Page 15 of The Orc Outcast's Miracle

“Hold a moment,” Chief Ergoth said. “You spoke with seer Evythiken? When?”

“Earlier this evening, right before Maythra attacked me,” Miranda said.

“But the seer is not here. How long ago was this exactly?”

“He was in the woods only a few minutes before Maythra attacked.”

“Minutes? What is a minute?” Chief Ergoth asked. “And you saw the seer in the woods? At this time of the eve?”

“Yes, I did see him. And talked to him. And a minute is... it’s a measure of time. It’s just a few moments.” Miranda glanced to Govek, clearly struggling, but he had trouble finding the words to help her explain.

“Miranda, the seer is unwell. He does not go out at night. Are you certain that is what you saw?”

“Yes, I am one hundred percent certain that I talked to the seer.”

“One hundred... percent?” Chief Ergoth glanced toward the clan as if looking for someone to explain. “You aren’t quite making sense, Miranda. Perhaps we should leave your account to when the vorial has worn off. I believe the herb has muddled your mind.”

“My mind is fine. I want to speak,” Miranda insisted.

“Of course, I would never seek to silence you.”

The door to the hall opened. The sound was muffled to Govek’s ear. Slightly distorted. The copal caught him as he turned his gaze and found Wellia had entered and was hurrying to the platform.

“Ah! Wellia, please, come up and examine Miranda. We won’t keep you. I’m sure your mate needs your aid while he is mending Wolvc. Can you tell us if vorial was what drugged her?”

Miranda nodded. “Sure, yeah. Come look.”

Wellia went up the steps and over to her. Her curly hair bouncing, her dark eyes alight with concern. She looked into Miranda’s eyes a moment, leaned in to smell.

“Yes, you were drugged with vorial.” Wellia’s tone was gentle, and it smoothed Govek’s battered senses. Thank the Fades, Miranda was finally getting aid. “Are you woozy or disoriented?”

“It’s not too bad since I vomited.”

“Disoriented?” Chief Ergoth cut in. “What kind of disorientation?”

“Vorial is usually a sleeping aid, so sometimes, in extreme cases, it can blur between our dreams and the waking world and make us see things that aren’t there,” Wellia explained, taking Miranda’s chin gently in her palm and looking over her lips. “Can you open your mouth so I can check your gums?”

Miranda did so without hesitation.

“It can make one see things that are not there. Miranda, about the seer?—”

An icy chill fell over Govek.

“What are you saying? That I imagined talking to him?” Miranda jerked her chin out of Wellia’s grip. “I spoke to him before I was drugged. Bring him here and ask him.”

“Calm, please,” Ergoth said quietly. “I did not mean to upset you. I am only seeking to understand. To help us all understand. You were drugged in the hall, so everything you heard and saw after you left might be distorted.”

“I wasn’t drugged in the hall. They threw the drug on me after I spoke with the seer in the woods.”

The clipped nature of Miranda’s voice registered. She was upset. He should do something, but the clearing was so strong that Govek struggled to fight it off.

“You said you felt better now that you have vomited. Does that not mean you ingested the drug?” Ergoth asked, looking between her and Wellia.

Wellia stayed quiet, but her expression spoke volumes.

“You came here together,” Chief Ergoth said. “He was the only one, aside from yourself, to touch your food, was he not?”

“He... he was, but my food wasn’t drugged. Wolvc and Rogeth threw the tincture on me. That’s how it got on my dress. I only ate a few bites of my food, so it couldn’t have been in that.”

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