Medicinal Musings (open)

[Karen]

"Well, that's- that's really something. How about we get some food or something?"

"Good job, now she's nervous of you. Yes, make the good-natured Cleric scared of the creepy killer." Karen's mind jumped in briefly to berate the Acolyte. It had quite the way of doing that in these situations. And it tended to be right.

"Ah... Yes, food sounds good."

Karen started to flag down one of the waiters or waitresses, but was halted as Aella stood up and grasped her hand. It felt rough and calloused, like the hands of a warrior rather than a preacher.

"Follow me."

Karen allowed herself to be "dragged" by Aella, going where she pulled. Eventually, they came to a dock where workers busied themselves.

"Tell me what you see here."

Karen blinked. "Sailors."

"Who are these people to you?"

...

What were they to her?

Karen looked at the sailors.

...

She placed a hand on her forehead, shaking it. They weren't doing anything wrong, just going about their daily lives. Sure, they were rowdy and quick to brawls, but it wasn't exactly wrong. But... But there were still people out there that deserved it. But...

Karen felt conflicted. The years of old came back to her, screaming at her. The current did to, reminding her of just how soaked in blood her hands were. How good it was to just preach of love and compassion. How brutally she'd killed that woman. How relaxing it was to spend time with her mother. How her father was stabbed trying to protect her.

"I'm sorry." Karen spoke briefly before turning away, suddenly starting to walk away, her voice was rushed, pained. Briefly, Aella could see her wiping at an eye.

[Aella]

"I'm sorry." That was all that Karen said as she turned to leave. Sorry? Sorry for what? Aella saw her wipe away a tear, and her heart broke for the acolyte. What had she gone through? What had she been forced to see? Aella could feel her own tears begin to form. No! she told herself. This wasn't the time to cry. She had wanted Karen to learn something, and by golly Aella was going to teach her!

With a lunge, Aella grabbed Karen's calloused hands. Aella's own hands were calloused as well. Yet Karen's seemed different, colder perhaps. Used for a purpose rather than used for enjoyment. It was as though Aella could feel some of the pain Karen must be feeling from holding her palm. "Stay." That was all she said. And apparently it was enough. The acolyte quit her retreat. Carefully, Aella took her staff and wrapped Karen's hand around it. With both hands free, she began rummaging in her sack, talking while she did so. "I'll tell you what I see. I see ruffians, vagabonds, urchins, and harlots. I see all manner of unsavory people. I see exactly what everyone else sees when pirates are mentioned. But you know what else I see? I see the individuals. I see people who could need help. I see patients, patients that I know I can help."

Finally, she found her bandanna buried in the bottom of her supplies. It was a simple piece of brown cloth, certainly. But to Aella, it was more than that. This bandanna kept her hair out of the way when she was working. It was a symbol that there would be nothing standing in between her and her medicine. Countless hours it had been used and hopefully countless more in the years ahead. Pushing her hair back, she tied up her resolve in that bandanna. No longer were tears in her eyes. Instead, that sadness was replaced by a fire with ire. "You don't say sorry and walk away when you can still do something."

Turning around, Aella began scanning the port. Immediately, her eyes focused on a man who looked half-dead. Without even a backward glance, she walked up to the incapacitated form. Grimacing slightly, Aella grabbed underneath the man's sweaty armpits, wrapping her hands in fistfuls of the shirt. With a grunt, she began dragging him back to where Karen stood. "Watch," she said as she allowed the body to flop on the ground. Her voice was cold and commanding. Setting her bag beside her, Aella began examining the prone form.

He had several bruises on his face. Aella could smell the alcohol on the man's breath. It seemed that he had been in a bar fight. It was hardly uncommon. However, the man's lack of movement had concerned Aella which was what drew her attention. Her suspicions were confirmed when she opened his shirt. There were several large bruises and welts as well as a few small cuts. The man's breathing was labored. It was likely that he had severe internal injuries. Working quickly, Aella removed the mortar and pestle from her bag along with a box with several herbs and powders in it. Immediately, she began grinding some leaves and a fine grained mixture together. Dumping the concoction into a small cup, Aella took some of her water and swirled it in, making a simple medicine. Lifting the man's head up, she poured the contents down his throat and closed his jaw. The man spluttered, but Aella held him there until he managed to swallow it all.

With the numbing and relaxing agents (hopefully) moving through his body, Aella dressed the minor wounds. A dash of powder covering the cuts and a crushed up leaf mixed with water made a paste to cover the wounds. Now came the worst part. Aella reached over without a word and snatched her staff back from Karen. Standing up, she focused her energy through the staff. Once it reached the orb at the end, a light began to grow. With a flick of her wrist, Aella sent it into the pirate. Focusing on the wounds within, she did what she could to stop the bleeding. It wasn't quite enough though. With a couple deep breaths, Aella repeated the action. This time, Aella was fairly certain the man was now safe. Carefully, she placed her staff on the ground and rolled the newly healed patient over. Running her hands across the man's bare back, Aella could feel knots and displacements. With great pressure, she forced things to relax and move. Audible pops could be heard. Although she didn't know if she was doing it exactly right, Aella did her best. Joints popped as she worked her way down the arms. Next came the legs and feet. With the entire body thoroughly worked over and reset, Aella sat back with a heavy sigh.

Untying her hair, she let her bangs fall back around her eyes. She was all sweaty now. Rolling up her sleeves, Aella revealed her arms, fully decorated with armbands and previous encounters with unhappy plants. Smiling, she looked up at Karen as she blew her hair out of her eyes. "Everyone deserves the right to live. I don't know this guy. He has no idea what I've done for him. I'm probably going to get nothing in return. There's even a possibility this man will kill me in the future. I may have just saved a heinous criminal. But that doesn't matter. This was a patient who needed help. I am a doctor who can provide that help. Who am I to deny that?" Aella paused. It was never pleasant to talk about yourself dying. "Each of us has a responsibility to offer what help we can. Will you really just walk away from all these people who need your help, Acolyte?"

[Karen]

"Stay."

Karen did. She felt the pull, heard the word.

"I'll tell you what I see. I see ruffians, vagabonds, urchins, and harlots. I see all manner of unsavory people. I see exactly what everyone else sees when pirates are mentioned. But you know what else I see? I see the individuals. I see people who could need help. I see patients, patients that I know I can help."

She should have just stayed hidden. Should have just shut up and watched as usual.

"You don't say sorry and walk away when you can still do something."

What could she do? She wasn't a healer. She wasn't some Angel of Mercy. She was just a bloody-handed killer. It was what she knew, the only thing she truly knew how to do even.

"Watch."

Karen did. She watched as Aella gathered up an unconscious man, dragging him over and tending to his wounds just as any other healer. Her grip on the staff was loose and easily taken back by Aella, the Assassin lost in her own thoughts, as well as the actions of the blue-haired Cleric before her. After finishing tending to the pirate, she started to speak to Karen again. Of everyone's right to life, how even the unknown actions to help an individual that could turn into your murderer was better than doing nothing.

"Each of us has a responsibility to offer what help we can. Will you really just walk away from all these people who need your help, Acolyte?"

She wanted to be an Acolyte. She did. But that wasn't who or what she was.

Karen was a murderer. That's all that she was.

"I cannot help them. And it is not because I don't want to." She paused as she spoke. "I am not someone who can heal, my hands are tools for something else entirely. I do desire to help, but..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "I am meant for other things. Healing of people and souls during their lives isn't something I'm meant to do or have the right to do."

"But."

"You do. And it's because of good people like you that I still try to be better than I actually am. I'm not fit to cleanse, but you are. I can see it in your eyes, a fire that speaks of your desire to help all. And it's people like you that I..." She trailed off near the end before lapsing into silence again, a brief and quick mutter that Aella couldn't decipher.

[Aella]

Aella's smile widened into a full grin as she began picking up all her supplies. The truth was finally coming to light. Her suspicions had proven true. This woman wasn't an acolyte. Her robes did designate as someone of the church though. Which probably meant she was part of the dark side of the church. After all, there were two sides to every story. Healing usually meant some other side effect or pain. And Karen was probably the painful part of the church. What exactly that was didn't really matter to Aella. As long as Karen didn't stop her from helping people, she had no problem with the secrets.

Proffering her hand, Aella looked up expectantly. "I know." She didn't really know, but she definitely could make guesses. "Now how about we go back to that food we ran away from and leave this guy to sleep?" She knew the bloke was going to wake up with a splitting headache and likely to take it out on the nearest person. Aella knew very well that wasn't going to be her. A cleric can't really sustain a hit after all.

[Karen]

Karen sighed as she saw Aella attending to her supplies, gathering them up. How foolish this had been. The Assassin was a fool to think she'd simply be able to have a nice chat. Mentally she cursed herself, but outwardly she seemed as calm as ever, though perhaps a bit "off" from before. She wasn't going to stop this woman from healing people though, far from it, Karen would probably encourage such a thing.

"I know."

Karen took the Cleric's hand, helping her up. She doubted that Aella really knew just who and what she was, but it didn't matter. The bloody truth of what she did do was rather evident.

"Now how about we go back to that food we ran away from and leave this guy to sleep?"

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea." She gave a weak smile, a bit surprised to even see a grin on Aella's face after her words. She headed inside once more with the other blunette, returning to where they sat before. Luckily, it seemed they were just in time as the waiter returned from the kitchen with trays heading toward their table, placing the meals on the table before heading off to attend to other customers.

"Ah, looks like we got back right on time."

---

Karen enjoyed the meal with the Cleric, though her attention was obtained at one point by a gaunt sailor, nodding pointendly to the acolyte. He briefly flashed a golden seal, very short but just enough time for Karen to recognize what she saw. A bell rang, signalling the arrival of ships and beginning of departures. "Excuse me, madam. It seems my ship is ready earlier than I expected." She stood and bid farewell to the Cleric before taking her leave.

[Karen exit thread.]