Snippet #1578142

Sylvani needed all of her healers to be in top form, especially for the fight that would happen soon. She wished that the one healer had more gumption and the displeasure showed on her face when he voiced that he’d rather not chose one. “I would stop trying to save yourself heartache by not getting close to them. None of them are near and dear to you if you will not pick even one to save,” she said coldly. She had given the Healers the option to not have a gladiator, but never thought that one would ask that he not have one. She shook her head, unsure what to do with him. She’d think about it later when she had time. At that moment, she had the other elf to take care of.

Her attention focused on Anvain and she nodded, pleased to see that the other had finished her stew. “If you wish for more, help yourself,” she offered as she stood, gesturing for the others to wait while she opened the door to her room. “I require water,” she said to the guard stationed outside. “Bring me seven pails of well water,” she said. The guards knew that it wasn’t best to anger a healer. Not when they came to healers for their craft as well. For a moment the Aubade woman softened and she handed a small pouch of herbs to the man, “for your wife,” she whispered but then they were back to being Healer and Guard. He left and she returned, the door closing behind her. “Anvain, you said?” Sylvani questioned quietly, “Jonathon, the guard outside, will be bringing in water and I will set up a privacy screen so you can bathe in peace,” she said.

The name of the guard reminded her of something else. “If you are wise, you will learn about the guards. Which ones you can bribe, which ones are friendly and which ones to avoid at all costs. Jonathon is my guard. His wife is pregnant with their first child and suffers from anxiety. I know this because he told me. I give him herbs to help and he turns the other eye when I need him to. Utilize the people that you can. Avoid the people that you can’t. If your gladiator becomes your friend… while it is hard, you are more than likely to fight harder for him. Your heart will break and your soul will die a little at a time with each death that you can’t prevent, but you can overcome it, if you’re strong of will and you all have to be. You’re healers.”

Her eyes moved to Pandora. Listening to the woman speak. She heard the wisdom in the elder woman’s voice and was smart enough to not feel threatened by it. “All right, Lady Pandora. If you would care to assist me in the greater wounds, even without magic, I would appreciate it,” she said. “If you wish to care for the man you named, he is yours. There are others that we can tend to but we will worry about them once I can remember their names,” she said. “If you have herbs that you don’t trust in your room, you are free to put them in mine. My…” her voice cracked and she stopped, composing herself. She continued on, her previous vulnerability gone. “My previous gladiator warded my room. That was his strong suit. Wards. Protection. It won’t dissuade all, but it will dissuade the weak of mind.”

She quieted, the fire crackled and warmed the room as she looked outside. It was getting dark. There was a push on the door and the guard returned with a handful of women, each with pails, upon seeing Sylvani, they placed them inside and quickly left. A black dog wandered in, sat at Sylvani’s feet and barked. She petted over his massive head, leaned down and hugged him. “Bring him in,” she said, pointing towards the door. Before any could ask questions, she explained. “That black monster is named the Brute. He is a herding dog, a guard dog. Not my guard but someone else’s.” It was clear that she had been lying earlier when she said that she didn’t share a room.

“Anyway, healers… please, finish your stew while I go prepare Anvain’s bath and answer any questions that she has. If you’d like to look through the books or discuss among yourselves, please do so,” she said before she got up to pick up the pails and move them to the bathtub. It was a tedious process of dumping the water in and allowing it to heat before the fire before adding more water and repeating the process, but in the end, the woman would have a heated bath.