ask and you shall receive

Upon hearing the reason behind the stranger's request Hazel very nearly made the same mistake sighted wolves made with her all the time: she almost nodded her understanding. Had the ambiance not been so serious she would have been tempted to laugh at the irony. Instead she caught herself just as her chin started to rise. "A noble request." She heard what she assumed was the necklace being slid towards her and made note of its location, but didn't take it just yet. "I will do what I can, but you must know that the powers that will move on my behalf are outside my control. I will intercede on your behalf and how they move or what they take - if they take - is between you and them." She had no idea what they might take from the man or when - only that there was a price for magic. Today, tomorrow, years from now, someday they would collect.

"Let' see..." Hazel reached out and found the necklace. She lifted it in her paw and focused on the weight of the pendant in her mind's eye. After a beat she set it back down. It hadn't been in the man's possession long enough, she decided, for her to be able to use it. That was alright; though it would have helped with her focus it was ultimately unnecessary. Hazel reached into the bag at her side and rummaged around until she felt the familiar spongy edges of an herb bundle. She pulled it free and carefully dropped it into the turtle shell. The heat caused the thin fiber holding the bundle together to curl and then pop; the tightly wound herbs appearing to blossom for a second before they too began to curl and wither. A fresh wave of spice filled the air around them. Hazel waved the smoke towards herself once, twice, and then towards Eligos. A calm settled over her and she felt the world around her broaden as the veil thinned.

Hazel frowned as she took in her surroundings. There was a tangible darkness nearby that unsettled her. "The witch that cursed you was powerful. I see what she did." She ignored the dark shape and ill feelings that threatened to throw her off and focused on Eligos and his desire to protect his family. "But it can be undone. Close your eyes, sir." She took a deep breath and addressed the blockage that was cutting off his sight. "Release." Another deep, calm breath. "And depart." Hazel began to stir clean ashes from her last fire in a small bowl at her paws. "Release and depart." Small amount of various unpleasant substances were added to the bowl at her paws. She hadn't brought much with her from home so this was sure to deplete her stores, but something about the man made her feel it was necessary.

Once a paste was created Hazel stretched out a paw and smeared a thick line of it down one of Eli's eyes. Once dry the ashy substance would act as a seal - one he would have to break when the time came. "Release..." She aimed to do the same to the other eye. "And depart." Three times the command needed to be said to set things in motion so with the third Hazel relaxed visibly. Knowing it was caught the foul darkness began to writhe. Quietly Hazel began to rub clean ash into Eligos' fur. His forelegs, his face, his chest were brushed with careful paws. His back and shoulders were liberally dusted. The curse on him was foul so it was take a heavy cleansing to get him back to normal.

Finally, to Eligos, she said, "I've done what I can, Eligos, the rest is in your paws. In order for the spell to work you must do exactly as I say. Seven days you must wear the seals. Each day when the sun rises you will dust yourself in the ashes of an oak fire and each night when it sets you will wash in a pure spring. You will eat nothing and drink only water and oak tea made from the spring. You will avoid contamination of all kinds. You will touch nothing dead, argue with no one, and share no intimacy. On the seventh day at sunset you will wash the seals from your eyes."

With her work done Hazel stepped back and sank into a seated position. She felt at peace with her work and the swirling of the world around her had slowed with her final words. This had been a costly transaction and she noted, absently, that some of the things she had used to counter the other witch's spell were likely not to be found again. Some bloods and bones were harder to come by than others. In the future it would not be so easy for her to do such things, but that was alright. She would work the acquisition of the ingredients into the deal itself. He would likely never know it but Eligos had gotten off easy.