Finn went with Caspian to the Council meeting to deliver more of the Wolf Repellant. She rethought the name. If it worked, maybe it should be 'enchanted animal repellant.' She'd woken long before the dawn to make it.
Though, she couldn't entirely take credit for that. The babies had thoughtfully woken her up for a feeding and to remind her of the task. Thankfully, she'd had the chance to run to the market to purchase the necessary herbs the day before while Caspian and Naomi had gone on their city tour.
Walking alongside the man, she quickened her step to match his long strides. Her husband's cousin was still something of a mysterious figure to her, despite the many questions he'd answered for her the previous day. She was eager to share what she'd learned with the Treasurer and General.
They were the ones she'd told about her initial findings involving the Sorcerer so long ago, and she hoped they would be as interested now.
"Gwen, I wish you'd come answer all my questions," She murmured to herself.
"Pardon?" Caspian asked beside her.
"Nothing," She demurred. "I didn't mean to talk out loud."
The man's face contorted briefly in confusion, but he nodded. She wondered what he must think of her.
The pair arrived early for the meeting, as she hoped, and she hurried off to the side where the Treasurer lingered.
"Sir," She greeted with a slight curtsy, "I have interrogated my fine cousin and found some fascinating tales of ancient Ceto."
"Oh? I do love history," The Treasurer smiled at her, and then turned toward Caspian.
"Please tell him what you told me about the Sorcerer," She requested with pleading eyes.
"The Sorcerer? You have tales of the Sorcerer?" The Treasurer pushed his spectacles higher on his nose. He looked eagerly at the Commodore's younger son with open expectation.
Caspian's tolerant smile was a little strained, but he humored them both by relaying the tale of the Sorcerer's creation of the world and the splintering of it.
The Treasurer's eyes grew wide, and he looked at Finn with some measure of the euphoria of discovery that Finn had felt the evening prior.
"Isn't it exciting? Our first clue in ages!" She clasped her hands together.
"Exciting indeed! I will need to record this, and any other tales our visitor has to tell on the subject," The Treasurer nodded. "Have you been able to consult with your-erm- friend about this new information?"
"Sadly no. There is nothing new to report on that front," Finn smiled a little sadly. Gwen hadn't appeared since she'd learned this new information. "However! I have brought the additional repellant the Council requested."
"Marvelous!" The Treasurer declared, waving over the Peacekeeper. "The Peacekeeper's men and my own workers are laboring together on the project of clearing the tunnels and cataloging the contents. I'm afraid we had reports of more moles attacking and attempting to steal random objects. The men carrying what you provided before have not been subject to any further attacks, suggesting it may be working."
"Any clue what specific items the moles might be after?" Finn asked.
"I'm not entirely sure the creatures know," The Peacekeeper put in. "Half the time they seem to get confused and take a writing implement or personal possession of the people they attack instead of an object from within the tunnels."
"Well, hopefully we can stop this before they get anything important," Finn held out the repellant.
"I understand, and thank you for your efforts in this matter. I know you have much to attend to," The Peacekeeper gave a short bow of deference, and Finn smiled.
It would be an enormous undertaking to prepare enough repellant to line the tunnels. Almost as enormous as raising triplets with her husband gone. Was she taking too much on herself?
She shook the thought away, and excused herself to attend to the thousand other tasks of her day. The meeting was not really her business today, and unless she was specifically requested to stay, she would gracefully make her exit.
On her way home, she stopped by Lysander and Dierdre's residence to invite them for dinner that evening. Although it would be extra trouble to cook for two more people, she felt that Quilina and Jacqueline might benefit from hearing that Lysander's dreams had also abated.
Putting their heads together over the issue might also lend itself to some problem solving. Lysander was a clever man, and Finn hoped he might help bridge the gap of experience with the Void to come up with a more permanent solution for Quilina than simply staying in the city.
Although, they hadn't confirmed that the problem would continue after leaving. Finn looked up at the sky. Although the morning was on the chilly side, the cloudless sky and lack of wind promised a nice afternoon. Perhaps a picnic by the lake would refresh everyone's spirits.
Quilina might be tired enough to take a nap in the sunshine as a small, preliminary test of whether she was cured of the Void's interference in her dreams.
To be honest, Finn could use some time out in the sun with nature to renew her own spirit.
The idea now planted, she hurried back to implement it. Jacqueline and Naomi were both enamored with the idea of going out to see the lake, since neither of them had spent much time in Klain, let alone in the pretty area around it.
Quilina was excited as well, having already finished her morning studies with her mother.
The ladies quickly packed a lunch, and left a note for Caspian in case he should return before they did. Loading themselves, the babies, some blankets, and the lunch into the wagon, the happy group headed out of the city.
There was no delay at the gate; most who left the city were eager to do so at sunrise to get an early start to wherever they were traveling to. The women's quest for a picnic seemed to amuse the guard, who encouraged them on their way with a kind smile.
"I haven't seen a lake before," Jacqueline commented. "Other than the sea and tidal pools, we only have small ponds and, of course, the river for water."
"I've never seen the sea before," Finn admitted. "I would like to, one day. I have certain little joys that keep me closer to home for the time being," She smiled back at her babies, who were in the rear of the wagon.
She expected the road to jostle and upset them, but all of them were fairly cheerful by disposition. It was a blessing.
"They are the sweetest babies I've ever seen," Naomi complimented, and Finn smiled as if it were her personal accomplishment to have produced such excellent offspring.
Really, she would be proud of them even if they were the fussiest, ugliest, most ill-tempered infants in the kingdom, but with a lot more fatigue.
Finn almost headed to Jimmy's rock out of habit, but stopped short at a lovely picnic spot still covered with the leftover lush green grass of summer. It would be gone before long, when the frost set in.
"This place is beautiful," Naomi spread the quilts on the ground, and laid out the food for the group.
The ladies chatted about everything and nothing, each satisfied in the camaraderie that so often accompanies good food and lovely scenery. Quilina took off her shoes to dip her toes in the lake, squealing at the cold water and pointing out turtles and minnows that occupied its shallows.
The sun soon warmed her, and as Finn had hoped, the girl laid down in the sunshine with a full belly and a sleepy soul.
"This is very different than the sea. It's much quieter. You'd hardly know it was here if you weren't looking at it," Jacqueline commented.
"Is the ocean quite loud?" Finn asked curiously. It wasn't something she'd given particular thought to.
"It can be. It depends on the day. During a storm it can be overwhelming with the waves crashing against the rocky parts of the shore," The woman replied.
"Interesting." Finn recalled her nightmare of the tempestuous sea, and how the sound of the storm had drowned out her voice. It seemed that the image wasn't far off from reality. She struggled against the frightening memory, reminding herself that it was only a dream.
"I think she's asleep," Naomi whispered after a moment, gesturing to Quilina. The child's eyes had drifted shut, and her breathing became deep and even. The women smiled, but were quickly distracted by Ivan's squirming cries.
"What is it, little one?" Finn picked him up from his place on the blanket. He'd been so content, and she had nursed him not long ago after the ladies had eaten.
Her attention seemed to provoke him further, and he began screaming in earnest. Confused by the sudden outburst, Finn shushed him with some alarm.
"Are you hurt? What happened?" She asked, trying to cuddle him closer.
She almost dropped him when the sleeping Quilina's terrified screams joined his.