Jenny: Ministrations

Jason was taking a sound beating from Ambrosius when the Guttersnipe returned from the kitchen. Kay was idly braiding another whip, leaning in to watch the game. Jason looked up as she drew closer, eying the two full vessels in her hands. "Is all that witchcraft going to help me win?" he asked hopefully.

"No," she returned mildly. "Unless you want to spend the rest of the evening in the outhouse."

He crunched up his nose. "What have you done with my plants?" he asked, reaching across for the nearest cup.

"I haven't - done - anything," she assured him, quickly moving the cup out of his reach. "Oh!" she said, as Artos, stepping up behind her, took the cup and sniffed its contents. "Give it - don't - " she told him, but he hastily returned it.

"Who is the unhappy victim?" he asked, sinking into a chair with a grimace.

The Guttersnipe smoothed her ruffled feathers. "Domitia has got the hill sickness, poor thing. I made her something to knock the knife out of its grasp."

"Did you put my things back in order?" asked Jason, embroiled in his pending slaughter by Ambrosius.

She assured him that she had, and left them to return to Domitia. Her young man sat by her, awkward and a little forlorn. The poor big brute really cared; she was impressed that he was so steadfastly attached to Domitia, who went from sickness to sickness as a child, just learning to walk, goes from doorframe to doorframe. She approached them and handed Domitia the first cup. "Tansy for you," she said, "for the fever, and horehound with thyme to knock the edge off that cough in you chest. Drink it all down - don't mind the heat; and here is wine to dull the other edge of that blade, and to steady the uneasiness the ling-honey with the brew might give you. Drink it all down before the honey goes to thick again."

She set her hands on her hips and watched to be sure Domitia took it all to the last drop, moving only to stoke up the fire.