Kearney grins. ”Simon sometimes gets in a hurry to get his work done. Wants to be about other business. Miss Winter got him fixed up good.”

Kearney looks at the schoolhouse, her expression darkening. ”I’m not sure we know who took ‘em. Miss Perez, the schoolmistress, was outside, trying to corral some of the kids back inside when it all happened, if I understand right. Never saw who was responsible.” She frowns. ”But that’s when those vines sprung up. Just all of the sudden. Got all over the back of the classroom.”

She looks back at Tamsin and shrugs. ”I know that last part doesn’t make any sense. But everyone...the kids, Miss Perez...they all tell that part of it the same.”

Tamsin doesn’t look the least bit surprised about the vines. “I believe it. The vines are... well, I’ve never encountered a plant like them before,” she says, holding up the leaf she has. “Do you know if Miss Winter has been down to take a look at the vines?”

Kearney shakes her head. "I don't think she has. But I heard Missus Montaño had sent word to Miss Winter not long after it happened."

Hm.

”All right. I’m going to take this bit of leaf.to Ava then,  because I need to figure out what happened.”

Kearney bids River a good afternoon, tipping her hat to her as the herbalist departs.

Venturing across the street, River approaches the the familiar sight of the Montaño Store, clearly one of the oldest buildings on Lincoln’s Main Street. The structure and the area it occupies are clearly well maintained, but a close look at the adobe walls and tin roof reveal that both have endured their share of unflinching sunlight and brutal winters. The dim illumination of lanterns is visible in the window beside the front door, which has been painted a bright blue.

A small bell rings as Tamsin pushes the door open. Inside, the walls are lined with handmade shelves that have been stained dark. They are laden with a variety of goods, many in boxes and jars. Tables in the large room’s center hold tools, blankets, and a number of different items fashioned from leather. A open doorway appears to lead into a room where clothes and linens are displayed. The rich scent of spices greets the herbalist as she enters.

Sitting at a desk which is situated at the far end of the room, is Ava Winter. The dark haired woman smiles warmly as she recognizes her friend. ”Tamsin! What a welcome surprise! I didn’t know you were coming to town today.”

Tamsin is just as excited to see Ava. “Ava!” she exclaims, coming around the desk to give the woman a hug, careful to keep the leaf away from her friend, just in case. “Yes, well, I wasn’t expecting to end up with so many sick people this season. At least everyone getting sick means I need to come out here for more supplies, and a visit, of course.

Tamsin finally offers up the leaf she pulled off the schoolhouse. Don’t suppose you know what this is?

Winter takes the clipping from the vine, setting it down on the desk in front of her, a frown furrowing her brow. She examines the plant for several moments in silence.

Looking up, she asks, ”Tamsin, where did you find this? Is this...from the schoolhouse?”

“Yes.”

That’s all she says for a moment, letting the silence hang.“They said you hadn’t taken a look at it, so I brought some. It’s not from around here.”

Winter carefully takes one of the leaves between her thumb and index finger, rubbing them back and forth a few times. Setting it down, she sees that her fingertips have been covered in black dust, akin to soot.

”Dry,” she mutters. ”Did you see any moisture when you clipped the vine, or was it just the same as it is now?”

Tamsin shakes her head. “No, nothing. No sap, no water, nothing. And...” She pauses, taking a look around to be sure they are alone. Lowering her voice, she continues, “Plants are supposed to grow and sometimes you see it, but I swear that the vines moved.”

Winter nods, her expression still serious. ”I don’t doubt that you’re telling the truth. This plant...it isn’t natural. It’s born from something else. Something that’s a hold on this valley since before either of us were born.”

“I’ve seen this vine before. Once, when I was young. In an abandoned place, northwest of Lincoln. There were stories about the place, about it being haunted...cursed. Terrible things had supposedly happened there. I didn’t find that difficult to believe when I saw it overgrown with these...weeds.”

“Do you know anything else about it? Is it dangerous itself? Or does it only come after the danger is gone?

”My impression, then and now, is that it is connected to something worse. That it accompanies the appearance of a greater evil. This place where I saw it was a farmhouse, and from what I had been told, it was owned by...”

Winter’s voice trails off as the bell from the shop’s front door rings. Glancing over her shoulder, Tamsin can see that Jacinta Castillo has stepped into the store.

Spotting the two women in conference, Jacinta took off her hat and left it hanging by the door to dry.  "Hola, ladies," she said in greeting as she approached.  "You must be Ms. Winter.  Been lookin' for you and Tam."  Rustling into her pack, she pulled out a glass jar and plunked it down onto the table between them.  Inside was another vine clipping.  "Got this one from the Gehrig a ways out of town.  S'growin' all over their vegetable patch.  You get yours from the schoolhouse?"

”I am,” Winter replies with a smile. ”Though If you’ve heard of me from Tamsin here, I would encourage you not to take her stories too seriously. I’m not nearly as mean as she might make me out to be.” She extends her hand. ”And you are?”

Introductions done, she shifts her attention to the clipping in the jar. ”I’m afraid I was just telling Tamsin of my first unfortunate encounter with this plant. My only encounter with it, thankfully. When you found this...was it only growing over the family’s vegetables, or had it spread elsewhere?”

She gave the woman's hand a shake.  "Jacinta Castillo.  Best I saw, these vines were only growing in their garden.  They couldn't shake 'em, but they hadn't spread.  Strange, sí?"

Tamsin waves a hand as Jacinta enters, letting the women introduce themselves, She lets out a sigh. “Very strange. Ava, the farmhouse where you first saw it, who owned it?”

Not that there’s much she can do about any of it, but she needs to know.

”Si. Muy extraño,” she agrees. ”Almost as though it knows where it is growing. Like it is seeking specifically to take those peoples’ crops from them.”

”A man named Elliot Blair,” she replies to Tamsin. ”He was dead. He had expired months before I visited his home. The stories were that he was a cruel, greedy man. Bought many sections of land here in the valley, especially near the river. Snared farmers into buying them, then worked with the bankers in Santa Fe to take every penny they had. Turned a few into virtual slaves, whose crops he owned before they were even harvested.”

“There were rumors he’d done other...terrible things in that house of his.”

She picks up the jar, peering at the clipping within. ”No one was certain how Mr. Blair died. But these weeds, they grew all over his property in the weeks after he passed.”

"Huh, I wonder if these weeds are all tied to him somehow.  Though how that ties in to a murder after his death, I couldn't begin to fathom.  Anybody ever taken a tour of his place after he died?  Explored the property and such?  Anybody living there now?"  She frowned.  "Sometimes... it ain't the people that are bad so much as the land.  I've seen good people do horrible things, especially out in the Maze."

Tamsin frowns. “Yes, I think the vines do know where they’re growing, the question is why. And who.” She looks at the weed again. “Have you found any use for it?”

She did not like this Elliot Blair.

Winter shakes her head. ”No one’s lived in that house since Blair passed on,” she says.  ”So far as I know it’s still standing. Just vacant. I can’t say if anyone’s actually gone inside the place or not. Cal Riddle lives west of there. Had a couple of horses he hadn’t broken get loose, run onto the property. He never found ‘em. There’s a trapper named Aaron Robles that hunted some wolves that had killed a few peoples’ livestock this past winter. Tracked them to that property. Said the house and the weeds were still there. Really didn’t like the place much. Told me he bagged his prey and got gone.”

She turns the jar that Castillo brought, looking at the clipping within. ”No, I never found any use for it at all.” she replies to River. ”Last time I had some, I tried to grind it down with a mortar and pestle. Took me an hour. All I ended up with was something like ash.” She frowns. ”Birds stopped singing around my house for a couple of days after that.”

She threw Tamsin a glance.  "Sounds like a place we might need to visit.  Heard that there was some figure in those vines.   Something or someone came out of it.  I'm thinking it all might be tied together, like a bunch of gopher tunnels under the town.  I think we should find the Ranger and pass this information on.  Could be the missing kids are somewhere on that property -- where no one has thought to look and where no one ever goes.  Whatchu think?" 
This message was last edited by the player at 06:21, Wed 18 Apr 2018.

Tamsin sighs, meeting Jacinta’s glance. ”Well, we definitely need to tell the Ranger. I just... I know I shouldn’t go wandering into these things, but if the kids turn out to be there and I didn’t do anything... I suppose a visit is in order.”
This message was last edited by the player at 19:27, Wed 18 Apr 2018.

Winter nods. Gesturing to the clippings, she says, "I will ensure these are kept somewhere safe. If either of you need my help, you should be able to find me here or at the boarding house next door. If I've gone elsewhere, I'll leave word with Renata. I plan to stay around Lincoln for at least a couple of more days."

Exiting the store, the two women see that the misting rain has begun to clear, the horizon marked by a fading, thin orange line while the rest of the sky slowly transitions to a deep violet, revealing a handful of stars above. Down the street, Castillo and River notice that a small group of people have gathered in front of the schoolhouse, several of them carrying lanterns. Among them are Ranger Bryan Lee and a man dressed in the garb of a Catholic Priest.

OOC: I'm working on the assumption that the mentions of the "Marshal" are in reference to Texas Ranger Lee. So, I'm going to shift the two of you over to the thread where he and some of the other characters are gathered. If you meant someone else, such as a member of the local constabulary, let me know, and I'll get you redirected.

OOC:  That's exactly what I meant.  Now I gotta go edit every post with every mention of him.   :p
This message was last edited by the player at 06:24, Wed 18 Apr 2018.