Chapter 10

Several figures suddenly burst into an otherwise quiet Nightgate Inn. There was a flurry of voices and shouts, and Lynne watched as one injured Orc half dragged another, even worse injured Orc into the main hall. A Nord man followed behind them, his head bowed, and he appeared to be in pain as well. All of the patrons that milled about the main hall eyed them with curious glances but otherwise said nothing.

"I need a healer!" The girl shouted, and she looked around the room with a ragged expression. "Please! Anybody!"

Lynne recognized her face.

"Jane?"

Jane spun around, and she burst into tears when she spotted Lynne. The woman quickly stood up from her table and Jane clutched at her robes while she sobbed.

"P-Please Lynne, I'm afraid for Bo's l-life."

The unconscious Orc was Bo. Lynne's eyes widened, and she quickly instructed the other Orc to bring him into a room. When he was finally laying on a bed, she quickly pulled a dagger from her hip and began slicing away at his ruined armor.

Jane stood nearby, clutching her face as she sobbed so hard her entire body shook.

"Jane," Lynne called softly over her shoulder. "You need to go lay down. You're hysterical."

"I-I can't l-leave him," Jane wailed.

"I know Hun, but you're no good like this. You need to rest, and trust me... can you do that?"

Jane hiccupped, and she wiped at her tear stained face. There were deep bags under eyes, and she was covered with smeared blood that had dried and cracked on her pale skin. She looked at Lynne with an expression that made the woman's chest ache. She clearly cared very deeply for the Orc.

"Please Jane."

"Okay," Jane whispered, and she let out a shaky breath.

Lynne turned back to the Orc and finished cutting his leather armor off while Jane shuffled out from the room and wandered down the hallway until she found an empty bedroom. She entered the dark room and collapsed on the bed. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"What happened to you guys," Lynne mumbled as she worked.

Lynne pulled at the last of his armor until the Orc lay naked on the bed. She assessed his injuries, inspecting the torn flesh on his right hip. It looked like something had taken a huge bite out of him, and Lynne knew she wouldn't be able to replace everything that had been lost. She murmured quietly to herself and closed her eyes, hovering her hand above his injuries. Flesh knotted back together, fixing itself, but it would never be the same.

When she was finished administering the healing spells, Lynne gathered up some warm water and clean cloth so she could wash Bo's body and wrap his wounds with clean bandages. When she was finished, she gently laid a blanket across his body to cover him up while he slept. The Orc had not stirred the entire time she had worked on him, and she worried about the massive amount of blood he had lost. She would make sure to keep a close eye on him and monitor for any other internal damage.

Next, Lynne went to find the other injured Orc. She wandered down the hallway, knocking on doors until she reached the one that contained him. She knocked lightly and received a grumbled response.

"Enter."

Lynne stepped inside, and her eyes met the Orcs. He sat slumped against the bed holding a bottle of Ale. Two more empty bottles rested on the nightstand, and he peered at her with a hostile expression.

"Come to fix me up then," he muttered.

"If you'll let me."

"Go on."

Lynne stepped closer, and she quickly cut away the bonds holding his broken arm. Jane had done a good job, and she silently commended the girl before preparing herself to set his arm into its proper place.

"Your shoulder is out, I need to put it back and then I can bind it properly. It will be uncomfortable."

The Orc grunted, and he downed the last of his ale before putting the empty bottle on the table. He sucked in a deep breath and Lynne firmly grasped his arm.

"Fuck!" Nazgurat roared, and his body stiffened as Lynne popped his dislocated shoulder back into place in one swift movement. The move had jarred his broken arm.

"It's a clean break, and should heal just fine," Lynne explained to him, and he didn't respond.

His chest heaved and his body trembled from the pain, but he remained quiet as Lynne washed a healing spell over his arm. It was strong enough to almost entirely fuse the bone back together, but it would still be vulnerable until it had healed completely. When she was finished, his arm was neatly resting against his body, snug in a sling tied around his neck. He let out a few deep breaths as Lynne stood up from the bed and wiped her hands on her robes. She tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Lynne gathered up her supplies and she began walking back towards the door when she paused. Nazgurat's eyes were closed, but she looked back at him for a moment. He looked exhausted, but then they all looked like they had been through hell and back.

"Do you know what happened?" She asked quietly.

The Orc looked at her with his bright red eyes, and Lynne shifted uncomfortably.

"Bandits attacked the Nord's caravan and I happened to be nearby. The girl and the Orc came from somewhere to help. Then uh, Bo ran into a cave chasing after one of the bandits came back lookin' like that. No idea what happened in there."

"Okay, thanks. I think he encountered some sort of animal, so I was just curious."

Lynne quickly turned back around and reached the door.

"I'll... come back later to check up on you."

"Ok."

Lastly, Lynne sought out the young man named Ahmon. He lay in bed in a room across from Nazgurat's, and he was sleeping soundly when the mage entered. She quickly inspected his body for any wounds but found he was fine other than a huge bump on his head. Lynne held her hands over him and conjured a calming spell, as well as some healing to speed up the process. She could see that he had already been issued some magical relief and wondered curiously if it had been Jane's doing.

I didn't know she could heal, Lynne thought quietly to herself as she tiptoed out of the room. She's a curious girl.

With that thought, Lynne decided to check on Jane just to be sure she was really alright. She felt terrible for the girl and how frightened she must have felt in that situation. Skyrim was no breeze, and Lynne knew she was a new occupant to the land.

When she entered Jane's room Lynne found the girl slumped down on her stomach, snoring softly. She smiled softly as she stared down at Jane, who's eyes were squeezed shut. She murmured softly in her sleep, and Lynne let a calming spell wash over the girl. She would probably have nightmares otherwise.

When she was satisfied, Lynne left Jane's room and returned to her own. She sat down on the edge of the bed and slowly eased her boots off. Then she laid down on the bed, and, despite feeling exhausted, her thoughts were racing. She knew it had been a complete stroke of luck that had brought Jane and Bo back to her. She shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if they hadn't reached Nightgate Inn and Bo hadn't gotten the medical help he so desperately needed. Despite her past, Lynne knew that choosing to turn her life around and become a healer had been worth it. Saving lives was her new purpose.

Finally, exhaustion won over, and the Nord drifted into a light sleep.