Tale as Old As Time [Finished]

[accalia]

As soon as the coughing fit starts Echo rushes to the side of the bed, once again moving so quickly that his motion is all but invisible. he places one hand on Rosanna's forehead and the other on her shoulder. as soon as he touches her skin fine beads of sweat break out on Echo's face and his shirt begins showing signs of fresh sweating. The colour slowly drains from Echo's face even as a small blush of colour returns to Rosanna's face.

As the coughing fit dies Echo slumps slightly and removes his hands from Rosanna. A small worried frown creases Echo's face.

"This one sees... sees... there is a darkness inside you Lady Rosanna. this darkness is causing you great harm, in time if it is not dealt with it will steal your very life from you. This one will have to remove this dark growth from here"

Echo holds his hand over Rosanna's left breast, carefully staying several inches away. After a moment his hand returns to his side.

"This one will require a few minutes to prepare.  If this one could be provided a chair as this will be draining for this one and this one does not want to fall."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried is behind him a moment later, holding a simple wooden chair, ready to be useful but not getting in the way. Rosanna frowns. "Is it... can you do it?"

Sigfried speaks up then, his voice warm and confident. "The healer comes with quite the recommendation from one who served with him in the war. His ways are said to be unorthodox but highly effective, unlike the physician in town whose estimation of his ability outstrips his record for successful treatment."

[accalia]

Echo takes the chair and sits next to the bed. He smiles wryly at Sigfried's comment

"This one would not speak so highly of this one's abilities. This one can cure you Lady Rosanna, although it will not be easy, and will probably be rather painful. This one asks that you trust this one's words; you will be healed, just as this one has healed countless before you, and may yet heal countless others after."

Echo once again draws his butterfly knife and places the point on his right palm, at the end of a tightly packed spiral of pinprick scars. a quick twist of the knife and a bright spot of blood wells up on Echo's palm.

"This one wishes to apologize for this. This one needs direct contact with your blood... This one promises that this will work. Please."

Echo is offering Rosanna the knife hilt first, the blade being carefully and loosely held in his left hand.

[yamikuronue]

Rosanna swallows, keeping her eyes on Echo as she takes the knife. "A little cut, yea? Any.. particular spot? Jus' right here?" Assuming he gives her an affirmative signal, she copies what he did, drawing a little blood in her palm. A small motion behind Echo, and Siegfried has set down a tea tray on the dresser, containing a small cloth, rubbing alcohol, and bandages, just in case thing get messy. There would be no joy in Rosanna having to clean bloodstains off her bedclothing as soon as she's well, after all.

[accalia]

Echo takes the knife back from Rosanna and vanishes it up his sleeve, with his right hand he grabs the hand that Rosanna pricked and that now carries a crimson spot of blood.

"Now this will feel... weird. this one doesn't really have words for it..."

Echo closes his eyes and concentrates for a moment. The room seems to darken for a moment before Rosanna jerks convulsively and Echo gets knocked back in his chair so hard that it slides several inches away from the bed.

Full colour has returned to Rosanna's face, even as it has drained from Echo's face. of the mingled blood on their palms there is no sign, just as on Rosanna's hand there is no sign of the cut that released the blood, instead on the palm of Echo's right hand there are two new scars, bright and pink against the background of old scars, one is a dot continuing the spiral pattern on his palm, the other a small scratch  mirroring the one that Rosanna gave herself.

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried gives Echo a moment to recover his breath, then says, smoothly, "If you will, I can show you to your chambers?"

That looked painful, and though his face shows no sign of it, he's insanely curious how that worked. Is it learnable? Magic had always held a secret forbidden thrill for the Steward, who had never had any training in it himself. He wasn't, after all, one of the idle rich who had time to chase talents they may or may not have, kludging together enough basic skills to pretend to be a learned mage, nor was he one with talent strong enough to require teaching for his own safety, so he'd never been tested for magic aptitude in his life. Instead, he'd been taught how to be the perfect servant: unobtrusive, quiet, and disciplined.

[accalia]

Echo sat in the chair for a long moment before being roused by Seigfried's words.

"yes, plea-"

Echo breaks off in the middle of speaking as he is hit with an intense coughing fit much like Rosanna had less than a minute ago. the fit subsides quickly but leaves Echo even more drained than he had been. After another long moment Echo speaks again.

"this one thinks they will need assistance in standing. The darkness was deeper and darker than this one thought or could sense... another day and it may have been too deep to remove... it will be some time before the lady, or this one, recovers fully... The lady should recover rather faster than this one, although she will likely be stiff and sore for several days."

[yamikuronue]

"Of course". Before Echo is even done coughing, Siegfried is beside him, offering an arm. "If you require, I am capable of conveying you entirely to your chambers, or you may use my body for whatever support you may otherwise require." he adds, once Echo has finished speaking. "You are, of course, welcome here as long as you require, for your own recovery and that of your patient."

[accalia]

Echo is ashen grey as he uses Siegfried's arm to pull himself to his feet. Echo sways slightly as one who is half asleep.

"Thank you, This one will walk, but may require a shoulder to steady one as one walks. A dark room to sleep in will be most helpful for now."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried nods, beginning to slowly accompany Echo back out of Rosanna's room and down the hallway. "I have left a copy of the household rules on your desk. I beg your pardon, however, but I must draw particular attention to a few vital rules, lest you accidentally transgress when you have recovered some from your ordeal."

Still walking with Echo, Siegfried takes a deep breath. "The most important rule is that the Young Master is not to be disturbed. While you are free to move about the house and grounds during your stay, I must ask that you refrain from entering any of the bedroom suites on the third floor. If you have need of any items, approval, or have any concerns during your stay, please bring them to my attention, and I will resolve them personally.

"If, by any means, you do come across the Young Master, you are to politely excuse yourself from his company as rapidly as possible. Do not linger or draw him into conversation. Should you be required, by some stretch of circumstance, to speak with the Young Master, I can provide further information at that time.

"If you observe anything unusual during your stay that concerns you, do not investigate. Instead, feel free to bring it up with myself, and I will do what I can to resolve the issue."

[accalia]

Echo stops suddenly as Siegfried mentions the rules.

"This one..... what...  this one has many questions."

Echo slumps slightly as another coughing fit starts, this time a black mucus discharge is present. the coughing fit is over as quickly as it started.

"questions have to wait. this one apologizes, should not delay"

[yamikuronue]

"As always, you are free to ask me questions as they occur." Siegfried smiles warmly, hoping to be disarming. If people smile when they deliver bad news, the news often sounds better, he reasons, as he moves to open a door. "I apologize if the chamber is not to your liking; I had to undertake the preparations myself, for obvious reasons, so do inform me if you have any concerns."

The suite, of course, is spotless, with a faint lemon scent pervasive throughout. The outer room is a small study rather than a sitting room, with a desk and several bookshelves; the decor is done in shades of blue, and the quilt on the bed appears to be handmade, adding that extra personal touch. There is a thin folder on the desk -- probably the rules -- and a small gourmet chocolate on his pillow, in a surprisingly hotel-like touch for such an estate.

[accalia]

Echo staggers into the room and pauses next to the bed.

"Thank you.... This one needs to sleep now."

With those words, as if a switch had been turned off Echo simply falls forward and lands squarely on the bed. Echo is fast asleep before he hits the bedspread.

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried gently moves the chocolate to the desk, so Echo doesn't roll over and smush it into his hair, and gingerly removes Echo's shoes, taking them to clean the mud from them before placing them beside the door to the outer chamber.

When he awakens the next morning, Echo's stomach loudly informs him that it's time to eat; following his nose, it's fairly easy to find the kitchens, back toward the center of the mansion from the servant's wing. There he finds Sigfried, wearing a frilly apron as he stands guard over an omelette. "Ah, good morning! Would you like an omelette? Do you eat pork?"

[accalia]

Echo walks into the kitchen, he is still pale, but some color has returned.

"Thank you for the offer, however this one does not partake of animal products. Would a bowl of oatmeal be available?"

Echo sits down at the small side table near the window.

"Has the Lady roused yet? This one would expect her to have woken by now"