"Where in the Seven Hells am I?" Azeka mumbled as she came to. She felt as
if she were burning up, and kicked the covers off her. Covers? Where did
they come from? Opening her eyes, she saw she was in a bed in a dark room.
Glancing out the window, she saw it was night. Putting a hand to her skin,
she felt it burning. Sweating, she stumbled to her feet and went to the
window, trying to open it. Once her leg touched the floor though, she
collapsed; her leg was wrapped in a bandage. Her head pounded; that wicked
headache had caught up with her. She was just climbing back into the bed,
when the door opened. Two people stood in the doorway, one the man who had
saved her, and a very short woman with copper hair and purple eyes. Azeka's
eyebrows jumped. Purple eyes? What was up with that?
"Hello again, Your Highness." The man – Numair, she remembered – said. "This is Sir Alanna of Olau and Pirate's Swoop. She's also a very skilled Healer. She's come to take a good look at your leg." The woman smiled a little, and bowed.
"Your Highness," She said, as she came over to take of the bandage – which had blood leaking through – to examine the wound. Azeka scowled.
"Why do you keep calling me that? That's a name for like a prince, or some sort of royalty."
"As you are, Princess Drazeka." The younger girl froze.
"Never call me that," she growled. Her voice was threatening. "Ever."
"Then what would you prefer we call you. Your Highness?" Numair asked gently.
"Not 'Your Highness,' that's sure as hell." Alanna looked a little stunned. She hadn't expected any of Jon's children to be so rude. "If you must, call me Azeka."
"Very well, Princess Azeka." She gave a frustrated growl. Alanna laughed.
"This is a pretty nasty looking wound," she said. "What caused it?"
"A bullet, dumbass." Alanna glared at her; princess or no, she wouldn't be talked to like that by someone half her age.
"Bullet? What's that?" Numair asked.
Azeka threw him a disgusted look. "A bullet. It's a piece of metal, shot from a gun at speeds high enough to penetrate the skin. Duh." There was silence, until Alanna broke it.
"This 'bullet' will have to come out of your leg. I don't know any other way to do it than magic; it might hurt."
'Might hurt' didn't begin to describe it. Alanna placed a hand a couple of inches in front of her leg. Immediately, her hands lit up with purple light, just like the dark blue-black light that had appeared around Azeka's hands. The purple light stretched to surround Azeka's leg. At first, nothing happened. Then Azeka bit down hard on her lip to keep from screaming. She could feel the small piece of metal start to move in her leg. Her limb was shuddering and jerking, and she was unable to hold it still, which just made it hurt more. It got so bad that Alanna growled at Numair to hold her down. He placed gently but firm hand on her leg, one holding her knee, the other holding her ankle. Azeka's face was a mask of pain. It seemed to her that Alanna worked for hours, carefully freeing the bullet from her muscles and tissues. But finally, it came out from her leg, and flew into Alanna's open hand. Quickly, she dropped it onto a towel. She then placed her hand again before the younger girl's leg. Purple light enveloped her leg once again, and Azeka's eyes widened as she watched the wound close, and felt the pain fade. When she was done, Azeka's mouth was hanging open. She stared at Alanna.
"How-how did you do that?" She asked, feeling a new respect toward the woman.
"Magic." She said simply. She stood, and looked at the clothes the girl was wearing before turning to Numair.
"Might as well get her some proper clothes. I'll be right back. You're lucky I was so close." Azeka looked down at herself.
"I like my clothes." She said defiantly. She wore baggy dark green jeans, and a black shirt that bared her belly, and tied off at the top. The sleeves were gathered at her wrists, and fell down elegantly to cover half her hand. She wore black green striped Nikes, along with the necklace and ring she always wore; the necklace was on a gold chain. It had a strange emblem on it; she had had it since she was a baby. It was a shield, crossed by a sword. The ring was a simple band of jade, and a sapphire gem in the center. "What's wrong with them?"
Alanna glanced at Numair. "I'll be right back with some appropriate clothes." Numair grinned at her as she left, then turned to Azeka.
"Well, your leg is healed, but you've lost a lot of blood. You might be a bit faint for a while, but you should be better by tomorrow. Get some rest."
He started to walk toward the door.
"Wait," Azeka called. Numair turned. "Where the hell am I? And what's going on?"
"You are in Corus, Tortall. And things will be easier to explain once you are in a less hostile state. Get some rest; you won't be disturbed. Tomorrow, all shall be explained."
"Hello again, Your Highness." The man – Numair, she remembered – said. "This is Sir Alanna of Olau and Pirate's Swoop. She's also a very skilled Healer. She's come to take a good look at your leg." The woman smiled a little, and bowed.
"Your Highness," She said, as she came over to take of the bandage – which had blood leaking through – to examine the wound. Azeka scowled.
"Why do you keep calling me that? That's a name for like a prince, or some sort of royalty."
"As you are, Princess Drazeka." The younger girl froze.
"Never call me that," she growled. Her voice was threatening. "Ever."
"Then what would you prefer we call you. Your Highness?" Numair asked gently.
"Not 'Your Highness,' that's sure as hell." Alanna looked a little stunned. She hadn't expected any of Jon's children to be so rude. "If you must, call me Azeka."
"Very well, Princess Azeka." She gave a frustrated growl. Alanna laughed.
"This is a pretty nasty looking wound," she said. "What caused it?"
"A bullet, dumbass." Alanna glared at her; princess or no, she wouldn't be talked to like that by someone half her age.
"Bullet? What's that?" Numair asked.
Azeka threw him a disgusted look. "A bullet. It's a piece of metal, shot from a gun at speeds high enough to penetrate the skin. Duh." There was silence, until Alanna broke it.
"This 'bullet' will have to come out of your leg. I don't know any other way to do it than magic; it might hurt."
'Might hurt' didn't begin to describe it. Alanna placed a hand a couple of inches in front of her leg. Immediately, her hands lit up with purple light, just like the dark blue-black light that had appeared around Azeka's hands. The purple light stretched to surround Azeka's leg. At first, nothing happened. Then Azeka bit down hard on her lip to keep from screaming. She could feel the small piece of metal start to move in her leg. Her limb was shuddering and jerking, and she was unable to hold it still, which just made it hurt more. It got so bad that Alanna growled at Numair to hold her down. He placed gently but firm hand on her leg, one holding her knee, the other holding her ankle. Azeka's face was a mask of pain. It seemed to her that Alanna worked for hours, carefully freeing the bullet from her muscles and tissues. But finally, it came out from her leg, and flew into Alanna's open hand. Quickly, she dropped it onto a towel. She then placed her hand again before the younger girl's leg. Purple light enveloped her leg once again, and Azeka's eyes widened as she watched the wound close, and felt the pain fade. When she was done, Azeka's mouth was hanging open. She stared at Alanna.
"How-how did you do that?" She asked, feeling a new respect toward the woman.
"Magic." She said simply. She stood, and looked at the clothes the girl was wearing before turning to Numair.
"Might as well get her some proper clothes. I'll be right back. You're lucky I was so close." Azeka looked down at herself.
"I like my clothes." She said defiantly. She wore baggy dark green jeans, and a black shirt that bared her belly, and tied off at the top. The sleeves were gathered at her wrists, and fell down elegantly to cover half her hand. She wore black green striped Nikes, along with the necklace and ring she always wore; the necklace was on a gold chain. It had a strange emblem on it; she had had it since she was a baby. It was a shield, crossed by a sword. The ring was a simple band of jade, and a sapphire gem in the center. "What's wrong with them?"
Alanna glanced at Numair. "I'll be right back with some appropriate clothes." Numair grinned at her as she left, then turned to Azeka.
"Well, your leg is healed, but you've lost a lot of blood. You might be a bit faint for a while, but you should be better by tomorrow. Get some rest."
He started to walk toward the door.
"Wait," Azeka called. Numair turned. "Where the hell am I? And what's going on?"
"You are in Corus, Tortall. And things will be easier to explain once you are in a less hostile state. Get some rest; you won't be disturbed. Tomorrow, all shall be explained."