Ramblings with Ranger: We meet Thorn! Yea!!! Thank you to all who reviewed!
Chapter Two
Murtagh sighed, trying to ignore the pain. Siobhan had not yet returned. He had noticed that she was terrified of him before the questioning, but she seemed absolutely petrified of him after he mentioned his father. This made Murtagh rather curious, but he didn't know why.
Murtagh glanced down at himself. He winced, noticing that his chest was bound tightly in white linen strips. He could smell some type of herb, but he could not place which one. Murtagh attempted to sit up, but he immediately regretted it. He fell back onto the pillow with a pain-filled moan.
One would think that someone of your age would possess at least some common sense! Thorn exclaimed. Murtagh gave a small, rueful smile at his dragon's words.
One would think.
Honestly, Murtagh! You took a knife in the stomach and you have bruised ribs! Moving is the last thing you should be trying! Remember what the healer said?!
Murtagh sighed. Yes, Mother. Thorn growled.
I prefer you alive. Thorn stated. Murtagh did not reply.
Just then, the tent flap opened at Siobhan stepped inside, her eyes fixed upon the ground. "You...you sh...should not h...have moved." Siobhan stated quietly. Murtagh frowned.
"I did not move." Murtagh replied calmly. Siobhan did not look up.
"You are in more pain than you should be." Siobhan stated softly, her voice strained. "Y...you t...tried to...to move." Murtagh blinked. Siobhan began to gingerly probe Murtagh's abdomen. He noticed that her hands trembled. Surely Nasuada wouldn't send him an incompetent healer!
"I only moved a small amount." Murtagh conceded. Siobhan raised her eyes slightly, but she refused to look her charge in the eyes. She feared that if she did, she would lose all resolve and break down in tears again.
"That's still too much." Murtagh pursed his lips. His eyes widened slightly when Siobhan unconsciously pushed her hair behind her ear, showing Murtagh a complete view of her scar. Murtagh wanted to ask Siobhan how she got the scar, but he thought the better of it.
"H...How are you feeling?" Siobhan asked, still not meeting Murtagh's eyes.
"Oh, just lovely, thank you for asking!" Murtagh replied sarcastically. Siobhan stiffened.
Murtagh. Be nice to the poor girl. Thorn chastised.
"H...how m...much p...pain?" Siobhan asked quietly, her eyes fixed upon Murtagh's neck, never rising any higher. Murtagh's eyes narrowed, tempted to snap.
Murtagh.... Thorn warned. Murtagh sighed. He decided to take pity on the young woman.
"Some pain." Murtagh murmured, turning his head to look at the closed tent flap. Siobhan took a deep breath.
"A lot of pain." Siobhan corrected softly, her voice shaking slightly. "Where?" Murtagh turned back to face Siobhan. His pride was smarting; he hated admitting that was actually in a lot of pain and he was not convinced Siobhan was actually competent.
"Stomach and thigh." Murtagh growled. Siobhan nodded. Murtagh frowned when she began to remove the bandages around his chest. "What do you think you're doing?" Siobhan did not respond, but kept working. Murtagh tried to lift his arms, but Siobhan pushed them back down as if they were snakes about to bit her. Finally, she answered.
"I...I may have a... an herb that...that can help." Siobhan managed. Murtagh took a deep breath, trying to be patient, but the stuttering was growing extremely weary.
"You do not have to be afraid." Murtagh stated. Siobhan froze. "Why are you afraid?" Siobhan began working faster than ever, not responding. Murtagh sighed. He decided to let the topic drop. For the time being.
"May I have something to eat?" Murtagh asked when Siobhan had re-bandaged him. Siobhan nodded. He wanted to speak with Nasuada as well, but that could wait until after he had eaten.
"I will be back shortly. Do...do not move." Siobhan fled the tent as soon as the words were out of her mouth.
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"This is all I can eat!" Murtagh exclaimed. He winced; he had put a little too much force behind his words and now how abdomen was smarting. Siobhan set the spoon back into the warm chicken broth with a soft 'plunk'. He hadn't touched a drop.
"Your stomach... it...it can't take the... it can't take solid foods." Siobhan replied. Murtagh growled, not noticing how Siobhan leaned backwards in her chair when he did so.
"And how long do I have to live on soups and broths?" Murtagh asked, annoyed.
"At least a week." Murtagh's eyes narrowed.
"A week." Murtagh ground out. Siobhan nodded.
"Then I'll gradually start you on solid foods." Siobhan replied. If she thought of Murtagh as just another patient, she could talk without stuttering. But the moment she remembered who exactly she was treating...
"Gradually." The displeasure was evident in Murtagh's voice.
"Yes." Murtagh growled again. Siobhan hastily stood up. She had remembered.
"Y...you n...need to...to eat." Siobhan said. Murtagh crossed his arms petulantly, glaring at Siobhan, though she could not see it.
"I can not live off of that for a week!" Murtagh replied adamantly. "I need meat! I do not need to be on this ridiculous diet!" Siobhan's head snapped up, looking Murtagh straight in the eyes for the first time.
"Are you suggesting that I am incompetent?" Siobhan asked in a low tone, daring Murtagh to confirm her words. She would not stand for someone insulting her thus, and though he had not directly ordered her to bring him something else, it was clear in this tone that was what he meant for her to do. This made her forget her fear.
Murtagh was taken aback at both Siobhan's tone and words. What had he transformed his timid healer who wouldn't look him in the eyes, and could barely form a coherent sentence into the glaring, flushed woman who stood before him, obviously prepared to argue? Murtagh had absolutely no idea. Had he offended her somehow?
"Pardon?" Murtagh asked, stalling for time. He did not want the person in charge of his health mad at him. Like Thorn, he preferred himself to be alive. Murtagh watched as Siobhan's chest rose and fell as she was taking deep breaths.
"This diet is not 'ridiculous', as you so kindly put it! It is intended to help you heal with no complications! Your stomach simply can not handle solid foods at the moment! The soup is for your own good! But if you want to be in more pain and risk infection, which could lead to many unpleasant side-effects, by all means! I'll feed you whatever you bloody want!" Siobhan exclaimed. Murtagh blinked. Unfortunately for him, Siobhan was not done.
"I was trained by the best healers here and I have been doing this since I was thirteen! Don't you even dare to try to tell me what I need to be doing! I know perfectly well how to get you walking again! So when I say that you're going to eat soup, that's what you're eating! And if I say that you're going to like it, you're going to like it!"
Murtagh could only stare at Siobhan, open mouthed in shock. Siobhan continued to glare at him for a full minute before realizing what she had done. Her pride, however, would not allow her, at the moment at least, to duck her head and resume her disjointed sentences. So there she stood, gazing at Murtagh, letting him make the next move.
"As you wish." Murtagh replied quietly. Siobhan nodded curtly, and returned to her seat. She began to spoon feed Murtagh, which he did not like one bit. Being bedridden temporarily he could take. What he would not stand for, however, was being fed like a baby. But Murtagh knew that his only other option was to starve to death. So there he lay, being fed like a babe.
The two had not spoken while Murtagh was being fed, but somewhere along the line Siobhan had reverted to looking at his neck instead of his face. Thinking this was merely a coincidence, Murtagh made an attempt at a polite conversation.
"When did you're family join the Varden?" Siobhan's whole body went rigid. Murtagh knew immediately that he had asked the wrong question, but he didn't know why.
"My...my family...they..." Siobhan took a deep breath. "Dead." Murtagh didn't say anything for a moment.
"I'm sorry." Murtagh said finally. Siobhan glanced over at him, her eyes stopping at his chin. "How?" Murtagh could have cut out his tongue. It was not like him to speak before he thought about what he was going to say. Siobhan did not reply; her lap was suddenly extremely interesting.
Tired of Siobhan not actually looking at him, he reached out and tried to gently turn her face. Siobhan bolted from her chair. She was about to run from the tent when she tripped over her skirt and ended up sprawled on the ground. Siobhan moved to a sitting position, pulling her knees up to her chest. She buried her face in her knee caps, wrapping her arms over her head. Murtagh couldn't move from his position so he was stuck watching sobs rake Siobhan's small form on the ground.
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"Be patient with her, Murtagh." Nasuada said. Murtagh pursed his lips. When Siobhan had ceased crying, she had immediately gone to Nasuada, who had gone to visit the invalid while Siobhan took a short break to collect herself before resuming her duties.
"I barely even touched her and she just starting crying! I mean, I know people don't like me, but actually crying?" Murtagh replied, still incredulous. Nasuada looked at Murtagh calmly.
"Siobhan... She is terrified of dragons and their Riders." Murtagh snorted.
"Tell me something I don't know." Nasuada gazed at him sternly.
"She had a very traumatic first experience with a Rider and his dragon when she was young, Murtagh. You do not know how close you came to being stuck with someone who would rather kill you than heal you. Siobhan, though she is petrified of you, will do her best to keep you alive." Nasuada continued as if Murtagh had never spoken. This peaked Murtagh's curiosity.
"What happened?" Murtagh asked. Nasuada shook her head.
"The tale is not mine to tell. Siobhan will tell you when she is ready." Nasuada replied. Murtagh sighed.
"It involves Morzan, doesn't it?" Murtagh asked. He did not think of Morzan as his father and thus did not address him as such. Nasuada pursed her lips but said nothing. Murtagh growled.
"What. Did. He. Do." Murtagh ground out. Nasuada shook her head. Murtagh sighed. "I know, I know. It's not your tale to tell." Nasuada nodded.
"Talk to her, Murtagh. Make small talk. You should avoid talking about her family or dragons unless she brings it up, though." Nasuada advised. "I have confidence that she'll come around to you eventually. Don't give up hope." Murtagh raised an eyebrow.
"You are assuming I had hope for her at all." Murtagh stated.
"Well, get some hope!" Nasuada exclaimed. "You need something to do while bedridden, after all."
"Are you trying to make me fall in love with Siobhan?" Murtagh asked. Nasuada looked shocked.
"Of course not! I would never do such a thing!" Nasuada replied. Murtagh studied her for a moment. He nodded, satisfied that Nasuada was, in fact, not plotting anything. "Now," Nasuada began, rising. "You need to rest." Murtagh scowled. "I'll send Siobhan back in soon."
Murtagh sighed as he watched Nasuada glide from his sight. It would be along couple of weeks with hardly any human interaction. True, Siobhan would be with him almost all the time, but if she was not talking to him... And Thorn would not want to talk with him all the time.
"So I guess it's in my best interest for me break Siobhan out of her shell." Murtagh murmured. A long couple of weeks indeed.
