Fic: Ambit (Scully, Part 2)
Here's Part 2 of Scully's POV. FYI, this is not a WIP (could I use any more acronyms?), we just don't want to spam everyone's flist by posting it all at once.
Ratings, Summary, etc. the same as in Part 1.
Continued thanks to our excellent betas.
~~~~~~
Scully's schedule for the next day is set when a woman who lives nearby comes knocking on the door in the morning after breakfast. Her three children have been at various stages of an illness for more than a week, and they are in discomfort. She has heard that there is a healer staying here, and Scully readily agrees to help.
Her suspicions based on the description of symptoms from the mother (whose name is Seri) and the ages of the children seem confirmed when she sees them. It looks and sounds like chicken pox. She is relieved to learn from Seri that she and her husband have already had the disease as children, and that the only visitor they have had while the children have been sick is a friend who never entered the house. Hopefully, there will not be more cases to deal with in the near future.
The oldest child, a boy of nine, is first to be examined and sits obediently. Scully tries her best to hide her uncertainty as she begins. She is still not at all familiar with this way of healing. And it's one thing - still insane, but somehow more logical - to be able to repair damaged tissue as she has, but she wonders how she is expected to go about curing a viral infection without medicine.
She decides that she can certainly examine the child's bloodstream, first. When she looks closely enough, she can see the virus traveling to every part of his body. She supposes that she could probably track every lone virus and destroy it, but that would be highly inefficient. She also sees the normal blood cells, and it occurs to her that she can just encourage and speed the production of antibodies for the virus - similar to how she helped Tannen's body replenish his blood. Having done that throughout his bloodstream, Scully also reduces the irritation in the boy's skin and speeds the formation of scabs, to prevent secondary infection. His fever is not at a dangerous level, so she leaves that to taper off as it will now that the infection is on its way out.
When she withdraws from the healing view, the boy looks somewhat more relaxed. He thanks her, and Scully moves on to his younger brother, where she does the same process again. She tries not to let it hurt too much when she sees Seri's youngest, a girl of about four. When she has finished the process one last time, the girl gives her a sweet smile and touches Scully's hair. “Pretty,” she says.
Scully smiles back, not without a twinge in her heart, and strokes the girl's dark curls once. “Yours is pretty, too.” She turns to Seri. “They should all still rest and stay inside for at least another day.” Scully herself feels drained.
“Thank you, Healer,” Seri replies. She has paused to hear Scully's recommendation, but she continues into the kitchen of the house and comes back with a cup of something. “Here you are, with our gratitude.”
The beverage smells strongly of raki, with a slight hint that reminds her of alcohol, and she wonders if this is the wine she has heard of. The sincere but quite natural way in which Seri gives it to her makes Scully think it is probably a customary way of expressing gratitude, and Scully decides she can't refuse to at least take a sip.
She can immediately feel some of her tiredness lift, and it tastes wonderful. Before she knows it, she has finished every drop. For just a second, she blinks at the now-empty cup, then looks up and hands it back to Seri. “You're welcome, Seri. Please let me know if you need anything more.”
~~~~~~
The stimulating effects of the raki wine are enough to keep her well energized the rest of the day. She even thinks that her awareness and senses in general are sharpened. Nonetheless, she also finds herself with a slight headache and a faintly upset stomach, which she attributes to how strong the dosage must be.
As it turns out, she has cause to become more familiar with the effects of the wine the next day. She has just left to visit Larsal again in the early afternoon when a man runs up to her. She doesn't recognize him, but he evidently knows her by reputation. “Are you Healer Dana?” When she acknowledges that she is, he asks, “Please, Healer, my brother - he was attacked yesterday and he's badly hurt.”
She follows him quickly. “What happened?”
“He was heading to visit Clan Rafe, to negotiate a trade for horses, and the whole clan was attacked. All but wiped out,” the man explains. “My brother barely escaped with his life. I don't know how he managed to make it back.”
“Who attacked them?” Scully asks, as he leads her toward a house.
“It was another clan, outlaws. We think it was Esana,” the man says. “Apparently, they recently captured a Seer on one of their raids and used him to attack more accurately.”
Scully feels nauseated at the implications of that sentence. Outlaws who enslave others? But there is little time for her to contemplate this new information. Almost as soon as she enters the house, her attention is focused on the man lying in the bed. He is unconscious. Several of his limbs are bandaged, and when she kneels to look with her healing sight, she can see that his ankle is also badly sprained. Some of his wounds are still bleeding dangerously, and it is there that she starts her task.
When she has finished, leaving the man asleep but physically well, she stands up slowly and sees the first man holding a cup, ready to offer her. “With my deepest gratitude, Healer,” he says, handing it to her.
She feels like she truly needs the energy from the raki, so she takes it, and is relieved. “Thank you. Your brother will be worn out, but he's going to be fine.”
The man thanks her again as he escorts her to the door. As she makes her way back to the house, she makes a mental note to learn a bit more about these clans from Alun and the others. If nothing else, it would be good to know what kind of dangers are common in this place.
~~~~~~
Scully is just finishing a meal with the family the next evening when a sense of being watched hits her again, much stronger than before. This time, it is accompanied by a voice calling her name, and she jerks her head up when she recognizes it as Mulder's.
Scully, can you hear me? his voice says, although she can't see him anywhere. Before she can work out how she might answer, the feeling begins to fade, and then instead of words, she is hit with a flood of longing, guilt, and frustration tinged with fear, and it all feels like Mulder, somehow.
It passes over her like a wave and is gone, and she is left shaken. She realizes belatedly that she must have shown a little of what was happening to the family, but she has not even begun to think of what to say to explain herself when Axel speaks.
“Healer Dana, what seer is trying to contact you?” He looks extremely curious. In fact, he looks much more animated than she has ever seen him.
“I - that was Mulder,” she says. “He's my partner, my friend.” She considers, then adds, “Are you sure... that means he's a seer?”
Axel nods. “And a very powerful one. Even with plenty of raki, I cannot transfer my thoughts or feelings across any distance. There are no seers nearby, so it must be quite a distance.” Then his eyes widen. “Healer, is Mulder new here, like you?”
Scully answers. “Yes, he is. We somehow got separated.” At Axel's exclamation of anger and dismay, her own troubled thoughts become more alarmed. “What is it?”
“Now he's gone too far! Healer, a new seer is a very rare thing. News about them spreads very quickly.”
“Yes, when Axel had his muse, everyone knew right away,” Alun puts in, with a dawning look of consternation on his face.
And Scully follows the train of thought. “Oh my God. Mulder!” she whispers, before meeting Axel's eyes. “He's the new seer that the outlaws have. They're trapping him there, keeping him as a slave.” The words turn her stomach, and she takes a deep breath.
“I fear this is true,” Axel says grimly. “To keep a seer of such power, against his will!” He shakes his head. “I have never understood how the Esana clan leader could exist as he must without conscience.”
“Hasn't anyone tried to stop him?” The thought had, of course, occurred to her when she first learned of outlaws taking captives, but now the issue is even more horribly brought home.
Tannen scoffs. “If you knew how difficult it was to inspire a reaction from the army guards about anything as small as several dozen captives taken in a year... We cannot convince them that the outlaws like Clan Esana are a serious threat.”
Scully stands from the table. “Well, I can't leave Mulder there. Where is this clan located?”
The family looks at her in shock. Faryn is the first to reply. “Healer, you can't be thinking of going to the Clan by yourself, even for your friend!”
It is Axel, unexpectedly, who sticks up for her. “But the Healer's right that something needs to be done, even though it's extremely dangerous.” He shakes his head again. “I do not know what state the Clan would keep a seer in, but I know it cannot be good for anyone.”
Scully swallows. She has been trying to suppress her imagination of what is being done to Mulder. She hadn't noticed any physical pain in what he tried to tell her, but if it was his 'gift' that led to hundreds of people being slaughtered, she knows that is part of the reason he felt so devastated. “I know I can't leave without any plan, but I will be leaving as soon as I have one. Who should I talk to for information?”
“We'll go to Larsal first,” Axel says decisively. He turns to her, meeting her eyes. “That is, Healer, I would be honored to accompany you on this mission, if you will accept my coming.”
She gives a faint, brief smile. “Of course. Thank you.” She will accept anything that seems likely to help Mulder.
~~~~~~
It turns out that Larsal is able to give them a fairly good set of directions toward the home base of the clan. He is worried that they are set on this dangerous path, but at Scully's short explanation, and their determination, he relents and shows them to the records of the clan's activities. He can even point them to the map that has been made of where the Esana raiders always come from. Scully, of course, is not familiar with the country, but it seems that Axel sees it as confirmation of what he already expected. It is about two days' journey by horse.
“Healer, Seer, if you plan to interact with Clan Leader Jalgar, you should know you cannot reason with him about the evils of taking people against their wills,” Larsal says seriously.
“I did not expect to be able to,” Axel agrees.
“Then how do you plan to free your friend?”
Scully thinks longingly of a SWAT team, a couple of helicopters, and every available police officer. “What are our options?” Please, tell me there are some, she adds silently. She does not want it to come down to some harebrained attempt involving this telekinesis that she apparently has, and has no idea how to use - but doing nothing is far less of an option.
Larsal pauses. “Seer Mulder is fortunate to have a healer as his friend. You can at least expect to be treated with the respect due your position, and to not be personally threatened - not unless you give them great cause, of course.”
Scully takes that in, and nods. “What about Axel? If Mulder was captured simply for his power, what can he expect?”
“From what I know of the customs of the clans, and especially if he's accompanying a healer, he should expect some amount of hospitality. However, it's worth noting that you will be intending to take away the seer he has now...” Larsal looks troubled.
Axel's eyebrows rise. “Well, I may be able to at least See any plans they might have, and have some advantage and protection that way.”
“Is that enough? I don't want you to feel obligated-” Scully starts.
“It's an obligation from an understanding of what Mulder is going through,” Axel interrupts her, speaking quietly but firmly. “I would be remiss not to stand alongside him.”
Larsal looks both amazed and still worried. He turns to Scully. “All right. Well, the one other thing I can tell you about Jalgar and the Clan is that I think it would be best to speak to him along the lines of how much longer you have known and worked with Mulder than he has had any claim on him.”
It isn't much longer before the two of them are back at the house. It is starting to get dark, but Scully still wonders if they can make some progress before nightfall. She knows Axel's family has two horses, but she doesn't know if both are free for a journey right away. She also reflects that she doesn't feel extremely confident in her riding abilities, since it has been a long time since she has done any.
Still, she is gratified and humbled that Faryn meets them as soon as they come in with a pack of food and water bottles. “I have some extra clothes packed in your room, as well, Healer. And Axel, Alun packed up some of your things.”
This means that it is only about a half an hour before they are ready to leave. Scully can tell that Alun wants to come, but he is restrained about it. He, Tannen, and Faryn wish them good luck very seriously.
~~~~~~
They only make a few hours' ride before sunset and making camp. Scully is quietly triumphant that she can battle the soreness of the adductor muscles on her inner thighs from being unused to riding by making sure the lactic acid buildup is minor and by repairing the micro tears in the muscle tissue - as well as simply dulling the pain at its source. It makes it easier for her to adjust to the activity, which is a small blessing.
She and Axel don't have a great deal to talk about, although they discuss plans whenever either of them think of something. At the end of the first full day, Axel begins to mention bringing himself into a raki muse so that they can better plan their approach. Scully does not know all of what this requires, but now is not the time to worry over what health effects it might have on him. She feels faintly hypocritical for accepting that kind of help while working toward freeing Mulder from something similar, but Axel is determined, in any case. He decides to wait until their second night of travel, so what he receives is as relevant as possible since they will be very close to Clan Esana's location.
On that evening, then, after they have eaten dinner, Axel takes out a bottle and opens it. By its smell, it is indeed what Scully has been given by the families of those she has healed, although it is a much larger quantity. She isn't sure what she is supposed to do, so she hesitantly asks how she might help.
“Please, Healer, if you would fix an image of Seer Mulder in your mind after I begin the muse, that would be very helpful. I will be concentrating on what I know of where we're going, but I know little of Mulder.” He arranges himself so that he is leaning against one of the large rocks they have camped near. “Oh, and I forget that you have not seen a muse before. Is that correct?” At her nod, he continues. “It will look like I've lost consciousness once it begins, but I will be unhurt. It's just that it's an exhausting process.”
“All right,” Scully says. Helping him should be easy enough. Mulder's image hasn't left her mind for very long since he tried to contact her. She watches as Axel takes several deep breaths, then proceeds to put the bottle to his lips and swallow what seems to be all of it, all at once. When he shudders and slumps back, though her first instinct is to check to make sure he's all right, Scully shakes off her misgivings on that account and thinks of Mulder.
She doesn't know how long this is supposed to take, but she supposes the image needs to be fairly recent. She wonders whether it is a sign of how worried and frustrated she feels that the first concrete image that comes to mind is how she found him in the DOD building, weak and vulnerable and so confused that she had briefly been terrified of permanent brain damage. With the added worry of this current situation, the memory brings an accompanying surge of anger and fear so strong that the lump in her throat threatens to choke her. But she does not want to lose her composure completely right now, so she purposefully shifts to thinking of Mulder in the tux he wore to the premiere of that ridiculous movie just a few weeks ago. Of course that does not rid her of the worry, but she is able to calm down a little bit.
She realizes after a few minutes that she also seems to be thinking of brief snatches of terrain and people that, when she tries to recognize them, she becomes fairly sure that she has never seen before. For some moments, this is quite unsettling, but she quickly considers the options and decides that there must be something reciprocal about this vision process. Still, it is difficult to focus on Mulder while being distracted by these other things. She hopes she is continuing to be helpful, nonetheless.
When that flow of other pictures stops, Scully looks and sees that Axel appears to be completely passed out. She takes that as a cue to stop her own focus, and give in to her need to check on him. He is indeed well and truly out, not even responding when she pries open his eyelids. But he is breathing normally, and when she looks at him in healing mode, other than having alarmingly high levels of raki in his blood (hardly unexpected), there does not appear to be any immediate damage.
She covers him in his blanket and takes the first watch.
~~~~~~
When Scully wakes early the next morning, it does not look like Axel has stirred. She rekindles the fire and prepares breakfast, and has already eaten hers before she notices him move. “Are you feeling all right?” she asks, as he sits up.
“Tired,” he answers, “and like my head is full of cloth, as usual after a muse.” He takes the bowl she offers. “Thank you.” After he has eaten some, he frowns. “But I would bet that Seer Mulder feels worse this morning.”
“What makes you say that?” Scully says.
“I believe I felt that he entered a muse last night, as well,” says Axel. “If I could feel it after falling into my sleep, the strength of it must have worn him out much more than mine did for me.”
All this talk of the muse and what it does still feels somewhat like a foreign language to Scully, but she nods. “And... what about yours? What did you see?”
“From what I could make out, it seems that the Clan is planning an attack today, which also makes sense if they forced Mulder to see for them. They will be busy planning to leave for several more hours this morning, and I think I know which other clan they will be attacking.” He closes his eyes briefly, then reopens them. “As for our plans, I was not able to see much specifically in regards to them, unluckily. I already thought that we cannot trust them, and this was reinforced. At least I did not see any serious violence in store.”
Scully wishes for something less cryptic, but she still can't decide how much she would trust it, even if it were. It concerns her that Axel moves slower now than he has been. She needs them both to be as alert as possible when they get to Esana's grounds, if only because Axel is far more familiar with this culture than she is. She takes this time to go over what Larsal said to them. It still feels utterly insane for them to be doing this, without much of a plan, if she allows herself to dwell on that.
Axel grimaces as he stands up from packing his things. “This is one thing I did not take enough into account, Healer. The morning after a raki muse, I am always sluggish at best.” He sighs. “I do not wish to encumber you instead of helping.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Scully asks.
He shakes his head. “Perhaps there is, but I do not wish to take any of your energy. And if I'm to be completely honest, I did not see myself going to confront Jalgar, just you. I had hoped that I would recover better, but I was obviously fooling myself.”
Scully blinks. “Axel, if I can help you, then we can still both go. Your - your visions aren't set in stone, are they?”
“The visions can be changed, yes,” Axel says. “But it's you who has the claim on Mulder against the clan leader. I could at best be moral support, much as I wish to be in solidarity with your friend. I will go with you part of the way, until we reach Esana territory, and be ready to help you both when you return.”
All this feels like it is adding more to Scully's uncertainty about this whole thing. She could continue to try to change his mind, but it is true that it seems that either Axel or she will be drained if they both go. She finally agrees. As they set out, to prepare herself as best as she knows how, Scully ponders Larsal's words and ponders how best to take advantage of her position. Staying calm and appearing as at ease as possible will be part of this, she knows. She has never been particularly good at bluffing, but she has decided that treating these Clan people like the criminals they are, and thus adopting her own Agent Scully persona in response, should be a good place to start.
Axel speaks suddenly, after a while of riding in silence. “In a few more paces, we'll be in Clan territory,” he says quietly. “You should tell them as soon as you can that you are a healer, and then we should both be physically safe.”
Should? Scully thinks to herself, but simply says, “All right,” and steels herself.
Before she continues riding, Axel places a hand on her arm and says, “May the gods be with both of you.”
She nods, having been interspersing her thoughts with prayers, as well. Sure enough, less than a minute after she starts again, several men armed with rifles step out from where they have been hiding on either side of the path, and one speaks.
“Well, it looks like we have a trespasser on Clan Esana land, and one hanging back before crossing the line,” he says, with a sneer. He has some kind of accent that Scully can't place. “What are you doing here?”
Scully raises her chin and looks him in the eye. “I'm Healer Dana Scully, and I have a matter to discuss with your clan leader.”
The man's expression betrays some surprise, and his voice is less antagonistic. “And who is the man who was with you, Healer?”
She glances back. Axel has turned and is riding away, but she assumes he won't go far. “He's a seer, but he is no business of yours.”
There is some murmuring among the other men, and the first man looks surprised again. “A healer and a seer, and the healer wants to speak to Jalgar?” When she makes no response, he gestures to the others, who move out of the road. “Very well. This is unusual. But I will take you to Jalgar.” Flanked by the men, Scully moves forward.
As the group passes another perimeter, the leader of this small band talks to the men there, and they move on. Ahead, there is a wide field, where several groups of men and horses are gathering, and beyond that are several structures. Her escort leads her there without pause. They stop in front of a stable, and the man, almost courteously, tells her to dismount. “Your horse will be cared for, Healer. If you would wait here, I will tell Jalgar he has a visitor.”
A few minutes later, another man comes out of the building next to the stable. He is not dressed the same way as the guards that have been their company, and doesn't look as physically strong as them, but from the way they react, Scully guesses he must be important. When he speaks, it is again slightly accented. “What business do you have here, Healer? I am the healer of this clan.”
“My business is with your clan leader, not you,” Scully says. “I have a claim against him. And it's an urgent matter.” She doesn't know just what is happening to Mulder right now, but she is sure that the sooner they can deal with this, the better.
“I know he has never seen you,” the man replies, though he seems more intrigued than suspicious. “He would have mentioned it to me.”
“He hasn't,” Scully says shortly. “This is in regards to Seer Mulder.” She doesn't feel like explaining anything else more than once.
The man's eyes widen, and he considers this. “All right. Follow me. Jalgar is occupied, but I will see what his response is.” They go inside the building, and she is led down a dimly-lit hall with a large door at the end. “Wait here, please.”
Scully swallows, and continues to focus on her simmering righteous anger, which continues to help her ignore the craziness of what she's doing. She remembers Axel's anger and is again glad that there are some crimes that are considered inhumane even in places as wildly different as this one is from home.
It is only a minute or two before the door opens again. From his bearing and physical strength, as well as the quality of his clothing, Scully is not surprised when the healer introduces the man coming toward them as Clan Leader Jalgar. He inclines his head briefly, and she does the same when the healer introduces her.
“Please, Healer, we should discuss this more privately,” Jalgar says. His tone is businesslike, not quite impolite. He gestures for her to precede him into the room, and she does. Then the healer closes the door.
“So, Tellan informs me that you say you have a claim against me, and it has to do with my seer,” Jalgar says.
Scully's jaw clenches at his use of that possessive, but she forces herself to relax enough to respond with some civility. “Yes.” She takes a breath and continues. “I am new to this area, and I'm given to understand your customs differ from mine, so I can't argue that your claim on Mulder is invalid because no human can own another.”
Jalgar smiles tightly, and it looks like a smirk. When he speaks, it is with a touch of condescension. “No, Healer. Seer Mulder strayed into our territory, and nothing and no one prevented me from taking him. If a question of the ethics of slavery is the extent of your claim-”
“With respect, Clan Leader, it is not,” Scully says, not caring whether her tone shows any respect at all. “Mulder has been my partner for seven years. I may be a stranger here, but I think that means my claim supersedes yours.”
Jalgar's smirk fades somewhat. “Seven years. And do you have proof of this?”
Scully thinks quickly, then turns to Tellan. “If you've examined Mulder as a healer, then you'll know if I'm telling the truth. Mulder has two bullet scars, one on his left shoulder and one on his upper left thigh. There's also a small scar on the back of his head. How would I have the opportunity to know that? And I have more details about Mulder's health and physical state, if you need them.”
Tellan raises his eyebrows and turns to Jalgar. “She's right, although I would question her abilities as a healer if she allowed him to scar in that way.”
Scully restrains herself from rolling her eyes. She supposes she does need to prove her whole story, though, so she notes the pouch that Tellan has attached to his belt, notes the stitching, and undoes it from where she stands before moving the pouch into her outstretched hand. (All this is done while she takes great care not to show that she is still unnerved by this ability.)
Jalgar barks out a laugh. “I think she's better at wielding than you, brother.” Tellan looks miffed, and takes the proffered pouch back silently. Jalgar gives a brisk nod. “All right, your claim clearly has merit, Healer.” He looks thoughtful. “You have caught the Clan at a busy time. I'm not eager to lose our seer, but frankly, I do not have the time to dispute your case, if I could.”
Scully hopes she doesn't look too shocked. This is sounding too easy, and she remembers that Axel said they couldn't trust the Clan. On the other hand, she wants to get Mulder and get out of here as soon as she can. “Where is he?”
Instead of answering immediately, Jalgar turns to Tellan and says something quietly in a language Scully doesn't know. Tellan nods and replies in the same language. Then Jalgar speaks to her. “Tellan will take you to Mulder. Your horse will be returned to you, and you and the seer will be escorted back the way you came. And Healer, I can make no promises about the safety of either of you if we ever meet again.”
Unimpressed by the melodrama of that statement, Scully merely replies, “I'll take that into account, Clan Leader.”
Again, Mulder's POV to follow shortly.
Ratings, Summary, etc. the same as in Part 1.
Continued thanks to our excellent betas.
~~~~~~
Scully's schedule for the next day is set when a woman who lives nearby comes knocking on the door in the morning after breakfast. Her three children have been at various stages of an illness for more than a week, and they are in discomfort. She has heard that there is a healer staying here, and Scully readily agrees to help.
Her suspicions based on the description of symptoms from the mother (whose name is Seri) and the ages of the children seem confirmed when she sees them. It looks and sounds like chicken pox. She is relieved to learn from Seri that she and her husband have already had the disease as children, and that the only visitor they have had while the children have been sick is a friend who never entered the house. Hopefully, there will not be more cases to deal with in the near future.
The oldest child, a boy of nine, is first to be examined and sits obediently. Scully tries her best to hide her uncertainty as she begins. She is still not at all familiar with this way of healing. And it's one thing - still insane, but somehow more logical - to be able to repair damaged tissue as she has, but she wonders how she is expected to go about curing a viral infection without medicine.
She decides that she can certainly examine the child's bloodstream, first. When she looks closely enough, she can see the virus traveling to every part of his body. She supposes that she could probably track every lone virus and destroy it, but that would be highly inefficient. She also sees the normal blood cells, and it occurs to her that she can just encourage and speed the production of antibodies for the virus - similar to how she helped Tannen's body replenish his blood. Having done that throughout his bloodstream, Scully also reduces the irritation in the boy's skin and speeds the formation of scabs, to prevent secondary infection. His fever is not at a dangerous level, so she leaves that to taper off as it will now that the infection is on its way out.
When she withdraws from the healing view, the boy looks somewhat more relaxed. He thanks her, and Scully moves on to his younger brother, where she does the same process again. She tries not to let it hurt too much when she sees Seri's youngest, a girl of about four. When she has finished the process one last time, the girl gives her a sweet smile and touches Scully's hair. “Pretty,” she says.
Scully smiles back, not without a twinge in her heart, and strokes the girl's dark curls once. “Yours is pretty, too.” She turns to Seri. “They should all still rest and stay inside for at least another day.” Scully herself feels drained.
“Thank you, Healer,” Seri replies. She has paused to hear Scully's recommendation, but she continues into the kitchen of the house and comes back with a cup of something. “Here you are, with our gratitude.”
The beverage smells strongly of raki, with a slight hint that reminds her of alcohol, and she wonders if this is the wine she has heard of. The sincere but quite natural way in which Seri gives it to her makes Scully think it is probably a customary way of expressing gratitude, and Scully decides she can't refuse to at least take a sip.
She can immediately feel some of her tiredness lift, and it tastes wonderful. Before she knows it, she has finished every drop. For just a second, she blinks at the now-empty cup, then looks up and hands it back to Seri. “You're welcome, Seri. Please let me know if you need anything more.”
~~~~~~
The stimulating effects of the raki wine are enough to keep her well energized the rest of the day. She even thinks that her awareness and senses in general are sharpened. Nonetheless, she also finds herself with a slight headache and a faintly upset stomach, which she attributes to how strong the dosage must be.
As it turns out, she has cause to become more familiar with the effects of the wine the next day. She has just left to visit Larsal again in the early afternoon when a man runs up to her. She doesn't recognize him, but he evidently knows her by reputation. “Are you Healer Dana?” When she acknowledges that she is, he asks, “Please, Healer, my brother - he was attacked yesterday and he's badly hurt.”
She follows him quickly. “What happened?”
“He was heading to visit Clan Rafe, to negotiate a trade for horses, and the whole clan was attacked. All but wiped out,” the man explains. “My brother barely escaped with his life. I don't know how he managed to make it back.”
“Who attacked them?” Scully asks, as he leads her toward a house.
“It was another clan, outlaws. We think it was Esana,” the man says. “Apparently, they recently captured a Seer on one of their raids and used him to attack more accurately.”
Scully feels nauseated at the implications of that sentence. Outlaws who enslave others? But there is little time for her to contemplate this new information. Almost as soon as she enters the house, her attention is focused on the man lying in the bed. He is unconscious. Several of his limbs are bandaged, and when she kneels to look with her healing sight, she can see that his ankle is also badly sprained. Some of his wounds are still bleeding dangerously, and it is there that she starts her task.
When she has finished, leaving the man asleep but physically well, she stands up slowly and sees the first man holding a cup, ready to offer her. “With my deepest gratitude, Healer,” he says, handing it to her.
She feels like she truly needs the energy from the raki, so she takes it, and is relieved. “Thank you. Your brother will be worn out, but he's going to be fine.”
The man thanks her again as he escorts her to the door. As she makes her way back to the house, she makes a mental note to learn a bit more about these clans from Alun and the others. If nothing else, it would be good to know what kind of dangers are common in this place.
~~~~~~
Scully is just finishing a meal with the family the next evening when a sense of being watched hits her again, much stronger than before. This time, it is accompanied by a voice calling her name, and she jerks her head up when she recognizes it as Mulder's.
Scully, can you hear me? his voice says, although she can't see him anywhere. Before she can work out how she might answer, the feeling begins to fade, and then instead of words, she is hit with a flood of longing, guilt, and frustration tinged with fear, and it all feels like Mulder, somehow.
It passes over her like a wave and is gone, and she is left shaken. She realizes belatedly that she must have shown a little of what was happening to the family, but she has not even begun to think of what to say to explain herself when Axel speaks.
“Healer Dana, what seer is trying to contact you?” He looks extremely curious. In fact, he looks much more animated than she has ever seen him.
“I - that was Mulder,” she says. “He's my partner, my friend.” She considers, then adds, “Are you sure... that means he's a seer?”
Axel nods. “And a very powerful one. Even with plenty of raki, I cannot transfer my thoughts or feelings across any distance. There are no seers nearby, so it must be quite a distance.” Then his eyes widen. “Healer, is Mulder new here, like you?”
Scully answers. “Yes, he is. We somehow got separated.” At Axel's exclamation of anger and dismay, her own troubled thoughts become more alarmed. “What is it?”
“Now he's gone too far! Healer, a new seer is a very rare thing. News about them spreads very quickly.”
“Yes, when Axel had his muse, everyone knew right away,” Alun puts in, with a dawning look of consternation on his face.
And Scully follows the train of thought. “Oh my God. Mulder!” she whispers, before meeting Axel's eyes. “He's the new seer that the outlaws have. They're trapping him there, keeping him as a slave.” The words turn her stomach, and she takes a deep breath.
“I fear this is true,” Axel says grimly. “To keep a seer of such power, against his will!” He shakes his head. “I have never understood how the Esana clan leader could exist as he must without conscience.”
“Hasn't anyone tried to stop him?” The thought had, of course, occurred to her when she first learned of outlaws taking captives, but now the issue is even more horribly brought home.
Tannen scoffs. “If you knew how difficult it was to inspire a reaction from the army guards about anything as small as several dozen captives taken in a year... We cannot convince them that the outlaws like Clan Esana are a serious threat.”
Scully stands from the table. “Well, I can't leave Mulder there. Where is this clan located?”
The family looks at her in shock. Faryn is the first to reply. “Healer, you can't be thinking of going to the Clan by yourself, even for your friend!”
It is Axel, unexpectedly, who sticks up for her. “But the Healer's right that something needs to be done, even though it's extremely dangerous.” He shakes his head again. “I do not know what state the Clan would keep a seer in, but I know it cannot be good for anyone.”
Scully swallows. She has been trying to suppress her imagination of what is being done to Mulder. She hadn't noticed any physical pain in what he tried to tell her, but if it was his 'gift' that led to hundreds of people being slaughtered, she knows that is part of the reason he felt so devastated. “I know I can't leave without any plan, but I will be leaving as soon as I have one. Who should I talk to for information?”
“We'll go to Larsal first,” Axel says decisively. He turns to her, meeting her eyes. “That is, Healer, I would be honored to accompany you on this mission, if you will accept my coming.”
She gives a faint, brief smile. “Of course. Thank you.” She will accept anything that seems likely to help Mulder.
~~~~~~
It turns out that Larsal is able to give them a fairly good set of directions toward the home base of the clan. He is worried that they are set on this dangerous path, but at Scully's short explanation, and their determination, he relents and shows them to the records of the clan's activities. He can even point them to the map that has been made of where the Esana raiders always come from. Scully, of course, is not familiar with the country, but it seems that Axel sees it as confirmation of what he already expected. It is about two days' journey by horse.
“Healer, Seer, if you plan to interact with Clan Leader Jalgar, you should know you cannot reason with him about the evils of taking people against their wills,” Larsal says seriously.
“I did not expect to be able to,” Axel agrees.
“Then how do you plan to free your friend?”
Scully thinks longingly of a SWAT team, a couple of helicopters, and every available police officer. “What are our options?” Please, tell me there are some, she adds silently. She does not want it to come down to some harebrained attempt involving this telekinesis that she apparently has, and has no idea how to use - but doing nothing is far less of an option.
Larsal pauses. “Seer Mulder is fortunate to have a healer as his friend. You can at least expect to be treated with the respect due your position, and to not be personally threatened - not unless you give them great cause, of course.”
Scully takes that in, and nods. “What about Axel? If Mulder was captured simply for his power, what can he expect?”
“From what I know of the customs of the clans, and especially if he's accompanying a healer, he should expect some amount of hospitality. However, it's worth noting that you will be intending to take away the seer he has now...” Larsal looks troubled.
Axel's eyebrows rise. “Well, I may be able to at least See any plans they might have, and have some advantage and protection that way.”
“Is that enough? I don't want you to feel obligated-” Scully starts.
“It's an obligation from an understanding of what Mulder is going through,” Axel interrupts her, speaking quietly but firmly. “I would be remiss not to stand alongside him.”
Larsal looks both amazed and still worried. He turns to Scully. “All right. Well, the one other thing I can tell you about Jalgar and the Clan is that I think it would be best to speak to him along the lines of how much longer you have known and worked with Mulder than he has had any claim on him.”
It isn't much longer before the two of them are back at the house. It is starting to get dark, but Scully still wonders if they can make some progress before nightfall. She knows Axel's family has two horses, but she doesn't know if both are free for a journey right away. She also reflects that she doesn't feel extremely confident in her riding abilities, since it has been a long time since she has done any.
Still, she is gratified and humbled that Faryn meets them as soon as they come in with a pack of food and water bottles. “I have some extra clothes packed in your room, as well, Healer. And Axel, Alun packed up some of your things.”
This means that it is only about a half an hour before they are ready to leave. Scully can tell that Alun wants to come, but he is restrained about it. He, Tannen, and Faryn wish them good luck very seriously.
~~~~~~
They only make a few hours' ride before sunset and making camp. Scully is quietly triumphant that she can battle the soreness of the adductor muscles on her inner thighs from being unused to riding by making sure the lactic acid buildup is minor and by repairing the micro tears in the muscle tissue - as well as simply dulling the pain at its source. It makes it easier for her to adjust to the activity, which is a small blessing.
She and Axel don't have a great deal to talk about, although they discuss plans whenever either of them think of something. At the end of the first full day, Axel begins to mention bringing himself into a raki muse so that they can better plan their approach. Scully does not know all of what this requires, but now is not the time to worry over what health effects it might have on him. She feels faintly hypocritical for accepting that kind of help while working toward freeing Mulder from something similar, but Axel is determined, in any case. He decides to wait until their second night of travel, so what he receives is as relevant as possible since they will be very close to Clan Esana's location.
On that evening, then, after they have eaten dinner, Axel takes out a bottle and opens it. By its smell, it is indeed what Scully has been given by the families of those she has healed, although it is a much larger quantity. She isn't sure what she is supposed to do, so she hesitantly asks how she might help.
“Please, Healer, if you would fix an image of Seer Mulder in your mind after I begin the muse, that would be very helpful. I will be concentrating on what I know of where we're going, but I know little of Mulder.” He arranges himself so that he is leaning against one of the large rocks they have camped near. “Oh, and I forget that you have not seen a muse before. Is that correct?” At her nod, he continues. “It will look like I've lost consciousness once it begins, but I will be unhurt. It's just that it's an exhausting process.”
“All right,” Scully says. Helping him should be easy enough. Mulder's image hasn't left her mind for very long since he tried to contact her. She watches as Axel takes several deep breaths, then proceeds to put the bottle to his lips and swallow what seems to be all of it, all at once. When he shudders and slumps back, though her first instinct is to check to make sure he's all right, Scully shakes off her misgivings on that account and thinks of Mulder.
She doesn't know how long this is supposed to take, but she supposes the image needs to be fairly recent. She wonders whether it is a sign of how worried and frustrated she feels that the first concrete image that comes to mind is how she found him in the DOD building, weak and vulnerable and so confused that she had briefly been terrified of permanent brain damage. With the added worry of this current situation, the memory brings an accompanying surge of anger and fear so strong that the lump in her throat threatens to choke her. But she does not want to lose her composure completely right now, so she purposefully shifts to thinking of Mulder in the tux he wore to the premiere of that ridiculous movie just a few weeks ago. Of course that does not rid her of the worry, but she is able to calm down a little bit.
She realizes after a few minutes that she also seems to be thinking of brief snatches of terrain and people that, when she tries to recognize them, she becomes fairly sure that she has never seen before. For some moments, this is quite unsettling, but she quickly considers the options and decides that there must be something reciprocal about this vision process. Still, it is difficult to focus on Mulder while being distracted by these other things. She hopes she is continuing to be helpful, nonetheless.
When that flow of other pictures stops, Scully looks and sees that Axel appears to be completely passed out. She takes that as a cue to stop her own focus, and give in to her need to check on him. He is indeed well and truly out, not even responding when she pries open his eyelids. But he is breathing normally, and when she looks at him in healing mode, other than having alarmingly high levels of raki in his blood (hardly unexpected), there does not appear to be any immediate damage.
She covers him in his blanket and takes the first watch.
~~~~~~
When Scully wakes early the next morning, it does not look like Axel has stirred. She rekindles the fire and prepares breakfast, and has already eaten hers before she notices him move. “Are you feeling all right?” she asks, as he sits up.
“Tired,” he answers, “and like my head is full of cloth, as usual after a muse.” He takes the bowl she offers. “Thank you.” After he has eaten some, he frowns. “But I would bet that Seer Mulder feels worse this morning.”
“What makes you say that?” Scully says.
“I believe I felt that he entered a muse last night, as well,” says Axel. “If I could feel it after falling into my sleep, the strength of it must have worn him out much more than mine did for me.”
All this talk of the muse and what it does still feels somewhat like a foreign language to Scully, but she nods. “And... what about yours? What did you see?”
“From what I could make out, it seems that the Clan is planning an attack today, which also makes sense if they forced Mulder to see for them. They will be busy planning to leave for several more hours this morning, and I think I know which other clan they will be attacking.” He closes his eyes briefly, then reopens them. “As for our plans, I was not able to see much specifically in regards to them, unluckily. I already thought that we cannot trust them, and this was reinforced. At least I did not see any serious violence in store.”
Scully wishes for something less cryptic, but she still can't decide how much she would trust it, even if it were. It concerns her that Axel moves slower now than he has been. She needs them both to be as alert as possible when they get to Esana's grounds, if only because Axel is far more familiar with this culture than she is. She takes this time to go over what Larsal said to them. It still feels utterly insane for them to be doing this, without much of a plan, if she allows herself to dwell on that.
Axel grimaces as he stands up from packing his things. “This is one thing I did not take enough into account, Healer. The morning after a raki muse, I am always sluggish at best.” He sighs. “I do not wish to encumber you instead of helping.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Scully asks.
He shakes his head. “Perhaps there is, but I do not wish to take any of your energy. And if I'm to be completely honest, I did not see myself going to confront Jalgar, just you. I had hoped that I would recover better, but I was obviously fooling myself.”
Scully blinks. “Axel, if I can help you, then we can still both go. Your - your visions aren't set in stone, are they?”
“The visions can be changed, yes,” Axel says. “But it's you who has the claim on Mulder against the clan leader. I could at best be moral support, much as I wish to be in solidarity with your friend. I will go with you part of the way, until we reach Esana territory, and be ready to help you both when you return.”
All this feels like it is adding more to Scully's uncertainty about this whole thing. She could continue to try to change his mind, but it is true that it seems that either Axel or she will be drained if they both go. She finally agrees. As they set out, to prepare herself as best as she knows how, Scully ponders Larsal's words and ponders how best to take advantage of her position. Staying calm and appearing as at ease as possible will be part of this, she knows. She has never been particularly good at bluffing, but she has decided that treating these Clan people like the criminals they are, and thus adopting her own Agent Scully persona in response, should be a good place to start.
Axel speaks suddenly, after a while of riding in silence. “In a few more paces, we'll be in Clan territory,” he says quietly. “You should tell them as soon as you can that you are a healer, and then we should both be physically safe.”
Should? Scully thinks to herself, but simply says, “All right,” and steels herself.
Before she continues riding, Axel places a hand on her arm and says, “May the gods be with both of you.”
She nods, having been interspersing her thoughts with prayers, as well. Sure enough, less than a minute after she starts again, several men armed with rifles step out from where they have been hiding on either side of the path, and one speaks.
“Well, it looks like we have a trespasser on Clan Esana land, and one hanging back before crossing the line,” he says, with a sneer. He has some kind of accent that Scully can't place. “What are you doing here?”
Scully raises her chin and looks him in the eye. “I'm Healer Dana Scully, and I have a matter to discuss with your clan leader.”
The man's expression betrays some surprise, and his voice is less antagonistic. “And who is the man who was with you, Healer?”
She glances back. Axel has turned and is riding away, but she assumes he won't go far. “He's a seer, but he is no business of yours.”
There is some murmuring among the other men, and the first man looks surprised again. “A healer and a seer, and the healer wants to speak to Jalgar?” When she makes no response, he gestures to the others, who move out of the road. “Very well. This is unusual. But I will take you to Jalgar.” Flanked by the men, Scully moves forward.
As the group passes another perimeter, the leader of this small band talks to the men there, and they move on. Ahead, there is a wide field, where several groups of men and horses are gathering, and beyond that are several structures. Her escort leads her there without pause. They stop in front of a stable, and the man, almost courteously, tells her to dismount. “Your horse will be cared for, Healer. If you would wait here, I will tell Jalgar he has a visitor.”
A few minutes later, another man comes out of the building next to the stable. He is not dressed the same way as the guards that have been their company, and doesn't look as physically strong as them, but from the way they react, Scully guesses he must be important. When he speaks, it is again slightly accented. “What business do you have here, Healer? I am the healer of this clan.”
“My business is with your clan leader, not you,” Scully says. “I have a claim against him. And it's an urgent matter.” She doesn't know just what is happening to Mulder right now, but she is sure that the sooner they can deal with this, the better.
“I know he has never seen you,” the man replies, though he seems more intrigued than suspicious. “He would have mentioned it to me.”
“He hasn't,” Scully says shortly. “This is in regards to Seer Mulder.” She doesn't feel like explaining anything else more than once.
The man's eyes widen, and he considers this. “All right. Follow me. Jalgar is occupied, but I will see what his response is.” They go inside the building, and she is led down a dimly-lit hall with a large door at the end. “Wait here, please.”
Scully swallows, and continues to focus on her simmering righteous anger, which continues to help her ignore the craziness of what she's doing. She remembers Axel's anger and is again glad that there are some crimes that are considered inhumane even in places as wildly different as this one is from home.
It is only a minute or two before the door opens again. From his bearing and physical strength, as well as the quality of his clothing, Scully is not surprised when the healer introduces the man coming toward them as Clan Leader Jalgar. He inclines his head briefly, and she does the same when the healer introduces her.
“Please, Healer, we should discuss this more privately,” Jalgar says. His tone is businesslike, not quite impolite. He gestures for her to precede him into the room, and she does. Then the healer closes the door.
“So, Tellan informs me that you say you have a claim against me, and it has to do with my seer,” Jalgar says.
Scully's jaw clenches at his use of that possessive, but she forces herself to relax enough to respond with some civility. “Yes.” She takes a breath and continues. “I am new to this area, and I'm given to understand your customs differ from mine, so I can't argue that your claim on Mulder is invalid because no human can own another.”
Jalgar smiles tightly, and it looks like a smirk. When he speaks, it is with a touch of condescension. “No, Healer. Seer Mulder strayed into our territory, and nothing and no one prevented me from taking him. If a question of the ethics of slavery is the extent of your claim-”
“With respect, Clan Leader, it is not,” Scully says, not caring whether her tone shows any respect at all. “Mulder has been my partner for seven years. I may be a stranger here, but I think that means my claim supersedes yours.”
Jalgar's smirk fades somewhat. “Seven years. And do you have proof of this?”
Scully thinks quickly, then turns to Tellan. “If you've examined Mulder as a healer, then you'll know if I'm telling the truth. Mulder has two bullet scars, one on his left shoulder and one on his upper left thigh. There's also a small scar on the back of his head. How would I have the opportunity to know that? And I have more details about Mulder's health and physical state, if you need them.”
Tellan raises his eyebrows and turns to Jalgar. “She's right, although I would question her abilities as a healer if she allowed him to scar in that way.”
Scully restrains herself from rolling her eyes. She supposes she does need to prove her whole story, though, so she notes the pouch that Tellan has attached to his belt, notes the stitching, and undoes it from where she stands before moving the pouch into her outstretched hand. (All this is done while she takes great care not to show that she is still unnerved by this ability.)
Jalgar barks out a laugh. “I think she's better at wielding than you, brother.” Tellan looks miffed, and takes the proffered pouch back silently. Jalgar gives a brisk nod. “All right, your claim clearly has merit, Healer.” He looks thoughtful. “You have caught the Clan at a busy time. I'm not eager to lose our seer, but frankly, I do not have the time to dispute your case, if I could.”
Scully hopes she doesn't look too shocked. This is sounding too easy, and she remembers that Axel said they couldn't trust the Clan. On the other hand, she wants to get Mulder and get out of here as soon as she can. “Where is he?”
Instead of answering immediately, Jalgar turns to Tellan and says something quietly in a language Scully doesn't know. Tellan nods and replies in the same language. Then Jalgar speaks to her. “Tellan will take you to Mulder. Your horse will be returned to you, and you and the seer will be escorted back the way you came. And Healer, I can make no promises about the safety of either of you if we ever meet again.”
Unimpressed by the melodrama of that statement, Scully merely replies, “I'll take that into account, Clan Leader.”
Again, Mulder's POV to follow shortly.