"I got to hand it to you Morgana, you know how to fatten people up." Jochy was grinning where he sat, still a bit sore and wary to walk around in the tiny kitchen, disrupting the activity there. He'd eaten more than he should, but it felt like his body craved food after his ordeal.

Cara snorted. "Oh, yes," she replied, in between bites of her own meal. "Now your elbows are just slightly less than razor sharp."

Morgana--who was used to being so busy during dinner that she did most of her eating standing up--smiled at Jochy even as she swooped to rescue a bowl from the Acorn. "I shouldn't wonder. You were out most of the day. Better watch that."

"I need to practice. Don't want any accidents to happen, and I feel as wobbly as a newborn foal." Jochy licked his lips and leaned back, looking more than a little sated. The motion made him wince just a little, and he quickly straightened up once more.

"Besides, we have to be out of your hair soon. Had people get in touch about problems back in Mercer, so we need to see about getting back there." He gave Cara a small look, explaining. "A friend of mine got into a bit of trouble with a possessing spirit."

"Yes, but you should still take it easy. If you'd sprained your ankle, it would be good to walk around the house one time as you recovered, not a hundred and seventy-two times." She blinked. "What?" she asked. "Posession?" She put down her knife. "Why is your life so bizarre?"

Morgana was indifferent to oddness, all things considered. "There I cannot help you," she told them. "It'd be pure luck to find anyone making the crossing from Ushante, and that's the only way I know to go about it."

"It's a slippery slope Cara, the people I know, know that my life is bizarre, so when they are out of their depth they contact me to fix it for them. Most of the time I do a decent job, and then the cycle takes another turn."

Jochy sighed a little and shrugged. "Most of the time I'm the only mage people know, so I tend to have to pick up a lot of slack. The Erins is refreshing that way. If a bit out of the way."

He nodded at Morgana, he had not expected any other reply. "Cara, how likely do you figure it is that yer boss will figure out a way to get us home the same way we got here?"

"Well, if the machine still works, I put it at fifty percent," Cara replied. "Fifty because we don't even know if the machine was made to bring anything back from where it was sent. But I'm fully confident he'll figure otu how it works, if that's what you mean."

She gave Jochy an amused look. "I thought you were the one everyone avoided because knowing you was trouble."

"As I've told Jochy, I have no idea if anyone's machine can get through the wards. I don't know if they would . . . cross each other out, or if it simply would not happen. If it can't, he might have called for you twenty times and you might not know it. But it would be a simple matter of getting you on the outside of my wards again."

"It's both Cara," Jochy grinned at her and continued, "I am trouble so people stay away. But if they already are in trouble, can yer imagine a better man to solve it? It ain't like things are gonna faze me, I've seen most of it by now. Besides, I can be downright dependable when I want to be."

When it was someone he liked.

"I dunno if the wards would affect that thing... Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. it does magic, but ain't got any taste of the Arts I've heard about. A bit like fayerie for me, I can see what it does, but I can't get my head wrapped around it. Guess we'll know once we've left here."