4E 204 year… 1st of Evening Star… 2209…
The fireplace outside the bedroom was warming the basement a little too much for Azriel's comfort. It made her feel queasy and her eyes burned so badly that closing them hurt. She rubbed them repeatedly trying to alleviate the pain, but it only made it worse.
She groaned. All of her ached down to her littlest toe and she wished she could stop rubbing her eyes for longer than just a second. As she massaged the corners of her eyes and the bridge of her nose, she tried to keep her attention on Jordis' warm hand she held in her own.
"You need sleep, dear."
Azriel shook her head, the thought giving a verbal answer made her feel sick. She stopped rubbing her eyes long enough to try to focus her vision on the young Nord lying unconscious in the bed.
The old woman sighed loudly. "She'll be here when you wake. Go and rest." The old woman's voice carried a tender tone in her softly spoken words. "Let the cares of the world abandon you for a few hours."
Azriel gave her head a single shake and resumed rubbing her eyes again. She couldn't even think about getting out of the chair without her head spinning.
"Dragonborn…"
Azriel growled lowly at the priest, but didn't say a word otherwise. Her wolf was simply too tired to bare its teeth and so was she.
He exhaled in sympathy and continued. "You need rest. Angeline has made sure Jordis will be comfortable while she heals. And she's right, you need to sleep."
"Dear, she won't wake up any time soon. I'm keeping her unconscious throughout her healing sessions." Angeline patted her arm, "It's better for her this way. She's more comfortable, I assure you." Angeline pulled Azriel's hand away from her face and dropped a small vial into it. "Drink it. It will help you sleep dreamlessly for a few hours."
Azriel shook her head again. Her stomach was rolling. She couldn't bring herself to drink the potion, get out of the chair, or talk. The only thing she could do was watch the glow from Freir's magic around Jordis slowly subside. Angeline administered three different tonics to Jordis while Rorlund rounded the bedside, inspecting Jordis' physical injuries and to pull the furs back over Jordis.
He finished and joined Freir near the doorway. "We'll deal with the trauma of her mind after her body heals. We'll return in the early morning for her next session. You, in the meantime, need to rest. You look like death warmed over."
Azriel sighed and looked down at Jordis' hand. The burns still marred her snowy skin. It made Azriel's heart ache knowing there was nothing she could do to speed along her healing outside the efforts of the three people in the room with her. She was simply too exhausted.
"Go upstairs and get some rest." Angeline smiled at her, placing the empty bottles in her bag. "We'll make sure Jordis is cared for. Vivienne will be here in a couple of hours to administer her night tonics." The old woman shuffled around the bed to the chair where Azriel sat. Patting Azriel's shoulder, she leaned down and whispered in her ear. "You have done everything you can for her. Let us care for her now. You need to care for yourself."
"And even you need respite, Dragonborn. Your eyes and the rest of you will feel better after a night of uninterrupted sleep." Freir added.
Azriel slowly slid off the chair, placing Jordis' hand under the furs. Without a word she downed the bottle, watching the three people hovering around Jordis at the foot of her bed. The care they had administered to her wrenched on her heart as her friend lay motionless. She watched the bruised and battered young woman's chest rise, then fall. Each breath bringing her closer to tears once more.
She took one last look at the two priests and the old apothecary. Without a single word to anyone, Azriel slipped from the room. Making her way to the stairs, past the collection of old tomes, ancient armor, and enchanting area, Azriel walked silently. Her body movements were detached from her thoughts which roamed aimlessly. From dragons to food her mind bounced as she climbed the steps. A mindless moment past and she stood staring at the candlelit first floor.
Azriel let her eyes drift closed, haunting the first-floor landing for more than a minute. She felt her body wavier and her eyes snapped open, the burning reminded her she had to climb farther up to find her bed.
"Do you need help?" Theron's voice drifted to her from a thousand leagues away.
Azriel swallowed, her saliva felt thick in her mouth. Did she need help? She wasn't sure. The massive room seemed dimmer. Maybe it was her mood.
"Azriel?" Another voice called to her, but it seemed so far away.
Azriel couldn't find the source of it as the room around her began to swim. The floor felt uneven as she took another step, this time towards the boy. Was it her imagination or was the room still getting darker? She tried to focus on a candle sconce, but the candle multiplied.
"I can help you if you need me too."
Azriel opened her mouth, but nothing came out. The room around her was spinning out of control away from her. She took another step and this time only saw the stone floor that came rushing up to meet her.
Azriel didn't register the pain from hitting it. Oddly though, she felt the cold and the smooth unevenness of it. The room around her grew dark. Their voices still called out to her, but she no longer cared.