- Chapter 8 -

Afiona stretched slowly as she straightened from her patient.  The wound was nearly healed now and the trembling deer would be able to re-enter the wild very soon.

 "See, almost done."  She said softly as she stroked the soft fur of the animal.  :Free soon.:

:Free?:  The deer repeated hopefully.

:No walls.:  Afiona stood shook the straw off her green robes.

The doe's ears flipped wildly as she remembered her forest.

"Healer Afiona?"  A trainee said from the corner where she had been watching the Healing.  Awe and confusion apparent in her voice.

"I am also an animal mindspeaker."  Afiona explained her ease in dealing with the injured animal with now drugs to keep it still.  "That is why I specialize in the healing of animals."

The girl nodded, filing that information away for later.

Afiona led the trainee out of the room and closed the door.  "She will be released tomorrow."

The girl nodded.

Afiona paused and smiled down at the girl.  "I know what they say about me, that I am wasting my talents by working with animals.  But that doesn't make my knowledge any less valid."

"I never thought that."  The girl protested.

"Good.  So you are ready to tend the next one yourself?"

The girl's eyes widened.

Afiona led her to a room filled with small cages holding injured pets.  A cat had been brought in that had a gash on its face.  The injury had already been cleaned and the animal sedated, an ideal project for the budding healer.

Afiona picked up the small animal and carried it to the examination table.  The dogs and cats in the room remained silent as she went about her work.  When her shift was over she often came in here to soothe them, assuring them she would return them to their families as quickly as possible. 

"Don't worry, he isn't going to move while you work so you can take your time."  Afiona moved to allow the girl to take her place.  "Never rush when it may compromise your healing."

The girl took a deep breath and stroked the cat's side as she had seen Afiona do over the past several weeks.  "Easy little one."

Afiona remained silent.  Ready to step in and guide her if she faltered.  One thing the other Healers couldn't say was that she wasn't a good teacher for the new students.  For the last year she had taken the new students for the first few weeks and then passed them off to other teachers.  She also took the second year students and taught them the more advanced healings on her patients.

Still, despite her good work, her peers often accused her of wasting her powerful gift on animals rather than tending to humans.  When she had arrived in Haven five years ago she had spent a great deal of time with a mindhealer and had lost her fear of her fellow humans but she still couldn't bear opening herself up to strangers in such an intimate fashion.

The girl caught her attention as she carefully wove the energy of the cat's body to speed the healing of the muscle and skin.  It would have taken Afiona mere moments to complete, but the girl needed nearly a candlemark.

"Well done."  Afiona patted her shoulder.  "Why don't you put him back into the cage?  And you best come back and check on him later.  He is now your responsibility."

The girl nodded, awed by her accomplishment.  She turned from the cat to wrap her arms around Afiona.  "Thank you."

Afiona smiled and patted her head.  "He is going to wake up soon."

The girl quickly turned back to her patient and carried him to his cage.  She filled out the small card next to the cage with what she had done.

"Go eat and get some rest.  You did very well today."  Afiona urged firmly.  She knew the girl would need to replenish her energy reserve from the unaccustomed working.

The girl hurried from the room leaving Afiona alone with the animals.  Over a dozen brown eyes were fixed on her. 

:I'll bring treat later.  Rest now.:  She stroked each head in turn.

A large brindle mastiff in the largest cage eyed her warily.  He was a new addition to the ward.  His foreleg was tightly bandaged and a gash on his side had been stitched already.

"Hey sweetie."  She held her hand to the cage.  :What happened?  Was it a carriage?:

:Man.:  The dog answered warily.

Afiona sighed and withdrew her hand.  Since she had come here she had met more animals with pasts as sad as Demon's.  :Your man?:

:My man.:  The mastiff eyed her and gingerly tested her scent.

:I will protect you from him.:  She promised.  :You won't go back to him.:

The mastiff actually wagged his tale a couple times.

"See you all later."  She stood. 

Her room was in this ward so she could be close to her patients.  It was sparsely decorated with only a comfortable chair and a potted plant as personal touches.  The chair had been a gift from Medren and the flowers from the owner of one of her patients.  The leaves made an excellent pain killer so it served a dual purpose.

Demon was sprawled in a patch of sunshine, his black coat dimmed by age and sprinkled with white hair.  He was eleven years old now and quite content to sleep in the sun for most of the day.

"How's my boy?"  She bent to scratch his ears.  "Did that squirrel come back?"

:I barked, it ran.:  Demon informed her.

"Good for you."  She stood and shed her stained robe.  When she wasn't teaching she often wore a short tunic of the same green rather than the full robes but she found she received more respect when she wore the full robes.

Thankfully there wouldn't be a new trainee for a few more weeks.  Unless a child was rushed in.

Underneath her robe she wore faded breeches and a snug fitting shirt that wouldn't catch on anything.  She also had a leash bound around her waist for when she needed it and a pouch of handy medicines suspended from a belt.

A healer was never off duty.

On her bed she found a small packet of letters.  The top was obvious her cousin's writing.  She used one of her handy knives to break the seal and quickly read the letter.  Everything was fine, as normal.  There was also the standard invitation for her to come for a visit.

She quickly finished the letter.  She had no doubt the rest would include one from Medren and another from Lady Tressa.  Especially since the smell of Tressa's perfume wafted up from the package.  She slipped the pink paper out from the bottom and chuckled again at the purple ink.

Tressa's letter included the surprising news that she and her husband were returning to Haven at King Treven's request.  She was ecstatic to be returning to Haven and asked Afiona to check on her late son's life bonded, Stefen.

"That just leaves Medren."  Afiona commented to the disinterested Demon.

She smiled as she picked up the last letter.  In five years he was still her closest friend and occasional lover but both knew it would never go beyond that.

It was barely a page long.  Another request to check on Stefen, obviously he had done something to worry Tressa and Medren.  Also a note that he was coming to Haven for the season.

"Good news.  Medren is coming."  She smiled as Demon's tale thumped on the ground.  "You want to come with me and check on Stefen?"

:Stay, sleep.:

"You'll need to go for a walk later."  She warned.  "You are getting entirely too lazy."

Demon sighed, closed his eyes.  :Later.:

"That is your favourite excuse, isn't it?"  Afiona laughed and scratched his ear before she left her room.

She used a side door to leave the Healer's and strode across the courtyard to Bardic.  She had met Stefen on two previous occasions but they had spoken barely five words.

She waved down the first Bard she saw.  "Excuse me, could you direct me to Bard Stefen's room?"

The bard looked her over with an appreciative eye.  "Sorry lass, he isn't into ladies, you understand."

Afiona actually laughed.  Her work clothes hugged her body tightly, revealing every curve; she had forgotten to change before leaving her room.  "I am well aware of that, I was asked to look in on him. I am Healer Afiona."

The bard, maybe four or five years her senior, gave her what she assumed was supposed to be a charming smile.  "After you check on him, would you like to check on me?"

"Perhaps another time."  She smiled.

"I'll hold you to that.  His room is up the stairs and is the fourth on the left."

"Thank you."  She hurried up the stairs and found the correct door.  With a sharp knock she stepped back to wait.

"Who's there?"  A voice called out.

"Healer Afiona."  She called back.

"Come in."  He sighed in defeat.

She opened the door and found him bent over his desk with a quill in his hand.  "I hope I didn't disturb your writing."

"It wasn't going anywhere, anyway."  Stefen sat back and rubbed his forehead.  "What's wrong?"

"You did something to worry Medren and Tressa."  She shrugged.  "They asked me to check on you."

"Shoot, I forgot to write back."  He ran a hand through his tousled red curls.

"That's it?"  Afiona laughed.

"I, well…" He stood and ran a hand through his hair.  "I have been trying to write this song for months."

"And neglected to write two letters?"  She noticed the stack of letters on the desk, all unopened.  "Or read them from the looks of it.  I take you don't know Medren, Lady Tressa, and Lord Withen are all coming to Haven?"

"They are that concerned?"  His eyebrows flew up with surprise.

"No.  Lord Withen was invited to resume his place on the council by the King and Medren has decided to spend summer here.  They should be here in two or three weeks, if the are traveling together, Medren will be here sooner if they aren't."

"Thanks for the warning."  Stefen glanced down at his work in progress.

"Why not let it be for the time being?"  She suggested on impulse.  "You are obviously stressed, developing a cold, and rather depressed."

"Are you a mindhealer or something?"  Stefen asked defensively.

"Yes, I am."  She smiled slightly.  "I rarely use it though."

"That sounds rather unHealerlike.  Why not?"  Bardic curiosity drove him to ask.

Afiona shrugged.  "I prefer not to work with humans.  I don't trust them.  I am the foremost animal Healer in Valdemar and I am content with that.  Why don't you join me for dinner?  You look like you could use some company."

"May as well, then you could tell Medren there is nothing for him to worry about."  Stefen shrugged.

"Wonderful, I can have a tray delivered to my room.  Ask anyone and they should be able to direct you, I am miserable with directions."