Alder woke with a start, to feel fire burning through her right leg. She
had never felt pain so intense before. "What- what happened?" she asked
into the darkness, and passed out again.
When she came to again, she felt a wet cloth caressing her forehead. She opened her eyes to find Gary hovering over her leg, and Keren anxiously pacing through the back of the room. She stretched her neck backwards to see who had the wet towel, but couldn't see back far enough.
"It's Damon," he said quietly, and at the murmur, Gary and Keren both stopped what they were doing.
"You are awake. Good. How do you feel?"
"My leg! What happened?" Alder yelped.
"Kaila caught your nerves and got spooked. She started galloping and wouldn't be controlled. And then-you fell," Damon said, fear edging his voice.
"You fractured a bone in your leg in two places. You are pretty bruised up, too. The swelling and bruising I can fix. but your leg has to be set in a bast to Heal on its own. You can not completely heal bones with magic. Now keep your mind clear of all thoughts," Gary said.
"Alder had been professionally Healed twice in her life, and had come to recognize Healers' magic as a soothing green fire. Again, she felt the Healing magic enter her body. Immediately, the immense pain shooting through all of her limbs subsided, and Alder released a sigh of relief. Her leg numbed, and she could feel her left being moved into a straight line. Then Gary wrapped her leg in a gauzy material, and then some harder material. He joined the fabric or whatever it was with a spark of magic, and she found that she couldn't move her leg even if she had wanted to. He then put a couple pillows underneath her foot, raising her leg. "Stop swelling." Gary muttered, and then she felt the green fire easing her bruises, and her throbbing headache.
"Thank you so much," Alder breathed.
"No problem. You guys have had a bad day! So- we'll put you on crutches in a couple days. No horse-riding, of course. You'll have to stay in the cast for at least four weeks. I'll give you some painkilling medicine, and medicine to help your sleep," Gary told her.
"How's Avery?" Alder asked anxiously.
"Not yet awake. I was thinking; would you like to be moved into her room? I don't want either of you out of bed, and you might get lonely in here. Then you can both keep a check on one another. Killing two birds with one stone!"
Alder sat in bed next to the still unconscious Avery reading by candlelight. Keren had provided her with her favorite books that she had brought from Callista, and some new reading from Avery's shelf. She was quite immersed in a book when Avery's weak voice interrupted her.
"Who-? What happened?" She asked, quite confused.
"It's Alder. You are suffering from bad sleeping habits, previous weakness due to sickness, and on top of that, magical backlash. What is the last thing you remember?" Alder recited.
"Meshing shields, then- explosion. That's it," she said after a minute.
"Keren attacked a weak point in the shield, and something went wrong. You've been unconscious ever since," Alder told her.
"And what happened to you?" she asked, actually opening her eyes and realizing that Alder's leg was elevated. "I got nervous, Kai got nervous, she got spooked, and I got thrown. I gractured my leg," Alder said bluntly.
"What were you nervous about?"
"I- my mind was occupied with-you. The way that you looked when you fainted into my arms. I was nervous that something was really wrong. Then Kat wanted me to jump Kai. I went around the field instead to 'warm up', but I got thrown. That's all that I remember," Alder said, blushing.
"I'm touched that you were so worried, but honestly! I've just overworked myself the tiniest bit. but that's all. I'll be up and running in no time! You, on the other hand, don't look like you'll be able to even walk any time soon!"
"Up and running? You'll be up and running yourself into the ground again, no doubt," Alder muttered, and Avery giggled. At that point, Keren poked her head in to check on the two injured girls.
"Awake! How are you girls feeling?" Keren asked.
"Exhausted," Avery said shortly.
"Sore all over, otherwise fine," Alder mumbled.
"Nothing that sleep can't cure! Gary wanted both of you to go to sleep early tonight. He wanted me to give you your sleeping medicines right about now," Keren said. Alder put her book on the bedside table.
"How will I sleep with this chunk of a thing on my leg?" Alder asked.
"You'll manage. I'll check on you in half a candlemark. I bet you will be sound asleep by then," she said, and went into the common room, and returned with two glasses of amber liquid. "Damon says to feel better and sleep well," she said, handing the cups to both girls. "Sleep well, and do feel better! Goodnight," she said, and left them to drink the medicine.
Alder lifted hers to her lips and gulped it all down, and Avery did the same. "You don't mind my being in here, do you, Avery?" Alder asked, as she felt the first wave of drowsiness wash over her.
"Not at all," Avery breathed, and with that, they both dropped off into a deep sleep.
When she came to again, she felt a wet cloth caressing her forehead. She opened her eyes to find Gary hovering over her leg, and Keren anxiously pacing through the back of the room. She stretched her neck backwards to see who had the wet towel, but couldn't see back far enough.
"It's Damon," he said quietly, and at the murmur, Gary and Keren both stopped what they were doing.
"You are awake. Good. How do you feel?"
"My leg! What happened?" Alder yelped.
"Kaila caught your nerves and got spooked. She started galloping and wouldn't be controlled. And then-you fell," Damon said, fear edging his voice.
"You fractured a bone in your leg in two places. You are pretty bruised up, too. The swelling and bruising I can fix. but your leg has to be set in a bast to Heal on its own. You can not completely heal bones with magic. Now keep your mind clear of all thoughts," Gary said.
"Alder had been professionally Healed twice in her life, and had come to recognize Healers' magic as a soothing green fire. Again, she felt the Healing magic enter her body. Immediately, the immense pain shooting through all of her limbs subsided, and Alder released a sigh of relief. Her leg numbed, and she could feel her left being moved into a straight line. Then Gary wrapped her leg in a gauzy material, and then some harder material. He joined the fabric or whatever it was with a spark of magic, and she found that she couldn't move her leg even if she had wanted to. He then put a couple pillows underneath her foot, raising her leg. "Stop swelling." Gary muttered, and then she felt the green fire easing her bruises, and her throbbing headache.
"Thank you so much," Alder breathed.
"No problem. You guys have had a bad day! So- we'll put you on crutches in a couple days. No horse-riding, of course. You'll have to stay in the cast for at least four weeks. I'll give you some painkilling medicine, and medicine to help your sleep," Gary told her.
"How's Avery?" Alder asked anxiously.
"Not yet awake. I was thinking; would you like to be moved into her room? I don't want either of you out of bed, and you might get lonely in here. Then you can both keep a check on one another. Killing two birds with one stone!"
Alder sat in bed next to the still unconscious Avery reading by candlelight. Keren had provided her with her favorite books that she had brought from Callista, and some new reading from Avery's shelf. She was quite immersed in a book when Avery's weak voice interrupted her.
"Who-? What happened?" She asked, quite confused.
"It's Alder. You are suffering from bad sleeping habits, previous weakness due to sickness, and on top of that, magical backlash. What is the last thing you remember?" Alder recited.
"Meshing shields, then- explosion. That's it," she said after a minute.
"Keren attacked a weak point in the shield, and something went wrong. You've been unconscious ever since," Alder told her.
"And what happened to you?" she asked, actually opening her eyes and realizing that Alder's leg was elevated. "I got nervous, Kai got nervous, she got spooked, and I got thrown. I gractured my leg," Alder said bluntly.
"What were you nervous about?"
"I- my mind was occupied with-you. The way that you looked when you fainted into my arms. I was nervous that something was really wrong. Then Kat wanted me to jump Kai. I went around the field instead to 'warm up', but I got thrown. That's all that I remember," Alder said, blushing.
"I'm touched that you were so worried, but honestly! I've just overworked myself the tiniest bit. but that's all. I'll be up and running in no time! You, on the other hand, don't look like you'll be able to even walk any time soon!"
"Up and running? You'll be up and running yourself into the ground again, no doubt," Alder muttered, and Avery giggled. At that point, Keren poked her head in to check on the two injured girls.
"Awake! How are you girls feeling?" Keren asked.
"Exhausted," Avery said shortly.
"Sore all over, otherwise fine," Alder mumbled.
"Nothing that sleep can't cure! Gary wanted both of you to go to sleep early tonight. He wanted me to give you your sleeping medicines right about now," Keren said. Alder put her book on the bedside table.
"How will I sleep with this chunk of a thing on my leg?" Alder asked.
"You'll manage. I'll check on you in half a candlemark. I bet you will be sound asleep by then," she said, and went into the common room, and returned with two glasses of amber liquid. "Damon says to feel better and sleep well," she said, handing the cups to both girls. "Sleep well, and do feel better! Goodnight," she said, and left them to drink the medicine.
Alder lifted hers to her lips and gulped it all down, and Avery did the same. "You don't mind my being in here, do you, Avery?" Alder asked, as she felt the first wave of drowsiness wash over her.
"Not at all," Avery breathed, and with that, they both dropped off into a deep sleep.