Scrapes and Bruises [Midori]

[Selibas]

The young Khan partly walked, and was partly carried to the ring of tents he knew were reserved for the healers of the Chaklai. He'd made sure they were together, so that they could easily be protected in case there was an attack on the camp, and so they'd be easy to find. He was pleased he'd had the foresight to ensure the latter at the moment, as the bandages across his chest and stomach strained against the blood that still rested on the surface of his wounds. The Khan was weak, and leaned heavily on his cousin as the two made their way through the Chaklai tents. Finally, they stumbled across someone, an older woman, and Dale called for a place where the little wolf could be tended to. The woman showed him to a tent with a high table inside, and the tall Nomad helped his cousin and Khan find his place, laying on his back.

As Dale left the tent, in search of a healer, Selibas regulated his breathing. His vision was fuzzy, and his lungs heavy. It took a great deal of effort to force the breath in and out, and it caused him some degree of pain. The short Sacaen closed his eyes to the pain as it came, and forced his chest and stomach to swell and fall with the air as it came and went. He let his eyes rest slowly open, and the roof of the tent was just as fuzzy as it had been when he first looked upon it. Selibas fought back a cough, and almost smiled. He'd rushed head first into a trap, and come out the other end, with only scrapes and bruises. Of course, they seemed like somewhat serious scrapes, and mildly grave bruises.

[Midori]

The early morning hours were full of chores for Midori. Bodily necessities came first followed by prayers. She then tended to the fires and cooked the morning meal for her group. After that she restocked her supplies and went off to tend to Ashes. She managed to take the mare out for some light riding before she returned towards the rest of her duties. The healer was heading back to her own tent for a snack, when a man flagged her down. Midori was only just starting to recognize faces of people whom were either frequent visitors of the Chaklai's tents, her friends, or those who seemed to be important in the army. She knew Khan Selibus. She knew that like many other Khan's he had blood riders. And these riders were either kin or seen as kin. She had not yet memorized whom all of them were, but this man seemed to be familiar. She knew she had seen him with the grand Khan before and yet she did not know his name or his place. Whomever he was he seemed desperate.

The man introduced himself as Dale. He quietly explained that the Grand Khan was hurt and they needed a healer. Midori nodded and followed Dale towards the tent. She was concerned. The Grand Khan was important to everyone here! Without him this unification wouldn't have happened. The Khan was also friends with Chelsea and Mana. Two women she had struck up an acquaintanceship with… possibility even a friendship. The Khan was important to her too but she wasn't quite sure how to respond to the fact that he thought her beautiful. No matter! She was a healer, the Khan was hurt, she had to go help him! Dale led the way and Midori was rushed inside.

The Khan laid on a high table. A table reserved for certain medical procedures and sometimes used as a bench. The Grand Khan was a mess of bandages, dirt, and blood. Midori figured he must have been in some sort of fight. Possibly with the enemy. Which meant there might be more injured on the way. She looked around the room at the people here. Another woman was there an older one who acted as a stock manager.

“Mina, quick go fetch me a bucket of hot water with the boiling stones in it. And a torch. Bring the torch first.” Midori spoke quickly to the older woman, in the native language of her people. The woman nodded and quickly left the room. Midori pulled up a nearby stool and put her bag on it. Quickly she dipped her hand inside its side pocket and pulled out the a set of a scissors.

“What happened?” She asked towards Dale. Then turned her attention to Selibus. She did a quick check of his face, vitals, and eyes. He was conscious but in pain. His breathing was calm. Calm was a good sign.

“Khan Selibas can you hear me?” She spoke to him softly. And steadily started to cut off the bandages that held his wounds together.

[Selibas]

Selibas's fuzzy vision was not enough to keep him from noticing the shock of pink hair as it entered the tent, or to stop him from trying at first to sit up. He quickly realized that was a horrid decision, that he needed to keep himself flat, and the young Khan attempted to flatten himself to a point that his body was almost a piece of paper. He rolled his head to look at Dale as his older bloodrider began to speak, "We went to... raid some of the Etrurian mercenaries. We were succesful and suffered next to no losses, but among our wounded was Selibas Khan. He fought without the armor he's used to." Then a flash of hesitation crossed the little wolf's cousins face. Had they been alone, he likely would have mentioned how stupid Selibas had been to walk into an ambush and try to fight with a style he was only just learning. However, Dale would only speak so freely and bluntly to Selibas if he was certain no one would hear him.

As Midori began to cut his bandages away from his torso, she asked if she could hear him. Selibas smiled through gritted teeth, and looked up at her. The bloody bandages being tampered with caused him a bit of pain, but nothing he couldn't handle. "If I can't, my mind is playing a very specific trick on me." The Khan then turned his focus to keeping his breath even smoother, to avoid affecting Midori's work. If left untreated, the wound could be serious trouble, and he didn't want to make her work even harder.

Dale stood a bit straighter and said, "If you can handle him yourself, I'm going to find Mina and help her carry everything so that it can be one trip." When he reached the opening of the tent he turned and said, "Selibas Khan, don't tell your jokes when you're on the doctor's table. You're the only one who thinks that outsider humor is funny." Selibas laughed as his cousin left. That hurt. Looking up at Midori again, he said, "He's right, I was much funnier in Bern."

[Midori]

Midori let out a soft sigh at Selibas remark about his mind playing tricks on him. She was relieved that his head was fine. But she was still concerned over the nature of his injuries. It was hard for the Khan to sit up, which indicated that there could be something more serious underneath the bandages.

“Why would you run off towards the enemy without your armor?” She shook her head.

“Never mind that.. I'm at the end of the bandages. I'm going to peel them off slowly. I'm sorry if that.. is uncomfortable for you Khan Selibas.” She spoke as she worked. She pulled back the bandages to reveal Selibas body. The wounds were a mess of blood. Red blood, brown blood, flakey bits of dried blood, this made Midori frown. These some of the wounds were bad. Some cuts ran deep. There was a large gash on the side and one on his chest she was concerned about.

“This.. is treatable.” She muttered under her breath. Midori gently grabbed Selibus hand and put part off the bandages on it. She guided it towards the gash on his side.

“Please hold that there gently while I prepared something.” She spoke softly and calmly. Dale had asked if she was alright here. Midori turned to him and nodded softly. The blood rider made a comment about Selibas jokes being funny only to outsiders. Midori ignored that comment for now. Her eyes were trained and focused on Selibas body. She was watching him. Watching how he breathed. His breathing was calm. Rhythmic. That was a good sign. She watching the wounds how they moved. She counted the bruises.

“I do not think the staff can fully close these wounds in one go. You will need some stitches for the wound on your side.” She spoke without breaking her eye contact on Selibas. She then took a deep breath in and prepared herself. Midori stepped back a bit. She removed her cloak and hung it on a nearby hook. She pulled her hair back and up into a high ponytail. Her bare arms were exposed.

From her bag she pulled out several bottles of something. Mixtures. Herbal concoctions mixed with wine and hard liquor. These would help ward off infection. Mina returned with the torch. Midori nodded and had her put it in a special holster nearby. Midori would use the torch to burn her hands to purify them. The older woman left again this time to get the water bucket. Midori pulled out from her bag some thread and a hook like needle. The fire would also be used to purify the needle. She mixed the bottles together into an empty bowl and dunked the needle and thread into it. She let it sit for a moment. She took the mixture from the bowl and soaked a clean rag in it. She squeezed out the excess and placed it in its own bowl of mixture. She then carefully approached Selibas with the rag bowl.

“This will help clean the wounds.. it also stings worse than bites from angry ants.” She looked at him.

“I do not want to cause you more pain.. please let me know if you want some sleeping draught.”

[Selibas]

"I'm learning to fight more like a Sacaen, most of us don't wear heavy armor, and I'd like the warriors to be able to see themselves in the Khan at the head of their column." The little wolf was unsure why so many people disagreed with him. Perhaps it was becuase most of the Sacaens he'd introduced the idea to had come from some of the smaller tribes, and they were less used to the leisure of metaphor and poetic thinking. His own old tribe for instance, had very little time to focus on such thing, the only artistic endeavors ever truly practiced being weaving and song, and the only art other than those that went noticed was jewelry. His men, even his bloodriders, understood that though his style was foreign and therefore not nearly as efficient as Sacaen Swordplay, Selibas was a good enough swordsman to make it work in battle. To them it was unnecessary, as was his idea that it would be appreciated for him to change his style to a more at home one. He didn't know how the Chaklai valued sentimentality, so he wasn't sure if Midori would be inclined to agree with him or not.

As Midori warned him of her removing his bandages, he said, "It's fine Midori, I trust you." Then the woman with eyes like the Sacaen plain drew the bandages off his skin, he had to focus to not show any pain as she went, and pressed them into his hand. She told him to press them against his side, and the Khan complied without a word. His breathing had picked up a bit once air had began to cut into the gash, and the gray eyed swordsman focused on steadying the flow through his nostrils and mouth once again. After Midori mentioned how he would need stiches, she pulled away from the table and began to prepare for treating him. When she pulled her hair up, Selibas spoke almost without thinking, "Your hair, it looks nice like that." He'd managed to avoid wincing from the pain, but there was no avoiding a quick wince of embarrassment. She was a bit too serious for him to play Kelvin at a time like this.

Even though a bit of heat touched his cheeks, which was surprising considering he'd lost a deal of blood today, he kept his eyes on her as she worked. The healer was very focused, she was like a soldier, but a soldier whose immediate worry was over someone else's life instead of her own. It was a nice kind of determination, a compassionate one. The fire in her eyes betrayed empathy instead of violence, and it calmed Selibas more than her presentation of the staff had.

"I've never been bitten by an ant, so I imagine this'll be an all new experience for me. Do they bite harder when they're angry?" Selibas' smile did little to conceal the dash of sarcasm in his question, but the Khan quickly followed with, "No, I'll be awake if that's alright. I'll try not to make this any harder, I'm sorry if I've screwed anything up so far."

[Midori]

"It was foolish of you to do so. To fight with a style you are unfamiliar with.. and without armor. The enemy will waste no time in capitalizing upon that weakness… none of us wish to see you dead my Khan.”She spoke with some sternness. It was somewhat reminiscent of a mother talking to her child after the child had done something foolish.

“It should not matter what the others see you as.. you are Khan. Our tribes have sworn our allegiance to you. We follow you regardless.. Please do not make.. any more reckless choices like that again.” She was worried about him. And this worry, this concern was reflected in her voice. She went ahead and gently removed his hand from the bandages. Her cheeks were lightly flushed with a tint of red. Selibas had made a remark about her hair. She had to resist the urge to explain that a high ponytail was incredibly common. That it had practical purposes. She could hear the voice of her mentor in her head regarding men and comments. Just say thank-you.

“Thank-you Khan Selibas for the complement. And.. for trusting me.” She smiled briefly. But, it faded as quickly as it came. She saw the Khan's brief flash of pain. The rag in her hand was going to cause him more pain.

“Back home.. we have these ants that live in the foothills of the mountain. The climate can be harsh.. and other insects like to eat ants.. so the ants have hard pincers in order to defend themselves. Their stings feel like.. well.. you will see soon enough. Please grip the table… and do not hit me. Forgive me my Khan.” She then started to clean his wounds. The concoction was a reddish brown color that stained clothes. She had to be careful with it. Midori knew it stung. But, she knew the stinging was good. It meant that the flesh was healthy. That it was alive.

“There is a numbing agent in there too. Made from powdered root and ground up stingray tips.. Soon, the pain will dull and I can begin to stitch.” She managed to clean the gash. She waited a few moments for the concoction to dry. Then she grabbed the needle. She placed it over the fire for a moment then pulled away. The needle was now purified enough to work with flesh.

“After the stitches I will use the staff. Hopefully, Dale and Mina return by then.”

[Selibas]

"I'm alive aren't I? I learned to fight in my style by jumping into battle, why should this one be any different?" The Khan let his neck rest and set his head back down on the table. The color returned to his cheeks when she thanked him for the compliment, and a smile touched his lips. Perhaps he should have saved that wince for the actual pain. He turned his head towards her the slightest bit to listen as she described the ants around where she'd grown up. As a boy, he'd liked watching ants, he'd always liked watching them march in a line. Of course when that was discovered by his cousins, Farus and Dale began to throw things down in their path, or outright stomp on them to send them scrambling. Dale had never apologize, but Selibas believed if he brought it up the taller Sacaen would. Most things from their youth were decided by Farus, and Dale simply followed while Selibas was the victim. Dale had shown remorse for his cruelty, but there were few times he'd ever stopped his older brother.

"I've never been bit by an ant, but I have been stung by a wasp. That hurt like hell, and once I ran through a field of tall grass, and a deer tic bit into my calf. That hurt even worse." He wrapped his fingers around the edges of the table, gripping it as tight as he usually did the hilt of his sword. "I'd never hit you." As the salve hit his skin, Selibas quickly exhaled through his teeth. It stung like a b***h.

However, Midori was done quick enough, and then she explained that it would soon numb the wound. "What's a sting-ray? Is that a flower?" Selibas tried to calm his breathing once more, and tried to prepare for the stitches. "You know, the other day when I said we should talk sometime soon? This isn't what I had in mind."

[Midori]

“We have a proverb.. simply because you have done something correctly 1000 times, does not guarantee that it will be correctly done the 1001 time.” She looked at him.

“Being alive is not enough my Khan. We need you well. You are our leader. This army would be torn apart should you fall. And while I admire your desire to fight and act more like Sacean.. perhaps it can be saved till after this war.” She found herself gripping the hand rag a bit harder then usual. She knew what it was like. The want and need to be accepted by your peers.She glanced away. The Chaklai were sometimes seen as non-saceans by certain tribes for their association with outsiders. She remembered the glares and dirty looks from some of them as the group traveled. One memory in particular struck out at her. A small encampment suffering from illness. The Chaklai rode out to help them but rather than being welcome.. they were chased off. The tribesmen raised their swords up at them while the chieftain spat at the ground in front of them. He called them bastards. Midori herself was 14 at the time. She remembered crying and asking her elders “why” once they were in the safety of their own village.

“Wasp and bee stings aren't so bad. They generally have one good sting before they fly off. Their stingers are usually embedded into the skin.. the yellow insect dies. The ants at home their pincers are fixed.. they bite repeatedly without dying. Deer ticks must be removed quickly.. some of them cause an illness involving fever and a rash.” She spoke and closed her eyes briefly. Selibas was true to his word. He did not hit her.

“You'd be surprised at how many hits we take from patients in pain. Usually we have men in here to hold people down so they don't strike us. It's rarely empty like this.” She waited for a moment. By now the numbing agent should be in effect. The sound would be easier to work with. Midori began to work with her hands. She carefully stitches the large gash close. Her stitches were even and perfect. When she was done she cut the excess string away and threw the remaining needle and thread into the bowl. She pulled herself away from the wound.

“A stingray is a fish like creature. They are flat bodied and glide on the ocean floor like a cloth in the water. It is found predominantly in the ocean though some freshwater variants do exist. They often hide under the sand and mud. They have stinging barbs at the end of their tails for defense. Our river is too cold for the freshwater ones to live in. We have to trade for their stingers, so we often travel to the city in Bern where the three rivers converge in order to get some.” She paused.

"It seems we only find a chance to talk whenever I am working. Life is funny like that." She smiled softly.

"These.. chats are nice. And I am grateful for them."

Her hands were now bloodied. Fortunately, Mina and Dale returned with the bucket of water she had asked for. With this she was able to clean her hands and prepare the hot stones for the next step. She wrapped them in some cloth and set them aside. The healer then grabbed her staff and healed the wounded Khan. The long cut on his chest slowly closed until it was nothing more than a thin red line. The stitches gash also healed up considerably. But, the stitches would have to remain for about a week more. For now, the Khan would not be in danger of bleeding out.

“Try to sit up.”

[Selibas]

"Well I don't need to be held down. I've endured a lot worse." The scars on his back were evidence of that. As was the white mark above the open gash on his chest. "I'm sorry people you were healing have hurt you all, that seems like something you could focus through the pain to not do."

The short khan listened intently as the pink haired healer explained what a stingray was. They sounded like something out of a book, like they were something that someone had just made up one day. A thin little thing floating in the water with a spear on its tail? That sounded awful. It sounded awful and whimsical and unnecessary. However, listening to her talk about the silly cloth fish made him focus less on the few pricks that he could feel through the numb area on his side. She was done almost before he knew it, and as she was saying she enjoyed their talks, they were interrupted by the return of Dale and Mina. D**n it.

Before he could say anything, she had taken up her staff, and through whatever force of will it took, she worked her magic, and his chest seemed to close to the point that it was almost like he hadn't been cut. Almost, but he could still feel the rake of the blade across his skin and sinew. He gasped when the feeling stopped. It had been like he wasn't there for a few seconds, like a pool of adrenaline had washed over him in the form of some type of warm light. When it faded, Selibas' breath was heavy, and the very chest that had been healed pounded. He'd never been healed before, the sensation was a shock.

She asked him to try to sit up, and he made an attempt. He managed it, but his nose and mouth twisted at the sudden pain. It was far less than before, but it still wasn't comfortable. This wouldn't do, stitches, pain anytime he wasn't sitting down. He had to move, he had to be a Khan. Moments ago, he'd been shocked by how calm he'd suddenly felt, but now instead of a cleansing light he was hit by a heavy wave of rage that left not an inch of him dry. He placed a hand on his side to attempt and ignore it, but it didn't help, and his blood boiled even hotter. Before he knew it, the feeling of adrenaline clashing with pain that he was more familiar with, but still did not fully understand, came back. The wound at his side carried for a split second a green light, and the pain lessened even more. [SELIBAS IMBUE USED] The Little Wolf smiled up at Midori, "There, it's not much, but I helped."

[Midori]

It seemed that the Khan enjoyed his freedom. Midori could sympathize with that. But, she also knew the duties of a Khan did not allow much freedom. People would inevitably bombard the Khan with all sorts of things, requests, plans, battles as this war progressed.

“We do not blame them. Pain, panic, they do things to cloud judgement. Many apologize afterwards for their actions. You know.. once they are recovering.” She spoke with sincerity. There were many a time where Midori sported a cut or bruise from an injured patient. Midori watched as the Khan tried to sit up. She noticed the subtle cues in his movements. He was running under adrenaline. His breath and heart beat changed. Midori stood up and prepared a cup for him. Mina had brought a second batch of hot water to be used for drink. Midori thanked the woman and continued to work.

She prepared a tea. Tea made of powdered ginger root and sweetened with orange preserves, and some mint. She had the warm drink in one hand and a tray of the warm stones on the other. She put the tray down on the table and then sat back down on her stool. Khan Selibas had done something. She could sense it from him. The feeling was faint, but it felt as if he had exerted some sort of spiritual energy. His wound had changed. The Khan claimed that he had helped. She was curious to know how he had helped. Midori handed him the warm mug of tea.

“Here, this tea will help refresh you. There is ginger root in there to help with your circulation. I assume you lost a fair amount of blood in your journey here. The orange and mint are to help restore your body’s natural energy. Plus.. it helps to quench thirst.” She was quiet for a bit. She picked up one of the stones.

“The.. cloth wrapped stones are to help relieve your sore muscles and bruises. I will give you a bucket of them to take with you to your tent. Return them in the morning.” She made another pause. She had a feeling she knew what the Khan did.

“You.. just did something? You.. pumped energy into closing your wound no?”

[Selibas]

The little wolf leaned back on his right hand as Midori spoke again. He could see her point, but still he shrugged. "If you ever need someone to hold someone down... I can make time." He absolutely couldn't, but he would try if she needed him. He didn't want any healers to be hurt while they were only trying to save the warriors of Sacae. But especially not her.

As Midori approached him with a cup of tea, Selibas looked over at Mina and Dale, and spoke, keeping his voice soft. "Mina, I'd like you to go and check on the rest of my men, they will likely be near my tent. Most of them assured me they weren't injured in any way they couldn't handle, but I believe that was but a show for their Khan. Dale, I need you to go and speak with the guards of Naran-Org Lorca, and make sure they are taking the precautions to protect him within the camp." A flicker of a smile touched Dale's lips, but then it was gone and his face was as blank as he usually held it, and he replied, "Selibas Khan, it would not be well for me to leave you unprotected." Selibas exhaled sharply through his nose, "Then tell the sisters to come and wait for me in view of this tent Dale." The smile was back, a full one. "Thank you, my Khan."

After both had disappeared, Selibas looked back at Midori, and said with a sly grin, "Dale is interested in the captain of Naran-Org's guards. She seems to like it when he comes by too." A few weeks ago, Selibas would have chewed his cousin out for having such concerns, however now things were different. They could very well be marching towards their death, and now Selibas' perspective of that particular concern had shifted.

The green haired swordsman listened as Midori explained what the two had retrieved. Tea and stones. Oh great, he hated tea. It tasted like water that someone ruined. Nothing made fresh water better like crushed up dirt and leaves, you know, making it dirty? The little wolf slipped into a wide smile and said, "Oh great, I love tea." He didn't want her to think he wasn't grateful, but he didn't feel good lying about it. He took up the cup, and took a small sip. His smile widened and his eyebrows went up, he tilted his head to look at Midori, and exclaimed, "That's delicious! I've never tasted tea like it before. It's spicy somehow, it's almost as good as airag." He threw back the rest of the tea in one gulp, it was spicy, but the spic of it was almost masked by two tastes he'd never had before. Something that was a sweet sour mix, and another sweet flavor that was crisp, almost cold even though the tea was hot.

Midori asked him about his adrenaline healing technique, and the Khan squinted as he tried to find a way to explain it. "I don't know, it's something I did by accident once when I was in Bern fighting-" He almost said his father, but stopped himself. That was a lot to unload. "In the rebellion. I was injured and it sent me into a rage, and I focused on the pain. Then all of a sudden I just felt different, like all my adrenaline was scabbing over it at once. I think you're right, I use my own energy, I read a poem once in a library about how you can't do something without giving something up, I think that's how it works. It usually only works when I get emotional." He smiled, "That happens a lot."

[Midori]

Midori sat and listened to Selibus. She liked the fact that he enjoyed the tea. Most people don’t take to ginger tea on the first sip. Many people complained that the taste is too bitter. Or it is too hot for the tongue. Others didn’t like the aftertaste. She smiled softly as Selibus as he dismissed the others from the tent. This privacy was nice. Privacy allowed for better patient and healer interaction.

“I am glad you.. Enjoy our tea. We grow the roots ourselves. They have wonderful properties.” She nodded softly. The Khan started to talk about his skill. About his ability to heal wounds on his own at an accelerated pace. She knew of this skill. In the scrolls, this skill is called imbue. It has two classes, a basic, and advance class. Selibus seemed to have a simplified understanding of how the skill worked. And it seemed that this basic understanding was all that he needed. However, this upset Midori. Selibas was injured. His body needed rest and recuperation. Midori knew this. And she knew that his body was going to give out at him at any moment. Her expression shifted slightly. Her smile faded and she looked at him with a neutral expression.

“Selibas.” She spoke with a slight coldness towards her voice. She also used his name. His name, without any honorifics or titles. Midori was talking to him not as his subordinate, but rather as a medic, concerned for the life of her patient.

“You should not over exert your body like this. I understand your desire to heal your body quickly.. But you need to rest. The ability you just used.. That is imbue. You.. use your body’s own energy to accelerate the healing process. You.. simply.. Make yourself more vulnerable when you do that. My Khan.. I worry about your well being.” She looked away briefly.

[Selibas]

"Selibas." Midori's tone was not a happy one, in fact, it was the closest Selibas had heard her sound to angry. She said it though, she said it. She called him his name, she called him just Selibas, that was all. At least for the moment, he wasn't 'Khan Selibas' or 'My Khan' he was Selibas. Even though there was an element of detachment in her voice when she said it, she did. Her coldness didn't stop a smile spreading across his face. He didn't lose the grin as she described the techniques true nature and what it meant for his body in the long run. At the end, 'My Khan' was back, but it came with her concern for him. Then she looked away from him.

Unconcerned with the pain, Selibas slid from his seat on the edge of the table, and he stood right in front of her. With a sudden burst of pride, he remembered that he was taller than her, if only by about an inch. Then he did something risky, he lifted his arms, placed them around her sides and on her back, then drew her close to him, he didn't know how tight was too much but he made his best attempt to avoid hurting her. For a few moments he was content just to hold her there. So... this was a hug. It was nice, he could see why people spoke so highly about it. He had wanted to give her some kind of comfort, but hugging her tight to him, he felt anxiety and discomfort he hadn't even known he was burdened with fading away. In her embrace, his concerns seemed small, almost unimportant.

With his arms still around her, Selibas spoke, his voice as soft as he could manage it, "I'm sorry Mid-Midori. I don't want to... to make you worry. I'll only 'Imbue' myself if I absolutely need to." Then he let her go, and took a step back to lean on the table. He looked away then, and said, "And I'm sorry for hugging you, I should have... asked."

[Midori]

Selibas’ hug was unexpected. She assumed that the khan’s body had finally given out on him from everything that had happened. She stood up and prepared to catch him as she had done with other patients. Her arms were raised ready to catch him. But, he drew her close. She was initially shocked. She had her staff in hand and was ready to hit the Khan if need be. She worldly enough to know that men often took advantage of women. Grand Khan or not she would and will defend herself if need be. However, Khan Selibas made no other movements. This was merely a hug. An action that apparently Khan Selibas had never experienced. He spoke in a manner that reminded her of a child. It was innocent… and full of concern. She stayed there frozen in place for a moment waiting for him to let go. And when he did she took a step back. Such a display of affection caught her off guard. She was used to hugging Lady Lucy, Skai, Skai’s wife, and some of her fellow healers. But, the Khan was still.. Kinda sort of a new person to her. He was still someone whom was of a higher rank and station. While some would have seen this display as cute, Midori was simply confused. Confused, because she was afraid of the implications. Afraid that she would ruin any sort of reputation if she misinterpreted his actions.

“My Khan. Please.. Give some warning. The next time you hug me.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. Her staff was held so tightly in her hands her knuckles were starting to show through her skin.

“I.. am unaccustomed.. To such displays of affection from.. Someone who is of your rank.” She slowly composed herself.

“I.. do.. Not know how to react. I.. want nothing more then to see you well.. But I understand.. The power of Imbue.. and it’s usefulness. Just.. promise you will use it wisely and understand the risks it entails.” She was starting to feel embarrassed now.

“Please.. L-lets.. Get you back to your tent. H-have your kin escort you back. I will arrive later with the hot stones. I.. need to clean and prepare the tent for the next patient. And you need to rest properly.”

[Selibas]

Ah. Her Khan. Not Selibas. The little wolf's racing heart sank. He was right back, once more he wasn't someone she could speak to, he wasn't a man, he was a pile of egg shells strewn about the ground. His gesture had set her to the tips of her toes again. If it wouldn't tear his stitches, he'd have really wanted to practice with his sword, his sword, a heavy one. He'd like to hit something, or maybe let someone hit him. Hard.

However, as angry at himself as he was, he was a bit angry at her, though he hid it well. "You could act the same as you would any time someone else hugged you. When we are alone you don't have a rank, and I don't have one above you. And I don't care if that is not something a Khan should say, or if it isn't traditional. You and I being in this tent is only possible because I've done things that for centuries were seen as things Khan's should not do, and are against tradition. But..." He sighed, and cast his eyes to his feet. They were covered by the same red cavalry boots he'd worn since Ostia, when the thought of talking to a woman had been enough to make him shake in his... boots. That boy had been very different, but he was still inside of the short man, and he could still rear his head.

"But I'll say again, I'm sorry. It's unfair to you, the circumstances of my... attraction to you. I understand there are rules for you that I don't know, or feelings, ideas, that are different because we're from different tribes. And besides that, I know nothing about women, how to speak to women in a-a romantic way, the thought of it has terrified me for most of my life. I don't anything about timing or what's appropriate, how to express interest, things like that. That isn't fair to you. It's not fair for someone who can't understand his feelings at all, and doesn't understand what rules he might be breaking to act as I have. So I'm sorry."

He got up. "Thank you Midori, for healing me." He held his arm to his side, and left the tent. Five steps outside, and the sisters fell into step beside him, and Chambui cleared her throat. "Selibas Khan, would you like hel-"

"No."

[End Thread]