Post by Bowen Lark on May 13, 2010 0:43:31 GMT -5
When he finally woke up, the world was too bright. Severin squinted at the open window. His tongue felt like it was made from wood; he clacked it awkwardly against his lips, trying to wet them. He raised a hand to his head, pausing for a breath to stare and marvel at the splints and bandages going from his fingers to his elbow. The knight gazed around him, bemused by the tidy emptiness of his infirmary room. His head throbbed, and a few spots felt like they’d been splintered open. The rest of his body was battling pain, exhaustion, and the lethargy Severin recognized from numbing herbs.
“I’m surprised you’re awake.”
Severin swung his head toward the door and watched a wildcat he vaguely remembered pad into the room. The ‘cat wore a crisp grey tunic that contrasted sharply with his dark russet fur. His smile was thin, faintly amused.
“Unsure? My name is Bern. I was the healer on duty when Keleanth called for aid. It seems two – well, three, but he was only suffering from shock, really – two otters went off into the woods and met a few nasty beasts along the way. Captain Kemp tells me that you managed to kill three of the brigands while your friend disposed of their leader. Viciously, I may add – dagger to the back of the head.”
Severin smirked. “That sounds appropriate for Thorn.” His voice was caught between a croak and a rasp.
Bern’s eyes glittered behind his glasses. He poured the knight a mug of water from the pitcher on the bedside table. Severin accepted the mug in his good hand and drained the cup in two large gulps.
“Easy on that,” the wildcat murmured, pouring the otter another half-mug of water. “You are in rough shape – not the worst I’ve seen, of course, but bad enough to give us a bit of excitement here. You have a list of injuries, but nothing terribly significant or life-threatening. Most puzzling was your knee – I gather that’s an old injury?”
The knight shrugged. Sunlight glinted off the brace’s hinges where it had been left to rest on the windowsill. Severin reached for the brace and pulled it into his lap, fingering the straps.
“It’s more like a keepsake,” he said. “Is the leg...damaged further?”
“You treated it unkindly, in my estimation,” Bern replied. “It’s too swollen for the brace, so you will need a crutch to move yourself. The joint might recover enough to allow you equal to the use you had of it before last night, or it might not. Old injuries are difficult to predict, even for me.”
Severin scowled at the wildcat. “I appreciate your candour. Has it only been a few hours?”
“Yes. It’s mid-morning now. You woke up briefly before dawn, demanding to know where we’d taken your friend – Thorn Silentpaw, correct? We gave you another dose of valerian tea, and away you went.”
The knight stared hard at Bern. “Well? Where is she? How is she?”
Bern raised his brows. “Don’t get up, please, until the bandages have set properly. Lady Silentpaw resides in the room next to yours. She is still resting. Some of her injuries were quite severe. Dislocated arm, multiple wounds – from torture, I suppose. She should recover, although we can’t be sure until we speak with her.”
Severin fell back against the bed. His head buzzed. Everything was still too bright. Bern clucked his tongue and laid a hand on the knight’s shoulder.
“Steady on. I felt the same way when my wife took a bash to the head after a nasty riding accident.”
“She’s not – we’re not – where is Broderick?”
Bern’s brow furrowed. “The otter pup? Around, I suppose. Keleanth gave him a massive fright earlier. I imagine he’ll be nearby.”
“Good,” Severin said, nodding curtly. He felt ill. “I’d...like to see him, find out how he is.”
“I’ll have someone fetch him round.” The wildcat padded back toward the door. He looked over his shoulder and regarded Severin with an arch glance. “Seems like a lot of blood to lose, given that she isn’t your wife. Hm.” He disappeared into the hall before the knight could respond.
The knight ran a hand over his eyes. A debt was a debt. Thorn had saved his life once.
“Fates know I didn’t save hers,” he growled. Severin closed his eyes and let the cacophony of pain in his body drown out the thoughts in his head.
ooc: hope this works! if not, let me know.
“I’m surprised you’re awake.”
Severin swung his head toward the door and watched a wildcat he vaguely remembered pad into the room. The ‘cat wore a crisp grey tunic that contrasted sharply with his dark russet fur. His smile was thin, faintly amused.
“Unsure? My name is Bern. I was the healer on duty when Keleanth called for aid. It seems two – well, three, but he was only suffering from shock, really – two otters went off into the woods and met a few nasty beasts along the way. Captain Kemp tells me that you managed to kill three of the brigands while your friend disposed of their leader. Viciously, I may add – dagger to the back of the head.”
Severin smirked. “That sounds appropriate for Thorn.” His voice was caught between a croak and a rasp.
Bern’s eyes glittered behind his glasses. He poured the knight a mug of water from the pitcher on the bedside table. Severin accepted the mug in his good hand and drained the cup in two large gulps.
“Easy on that,” the wildcat murmured, pouring the otter another half-mug of water. “You are in rough shape – not the worst I’ve seen, of course, but bad enough to give us a bit of excitement here. You have a list of injuries, but nothing terribly significant or life-threatening. Most puzzling was your knee – I gather that’s an old injury?”
The knight shrugged. Sunlight glinted off the brace’s hinges where it had been left to rest on the windowsill. Severin reached for the brace and pulled it into his lap, fingering the straps.
“It’s more like a keepsake,” he said. “Is the leg...damaged further?”
“You treated it unkindly, in my estimation,” Bern replied. “It’s too swollen for the brace, so you will need a crutch to move yourself. The joint might recover enough to allow you equal to the use you had of it before last night, or it might not. Old injuries are difficult to predict, even for me.”
Severin scowled at the wildcat. “I appreciate your candour. Has it only been a few hours?”
“Yes. It’s mid-morning now. You woke up briefly before dawn, demanding to know where we’d taken your friend – Thorn Silentpaw, correct? We gave you another dose of valerian tea, and away you went.”
The knight stared hard at Bern. “Well? Where is she? How is she?”
Bern raised his brows. “Don’t get up, please, until the bandages have set properly. Lady Silentpaw resides in the room next to yours. She is still resting. Some of her injuries were quite severe. Dislocated arm, multiple wounds – from torture, I suppose. She should recover, although we can’t be sure until we speak with her.”
Severin fell back against the bed. His head buzzed. Everything was still too bright. Bern clucked his tongue and laid a hand on the knight’s shoulder.
“Steady on. I felt the same way when my wife took a bash to the head after a nasty riding accident.”
“She’s not – we’re not – where is Broderick?”
Bern’s brow furrowed. “The otter pup? Around, I suppose. Keleanth gave him a massive fright earlier. I imagine he’ll be nearby.”
“Good,” Severin said, nodding curtly. He felt ill. “I’d...like to see him, find out how he is.”
“I’ll have someone fetch him round.” The wildcat padded back toward the door. He looked over his shoulder and regarded Severin with an arch glance. “Seems like a lot of blood to lose, given that she isn’t your wife. Hm.” He disappeared into the hall before the knight could respond.
The knight ran a hand over his eyes. A debt was a debt. Thorn had saved his life once.
“Fates know I didn’t save hers,” he growled. Severin closed his eyes and let the cacophony of pain in his body drown out the thoughts in his head.
ooc: hope this works! if not, let me know.
