Reunion at Sea

Cure

The next morning, Rapunzel returned to the hamlet to get a new frying pan exclusively for cooking, and Eugene and Lance accompanied Varian to the Glass Sipper.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but...I'm worried." Rapunzel said as she picked out a frying pan. "I don't like Eugene being so close to you-know-who, what if she tries to, you know, flirt?"

"Oh, the horror. Trust me, Raps, it'll be fine." Cassandra assured her. "Besides, she'll be focused on the guy helping her dad, I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"Maybe you're right..." She walked over to pay for it. "I'm just...I'm worried."

--

"This certainly looks bad." Varian said as he looked at the large man laying in a hammock before him. "I can do this two ways, I can either get a sample of venom from the spider that bit him, or I can take a sample of his blood. Both will take hours, I'm going to have to have the caravan brought over here so I can have my equipment close by."

"Well, we don't have the spider anymore." Stalyan sighed heavily. "So, you'll have to work with his blood."

"Alright. Eugene, can you go get the caravan? Leave Hookfoot to tell the others where you took it, he's competent enough for this. Better than the drunk." Varian looked at him.

"Right." Eugene nodded and headed out.

"I guess I'm just...going to stay and wait with you?" Lance said awkwardly.

"I need water, warm." Varian said firmly. "And a rag."

"I'll get that." Lance hurried out of the room.

"What do you need that for?" She asked.

"To ease the boils." He explained, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a black scarf, which he tied over his face. "Not as good as my welding mask, but it'll have to do." He offered her another one and she accepted it, tying it on over her face. Then he took off his apron and pulled out another one that covered more of his front, shoving the other one in the bag before he tied on the new one. "It'll help with the pain." He assured her, a smile in his eyes.

Lance came back in a bit later with the bucket of warm water and a rag. Varian unbuttoned the man's shirt to get to more of his skin and cringed. "How far does it go?" He looked at Stalyan.

"I haven't fully checked." She admitted.

"Alright." He placed his hand on the large man's. "Mister Baron, sir, we're going to need you to help me out by stripping down to your underthings." He looked at Lance. "Where is Eugene? Did you see him yet?"

"I-I'll go check again." Lance ran out of the room as Staylan and Varian helped The Baron remove his clothes.

"What is taking him so long?" Varian muttered, then went to the bucket and soaked the rag with the warm water before wringing it out just enough to not be dripping. Then he walked over and started to gently apply the warm water to the boils.

Staylan walked out to get another rag and came back in to soak it and help him with the boils. "Thanks. You really didn't have to do anything but the antidote. I confess, I don't know much about...this kind of stuff."

Lance stepped into the room, looking nervous. "Uh, Varian? There's been a development. The caravan is here, but..."

Rapunzel stepped into the back room with them. "Staylan? We need to talk. Now."

Varian looked up at her and nodded, then looked at Lance. "Help me with this." He nodded to the rag in Stalyan's hand.

Lance walked over and accepted it as Stalyan took the mask off her face and tied it around Lance's. "What do you need, Your Highness?" She asked mockingly.