Yesteryear's Sorrow

Whatever griefs plagued the mortals of Caido, the seasons continued to turn heedless of the little lives that scampered and struggled across the face of the world. Jigano was feeling that keenly as fiery foliage began to fall in earnest, the boughs growing bare and the days and nights both growing colder as the days withered and the nights bloomed. Deepfrost was approaching in earnest now, and with it the terrors of Long Night not far behind. The joys of Fiat Lux were distant memories in comparison, and the bard tightened his cloak around himself as he faced the Labyrinth's gate once more as he let himself reminisce on a time before Queens and blights and words that could never be unsaid.

The shaking in his hands was growing worse, not better, and his skin seemed to have undertaken a permanent clammy chill he couldn't warm out of it, no matter how many furs he burrowed under or how close he sat to a fire. He didn't like seeing the worry in Rory's eyes, though, echoing his own fears for what was happening to him, and so today he set out to try and find a cure for the strange ailment that lingered in his bones.

He had been here before, after all, and though he was wary he felt no fear. Isuma chirruped encouragement from his shoulder, and he smiled as he reached up to scratch the feathers that edged her beak, remembering how her egg had come to him. "Soonest begun, soonest done," he murmured to her, checking the position of the late-morning sun as clouds scudded across the sky, threatening rain later in the day. Checking the set of his rapier and hefting his pack a little higher on his shoulder, he strode towards the entrance of the Labyrinth, and the beckoning calls of the squirrels within.

I wouldn't. Ianto's voice would echo distantly within the bard's mind, and he trotted on four paws to try and keep up with his entrance into the labyrinth. Had he been watching from afar, perhaps, trying to judge the place for himself? Who knew - all Ianto was aware of was that this was the furthest into the Hollowed Grounds that he had ever been, and it was living up to its reputation as a strange, cold and sad place.

The labyrinth, though, was the stuff of horrors in his opinion, and whilst it could be comparable to the Greatwood's mazelike trees, there was nothing comforting about the hedges that seemed to move. What are you looking for in here?

The fox bounded to keep up, shamelessly close to Jigano, his dislike of the place plain.

Bold steps faltered at the voice that intruded into his thoughts, and Jigano winced until he recognized who it belonged to. That didn't necessarily make it better... but, it wasn't the worst company he could have at the moment. He paused to let the lithe red fox catch up before continuing on into the hedges that always seemed so courteously welcoming at the start. Thorny, massive walls of rustling foliage aside, the path was broad and clear and the squirrels chirped chipper greetings as they urged the pair of prey predators further into their domain.

"It's not a place to enter lightly," the bard cautioned, glancing down at his unexpected companion as Isuma peeped a bright greeting from his shoulder. "Getting in is easy. Getting out again... now, there's the challenge." Easier with wings, all things considered, but there was a certain grim pleasure in making the squirrels work for their chance at a meal, and the walk wouldn't hurt him. His hands might have been shaky, but thankfully his legs were still strong enough to carry him into trouble.

"There's a certain special herb that grows here. I haven't found it anywhere else, so if I want to gather it, here I must come. It's a kind of panacea, good for fevers, cuts, bruises, sprains... all manner of minor ailments and some major as well." It felt oddly good to be able to share a bit of what he knew again. When was the last time he had done so? Before trials and fevers, kings and queens. "It's called 'efas herb.' Like 'safe' spelled backwards," he added helpfully. But speaking of trials...

"I hope you've healed up from the Cloister?" he asked tentatively. "You seemed a bit... strange, that day." Though the same could have been said for the bard, if it came down to it.

Ianto didn't need to be told twice, and he didn't really know what made him follow the bard into the maze on inky paws; a side effect, perhaps, from his time with Arduinna the past half a season? Or maybe he was just fed up of being alone. Either way, Jigano would have a red fox near enough leaning against his legs as they walked further into the labyrinth.

Well, I hope that we are up to the challenge, he mused. And that he didn't bolt at the first sign of trouble, as was his nature to do. Not that bolting would achieve much, if what the other Attuned had to say about it was any indication.

A black tipped ear flicked towards the sound of his voice as he explained about the herb, Ianto's golden eyes instantly growing a touch sharper. You believe the herb may heal the blight. It was a statement, not a question - for who hadn't heard of the affliction on the Greatwood and her people... and now on the Hollowed Grounds, too?

I've not heard of it, but if I pick up any scent of something... herby, I'll let you know, he told the bard. The fox's head lowered a touch, as if to put nose to the ground, though in reality it was Jigano's words which had caused the change.

I feel better yes, thank you, Ianto murmured. I was drugged. Arduinna had been training me for the Cloister since season's beginning.

Although he hadn't come seeking company there was something almost comforting about Ianto's presence, however rocky their acquaintance had been. The bard had been alone more often than not lately, by choice and by the increasing instability in his temper, but solitude did not come naturally to him for long periods of time. When before he might have found Ianto's closeness annoying, now he tolerated it willingly. "If we are not, we'll run," he assured his fellow fox with a wry smile. "I can shift to a raven and guide you out from above if we have to. That's how Remi helped me escape from here, before I had a winged form to fall back on."

He had, admittedly, not expected the foxy man to be so perceptive, and Jigano revised his opinion of him up a few more notches at the direct statement. "I..." he hesitated as he turned a corner of the living maze, absently noting that it was to the left - though it would do little good if he tried to retrace his steps later. Ianto's words forced him to confront his purpose for the trip and the reason behind it, though he would have preferred to let the vague hope remain a little longer. "I don't... no," he admitted with a sigh. "Honestly? No, I don't. If the mastered healing magic of the Fae can't budge it, I don't expect the efas herb will. But if I don't try, I won't know for sure, will I?" He smiled weakly, using his staff to absently bat at a speaking squirrel that scurried too close. It dodged and chittered disapprovingly, bounding ahead as if daring them to chase it further into the labyrinth. "But even if it doesn't fix the blight, it will be useful for the settlement during Deepfrost, and especially Long Night." Old Smitty and his wife would appreciate it for their arthritis for a certainty, and having some on hand for Rory's farm was also a good idea. The rest would go to Vai and the Infirmary, for all the ailments and ills and fevers that the cold weather would bring.

But if it did help the blight...

No. Best not to get his hopes up too high.

"It's on green stems, like grass, but with brown bumps, almost like little berries, on it," he described with a wry smile for Ianto's offer. Isuma chirruped helpfully, too, but he reached up to quiet her gently as the fox spoke of weightier matters.

"Ah... I am sorry to hear that." He had seen the fair side of the Lady of the Wood, and a hint of the steel that lay beneath, but he had never truly witnessed her ruthlessness. He had been warned of it, and more than once, but Ianto's words were still sobering and a frown of concern furrowed his brow. "I hope you weren't punished for losing," he said quietly with a wince. He had knocked Ianto out of the tournament, after all. Though Delah's display of ferocity had been intimidating enough that he wasn't sure any of them would have been a match for her, had they made it through to the final round. Remi, perhaps... but the alchemist was gentle by nature, and Delah's fierce assault may have more than made up any difference in their physical and magical powers.

Hearing that they would run if things got too hairy was an immediate balm on the cowardly fox's nerves, and he sent a flicker of appreciation through their Attuned bond, along with a touch of wry amusement. If it comes to that, I can shift into a cardinal, he admitted, the skill something he had achieved a while back but had been yet to really show. So getting out of here really should be a doddle, if we have to make a quick exit.

Falling quiet to listen as Jigano explained more about the efas herb, its properties and the likelihood of it curing the blight, the red fox snuffled at the ground in an attempt to catch the scent of anything. He followed around the corner that the bard chose, paws padding silently on the ground. Yes, I keep hearing about Longnight in the Hollowed Grounds. It is apparently quite dangerous. And still he sounded bemused about it. Things were simply dark and peaceful, in the Greatwood. Or they had been last time.

Hm? Oh, it's alright. No lasting damage. No visible damage, is what he really meant. Arduinna was a master healer, so any and all tortures could be soothed away at a moment's notice, thus furthering his need to rely upon her.

"Oh? There's some symmetry there, I think. All my shifts so far have been white. Are all of yours red?" the bard asked, amused and enjoying the momentary lightness of the conversation. "That should come in handy, though. The herb is usually found more towards the center of the maze, so I suppose if we wanted to cheat we could just fly there now... but the squirrels don't tend to bother you on the way in, and I felt like walking a bit. Enjoying the Leafchange weather before Deepfrost arrives," he admitted, a bit guiltily. With the weight of his illness pressing down on him it felt almost wrong to be enjoying anything. But if his life was counted in months and seasons instead of years, what harm in enjoying a day? It wasn't as though he was wasting it, after all.

Talk of Long Night could quickly get dark, and Jigano nodded soberly at Ianto's unintended understatement. "It's lethal," he said quietly. "Very, very few survive being caught outside. I'd suggest sheltering with the Fae... though I'm not sure how prepared they will be. I asked Jiao to warn Delah, but perhaps I should have done so myself..." He bit his lip, a recent habit, then glanced down at the little fox at his side, ignoring the coaxing calls of the squirrels as they talked. "How much have you been told about it? And how to prepare for it? For the sake of the Greatwood I hope the monsters remain in the barrierlands... but there's no guarantee that they will. If you could convey to Arduinna and Delah that I - and likely others - would be willing to help them prepare against the worst case scenario, I would appreciate it greatly."

Ianto's words were light, but the phrasing didn't fool the bard. He was familiar enough with plays on words to wince and look away, the familiar prickle of guilt dancing beneath his skin. "I'm sorry," he offered, knowing it was inadequate.

Chuckling down their bond and surprising himself by enjoying the lightness of the conversation as well, Ianto gave a mental shrug as he loped through the maze alongside the bard. So far yes, that does seem to be the trend. Can't take the ginger out of me, clearly. It was good to know that if anything terrible happened that they could simply fly out of it, though, and it put the fox at ease as they headed - apparently - towards the centre of the labyrinth.

Listening quietly as Jigano explained the dangers of the longest night, Ianto stayed wisely silent until he was finished. It perplexed him, the lethality of the darkness in the Hollowed Grounds, and he made a mental note to mention it to Arduinna even before Jigano implored him to. I will make sure they know, he said quietly, lifting his head as a scent reached his nose. Not... herby, but something else. What else can we find here? he asked, shamelessly eager to get the conversation away from the state of him.

"You blend in particularly well during Leafchange," Jigano grinned down at the fox, part of him looking forward to the white snows of Deepfrost when he, too, would be naturally camouflaged. He might not survive until the snows melted in Flowerbirth again, but there was no point dwelling on that at the moment. With everyone trying to find a cure, there was hope that at least one of them would get lucky - or smart - enough to manage it in time.

Especially for Ronin, who had come down with it before anyone else that Jigano knew of, and so likely had the least time left of all of them.

The labyrinth rustled around them with the light autumnal breezes and the scurrying of helpful squirrels who coaxed them onward. Deeper into the maze they walked, if not necessarily towards its center, but the bard seemed unworried. As they had already discussed, if they didn't find evidence of the herbs in a reasonable time they could try taking to their wings and locate the center that way.

He had been curious to find out what Ianto knew of Long Night, and a spark of irrational frustration at the way his questions were ignored had him gritting his teeth, fighting against the urge to snap back a sharp retort. He was silent for a minute while he wrestled with his temper, but when he spoke again it was with deceptive calm. He enjoyed sharing what he had learned - most of it, at least - and he nodded down at his erstwhile companion with a wry tilt of his head. "The Speaking Squirrels are the most common residents, of course. Rarer are the boggarts. They're the sort of trouble we probably want to avoid if we can. Remi and I ran into one on my first trip after the herbs..." He trailed off with a faint grimace at that desperate battle, and the even more awkward aftermath of it. "They're shapeshifters, only they're not limited to animal forms. They have some way of reading memories and can pull the faces and forms of your nightmares to try and get you to run away... into the claws of their hunting-partner." Now that Ianto had reminded him of that day, the rude man he'd met in the Greatwood had resembled the face the boggart had worn when it had attacked Remi. Coincidence?

"We killed that one between the two of us, but I've been a bit under the weather lately. I wouldn't trust myself to a fight, if we can avoid it," he admitted with a wry hint of a grin, suspecting Ianto would be just as glad to avoid it, too.

A shame it is nearly over. Still, you'll be all but camoflaged soon enough, Ianto said, snuffling at the ground as if trying to place the scent he had caught, oblivious to the ire from the bard. News of speaking squirrels and boggarts drew his furry head up again, Ianto gazing up at Jigano with a skeptical sort of caution. He didn't disbelieve him, of course - the Greatwood was full of impossible things - but to find so much danger in the labyrinth... hopefully the herb they were looking for would be worth it.

Yes, I would also feel much better if we were to avoid that particular creature during our time here, he agreed, his fur bristling suddenly as the hedges around them seemed to shift and move. Baring his teeth, Ianto slunk back to Jigano's side. Let me guess - this is typical behaviour for the place as well?

Suddenly flying did seem a better idea. Under the weather? he echoed, glancing up at the other man. I hope you feel better soon. Is it just a cold...? Or the blight they had come to try and cure?

"There's a comfort in being able to walk around without feeling like a great white target splashed among the leaves," he agreed, raising a brow as Ianto sniffed busily away. "Finding anything promising in the scent trails?" He paused, leaning on his walking stick to give the red fox a chance to get a better snoot-full of whatever his keener senses had found and letting himself rest, feeling the weary chill settling into his bones in spite of the sunshine.

Jigano raised a brow as the hedges rustled with more than squirrel activity, glancing around, though without too much concern. "The last time I was here it waited to reorganize itself until we were out of sight and in another section, at least. I tried to be clever and lay down a string to mark our path..." He chuckled at his foolish optimism, amusement turning to a brief, dry cough. "Ah, sorry. It might be eager to have us stay awhile." He glanced down at Ianto's obvious discomfort and stayed still. Besides, he was curious at seeing the hedges move and reshape the path with his own eyes. "Given your familiarity with the Wildwood, I would think this would be practically commonplace." It was practically light-hearted teasing, in spite of the danger of their surroundings.

The questions that followed stole some of that light, his face tightening into wearier lines. "Ah... not exactly," he admitted, looking down to meet Ianto's foxy gaze with a sad smile. "But my mate hasn't come down with it yet, nor any of the others who live with the.... afflicted. So however it's passed, just being near me shouldn't be a danger. Not for the blight, at least." If he failed to hold back one of the angry spikes in temper? That was a different problem, but so far he'd managed to keep his outbursts focused on inanimate objects.

It did mean he was replacing Rory's crockery and ceramics with wooden tableware these days.

Shall we continue?" He asked, false lightness in his voice as he shifted his weight off his staff and started walking again towards the new lane that had opened up in front of them.

Conversely, I'll become the very target you were trying to avoid, Ianto said with a mental chuckle; a red fox in the snow was an easy find indeed. Letting out a huff of air through his nose in a foxy sigh, one of Ianto's ears flicked towards Jigano's voice. I thought I could smell something like a herb, but I suppose the Efas Herb isn't the only plant growing here. Besides, it got faint when the hedges moved, so... I guess we aren't meant to find it just yet.

From what Jigano had been saying, the labyrinth probably wasn't finished playing with them. The Wildwood is like an old friend compared to this place, he remarked; it was like being familiar with a wild anima, Ianto supposed. The Wildwood was his kind of feral. The labyrinth, not so much.

Ears flattening back at hearing the worst confirmed, the fox trotted onwards with Jigano into the new part of the maze that had revealed itself to them. That's good, at least. It isn't contagious between people. I hear many have been working on a cure... Without much success as of yet, however.

"Tag, you're it," the bard responded dryly, but amused as well, in a foxy way few others on Caido could appreciate.

He had hoped that his companion had caught scent of something useful, though he hadn't expected it so soon. His eyes brightened with hope at hearing that Ianto had found something herby to point them towards, but of course it wouldn't be that easy. Jigano nodded ruefully, resigned to a long hunt but not surprised at it. He had come prepared for a full day in the maze, and the grumbling in the back of his thoughts was subdued enough that he felt confident in continuing on with company, at least for now.

That was the problem though, wasn't it? He felt fine until he suddenly didn't, and then he snapped. It was exhausting, trying to keep himself civil and putting up the facade that things were mostly alright. And it wasn't always a facade; there were good hours and bad ones. But the bad ones were getting more frequent, and steadily worse.

"Mmm. You have a point there. I don't think the Labyrinth is anyone's friend." The bard looked around sardonically as their fuzzy grey escorts called coaxingly for them to follow deeper into the hedges. "I had a hypothesis that it's symbiotic with the squirrels and boggarts..." He trailed off, chuckling with a touch of morbid humor. "Ah. Perhaps that is a better conversation to have after we're safely out of it again." Ianto didn't seem like the budding biologist type, though he'd have to try and bring Caiside here sometime if they all survived the coming season. The smith was interested in the flora and fauna of Caido, and the Labyrinth might count as both!

Perhaps he shouldn't have admitted that he wasn't feeling well, but Ianto deserved to know who - what - he was traveling with. It wasn't something Jigano enjoyed talking about, and there were still many of his close friends he hadn't shared it with, not knowing how to deal with the sympathy and fear in their eyes. Fear of him? Probably not. But fear for him... he didn't want to cause them that pain, even if they had every right to know. It was a thorny impasse with no easy answer, but he oddly had fewer reservations about admitting it to those he was less close to. They had less to lose, after all.

"And soon we'll be joining them, I hope," Jigano said, his usual wry humor sounding only a little forced as he put on a good face. "Or at least contributing to the efforts, however long a shot the Efas Herb is. Who knows? Maybe we'll find some other useful plant in here while we're looking for the Efas. The Labyrinth doesn't exactly allow for easy exploration, so we might get lucky and find something new." And hopefully that 'something new' wasn't full of pointy teeth and a taste for fox meat.

Oblivious to his companion's internal worries about the blight, Ianto had put his foxy nose to the ground once more in the hope that he might pick up the trail he'd so recently lost. In the meantime, his ears flicked here and there in response to the calls from the squirrels, though he wisely kept his wits about him and resisted the calls further into the labyrinth. Symbiotic? he repeated. I mean, I've not seen any of the creatures you speak about in the Greatwood, so perhaps you're right.

Jigano was also right in that the discussion was perhaps best had outside the labyrinth, and so the red fox nodded and picked up the pace, now leading the way through the hedgerows. Well, nothing had come out to murder them yet apart from some hedges, so he was gaining his confidence little by little. Something new? he echoed, laughing. I am not so sure that makes us lucky, my friend. But it's true - maybe we'll discover a part of the maze that hasn't been touched yet!