Aoife lifted the steaming mug in her hands, relishing the simple joy of the warmth flooding from her fingers into her. She seemed to huddle herself around the warmth for a moment, and beneath the blanket her toes curled, before she took a sip. Despite it still being almost boiling, the heat didn't bother her overly much, and the herbs in the water were delightful. A feeling like lightning lanced through Aoife, and she closed her eyes, keeping herself still as it flashed from her head to her toes.
Nature could perform miracles.
"Thank you. This is wonderful," she said, opening her eyes. Within the torus of green around her pupil was a healthy and visible glowing amber ring, the telltale signal that she was tapping into her magic. Though she did not pull energy from either Madison or Kol, she extended her power out into the garden through the open window, drawing in minute amounts of living energy from every tree, flower, and blade of grass within. Though small for each entity, the sum was large enough to truly fuel her recovery. As the process began, the amber glow from her eyes spread, her pale skin radiating the same glow, if faintly.
"Ethan," the paladin said, greeting his peer with a nod before continuing his search. He didn't mind the company, especially when it was someone like Decker. It made his life a little easier, having someone with a reputation similar to his, though it tended to draw the attentions of those who could make his life more hellacious. At the question, Darren stopped and looked at him scathingly.
"Nothing so over the top. I may not be the nicest guy we've got, but I'll be damned if I'm not one of the most devout. The Council has become soft, and they balk when told that certain things must be done. Must be. They have their heads so far up their pompous asses that they no longer see the direction that the Church is meant to go. Well, most of them, anyways." He cleared his throat.
"Still, I'm here to detain someone. Someone who, for one, doesn't belong here and, two, likely knows the location of something that rightfully belongs to the Church. Well, assuming the pieces fit together like I think they do. Years ago, I tried to recover the information, only to met with open hostilities from a female druid. Of course, considering it was the first time I got suspended, I'm sure you know the story, but the woman I'm looking for now is from the same cult of tree-worshippers. I mean to find out what I should've learned all those years ago."
"Just finishing what I started, you know?"