Again, Latgalay had been trying to scry, and again, she had failed. Frustrated, she looked up. Someone rapped impatiently at the door. A welcome break from futility. A week had passed since the raid had left. And other than Kainis, she had had few other visitors. Though she did not think that this new visitor was her. Kainis was far more subdued with her entry. And whoever was at the door, was already knocking once more.

“It is your chief,” the voice called from outside. “Will you require me to stand about all morning, or shall you let me in?”

Latgalay opened the door to find Chief Jaxtos without his retinue, without his poet, and without his warriors. The chief hurried in, checking over his shoulder to make sure that no one had seen him arrive. Not that it was likely, as Karreki’s nest was well outside of the tribe proper, out in the forest, closer to the spirits, as Karreki called it.

“Is there a matter?” Latgalay asked, wondering if Jaxtos thought he were pursued.

“Yes,” Jaxtos said plainly.

Latgalay quickly assumed the worst. Several scenarios ran through her mind. Perhaps Jaxtos had come to throw Latgalay out from the tribe? Or perhaps to send her off to start her apprenticeship anew? Or perhaps, even worse, he had come to bed her as though she were a common sow?

Jaxtos interrupted her speculation. “I have waited too long, and I can wait no longer. You know Karreki’s magics? Her herbs?” Jaxtos asked.

Latgalay nodded, but unsure of what Jaxtos was requesting. It appeared he had an arrangement with Karreki that had escaped Latgalay’s attention, and suddenly, Latgalay was wondering both why and how. Keeping any arrangement with the chief secret would be difficult in the least, with how close Latgalay was kept to Karreki.

Jaxtos took off his mantle of furs and started undressing. “Good, then let us begin.”

Latgalay blushed at the sight of Jaxtos’s naked skin. What did he want? He could not have been sleeping with Karreki…Or could he have? He had seemed fond and lenient to Karreki several times over what a druid was due...But Karreki was so old and shriveled and, well, gross.

Jaxtos waited for a second before prompting. “Well, cast your spells girl. I cannot stand naked all day, although you may wish I do.”

“I do not,” Latgalay assured him.

“Well then?” Jaxtos asked. “Get on with it girl.”

After another period of silence, with Jaxtos increasingly becoming more and more agitated, and with Latgalay more and more unsure of what he wanted, she finally asked, “What is it you need?”

“Did not Karreki instruct you on her affairs?” Jaxtos asked.

Latgalay shrugged.

“Then she kept my secrets well,” Jaxtos said. “Though I did not expect her to keep this from her apprentice, who would fill her absence…” He paused, before licking his lips. “I have needs.”

Latgalay shuddered. “With the crone?” She whispered.

“Not like that girl!” Jaxtos looked ill. “No, I have stiff joints from age. It is difficult to rise in the morning, let alone perform my duties as chief.”

“Is that all?” Latgalay asked. “Arthritis I can treat.” And what Latgalay left unsaid, is that arthritis is nothing shameful, especially not for a chief. She believed that the chief picked up on the unsaid context.

“...And I have difficulties...performing in bed as well…” Jaxtos finally said, after several awkward pauses.

“Ah.” Latgalay said.

“Do not judge me girl!” Jaxtos near shouted. “The women are not as skilled as they once were. It is not my fault.”

Latgalay said nothing for a moment, considering how to relax the obviously upset chief. She wanted the chief to support her position within the tribe, and alienating him now would do her no favors. So she ignored the fact that the chief blamed his women for his impotence and invirility.

“This I can aid you with,” Latgalay said. “And with great discretion. But as Karreki kept discretion, I am unfamiliar with how she treated your...issues. Though I do know several allievements myself. May I ask how she treated you?”

“You think me an expert on the crone’s craft?” Jaxtos said, calming down, though still on edge. “She cast her spell and used her power, and everything worked well for several days following...but the problems always returned.”

“What sort of spells?” Latgalay asked, moving to a pantry stocked with herbs. “Did she cast incantations, or stuff you full of bitters?”

“Both,” Jaxtos said. “And she gave me a balm as well.”

Latgalay cataloged the ingredients as she placed a jar of bear grease on the table. She did not know any spells to cure arthritis. And no medicine could permanently cure the bones or joints. So Latgalay did what Karreki had probably done, and she put a pinch of aconite into a palmful of grease. Her fingers tingled where the grease smeared onto her skin. The mixture would numb, but not cure the pain.

“Rub this on your joints when they ache,” Latgalay said as she wiped her hands clean, before moving on to crafting a tincture.

“Would you not rub this in for me?” Jaxtos asked, sounding almost sly.

Latgalay froze. Did he mean he wanted her to touch him? What would be in this for her? After several such panicked thoughts, she finally got her wits about her.

“You mean you let Karreki rub this into your skin for you?” Latgalay asked, hiding her smile at the thought of Karreki’s skeletal hands upon Jaxtos.

Jaxtos apparently imagined the same thing, and he shuddered.

After a length of time, he asked, “And for my other...issue?”

“The impotence?” Latgalay asked plainly.

Jaxtos scowled and started to retort, when Latgalay interrupted him by handing him a tincture that she had prepared, made of redleaf, syrup, and a touch of lead.

“Drink this an hour prior to your duties, and perhaps eat an oyster or two,” She said.

He took the incture and the ointment, and then stood there waiting. Latgalay raised her eyebrows after a bit, and he coughed. “Karreki also used her soitos to grant me relief.” He said.

“Ah.”

Latgalay took a moment to think of what spell or rune that the crone might have used, but none came to mind. Most of the druid’s work, if not through runes, was in nudging a spirit to action. Karreki’s guiding spirit was of the earth, specifically, the ground beneath their feet. There was not a way to turn that spirit to healing impotence or aching joints, at least not that Latgalay could think of. And even if there were such a way, Latgalay did not have access to the spirit that Karreki communed with. However, Jaxtos expected a treatment of soitos, despite the fact that Latgalay had none to give. This presented a problem for Latgalay, but she had an idea of the deception required.

“Then hold still,” Latgalay said. “You shall likely feel this.” She began chanting a string of powerful words, representing the ideas of runes, which sounded like what a spell might sound like, if Karreki were to cast one.

“Drutos kiwok talos,” She said, as she pushed a fraction of her soitos into a tendril of dusjos and with that dusjos delved into Jaxtos’ flesh. She saw impurities lining the walls of his veins, but ignored them. Her intention was not to examine him, but to let him feel the dusjos enter his flesh. And indeed, he shivered and had goosebumps wherever her dusjos traveled.

“And it is finished,” Latgalay said as she pulled her dusjos back within herself, reclaiming most of the soitos she had spent.

He flexed and stretched, and winced. “It does not seem to have worked,” He said. “The aches and stiffness are still there.”

“Then use the ointment,” Latgalay said. She was not pleased that her ruse had not been bought completely, but she could not back down from the path now, as she would look like an utter fraud and fool. “As I do not know how Karreki treated you, and as you could not tell me exactly either, then this is the best approximation I can provide,” she decided to add, hedging in case he did wisen up to the ruse.

Jaxtos stared at her, his eyes boring into her. Latgalay remained calm, forcing herself to remain still. She could not falter now, not that she had the attention of the chief. “Very well,” Jaxtos finally said.

As he redressed himself, he took note of the scrying bowl on the table.

“You have been following my son’s progress on the raid?” Jaxtos asked with interest.

Latgalay paused and considered her options once more. If she were to claim Karreki’s position, then she would have to perform Karreki’s role. And part of that role was scrying. However, as before, Latgalay had found no success. She decided the best course of action, which was once again, deception.

“I have,” Latgalay said.

“And what word do you have?” Jaxtos asked. “How far are they? Have they plundered the first town yet? How full are their coffers? Are they sending a herd back north for a suitable feast?”

Latgalay winced as she thought. If she had to give answers, then she should keep them vague, and believable.

“They have yet to reach the wall,” she said. “And are still navigating the hills and swamps.”

“But it has been a week!” Jaxtos said. “Surely they have breached the wall already.”

“They are slowed by the crone Karreki,” Latgalay said, adding a shrug. It made sense to her.

“That...makes sense,” Jaxtos finally said. “Perhaps we should have sent you instead, though I am sure Karreki had her reasons.” He finished with a frown. After a bit, he asked “When will they reach the wall then? Have they passed the standing stones?”

“Perhaps if Karreki wasn’t slowing them down then they would have,” Latgalay answered, not completely sure which standing stones he referred to.

“Show me,” Jaxtos commanded. Latgalay’s heart pounded. In her mind, she screamed several obscenities in the space of a second, and all before checking herself.

“Would that I could,” she answered. “But my power to scry is in the eyes of the caster, which are mine only.”

“With my own eyes, Karreky has shown me images in the bowl many times,” Jaxtos said. “How is it then that you cannot show me the same?”

“I...am not as powerful nor as skilled as Karreki,” Latgalay muttered, hating to admit a deficiency, though she could find no way around it. “Her scrying was more powerful than my own, and will continue to be so, until I face the mists myself and bind a spirit.”

Jaxtos frowned and watched Latgalay carefully for several long seconds that left Latgalay wondering if her lies had been bought. Finally, he spoke. “It is likely that you will begin receiving many more visitors from the tribe. Many have waited without Karreki’s spells and mixtures for too long. Now that I have been serviced adequately, I shall speak to your competence and encourage the chaff to take their problems to you.”

Latgalay had wondered why the tribe had stopped coming by. Before Karreki had left on the raid, they had had frequent visitors, and they had had many foul and pungent mixtures to prepare, which Karreki had Latgalay prepare as practice. This made it all the more ironic and foolish that the visitors had stopped because of their lack of confidence in Latgalay’s alchemy. If there was one thing Latgalay was truly skilled in, it was the mixtures. Though she thought she had many more skills besides that. Truthfully, she was irritated that villagers had lacked faith in her abilities. And also truthfully, she was not overly eager to make balms and tinctures for the rest of the tribe.

Even if it broke the boredom, she had better diversions for her time, than aiding some sheepherder or weaver.

Jaxtos spoke once again, breaking her thoughts. “Keep an eye on the raid. When my son reaches the wall, notify me directly. I shall wish for a detailed telling of his glory.”

And with that, chief Jaxtos left, and Latgalay was once more alone in the nest. And once more, Latgalay attempted to scry, for she knew her deception would not be bought forever, and she would have to deliver truthful accounts of the raid eventually. Else she would be cast out as a charlatan when the raid returned with the actual word of their actions.

“Deikoh mois Karreki. Deikoh mois Trexnos,” She chanted as she pushed a tendril of dusjos into the water. The water rippled, and she almost thought she felt something click, but nothing happened, and no visions appeared.

“Deikoh mois!” But again, nothing but the slightest ripple. But then, at the bottom of the bowl, a slight haze was forming, almost a fog. Latgalay strained her eyes, but she still found nothing.