Ereworn Under The Shadow

( Treat As a Goodberry but for each one taken Barn notes the Hallowed nature of the earth is slightly reduced.....a dozen or so shouldn't do too much damage though).

"It... it h-healed me!  A little.  And I'm not h-hungry any more.  Elen's g-gift to us!  B-but maybe we shouldn't eat any more unless... unless w-we have to.  Feels like t-taking a berry m-made her just a little w-weaker.  While she's h-here, this is a... a good place."

Barn himself does not take any more.  Instead, he closes his eyes and holds his shoulder, seeming to concentrate before continuing to gather deadfall.

(Lay on hands for 5 more HP of healing on himself.)

Jack takes a berry and gives it a try. His eyes light up with the flavor and the experience of feeling full. 

Ardwynn looks at her friends as they pop berries with a bit of a squinted eye.  "Do you think it might help Clotha revert to her former appearance?   Or should we wait and hope the chalice can provide 'help' after it's overnight 'charge'?"

Trying to find a spot not close but also not too far from the blackthorn bush / the former Elen, she settles into a comfortable sitting position to work on her 'fae connections'... as she is highly upset at how poorly her efforts using eldritch magic failed for her so far.    

Perception Check:  11     Insight Check (Meditation?):  19          Arcana Check:  3   (of course!)

Quote from Kol_Drake >>

Ardwynn looks at her friends as they pop berries with a bit of a squinted eye.  "Do you think it might help Clotha revert to her former appearance?   Or should we wait and hope the chalice can provide 'help' after it's overnight 'charge'?"

Trying to find a spot not close but also not too far from the blackthorn bush / the former Elen, she settles into a comfortable sitting position to work on her 'fae connections'... as she is highly upset at how poorly her efforts using eldritch magic failed for her so far.    

Perception Check:  11     Insight Check (Meditation?):  19          Arcana Check:  3   (of course!)

Ardwynn finds it difficult to focus but from what she knew of Elen and the tales of the Cunning Folk they're gifts can resist the influences of the Fay but are more focused on prevention and warding than removing faerie dweomers.....they do have many gifts of healing and knowledge of herbcraft......much like Reg seems to be developing...

Clotha hugs Smiling Jack as he lays down the flowers, " Um.......sorry.....did you all come to a decision regarding me? We are bound for home, right?"

Smiling Jack had an embarrassing grin on his face..."yes we are bound for home...but we are not as fast as Ned...nor know the area as well, so we may not be as quick."

The trapper walked around the Blackthorn, hand outstretched gently brushing the branches and leaves.  His thought concentrating on the woman Elen that he so briefly met just a day ago.  True, he was just as puzzled as the others as to the fantastical transformation.  He cupped a sloe in his hand to examine the fruit, gently enough to not break it free from the tree.  He was familiar enough with the product, he had picked such fruits in the past, even gathered them back home to make a brandy once.  But these felt different, more special, connected.

Reg listened to Barn, but also noted the sheer number of fruits on the tree.  He also hears Ardwynn remind the group of the cautionary tale of Macha and her husband Nuada.  But he rations that as long as they aren't overly greedy, they shouldn't harm the plant...or disturb Oengus's resting place.

"Thank you Elen for the gift you provide to us now.  May it help us in times of need and remind us that we are still connected...to each other and Ereworn."  "I will see if I can make something useful from these, something tasty to celebrate her efforts and life...though it might take some time.  Until then, let us simply hold onto them."

The trapper collects 8 sloes for future processing.  He only starts the brewing process when he is sure they have the time to see it through to completion.

Respects paid and replenishment had the companions move on easterly down the Kings Road, eventually they come to the place they saw the carriage the previous day but it is absent at this time.

Continuing on you come to where you emerged from the Woods onto the road, you note there are two trails emerging here but that you originally used the rightmost of the two, it should take you to the clearing where you saw the collapsed hut.

Smiling Jack looks to the others, "any preferences?  I have none.  I'm happy just heading back."

Barn seems lost in thought, perhaps about Elen and Oengus, as he leads the others along the forest path with Caelen.

Once they arrive at the choice of two trails, the big man pauses.  "Quickest w-way back to town.  I think s-so too, Jack, but..."

"Did we..." Barn gulps.  "Did we d-decide what to do once we g-get there?  Headman Eldron w-was blaming everything wrong with the land on Ned.  The bad m-milk, the eggs, the ale.  B-but now... I don't think that's true.  Ned didn't bring all this d-darkness.  Maybe it's the Duke and his Black Riders, or... m-maybe something else.  Maybe we n-need Fabian's quest to fix it, or whatever the person in that crystal w-wanted.  But will Eldron b-believe us?"

The big man pauses, then continues, more quietly.

"And Clotha's own f-father Gond, the innkeeper, sold her to Eldron... will Eldron let her g-go if we bring her b-back?"  He thinks back to a few days ago when they had all met at The Horned Man.  How Eldron had been drunk and his advisers Smilch and Garfax seemed to 'manage' him.

(In truth, Barn can't recall what the party, or Clotha herself, had decided, having been too chagrined at misunderstanding her intentions in Ned's cavern.)

Smiling Jack is listening to Barn speak, and is riveted to all the words.  Jack feels an opening to speak, but realizes he has nothing to say.  Jack starts hashing out what Barn has said and thinks about what he has seen.  

Jacks mumbles, "magic... magic... magic..." Jack speaks louder in a low voice, "magic is real...there is good magic like Elen...and bad magic like what happened to the lumberjack....". Jack looks at Barn then at Ardwyn then at Reg and asks, could bad or mean magic be winning against good magic?"