“They have been gone for hours, Edgar. Hours.” Sahar still wore her gown for the day and she removed her head scarf to shake out the long thick chestnut waves. “I understood the need to search for our missing supplies, but to take only the Captain and one other with them? How idiotic was that?” Honey colored eyes rolled in their sockets as the desert magae began to pace. “He knows better than that. She knows better than that!”
Edgar watched with a faint smile as Sahar began to wear down the flooring with her pacing and perched on the arm of a nearby chair. “I expect you to give them a severe scolding when they return.” Sahar paused in mid-pace to scowl at him. “I shall,” she vowed. Somehow Edgar had convinced her to leave the solar and accompany her to the kitchen area for some tea and biscuits while they waited. The Villa was near silent save for a few sentries outside guarding who spoke quietly amongst themselves. Most of the servants were already abed, so the two had the entire kitchen area to themselves as Edgar began preparing the kettle with water.
Over an hour later, both manservant and healer heard the commanding voice of the Captain followed by heavy footsteps, and Sahar nearly bowled Edgar over as she raced from the kitchen to main hall where she skidded to halt and gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she took in the grim sight of Verial who was being supported by Francis and one of the Villa sentries, and Deanna who looked like a small child in the beefy arms of the burly Captain of the Guard. Sahar composed herself quickly and fired out questions regarding their condition, before instructions were given to all regarding the two that were injured.
While Verial was being ushered into his room, Sahar ran to her quarters to sanitize her hands and gather her medicine bag and other equipment she might require. Edgar followed her with towels and a skin of wine. The healer dismissed all but Edgar and while Verial was still upright, helped him to undress down to the pants he wore before laying him down upon the bed, her mouth a grim but determined line. “I swear I will save my lecture for later,” she muttered as she began cleaning the blood from the small circular hole in his upper arm located next to his shoulder. Sahar gestured for Edgar to bring the wine skin, the crimson fluid laced with a powerful sedative and held it to Verial’s lips, giving him no other option but to drink. “This will help with the pain, and there will be pain.” She warned and waited until he drank as much as he could, red rivulets of wine dribbled out of the corner of his mouth and she wiped it away. Sahar requested that Edgar prop Verial from behind with pillows to give her easier access to remove the bullet. She withdrew a thin metal scalpel from a smaller leather satchel and cleaned it thoroughly, eyeing Verial who was beginning to look a bit bleary eyed as the effects of the medicine took.
Sahar took a deep breath and fastened her gaze upon his. “Scream if you feel the need.” And with that, the healer brought the bladed instrument to the wound and began to cut and dig, blood pouring out in thick waves as she widened the hole. Focused solely on her work, Sahar’s eyes narrowed as she set the bloodied tool down and dug out a rather large pair of tweezers from her bag. If Verial did scream, she hadn’t heard it, for she cut herself off to all sights and sounds as she absorbed herself in her purpose in life, to heal. Her job was to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding long enough to stitch him up. After what must have seemed hours to the Lord of Arthuran, a small circular metal round was dropped into the palm of Sahar’s hand, only to be promptly disposed of by Edgar who was continuously blotting the stream of blood that ran down Verial’s chest and arm.
Sahar cleaned the blood away and had Edgar hold a thick pad of linen to the wound while she cleaned her own hands again and prepared a needle and thread, refusing to look at Verial’s face the entire time. The healer knew if she saw the anguish in his eyes, her hands would falter and shake, for she truly hated causing anyone pain, especially Verial. With a swiftness and grace, Sahar began sewing his skin together, leaving just enough for any fluid to drain. Setting the needle aside, she plucked a jar of antiseptic balm and smeared it over the now stitched wound, covered it with clean gauze and wrapped his shoulder with longer strips of linen to hold. Sahar stared at her handiwork for a moment and nodded in satisfaction before instructing Edgar to remove a particular vial from her bag and bring it to Deanna’s room for her to drink. It would be some time before Sahar would attend to Deanna as there was still the ugly gash that decorated Verial’s forehead.
Sahar left Verial’s side but a moment to clean her hands again, intent upon stitching the flaps of skin together. When she returned she found Verial’s eyes closed, his chest rising and falling with each breath and the healer sighed in gratitude. Verial did not need to be conscious for what would follow. Once more Sahar threaded a needle and after cutting a few jagged edges away, began to apply sutures to the gash to seal it. Her stitches were small and neat, but despite her precise skill, Sedric was correct...Verial would carry a scar. Thankfully his hair was long enough in the front to cover it, but still, it was one more to add to his collection, Sahar thought to herself unhappily as she finished swabbing the area and applying a bandage.
Sahar stayed with him even after she had finished cleaning her instruments and restoring her medicine bag once more. She watched him sleep for some time and prayed for him. The man deserved some peace in his life, some happiness but Sahar wasn’t sure how long that would be in coming. It seemed a black cloud followed Verial wherever he went, and Sahar wished fervently that there was something in her power she could do to chase that darkness from his life. Rubbing tired eyes, the magae stood and placed a soft kiss upon his cheek. “Sleep well, my Lord,” she murmured as she gathered her belongings to head to Deanna’s room. Edgar was bringing her strong tea, for he knew as well as she did that there would be no sleep in Sahar’s near future.
When she entered Deanna’s room she found Edgar there, the tea tray in hand as he smiled to her and returned to watch the Captain of the Guard asleep in a chair next to Deanna’s bed, snoring softly. She admired the seasoned warrior for staying with Deanna despite his own exhaustion and one of his own men to attend to. With great care not to startle him, Sahar shook Sedric until the older man opened his eyes and she pressed a finger to her lips, indicating with a nod of her head the slumbering form of Deanna. Sedric nodded and rubbed at his eyes, standing stiffly and went to leave the room. The Captain found himself with his hand on the doorknob and turned to ask, “How is the Lord?”
“He is resting now. He will make a full recovery, thank you for asking.”
Sedric grunted and mumbled something about seeing to Francis before departing, leaving Edgar and Sahar to administer medical attention to Deanna. The desert healer gratefully accepted a cup of tea from Edgar and sipped at it for a moment before setting the cup down and sitting on the bed next to the drugged woman. Sahar was not privy to the entire incident that took place, so she was not aware of how Deanna acquired her burns. A conversation for another time, she thought as she hooked her fingers under the charred ruin of leather that covered Deanna’s hand. Sahar sucked in a breath as she finally peeled away the remains, and with that to her horror came a layer or so of skin that had adhered to the glove. The healer could hear Edgar’s hushed curses and oaths, and was thanking every god known to her that Deanna was not awake to see what damage was actually done.
Thankfully most of the area contained superficial damage to the dermis, but there were some spots that were raw and blistered, clear fluid already seeping from the areas. Most of her hand was bright red, Sahar noted, as well as parts of Deanna’s wrist and forearm, but again, the fire seemed to only damage the upper layer of skin.
“Ok,” Sahar breathed as she dipped a clean cloth into the basin of cool water left on the nightstand beside Deanna’s bed. “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” she spoke to Edgar without looking at the man. Sahar gently patted Deanna’s hand and arm, cleansing it as best as she could. “My main concern would be infection, but the salve I will apply should take care of that.” Sahar then took a small clay pot out of her bag and removed the lid. She began to liberally apply the salve to every area affected by the flames while Edgar propped Deanna’s arm up. “Loose linens, the thin ones that allow air to flow through.” Sahar nodded to herself as she wrapped Deanna’s hand and arm up near to her elbow. Edgar snatched a smaller pillow and lay it by her side as Sahar lowered Deanna’s arm onto it.
Sahar briefly examined Deanna’s head and dabbed a bit of balm on it, but truly it wasn’t nearly as serious as the one Verial boasted. Lowering the blanket to Deanna’s waist, she lifted the thin camisole Deanna wore and probed at her ribs. “Hmm, nothing broken. Bruised at best. She’ll ache for some time,” Sahar glanced at Edgar. “I should make more of the elixer for pain, but I will require more willow bark.” She tilted her head in thought. “Yarrow too.” Edgar could see Sahar making mental notes before she turned to him with a faint smile. “I cannot thank you enough for all of your help Edgar, but I must ask that you leave now. I need to further examine her, and it would not be fitting if you were present for that. Go and rest now my friend.” Sahar leapt to her feet and gave the older man a quick kiss on the cheek, to which Edgar smiled and bid her a good evening, reminding her that should she require his assistance, not to hesitate to ask.
Once Edgar had left, Sahar once more returned to the spot next to Deanna on her bed. There was one last thing Sahar needed to check upon, and it was this that she dreaded the most. After tonight’s events, she had a sinking suspicion that it was not only Deanna’s outer skin that had suffered severely. The healer closed her honey colored eyes and placed a warm hand upon Deanna’s abdomen. After a few moments, a deep golden glow began to emit from the skin to skin contact, and Sahar remained like that but for a few seconds. When she finally opened her eyes, she stared at the slumbering form of Deanna, and shook her head in wonderment. Eventually Deanna would wake, and when she did, Sahar would be there to give her the good, or perhaps bad news.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:30 am
