Eldrick made his way quickly over to the house of healing. Careful to pay attention to his surroundings this time so as not to run over anyone. Entering the infirmary, the hustle and bustle inside was a mass of confusion. Looking about he tried to get the attention of a passing healer. After about five minutes he finally succeeded.
"What is going on? Is there anything I can do to help? My master sent me to learn more about healing and it looks like you could use the help."
"Come with me. There was an accident at the mill and we have a number of wounded. It's mostly stitching up and setting bones. An extra pair of hands to hold things in place or people down will be very beneficial at the moment." The young healer was rushing about gathering splinting material, thread, and needles. Handing supplies to Eldrick as he went. Entering the room with the injured, Eldrick was hit with a wave of pain so palpable it almost knocked him over.
Placing his bundles on the empty rolling cart he let his senses flow over the mass injured. Gathering a sense of the life energies of those within the room. Noticing the fading energies from the most seriously injured, though a couple of them didn't look to be in as bad of shape as the ones the healers were currently attending to.
"Over here, or you are going to lose her," Eldrick called rushing to the lady whose life energies were the lowest.
"She isn't as bad as the others. You were sent to learn, not interfere. Now let us do our job of saving lives." The healer's incredulous glance telling Eldrick to mind his own business.
Amarna, entering the room as the exchange was being made. "Claire, I need you to attend to the lady Eldrick indicated was in danger. Henry, I want a word with you NOW!" She turned to leave the room and thought better of it. "Henry, do you even know who Eldrick is? No of course not, otherwise you wouldn't have spoken to him like that." Her face flushed with anger, while daggers flew from her eyes. "He is the apprentice of Sergei the Druid. He can sense things most of us cannot. I wouldn't dismiss him or his perceptions." The spittle flying from her mouth, every word sharp enough to flay the hide of a dragon. Looking around she noticed the group of healers just standing in shock at the invictiveness of her tone. "Are we here to stand around gawking or do we have people who need our help. Back to work!"
Turning on her heels she fled the room to compose herself. "I shouldn't have lost it like that," she muttered to herself.
"No, you shouldn't have." The voice from behind caused her to spin. Standing behind her was Amaryliss. "You should have been harsher. Those pompous students of yours need to learn that just because they are farther in their training doesn't give them permission to dismiss what others have to say. I thought I taught you better than that." With a shift of her head, her neck gave off a loud crack. "Now calm yourself because there is work to be done." Turning, she entered the triage room, her piercing voice could be heard criticizing everything the older healers were doing and reminding them she was Amarna's teacher.
Amarna smiled as she headed to the supply room for more bandages. Noticing they were getting low on some of the necessary equipment and linens, she pulled down the clipboard to make notes of what was needed to continue running the House of Healing. Glad she didn't need to charge for services or to cover the expenses, they were covered by the kingdom. When she had what she figured would be needed upstairs she made a mental note to begin training those who could to sense life energy. Eldrick's display had shown her where her instruction was lacking in her students. Thinking about it had her worried, some who had already returned to their home villages were lacking in this very skill. She would need to do more travelling to correct this oversight. First things first, tend to the wounded already in the hospital.
Returning to the triage, she was shocked to see the efficiency Amaryliss had installed in her brief absence. Henry had been regulated to fetching things for the others as a disciplinary action. He did not look happy to be in that position but knew his acquiescence was required to maintain his position in training. With his head bowed he trailed Amaryliss taking notes and running for bandages when required.
Amarna approached her mentor, "I see you have instilled a sense of urgency as well the necessary discipline required for efficiency in triaging. I disliked the fact I could not seem to get them to quit running around like chickens with their heads removed in an emergency." The relief on her face spread to the rest of her body as tensions flowed away.
"As I said, you weren't strict enough." Amaryliss just raised an eyebrow. "Young Eldrick over there is quite astute when it comes to judging the life energies of those around him." She turned with a start, hearing Eldrick call out for assistance. Seeing the young healer who was working with him collapsing into his arms as he gently laid her down. "Almost too sensitive. If I didn't know better, I would think he had draconic senses." A wry grin began to spread over her face. "We will talk about that later, right now there are others who need our help. Henry take her to her room, make sure she eats something." Henry nodding as he went to help Claire to her feet, escorting her out. "Sophia I would like you to take over her position." With a narrowing of her eyes and a tightening of her lips, "Okay, when was the last time any of you have eaten. I don't want to turn the caretakers into patients because of lack of self-care." Glancing around she randomly picked out healers. "James, Alice, Gertrude, go eat now. I will be sending all of you to eat in shifts so we may continue with our ministrations. I expect this mess to take most of the day, and I won't have us falling down on the job." She gave Amarna an apologetic look. "I shouldn't be taking command here this is your territory I am just here to help with one patient in particular but he is sleeping currently and his energy levels are not in flux, whereas this is where I can be of some good."
"Amaryliss, I had forgotten just how cruelly efficient you can be. I welcome the assistance in this." Looking over at the first of the patients Eldrick had pointed out as needing immediate attention. "I have a feeling there is something more that we are not sensing with that one." Motioning with her head as she walked the room. "Amelia, I need you over here. She is miscarrying. I could feel the waves of contractions almost palpably just now. Eldrick could you do anything to slow the blood loss. I wish we had Sebastian in a condition to help."
Hearing his name caused Eldrick to look over. "I have no idea what it was Sebastian did for the guards I don't think I can but I have an idea which may help. I am just afraid it could cause more harm." With a crestfallen face, slowly dragging his feet he returned to the patient who had drawn his attention when he first entered the room. He shifted the bed so he could shuffle in behind her head and gently laid his hands on her temples. "Okay, I am ready to try. Amaryliss would you be so kind as to watch her energies because I cannot while I am attempting this. If there is cause for concern stop me before I cause harm." Closing his eyes he extended his own energies through her body. Gently attempting to hold muscles from spasming and blood to slow.
Amarna nearly crashed to the floor. What Eldrick was doing didn't seem possible. He was drawing on the energies around him bit by bit without pulling much from any one place. Amaryliss let out a gasp, her knees suddenly feeling like they had turned to jelly. As the energies flowed through Eldrick he seemed to blend them with the energies already within himself before sending them onward to the young lady in front of him. What Amaryliss saw in the interim was that not only was what he was doing working but strengthening both the woman and the unborn child. As the energy flowed it was transmutated to match the lady and her child.
* * *
Sigmund was enjoying his meal when he felt a tug. This was not a violent tug but a gentle siphoning of energy. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. With a sense of urgency, he willingly offered more to the pull. "Sergei, something odd is going on. Are you noticing a drain of energy, like a gentle trickling away?" Leaning back he chose to enter a trance to see if he could trace the leak. What he found shocked him for there was energy being drawn from everywhere flowing to the House of Healing. The centralization of the source of the pull was too bright to make out the cause. Though he could sense the alterations in the energies as they flowed from one to another.
Sergei slumped in his chair, his hair seeming to stand on end from the crackle of energy in the room. "No drain from me but I can feel the energy in the room. What is causing it?" Looking over at Sigmund, who was leaning back in a very comfortable position. Chuckling to himself he just relaxed and began dozing.
After only a few moments, though it seemed like mere seconds, Sigmund felt his energies being returned. This caused his brow to wrinkle. He knew that touch, how it was possible he did not know or even understand. He took several minutes to compose himself before rising and waking Sergei.
"I think it is time to investigate what just happened." He gave Sergei a slight shake to wake him. "Sergei, Sergei. Wake up you old fool."
Sergei woke with a start. "What just happened? I feel like I have just gotten a full night's rest. Also, the aches and pains seem less." He rose from the chair like a man half his age. "This isn't possible. It shouldn't be possible."
"You're telling me. It came from the house of healing. I am not sure exactly what just happened, but I fear Eldrick may have had something to do with it."
"Eldrick?? How could he have been responsible?"
"That is what I intend to find out. It might be best if you remain here. I have a few tricks up my sleeve so he won't even know I am there." Pushing Sergei back into the chair he quickly turned on his heel and left.
* * *
With a groan escaping his lips Eldrick seemed to fold in upon himself while also falling backwards, in what seemed a subconscious act not to collapse on the woman in front of him. Sophia was the first to his side. Struggling to help him up, she called for assistance from a couple of other healers. Once they had him out from behind the cot they gently laid him out on an empty one.
"Amarna, that one is going to be trouble unless he gets some serious training. I have no clue who is capable of training someone with such a talent in handling that much energy." Climbing to her feet on unsteady legs was a difficult task. "There is something worrisome with that young man. I have known fae capable of drawing from the world around them, but not to that extent. And none of them could cause such an alteration as he just did." Looking over at the young lady stretched out on the cot, "she is healthier now than when she came in and if I am not mistaken her child will survive. How could he arrest a miscarriage?" Not having the answers caused her to collapse once again.
Amarna scanned the room with all her senses. What caught her attention was the silence. Fearing the worst she quickly rose, first checking on Amaryliss to ensure she was still breathing. With her training kicking in she checked each of the patients. All were sleeping peacefully. Gathering her staff she understood this was the time to set bones and stitch wounds while their charges were immune to pain.
About ten minutes later Eldrick roused. "What happened?" His utterance was almost imperceptible. "I feel like I have just had a wagonload of marble run over me." As he tried to sit up, Amaryliss placed a hand on his chest.
"You are going to be trouble. There isn't enough power in you to do what you just did. At least not enough power which I could sense." The penetrating look seemed to bury itself in his very soul. "We need to talk. I would like you to explain what it was you just did. I have never felt power like that. I am just glad you chose to use it for good. I would hate to have that kind of power turned to evil endeavours." Placing her other hand on his forehead, "I have work to do now, but this is not finished, young apprentice. No this is definitely not finished"
Finding that she now had her feet firmly planted under her she turned to tend to those in the room. She joined the choreographed chaos tending to the injured with alacrity. Flitting from one bed to another checking pulses and taking temperatures.
With those in the room either being tended or doing the tending, Eldrick felt he was in the way just lying on the cot. Unfortunately, he didn't have the energy or wherewithal to move. With nothing to do, he slowly felt his mood slipping. Looking down at his body, caused a shiver to overtake him. Tears began forming in the corners of his eyes and trickling down his temples. Rolling over so the tears wouldn't be noticed he sobbed silently into the pillow. Wrapping his arms around himself only seeming to draw attention to the lack of his body, causing more pain for which there was no cure.
A small pixie chose to enter the room at that moment. Eldrick quickly wiped the tears from his eyes so they wouldn't be noticed. "Sigmund? What brings you here?" Hearing this caused Amaryliss to turn.
"I told you old man, you needed work. Especially when someone who has known you less time than I can recognize you in another form." With a smirk, she rose from where she was and went to greet him. "I think I know what has brought you here since I know for a fact you try to avoid these situations whenever possible. I have work to do and you can either help or get out of the way. I do believe your nephew is downstairs why don't you go look in on him." This came across more like a command than a suggestion. With a nod and a flurry of wings, Sigmund left the room. Amaryliss returned to tending to her patients, while Eldrick silently began sobbing once more.
Eldrick found himself being gently shaken. "Okay, time to wake up sleepy head." Amarna's soft-spoken words slowly registering. Eldrick didn't know when he had fallen asleep but the sun was low in the east. Realizing he had lost most of the day to sleep he felt worse than he had when he was not able to help.
"I was sent here to learn and I seem to have wasted the day without learning much. Sergei is going to be so angry with me for this." Fear crept into his eyes at the thought of disappointing his master.
"Don't think that way. You were more help than you know. I am not exactly sure what it was you did, but when you were done it made it easier to help those here. There are some who will never walk again though because we had to amputate. The bones were crushed so badly there was no way they would heal." Tears began welling in her eyes at the failure to save the limbs. "I feel there is more we should have been able to do. We lost two people to internal injuries. One of those had no chance since his kidney had been perforated by shrapnel. Right now Amaryliss is downstairs with Sigmund and Sebastian. She is taking this hard too. I have never seen her so distraught. I know helping where she can, will relieve some of the pain." Rising to her feet she held a hand out to Eldrick. "Come you need to eat, and no it isn't in the court but here. All the healers are eating at the moment since it has been a long day. I fear it is going to be simple fair, but filling."
Helping him to his feet they headed to the small dining room where the healers were eating in silence. The muted atmosphere was poignant with disappointment and yet cheer. Henry rising from the table gathered a trencher for Eldrick and offered it in humility.
"I was arrogant earlier and didn't understand you had skills which I did not. You showed more compassion than I did, even to me when I snapped at you." Wringing his hands, then unconsciously wiping them on his trouser legs. "If it weren't for you, we could have lost more than we did. Amaryliss made it abundantly clear to every one of us that just because someone doesn't have the same training, we do does not mean we can discount their opinion since we do not know what training they do have." Looking down in embarrassment, "I don't know what you did earlier, but thank you." Sitting back down he gestured to the seat beside him.
Eldrick was startled by Henry's comment. This wasn't the first time it had been mentioned and he had no clue as to what they were talking about. He decided to let it pass and enjoy his food. He was pleased to see it was a simple chicken meal. Nothing overly fancy like he would get at the king's table. He grew up with food like this, which put him in a mood of reminiscence of being back on the farm, where things were simpler. Enjoying the food and the company he relaxed into the friendly banter of the healers.
"Eldrick," Amarna's voice held a hint of concern. "I would like your help with something if you are willing. I do not have the same level of skill you do in the area of sensing life energy, and Amaryliss does it so instinctually she cannot explain it very well." Pinching her lower lip between her thumb and index finger she continued. "What I am trying to say is, could you help me explain it to the other healers so we can become better in diagnosing when someone needs more help than is apparent." Her face started shading a pale red in colour as she admitted her lack of expertise in front of the other healers whom she was instructing.
His eyes widening upon hearing her admittance to a lack of knowledge. "Ah, sure. I am not certain how well I can explain but I will do my best." As he began to rise from his seat Amarna waved him back down, while Henry placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him down. "I take it you do not wish the help immediately."
"No, Eldrick tomorrow will be soon enough. Eat and relax. The evening meal is usually the time when we end our day, unless there is an emergency afterward. We take turns walking the evening rounds so no one is saddled with that chore alone. There is no instruction during or after the evening meal."
