Raising my glass

Sedna had retreated into the swamplands, wondering if wandering the woods might make the witch reappear. When the haggard woman didn’t appear, she took it on herself to claim the hut, for a time at least. It had everything she could possibly need to try and get to the bottom of this. She took to setting snares to try and capture some other infected critters. She wasn’t keen on testing out remedies on on wolves without some proof they might work on others. The first she had captured was a rabbit that was sprouting mushrooms. At first she had watched the illness progress, using her tail blade to sever the growths and gauging from the shrill screams that the effect was the same as when one of the jagged crystals that sprouted from her fur caught on something and shattered. Likewise, the removed growths grew back twice as quickly.

Pouring hot water did little to impede the growth of the fungus, (although it always seemed to work well enough in her garden). Using salt water made no difference either. She attempted a poultice of burdock, cedar and sage to no visible effect, and eventually her first patient succumbed to the accompanying respiratory issues.

The second was a raccoon infected with crystals, and likewise, no poultice or tincture or tea seemed to have an effect. She tried providing steam with oil extracted from leaves known to aid clearing airways, but still it continued to crystallise and ooze. Eventually, Otis took pity on the creature and set it free. All her best efforts were being thwarted.

Sedna sat slumped and defeated on the porch of the collapsing shack, wracking her brain for something she hadn’t yet tried. Her eyes squinted under the burden of the crystals that now grew there, her lungs heavy as she coughed up choking ooze, believing that if a cure wasn’t found soon, then she wouldn’t see the sun return. Her lips turned up in a defiant snarl before she rose and headed back into the shack. She wasn’t going to give up, either this illness would end, or she would. Either way, she was going to see it through.

"speech".