Post by kevna on Aug 31, 2019 18:58:16 GMT -5
CT Turn 6, End of month 3
To a New Life and Between: Part I
The heat was almost suffocating, and she enjoyed the coolness of the water on her hands for another minute before drying them off on her skirts and turning back to the task at hand. She was in a small village outside of Southernboll helping a few families who had come down with fevers. Her parents had remained in Southernboll to help there, and she had gone ahead, and they were using a towns member’s flit to carry messages back and forth for supplies needed. She ground the featherfern and mixed it into the tea she was making out of the lemongrass her parents had sent. There wasn’t enough of it, and there weren’t enough healers to help. She brushed a strand of long hair that had come lose from her band out of her eyes, and continued grinding, watching the smoke from the fire swirl around the pot, and then up and through the hole in her tent, specifically designed to let smoke out. Not that it helped with the heat. Nothing did in the Southern Continent. She mentally cursed the MasterHealer for sending her somewhere hot and humid.
She couldn’t even remember the last time she had slept. Nyxlin took a deep calming breath and waited for the tea to seep in the hot water. Being so near the fire caused droplets of sweat to run down her back in uncomfortable streams. The brunette imagined what she looked like and winced. When the day was done, she was going to bathe in the river, and wash her long brown hair, and scrub her skin till it felt raw, and put on a nice clean pair of clothes. The idea of being clean and looking presentable kept her going.
A little child of ten years old ran in, “Nyxlin, Nyxlin, she’s awake, and saying all sorts of stuff.”
Nyxllin turned and nodded, “That’s a good sign she’s awake, Torin, it means we are doing something right. Why don’t you get a cup, and we will give your mum this tea? It should help with her fever.” She tried not to make her statement sound like a promise, she had to be careful with that kind of hope. These fevers were vicious and unpredictable. The boy ran out, and Nyxlin grabbed the pot off the fire, careful to use her skirts so as not to burn herself. The boy was back and holding a wooden cup which she carefully filled with the clean ladle. She took the cup from the boy, afraid he would spill the precious liquid, and with her free hand offered to take his hand. He was old enough he could have refused, but the fear of losing his mother seemed to take the child’s pride, because he took her hand. Together they walked out of her healer’s tent and into a small hut nearby. They had placed all the sick in one hut, trying to contain the fever from spreading to everyone, but it didn’t seem to be helping.
Torin’s mother was indeed awake and ranting about the colors that were eating her skin. Hallucinations were not a good sign, but Nyxlin didn’t feel the need to share that bit with the boy. His father was out hunting for meat, and he didn’t have anyone but her to lean on, and she didn’t want to disappoint. She was going to see this Torsa better if it was the last thing she did, and by Faranth, it was going to go her way this time.
She let go of the boy’s hand, shushing the raving sun crazed woman as she helped her up. “Torsa, you must keep your strength, and I need you to drink this.” She put the cup to the feverish woman’s lips, and she drank of it greedily, probably burning her tongue as she did. But at least she drank. “Torin, go grab a wet washcloth for me please.” The boy was gone again in an instant, and Nyxlin was glad for the instant and willing help he had been for her. She needed relief, and she hoped it would come soon.
With that thought fresh on her mind she heard loud wingbeats and raised voices from outside. Nyxlin didn’t move, it was more important that Torsa finish the tea then she know what was going on. But by Faranth was she curious. Torin came back in a few minutes later, carrying a rag and a happy smile. “Nyxlin, it’s a green rider bringing supplies, and there are more healers with her!” Nyxlin smiled in response to the good news. “Good, as soon as I am done here, I will have you show me.” It looked like she would be getting some sleep after all tonight. Once Torsa had finished her tea, the brunette healer took the rag and mopped the sick woman’s brow after lying her back down.
The short burst of raving and drinking the tea had taken it out of her, and Torsa drowsed again. She straightened from her crouched position and quietly motioned to the young boy that it was time to go see who had arrived. Nyxlin hoped her parents were those that accompanied the green rider, she hadn’t seen them in a while, and she was used to their help. The boy took her to the landing site, and the journeywoman took in the site of the village off loading the dragon, and two other journeymen healers speaking to one of the village members.
She had to admit she was a little miffed, first that they weren’t her parents, and second, that they hadn’t come to find her to get a scope of understanding about what was going on. Some men could be so flitter brained. She jogged to join them, interrupting the conversation they were having with the village man so that they could get a better report of the goings on from her. She gave them the numbers of the sick, what they were doing to contain the fever, and the remedies that seemed to be working. They were polite enough, though she got the idea from them that they though they could do better, which put her off.
“Oh, this is for you, your mother wanted us to deliver this to you.” The journeyman healer that presented the letter was shorter than her, and slightly chubby, and the tone obviously stated that he was not one to deliver things, as it was not his job. She refrained from a retort and grabbed the letter, giving a small nod of thanks. But she was all business, so she did not stop to read what she desperately wanted to read. Instead, she directed them to the hut where the sick were, and then went to see what had been delivered, and make sure it was placed in an opportune place for use.
That’s when she noticed the keen gaze the green dragon was giving her. It was strange having such big eyes focused in on her, but she tried to ignore it. It’s not like she was really looking at her, right? She practically ran into the rider before she was able to refocus on the present.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you.” Nyxlin tried not to blush, realizing how foolish it was not to be paying attention.
“No, no problem, I just wanted to introduce myself, I am Kenessia, and you must be Nyxlin, right?” The brunette rider was looking at her strange too, or was it her imagination? What was wrong with this pair?
“Uh, yes, that’s me.”
“We just happened to be in Southernboll when you parents waylaid us to help out. We love it down here. They are very nice, and speak highly of you.”
“Well, that’s them alright. Thank you for helping out, I’m guessing your not from the Southern Weyr?”
“Well, actually that’s a long story, let’s just say I grew up a lot while I lived in the south, and I think of it as my home. So of course, I’m always willing to help.”
“Well, we were in dire need, please feel free to stay and eat with us.” Nyxlin glanced over at the dragon, trying not to look uncomfortable. The green was still staring at her very strangely. “But we don’t have any spare herdbeasts for your dragon.”
The beautiful rider looked over her shoulder at her dragon, “Oh her, she ate last week, she should be fine for a few more days, don’t you worry about her.”
Nyxlin smiled and nodded, but wasn’t convinced, as she turned. “Well, I’m going to let the newly arrived journeymen work while I clean up, but your free to mingle until mealtime.” She started walking away, and just had to glance one more time over her shoulder, and sure enough the green’s gaze was unchanged.
Very Strange…. Was the last thought she gave them, as she redirected her concentration on getting cleaned up.
To be continued.
