Kire didn’t know how to feel about Etta suddenly gaining magical abilities. Precy looked excited, though to her credit, the young girl knew her cousin and playmate well enough not to fawn over her and make her all the more anxious. Etta nodded when Ruli made her promise to be honest about how she feels should the magic suddenly manifest. The blonde girl looked curiously up at Ysaryn when the elf sniffed her, both anxious and curious about why the elf did so. 

“I don’t know if ‘interesting’ is the word,” Kire murmured, overhearing the exchange, though she said the remark more to herself than to Ruli or Ysaryn. She gave the supplies to be turned over to Ruli one more inspection, then handed the gold to him and Gavin. 
The lad immediately opened the pouches and counted silently, then looked up at them when he realized. “Sorry. Habit.” He grinned. 
Kire shook her head, amused. “Alright, if you’re going to take these back now, we’ll wait for you here and we’ll head on over to the town together. Who’s coming along?” 

Later, it would be Narda and Daryll accompanying Kire, with Ed staying behind to attend to business in Kire’s absence. Gavin came back with Ruli, wanting to see this forest-town himself. He wouldn’t tell them outright, but he was hoping to get a vision, too, if only to see if that had anything to do with the dream and the feeling he couldn’t shake about the Tower. “Now, girls, behave. And Etta, remember what you promised Ruli, okay?” Kire said, giving each of them a hug. “We’ll be back.”
“Be careful,” Etta said.”
“Don’t do that usual Kay Thing that you do,” Precy teased. Kire gave her a mock pout and ruffled her hair before joining the others.

They emerged from the shadows into the place where they had met Myka yesterday to find that more guards had been posted around town, tension clearly felt around them.  “[i]Your Grace[/i]!” one exclaimed, then immediately went towards the group. 
“What happened here?” Kire asked in the common tongue.
“The sick town residents had all been moved to a new camp outside the walls. They’ve also been forbidden to make their way back to the forest. Lady Myka is with them to interrogate. Some of people with the fevers—they—” the man fumbled with his words. “They say the forest is calling to them.” The guards directed them towards the temporary settlement where the people afflicted with visions and fevers had been confined. Myka was there to meet them but without her usual swagger, worry in her eyes.

“Well. I hope at least one of you have got answers, because we’re stumped,” she said in greeting. “And I had an argument with the leaders of the town over it. They wanted to get these other folks who aren’t part of their town as far away as possible in case this was a full-on plague, and I had to tell ‘em to wait for you first. This isn’t a plague, right?” she asked. 
“I don’t know,” Kire said. “We’ll have to take a look. What have the healers said?” 
“They’re doing their best. So far at least the fevers aren’t getting worse, but we’re more worried about the other stuff, like the whispers. There’s talk of trying to maybe destroy the forest, but.” Myka gestured with a shrug. 
“Could we take a look?” Gavin asked. Myka nodded and led them to one of the tents. Inside were some of the townsfolk from yesterday, including the man and his boy who had the statuette. The healers eyed the newcomers, first seeing the Empress, then her unusual companions. Kire gestured for them to carry on their work.