Hunting Thingamajigs

"I don't know," Khaat said quietly, working. She found huge, deep bleeding wounds on the girl's throat. Her vocal cords had been cut. Kaat didn't have the skill to repair them. It was likely she would never speak again. Her father might be able to regenerate them, but she could not. The woman connected with Khaat's eyes. She imediately began to see a vision. To see what the girl intended her to see. It was so horrifying that Khaat froze. Utterly froze. This was not what they came here for. She simply turned and walked away. Walked outside into the rain.

Michael frowned. He'd never seen Khaat walk away from a critically ill patient before. He watched as she stood still not far from the entrance to the cave, just standing in the rain. Brian moved in to take over for Khaat. He had never seen her walk away like that either. But he knew her seers powers had been activated. The girl, whoever she was, was a seer.

Jim watched Khaat and saw Brian and Michael follow her " wonder what got into her?" he asked cassidy shrugged her shoulders.

" not seen her like that before " she said and tended the girls neck bandaging it best she knew how since she was not a healer. Jim helped as Jack stood close by watching the others by the entrance. Jim stood up and walked over to Brian.

" whats wrong?" he asked " she looks terrified " he said softly so she would not hear though for a seer that was impossible. He slipped his hands into his pockets and took out his pipe lighting it he smoked it gently trying not to seem worried over what Khaat had seen as he knew by the look on her face she had seen something.

Brian set healing spells into place and healed the girl's neck as best he could before Cassidy bandaged it. He had to finish stabilizing her condition and setting spells in place to regenerate the blood that she'd lost. The girl look at Brian and moved her fingertips. They brushed against the pocket of his pants. He automatically reached down and took two of her fingers in his. He noticed she had an odd dark reddish scarab ring on her index finger. And in the stone was carved some odd rune. A rune he'd never seen before. She slipped into sleep, clinging to him.

Michael went outside to Khaat. "What did you see?" he asked her softly, putting a rain poncho over her. She didn't speak at first.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "It won't come to pass. Did you briing any firewhiskey?"

"Certainly," he replied. "Come inside, and we'll open a bottle." She hesitated. He put his arm around her and drew her against him. He kissed her cheek. "Come on. Come inside." He brought her inside and took her back to the chairs and helped her to a chair. He fetched a bottle of firewhiskey and poured a glass for her. She sipped at it.

"What did you see?" Brian came over and asked her. "It might be helpful."

"No, it won't be. It's her own madness," Khaat said. "Its not worth the bother. Her mind isn't what it should be. Its not a place any of us should go."

"Then don 't connect with her," Brian said.

"I won't," Khaat said, sipping again on her firewhiskey.

Cassidy saw the movement the girl did and looked at Brian seeing he was not bothered by it she continued to watch over the girl. Jim moved back with Khaat and sat quiet watching her and the girl Jack staid at the entrance watching for any one who might be ether searching for the girl or hunting her his eyes and nose helping him though the rain was keeping all scents down and he wished it would stop so he could tell more. Jim sat back in hi chair and listen to Khaat he was glad when she told them she would not link with the girl .

Khaat sipped silently at her firewhiskey, feeling somehow they were not alone. A cold breeze began to flow lightly through the cave. Khaat recognized it. It seemed comforting somehow. MIchael picked up the very very slightest aroma of turkish cologne.

"The map," the faintest of whispers began to swirl around Cassidy's head. "The map. Translate the map....the map...."

Khaat had heard nothing. She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes, as Michael took the apple pasties off the fire and put them on a platter. "Tea is ready. So is dessert," Michael told them all.

Jim felt the cold and looked at Cassidy who sat frowning " Map?" she said out loud " what map where ?" she asked " hes asking me to translate a map. " she said looking at Khaat and Brian standing she walked over to them then going to Sergio she held out her hand " the map please " she said and staid her ground " there's something on it that needs translating " she said and looked at Khaat " Remus spoke to me just now and told me" she held out her hand waiting as Jack moved beside her.

Sergio handed over the map scroll to her, shrugging. He'd been traveling these areas all his life. The map was the same he always used. Well worn, well traveled. He hadn't heard anyone speaking.

Khaat looked at Cassidy with a slight frown. She hadn't heard Remus speak. Michael saw her frown.

"Its possible," Michael said. "Smell. Smell that? Just a hint of his cologne."

"Oh," Khaat yawned, relaxing. "I hadn't noticed. Okay." Michael smiled. The sound of the rain, a full stomach and a glass of firewhiskey had helped her to relax while most of the others were alert because of the arrival of the wounded girl. He was going to just let her relax. If she could sleep, then, so much the better.

Angus rose and went over to where Cassidy was unrolling the map. "We're here," he pointed to her. The map was in Spanish. There were many things marked on the map. "This zone is called Red de Mentiras--or, in English we would say the Web of Lies. It includes this entire region around here for many miles. Is that what you're looking for? Sergio, how did it get this name?"

"Ah, the old muggle men say that this area is covered by dark magic. They tell stories that anyone who comes here walks under and into the web of lies and is likely to fall under the spell of the land. They are likely to either tell lies or to be lied to. Unless they have magic powerful enough to defy the spells here. But it is just an old muggle tale. Why do you ask?" Sergio asked.

Cassidy looked down at the map as she rolled it out she couldn't see what it was she had to translate she wished he'd told her more about what it was she had to translate. her eyes scanned the map and her fingers ran over it looking for some hidden message hidden in the map. Jim looked at her and walked over he to could not see anything to translate. Cassidy sighed and continued to look the map over.

" Remus why couldn't you have been specific" she said under her breath. Jim smiled as he slowly looked over at her

Khaat listened to what they were saying, her eyes closed. Remus had never taken anything for granted. Never. Web of Lies....Web of Lies....Web of Lies....it went around in her head. She wondered if the clue was there. She listened to the legend that was told about it. The lies...it had to be there. Then she realized she had told a lie to her friends. The whole bit about the girl being unbalanced. That had been a lie. Khaat had not wanted to deal with what she had seen in her vision. Had she already fallen victim to the Web? And what if the girl's vision itself had been a lie? There was too much about it that wasn't even believeable. She didn't know.

"You've seen what he wanted you to see," Khaat said quietly, her eyes still closed. "We've already entered dangerous territory. We need to be on our toes. The legends might not just be the stories of old muggle men. Remus always believed there was something behind the legends. He was warning us. I think you got what he wanted."

Jim looked at Khaat as she spoke Cassidy looked at her as well " web of lies , like not falling into a web of lies ?" she said and looked at Jim and Brian. Jim looked at Khaat still he wondered what lies could he have meant and walked over to Khaat .

" what lie?" he asked her gently " what was it you saw ?" he touched her hand as he had spoken " if were to know what Remus fully meant we all have to know, if its a warning then honesty is all we have as our defense" he added and looked at Brian, Angus and Sergio.