Post by kevna on Apr 3, 2020 22:52:53 GMT -5
CT Turn 6, End of month 3
To a New Life and BetweenPart II
She shook her head, and ran back to her tent, where she met the two newcomers looking over the herbs and tea she had been using and noticed the hint of approval in their stances, which disappeared as soon as she entered.
Men. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a pair of clean clothes and sweet sand. “Now that you are here, I’m going to get cleaned up and ready, and leave these good people in your hands.”
They both nodded, but ultimately ignored her, discussing how they would continue the work. She made sure she still had the letter, and stepped out, heading toward the river, and then upriver a bit to be sure no one peeked in on her cleaning.
When she found a deep enough spot upriver, she stripped down and waded in. Goose bumps raised on her skin at contact with water, but it felt refreshing in the warm humid heat. She started at her hair, scrubbing till she felt like her brown locks would fall out, then moved down getting her face and neck. When the skin felt raw enough, she continued her downward scrub, all the way to her feet. The young woman knew how long she was taking and didn’t much care. She couldn’t remember the last time she could spend so much time cleaning herself. The men could handle the patients for the time being.
When finally she was convinced of her cleanliness she climbed out, dried herself, and dressed. She took her time reading the letter from her parents, which was mostly uneventful, just about their own healing escapades in the Hold and how nice the green rider was to go out of her way to help. It was nice she supposed and would have to thank Kenessia again.
She took time braiding her hair, having to run her fingers through the long brown locks repeatedly in order to get the hair to fold correctly. Once finished she sighed, and made her way back to the village, already feeling the sweat along her chest and arms from the humid heat. She would have to get reassigned as soon as she was through here. There was a fire burning in the large pit made for making large amounts of food, and people were gathered around it, eating some sort of stew. Her stomach rumbled and she hastened her pace, mouth watering. Once she had her bowl, she sat down to enjoy the meager meal, just grateful again for the reprieve. She had missed many meals while caring for the sick.
The rider came over to join her, sitting across from her on a log, her dragon some ways behind her, trained green eyes on them. Her.
Nyxlin blinked, and tried to focus on the rider, and not the green dragon. “You know, I have been meaning to thank you for bringing the supplies and relief support. I and my supplies have been utterly exhausted.”
The rider nodded, smiling through the bite she had put in her mouth. “No problem, Nyxlin. Happy to oblige. It keeps me from having to do my chores in the weyr.”
“Which Weyr is that again?” She spooned another bite, chewing slowly.
“Mavros Weyr, the redheaded step-child of Weyrs. But mine oh mine it is!” The rider smiled as if enjoying an inside joke and looking back at her dragon. The green was resting her head comfortably now, and her eyes were less intense in their gaze, but still none the less directed toward Nyxlin.
“Oh, well I haven’t been there yet! I’ll have to add it to my list of places to go then.”
“You have a list of traveling goals? Is it very large?”
“Actually, not really. My parents took me all over Pern it seems like when I was young, so it’s a small list, but it almost makes the goal even harder to hit, because I can’t really choose where my assignment takes me.”
The rider nodded again, as if thinking about that. “And do you have other goals? Dreams? Things you want to do.”
Nyxlin tiled her head in thought. “Umm, not that come directly to mind… What do you mean? Like me becoming a master healer?”
“Uhh, sure! Or a harper, or a smith, or a.. Dragonrider?” The last was thrown out just as casually, but the rider’s eyes were intensely trained on her. Nyxlin blinked, surprised. She had never even considered anything like that. She took her time organizing her thoughts, wondering where the question had come from.
“Err, honestly, no not at all. I’m pretty happy as a healer.” She shrugged, thinking that would be the end of that. But the rider was persistent.
“Come on, never even a child’s dream to be a dragonrider? Flying to wherever you want, fighting thread on an amazing beast, feeling the strength of unconditional love from your bonded dragon?”
The words opened up the imagination in the young healer, and she imagined her own dragon, green and strong, fast and daring. She smiled. It didn’t sound awful. But… It was nothing like what she had imagined for herself. She was comfortable here. Well, not here here. Southern was hot and humid, and really only the beach and Weyr were enjoyable.
“Well, it does sound nice I guess.”
“Good, how about it?” The rider put her bowl down and looked ready to pounce. Her dragon looked similarly.
“Uh, wait, how about what?”
“How about you come with me to Mavros and be a candidate on our sands.”
Nyxlin blinked, and then realized her mouth was hanging open. She snapped her mouth shut. “Um, I’m a healer, not a-a dragonrider!” She put her bowl of food down, brow furrowed. She felt flustered, maybe even a little overwhelmed at the idea.
“Yes, but you could be! And you can also be a healer! We are always in need of more healers!” The rider was leaning forward, and was it just her, or was the dragon doing likewise?
“I-I don’t think so, I am happy has a healer, and just a healer.” The young journeywoman looked down at her lap, and then picked up her bowl of food, as if it could be a shield.
“But you could be more! Don’t you want to go on an adventure unlike anything you have ever experienced?” The question sent the brunette rocking. She had heard that question before, and she closed her eyes in lost grief. His face came to mind, his imploring eyes, his outstretched hands as he pleaded for her to join him.
“Um, you know, I think I need to lie down. Excuse me.” The healer stood, and started to retreat.
“Wait!” Nyxlin stopped but didn’t turn back around. “I know this is a lot. But we plan on staying the night and leaving in the morning. You have time to think about it if you want.” Her voice was gentle. The healer didn’t respond and continued her retreat. But she didn’t go back to her tent for the sleep she had craved just hours before, instead she went to the sick hut. She entered and moved toward Torsa, her son Torin no where in sight, which was for the best.
She sat by the sick woman’s bedside, wet rag in hand mopping the sweaty brow. In intervals she gave the woman water and tea, and the time crawled by, but Nyxlin didn’t leave her side. Her mind swirled with thoughts, thoughts of a lost love, a lost adventure, and a need to finish what she had started. Her parents were healers, so wasn’t that her destiny as well? To carry on their work? Regret was a sour taste in her mouth as she thought on the words the rider had stated, but she heard them repeated in her mind in his voice.
At some point the young healer fell asleep with rag in hand, bent over and head on the cot where the sick Torsa lay. She awoke to a hand on her arm, gently squeezing it. The hand was cool. Nyxlin’s eyes opened to see the hand belonged to her patient, her eyes were open, and they were clear. The brightness of fever had left them. She stood suddenly, placing her hand on the mother’s forehead. It was cool. Torsa smiled weakly.
“How-How long was I out? Is Torin alright?”
“Torin is fine, perfectly healthy, how do you feel?” Nyxlin asked, and offered the woman more water, which she drank obediently.
“Tired, weak, and hungry.”
Nyxlin chuckled with relief as much as amusement. “Well I guess you are on the road to healing then. You gave us quite the scare.”
“Thank you for taking such good care of me and my boy. It means a lot Nyxlin.” The woman squeezed the healer’s arm again, her eyes full of tears of gratitude.
“It was my pleasure. Thank you for living. I’m going to go get Torin. He is going to want to see you.” Torsa just nodded in acknowledgment, excitement only in the smile. Nyxlin stood, and back out of the room, her heart pounding, her head spinning. Torsa had survived! She had done it! She had worked with the woman’s fever tirelessly, and now she was on the mend. She had succeeded. She imagined Torin’s face when she told him, and her excitement became pure joy. The boy was going to keep his mother.
The next thought came unheeded. If I can do this, I can do anything. And then that question, that numbing, sharding question… Don’t you want to go on an adventure unlike anything you have ever experienced? She answered it now, with resolve. She found the rider’s tent easily, as a large dragon lying outside it made it obvious. She scratched the tent flap, and then stuck her head in. Kenessia was sitting up, rubbing her blurry eyes.
“I’m ready, when do we leave?”
