Valise had never come across Skeletor before, but she got the gist of the meaning from the sound of the name. It gave her a moment of self-realisation, and in that moment the efforts of her work during the week caught up with her. It seemed as if she might faint, and Janette instinctively stepped forward to steady her.

“The process of my investigation is..." She searched for the words to try and make Janette understand the scope of her efforts, but came up short before eventually settling on: . difficult.”

“Stay there." Janette instructed before moving over to grab a chair trom behind one of the tables where food had been laid out for the orcs.

She grabbed the chair and set it down behind Valise who found herself grateful for the unexpected respite. After settling herself in the seat, she Looked up to Janette who was looking her over with a note of disapproval.

“Ok, well if you keep this up then you're going to be in an even sorrier state. Here, eat something." With that, Janette went to fetch some of the edible leaves the jungle offered which Valise usually favoured at dinner time. Quite a few had been left out on the tables given that the orcs usually favoured meatier food.

Valise attempted to wave off the plate of offered leaves. "I can't right now, I-" “Eat." Janette didn't raise her voice, but her tone cut through

Valise's protests like a sword.

The older woman hesitated for a moment and then took the plate to nibble on the fresh Leaves.

"Thank you," she said between bites. "Don't sweat it. Is there anything in your tent right now that might explode if you don't get back to it?"

Not quite sure where that particular line of questioning was going; Valise shook her head.

"Good. Then tonight you're sleeping with us."

"Oh, no. I can't intrude on you and-"

"You have no problem intruding on our time with Greg when he comes to stay with you for the night. If getting freaky with girls isn't your thing then that's fine, we'll keep our hands to ourselves. But you're not going back in your tent. You stink, you're weak, and if this keeps going then it looks Like you'll be dead by next Tuesday."

The orcs didn't name the days of the week, and nor did the elves, and even the humans on Arolius counted them differently. So it was more out of stubbornness that Janette had continued to count the days since their arrival. Again, Valise didn't quite understand when next Tuesday would fall, but she got the gist of the message.

“I must return to the work of performing the ritual," she insisted.

“No, you must come with me and get a bath. Then get your skinny butt into bed. Here, drink this." Janette had poured out a glass of water for Valise, who took it gratefully.

"But the ritual-"

“Can wait." Janette folded her arms and watched until it became clear she intended to wait whilst the other woman finished her food and water. "Gregory asked me to take charge of this Little operation and I'll be damned if one of the people I'm in charge of is going to drop dead of exhaustion. From now on, no more time alone with that green stuff. You want to work with it? You take me or Talina."

“You don't have the time."

“I'LL bloody well make time. Do you think you're the only one around here who can boss people around? Finish that up and then do as you're told. Or else.”

Valise obediently finished up one of the leaves, and found herself feeling somewhat better for it. Until then she hadn't realised how hungry she was. Her appetite seemed to return more and more with every mouthful, and Janette waited patiently for her to finish. After seeing the older woman's eyes flit back to the other food on the table, she went to get her a second helping without a word and waited patiently whilst she finished that too.

“Thank you. But... why are you doing this for me?" Valise finally asked as she finished up her second plateful.

“Are you deaf or something? I told you. I don't want to be the person I was before."

“Who was that?"

Janette glared at her for asking that particular question, but saw that it was asked innocently enough and relaxed a little. She walked back around the table and grabbed a chair to place it beside Valise whilst she ate, then she began to talk. Though she didn't exactly talk to Valise. Rather, she stared out across the glade and set the words out as if ironing them out in her own head to make sense of them.