Davide had his door open, and was sitting on his own faldstool again, a long bandage unspooled in his lap. He seemed to be trying and failing to wrap his own arm, evidenced by his rather eloquent swearing in Aquitanean.

The scent of cinnamon announced the countess's presence about a second before she--and her wolf--appeared at the door. For politeness's sake, she feigned knocking. "Sir? A word?"

"Of course." He replied. "What do you need, Niabheara?" He asked. "And hello, Omauduan." He added, to the wolf.

She grimaced and stepped inside. "You know what this is about," she said quietly, closing the door behind them. "But first do you need some help with . . . " She gestured toward his arm.

"No, I'll go to the healer for it." He lowered his sleeve, politely, and sighed. "I shouldn't have tried to do it myself. And yes, we're going to discuss Duncan and Dierdre." He replied. "I had no idea Dee would do that to her hand. Is she all right?" He asked.

"It's quite all right. Anyone who lives with Lady Meg for any length of times learns how to clean cuts and wrap bandages." She hovered beside a chair but did not quite feel it was an occasion to sit. Omauduan, on the other hand, curled up underneath it as readily as if his mistress had already taken the seat. "She's . . . upset, plainly." Her eyes slid to the side as she recognized what an understatement that was. "Actually . . . I wanted to speak to you about the lady in red."

"Sit, please, Niabheara." He replied. "Don't worry about me." He considered her for a moment. "I saw her last night. We talked. I said that I was sad about Acorn being missing. I suggested seeing if Meg needed help, she said no. She hinted that Acorn had been taken by some man in the castle, but she wouldn't tell me who. I made her tell me what direction I should turn to find him. She said left. I took a left, and the first man I came too was Duncan."

Niabheara bit her lip. "Have you e'er spoken to her before? Or she to you?"

"No." He replied. "She introduced herself by reading my thoughts, about where I was going." He rubbed his arm. "I've met the black one. She did a deal with Dee."

Niabheara flinched again; she hadn't realized he knew about that. This was not quite the way she had intended things to go. "Dierdre thinks I'm speaking to my mother," she admitted. "About having you confined to the ship until you leave. But I am not so sure the lady in red did not tell you the truth. And I must know."