Ok, the plotbunnie (aka Xlelon in this case.) bit me, and just wouldn't let go, no matter how much I shook. Oh well I decided that R/C was a good match… I know I know, been done, but oh well. Starts near the end of BB thoughts are enclosed in ~ ok, I think that's all… I think… Oh wait, ok, really sorry, but this isnt my best effort, so its going to be a bit um choppy. At least, the first page is, which is what I have written at the moment…
***
"One of the cures worked," He told the boy in a croak. "I told Osprey to create more and try it on the other volunteers at the infirmaries. I want to administer this dose to Rosethorn myself."
Briar let him in. He refused to hope, to many times of shattered dreams had taught him not to count the booty till its hid. Rosethorn often said not to count the peas till their picked, but it was all the same. Sandry looked ready to cry from happiness. Tris looked as doubtful as Briar felt. Daja looked hopeful, but guarded. Crane, with a gentleness that Briar knew he rarely showed, roused Rosethorn.
"Rosethorn, wake up."
She stirred, barely. Crane shook her gently and she finally opened her eyes. She mumbled something that sounded distinctly like, 'wonderful, you.' Crane just raised his eyebrows, and strictly told her to drink. Briar was not surprised when she did so. Crane could be nearly as nasty as Rosethorn when he wanted to be. Nearly. Crane looked around to the five faces peeking in through the door, then gave them a look that clearly said 'shoo'. They did so. Lark had a thoughtful look on her face.
"Only a bird can avoid such thorns."
The girls and briar looked up.
"What did you say?"
Lark shook her head,
"Just something I heard once."
Briar was curious, but shrugged it off in favor of figuring out which other plants would help Rosethorn the most. Going to her workshop, he picked out her herb garden, with mint and rosemary. He decided against putting it in her room immediately, this was the best sleep she had had for a while.
After Crane finished a shift, Lark took over. Frostpine arrived and helped with the chores. Tris, after picking out a good book, took over for lark close to midday. Crane arrived again, and took another shift. Briar noticed that his face had lost years in a few hours. Obviously, some of the cures were working.
As he sat with her, Crane pondered the situation.
~ She is sleeping much better, and is not talking. Thank the gods. ~
He touched her forehead, and breathed easier.
~ She is cooler as well, and not talking in her sleep. ~
He sighed as he took her pulse; it was strong and steady. Closing his eyes, he thanked any god that he could think of that she was coming back. Realizing that he was still holding her hand, he gently placed it back on the bed, wondering how he could have forgotten that little fact. He shrugged, and went to get Lark.
Lark looked up from her sewing to see Crane come out of the room. Lark smiled to herself again, earning her a peculiar look from him.
"Who is next?"
Lark got up and looked in on her. Her breathing was easy, and she looked peaceful. She smiled.
"No one, she looks good enough to sleep alone for now. Don't you think so?"
Crane nodded, glanced back at the sleeping dedicate, then gave Lark a bit of a bow, and swept out of the cottage. Lark nearly began to laugh outloud for joy. Once Rosie was better, she would have to ponder this a bit more. Right now though, her friend was not quite out of the woods.
Just as crane was about to pour himself more water, he heard Rosethorn's voice drift through the door to her room to his ears.
"Enough! The next one who…who peers at me is going to die in a dreadful way! Either come in or stay out!"
Crane turned around and watched Daja back away, mumbling 'stay out.'
"Ah, the sweet birds of spring, I hear their glorious song."
Crane turned around to give the boy a mock glare, then heard the slam of Lark's door. He stood up and strode into the room.
"I assume from you bantering that you are feeling well?"
Rosethorn gave him an evil grin.
"You assume correctly. This is one time that I am glad that you are right."
He went to sit down.
"I must get that down in writing sometime, the likelihood that you will ever admit it again is quite slim."
This time she smiled.
"So true."
He found that he had been struck silent. She so rarely cracked a smile that everyone, including him, had learned to cherish them. Looking down from her face, which he had been slightly staring at, he quickly grabbed the water pitcher, and poured a cup of water. She drank it and accepted another.
"Erg, with all this water, I am beginning to feel like a marsh plant."
"Just be glad I am not fertilizing you like I do them."
Rosethorn gave him a half-hearted glare.
"Dare I ask what you do give them?"
"Oh no, You are just getting better and I refuse to be drawn into another argument."
She raised an eyebrow.
"And what would be so bad about that?"
"After seeing you in that fever, I don't wish to see you in the least bit warm again."
She didn't answer; knowing that he had been worried had surprised her a bit. Instead, she drank the entire glass of water.
"More?"
"Willowbark, I think"
She cleared her throat.
"Please"
He turned to the window to grab the pot of willow bark tea, slightly steaming. His thoughts were interrupted by her voice.
"Something for you?"
"No."
That was Frostpine.
"No, then go away, you too."
Crane, keeping his face as emotionless as hers was annoyed, poured her a cup of tea, and then swept her a bow. He was about to turn and walk out, when he thought of something.
"Don't laze about to long. We must go at the blue pox, find out how just how so deadly a variation was made, then write a paper to present in Lightsbridge."
He was surprised to discover just how much he was looking forward to that. Rosethorn rolled her eyes.
"Ill try not to laze. I would like to see Lark though."
Crane swept everyone out of the room, and went to Lark's. He tapped the door.
"Lark, Rosethorn would like to see you."
"Coming."
Crane looked at Rosethorn's student and his redheaded friend. He sighed. ~I must be getting soft. ~
"I could use both of you, there are problems with the cure's effect on older and younger patients-we must experiment with those. For that, since time is precious, I would prefer that you sleep nearby, in the Air dormitories
* * *
Ok, that wasn't too terrible was it? I tried to keep them in character, and ill continue to do so, but I might not, do you get me? Oh yeah, (insert disclaimer here)
***
"One of the cures worked," He told the boy in a croak. "I told Osprey to create more and try it on the other volunteers at the infirmaries. I want to administer this dose to Rosethorn myself."
Briar let him in. He refused to hope, to many times of shattered dreams had taught him not to count the booty till its hid. Rosethorn often said not to count the peas till their picked, but it was all the same. Sandry looked ready to cry from happiness. Tris looked as doubtful as Briar felt. Daja looked hopeful, but guarded. Crane, with a gentleness that Briar knew he rarely showed, roused Rosethorn.
"Rosethorn, wake up."
She stirred, barely. Crane shook her gently and she finally opened her eyes. She mumbled something that sounded distinctly like, 'wonderful, you.' Crane just raised his eyebrows, and strictly told her to drink. Briar was not surprised when she did so. Crane could be nearly as nasty as Rosethorn when he wanted to be. Nearly. Crane looked around to the five faces peeking in through the door, then gave them a look that clearly said 'shoo'. They did so. Lark had a thoughtful look on her face.
"Only a bird can avoid such thorns."
The girls and briar looked up.
"What did you say?"
Lark shook her head,
"Just something I heard once."
Briar was curious, but shrugged it off in favor of figuring out which other plants would help Rosethorn the most. Going to her workshop, he picked out her herb garden, with mint and rosemary. He decided against putting it in her room immediately, this was the best sleep she had had for a while.
After Crane finished a shift, Lark took over. Frostpine arrived and helped with the chores. Tris, after picking out a good book, took over for lark close to midday. Crane arrived again, and took another shift. Briar noticed that his face had lost years in a few hours. Obviously, some of the cures were working.
As he sat with her, Crane pondered the situation.
~ She is sleeping much better, and is not talking. Thank the gods. ~
He touched her forehead, and breathed easier.
~ She is cooler as well, and not talking in her sleep. ~
He sighed as he took her pulse; it was strong and steady. Closing his eyes, he thanked any god that he could think of that she was coming back. Realizing that he was still holding her hand, he gently placed it back on the bed, wondering how he could have forgotten that little fact. He shrugged, and went to get Lark.
Lark looked up from her sewing to see Crane come out of the room. Lark smiled to herself again, earning her a peculiar look from him.
"Who is next?"
Lark got up and looked in on her. Her breathing was easy, and she looked peaceful. She smiled.
"No one, she looks good enough to sleep alone for now. Don't you think so?"
Crane nodded, glanced back at the sleeping dedicate, then gave Lark a bit of a bow, and swept out of the cottage. Lark nearly began to laugh outloud for joy. Once Rosie was better, she would have to ponder this a bit more. Right now though, her friend was not quite out of the woods.
Just as crane was about to pour himself more water, he heard Rosethorn's voice drift through the door to her room to his ears.
"Enough! The next one who…who peers at me is going to die in a dreadful way! Either come in or stay out!"
Crane turned around and watched Daja back away, mumbling 'stay out.'
"Ah, the sweet birds of spring, I hear their glorious song."
Crane turned around to give the boy a mock glare, then heard the slam of Lark's door. He stood up and strode into the room.
"I assume from you bantering that you are feeling well?"
Rosethorn gave him an evil grin.
"You assume correctly. This is one time that I am glad that you are right."
He went to sit down.
"I must get that down in writing sometime, the likelihood that you will ever admit it again is quite slim."
This time she smiled.
"So true."
He found that he had been struck silent. She so rarely cracked a smile that everyone, including him, had learned to cherish them. Looking down from her face, which he had been slightly staring at, he quickly grabbed the water pitcher, and poured a cup of water. She drank it and accepted another.
"Erg, with all this water, I am beginning to feel like a marsh plant."
"Just be glad I am not fertilizing you like I do them."
Rosethorn gave him a half-hearted glare.
"Dare I ask what you do give them?"
"Oh no, You are just getting better and I refuse to be drawn into another argument."
She raised an eyebrow.
"And what would be so bad about that?"
"After seeing you in that fever, I don't wish to see you in the least bit warm again."
She didn't answer; knowing that he had been worried had surprised her a bit. Instead, she drank the entire glass of water.
"More?"
"Willowbark, I think"
She cleared her throat.
"Please"
He turned to the window to grab the pot of willow bark tea, slightly steaming. His thoughts were interrupted by her voice.
"Something for you?"
"No."
That was Frostpine.
"No, then go away, you too."
Crane, keeping his face as emotionless as hers was annoyed, poured her a cup of tea, and then swept her a bow. He was about to turn and walk out, when he thought of something.
"Don't laze about to long. We must go at the blue pox, find out how just how so deadly a variation was made, then write a paper to present in Lightsbridge."
He was surprised to discover just how much he was looking forward to that. Rosethorn rolled her eyes.
"Ill try not to laze. I would like to see Lark though."
Crane swept everyone out of the room, and went to Lark's. He tapped the door.
"Lark, Rosethorn would like to see you."
"Coming."
Crane looked at Rosethorn's student and his redheaded friend. He sighed. ~I must be getting soft. ~
"I could use both of you, there are problems with the cure's effect on older and younger patients-we must experiment with those. For that, since time is precious, I would prefer that you sleep nearby, in the Air dormitories
* * *
Ok, that wasn't too terrible was it? I tried to keep them in character, and ill continue to do so, but I might not, do you get me? Oh yeah, (insert disclaimer here)