"You didn't have to do
that," Sashir hissed, spinning around to face Karn, her short blonde hair
whipping about her head. "You could have caused more damage."
"It got him to keep still,
didn't it?" He argued calmly as he strode towards a chair, two others
following him, leaving Sashir and a young girl beside Varai's motionless body.
"Yes, but one wonders for how
long," she glared, turning back to the injured man. "Kari, he's
knocked over the bowl. Could you fill it again?" She asked pleasantly, and
passed the steel bowl that Karn had earlier been given to the young girl's
hands. She smiled happily and ran off, her dark pigtails swaying gently as she
left.
Sashir turned her attention back
to the open wound. It wasn't bleeding too freely, but it was deep and possibly
fatal. Varai's face was pale - aside from the large red mark that the heavy
handed oaf had left on his forehead with a strong metal tankard - and he had
lost a lot of blood already. The first thing to do was to stop the bleeding
entirely.
As the young girl returned and
handed her mentor the steel bowl, now once again filled with strong alcohol,
she began to clean the wound. The amount of blood that had dried onto his skin
made it seem much larger and worse than it actually was, and she was relieved
when she found it was longer than it was deep - it was more of a flesh-wound
than anything else, but the bleeding still continued, and left unchecked could
certainly claim his life.
"Jseek?" She said,
without turning around. No footsteps sounded behind her, but in her open hand a
small wooden bowl was placed, and no words were spoken.
"Thank you," she said,
and scooped out a small handful of the green mush. It smelt vile, but she had
grown used to it over the years, and was able to better concentrate on its
placement within the wound.
Even within his sleep he groaned
in discomfort, but the mush would be able to both stop the bleeding and numb
the entire area. He would still feel a strange sensation while she worked, but
it wouldn't be pain, and he may be able to rest better while she did it.
He was far from his usual
territory, and while she didn't know where he had come from or why he was in
such a state, all she cared for at that moment was patching him up. She would
get the story out of him later. "You can go and sit down now, Kari,"
she said quietly as she noted the young girl stood nearby, watching patiently.
"This one is too big for you to help."
"Are you sure? If it's that
big, maybe you do need help! There could be something small I can do! Do you
need new cloths?"
She appreciated the child's
enthusiasm, and rewarded her with a smile. "You can help by sitting down.
Too many people breathing nearby might dissolve this Gerra, then Mister Varai
will only have more problems."
"Okay!" She grinned, and
ran off to sit on a chair with the others who were present in the room, though
she kept a watchful eye and remained ready to jump to aid if needed.
'Oh Varai, what have you done?'
Her brow furrowed deeper as she concentrated and worked her skills as a healer.
It took some time, nearly an hour, before she had successfully stopped the
bleeding, and cleaned and sealed the wound. He'd need plenty of rest, and they
most certainly wouldn't let him leave the second he woke, but he would be fine
- sore, but fine.
One by one the five figures left the
room, leaving Varai to a fitful but consistent sleep. They were each itching to
know what happened - in their own, individual ways - but as Kari was posted at
the door to make sure no one would go in, and no one wanted to cross the little
girl, or Sashir, they each waited as patiently as they could to find out.
I apologise for the lateness. I went out with Seeg yesterday and totally spaced the day before so I didn't queue it up! But it's here now ^^ As always, the next part will be on Friday. Failing that, Saturday.
Great story! I am looking forward to the next installment!
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