Fafnersvik [Sumiko,Nima and Thurion]

[Coci Heavenshield]

The Village Mead Hall​

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She had left her beloved [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] sleeping. A fitful sleep and she knew it would take some time before he would rest at ease. She did not wish to leave him, but she is restless and does not want to wake him, some sleep is better than nothing. She leaned over and placed her lips to his forehead, "I love you", she whispered so softly that only the Gods of Midvinter would hear her words.

Coci dressed, her body aching with the physical exhaustion, muscles protesting as they are forced to move. She can feel her strength returning, the force would see to that, but it will take time. No longer in need of armour, she walks from the room into the main area of the mead hall in only a white smock, bare footed and her hair disheveled. Nothing like a Jedi Master does she look.

The fire in the central hearth crackles and spits issuing much needed warmth throughout the room. Coci moves to one of the long seats to sit to warm her hands. Her mind not a rest, the images of the battle still fresh and will be for some time. Sleep is no escape .. not yet.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

Spoiler

[member="Nima Tann"], if you would like to join this thread .. Please do!

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]


Apparently she was not dead, though her head bloody hurt. All in all, she looked like hell. It also seemed like the Jedi had not taken her sentient blade, which was nice. Sleep had come, but true rest had eluded her. "Consorting with the deluded forces of self-righteousness? I am not pleased." A stab of pain shot through her mind. Perhaps caused by the headache, perhaps by the sword.


"I had my reasons, and, lest we forget, I am your wielder. Long as they pay me well. Once they do, we're off."


"Materiel profit? How quaint and cheap. For a moment I had thought better of you. If they are true Jedi, they will cut you down. Isn't it their mandate to slaughter all darksiders, though they have done a very sloppy job, as they always do. The undead could have been yours, so could the relic."


"Right, a sentient and presumably eldritch abomination relic would definitely be something I could command. Amusing, I remember not so long ago you giving me a lecture about all your past wielders were undone by delusions of grandeur."


"So certain you are that you are stronger and wiser than they are. Without my power, the relic would have crushed your mind and left you a vegetable. Mindless, insiginificant, hollow. A mere shell of your self. You will not be my wielder forever. One day, you will pass away like all the others."


"And hopefully you won't languish for a couple millennia in a tomb again. And I suppose you've forgotten the simple tactical advantage that can be gained by being on something like cordial terms with these Jedi. It helps not to be wanted in every corner of space."


"I see. Perhaps you are learning." Sumiko slipped on what seemed to be a gown the healers had left for her, then left the room, though her body ached with every move she made and her muscles protested strongly. At least she no longer looked like a frostbite victim about to freeze to death. Dressed only in a gown, feet bare and her long dark hair rather dishevelled, she walked into the mead hall. Here there warmth as the fire in the hearth burnt brightly. Her Force Senses were weakened from her exertions and she was tired, but she soon saw that she was not alone.

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

It didn't take long for him follow his beloved to the warmth of the fireplace. The moment she slipped out of bed he stirred; he need to be close to her in times like these - times of healing. The lives lost during wartime would always take a heavy toll on his spirit, at which point he drew strength from his loved ones. Not bothering to put on a shirt, he grabbed a pair of pants and pulled up one leg, then the other. It took longer than usual due to his every muscle hurting, as if he'd worked out for an entire day and now suffered the consequences. Only the real reason was much worse.

Striding out into the main hall he soon laid eyes on Coci by the fire. The entire village was deathly quiet, being the middle of the night. Those who had not sustained any serious injuries had been tasked with burning the remains of the undead scattered about the battlefield. There was no telling whether whatever controlled them would be able to re-establish that control. The following evening was spent celebrating life as well as mourning the dead. Thurion had been present, but didn't share the enthusiasm of his people. He was more asleep than awake during the celebrations despite all the ruckus. Still, he felt it was his duty to keep up appearances.

"There's no use," he spoke softly as he sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her lithe form. "I couldn't sleep anyway," he added while resting his forehead against hers, staring into the alluring flames dancing before them. He didn't bother noticing the presence of another entering the hall, instead reaching for Coci's hand. The wedding ring adorning her finger brought a weary smile to his lips, and proceeded to give it a gentle kiss. "Seems so long ago," he said, referring to the day of their wedding. Since then they'd had a child, and now that child along with Nina was growing up at an alarming rate. He couldn't help but feel like they were about to enter a new stage of their lives as a couple.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

The door opened with a long protracted creaking, Coci look up to see Thurion walking through the door and over to her. She managed a weak smile, knowing he was there and come to find her. As he sat beside her, Coci straightened her back, the aching terrible but not enough to prevent her from moving close to him. As he took up her hand and played with her wedding ring, Coci watched, the smile had not left her face. "It does seem so long ago and much has happened .. some good .. very good and some not so much", yesterday had been one of those. She turned and looked into his face, her hand raised and cupped his cheek while her finger found his skin beneath the beard. "No matter what is thrown at us, no matter what we face through life, we must face it together. That way we will prevail". Life with Thurion simply unthinkable.

The presence of another entering the room was felt through the force. Unknown to her, but a gentle sense that this woman was on the field yesterday, her presence mingled with so many others. But now felt strongly .. it is dark. Strange how this sensation is becoming familiar to her now, considering many within the Coalition that are dark Jedi, although Coci would argue with them over this point, she now understands that they fight for the better, for the good of others. Turning a blind eye? oh yes, but sometimes one has to in order to be able to rally together and fight the fight they all hold important. That of removing the hideous threat that will take the freedom and lives of those that do not deserve it.

She sits holding Thurion's hand tightly, she needs him as much as he needs her, they will heal together. Coci turns her head, to greet the new comer to the Hall. "I will know you name, I know you fought for us yesterday and we are most grateful".

​

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Sumiko Tanaka"] | [member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Coci Heavenshield"], [member="Thurion Heavenshield"], [member="Nima Tann"]


The former Inquisitor did have the power to hide her Force Signature, even to a degree obscure its dark nature, but presently she did not have the energy to conjure up such camouflage. Her aura was a couple degrees darker than Siobhan Kerrigan's and definitely more malevolent. Still, she was not hostile at this juncture and had helped a good deal of the battle.


The presence of two Jedi Masters did make her slightly uncomfortable though. The fact that both of seemed exhausted from the battle provided a measure of security since it meant they would probably not smite her with a blast of holy light. No, she was not a suspicious person at all. Her eyes fell upon the woman first as she put a name to the face, searching her metaphorical memory banks for data. Coci Heavenshield, Jedi Master, married to the Grand Master over there - Jedi dynasties were an entertaining thing - and...former GIA.


Many years ago Sumiko had been a spook in the service of the Atrisian Empire. They had kept tabs on the intelligence service of the Main Enemies. Until an excessive case of hubris and remarkably poor judgement had brought the Empire down. Sumiko cared not, the Empire belonged on the dust bin of history.


"Thank you, Master Heavenshield. Congratulations on winning the battle," she said, with a nod directed towards the bearded Grand Master. Her back aching terribly, she settled down on a couch. "My name is Sumiko Tanaka. I sowed chaos in the minds of the zombie army during the fight, though I cannot claim sole credit. Master Tann was a big asset,"


she cocked her head slightly, wondering for a moment how the Twi'lek was doing. Probably not because she had suddenly discovered compassion. Flames from the fireplace illuminated the room, casting an orange-yellow glow upon her face. "And I may have information you may find interesting...about the nature and origins of the undead." Clipped tone, with a slight Atrisian accent.

 

[Nima Tann]

Tick, tock, tick, tock... She opened her eyes slowly realizing that she had several healers trying to fix her, she thought that she was out cold for a long time, since she absolutely felt like a mess. An absolute mess with no power, to be exact. She couldn't move an inch, she was stuck to the ground, and every part of her was aching. She knew that she enhanced herself with the Force a lot, yet the pain she felt wasn't that easy to pass that she expected. She freaked out to the thought of not moving, as her thoughts were a bit clouded from the recent events and tried to move herself with every effort, yet her situation was like a sleep paralysis, nothing happened whatever methods she tried. One of the healers saw the girl's struggle and tried to calm her down. "Kark it... she wasn't supposed to wake up yet!" Probably it was because the Jedi were highly resistant to drugs. Then her voice turned a calm tone. "You are in the village mead hall, we are healers. We are here to help you, just stay calm and you are going to be able to use the Force again. Calm down." Instructions were clear, yet as they continued to operate on her, she felt more pain. "Just.... be... quick." She said, as she continued to breathe quickly not to feel the immense pain coming from the healing. It was supposed to be healing, right? Because right now it looked more like giving pain. Then, she closed her eyes again to force herself to sleep, give the time to healers to heal her and not deal with her whining right now.

After a couple of minutes, she woke up again, yet this time the healers were nowhere to be seen. It seemed like her healing was done, and the healers went on to do their jobs with the other wounded people. And to be honest, this little relax moment was good for her no matter the pain she took from this healing since she could feel that her strength was a bit back. So, enhancing herself with the Force again, she slowly stood up from her uncomfortable position and took a breath, then started to examine the place, hoping to see familiar faces... Not too time passed as she saw the Masters Heavenshield and Sumiko talking, probably about the relic as well. That was a topic that she was interested in as well, since they had mind raped all that horde for that object which shouted evil and darkness. So she slowly made herself go towards them, besides the fireplace was a cozy place that could help her take away a bit pain she was feeling from enhancing herself again, yet her wheelchair was nowhere to be seen.

Moving a step, and two, she finally arrived to the scene. Well that was a big mead hall, according that there were at least a hundred wounded here and still they had places to sit and relax. So, she made her appearance slowly and bowed her head. "Grandmaster, Master Heavenshield." Then turned to the woman. "Sumiko." Then added. "It's good to see you alive and well. Sorry for dropping you on a dead body back there." The pain wasn't preventing her speech, which was better because she had to stay strong for the sake of being a Master of the Sanctum.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] [member="Coci Heavenshield"] [member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

When they were eventually joined first by [member="Sumiko Tanaka"] followed by [member="Nima Tann"], Thurion did little to appear professional when he greeted them both. "Please, sit," he simply said with a weak smile and gestured to a nearby bench by the fire. "Forgive me for not getting up. Still kinda sore..." That was an understatement, to be sure. "If you caused the undead to turn on each other, then you have my thanks, both of you. We couldn't have done it without you--" He groaned, cutting himself off as he placed a hand on his chest, rubbing it. "Sorry..." Battling the Vinterbound had proven his most taxing challenge, both mentally and physically.

"Anything you can tell us about the undead would help a great deal. My father has no explanation other than the old legends of his people, and those alone are not much to go on." His hand squeezed Coci's for comfort. Her presence made all the difference.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Sumiko Tanaka"] | [member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Nima Tann"] | [member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

​

"I echo the words of Thurion, thank you for your help. I will make sure that you are rewarded for your services. I can arrange for credits to be transferred to your account when I get back to Coalition headquarters", she nodded her appreciation to Sumiko. However, there was further news she had to impart. And by Thurion's reaction, most important intelligence. Coci knows very little of the Vinterbound, save for what she learned only hours ago.

"Nima, it is good to see you, I believe you played a large part in this as well, please come join us and sit down", the two woman looked just as exhausted as Thurion and Coci.

Managing to catch the eye of one of the maidens that serve in the Hall, Coci order some breads and cheeses to accompany a large tankard of water. "Unless you all wish for mead, I think water is more apt for this night". she turned to Thurion with a smile, "I don't think they have blue milk here", she said softly, caressing his hand. Her concern of him and his injuries written on her face, and soon they will be attended too, but for now they rest their souls or at least try.

It did not take long for the food to arrive and was placed on the table they all sat around.

Spoiler

No posting order guys, jump in if you feel the itch

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Coci Heavenshield"], [member="Thurion Heavenshield"], [member="Nima Tann"]


Sumiko gave Nima a tired smile as the Twi'lek entered the room. "Thank you. I would appreciate that. I'll provide the account details later," she said, inclining her head towards Coci. She shifted a bit in her seat, though she winced a bit as a stab of pain shot through her. Suffice to say the past day had been a bit unpleasant. Likewise her arm was still bandaged.


"Water suffices," she spoke softly. She figured she would need a clear head. "As for the Vinterbound, I theorised originally they were the spawn of a dark alchemist of some sort...or maybe an eldritch abomination, a baby Lotek'k. But when I touched their minds in combat to manipulate, I felt the presence and communicated with their true creator. An ancient relic. I cannot say when it was created and where it came from, but it is of Sith origin. It appears to feed on death to strengthen itself, and is what drives them, provides them with direction," at that she took a sip from her glass of water, which felt rather refreshing.


"Without the strings connecting them when they got cut during the battle, the creatures turned utterly mindless. The zombies are mere husks, judging by the presences I felt inside the relic's mind I suspect it consumes their essence, judging by the presences I felt and the screaming voices when I entered its mind." In other words, total body horror.


Of course, maybe one day there would be zombies who evolved beyond this and achieved self-awareness, like their cousins on Denon. Evolution for zombies! Well, if the plot demanded it. "Regardless, the artefact hungers, it has a will and is very powerful. I sought to track its general location during the battle."

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Sumiko Tanaka"] | [member="Nima Tann"]​

​

Taking a plate and placing some bread and cheese on it enough for Thurion and herself, Coci nibbled on a small piece of bread she had ripped from the crust. She listened to Sumiko as she chewed, and a furrowed formed on her brow with each passing word. "That explains their ability to organise on the field and set the ambush, they could not have done so unless guided".

She turned to Thurion, "We must informed the villages to the north and have them construct effective defenses and fortifications until this relic is found or else they will remain vulnerable". Until such time, Midvinter is not safe and would only be a matter of time before they are summon again.

"As best you can, can you tell us the location?", The warriors of Midvinter that 'died' at the hands of the Coalition, still wandering the afterlife between this world and the next, not given the rites of passage to the Otherworld, their spirits still walk the field in search of their path to peace. Until this relic is found and destroyed they will not be allowed to enter the Halls of the Gods. The very thought of it made Coci's stomach churn.

She put the bread down having lost any appetite. Their duty as Jedi and more so to Midvinter, was only just beginning. Coci took Thurion's hand.

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Coci Heavenshield"], [member="Thurion Heavenshield"], [member="Nima Tann"]


Sumiko likewise filled her plate with some bread and cheese. After all, she was understandably very hungry. Cutting her bread, she took a bite before washing it down with some water. Once her mouth was no longer full, she spoke. She was still clearly in a good deal of pain, but her posture and expression remained placid.


"I'm not well-versed in this planet's geography, but I got a glimpse of the relic's location when I touched its mind," she said softly. One might say that she was eeriely calm. "Just need a moment to focus," she took another sip from her glass and then closed her eyes as she concentrated, trying to recall the image that had been imprinted upon her mind. When her eyes fluttered open they were obsidian, gaping wells of nothingness.


"A starship, buried deep beneath the sea underneath freezing water....it is what brought the relic. The air is filled with mist and fog. The forest itself is corrupted, the trees are gnarled and decayed. Nothing grows here without being warped by the relic, even the animals avoid it. Over the howl of the wind, you can still the voices...crying out in pain and madness," she took a deep breath, as she seemed to be in a sort of trance-like state. "I believe it is in the far north, beyond long-destroyed ghost villages."

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion took a bite out of the piece of bread and cheese on his wooden plate. It didn't take long for him to realise he wasn't hungry, but he did happily down the cup of water while listening to the words of Coci and Sumiko repectively. "The villages cannot fend for themselves for long, defenses or no. They don't have the manpower. They'll have to be evacuated; Tháinbroek is the only settlement protected enough to withstand a siege should it come to it." He reached for the tankard of water to refill his cup.

"In either case, it is not for us to decide; the King needs to be told. Father will know the best course of action," he added, eyes gazing upon his wife's face etched in concern. When her hand reached for his, he gave it a gentle squeeze. "Wherever this relic may be hidden, if it's buried beneath the ice then we are ill-equipped to find it. Keeping the people safe should be our primary objective, and should the undead attack while we're out searching for the relic, we run the risk of there not being anyone left to save."

His eyes met Sumiko's sat across the table, and he offered her a greatful nod. "Thank you for bringing this to us, Sumiko. You need not trouble yourself with further assistance in this matter. I'm sure you have other duties to attend to, as do we all." It was hard enough to keep personal feelings towards his homeworld out of the equation as it is. "I will ask Thrand for permission to station some Silvers at the least protected villages to oversee the evacuation."

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Sumiko Tanaka"] | [member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

As they sat at the cozy and warm fireplace together, the discussion wasn't that cozy since it was about a very dark relic. She didn't want to interrupt the woman from giving information since it was a pretty crucial information and could save a lot of lives. As she listened, she understood that she did a good thing helping her find the relic, no matter what method she used to find it since everything was fair in a fight, right? The thought of such a place was a bit creepy, but a dark relic such as that wouldn't be in a place of sunshine and rainbows of course, it would be not logical. Yet there was something else that has been bugging her mind, something that she promised to the woman before this all.

"I believe so too, we need to evacuate the village and place the innocents to another safe location. But we shouldn't keep long finding the relic before the undead rise again and catch us unguarded. We need to find it at once before it's too late." The last word came a bit whisperish, she saw what the relic was capable to do and didn't want to see that again, considering the fact that even the Grandmaster was in a weak situation after battling them. "And... there is one more thing." She said, after stopping and taking a breath from the sudden pain hit her head.

"Sumiko did a very good job finding the relic for us. And I've offered something in return. A payment... a huge one... to be exact. She definitely deserves it." Then added, she was feeling like she did a bad job not reporting this before acting, yet Sumiko was like an exit route for this battle and she had to take that. "I am sorry, Grandmaster. I should have asked you before deciding this. But it seemed like the right thing to do in that time."

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"] [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] [member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"Ah... I see." Thurion stroked his beard as if pondering before looking at Coci, then back at the other two sat at the table. "Well, I don't have my wallet on me at the moment, I'm afraid," he replied jokingly. "You will be compensated for your contribution, Miss Tanaka. Once back on Voss we'll transfer your fee." They didn't have much in terms of actual credits, instead relying on the goodwill of those under their protection. Thurion took another swig of the cup of water, now empty again.

Pressing both palms against the thick wooden table, he slowly pushed himself onto his feet, painstakingly so. "Now, please excuse me. I am in need of rest." He looked to his wife and leaned in to kiss her forehead. There was no need for her to cut things short if she wished to stay up and talk some more. "Thank you, both of you," he then said, offering the two a nod of gratitude before leaving the table and the warmth of the fire for the warmth of the sheets. He felt like an old man.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Sumiko Tanaka"] | [member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

For Coci, she needed rest as well. "Nima, Sumiko thank you both. You efforts on the field was beyond anything we could ask of anyone and Midvinter thanks you. The information you provided most valuable and I will pass on this to the King, I know he will hold you both in high esteem. For now .. go and rest yourselves, there are healers with great ability that will help you, but I need to be with my husband so please excuse me", she said standing up and looked to see Thurion making his way to the side door of the hall, the battle had taking a lot out of him, her as well, both had drained themselves of all force energy to provide the final blow to the undead.

She bowed low to them both, her back aching but she would pay them the respect of equals. Coci caught up with her husband in the hall way, her hand finding his. No words passed their lips but she turned her face up to his and smiled a tired smile. As they reached the door to their humble room, Coci lead him through and to bed. Laying between the sheets, she opened her arms inviting him to be with her and rest together in the comfort of each others warmth. Her lips pressed to his forehead and remained their as she fell asleep.

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[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Nima Tann"] | [member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Nima Tann"], [member="Coci Heavenshield"], [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]


And so some day the champions of Midvinter would have to ride boldly and well into the jaws of death to eradicate the vile artefact, lest the undead legions of doom rise again. Doubtless it would be a dangerous and exciting quest...and fortunately not Sumiko's problem. Selfish? Well, yes, she totally was. Hence why she was Neutral Evil and stuff.


She gave the Grand Master a nod before he left. "Thank you, I shall provide the account details and my contact number, if you find yourself in need of further services." Do you need someone to perform dangerous blood magic to mind rape creatures or discover an ancient relic, summon a demon or need someone assassinated in ways that cannot be traced back to you at all? Call 0190 666 and we will provide expert assistance. Payment preferrably in arcane arteacts, but credits suffice as well.


In any case, now that the Heavenshields had retired to their room, Sumiko rose as well, wincing slightly as pain shot through her back, though she gave Nima a tired smile. Unlike a certain other character of this writer's, Sumiko was not that oversexed and in any case not in the shape for some bedroom fun, though probably not for lack of desire. "Well, that was fun. Thank you for assistance at the battle. I shall be departing tomorrow, but maybe our paths will cross again," she said softly. Perhaps the girl would be someone to watch.

 

[Nima Tann]

She simply nodded to the Grandmaster and his wife as she watched them go, the lovebirds being lovebirds again and she thought that it was cute, and also relieved at the fact that the Grandmaster wasn't angry with her for her decision. It was the best of the situation, and it was a chance to take if they wanted to find this dark relic, and they did it. If the result was good then the process wasn't that important, at least not to her. Methods, using Dark or Light, if it was all for a greater good, then Nima was happy. And Sumiko got what she wanted as well, it was a win-win situation and everyone was happy, not the economy of the Silvers though. As she was lost in thought again, she came to her senses hearing the woman's voice. Then placed a sincere smile, as sincere as it could be from the pain she felt everywhere, on her face and answered.

"No, thank you for your assistance. Without you the Silvers wouldn't win the war that easily. And now we know that the thing causing this is out there somewhere. I hope the payment will be enough for you yet I know that Grandmaster will be generous for your assistance." Then added, it was sort of a goodbye, as the woman said she would be departing tomorrow. Not knowing her at all, it was good to share a mission with completely different beliefs than the Jedi, and such a powerful person who had the power to mind rape the entire zombie horde. "Whenever you need, Sumiko. Just send a holocall to me and maybe I'll come help you to mind rape the entire galaxy, who knows." She laughed, then it hurt to laugh and she stopped awkwardly. It was a joke, of course yet Sumiko would get the message of her trying to be helpful and all.

"Before you go, come let's find the healers first to make sure you don't have any more damage or pain." She offered the woman who looked strong enough, yet who knew that what wounds she was concealing from the world. Hell, she saw the woman bleeding from her eyes minutes ago, so it would be the best for her to make the healers check her.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"] [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] [member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Nima Tann"]


The irony was that Sumiko was an immensely selfish woman who frankly did not care about the fate of the planet or other people in general. Well, perhaps with the exception of [member="Mirien Valdier"] and [member="Darth Zilti"], but that was probably it! Midvinter could be devoured by zombie hordes, the Jedi could be wiped from the face of the Galaxy in yet another purge - which would obviously be as transient and temporary as all those that had taken place before because the Force demanded balance.


It would be a matter of indifference to her. Regardless, none of this was immediately relevant now, and the Atrisian gave Nima an amused look. "Mind rape the entire Galaxy, yes? Heh. You do have skill, dear. Even if you subscribe to an archaic Code. You seem more practical than some of your brethren though," she chuckled at that. Amusingly, Sumiko was not the 'embrace your emoness...err, hatred and come to the dark side, we have cookies' type. For the simple reason that in her estimation people who randomly betrayed all their conviction were likely to betray you as well.


The next time they met, they might be on opposites sides. Sumiko was perfectly fine with that. Everything in this world was fleeting, transient. "I am perfectly capable of managing," she added, but winced slightly as some pain shot through her back. "But fine, we might as well visit the healers."