Drawing her galdr back Erika finished up as best she could, letting the sorcery fade away back into her well, or as much of it as would return of course. Her patient was already breathing easier, the bowl of fetid fluids under her open forearm had coagulated without a steady flow keeping it moving and as Erika watched the faint green tinted foulness seemed almost to shiver.

  “Huh.”

  Once she would have just walked away, once, but she was no longer so innocent.

  “Military Chieftain Pamphilus!” She called out, less than ah heartbeat later Pamphilus pushed his way into the tent followed by Sigurn who had apparently been guardian the door whilst Erika was distracted, it was impossible to tell through the full face mask but the fact he had been waiting outside the impromptu sick room implied he actually cared about this soldier which was perfect because Erika had questions and the goodwill would grease the wheels.

  “I have healed this soldier.” Erika said, trying to speak slowly and clearly without any complex words or slang terms, she may not speak any other tongues but she was bright enough to know what not to do.

  “I thanketh you for yon time.” Pamphilus said his voice was surprisingly not muffled even slightly by the helmet even though the lips of the grotesquely overexaggerated mask were sealed together just like the rest of his armour. Erika assumed it was a Vracian thing maybe even the same thing that let them sleep in heavy armour, but that wasn't the point what was was that Erika could hear the relief in his voice, this wasn't just a leader and soldier, these two were either family or lovers which made the next part easier.

  “It wasn't poison, instead she ate food she shouldn't, I don't know what.”

  “Should not?”

  “Food that is poison to her but not to others, because you are from another realm.” Erika slowly enunciated, watching the man gently buckle up the soldiers gauntlet before opening a slot on her mask and pressing a leather sack’s spout into it, a few gurgling sounds let Erika guess it was one of their famous alchemical concoctions since it definitely didn't smell like water.

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  “The bowl of blood on the floor is bad.” She said simply watching the Military Chieftain carefully, unfortunately he just seemed no plussed looking between it and her.

  “Yes… it is rotten.” He said slowly, as if he thought Erika hadn't understood, she sighed and decided that was subtle enough for the day.

  “What is that fungus stuff in her blood?”

  The Vracian froze, as still as a statue, like the gods had struck him dead. In the silence Erika continued, her voice rising and becoming less steady as curiosity overwhelmed her.

  “It's a living fungus isn't it? a plant? but it's not just living life, it's living like a person alive, it's got a soul! but not here and since I know where the Vracians came from…. it must be from Vannaheim right? after the vanir left you found something, some plant monster!”

  The Military Chieftain was quiet for a good long time, seconds ticking by awkwardly in the yawning silence, before he turned to Erika and spoke, not in the strange archaic formality or in the looping language from before but instead in a perfect Jarls dialect.

  “Can you cure it, Lady Vitki?”

  Erika’s smile vanished and she sighed and crumbled down into her robe slightly. “No no i can't… but if you have another Vikti check her they might? Some of the older ones have galdr that I can barely understand.”

  Pamphilus shook his head as his shoulder sank. “No Lady Vitki, even your elders failed to destroy the lotus infestation… it was merely a wild hope that you might do the impossible.”

  “... how did she get something like that affecting her?” Erika asked but was shocked to hear Pamphilus laugh, a quiet groan like laugh but one all the same.

  “She didn't Lady Viki, we all have it, everyone in Vanaheim does.”

  Pamphilus turned back towards the bed and, uncorking a vial from his waist, dropped a few drops in the bowl which began to smoke, seconds later colourless flames roared up consumed the rotting fluids and faded away, only then did he turn back to Erika who wa still open mouthed.

  “I see your elders did not tell you? We sought their help shortly after we arrived in your realm… after study they told us only Helsdottir had the power to free us from our curse.”

  Erika could barely wrap her head around the horror of that much power being needed, what empires must have fallen to this fungus, what realms must it have destroyed, if Helsdottir was the only cure to this. She barely noticed as Pamphilus handed her another gauntlet full of sparkling gems and ushered her out of the tent.