What is HE doing here?

Brother Forty-Three's guilt kept him in lingering in the lobby even after Meirys/Six was led away to an examination room. That suited Gunnar just fine, since it meant he didn't have to make a jump to another host in order to keep an eye on his target. He would have preferred it if the monk had followed everyone to the examination room, but decided not to push the matter. Brother Forty-Three seemed to have forgotten about Gunnar's presence, and that, too, suited Gunnar. This world seemed to be one where a Immortals were frequent visitors, welcomed eagerly. If a fuss was made over Gunnar's presence, Meirys would bolt again.

So Gunnar waited quietly in the lobby with Brother Forty-Three until Meirys was led upstairs by the caretakers. Between the splint and the bandaging around the injured wing, the woman resembled a butterfly still stuck in its cocoon, a sight which sent another stab of guilt through the man who was Gunnar's host. Gunnar didn't have to prompt him to hurry after the doctor — Roseleaf? Yes, that was it.

"Will she heal, doctor?"

"Yes," Doctor Roseleaf replied. "The damage was fairly simple, and the Honored Traveler seems determined to follow my instructions. I'll be keeping them here overnight, but they can return to the temple tomorrow most likely."

The coil of dread in the monk's gut told Gunnar that would be problematic. Huh. He'd have to find out why.

"I'll notify the Temple," Brother Forty-Three said, bowing formally to the doctor. As the monk made his way to a communications device, Gunnar began weighing his options for a new host. He couldn't keep jumping from body to body much longer, so his next host needed to be one that would have reason to remain close to Meirys for a while.

"What is HE doing here?"

The muttered question startled Gunnar out of his thoughts and he realized he'd lost a considerable amount of time while debating his next move. Pay attention, he scolded himself.

Brother Forty-Three frowned and followed a slim, white-haired figure who'd made his way to one of the infirmary's lifts. Rather than confront the man, the monk lurked out of the line of sight until the lift doors had closed. He watched the lift, noting that it went to the third floor and stopped before returning to the ground floor.

Muttering a curse, Brother Forty-Three hustled into the lift and took it to the third floor. Without hesitation he headed to the right, paused at the first intersection to check the room numbers on the corner, and continued to the next where he turned to the left. After a quick glance to check the room number, he opened the fourth door on the left.

"No. Just stop there," Meirys was saying to the tall man. "I am tired of hearing that Sister Forty-Six isn't worthy. I suggest you see yourself out through the door before I see you out through the window."

"It is not that the sister is not worthy," the other man was saying, his tone surprisingly patronizing. "Merely that she is very new to the Temple, and not fully versed in the courtesies due to an Honored Traveler such as yourself."

'The temple,' Brother Forty-Three thought with a sneer. 'Not going to mention you're from the Second Temple, are you, Starwing?'

"I am happy where I am. Please leave," Meirys said flatly.

"Honored Traveler," Starwing said without any hint of respect in his tone, "You cannot remain in this vessel."

"Do intend to force me to leave?" Meirys asked.

"If I must," Starwing answered, and pulled a knife from beneath his robes. He moved with surprising speed, lunging for Meirys's throat. She let out a strangled sound that was part scream and part laugh as she darted it the side, throwing a glass from the high table at the man in the process. Starwing stumbled out a momentary stop, then lunged again.

But that moment of hesitation was all that Brother Forty-Three needed to seize the older man's arm and twist the knife out of his grasp. Starwing spun around and drove the heel of his palm towards Brother Forty-Three's face. The monk leaned aside just in time to avoid a blow that was meant to break his nose, then returned the attack with a punch of his own. Starwing spun easily out of the way, however.

Blows flew back and forth between the two men, with Brother Forty-Three taking the worst of the fight. One particularly effective blow left him swaying on his feet. Realizing that there was a good chance Starwing would kill the younger man, Gunnar took over. He slid beneath Starwing's next swing and stepped past the older man to hook an arm around his neck. Starwing was not about to let himself be choked out and drove an elbow back into Gunnar's torso with enough force to crack ribs had Gunner not shifted slightly to the side. He ran forward and slammed Starwing's head into the cupboard on the wall.

It was not a civilized move, but it was effective. Gunnar did it twice more before he let the older man drop to the ground. Then he stepped mentally back and let Brother Forty-Three have control again. The monk stared at the unconscious man on the ground for several long heartbeats.

"We killed Father Superior Starwing," he said finally.

Meirys had moved over and now pushed the fallen man over with a sandal-clad foot until he was on his back. She left her foot on his chest for a few moments, then shook her head. "No, he's still breathing."

She looked up, expression grim. "Thank you for your help, Brother Forty-Three. You should leave now though, before you get into trouble."

The monk swallowed hard and shook his head.

"No. This is not your mess to clean up. And if I leave you alone, he might try this again when he recovers," Brother Forty-Three said.

"True," Meirys agreed. "And if not him, someone else." She frowned down a the fallen man, and murmured to herself, "I need to find somewhere to hide."

She picked up a pen and moved to a different part of the wall where a medial chart was hanging. Picking up the attached pen, she scribbled down a note, and then stared at it in surprise for a moment. Gunnar wondered what she'd written. A heartbeat later, Brother Forty-Three moved to peer over the woman's shoulder. Gunnar wasn't sure if it was in response to his own curiosity or if the monk wanted to see what she'd written himself.

'Father Superior Starwing tried to murder Sister Forty-Six, can't risk staying. Will follow doctor's orders, Sera.'

Aside from the surprising frankness of the message, there was nothing there that merited a frown. Maybe Meirys was bothered that someone had tried to harm her so soon after her last death?The Immortal woman truly wasn't having an easy time with this last couple of lives.

"Now to figure out where to go," she muttered.

Brother Forty-Three had an idea. One he was deeply reluctant to suggest, but his guilt over Sister Forty-Six's broken wing overrode his reluctance. With a mental grimace he said, "You could stay with my mother."

Meirys gave him a long, hard look that suggested she knew exactly how little the monk had wanted to make the suggestion. After a moment she asked, "She would be willing to take us in? When we're injured and possibly have nothing to offer in exchange?"

Brother Forty-Three's grimace made it onto his face this time.

"She will if we're married," he said.

"Married," Meirys repeated. Brother Forty-Three nodded.

"Yes. I have no sisters. All my brothers are married and went to their wives' families," the monk answered. Meirys frowned at him.

"And bringing home a wife to your mother helps how?" she asked.

"If Sister Forty-Six takes my family name, it will continue the line," Brother Forty-Three explained, with the tone of pointing out the obvious. Meirys's expression cleared.

"Your society is matrilineal," she said.

"Of course we are. We're not savages," Brother Forty-Three said waspishly. "Let's find a priest to marry us and get this over with."

"No," was Meirys's answer.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Brother Forty-Three said in surprise.

"Exactly what it sounds like. No."

"But what other option is there? If you stay here, someone else might try to kill Sister Forty-Six. You will survive that, Honored Travel, but the sister will not. I've done more than enough harm to her today. Please don't make it worse by letting her get killed. If we get married, my mother will take Sister Forty-Six in even though she's injured and can't work. Maybe will never be able to work. Because even if she can't work, she can bear children, hopefully daughters to carry on the family line," pleaded Brother Forty-Three. "Let me make this sacrifice to make up for the damage I've done."

"No," Meirys said again. Brother Forty-Three drew in an angry breath, but she cut him off, "First of all, Sister Forty-Six is . . . withdrawn . . . at the moment. She will not be making any marriage vows right now. Second, you are not worthy of Sister Forty-Six. I'll think of something else."

She turned and marched towards the door.

'Stay with her,' Gunnar demanded of his host, even as the monk called out, "Honored Traveler, wait!"

Meirys didn't wait, though she did glance back over her shoulder. Brother Forty-Three hurried to catch up.

"Mother will at least give you shelter overnight if we tell her Sister Forty-Six is considering my proposal," he said. Meirys held his gaze for a long moment. Gunnar willed her to agree.

"Fine," she said. Brother Forty-Three let out a sigh that might have been Gunnar's. Both of them were relieved by Meirys's agreement, the monk because it meant Sister Forty-Six would be safe, Gunnar because it gave him an excuse to stay near his prey.

'You and I are going to have a chat once they're safe, Traveler,' the monk growled mentally as he followed Meirys into a lift. Gunnar flinched inwardly.

'Of course. We'll talk when they're safe,' Gunnar agreed.