Lion Head Mesa pestilence

tavina listened and decided that maegi was in the grip of a psychosis brought in by stress, trauma, and now the revelation of what sounded occultist and dark to the sesh.

when the woman began to scream, she pressed in closer and pushed a rolled leaf of poppy toward maegi's paw. it was more important to sedate her than it was for the children to nurse. she understood perhaps more now what had ever driven maegi to self-medicate in the first place. 

"take them." tavina motioned to sayyadina, who gingerly pulled a puppy away from its chosen teat, moving for the other. "look at me, maegi. you do not have to be responsible for them. but i am responsible for you. and no one is going to die today."

unsure of how she would react in instinct, she moved to block the fellahin from any blows. they would come to her instead. and she still had not looked at either child.