A Matter of the Soul

-Dalen Capital, Rooftop Garden, Early Morning 3 DSTR-

Orla smiled almost shyly as he took her hand in his grasp. He had a magnetic presence and a strong personality. She sensed he could be dangerous, however dangerous men in Dalen were a copper a dozen, and he had no reason to want to harm her—certainly not when he was here requesting her services. She could not help but notice he was a practised and gifted speaker, and as if unconsciously in response, her own speech patterns grew more refined.

"You know of what you speak, Mister Cartwright, and are quite right about how an immaterial sickness of the soul can affect the natural world; it is a gradual and subtle process. And the problem you describe is one that I've encountered before." She lifted her little chin and met his gaze, her silver-shot blue eyes curious, thoughtful, and sincere. "I would be pleased to entertain you, and learn more about this matter. It has been some time since I've heard of such a thing, not for a great many years. I assume this property was owned by the farmer's family for generations?"

With a graceful and friendly gesture, Orla invited Randel to walk along with her further into the verdant garden, which seemed a lot vaster than the space on the rooftop should have allowed. "I could exorcise the land the orchard sits on and bring it back into balance, but such efforts would be no more than a palliative as long as the root cause persists. If this friend of yours does not receive proper help, the land would, in short time, only become corrupted again." She reached out and stroked the branch of a peppermint tree, and softly inhaled the fragrance of the leaves. "I can commune with the sentient souls of plants, and beasts as well, but rational souls are another thing altogether, and they are far from my expertise. To aid this deeply afflicted man, you must seek the help of a suitable priest; someone whose province is the souls of man. Once this man's spiritual rot has been cured, only then could I be of any assistance to you in healing the land."