A Quite Plot, A Serious Turn

Whilst Seldan slept, a blue-scale sith had been checking on him, and sat now at his bedside waiting patiently as only a healer can be, for him to awaken. Zeke has a look of disapproval set on his features, his arms crossed over his chest and his tail-tip flick-flicking back and forth as he patiently bides his time. He can tell by the shortening of Seldan's breath the few moments before the man begins to actually awaken, and straightens slightly, preparing to offer greeting as soon as he is wakeful.

When Seldan finally stirs, he blinks awake slowly. He'd been tangled in the blankets, in what appears to be a not-entirely-comfortable position, and the first thing he does on opening his eyes is to close them again, wincing as the ice pick makes itself known. Curiously, his fever isn't unduly high, and the look in his eyes in that moment before he closes his eyes again is cohesive and clear. "Peace - upon your nest, kin." The voice is raspy and low, but does not display his usual immediate guilt on receiving a look like that.

"Peasssce on your nessst kin." Zeke says, offering his customary greeting by rote, but quietly so as to not disturb Seldan. He has tea waiting on the bedside table. For the pain he knows that Seldan suffers from. He doesn't pour it yet, but rather notes the painful twinge and reminds himself to offer it. "Have you been out-of-bed Sseldan?" He sounds suddenly doubtful.

It takes a minute for the sense of the question to filter through Seldan's perceptions, and another for the answer to come to him. He blinks, and the _processing_ symbol is all but visible in his eyes. When it completes, his eyes darken with a measure of worry, and he starts to sit up, looking meaningfully. - and completely silently - towards the door, the headache seemingly only a minor concern for the moment despite the gritted teeth and flash of pain in his eyes. Something is amiss, clearly, and it bothers him enough to fight through the illness that holds him.

Zeke looks toward the door, almost expecting to see something there but there is not. He, unlike whomever had been in here before, had closed the door behind him. With the door shut, the room is nice and quiet and dim. Seeing that he is not wrong, and feeling a jolt of alarm that Seldan is still trying to get upright, Zeke places a gently restraining claw on Seldan's arm. "Ssseldan. Are you well? There isss no-thing there." He'd thought by looking at the man that his fever was down but now... he couldn't tell with his crystal arm, and he didn't dare try to take the man's temperature with his natural limb while Seldan was moving around. "Sseldan?"

When Seldan sees that the door is closed and latched firmly, he seems to relax at least a little, letting the claw and the words coax him to lie back in the pillows with a shiver. From the way the blanket is positioned, he'd wrapped it around himself. "I am well enough," he answers, in a very, very low tone, with another glance at the door. Rarely is he so restless. "I awoke earlier," he begins carefully, suddenly hesitant. "To see a replica of myself walking down the hall. He went - into the room across the hall." Blink blink. He's fighting to string his words together.

Almost imperceptibly Zeke glances at the door once again, as if to make sure it's closed. "You sssaw... your-ssself?" This is, perhaps understandibly, not entirely something that surprises Zeke. Though he is worried now about that fever. So he checks Seldan's head only to find... no fever at all. Not even a trace of one. He thrums low in his throat. "Are you sssure of what you sssaw?"

"I am. I would have you - speak to none of this." Seldan is clearly both weary and hurting, as if this costs him to do, and yet he is quite clearly driven to continue. "I heard ... Mistress Aya. And - my own voice, though I think it not _quite_ perfect. He used my name and likeness - and it seemed as if she had called on - whoever this was. I hold within my mind a guess, though it is but a guess."

He seems about to sit back up again, as if by doing so he can speak more quietly. "She spoke of herself being ill, and that it was of mutual interest to them both for her to recover. The two seemed as - allies perhaps?" He passes a hand over his eyes. "He cured her - he bade her drink something, then cast a spell of dispelling upon her. I - had moved closer, to listen in, though I made certain that I was not seen, and none know that I know. He - was flirtatious with her, in my guise." It is unlike Seldan to ramble, and yet ramble now he does. "It is in my mind that that may have been Eclavdran. Few enough know the marks I wear well enough to replicate them."

Zeke listens carefully. He is... careful not to let the worry he feels seep out into his countenance, but Eclavdran's name steals the illusion of peace from him and it is replaced by ire. He does not know for certain what Seldan heard, but if Aya was in league with the demon... He chokes suddenly, hand on his chest and he stands. "Sssshe!" He hissed the word. He shakes his head. Paces back a step and forces himself calm. To breathe deeply. To not upset his patient. "Sseldan..."

He looks at the other man with wide eyes and fear in his expression. "How can thisss one sssay no-thing? Do no-thing? Ssshe watchesss Cryosssanthiasss youngling!"

If Zeke had hoped to keep Seldan calm, he'd failed before he even began. Now, though, Seldan closes his eyes and draws several deep, calming, cleansing breaths. "I would not have her judged based solely upon my guess. I dared not be seen, and so I did not see. There is much of which - I am uncertain." As he speaks, his demeanor and tone steady into that quiet reserve, the Seldan that most of Alexandria knows well. "You have the right of it, and I misspoke. Of course you must act, but be warned - the identity is but a guess. I can but say for certain that she spoke with a man who assumed my likeness, that the two had words as between allies, and he cured her of sickness, although it did not sound pleasant or easy. Relatively few have seen the marks that I bear, enough to replicate them."

He attempts once again to sit up fully, clearly pushing headache and fatigue to the corners, but otherwise Seldan those who deal with him frequently know.

Zeke takes another deep breath. Calm. Moves to the bed and shakes his head at Seldan. "Do not try to move ssso much. Thisss one hass tea for you. But... You musst tell thisss one all that wasss ssaid. Ssso that thisss one can underssstand." He picks up the tea and pours a cup for Seldan, scenting the tea to make sure that it is not one that will put the man to sleep. "You are right, that we mussst be careful, but we can not trussst her any further clearly."

From his expression, Seldan knows all too clearly the truth that lies behind the sixth-makar's words. "It is even so," he agrees, forcing himself to lean back into the bed and take the tea he is offered. It does contain a light sedative, but is meant merely to relax rather than induce sleep. If he drinks too much of it, though, it will put him to sleep.

Slowly, Seldan begins to fish from his memory the details of the conversation that he overheard, beginning with not-Seldan's greeting and ending in silence. He speaks between careful sips of the tea, keeping his eyes closed as he speaks. As he tells it, though, he becomes more agitated. "Would that I could aid you, and all of the Temple, with more than merely a warning!"

"It isss enough Sseldan." Zeke offers quietly, sitting at Seldan's bedside. In truth he's not sure what to do with the knowledge. They have very little evidence against Aya unless she incriminates herself somehow. And yet... They can not trust her. "Perhapsss it ssseemsss like little, but with-out you... we would not know to be wary at all. The quesstion now, isss what to do with the knowledge that we have gained."

"I - know not that I would tip my hand, did I know aught of import, and yet, for the child's sake-" For the time, Seldan displays frustration, scowling. "It may suffice to watch, for now."

Zeke considers this, very seriously. "If you are correct, ssshe will be healed. There will be no sssign of her illnessss in her tomorrow. Thisss one will examine her... and thisss will give her a chansce to come out with it. To be forthright with usss and confesss her sssinsss. If not..." He looks at Seldan. "We will have more proof, and we will be forsced to do ssome-thing."

Seldan blinks, then closes his eyes, and takes a long, slow, careful pull from the teacup between his hands, the gesture giving him time to think. "Even so," he agrees finally, eyes remaining closed. "I - would have you also be wary of acts done in my name," he begins slowly. "I fear for the damage that could be done by one using my face - once already has it near cost one dear to me her life. As I have said, I cannot say with certainty that that was indeed Eclavdran, and yet have I crossed swords with him before. I know his wiles, and think such an act not beyond him at all - and perhaps a preferable method, that it may more deeply wound me."

"Yesss..." Zeke says, shaking his head. The demon surely knew that it would hurt Seldan to wear his image in his own halls. It was a mocking thing. Whether the paladin knew of Eclavdran's wearing of his flesh or not. "Do you think he knowsss? That you know about Aya?" He shakes his head again and pats Seldan's shoulder. "No. Do not think on it Sseldan. Thissss one will carefully be aware of thingsss done sseemingly by you. Or by another. For if he can take your form who elssse might he imitate?"

"It is in my mind that he does not, for I took no risk in my listening. I but moved close enough to the door to hear what passed between them." A tacit admission that he had been out of bed, but Seldan does not seem to care about such minor details. He takes another pull of the tea, and blinks. "I would not - trouble you with this, kin. It can wait - but, I would have food this evening, if such is available." An excellent sign, although he does not resist the pressure to remain lying down, and his body language says quiet clearly that he still does not feel entirely well, and that the headache is still very much present.

Zeke blinks only once at the words and then shifts his tail happily behind himself. "Thisss one would be glad to get sssuch for you Sseldan. That your appetite hassss returned isss a good sssign. Thisss one will find sssome-thing easssy on your sstomach, but filling yesss? Perhapsss risce sssoup?" That sounded like something that would be good for Seldan. He rose to his feet, and headed for the door.

Clearly not having expected a response so quick, or so thorough, Seldan finishes his tea and reaches to set it aside, but sleep is slow to come, and he is left to stare at the ceiling, shivering a little as the blanket askew beneath him leaves little room for proper covers. Somehow, now, it is hard to sleep, knowing what just nearly found him here, thanks to Aya....

When Zeke returned it was with a tray and perhaps unsurprisingly a fresh blanket for Seldan. He nods greeting to the other man, and moves with careful grace to his bedside. Setting the tray of food down he murmurs a quiet few words to Seldan. "Here, let thisss one help you with that blanket. There were fressssh in the hall." So fresh that the blanket is actually a little warm to the touch, adding extra comfort to itself. That done, Zeke settles the tray of food on Seldan's knees with care. "Would you like to try and feed your-ssself? Do pusssh your-ssself, if you have not the ssstrength, tell thisss one now."

The fresh blanket does help. When Zeke returns, Seldan slowly and carefully pushes himself up to a sitting position, holding himself with one hand behind him. "I shall manage," he answers, studying the food on the tray and passing his free hand over his eyes. "You have my thanks. I was - unsure that I would be believed." With that hand, he picks up the spoon and goes first for the light chicken and rice soup. His hand is a little shaky, but he should be okay for at least a few bites, and seems determined to manage for himself as much as possible. Gone is the willingness to relax.

All of this is carefully noted by Zeke. The ability to eat. The ability to do it for himself. But also the unwillingness to be helped or to settle. It is time. "Kin." He starts simply, but with a trace of uncertainty. "Thisss one wissshesss to remind you that... You ssshould leave for a time. You are... Better, but you are not healed. Thisss one thinksss that you are well enough to leave sssoon."

Seldan is taking the eating process slowly and carefully, one bite at a time, almost all of his focus and his will on this task. "I - do not wish to abandon those who look to me, and yet -" He trails off, closing and lowering his eyes. "I must strengthen again, and swiftly. I cannot afford to be gone for long -"

Zeke does not wish to be a distraction to Seldan eating, but this is an important point. "You mussst promissse thisss one that you will not return until you can cassst your mightiesssst of ssspellsss with-out pain." This is quiet, as if it is hard for Zeke to be so firm with his kin on this subject.

"My pain is of little consequence," Seldan replies at once, shaking his head slowly, but he sets the spoon down after several breaths' worth of silence. "You have my word. I shall not return before I am full hale and can reach into the Sea without pain. To do otherwise places all at risk. I - must warn Mal, but I know not - where I shall go." He picks up his spoon and dips another bite of the soup.

Zeke relaxes somewhat at this promise, but shrugs at the question of where Seldan should go to. "The clericss here ssuggesst Ecclesia, but the choisse thisss one would leave to you. It mussst be sssome-plasce that isss not here. A plasce where you can be lossst among the people. There are few enough plasces like that, but thisss one would alssso sssuggesst it be a plassce that you have not been to of resscent."

"Then I shall think on it, and prepare to leave as soon as I may." Seldan takes another bite or two of soup before going on. His hand is gradually starting to shake more as he continues to hold himself upright with his other hand behind him, but he seems determined now. "I would - have it known that I depart the city, though not where, that questions might be asked does another seek to pose as me."

The blue-scale huffs at Seldan. "Sseldan. Thisss one will do ass you sssay, but you musst not pusssh your-ssself sso. Or you will not heal." He says this firmly and holds his claw out for the spoon. "Thisss one can finisssh what you have begun." Layers in that statement. Layers upon layers.

Seldan raises his eyes, and even pale and haggard as he is, defiance still shines in the ice-blue eyes. "I - dare not be defenseless, with one I cannot trust so near. I know that she must be spoken to cautiously, lest I be known ...."

And then, he slumps back to the pillows abruptly, the arm holding him upright giving way. "Agh!" He squeezes his eyes shut, every muscle going tense.

All of this, all of it, had gone too far. He had, he berated himself, been too preoccupied. "Then you leave to-night." Zeke says firmly, he picks up the tray and sets it to the side and helps Seldan into a more relaxed position. "Thisss one will sssee to it. There isss no-thing elssse to be done. You are right. You are of all of usss the leassst protected here now. It isss too sssoon, but better now than too late. Thisss one will take care of it."

Seldan aids with the untwisting him as well as the blanket, and pulls the blanket up over his shoulders, food forgotten for the moment. "I shall aid as I may." Pain lances across his features again, and he leaves his eyes closed. "I - cannot stay here."

"Husssh and resst. Thisss one will have it taken care of." The trip would likely be unpleasant for Seldan, but it was necessary. "Thiss one goess even now." He rose to his feet, picking up the tray and everything else with it. It would not do for Seldan to have more in his stomach to be sick with. And he suspected that the trip would not be an easy one by any means. He stopped at the door to look at Seldan, worry in his green eyes, but he soon left.

-End