Hazel nodded once. "My notes are in the book on the table. You won't be any more successful than I am, however. These potions are my creations, I know everything about them. There's nothing you can brew that I could not." As she spoke, her hand continued the slow measured rotations through the pot. Three clockwise, four counterclockwise, two clockwise, one counter clockwise. Repeat. The freshly cut yew stick still seeped sap, a vital part of the process. From a nearby glass dish Hazel took a pinch of a powdered silver leaf and sprinkled it across the simmering liquid in her pot. "You are welcome to look them over, but only the pages I have marked for you."

Roger smiled at the woman he disliked. "Thank you. I will be certain to stay within the allotted pages." 

Hazel's frown was as intense as ever. This time it was directed at John Junior. "You are a blithering idiot, and the lies you tell everyone are very insulting to the warnings I gave you with those concoctions."

John closed his eyes so he would not need to look at her. Hazel's tongue could be as sharp as her mind, when she cared to use it, and he did not wish to invoke any more of her ire than necessary. "I was careful with what you gave me. Darmae used a spell that intensified every substance in my body. I believe it heightened the magic of everything within a specified range. Ow!"

Roger raised an eyebrow at the bone Hazel had bounced off John's forehead. Whatever she had been using it for earlier, it appeared she no longer considered it to be the most vital item on her workstation. At least, not more vital than inflicting a bit of pain upon her boss. "Is this part of your healing process?"

"It is now." Hazel snapped. "You did not think it important to tell me that part of things? Has anyone done a diagnostics to determine exactly what was amplified by how much? I've been dousing you with the wrong percentages if she amplified things too much! The intensity of their effects does matter! What shall happen to your daughter if you do not recover from this? Shall she live without a father? Or shall she be saddled with an invalid to care for over the rest of her life? I do not intend to raise her!" Shaking her head, Hazel snatched up a small basket. "Roger. Stir this. Three clockwise, four counter, two clock, one counter. Got it? I need to go get some more skullcap from your garden."

As Hazel stormed from the room, John let out a long sigh. "Could of sworn I told her."

~~~~

Sara looked around at the young faces around her. Kaden especially looked concerned about the subject of her announcements. The child was dressed in a bright yellow and gray dress that contradicted severely with the expressions she wore. Someone so young should not have so many fears and anxieties. Her other grandchildren still seemed happy when they played, as children should. Skyla was still giggling over Edward's latest joke, even as she looked up at her grandmother expectantly.

"Caleb, Rainbow, Edward, and I shall be leaving on a small trip soon." She saw no reason to lie to the children about what they were doing, only the danger of it. "Aunt Lydia has been located, so we're going to go and see about showing her how to get home. We shouldn't be too long, I don't believe."

"Jake," Sara smiled at the young boy. "I need you to do an especially good job of keeping your sister and Kayden safe."

Kayden wrinkled her nose with displeasure. "Papa keeps me safe." She stated the sentiment as if it were fact.

Sara couldn't find it in herself to argue with her granddaughter. "Your mother and Lala then, Jake." She knew that Marrathew would do everything he could to protect all of her little ones. "Mind what Roger says, all of you. And listen to your mother. Now. Do any of you need anything before I am on my way? Best to tell me now, I won't have time for requests later."