Eldrick went in search of Caitlin and Lugh.  Finding them in the library he explained the situation to them in hushed tones.  They agreed to help him.  Caitlin went off to the apothecary hoping there might be a recipe there that would help drain a weeping wound or a compound that might help to fight infection.  Lugh started going through the herbology texts hoping to find something which may have been overlooked.  Eldrick deciding the natural remedies were being taken care of decided to look into infections and their causes.  Not knowing exactly where to start he approached Amarna.

"Do you have anything on infections and their causes?"

"Well let's see," she walked down an aisle of shelves near the back of the room.  "I think these may be useful though I don't know why you are looking for this information."

"Sebastian has a nasty infection.  Amaryliss asked me to help find a cure or remedy."  Eldrick nervous, wrung his hands.  "I also have some bad news for you.  It seems you are affected by it too," he swallowed convulsively.  "I was tasked with something I do not wish to do but it is going to be necessary."

"Come now Ellie, it can't be that bad."  Amarna raised an eyebrow.  "Do what you have to."

Eldrick setting aside the books Amarna had gathered for him, left the room.  Entering his room, he grabbed his knife.  Drawing a tiny bit of energy, he sterilized it as he returned to the library.

"I am sorry for this," he grabbed her hand and drew his blade across it.  "I was told to draw blood.  I expect this won't heal properly anytime soon and you will develop an infection there though my knife is sterile."

Amarna swore.  As she left the room cradling her cut hand she continued to curse under her breath.  Eldrick using magic, again cleaned his knife.  Returning it to his room he could feel tears threatening to flow again.  Calming himself he entered the library and gathered up the books on infections.  He settled down for a day of trancework study.

With everyone deep in study, the library was unnaturally silent.  The only sound was that of turning pages with the occasional thump as a tome was put down and another taken up.  About midafternoon, Amarna tapped Eldrick on the shoulder.  Coming out of his trance he could see the beads of sweat on her forehead.  Dropping the book in his hands he rose to his feet just as Amarna began to collapse.  Catching her before she hit the ground, he lifted her up and carried her to one of the tables where he gently placed her down.  He could see the green of the oozing puss through the bandage wrapping her palm.

"Henry, Yosef, we need to move Amarna to one of the other rooms.  Be careful not to touch her bandage."  Eldrick looked worriedly at the bandage.  "I am not sure the cause of the infection, or whether it is contagious, but Sebastian has a similar infection.  It reminds me too much of the nasty magics we cleaned out of the guardsman a ten-day ago."  Looking around he spotted a knife on Yosef's belt.  "May I borrow your knife for a moment?"  Yosef drew the knife and handed it to Eldrick.  "Thanks," he cleaned it with magic as he had his own knife earlier.  Drawing it across his palm drawing blood.

"Why did you do that?" Yosef looked shocked.  "Now you need to get that taken care of and cannot help in any healing until it heals."

"I had to know if I was infected.  I helped with the guard, if it came from him, I may have been contaminated."  His face was a grimace of pain which he tried to hide.  "If so, it would be best to deal with everyone at the same time.  I have a journey ahead of me and I need to be in the best of health, and not harbouring an unknown infection which could end up killing me."  Clenching his fist, he cleaned the knife and returned it.  "The infection showed up after only a few hours so I should know soon.  Let's get her moved and I will bandage my hand."

Henry and Yosef gently picked up Amarna and followed Eldrick out of the room.  They took Amarna to a private room where they lay her on the bed.  Eldrick headed for the storage room for bandages, where he wrapped his hand carefully.  Once that was complete, he went in search of Amaryliss. 

Finding her in Sebastian's room he approached carefully.  "Lady Amaryliss, Amarna is infected as well.  She is oozing the same green puss."  Eldrick stood there cradling his hand.

"What have you done to your hand?"

"I had to know, so I cut it," looking chagrined he glanced at the floor.  "I only did this a few moments ago.  Should know before morning though."

"Right, well you are out of commission until we know.  For now, I would like it if you would watch Sebastian, while I go check on Amarna."  Amaryliss then grabbed Eldrick's hand and carefully unwrapped the bandage to examine the wound.  "Well, at least it is a clean cut and not too deep.  Not to mention you cleaned it before bandaging it up.  Good!"  Rewrapping it she dropped his hand.  "Keep it clean, changing the bandages every couple of hours before going to bed.  Make sure they are clean bandages when you do go to bed.  I hope we don't have three with this mysterious infection."  Turning she left.

Eldrick glancing over at Sebastian, shivered, tears forming in his eyes.  He sobbed as he thought about losing Sebastian from an infection.  How could this be?  What did he do to deserve this?  He'd found Sebastian so recently, and now the world was trying to take him away.  He couldn't let it happen, but how could he prevent it?  He didn't even know what caused it.  He needed to figure this out.  But what could one person do?  Then like a two-by-four across the back of his head, he remembered he was not alone.  The entire house of healing was working on this problem.

Sitting up straighter he wondered when he had sat down in the first place.  He prepared himself for trance.  He knew he did his best thinking when in a trance since he wasn't concentrating on the problem.  If he could get everyone in a trance together to consider this problem maybe the answer would come to them.  But that was a problem to work on in the morning if he was free of infection.  Letting his body relax he slipped into a trance and allowed his senses to roam the building.  Sensing all the life energies and their unique flavours.  Now that is something new.  He had never sensed them as taste before, only colour and texture.  Focusing on Sebastian he tried to sense his original patterns below the sickly green without touching it.

There deep in his core where the putrescence couldn't reach it, was the essential Sebastian.  Now how to free it without becoming contaminated himself if he wasn't already? 

Eldrick pulled his senses back, he had to change his bandage.  As he left the room he noticed Sebastian's laboured breathing.  They were running out of time.  Tears streamed down his face as he went to change the dressing.

Having cleaned the wound and re-dressing it, he looked to the east and noticed the sun was setting.  Well, he wasn't going to get any staff work done, but it was time for dinner.  Entering the dining hall, the atmosphere was sombre and quiet.  The normal joviality was missing.  The hushed tones were all discussing the concern for the two, possibly three, cases of the unknown infection.  Amy was the first to notice Eldrick as he entered.  Waving him over she shifted so there was space between her and Jane.

"Hey Ellie, how's the hand?  Yosef said he saw his blade glow slightly just before and after you cut yourself.  He used to complain of one spot of rust he just couldn't get rid of.  When you handed the blade back the rust was gone," Jane grinned.  "He wants to learn how to do that.  In fact, all of us do.  It would make cleaning our tools so much easier."

"I don't know about that," shaking his head Eldrick replied.  "It takes energy out of the person doing it.  Not to mention if you were to do that to all the tools needed in a major crisis, you would drain yourself and then be useless until you rest and regain your energy.  Using too much could kill you."  Eldrick grimaced at the recollection of his first encounter with the guards at the gate.  "I almost did that to myself when we first arrived."

"OH!, I didn't know that could happen."

"I think I may have to risk that to save Amarna and Sebastian.  I seem to be the only one who can sense life energy here.  I'm scared.  I don't want to die, but I can't lose Sebastian.  If Sergei were to return to find Amarna dead, it would destroy him.  What am I supposed to do?"

"Ellie, let's take this one step at a time.  There is still time to figure this out."

"We don't have time.  When I left, Sebastian was struggling to breathe.  We only have a couple days to figure this out.  Not to mention I could be infected.  Amarna is down with the same thing.  I won't know until the morning whether or not I face the same."  Tears forming in his eyes, he drew a handkerchief and dabbed them away.  "I don't know what to do."  Rising from the table he looked at his companions, "I am not hungry.  I'm going to bed.  The morning will decide what happens."

With ponderous steps, he left the dining hall.  Entering his room, the dam broke and the tears flowed freely.  Looking in the mirror he felt like an imposter.  Though he was in a dress, all he could see was a guy who's entire world was crumbling down around him.  His soul bonded lay downstairs dying, and he was helpless to change it.  His mentor had taken off without a word of when he would return, if he would return.  The head of the house of healing was laid out in one of the sick rooms dying as well.  Without a master to present him to the conclave, he couldn't progress to the next level and all his study would be wasted.  He was nothing, a no one.  He was being targeted for some unknown reason.  Stripping off the dress he heard a ripping sound.  He had now destroyed a gift as well.  Throwing it into the corner he flopped down on the bed and wept.  Fists pounding the pillow and mattress.

Having expended the pent up frustration and anger, sleep overtook him.

Morning found Eldrick curled up on the floor.  He wasn't sure how he ended up there, but all the bedding had been pulled off as well.  Glancing at his hand he sighed relief.  There was no sign of the infection which had afflicted Amarna and Sebastian.  Thoughts of Sebastian sent him scrambling.  Grabbing the gown from last night he noticed the rent in the shoulder where it had torn when he removed it the night before.  Going to the wardrobe he chose the blue gown there.  Taking it he headed to the bathing room.  He knew that he had to bathe before getting dressed for the day.  As he entered the room he looked at his hand.  Now how was he going to get clean without getting it wet?

"Ellie," Caitlin squealed.  "Don't worry we will help you just get in the tub and keep that bandage out of the water."

Eldrick blushed.  He wondered if he would ever get used to the ladies in the bathing room when he got here.  They didn't seem phased by it, but he remained uncomfortable.  Stripping the rest of the way down he climbed into the tub of hot water.  Caitlin and Jane came over to help him wash.

As they finished, the guys entered the bathing chamber, whistling at the ladies as they did. They kept their hands to themselves.  Climbing out of the tub he was handed a towel to dry off with.  With that complete, he began dressing.  He realized he needed help tying the gown up.

"I have it, Ellie," Jane's voice held a hint of happiness.  "So... I see you don't have an infection.  That is great.  Now you just need to let it heal."

Eldrick just nodded.  "I feel like a fraud in this gown.  What is worse is that I also feel better wearing it than my old outfit."  He took a deep breath and let it out loudly.  "How is it something that can bring me joy and the feeling of completeness also causes me such distress?"

"I have no idea," she shrugged.  "Caitlin hates dresses and prefers to wear trews and tight-fitting tops to hide her breasts."  Jane looked over at Caitlin a huge smile on her face.  "Honestly I wouldn't care one way or the other but then I fell in love with the person, not the body.  There are some who think that is wrong, but back home it's completely acceptable."  Jane gave Eldrick a curious look.  "So why shouldn't you prefer to dress and feel like a girl."  She shrugged then pulled the laces tighter.  "Tell me if this is too tight or if I can go tighter.  I mean you fill out the gowns well, and they look normal on you.  I wonder what Sebastian would think?"

Eldrick broke down into racking sobs.  "Tighter if you can," he managed between sobs.

"Oh sweetie, what did I say?"  Jane dropped the laces.  Walking around Eldrick drew him into a hug.  "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"Sebastian, he is dying and there is nothing I can do.  I can't lose him," tears flowing freely down his cheeks.  Sniffling he continued, "I have lost too many already.  I was found walking through the fields of Tarrin by Evelyn, Sergei's daughter.  Then taken as his apprentice."

His voice became muffled as he buried his face in Jane's shoulder.  "I have no family, no parents that I know of.  All I have are Sergei and Sebastian.  Sebastian saved our lives when an avalanche buried the farm last winter.  I... I... I can't lose him too.  I would rather die than lose him."

"Whoa, slow down," Lugh called out as he got out of the tub.  "You don't have any family but Sergei and Sebastian?"  He approached, dripping water across the floor.  "Well I must say you can consider us family if you need to," he gestured to Caitlin, Jane, Yosef and himself.  The water glistening off his well-defined pecs.  "If you ever need help you can call on us.  I mean that.  Right?"  He glanced at his cadre of companions.

"Of course," Yosef affirmed.  "You are part of our Cadre even if you aren't Thormalkian.  If it means we never join the ranks of the hunters so be it."  Yosef glanced around at his fellow Thormalkians.  All of them were nodding.  "You see, you are not alone.  It may just be our culture that allows us to see you as you are Ellie.  There is nothing wrong with you.  Some idiot will find it to be wrong, I really don't understand that."

Eldrick tried to pull himself together, using the towel to dry his eyes.  "Ok, let's get this done.  We can do something about this infection before it kills anyone."

A cheer went up from everyone in the room.  Eldrick wasn't sure why but it helped to lift his spirits and gave him hope.  Jane tightening the laces and tied them off.  Caitlin approached a single ribbon in her hand.

"I have an idea for your hair today.  Something simple but cute."  Grabbing a brush she began brushing out Eldrick's hair removing the tangles and then pulling the hair up, tying it into a single tail near the top of his head.  "There, that should be good for today.  No real fear of your hair getting into a patient since you are not to be doing too much anyway.  Not with your bandaged hand."

As everyone finished getting dressed Eldrick considered his thoughts from before dinner.  He left to go to the library, where he settled down and waited for the others.  Claire popped her head in.

"Hey silly goose, breakfast first.  Come on."

Eldrick blushed, "Right.  No point trying to do anything on an empty stomach."  Rising, he followed Claire to the dining hall.  The smell of the food, causing his stomach to growl.  He hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before.  Sitting down at the table he applied himself to the food placed in front of him.  He made sure not to eat too fast or risk it coming back up.

With breakfast over, everyone gathered up their dishes and placed them on the side table.  Eldrick led everyone to the library with the intent of trying to find a means of curing this abhorrent infection.  Organizing everyone into a circle on the floor of the library, he stood in the center.

"I am going to try something and I would like your help," slowly turning to look at every one.  "I am hoping to see if we as a group can reach the core of Amarna and Sebastian.  Last night when I was alone with Sebastian, I used the skills I have learned from my master.  I found his core buried deep where the infection couldn't reach it.  The problem is that it is slowly working deeper and threatens to snuff out the core and destroy him."  Looking at the faces of those around him he could see their concern.  "Yes, I fear this is also happening to Amarna.  The reason it is slow is that their bodies are fighting it and trying to force out the malignant infection.  I fear that without the open wounds it would work much quicker.  I hope you are willing to work with me in this."  He took a deep breath, biting his lips.  "I do not know whether this will work or not, but I have to do something."

"You can count me in, Petal too."  Amaryliss strode into the room with grim determination.  Taking a seat between Claire and Eileen.  "I am at a loss, and if this works maybe we can all learn something."

There was a chorus of agreement from all those gathered.  Eldrick smiling and nodding began explaining what was required.  As he led them into a trance he extended his mental hand to each in turn.  Drawing everyone in he drew upon their energies searching for the core of Amarna who was the closest.  Delving down he found the core of Amarna in a tiny corner almost snuffed out by the magical infection.  Sending energy to it in a way as to not touch the putrid mass surrounding her core.  Slowly he built a shield and began expanding it.  Inch by agonizing inch outwards.  Careful to not allow the energy to come in contact with himself.  Amaryliss consciousness warning that he could be risking her life if they moved too quickly.

Eldrick felt his energy draining away even with the bolstering of those around him.  One by one the others fell out of the link.  When the fourth had fallen out he anchored the shield where it was and drew back.  Fearing he may have caused others to drain themselves to dangerous levels.  Releasing the circle, he returned to the real world.  Looking around the circle he noticed those who were unconscious.  Amaryliss, Caitlin, Lugh, and Henry were all down.  Jane and Claire were wobbly when they tried to rise.

"Don't move yet," he said.  "I forgot how draining this could be for those who are not used to it.  Wait here," rising he left only to return a couple of minutes later.  Tray in hand he poured drinks for everyone.  "Here, it is just fruit juice but it should help."  Turning to Amaryliss, he gently lifted her, while placing the tray on the floor.  "Easy now, drink this.  It will help."

Placing the cup to her lips.  Not allowing her to drink too much at once.  He noticed Claire had recovered and was assisting Caitlin in the same way, while Jane was with Henry.  Amy was over by Lugh with a cup in hand.  Once everyone was back up and somewhat stable, Eldrick sighed in relief.  He hadn't drained them too far.  The sun had progressed about halfway across the sky.  Eldrick feared this was going to take longer than he had thought but it was best to go slowly.

"Amaryliss how are you feeling?  I am so sorry I took so much from you."

"I will be fine, youngster.  This is the first time I have participated in something this involved.  I am not as young as I once was."  Shifting her weight to sit up by herself.  "Why have we stopped?"

"I felt it best not to continue after four of you dropped out of the link fearing I was draining you too much.  I came close to draining myself before when we were healing the guard."  Sitting down hard on the floor Eldrick looked worried.

"Ok young one.  I understand your concern.  Once we recover we can continue."

"No, I don't want to risk anyone, so I think we should wait until tomorrow.  I have secured the shield and hopefully, it holds, because tomorrow we are going to need to attend to Sebastian."  Pulling a handkerchief from his sleeve he mopped his brow.  "I am planning on making sure there are snacks nearby for afterwards as well as the fruit juice.  I will not be the cause of others suffering."

"Ellie, calm yourself,"  Yosef said placing a hand on his shoulder.  "None of us are used to working with magic but we will learn."\

"I wonder," Caitlin walking over to the shelves, "I was right there are a few tomes about healing magics.  There is nothing about shields though."

"That I think will be today's lesson after everyone has gotten something to eat."  Rising to her feet Amaryliss motioned everyone to follow her out.  "I do believe I am going to need to strengthen my shields to protect my energies to some degree."

"You can do that?"  The shock in Lugh's voice was palpable.  "I thought shields were only good for protection from magical attacks."

"Oh, there is much that it can be used for.  Ellie is improvising and I am hoping it is effective.  After a quick meal, I am going to check on Amarna."

"I am going to spend some time with Sebastian unless you need me for the lesson."

"I am sorry but I am going to need you.  I will need to have someone capable of shields to demonstrate with.  And since this lot are rank amateurs it will have to be you."

"Understood, now let's get some food."

They were just entering the dining hall when Eldrick remembered that there was no one cooking at this time of day.  Entering the kitchen he began to prepare a quick meal for everyone.  Something simple just meat and vegetables between slices of bread.  He cut them into small triangles and brought them out on a large tray.  Placing the tray on the table he took a seat and grabbed a triangle.  Indicating for everyone to eat as he took a bite of his sandwich.  With all the healers eating the tray was quickly emptied.

"I think this is something I could make without destroying it," Amy giggled.

"I know what you mean," Caitlin laughed.  "My problem would be the making of the bread in the first place."

"Oh, I hadn't considered that."

"Well, so long as there is bread ready we can make food," giggling Caitlin indicating the kitchen.  "Who has dinner prep tonight?"

"I guess I had better decide that," Eileen looked shocked.  "I didn't realize that with Amarna sick it falls to me to take up her duties as her assistant.  I should really think about the implications."

"Eileen, if we can't deal with this problem you become the head healer.  I know there is still more she could be teaching you, but that is something you need to consider."  Eldrick's words rang clear.  "I don't mean to be a pessimist but those are the facts."

"B... b.. but I don't know anything about teaching others," panicked she looked around.  "Ellie you know how to teach you should take over as the head healer.  I mean you seem to be the one doing everything right now."

"I can't, I am only here to learn the basics.  What is happening is something that doesn't happen often.  Besides, I have to leave soon or we will never make the conclave in time.  I think it may be too late already."  Eldrick looked down in shame.  "I have failed my master unless he has a plan that could get us there in time.  We have less than a month to reach Shay and the grove."

"Shay?"

Eldrick nodding looked up with tears in his eyes.  "We have only a few minutes before Amaryliss calls us to work on shields."

"Oh great, something else to learn," Lugh spat.  "Does it ever end?"

"Lugh, if you stop learning there is something wrong.  Every time you encounter something or someone new you learn something."

"Gee, Ellie, do you have to be such a downer."

"Alright you lot, get out here," Amaryliss voice cut through the chatter.