Hex 09

That was not quite the reaction she had been expecting. Helmine stared at Siri for a time. "Sums and language," she said, carefully, narrowing her eyes. Siri had somehow just thrown her a challenge. Why wasn't she doubtful? It was part of the fun for Helmine, and this... girl just took everything at face value like this? She lowered her wounded hand and stared.

"That's why you're good at the language here, then." Siri cocked her head. Clearly something was expected of her, but what? She certainly wasn't offering to find the young woman a job, not until she knew her better.

Okay. This was not going to happen, was it. A twisted smile appeared and disappeared in short order, signalling her surrender. "Could use more instruction," Helmine said, sounding only a little disappointed and more matter-of-factly again.

"Oh! I'll help if I can. When I'm not working with Delmira and Guep."

"Thank you," Helmine said, wondering if it was just best to surrender completely. There was no way to win this girl, right? Or was this just the kidnapped's syndrome speaking? Whatever the case, she flashed a faint smile and looked away. It made her look cranky, but she usually was.

"Are you too tired now?" Siri paused slightly too long before 'tired'. The general grumpy demeanour hadn't escaped her. "I can go now and see you in the morning."

She shook her head and placed the cream on floor just next to the bed, pondering. "Can't write," she muttered. "May have to repeat things, you. Is fine?"

"Of course."

Siri did look like the type to be annoyingly patient. Well, obviously.

"Oh, good." Then she launched into a series of questions. She wanted to know 1) word orders in different sentence and clause types 2) words for certain things 3) and especially words related to Siri's craft. Helmine had developed a nearly paranoid fear of either of those quacks doing something irreversible and stupid. Usually she was just worried about the stupid part.

The half-elf wasn't going to let Siri get away easily, either.

Siri, in turn, got a few looks at the hand in exchange - both with the naked eye and through these healers' so-called Quigley state - whenever one of them needed a rest from the language lesson.

She'd perched next to Helmine on the bed for the duration. Each time she dipped in and out of that trance state those little lights came back and she seemed completely out of it. Indeed, a firm shove would probably knock her flat.

It was probably no surprise that the missing bit of the arm was slowly extending toward the elbow. Helmine hadn't noticed it yet, but it was probably only a matter of time before she did. Right now she seemed far more interested in the language. To her credit, she did figure out parts of where she'd been going wrong. The trance state did not interest her all that much.

It was all very worrying. She kept coming back to that dead area. It was like knocking your feelers against a brick wall; if she hadn't known the hand was there...

And to confirm Siri's worst fears, the spread of the paralysis had not stopped. Only slowed down.

Outwardly, she kept her demeanour reasonably upbeat. You learned to do that. Helmine was picking up words fast and if it was a little like being interrogated by a bailiff, well, at least in some way Siri was being useful. It made her feel better, at least.

Helmine remained interested in the language first, so she did not pick up on the change in Siri's behaviour. It was not certain if she would have picked it up even otherwise, largely because Helmine didn't give a tinker's damn about adults.

"I should practice with the children," she mumbled.

"That's a good idea. Tell them stories, or get them to tell you some..."

Siri broke off, suddenly worried exactly what Helmine would consider suitable stories for young people. But she was a teacher too, right? As well as someone who got into magic-aided brawls. All right, so that was still worrying.

Necrosis, nothing had been simple since leaving home. She decided to leave it, for once.

"That sounds good," she said and nodded, even smiling a little instead of looking cranky. The thought persisted a little longer, but: "Tomorrow. Too late."

"Yes." Siri stood and picked up the ubiquitous satchel.

"I understand the old quack now?" Helmine asked, just to see what kind of reaction she got from Siri. In spite of herself, though, the half-elf felt a little more relaxed. That was suspicious to her.

Siri pursed her mouth and didn't seem to know what, if anything, in particular Helmine was referring to.

"Which one of them might you be talking about?" she said rather distantly, unconsciously twisting and turning her shoulder strap.

"Her or him. Either. Both." It was fishing, but even so, Helmine stared at Siri, egging herself to be suspicious and wary of the healer. It was no good becoming too attached to someone so... blue-eyed.

She sighed. "Yes, hopefully. Don't be afraid of asking them to repeat or explain things." Siri couldn't work out how to say what she'd been going to add, so left it at that.