“Jasper!” Haewon gasps, grabbing his arm and attempting to pull him inside exam room 3, but unable to budge him. “What if she sees you?”

He shifts into the room so she can shut the door. “She’s in back with the feist and leaving notes for Charmion,” he says to her, never breaking eye contact with Nyrun.

“Oh! You’re so pretty!” Nyrun says, looking up at him. “I’m not used to not being the tallest in a room. It’s been a long time since an elk was chosen as a forest wildling.” Thinking on it now she frowns. “How long have you been the wildling?”

“Nearly eight Returnings,” he answers. “But this is not the conversation I want to have.”

She does the math quickly on her fingers. “So young. Did something happen to Iwa?” she asks, concern etching her brow.

“Iwa remains on the other side of the city. The humans cut so far into our land that the Veil changed the borders. There are two river wildlings now as well.” He stomps a bronze cloven hoof, “We are talking about the Doctor.”

“Yes, we should,” Nyrun agrees. “The koboloi and other fear-eaters probably sensed her panic–”

“And why did she panic? What did you do to her? Her eyes were red. How could you make her cry?” he steps forward, shaking but standing as tall as he could.

Haewon claps her hands together, “Wait, wait. I want to know what distressed her so too but I don’t think it had anything to do with Ms Tuor.”

“Nyrun, please. Just Nyrun. I am not comfortable explaining Moira’s business. But I didn’t cause this, and I am wary of her being alone until the air clears here. Are we too far from your boundaries for a cleansing?”

Jasper and Haewon look to each other. “But wouldn’t a cleansing hurt you?” he asks, and Haewon cringes.

Nyrun smiles, “I think it would take a lot more than a spike’s charms to harm me, pretty thing. Let’s find out.”

Haewon steps in between them. “Ok, I don’t think we need to experiment with anyone’s safety here. I’m not saying you’re not extremely badass, but Jasper’s one of the beloved. Iwa said so, isn’t that right?” she turns to him.

“Wonderful! Perfect! Do your thing. Nothing is more important than Moira and the place and the ones she loves. The clinic has no other protections, and an infestation would be disastrous for your patients. And all of you.”

The vet techs nod. “Please, Jasper,” Haewon says, “it feels … not great in here, even I can tell. I trust Nyrun. Tuor trusts her. Iwa trusts Tuor, right? She cares about Moira too–this I know. Trust me.”

“I’ll need her out of here–the best way is in my dyreham, and there’s no way Doc’s not going to notice a giant elk circling her property,” Jasper says, twisting his shoulders and stretching his neck as his veiled form returns, shrinking back to his more believably-human amount of tallness.

Haewon exhales. “I’ve already set that in motion. Moira and Nyrun are going to finish the conversation I interrupted in the privacy of her house. Only now she will keep her away from the windows as part of this distraction. I will waylay Charmion.”

“Is Charmion of the Obvious?” Nyrun asks, “Or might she be helpful?”

“She’s an Oread,” Haewon says, shaking her head. “I’m not sure what she can do, to be honest. I mean, she’s really good with animals, but I don’t think that’s entirely all Oread charm.”

“Her mother is an Oread,” Jasper says. “Her father was Alpen, which is why she’s nocturnal. She comes in after dusk and handles most of the overnights.”

“Alpen, huh?” Nyrun hmms, squinting. “She wouldn’t be giving Moira nightmares, would she?” 

“What?” Haewon clutches her collar, face set with horror.

“Alpen are marebringers. Moira’s been troubled by bad dreams, and there’s a marebringer in the clinic while she’s sleeping next door…”

“You live with a kikamora,” she hisses. “And we don’t even understand what you are,” Jasper adds coldly. 

“I’m not a fear-eater,” Nyrun blinks and releases her hold on the Veil. Jasper and Haewon gasp and step back as eight eyes look down on them. She rotates her shoulders and stretches a second set of arms, all four with a surprising number of joints. “Haven’t done this in a while,” she says. “Wasn’t sure I remembered how. And you’re so good at it for such a young wildling—made me wanna try.”

“Are you an arachnae?” Haewon’s third eye has opened, but it can only focus on time. “I’ve never seen one.”

“No, Tuor said I’m the only one like me,” she said, watching their confusion, temperatures, and anxiety change with her various visions. “Ah–she is on her way back. Are we cleansing the clinic for Moira?” 

They blink back at her as she readjusts her Veil. The diviner elbowing the wildling, who returns the light tap.

“Yes. We’re in this together, for Moira,” Haewon confirms their plans. “Ok, you go with her. Jasper will purify the place. I will watch the babies and see if I can glean anything on these nightmares from the Veil. Charmion won’t think too much of a wildling cleansing the clinic. He’s done it before.” 

The three of them nod together as Jasper opens the door again. 

. . .

Moira crosses the dark lobby area that Haewon had locked up earlier, heading back to the exam room hall. She shivers at the idea of potential spiders making homes in every picture frame she passes and then scolds herself for being so childish and weak. You are so much bigger than they are. It’s not like there’s ever gonna be one you couldn’t defeat with a shoe! Get a grip, Moira McGough.

Holding cold hands to her red cheeks to calm them, she rehearses her boss-like instructions and steps into the exam room.

“There you are!” Haewon’s cheerful tones remind her of bells again. She’s such a calming presence sometimes. Or bright and chipper when I need a pick-me-up. It’s almost as if she knows exactly what is needed. Reading the room? Or is it just a good sense of vibes? An enviable skill. She wished she could master that and get a better sense of Nyrun’s thoughts.

“Here I am,” she agrees. Nyrun smiles at her, but it’s not her usual kind with a visible little tip of one of her canines. Like a kitty. Jasper’s brows are drawn together, but he smiles too when their eyes meet. “Haewon filled you in on our idea for observing the babies for another night?” she asks him.

“Yes!” he beams. “Movie nights are already great, but this will be the best one by far.”

She reaches up and pats his shoulder, “Don’t let them watch anything scary.” 

He gasps, “We wouldn’t dream of it!”

“I left notes for Char, but you’ll be here until she’s in?”

The two techs agree and, after offering wishes for a good rest, step out, leaving them. 

“Shall we then?” Nyrun asks, offering her an arm that Moira takes, face heating once again.

The sun has shifted, turning the asphalt drive between the clinic’s parking area and her side yard abyssal. “It seems so much later with it so dark in the shade. The solar lights should be on back here already. They were working just fine this time yesterday.”

Nyrun looks towards the treeline, switching to her distance view. Unseen in the Obvious, she reaches a single claw toward an ill-fated shadow and plucks a thread from the Veil. The vibration is felt through the Obscure and dozens of shapes flee, scattering deep into the woods. The lights sputter on, and she grins down at Moira. 

Relieved to see the glint of her kitty canine, she laughs, “Huh! They listened to me,” curls bouncing as she takes the porch stairs. “I must be magic!”

“If ever there was, then surely you are.”