Finn the youthful northern puppy arrives, following Thea.

Peeps the Little Red and Black Finch, Niki, The Stonedeep Shepherd arrive, following Ahmar.

The atmosphere of the Saving Grace is far more chipper than it has been these last few weeks. For a while there, things were downright somber, but with the quarantine has been lifted, and so have the surviving patients spirits.

All in all, there were twelve deaths, about one third of the refugees that made it to the hospital. Most of them are nearly out of recovery, staying here while things are sorted out, like where they are to go. Learning the language.

Reigna is at her desk, writing in the patient log.

Ahmar makes his way in quietly as he does. Figured he should probably get a check up. He feels fine, but those physicians are always wanting to make sure, and wild things like that. Seeing the surviving Shipwreckee's brings a smile to his face.

Rinel is sitting in a corner, chatting amiably in Eurusi to a few refugees. Occasionally, they switch to Arvani, and she gently corrects an issue of grammar or pronunciation. Her cane is resting beside her, and she looks--for once--utterly at ease.

Rukhnis enters the lobby from an interior door of the Saving Grace, showing the faintly rumpled look and obscurely disoriented air of someone who's been asleep in some odd corner somewhere and only just woken up. Despite the fact that the patients are much improved and the care they need by this point fairly minimal, the Eurusi physician seems to find it a difficult thing to actually keep herself away from the hospital for any great length of time -- or to sleep for any great length of time, from the looks of it. Despite her weary appearance, she seems pleased to see the patients up and about, as well as to see Reigna at work at her desk instead of passed out there, and she offers a bow as she comes in.

Thea comes into the lobby, while still looking thin she has color back and looking a lot better.

Reigna spies Rukhnis' entry and there is a conflict of emotions, first there is an innate joy to see the woman, followed closely by hints of concern given the evidence of infrequent rest. "Physician Rukhnis al-Katibi," Yes. Yes Reigna still absolutely *mangles* Rukhnis' name, "Do not make me order you some bed rest." There is a mock severity in the guildmaster's voice as she rises to her feet. There is a momentary pause and then she claps her hands over her mouth and exclaims, "Oh no! I ruined the surprise!"

Rinel finishes her conversation with the patients with a smile and laugh, and she hefts herself to her feet. "A surprise?" she asks. Her eyes glow with curiosity.

Rysen enters just as Reigna calls Rukhnis by the title Physician. A slight smile moves across his face, as he approaches Reigna and bows. "Good to see you, Marquessa," he says, and glances at Rukhnis, with his smile broadening.

Puff, a dainty yellow-green canary, 2 Leary House Guards, Sir Jesmond the Giant arrive, following Arcadia.

Rukhnis furrows her brow at Reigna, looking entirely unconcerned with the name-mangling -- living in Arx for the last several months, she's probably more surprised at this point by people getting it right -- but not appearing entirely sure whether to take any of the rest of it seriously. But when in doubt, excessive politeness is /clearly/ the right track, so "Marquessa Reigna?" she says, with meticulous courtesy and another bow. "I thank you for your concern, but I am quite well, I assure you. It is only the slightest bit of fatigue, which is nothing. I am glad to see you yourself are looking much better." She frowns a little, looking uncertain where to go beyond that.

Thea lifts her eyebrow a touch but listens. She probably agrees with Reigna, but really--who is she to argue at this point.

Arcadia slips in and shifts towards the back. She still doesn't move with the same endless energy, but she's getting there.

"Fatigue is no laughing matter." Counters Reigna in a clucking and motherly type tone. You know, to the woman who is older than she is. "But we physicians tend to be unable to help ourselves." There is a lift of a brow, a slight prompt as if trying to (very poorly and painfully obviously) manipulate Rukhnis into asking about the title.

As more people arrive, Reigna looks around and gestures to a gathering of chairs. "Hello everyone, thank you all for coming. I want, very much, to take a moment to thank each and every one of you."

After a few moments' more consideration, Rukhnis finally adds, quietly and with equally great courtesy as anything she said before, "And I have not yet passed your exam, nor even taken it, so I cannot lay claim to the honour of that title yet." Having made the decision to correct the guildmistress and carried it through, she looks relieved to have gotten this over with, and moves to stand next a chair that's the closest to the Eurusi patients. She casts a look their way, a little pensively, before returning her attention to Reigna.

Rysen moves over to one of the chairs at Reigna's gesture. His gaze passes over the recovered patients, and unsubtly rolls his eyes when Rukhnis refuses to accept the well-earned honor Reigna has clearly seen fit to bestow on Rukhnis. He says nothing, however, and, adjusting his sword slightly, takes a seat near Rukhnis.

Ahmar just hangs back and listens for now.

With the invitation to find a seat, Cady loves forward pulling her crossbow from her back and resting it on her lap as she sits.

Thea takes a seat somewhere. Still slow, but hell---that'll pass long as she has something to say about it. She smiles briefly at Rukhnis, rare for the youngest Malvici. Amused about the reaction but waits and listens, her eyes peering at the other patients.

Reigna shoots a look to Rukhnis and shakes her head, fighting a smile. A deep breath is drawn and she looks around the room, "So. Given that Physician Rukhnis has more than demonstrated her abilities and has become, officially, a Physician, I will give her the honor of naming this awful disease." A deep breath is taken and Reigna looks to the refugees. "All that we must do not, is figure out how and where to relocate them to. Are there any suggestions?"

Rukhnis gets a faintly stubborn look on her face as if she'd actually like to argue with Reigna over this, but in the end she seems to think better of it and to accept the fate of being called a Physician without having followed the proper protocol for it. She lets out a slow breath then and says, "You do me the greatest honour by granting me this title, and I thank you from the heart." She bows again, only slightly this time, but as she does so she touches her fingertips first to her lips, then to her heart. "I live to serve." It's no trite phrase coming from her, but at once serious and matter-of-fact, a solemn avowal of a simple truth. After another pause she goes on, "I have an offer I would like to put to them concerning one place where they might find a home for themselves, but others may have ideas as well. And in the end the decision is up to them, where they believe they may be happiest."

Rukhnis checked perception + survival at difficulty 35, rolling 50 higher. Rukhnis rolled a critical!

Rysen checked perception + survival at difficulty 35, rolling 16 lower.

Thea checked perception + survival at difficulty 35, rolling 9 lower.

When Reigna speaks about the future of the recovered Eurusi, Rysen glances at Rukhnis, and nods as she speaks.

Mikani checked perception + survival at difficulty 35, rolling 18 lower.

Arcadia checked perception + survival at difficulty 35, rolling 7 higher.

Ahmar checked perception + survival at difficulty 35, rolling 18 higher.

Ahmarsquints and glances between a few of the Eurusi over at the beds with a look of concern on his face.

Arcadia as always becomes easily restless. Her attention shifts between the discussions and the patients. Her attention falls to Gannel, the boy who almost died, and how he is hovering over an older woman. She gives Thea a small nudge and head tilts towards the bed for Thea.

Thea's green eyes flick over to the bed of the older woman. Her head tilts a little, then she rests her eyes on the little boy. She cocks her head even more. Curiosity is written all over face now.

Mikani wonders why everyone is looking at Gannel

Reigna checked perception + survival at difficulty 35, rolling 18 lower.

"You are quite correct, Physician Rukhnis. It should be up to them to decide where they should like to go. In fact --" Reigna doesn't seem to notice anything at all odd either. Continuing, "I would be happy to offer them a home in Oakhaven, if they would like to live there."

Rinel checked perception + survival at difficulty 35, rolling 7 lower.

Rukhnis had been about to say something more, but then her nostrils flare suddenly and she goes perfectly still, beyond even her usual stillness. This lasts for only a split second before she whirls around and, making a dash for the bed where Gannel is standing over his mother, she grabs the young man's arm and yanks him away. Except for the speed with which she got there it's not even that pronounced a thing, merely a sudden swift pull and a firm grip on his wrist that doesn't let up, and then she simply stares between him and Nadja, dark eyes wide. In a horrified tone, she asks something in Eurusi that has a very definite air of "what is going on here?"

Thea blinks at Rukhnis' quick pull of the boy. What the hell is she saying? What is even going on over there? Thea masks her face however, as she watches--listening.

Ahmar watches Rukhnis' mood swat quickly and takes a few steps closer, watching and staying out of the way for now. He turns to Reigna and tries to distract a bit, "I have offered to help keep them safe where ever they decide to settle in Arvum. I hope they will accept the offer. I have come this far trying to help them, I may as well continue."

"Who is doing what?" Rinel asks sharply, limping forward to where Rukhnis is.

With Rukhnis' motion, the skinny young man's arm is pulled back, a bloodied scalpel clutched within it. He looks back to Rukhnis, his lips curled back as he starts to speak, his words flowing fast and thick, her eyes horribly wide, his teeth bared. Now that attention has been drawn to the area, others can see the pair of bodies in their beds, and the pools of blood under them. Some of the patients look up from their conversations and start to shriek and scream, others stand in shock. A few are woken from light sleep and look really confused.

Arcadia is startled by Rukhnis's move, but with that tone she starts to look to the other patients. Murmuring loud enough to hear, "Look. They've all of a sudden gotten sleepy. All of them."

Rysen leaps to Rukhnis's side with his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword. His eyes are on Nadja though, not the boy.

Mikani checked composure at difficulty 30, rolling 21 lower.

Rinel checked willpower + medicine at difficulty 30, rolling 14 higher.

Mikani just stares at the boy as she hears his words. It was hard for her to not shout something back. She tried to move to action but she couldn't.

Rinel is instantly applying pressure to the wounds. "I need linen!" she yells, focused only on staunching the bleeding. "Bandages! Get me bandages!" Is the woman even alive? Rinel's cane falls to the floor with a clatter as she presses her hands hard against the woman's bloody injuries.

Thea checked composure + medicine at difficulty 30, rolling 1 lower.

Ahmar rushes to find some bandages for Rinel

Rukhnis checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

Still sick--Thea will totally blame this on the plague aftermath, she seems a bit confused at the pools of blood. Where did that come from? How? Trying to calm herself, she takes bigger breaths and closes her eyes.

Rukhnis's eyes ignite with a sudden furious light, and as one hand tightens in painful force on Gannel's wrist, the other rises to give him a sharp SMACK right across the cheek. It's hard to say whether that's the anger coming out, or simply a means of possibly bringing him back from what seems to be a frenzied madness. It may not really matter.

Puff, a dainty yellow-green canary, 2 Leary House Guards, Sir Jesmond the Giant leave, following Arcadia.

When Rysen sees all the blood and hears Rukhnis smack Gannel, he turns to her and hisses, "What the fuck is going on!?"

Ahmar brings the bandages he found to Rinel, "Whats n-next?

The teen's head snaps to the side from the smack, a rosy red imprint developing on his bronzed skin. The scalpel falls from his hands and he sags. His voice begins sing-songing something repeatedly.

Mikani watches Rukhnis. "The boy is crazy. He's talking about the prophet." Mika says in a stunned voice saying out of medical professionals ways.

Thea checked composure + medicine at difficulty 15, rolling 30 higher.

Rinel takes the bandages from the man and gives him a quick, appraising look. "Help Rukhnis!" she barks. Her hands are drenched in crimson, and rivulets of blood are coursing down her arms. She immediately gets back to work in a desperate attempt to stop the blood from pouring forth. "Malviki!" she yells at Thea. "/Help/ me, by Lagoma's blaze! Is your House this weak?!"

Ahmar grunt and rushes to help Rukhnis restrain the boy.

Rysen turns to Mikani. "/The/ Prophet!?" he asks, his eyes widening in surprise.

Two of wounded are clearly already dead, their throats slit in such a way to sever vocal chords and the aorta, which is how they died so quickly, so silently. Nadja, the boy's mother is staring, panicked and trying to hold still, but the blood seeps around Rinel's fingers, flowing too quickly. Much too quickly.

Thea hurries toward Rukhnis and that boy, snapping out of whatever that was."No! I'm coming!"

Rinel checked perception + medicine at difficulty 30, rolling 23 higher.

Thea hurries and presses against the bleeding of the woman, trying to stop the gushing...And there is gushing.

Rukhnis eases the sagging Gannel down to the floor, a combination of pulling and merely guiding, and kicking the scalpel out of his reach as she does so. Her mouth tightens grimly, but her lips are white, and she looks afraid as much as angry. Hearing Rinel's voice, she moves swiftly to the bedside, as she fumbles a handful of her favourite moss from out of the folds of her sash and presses it to Nadja's throat. But absorptive as it may be for ordinary wounds, this is no such thing. Her dark eyes smoulder with fury and pain, and a desperate firmness as if she were trying to simply /will/ Nadja from death's grip

Mikani looks at Rysen snapping out of it. "That's what he's talking about." Mika skirts around the get the boy and move him to a secure location.

Ahmar stands watching Gannel to make sure he doesn't do anything crazy.

Rysen gets Ocean Pocket Mirror from Holster of Knightly Necessity.

Rinel looks down at Nadja as she replaces the bandages over Rukhnis' moss, checking to see what wounds she faces. She kneels down quickly, and those nearby can hear a sickening series of crackles and pops from her right leg. "It's okay," she whispers to Nadja. "It's going to be okay." As others begin to assist, she murmurs quiet words in Eurusi to the dying woman, stroking her hair gently with a bloody hand.

Rysen comes to Mikani's side and kneels beside Gannel, placing his arm behind the boy's back to steady him. Rysen holds up a pocket mirror to see his own reflection, and hopefully Gannel's.

Green eyes are now intent and focused on the task at hand. Thea keeps the wound covered, trying to keep the blood in, however from all appearances it seems to be too late.

The wound is too well placed, from the rend in the flesh the major blood vessel that runs along the neck -- the aorta -- has clearly been severed. Even as they medics work, she pales, her bronze skin turning sallow, her lips taking on a faint blue tinge as the light in her eyes slowly fades and the gurgling, rasping sounds of her trying to breathe quiet. There is absolute silence in the Hospital in the wake of Nadja's passing. Just a moment. But it is there. And then the wailing begins.

Rinel says in Eurusi, "There is a place where day is long and shadows brief. There is a place with waters cool that flow from everlasting springs. Upon them sit the lillies fair, and from them drink the happy few. The water there is sweet as wine, and crystal clear like desert skies. Rest in that oasis green. Rest, and in the hands of Death find peace."

Rinel checked willpower + theology at difficulty 50, rolling 13 higher.

Rysen glances at Mikani. "There's no sign of possession from anything on the other side. Can you translate a question for me? Ask him why he spoke of the profit." Rysen's attention is fully on Mikani and the boy, as he slides his mirror back into the leather holster attached to his belt.

Rysen puts Ocean Pocket Mirror in Holster of Knightly Necessity.

Rinel reaches out and tenderly closes the eyes of the dead woman. Her fingers leave bloody tracks upon the forehead and eyelids, as though she is giving some unspoken christening. "May you find peace in the tender arms of the Queen of Endings. May your next turn upon the Wheel be more fair. Treat her with kindness, Lady Death. She has fled sorrow into Your arms."

Mikani tries to ask Gannel why he speaks of the prophet. Though she doesn't have much hope he will answer.

Rukhnis simply stares at Nadja with a stricken expression, fingers still pressed hopelessly into bloody moss against the woman's neck even as the flow of blood of blood lessens and that last rasping gasp of breath comes. But she's too much a physician to not fully realize when it's all over, and the last glimmer of life has fled. She whispers something softly to the dead woman, too softly for anyone else to catch anything except perhaps the repetition of what might be a name: "Rauma." And then she straightens, slowly, and steps aside without another sound.

Reigna moves forward and puts a hand on Ruknis' shoulder, her eyes closing at the sight before her. She cannot speak. But there must be a comfort of solidarity offered. Reigna looks around the room, mouth pinched. Three more dead. She looks to the boy, unable to understand his words, but the tone is clear. He is ranting and mad. "Let us lock him into one of the surgical rooms -- after all the equipment has been removed from it?" She looks to her assistant who hurries off. "I think... for now.. we might shelve the rest of the conversation. I will offer them a life in Oakhaven, far from all of this..." A breath, "If they do not accept I will see about relocating them."

Thea slips her fingers from Nadja, everything on her now just blood. She frowns a bit. No one likes losing a person, especially like that. Angry eyes turn toward the boy, but she remains silent.

Rysen rises to his feet, and turns to Reigna. "He mentioned the Prophet. Does that name mean anything to you?" he asks.

It doesn't happen at first, but the second or third time Mikani asks about the Prophet, Gannel's eyes turn to her and he shifts, speaking still in that sing-song, but the words are different.

"I--" Rukhnis's voice catches in her throat as she tries to speak, and she has to choke back a breath that holds the hint of a sob in it before she can continue. Taking a deep breath, she sounds at least a little more composed as she finds words again. "I would like to offer them a place in House Crovane, here in Arx or elsewhere, if they wish it. If they wish only to be away from here, that is understandable. But if any wish to stay, then I.. I would see to their well-being, for as long as they are here." As she hears Gannel's words change, she slides her gaze over to him, dark with anger and an intense, burning sadness.

Mikani looks down at the boy. "He's not possessed but he has gone mad." Mika whispers committing his words to memory. "Do we have anything to make him sleep? At least stop the raving?"

Thea twitches a bit,"A knock to the head usually does the trick."

Rinel simply kneels beside the woman, eyes closed. "Thank you," she murmurs quietly. Then she stands, and turns to look at the boy. "I hope your dog of a master can hear you, child. Mutay'a'sib, Obsidian, your so-called 'Prophet'--he is not welcome here. Let him go back and skulk in Pyre's ruin, among the broken stones of Caer'alfar. I spit upon him." She limps slowly to a basin and washes her hands. Then she returns to the dead woman's side, collects her cane, and limps out of the Hospital.

Rinel Tern, it would seem, has places to be.

Rinel is overheard praising Reigna: A most capable Guildmistress!

Rysen turns for Reigna to Mikani and then to Rukhnis, Rinel and Thea. When Thea mentions a knock on the head, Rysen frowns for a second, and his lips part for a moment in surprise at Rinel's words. "Wait!" he starts to say as she leaves. His frown deepens. "Do you have a sedative you can give him, Rukhnis?"

Mikani is overheard praising Reigna.

Rukhnis grunts quietly after Rinel, unease flickering through her eyes along with the other painful emotions visible there. She shakes her head slowly, then looks distractedly over at Rysen. "I.." she starts, then looks around with a deeply exhausted air. "There are.. decoctions from poppy that might be of some use. Or henbane, perhaps. Except I do not know if what is called henbane here is the same as henbane back home." She reaches up as if to rub her head, then stops and lowers her bloody hand again. "Marquessa Reigna will know better than I what is immediately to hand."

Thea smirks at Rysen,"I wasn't serious about the hitting him on the head,"but her goes to eye Ruknis. -She- might have been though.

Reigna looks to Rysen, then to Rukhnis, "Henbane... Oh! Hog's bean! Yes. We have some of that. Gigi," Reigna looks to her assistant, "Can you please fetch some of the sedative Apothecary Jacali mixed? The batch in the blue bottle. Three drops in a bit of milk. Use the dropper, I have a feeling he might resist." She looks back to the others and says, "Come, let us move while the orderlies clean up." She steps forward to gingerly pull the sheet up and over Nadja's head. There are garish red blooms of blood staining the pristine white sheet.

"Hog's bean," Rukhnis echoes in agreement, not as if that was any answer she would have come up with, just accepting Reigna's substitution as fact. "Whatever he is given, he must simply be taken away, where he will not.. not trouble the minds of the others." She lets out a short breath, sounding distinctly troubled herself. Moving to the nearest basin of clean water, she begins to wash her hands and arms slowly, methodically, as if this were some kind of last ritual to be completed in order to draw the events of the afternoon to a solemn close.

"It's not that I didn't consider it," replies Rysen to Thea with a wry grin. "But it would cause less long term damage to simply choke him unconscious, but he wouldn't remain unconscious for long." Rysen turns and nods to Reigna. He stands beside the boy as her assistant prepares the sedative. Rysen's gaze rests on Reigna thoughtfully for a time. "My Lady, I think I should report this situation to the Master of Questions. The darksteel, the princess, the sickness and now this. There is a lot of evidence that this wasn't an ordinary slave ship." Rysen frowns. "Why would a kid attack his companions and protectors? Madness? Madness comes in may forms, but he seemed to be efficiently murdering survivors, and he's speaking of the Prophet. Like Rinel, I have heard the name before as well."

Mikani still is kind of holding the boy. "The Kalahali spoke of the prophet as they came to Redreef Shores and bent knee."

Finn the youthful northern puppy have been dismissed.

Reigna checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 30, rolling 27 higher.

Reigna accepts the dropper from Gigi and kneels to face the boy. Her eyes are intent, watching him, making eye contact and simply studying the boy. She moves her hand forward in an attempt to give the boy the vial, watching to see if he'll take it or if it needs to be forced. The boy takes it and drinks the medicine down, docile in the wake of his murder.

Rukhnis performs the task of drying herself just as ponderously as the washing had been done, placing the damp cloth carefully to one side of the basin as she finishes. After this she simply stands there for a time, back to the rest of the room, in silence. She might be listening, or she might not be. Whatever she's thinking about, she isn't offering it for a public hearing.

Mikani watches the boy for a long moment. "I can take him to Byrne and watch him there." Mika states softly. "That way he won't be around the others."

Rysen glances at Mikani. "The Kalahali?" asks Rysen. "Do you know much about the Prophet then, Mika?" he asks curiosly. He watches Reigna administer the sedative, and his eyes narrow, but he quickly turns his attention back to Mikani when she speaks of taking to Byrne Manor. "He'll need to be watched and cared for, and the Inquisition and the Guard will almost certainly want to speak to him."

There is a complicated dance done by the apprentices and orderlies, as they respectfully cover the dead and lift the cots they are laying in and shuffle them into the morgue. Others immediately begin mopping the blood from the floor, as if by removing the evidence of the crime, the effects might be reversed. That hopeful cheer has been shattered and the fifteen remaining survivors are huddled together, some crying, all of them looking terrified.

Rukhnis gives herself a sharp shake, and finally turns back to face the rest of the room. It's still hard to tell what she might be thinking of, with that naturally inexpressive way she has, but her eyes hold something of the fragile glimmering look of fear, or at least anxiety. But as her gaze rests on the newly diminished huddle of Eurusi, that look is swept away with one of sorrow and compassion, and she crosses back over to them to offer the same comfort of a touch that Reigna had given her, even if she doesn't seem to have any words for them just yet.

Mikani nods. "I understand that. Are you suggesting he go to the Iron Guard or Inquisition for keeping?" Mika looks up at Rysen with sad eyes. "I don't know much other than the Eurusi Ambassador that came with the ultimatum called himself that."

Rysen nods to Mikani. "That's what Lady Willow told me about him as well - along with a few other things," he trails off in a quiet voice. He frown and says, "I do think he should probably stay with the Inquisition or the Iron Guard. Unless the Marquessa is absolutely confident that he should be held hear, but I still think we should contact both organizations as soon as possible." Rysen breathes out thoughtfully. "It's a hard situation. He's just a boy, but he's also a murderer, and he seems driven by something that we don't fully understand. That, and everything else that's a part of this mystery regarding the ship... it's enough to warrant contacting the proper people at least - or that would be my advice, anyway. I think the decision ultimately rests with Marquessa Reigna though. She is the Guildmaster of the Physicians."

Reigna listens to Mikani and Rysen carefully, though her eyes linger on Rukhnis for a long moment, studying the Eurusi physician. "He will be safe here for now, until the Master of Questions or the Commander of the Iron Guard wish to take him into custody. I will write a letter to them both and they can sort out what is to happen to him." Reigna seems settled in her answer, though she looks back to Rysen and then Mikani to gauge its reception.

Letting the others continue their conversation, Rukhnis begins to speak with the remaining Eurusi softly, voice pitched lower still with sincerity and sorrow. Whatever she's saying to them seems to be difficult for her, as she pauses every now and then, a profound regret seeping into her words.

Mikani looks at Rysen. "I know he's a murderer ... just I'm the only one in my house with many guards. I was just thinking it would help the others to not see him or know he's there just behind a door. That and I speak Eurusi ..." Mika sighs and looks at the boy. "Children are such fragile things." Mika frowns a bit. "But maybe I'm just over thinking it."

Gigi, an apprentice physician's assistant arrives, delivering a message to Mikani before departing.

The words Rukhnis speaks seems to not only sooth many of the survivors, but that sorrow, the weight of the empathy within her voice is more than enough for them to attempt to pull her into their collective embrace. This is a thing born of being different than the other people here, of being afraid and taking comfort in the kindness and sympathy of one who looks like them, speaks like them and has worked so hard to help them all heal. It is clear that many of those remaining feel a deep gratitude to Rukhnis, and many of them murmur back to her as they nod.

Rysen nods to Reigna, and smiles to hear Mikani's reasoning. He shakes his head. "No, I think you had good reasons, but given the situation, I think we should leave him here under the Marquessa's care, as she suggests. Perhaps you and Rukhnis could help try to understand why he acted the way he did, and why he said what he said." Rysen glances over at the orderlies cleaning up the gore, and at Rukhnis trying her best to say something to the ever dwindling group of Eurusi survivors. "Gods and spirits," says Rysen softly. He rubs his left forearm, and his expression changes, and he seems to relax.

Gigi, an apprentice physician's assistant arrives, delivering a message to Rysen before departing.

Mikani watches Rysen curiously at his change in mood. Mika then nods and allows the young man to be taken away to be locked up.

Rinel returns. Slowly. Her hands and arms are cleaned, though she looks deeply tired.

Rukhnis looks startled for a moment as the Eurusi close ranks around her, and she seems speechless to have been shown such favour, such /acceptance/, by these few whom she herself clearly feels she hasn't done enough for. She opens her mouth to say something, quite possibly to object to their reaction, to argue it, to point out just why they shouldn't feel any such solidarity with her, but that impulse passes, perhaps washed away in the tears that well up in her own eyes. She only gives a small nod to them and returns the embrace, and then, as one young woman steps out to say a few additional words to her, her eyes turn solemn as well as damp, and she bows and murmurs two short phrases in return.