Sednaii
"The two fingers, if I didn't know better, are surely broken."
"I have set the knuckles and given him a salve for the pain, but there's not much more I can really do for it."
The healer looked back towards James with a raised eyebrow, "If I had more time I'd try a mending spell I've been learning but my mana just isn't the most powerful you know." She squeaked shyly.
I gave a polite laugh, "Thank you though. For doing what you have, he thanks you as well." She smiled with pride before giving me a curt bow.
I returned the farewell and she turned to Tayca and James to deliver another bow. Turning back around she sped off to return to her work.
As we briefly looked on after her, James broke the silence.
"New medic, huh?" he announced.
I turned with an expectant smile to face him, he pointed with his good hand after the healer who was now busily tending beside her teacher.
He struggled with his words, until he eventually found the ones acceptable enough while Tayca translated for me.
I nodded and he smiled through a pained wince. We had been talking much in the moments before but for whatever reason our air approached that familiar place between apprehension and exhaustion.
When I didn't know what else to ask, and when I didn't want to pester Tayca with asking her something.
So it was quiet, at least, we were quiet.
After the battle we had since emptied Astranaar and our forces had split, the civilian elements had been escorted southwest while the bulk of the rangers had been sent north to regroup with a larger pocket of Sentinels entrenched around a moonwell.
We and our party of rangers had been ordered westward, to arrive at Maestra's Post and await further instruction, and it was at a primitive aid station that we now found ourselves resting.
Tayca was leaning against a tree trunk as she bent over to unstrap her leather boots; James by this time was no longer occupied with his hand, nor looking on at the healers and druids and instead looked on in simple interest as Tayca cleaned the sole of her right boot.
I looked around quickly with my eyes, we were standing out of the way to the side of the main collection of people at the post, and no one would see me look at him right now, least of all him. I took a slight breath, and just let my eyes fall on him.
His hair was just so, foreign! And the ears, how could they possibly hear with those, every beast of the wild has bigger ears than that! But… but still. I couldn't look away unless I really wrenched myself. He looked… handsome. But so pink! And the hair! It was almost driving me silly how bristly it looked, especially the hair on his face.
I've seen beards before on some elder druids, but… most young men, at least the ones I knew growing up didn't wear facial hair.
Despite being a warrior, I guess it's because he's a human, but he looked so soft.
Then he looked up…
And his eyes locked with mine.
That sharp blue of his eyes paused and made me freeze. He gave me a different kind of smile, something… special… his lips raised just slightly in each corner, his brow relaxed and he blinked.
Tayca started talking, but with her head bent over I couldn't hear a word she said. But he continued to keep his eyes locked with mine.
My heart beat strongly and my cheeks felt warm, my right hand fidgeted with a belt loop on my hip and my left gripped my thigh slightly. I… stopped thinking for a moment and the last coherent thought I had was that I just hoped Tayca wouldn't look upwards and notice what either of us was doing.
He spoke, plainly and as if no one was around.
"Hey"
I couldn't help but involuntarily smile,
I swallowed and cleared my throat before echoing him, as best I could.
"Hey"
This is a teaser, as it has been so long since last I worked on this I wanted to see if I could capture the same atmosphere as before. If you guy's like it I'll work on the chapter and try to deliver a full 3000 word-er.
For those of you who might be let down by the size of the "chapter" I apologize, but if it's good enough for you give me the greenlight and I'll try to send more out your way.