-Chapter 16-
Lance knocked on Afiona's door, hoping she was within. She had been the talk of the Collegia all day. The rumor was she had threatened to surrender her Greens if she wasn't permanently assigned to work with the Companions. Some even said she did give up her robes but that the Healers begged her to take them up again.
Afiona opened her door, dressed in only an enveloping towel that left only her calves, shoulders, and arms bare. "I was just about to have a bath, is anything wrong?"
"No, I just wanted to find out if the rumors were true." Lance stared at her like a love struck swain.
"That I threatened to leave the Healers if they wouldn't assign me to the Companions? That is true. That I actually quit is true. They sent Jisa to convince me to recant."
"And you did?" Lance asked curiously.
"I did." Afiona looked back over her shoulder at the steaming tub. Daric had Nico so she could enjoy a long, hot bath. If Lance remained much longer she would be lucky to get a lukewarm bath. "Can we continue this later?"
"Over supper?" Lance asked hopefully.
"No." Afiona said once more.
"Actually, I have classes straight through until supper and then I have to pack." Lance admitted.
"Right, you leave the day after tomorrow." She sighed. "I'll stop by later this evening then. We can talk while you pack."
"Or I could come in and scrub your back." He offered with a grin.
"Nice try Lance." She glowered at him. "I'll see you later." She closed the door forcefully and turned back to her bath. It was all ready scented with oils and was still steaming as she slipped into the hot water. Next to the tub a fire burned in her fireplace, the only source of illumination.
The spicy scent put her in mind of exotic places and was one of her favourite scents. Scented oils were one of her secret luxuries.
She kept her hair piled on top of her head so as to avoid getting oil in it was well. She almost missed Nico splashing in her bath water, causing a sodden mess; the other reason she had no carpet in her room.
She was just starting to relax when a pre-emptory knock called her back to reality seconds before Medren pushed the door open.
"Why are you in the dark?" Medren asked as he looked around the room, finally locating her in the tub.
"Out!" Afiona sank lower in the water.
"What? In case you have forgotten I have actually bathed you." Medren moved to sit down on her lone chair. "What's this about quitting the Healers?"
Afiona growled, leaned over the side of her tub, and located a vial of oil. "Out, now!" She hurled it at him. The fragile vial broke and the delicate smell of lilacs filled the air.
Medren stared at her for several seconds before sniffing his tunic. "I stink like a flower!"
"I am going to throw a rose one at you next." Afiona located another small vial and made ready to heave her tiny weapon.
"No need, I got the hint!" Medren beat a hasty retreat, still trying to dab off the reek of flowers.
:Remind me not to disturb you in the bath.: Daric commented, causing her to jump, sloshing water over the side and onto the floor.
"Try that again and you will smell like roses!" Afiona threatened. "Unless it is an emergency, don't bother me in the bath!"
~ * ~
Lance had his bags packed when Afiona arrived. He had never entertained her in his rooms before; she had always refused any invitation he offered so he was surprised she said she would come to his rooms to talk.
Trying to court her had been phenomenally frustrating.
Afiona's hesitant knock betrayed her nervousness even before the door was opened. She was dressed in the same demure cream gown that she had worn the night before with the long sleeves and high neck. Nico was standing next to her, looking up impatiently.
:The only house trained Companion.: Lance commented irreverently to his Companion.
:Considering no human baby would be trained so young Nico is proving to be an incredibly quick learner.: Carmia answered tartly. She was very proud of her grandson.
"Am I too early?" Afiona asked.
"No, I just finished packing." He gestured for her to take a seat on of two over stuffed chairs flanking the fireplace. They were ugly but comfortable.
Nico proceeded to explore the room, looking for butterflies, cats, and who knew what else in corners.
"Do you have a med-kit?" Afiona looked over at his stuffed saddlebags. "In case something happens on the way down?"
"First thing I packed." Lance assured her.
"And a kit for your Companion?" Afiona pressed.
He shook his head. "I don't think there is one."
Afiona scowled. "I'll see that you have one before you leave. Your Companions have been far too lax with their own care."
:Really love, we heal quickly and our Herald's are more important.: Daric protested.
:You are still mortal, you can still suffer permanent damage, you can be killed, and if you die your Herald dies. A Herald is only as mobile as their Companion.: She responded fiercely. "You should have Weris Seeds to keep her from getting pregnant down there, that would be inconvenient to say the least. And you should definitely have some wirth root to supplement her rations, the military rations rarely have enough vitamins for a Companion, at least with the amount she will be allocated, thankfully that grows next to most road sides in the south."
"Afiona, I got it, I am woefully under-prepared for a trip through friendly land." Lance said teasingly.
"I am not joking." Afiona said seriously. "Speaking as your Carmia's Healer, you should have thought of this yourself." She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Never mind, I have had a nasty day, that's all. It seems my mouth runs away with me every time I get tired."
"Beyond threatening to leave the Healers, what happened?" Lance asked with concern as he took a seat across from her.
Afiona looked over at Nico, who was investigating Lance's bed, he had never seen a true bed before. He would be occupied for sometime. "My problem with the other Healers has been going on for sometime. Most feel I am wasting my abilities, and you know how Healers are about wasting one's abilities."
"Why haven't you said anything?" Lance asked.
"Why? When they are right? I could do a great deal of good if I could heal humans." She stared at the small fire in his hearth. "Do you know how close I have to let them to heal them?"
"No." Lance asked honestly.
"It doesn't matter." Afiona straightened in her chair and brushed her hair from her face. "I have a strange question for you. In a war, which is more critical, a Healer or a Herald?"
Lance's brow creased. "I don't know. Heralds are needed for communication and sometimes as war leaders. We are Valdemar's best weapons. We can pass orders down the line in seconds, completely silent, while the enemy is still tooting his horn. But Healers are the ones who get us back on our feet and back onto the field when we are injured."
"And considering your garb that is rather regularly." Afiona teased, the brief glimpse of her dark mood gone.
"Heralds also give us a tactical advantage with Farsight and Foresight letting us see what the enemy is doing." Lance continued.
"But a dead Herald can't stand against an invasion."
"Neither can most living Healers." Lance countered. He watched her speculatively for a second. "Do you have any weapons training or are you like the other Healers and reliant upon your status to protect you."
"No, I have no training." Afiona admitted. "If I am on the battle field it won't be as a fighter so what does it matter."
"I should have known. They aren't going to care why you are on the battlefield; they will only see that you are aiding the enemy, which makes you the enemy." Lance pointed out.
"I am a Healer, I can do no harm." Afiona protested.
"Frankly, that is an ideal in my opinion. In idealistic circumstances you may be able to live by it but not in regular circumstances and certainly not in wartime. What about how you killed Herald Feri?" He asked.
Afiona drummed her fingers on the leather arm of the chair. "It would be different to take someone's life in the heat of battle. I would causing the very wounds that, as a Healer, I am supposed to fix."
"If you can't fight to protect yourself, and your patients, you will lose patients and perhaps your life. Then who would take your place? Which is more important our men or theirs?"
"They are equally important. All life is important."
"Afi, when you are on the battle field, which I sincerely hope you never are, who will you be rescuing? Our men, or theirs?"
"Damn." Afiona cursed.
:What's a 'battle field'?: Nico asked, interrupting their conversation.
"Adult stuff." Afiona assured him.
"What?" Lance looked perplexed.
"He wants to know what a battle field is." Afiona explained.
"Definitely adult stuff." Lance agreed.
Nico's ears fell in disappointment. :Not like adult stuff.:
Afiona scratched his neck. :Little boy stuff much more fun.:
His ears perked back up. :Like Nico stories.:
:Like Nico and the dust bunny?:
:What's a dust bunny?: Nico asked eagerly.
:A dust bunny is a fluffy ball of dust and hair, they hide under beds.:
Nico's sharp hooves left visible scars on Lance's carpet as he scrambled to look under the bed for dust bunnies causing Afiona to wince.
"Now what is he doing?" Lance leaned over the arm of his chair to watch Nico try and wiggle under his bed.
"He is looking for dust bunnies." Afiona explained. "He has phenomenal curiosity."
"That he does." Lance chuckled.
"I'll replace your rug." She said as she eyed the places that his hooves had removed all the wool.
"Don't worry about it. I am not very attached to it. It is only so I don't have to step on the cold floor first thing in the morning."
"I understand completely. I tried having rugs for a while, but with a foal whose bodily functions weren't completely under control it wasn't practical. Now that it is getting colder I have been reconsidering getting some old carpets so I am not running across a freezing stone floor to my wardrobe every morning."
"There is probably some that border on unusable lying about that you could use. At least you don't have to resort to straw." Lance smiled at the image of her dashing across her room.
"I considered it. But just imagine how fair that straw would travel. I would be chased out of here inside a week."
Lance chuckled, a rich warm sound. "I am going to miss you." He said suddenly.
"I am going to miss you too. I am a miserable letter writer, just so you are forewarned. Ask Medren, he always complains my letters never contain any details beyond the date."
"I'll keep that in mind." Lance said, his voice carried little emotion.
"What is with you men?" Afiona asked in exasperation. "You are so jealous of Medren you are nearly as green as my uniforms and he seems to have decided that we are the perfect couple and has been rather unsubtle with his hints."
"He has?"
"I joined him and Stef for breakfast this morning and he kept asking how we were getting along and how much time we were spending together. Stef said he acted the same way when Stef and Herald Vanyel got together, taking all the credit for it." Afiona made a face at her friend's attitude. "He is a dear friend but he needs to be knocked on his posterior once and a while."
Lance smiled again. "I think I prefer to have him as an ally."
Afiona quirked an eyebrow. "Nico and I better get going, he insists on waking early."
:I will watch him tonight.: Daric offered.
"Is this a conspiracy?" She snapped, drawing a strange look from Lance. "Sorry. Come on Nico, bed time."
The colt squirmed out from under the bed, covered in dust. :Story?:
"Of course, if we hurry." She stood and brushed the wrinkles out of her gown absently.
Lance reached the door before she did. She looked away from his confused gaze. "What do you mean a conspiracy?"
"Nothing." She insisted and forced herself to meet his gaze. She felt her heart skip a beat. His beautiful eyes were filled with concern. She strengthened her shield to keep out his emotions. "Honestly, there is nothing wrong."
Lance reluctantly opened the door for her. She didn't wait for him to escort her to her room. With Nico on her heels she hurried to her room and closed the door firmly behind him.
"Damn it. Now what did I do?" Lance asked the empty hallway.
Afiona heard him despite her closed door and a wave of guilt swamped her. If only he didn't keep trying to get closer.
:Mama-Afi tired? I'm not tired.: Nico informed her. :I got to pee.:
Afiona sighed and led him to the doorway. Daric waited just beyond the doorway.
:You should have stayed.: Daric said as she stepped out into the moonlight.
:That would be unfair to him.: Afiona rested her forehead against his neck.
Nico was oblivious to the conversation as he trotted around the small, enclosed garden.
Afiona breathed in the earthy horse-smell of her Companion. :Gods, keep him safe.: