A/N I'm not sure if the senior Healer is going to be involved in Kyminn's future training or not. If so, I predict that things could be...challenging.
Chapter 23
"Randen?" Kyminn tapped tentatively on the doorframe which Evin had indicated as belonging the Herald. The Healer had pointed Kyminn to the correct room and departed with a casual, "I'll be back for you before the noon bell." Kyminn, perforce, was on his own.
"Kyminn!" The answering shout was warm and reassuringly strong.
Kyminn ducked inside a room that was a mirror to his own, casting an anxious eye over his friend and former patient.
Randen straightened up from where he had just finished tying up his boot. His whites, now tailored to accommodate his amputation, still hung loose on his frame. Kyminn studied the Herald, looking for some clue as to Randen's condition. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he took in the profound change in the Herald's expression. Randen seemed…unbound, as though the chains shackling his spirit had fallen away. Dark shadows still lurked, but light was clearly prevailing.
Three strides took Kyminn across the room and he clasped the Herald's forearm, pulling him into a quick, rough hug. "You look…better," Kyminn offered.
"I feel better," was the heartfelt response. "There's still some work to be done and Crathach says it may be a while before we winkle out all the stressors and triggers. But I'm on firm ground at last! I don't have words for how good that feels!"
"If it's the inverse of how awful things were, then I have a pretty good idea." The small smile took any hint of blame from Kyminn's words.
"In fact," Randen carefully rose from the bed and took up his crutches, "I'm being released today. I'm moving back to my old room in the Herald's wing. I'll come back for regular appointments with Crathach, but he expects that I'll be able to return to work in a fortnight or so."
"So soon?" Kyminn mentally tallied up the time since Randen's accident and was astonished to realize that nearly five months had passed.
"It seems," Randen pointed out, "there's always work somewhere for a Herald."
"Do you uh…know what your posting will be? I mean, Derris is still not up to strength yet and neither are you."
"For now, my posting is here, at the Collegium. Oh, I never really saw myself as a teacher and to be honest, I'm not sure I've got the aptitude to do it long term, but I think I can muddle through for at least the one term and not ruin any Trainees." This with the familiar grin.
"Um. So what will you be teaching?" Kyminn couldn't picture Randen being up to teaching equitation, or weapons, or any of the strenuous parts of the curriculum.
"Well," this was bemused, "geography of cities, actually." He looked over and caught Kyminn's look of surprise. "I was surprised too, until the Dean and I discussed it. You see, what usually happens in the Geography class is that Heralds are brought in to talk about their particular region. So if they are covering Lake Evendim for instance, they'd bring in a Herald from that area and talk about the economy, culture, land and people of that area. Since Heralds come from all over, the students get to hear it from a local, not just from a book."
Randen went on, warming to his subject, "Cities are a bit different. They're like little countries really, each neighborhood having its own needs and culture. Add managing construction, water, law enforcement, trade, nobility…it's pretty complicated and a Herald could flounder if he or she didn't know how it all works together. And while Haven is our biggest city by far, there are some pretty large communities out there. A Herald in another city – or posted as an envoy, needs to be able to untangle all those relationships."
"Huh. I never really thought about it," Kyminn mused. "All I've seen of Haven so far is a village that someone multiplied a thousand-fold and then stirred."
"You're not far wrong." Randen carefully led the way into the hallway. Instead of the left Kyminn had selected earlier, this time they turned right.
"Where are we headed? I was actually hoping to make Derris my next stop. If I can figure out where he is." This last with a resigned sigh.
"You're in luck then. I thought you'd want to see him. He's actually on his way up here. We'll meet him in the courtyard outside."
Randen's path took them through the corridors of Healer's hall to what seemed to be a principal entrance. Kyminn reached to open it, but stopped when Randen showed no sign of asking – or needing – help.
It was the first good look Kyminn had gotten of the greensward he had glimpsed from the second gate. With the Healer's building at their back, he could see several other buildings, each of them several times the size of anything in Oakden. Ahead and to one side lay a tremendous green space, rolling and lush. Small groves and copses provided texture to the landscape. Kyminn was startled yet again to realize that the white forms he saw in that distance were Companions. He hadn't realized there were quite so many of them. He wondered if any of those he saw were the ones he knew.
One of them certainly was – a Companion had exited through one of the gates and was in the process of closing the gate behind himself. As the Companion made his way across the grounds, Kyminn could tell even at the distance that it was Derris. Kyminn was pleased to see that Derris was taking care not to over-reach the pace, stretching the joint and placing his feet with precise attention.
"I'd forgotten how beautiful he is," Kyminn shook his head. "I guess I spent too much time too close to the problem."
A clap on the shoulder greeted this. "Well, we're very glad you were close to the problem! And don't tell him he's beautiful, he'll only agree with you and then I'll never hear the end of it!"
Kyminn coughed back laughter as Derris approached within earshot. He changed the subject instead. "So I'm wondering - why on earth do you bother to put a fence around Companions?"
"Privacy mainly. Not ours, theirs. The gates are there for normal people, or moving feed in an out or what have you. Usually they just pop over the fence if that's more convenient. Since Derris isn't cleared for jumping yet, he uses the gate. Think if it like keeping the neighbor's toddlers out of your backyard garden retreat. Companion's field is their retreat and if there wasn't a firm boundary, the well-meaning and muddleheaded wouldn't leave them alone."
"Fair point," Kyminn nodded a greeting to Derris and got a nod in return. "Derris? Mind if I take a look?"
Derris nodded again and presented his shoulder for inspection.
Kyminn was just putting Derris through his paces when Evin returned, this time with another Healer in tow.
"Kyminn, this is Healer Delassia. She is the senior Healer on the team which specializes in the treatment of Companions." Evin nodded a hello to Randen, as did Delassia. Clearly only Kyminn was the newcomer here.
"How do you do Healer." Kyminn hoped that his voice did not betray his acute case of nerves. Ice congealed in his belly as he realized that all his actions for the past five months were about to be dissected by the very intimidating woman before him.
The Healer paused as though trying to figure out which title, if any, to ascribe to Kyminn. She neatly sidestepped the issue by simply avoiding it. "I understand that Companion Derris has been entirely in your charge since his injury?"
"Not entirely, but yes, primarily." Kyminn had a sudden sympathy for the "less is more" approach that Companions adopted to questions.
The healer merely cocked her head in silent invitation for him to amplify.
"I did the majority of the work, but at various other times Healers Pell and Anya offered help and advice. We also had help from my mother, who is a non-Gifted Healer. And, of course, we consulted with Randen and Derris himself during all aspects of treatment." Kyminn found himself falling into a stilted, formalized pattern of speech, a mode he had seen his grandmother use and which he privately referred to as "Healer-speak."
A graceful gesture indicated the waiting Derris. "If you could walk me through the injury and your approach to treatment?" Polite, but an order nonetheless.
"I...certainly. If I might ask a question first?"
"Of course." It was a trifle impatient, the tone of a teacher granting a favor.
"I'm not exactly clear on what a "senior Healer specializing in Companions" is or what your roles and responsibilities are. I'm not," he stressed the point, "denying your right to treat Derris. Far from it! The whole point of us coming here was to get him the expert care he needs. I'm just wondering – is that you?"
The expression on the senior Healer's face slid through an oblique mash before settling on frostily unreadable. The senior Healer, it appeared, had not expected that sort of question.
"Do I understand," it was stiff, "that you are questioning my credentials?"
Kyminn's heart sank. Clearly he had said the wrong thing. As though there had been any doubt to the depth of his misstep, Evin's appalled expression and frantic gesticulations reinforced the matter. Kyminn tried vainly to recover. "Ummm. No, Senior Healer," he hoped she could hear the capitals, "Not at all. It's simply that this is completely new to me. I'm not sure of the structure or persons here at Healers. I'm…trying to get a feel for the pulse…as it were. I did not mean to cause offense."
A pause, then a bare nod. "Hm. Well then, please add this information to your general knowledge base. Here at Healers we have trainees, full healers, senior healers, and specialists. A full Healer may choose to specialize in some aspect of Healing, such as childbirth, or surgery. A senior Healer is a person recognized by the College as having an overall breadth of experience and knowledge. Many senior Healers are teachers. A senior with a specialty is someone with a very great deal of skill, training, knowledge and experience in their particular area." Her words had dropped into a pedantic, lecturing tone. "I, as the senior Healer specializing in Companions, have devoted a number of years to shaping my Gift and skills in the treatment of Companions. I am," and her tone grew frosty again, "The 'expert care', you were seeking. At this point in my career, I seldom treat human patients any more – I give all my attention to Companions."
Privately, Kyminn pitied the Companions. Instead, he merely ducked his head and murmured "Thank you Healer, I understand now."
"I am given to understand that you are…not able to treat human patients?"
Kyminn stiffened, but remained civil. "I treat human patients using non-Gifted means. My various Gifts only respond to animals. Both my human and non-human patients have benefited from my care thus far."
"Companions," the Healer ground out, "are NOT animals." Perversely, it was the first thing she had done or said so far that had made Kyminn like – or remotely respect – her.
"I assure you that I am well aware of that Healer." He almost touched his forearm in memory but stopped himself. "However, while it is true that some of my Gifts do not, in fact, respond to Companions, it is equally the case that some, such as my Healing, Empathy and Foresight, most certainly do. I was able to use my Gift on Derris so I did so. If I hadn't, he'd be dead and this would be a very different conversation."
A grudging nod. "Clearly, you performed well in that regard." Her tone implied it was possible that this was the only thing he had done well thus far. "If you would present the case?"
Kyminn swallowed his initial, sarcastic retort and simply began. "Derris and Herald Randen were caught in a mudslide…"
Healer Delassia, whatever her personal faults – and Kyminn felt there were many – was, in fact, an expert in Companions. As she questioned himself, Derris and Randen, he had to acknowledge that she had a profound respect for, and commitment to, Companions. Finally, after more than a mark of examination, questions and analysis, she wound down her inquisition.
"I concur that Derris can be expected to make a nearly full recovery. By that, I mean that you will be able to gallop, jump and bear weight normally on that forelimb." This last to Derris, to whom she had addressed at least half of her remarks and questions this far. "I do not," and there was genuine regret in her tone, "Believe that you will recover the strength for any kind of endurance work, such as Special Courier. I'm afraid your days of dashing pell-mell about the country side, delivering the king's intrigues, are past. However, normal circuit work, particularly if not for an extended period, will certainly be within your abilities." She offered Derris a brief, respectful nod and turned her attention to Kyminn and picked up where their conversation had left off.
"Young man, as we discussed, I should like detailed notes on the injury and your treatment. I was particularly interested in your decision to lock up Derris's muscles during the lift. It was an intelligent solution in the absence of anyone with a suitable Fetching gift."
Kyminn nodded his compliance. At least she considered him intelligent. Sort of.
"Derris will continue his therapies. I will be revising them to reflect some of the flexibility and strains required of a field Companion. Your therapy has been adequate to this point, but your background is with plow and wagon horses. The needs of a Companion are somewhat different."
Kyminn simply nodded, clamping his jaw shut on his thoughts of how 'adequate' his care had been to this point. Randen poked him with a crutch, admonishing him to silence. The Herald had long since tired of standing and was perched on a low stone wall.
Delassia didn't seem to realize – or care – how dismissive her words had been as she went on. "You are, of course, welcome to participate in Derris's ongoing care, should you wish."
"Uh…yes, if that's allowed," he stammered. From the look on Evin's face, he wasn't the only one surprised at the invitation.
Healer Delassia looked baffled. Clearly she could not understand why Kyminn, whom she had just finished interrogating, insulting and condescending to, would be surprised at her statement. "You have been his primary care giver to this point, I assumed you would want to continue, although as a junior member of the team, of course." She paused, "That is, if Derris has no objection?"
Derris moved over to stand behind Kyminn, resting his chin on Kyminn's shoulder. The Companion's expression was bland, but it was clear that Kyminn held Derris's full confidence.
Another nod from the senior healer, this one matter of fact. "Well. That's that then. Derris, Kyminn, I'll see you both tomorrow, two hours after breakfast. Healer Evin, Herald Randen, good day." With those words, she swept back off into the Healer's hall.
"Sweet Lord and Lady!", Evin sank onto a bench with a moan. "I'd forgotten what she can be like!"
"Is she always like that?" Kyminn ventured.
"Pretty much, yes." Evin sighed. "It's not so much that she's prickly, mind you…"
"I'm not sure what else you'd call it," muttered Randen.
"Well, true," Evin admitted. "But the truth is, she really is a very gifted and able Healer. She is passionate about making sure the Companions get the best treatments she can offer. I've honestly wondered if she ah…wasn't in 'encouraged' to specialize in that area because she's really…not a people person."
Companions, it seemed, were not the only ones capable of massive understatement.
Evin made a helpless gesture. "She's just kind of…intense. For some reason, she seems to do a better job of seeing Companions as people than she does people people, if that makes sense."
"It kind of does," Kyminn allowed, one hand sneaking up to scratch Derris's chin. "But that doesn't make her any easier to deal with!"
"Count yourself lucky Kyminn, she likes you," Evin offered.
"That's LIKE?" "What?!" Kyminn and Randen's yelps of surprise nearly drowned each other out.
"Sure," Evin's look at Kyminn was puzzled, then realization struck, "I forget, you're new here. From Senior Healer to the Companions Delassia," and they both heard all the capitals in the title, "a completely unknown person being told their care of a Companion is 'adequate' is very high praise indeed. That she asked you to stay on and help treat him is unheard of. It probably doesn't seem like it, but I assure you, this is a tremendous compliment."
Kyminn's doubt was probably clear on his face, but Evin politely opted not to notice.
