Aethen said, sitting beside her. "It seems your inspection affected the sage more than he realized."

"He is not the first..." She said. "...has Rhiannon found anything interesting."

"One of the Aen Saevherne, they asked for a meeting with you...did not wish to alert his fellows..."

"One that belongs?"

"Hard to tell, Rhi only had a few hours with him..."

"...Arrange it, but have the thorns remove him from his quarters...I'm sure it will scare any conspirators..."

"As the lady wishes." He said. "I will make sure we do the same to Crevan...to enforce out 'mistrust' of the elder sage..."

She nodded, this morning would be a telling one.