summoned

[mute_pen]

Etty is awoken not by her transformation, but by her summons, a few minutes after dark. In her sleep, she drifted to shore; she's lying in human form - arm intact - half in and half out of the water when she feels it.

It's very insistent.

She cannot bring herself to move. She tries - she does; intellectually she knows it's the smart thing to do - but - she can't. Cannot get up and go to him.

Comments

[growcrooked]

"Me too," says Nona. "And even if I did promise - we'd still have to do something about the Baron, after. Or he'd just do it all over again."

[mute_pen]

"Do you think you could kill him? I don't think I could."

[growcrooked]

"I think I could," she says. "If I surprised him. I know where to stab somebody so it really hurts."

[mute_pen]

Etty nods.

"I have never wanted anyone dead before him," she murmurs.

[growcrooked]

"Me neither," Nona says wryly. "But I've wanted him dead for a long time."

[mute_pen]

Etty nods.

[growcrooked]

Nona sighs, and hugs her.

[mute_pen]

Hugs.

"If Carl is dead I don't even know what I'd do, where I'd go, but it would have to be better than here."

[growcrooked]

"Anywhere would be better than here," says Nona. "Dead would be better than here, for me."

[mute_pen]

Etty thinks.

"Dead would be better than swanbrained," she says slowly. "I'm not sure how fast swanbraining happens so I don't know when it would get that way. I'm not suicidal yet."

[growcrooked]

"I don't remember not being suicidal," says Nona.

[mute_pen]

"If he died would you still be?"

[growcrooked]

"I guess not."

[mute_pen]

"That's good."

[growcrooked]

"I guess."

[mute_pen]

"I don't want you to die."

[growcrooked]

Nona hugs her.

[mute_pen]

"If he dies do you suppose the curse on the library will go away? There must be - better things to do with sorcery than curse girls to turn into swans."

[growcrooked]

"Maybe. I don't know."

[mute_pen]

Snuggle. "And I suppose at that point it would not be in any sense safe to try."

[growcrooked]

She laughs. "I'll try it," she offers carelessly.

[mute_pen]

Etty clutches at her.

"But I don't want you to die."

[growcrooked]

"I might not," she shrugs. "And all alone out here without magic to feed us and keep us alive, we might starve anyway."

[mute_pen]

"It was a long way from the nearest civilization to here, but not so long that we couldn't walk it, even me as bad at walking as I am - I think. Of course, that assumes they'd feed us."

[growcrooked]

"I don't know if they would. And I might not die even if the door is still trapped when I try it. So I think it's worth it."