[SE] [Training] you know in the end, I'll always be there

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

The resulting cascade of events happened too quickly to stop. Liam's blade swung, hard and heavy, and Zavien attempted to counter, or dodge, or something - Liam wasn't quite sure, given the uneven footing and the way the other man seemed to lose his balance for a moment. Either way, Zavien's sword swung free and connected with Liam's arm.

The ex-soldier hissed with pain as the sword seared flesh, yanking his arm back and somehow managing to cut himself in the process, too. Blood dripped from his forearm as he stepped back, clearly yielding to first blood, and moved to sheath his sword. Zavien was already surging forward to scan the injury. It wasn't pretty. Blood welled, the burn blistered. Liam grimaced at the sight. "I'm fine," he said, but his voice was tight with pain. "I've got some stuff at home for healing. I'll be fine."

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Zavien

I think all things,
in their way,

The burn and cut combination made for a gruesome image. It wasn't a large or deep wound, but the puckered, blistering skin was being coated in the red gleam of blood, making it look so much worse. Zavien wasn't squeamish or a stranger to wounds, but the guilt had him wincing as he shook his head. "No no. I'm sorry, this is my fault. Let me see what I can do."

Sheathing his sword with a healthy buffer of space, he picked his way over the stones to set a gentle hand near the injury. The gold ring on his finger glowed softly, a light pulse before fading. The light took some of the worst with it - the bleeding slowing and the angry red of the burn easing - but there was still an obvious wound that needed treating. 

"That should help a little, but I think I have some gauze in my bag." He'd thrown it off with his shirt before getting in the water, and without waiting for an answer, he quickly exited to sift through. Water and sweat dripped from his waist onto the riverbank around him, but Zavien didn't pay it any mind, searching for the roll of white gauze, calm haste and battle-hardened nerves making his movements precise despite the worry pinching his face. 

When he finally found it, he straightened and looked to Liam, raising the cloth as he asked the question more with his body and face than his words. "Can I wrap it?"

reflect heavenly truth,
the imagination not least.

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

Liam was already shaking his head before Zavien could finish his sentence. "Not your fault," he said. "Just a hazard we live with, training with live blades. Especially magic ones." And, truth be told, Liam wouldn't take it back. He'd learn from this, just as he'd learned from other injuries in the past, and he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Zavien appeared beside him a moment later, reaching to gently touch near the wound. Flesh immediately began to knit back together, blisters receding as whatever healing touch he used went into effect. The pain immediately lessened enough that Liam could unclench his jaw, and as Zavien moved toward shore, Liam gently flexed his arm. The skin was still tender, and there was still a wound, but it was far better than it had been a moment before. "Thank you."

Then they were wading ashore, and Zavien was digging around in his bag for gauze - a useful staple to have on hand, considering Liam would have just sliced his shirt into strips for binding. Perhaps he should keep more necessities with him, if he was going to run into people in the forest for training sessions. In any case, Zavien's offer was met with a nod. "Sure."

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Zavien

I think all things,
in their way,

"It is, but I still regret that you ended up hurt," he said in return, shrugging his shoulders. It was true that they could never eliminate the possibility of injury, but it could be mitigated by skill and care, trying to lessen the probability of mistakes that could harm. Zavien wouldn't beat himself up about it, but his training might include more balance in the coming days, perhaps a few exercises in places with odd footing to strengthen his experience. 

With the gauze acquired and Liam's permission, he unraveled the roll around the arm, doing his best to be sensitive of the tender skin. Unlike the healers or medical professionals he'd seen wrap wounds, his gauze was crooked, some parts looser than others and the number of layers nearly triple what he needed. But by the end, there was no visible part of the burn or laceration, only a thick padding of white material. 

He stepped back, scrutinizing the poor dressing with a sheepish smirk. "There. It's not pretty, but that should hold for now."

reflect heavenly truth,
the imagination not least.

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

"Fair enough," said Liam. If things had been the other way around, he would feel badly, too, he supposed, especially given that he had no healing to offer. It was something he thought about often, and would certainly be questing for in the coming seasons, but for now, it was traditional medicine for him and any around him who weren't blessed with healing magic of some kind or other.

Once Zavien had finished binding the wound, Liam looked it over before offering a grateful smile. "It's better than I could do on my own. Thank you." Sure, the wrapping was a little looser in some places than others, and there were more layers than a professional might have needed, but the wound was covered and protected until he could get home to heal it properly - probably with Maea's assistance, since she wouldn't allow him to stay injured if she could help it.

"Sorry about the spar. I was enjoying it," he said, reaching for his own belongings and pulling out a flask of fresh water. "We should do it more often."

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Zavien

I think all things,
in their way,

At least somewhat satisfied with his work, and reassured by Liam's approval, Zavien allowed some of the guilt to ease, laughing lightly as the man expressed his remorse for their ended spar. An amused and overall content smile broke out across his face, his bare shoulders shrugging. "I was too, but this heat is pretty brutal, so it was probably good that we ended when we did." He could already feel the slight headache pressing against the base of his skull, a familiar sign all warriors were familiar with: dehydration. It had him finding his own bottle of water, guzzling down a few gulps in an attempt to replenish the volume he'd lost through sweat alone. 

He smiled again, nodding his head as he said, "Agreed." It was nice to bond over physical exertion and shared hobbies, and gods knew he could use something fun to do with all the free time he suddenly found himself burdened with. 

As he moved to grab his shirt, Zavien added, "I'm staying in King's End if you're ever up that way. And I can find you whenever I'm in the area." The offer was an open one, free to suggestion and available for adjustment however they needed; two friends doing what they could to keep in touch.

reflect heavenly truth,
the imagination not least.

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

Dehydration was a killer, even in the Greatwood, where one could hardly turn around without finding a river. Liam gulped from his flask, the water spilling greedily over his cheeks. He was glad to hear Zavien agree to future spars - it would be nice to spend time with a friend, and better still to spend it doing something that was both enjoyable and beneficial.

"I'll look you up in King's End," he promised. "And you're always welcome in the Greatwood." At that moment, Prim and Vale came bounding out of the brush to swarm their bonded, sniffing carefully at the bandage as they clambered to his bare shoulders. "It's alright," he assured them. "Just a scratch."

With the dragons satisfied, Liam turned a smile to Zavien. "If you have time, feel free to come back by the Treehouse," he offered. "I'm sure we have something to eat and drink, and it would be nice to catch up..." Whether Zavien accompanied him or not, Liam gathered up his belongings and headed home, eager to finish healing his wounded arm.

fin

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now