EXCOLO

There's a rippling and shifting of fur and---

"They don't," I am up and around the space, settling my coat around Lannie's naked form before my mind can even process what just happened seconds ago. "She's not dead, but it happened today." I am rubbing my hands up and down her arms, trying to warm her when she announces that, and I raise my eyes to meet Glass' from behind Lannie. Oh, I do hate this part of the job.

"I'm taking it for happening rather longer ago than that, but given Verdi suppose I could be mistaken." Well, that's... for Glass that's downright tactful. I point to a small crate behind her, because she clearly needs to sit down on something, then go back to trying to get Lannie warm, settling myself behind her and pulling her closer.

"It only happened today, how long're the two of you down here afore that?" Looking down at Verdi, I could believe that it's only been hours, but she is... was... a goddess. Maybe things work different.

"It's Monday, Lannie." I say quietly. "March 8th... and I haven't seen you in the bar since last Wednesday at the least... and honey..." My eyes meet Glass' again and I take a deep breath. "Lannie, I'm sorry honey but Verdi's gone."

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"I'm taking it for happening rather longer ago than that, but given Verdi suppose I could be mistaken."

I don't think Glass would lie, but I've been here and it wasn't that long ago. Can she smell something I can't?

Glass asks how long we've been down here and my head tilts slightly. "Maybe a day?" Not enough time has passed for it to be longer than ...

My back stiffens when Lucien sits behind me. Please don't try to keep me here. Please, please, please.

"It's Monday, Lannie. March 8th..."

Huh? Shaking my head, I look around like something in this room is going to prove we've only been here for a day.

"I haven't seen you in the bar since last Wednesday at the least... and honey... Lannie, I'm sorry honey but Verdi's gone."

"The door was locked, I couldn't get out" I say more to myself than anyone else. "But look at her!" I can feel warm tears slide down my cheeks. "I didn't... I couldn't...." I stammer.

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"Maybe a day?" and-- no, dammit, from the first I felt anything it felt old. Light rising and falling, time gone past. Consider Verdi, mouth drawing down. Damn gods. If she's done this afore and's saving up time of her death to have it all spilling out now or some ragged nonsense, I'm after being bloody annoyed.

Lucien waves at something behind me and I glance over, straighten and go sit down. Suppose this is only going to get worse with time, and hope this summer's quieter than the last. His time for seeing Lannie's close to a match for mine, I think. And let him set it out, think he'll have a gentler touch than me. Trying to recall what I know of minding the dead in Verdi's tradition. Fire and ships and maybe cairns...

"But look at her!" and Lannie's weeping. "I didn't... I couldn't...." All the world falling to pieces. Damn gods.

"If you used her knife, you maybe could," I say, thinking of the ice-slick cut and trying to help. "Know that when she took after Tez with it and he tried gutting himself, she was worried it might actually matter. Could see it being a thing that'd kill a god."

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"The door was locked, I couldn't get out. But look at her! I didn't... I couldn't...." Lannie's trembling and the tears have started, and I pull her close with one arm while I stroke her hair with my free hand.

"If you used her knife, you maybe could, know that when she took after Tez with it and he tried gutting himself, she was worried it might actually matter. Could see it being a thing that'd kill a god."

I look at Glass, thinking I should get that story from her, but that's for another day. Right now...

"Gods can die Lannie. Trust me, I know; watched one die right before my eyes." I sigh, taking a moment to rake hair from my face. "Can you tell us what happened?" I ask gently, hoping shock does not set it.

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Lucien's arm tightens, making me want to get free. What if he's just tricking me to keep me here until the sheriff comes? There's no threat coming from either of them, I'll worry about it later if I have to.

Glass mentions the knife, reminding me that its laying next to the grave where I left it. My eyes widen when I look at it, "Did it shrink?" It seems the right size, but smaller than it was when I pulled it out of her.

"Gods can die Lannie. Trust me, I know; watched one die right before my eyes. Can you tell us what happened?"

I look at him in disbelief. How can the present die? Or wind, night, earth, or whatever it is they're made of. No wonder he's not freaking out. Taking a deep breath, I begin, " I came down here to get a couple of kegs. She was in here, wanted a fight and got one," I say hearing the edge of a growl to my tone. "She said I couldn't kill her. I didn't want to at first."

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"Did it shrink?"

"Don't know," I say, considering Verdi. Need to mind her, but not sure how much I should do towards taking her away from here yet. There's some measure of sound intent behind what was done, can tell that. "How big was it?"

Look up curious a moment when Lucien's making mention of a god dying, then recall what that was about. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"I came down here to get a couple of kegs. She was in here, wanted a fight and got one," Lannie says. "She said I couldn't kill her. I didn't want to at first."

Sniff a little, and thinking Verdi must have caught a surprise, way it's been described. Probably not an over-long one. "More of what you mentioned afore, then?" I say. Consider Verdi, still lying there, and get to my feet and cross to the grave again, restless. Recall something vague of indentured folk being burnt along with the dead, and bloody well hope she'd not expected that.

"Guessing that happened close after you went down the stairs--what day was that?" I interrupt myself. "And chalk it up to strangeness of the Tavern that I didn't tell before now. Well, then. As she's dead," since Lannie seems a touch more together now, "can at least see to her. And if she takes after doing what some of them do and comes back, 'll worry about the trouble that does to the dead when she does it."

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Lannie seems surprised at the size of the knife, and I start to worry about shock again, but Glass seems to take it in stride.

"I came down here to get a couple of kegs. She was in here, wanted a fight and got one," Lannie says. "She said I couldn't kill her. I didn't want to at first."

"More of what you mentioned afore, then?" I look up in surprise. "What? It's happened before?" I ask, looking from Glass to Lannie. "Was Verdi in the habit of attacking people for fun?" I suppose I should not be surprised... but... Sunshine. I can't imagine a mean bone in her body.

Glass is all business now, asking after the day again as she circles the body.

"Well, then. As she's dead, can at least see to her. And if she takes after doing what some of them do and comes back, 'll worry about the trouble that does to the dead when she does it."

I am not sure Lannie needs to know the all the details of Glass' calling right now, so I try to change the subject. "Lannie, c'mon. Why don't we go upstairs, get you a hot shower and something to eat? It'll help, I promise."

Edited Date: 2010-12-27 02:21 am (UTC)

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"How big was it?"

Shrugging slowly, I answer, trying to remember how big it was. "It was a little bigger than a knife but when I pulled it out of her, it was more like a ....sword?" Picking it up, it even feels lighter now. I feel sick when it occurs to me that it probably feels lighter because its not jammed into her chest. I heard her heartbeat stop.

"What? It's happened before?" Lucien seems surprised, I was too. "Not like this," I gesture to the grave, Glass is now near. I shake my head again, resisting Lucien's suggestion about going upstairs. "Tuesday," I say vaguely, "Its Tuesday or Wednesday." What day did they say they thought it was again? "What are you going to do with her?" I ask, tensing up a little. Something about her being so close to Verdi and talking about seeing to her and the dead makes me bristle some. "She's not dead if she comes back, right?" I look from one to the other. Hopefully one of them will know.

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"What? It's happened before?"

"Not like this," and I shrug, thinking of Pelan and Lewis McKay. And Iago. Oh, love, how are you going to take this?

"She--" How to put it? "Every time I could get details out of her or someone who talked to her, she had a reason," I say. "Not saying they were all good ones."

"Tuesday. Its Tuesday or Wednesday," Lannie says a little dazedly. "What are you going to do with her? She's not dead if she comes back, right?"

"It's Monday," I say bluntly. "And Lucien's idea of a hot shower and some food is probably a good one." I sigh, both hands in the small of my back, and try and stretch. Rather hoping I can get a hand moving her upstairs, but not after asking Lannie.

"I'm going to at least clean her, and take her sins, and see if there's anything she'd need in the way of her body being minded. And while I'm not saying she's not coming back, that is her corpse, and can't very well just leave her lying around."

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"Not like this,"

"She-- Every time I could get details out of her or someone who talked to her, she had a reason, Not saying they were all good ones."

The more they talk, the more worried I get. "Did she hurt you? Others?" I shake my head, trying to make sense of it. "How long has this been going on?" First Benedict attacking her, now this.

Lannie insists it's last week, before getting defensive about Verdi again. Glass... oh hell, tactful as usual informs her flatly its Monday, and urgers her upstairs again.

"I'm going to at least clean her, and take her sins, and see if there's anything she'd need in the way of her body being minded. And while I'm not saying she's not coming back, that is her corpse, and can't very well just leave her lying around."

Yep, as subtle as a sledgehammer to the back of the head.

"Lannie, I don't know how gods work it but..." I leave off of her to cross to Verdi and crouch down next to the body. I check her pulse, listen to her chest, all for show. She's gone, we all know it, but sometimes the rituals help. I could marvel at the lack of decomposition, but now is not the time. "It is Monday, at least five days after you came down here. Verdi may come back... but it's not going to be to this body."

I stand up and hold my hand out to her. "Please. Come upstairs. You don't have to stay here, you can come stay with me, if you'd like." I offer, small smile.

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"She-- Every time I could get details out of her or someone who talked to her, she had a reason, Not saying they were all good ones."

I cock my head at her wondering what she's trying to say. Then Lucien chimes in, concerned. "Did she hurt you? Others? How long has this been going on?"

"Not long," I say quickly, wondering which one is gonna tell me its been longer than I think it has. Then my head snaps back to Glass. Its a good idea for who? Her or me? I know I'm not going anywhere. And what's she gonna do...TAKE from her? "She liked dirt", I say, picking up the sword --it immediately feels like an extension of my arm -- and moving towards the hole, on guard now. Nobody's taking anything. "Verdi's sins, or whatever you called them, are hers and she should keep them," I growl, looking at Lucien. His hand is stretched out to me and his smile is warm. Like hers was. I killed her. My stomach churns and twists and I almost throw up at the taste of her blood on my tongue.

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"She liked dirt," Lannie says, picking up the blade. Keep an eye on that. "Verdi's sins, or whatever you called them, are hers and she should keep them."

"She did," I say mild. "Also she liked apples, sunshine, mead, and company. And there's maybe something t'be said for keeping in mind how she thought the dead ought be treated, in all the time she lived." Think of Iago again, and my mouth draws down. "Not t'mention giving those who minded her a chance t'say farewells while she's not in the dirt surrounded by dead candles." Cross my arms and consider her. I'm out of reach of the blade as it stands, but didn't she mention it growing...?

"As to her sins, it's no kindness to insist she rest uneasy. She knew what I was and never asked me to keep off her. And neither her nor those she minded ever set particular store by keeping their scars."

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Well, this is going swimmingly. Lannie is growling about dirt and Verdi keeping her sins as she stands guard over the body. Naked save my coat settled about her shoulders. And looking a little green now.

Glass stands her ground, laying out her duties to the dead. To the woman standing guard with a blade that can grow, apparently.

To the naked woman.

To the naked woman that was just a wolf a few moments ago.

To the naked werewolf that I happened to have had...

right. If I don't break this up, something terrible will happen. Most likely that I will start laughing like a loon, for if this isn't a Wagnerian opera, I don't know what is.

"Okay, that's it." I announce, smiling a tad too broadly, standing up. "This is getting us nowhere. Lannie, she can't stay here. You are not staying here. You are coming with me to get some clothes and some food, and then we can all discuss this, together." I say pointedly to both women, then knowing full well I will have to move quick before she realizes it to fight me too much, I go to pick up Lannie and throw her over my shoulder. Shouldn't be too hard, she hasn't eaten in days....

Edited Date: 2010-12-30 03:10 am (UTC)

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