From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
He still wasn't sure it had been an entirely good idea, to accept Loren's offer for a job. Part of him felt that it was some kind of betrayal agains the people of Halo, to work under an Outlander. Another part felt like he was giving in to Weaver's insistance that he try new things. Yet another knew it had been a result of the shock his confrontation with Sunjata brought on; some small way to make amends for his apalling behaviour the first few times he crossed paths with the man.
Then, there was the small part of him that was genuinely interested in learning to heal. Honestly, Korbin knew nothing more than how to wrap a bandage around a hand to make it stay, a necessity he'd had to learn as a kid when hunting was the only way to survive. His hands bore the scars of every time his knife had slipped, and he wouldn't mind learning how to do it better. It did contribute that he wished to make up for the death he had caused, the life he'd taken when he killed that cannibal.
So many opposing ideas, warring against one another... It made for a conflicted young man, who made his way up to the Palace early one morning. He'd never spent any real time in the magically constructed building, and had to ask his way to the infirmary. Once there, he took a deep breath, straightened his clothes - had Loren ever seen him wear anything but the heavy overcoats? - and knock on the door.
If there was an answer, he would enter, and look about curiously at the room beyond.
For once, Loren had actually had a patient. It had been a relatively easy treatment, but he still decided to strip the bedding and replace it after the woman had left. He was in the middle of that when the knock sounded at the door. "It's open," he called out. When there was no response, he frowned and headed over to the door.
Opening it, he grinned to find Korbin standing out there. You actually showed up. I had a bet going that you wouldn't. Holding the door open, the healer gestured for the hunter to enter. It's good to see you, though. The Launceleyn's thoughts indicated just how pleased he was.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
Sometimes, even Korbin forgot that he was deaf. Simple things like knocking at a door and expecting a reply still came without thinking. Much like an amputee might raise a hand to scratch an itch on the nose, it still hadn't quite settled with him that he was different now.
The notion that this would now be a permanent thing still scared him half out of his mind.
Being able to communicate without the need for pen and paper - or the chalk and board he'd taken to carrying around while in Snowcloak - was a nice feeling though, and Loren's greeting was met with a lopsided smile, more wry than happy.
"I hope I lost you a fortune," he replied, and followed the healer into the room beyond. Closing the door behind him, he took a moment to look around. Dark eyes trailed over the cots, the shelves with jars, herbs, storage and equipment; the scent of herbs and ointments was sharp in the air, as was a certain smell of... cleanliness that wasn't entirely usual in the Citadel, so often choked with wood smoke and ash.
Turning back to regard Loren, Korbin put his hands away in their usual pockets, his stance not quite as casually confident as was the norm. He looked a little out of place. Without the heavy overcoat and layers upon layers of clothing, he was just as tall but far leaner, with a boyish cast to the shoulders that suggested he still had some growing left to do. Dressed in simple dark clothes, he gave off an almost somber impression, further enhanced by the black, messy hair.
"Well... I'm here. What exactly do you want me to do?" he asked.
04-26-2020, 04:57 PM (This post was last modified: 04-26-2020, 04:57 PM by Loren.)
LOREN
Grinning, Loren shook his head. Nah, just my pride. Not that I had much of that to begin with. Reaching over, he clasped Korbin's shoulder good naturedly.
Astra trotted up and bleated a greeting at the hunter. Letting out a huff of laughter, the healer ruffled the fur on top of her head, earning him an adoring look. For starters, you can begin with changing the linens on that bed. Gesturing at the half-made cot, he glanced at the other man to make sure that was alright.
Assuming it was, the Launceleyn would walk over to the workstation in the corner. Pulling out bandages and creams, he laid them out neatly on the table. Pausing, he bit his lip, considering for a moment.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
Korbin scoffed, a soundless half chuckle that perhaps a little bit smug to have proven the guy wrong, even in theory. Even in jest. "It's what you get for betting."
Astra was given a slightly warmer look and a half smile. Had she forgiven him for wanting to eat her so soon? Korbin made no move to pet her however. Just nodded lightly and went to complete the bedding of the cot, without complaint. He worked efficiently, like he'd changed bed sheets a million times - which he had, as house chores usually fell on him in his family - and when he was done, the young man came back. Stood with hands clasped casually behind his back and waited for further instructions.
It was difficult to read what went on in his head. The bond was quiet, and the young face impassive.
Astra had indeed already forgiven Korbin. Staring up at him with plaintive eyes, she bleated pathetically, begging for a head scratch. Hearing this, Loren looked up from his work and grinned. I think she wants some attention. There was a wry amusement underlying the thought.
Nodding at the good work with the bed, he smiled as the hunter approached the table. First thing we're going to do is teach you how to take care of a wound slightly worse than a papercut. Gesturing at the bandages and salve the Launceleyn had laid out, his expression grew businesslike. Taking up some of the cloth, he handed it to the other man.
Then Loren rolled up his sleeve. First think you always do is clean the wound. Let's say I have a cut on my forearm. There's some clean water and some cloths in the corner. He pointed with his supposedly uninjured hand towards the barrel.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
The bleat was pitiful, and Korbin gave her an amused look. But he didn't give in to the pleading eyes. Just shook his head at the little Luxere. Even if she had forgiven him, there was a resistence in him to get overly familiar with her. He still went hunting regularly, and it would not do to let himself soften, when he would have to kill animals like her. That was just begging for unnecessary heartache.
Turning his attention to Loren instead, the young man adopted his sober expression and nodded that he understood the task. Perhaps the play pretend of a wound made it a bit awkward, but he had good imagination; he could make it up.
"Alright," Korbin replied as he accepted the cloth. Fetching a bowl of the water from said barrel, he dutifully dunked the cloth in to soak. There was a slight pause when it came to do the 'cleaning', a hesitancy before he could bring himself to reach out and take Loren's arm.
But it was momentary, and Korbin pushed down any misgivings he might have about touch. His hands were calloused and scarred from work, but the long fingers were quite gentle. Clearly he was taking this very seriously, and cleaned the designated area of the arm with thorough care.
Astra gave the distinct impression of pouting, or maybe that was just the sensation Loren got with the bond. As she trotted over to Loren instead, he gave her a sympathetic pat on the head. However, with that, he focused his attention on Korbin.
As the hunter began washing the healer's arm, he made a show of tensing a bit and gritting his teeth, as someone with an actual wound would do. However, he nodded in approval at the other man's technique. Good. Really good. The same approval was in the Launceleyn's thoughts. Now it's time to dress it. Apply the medical salve. He waited patiently for Korbin to continue.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
It didn't show, but the approval went a long way to make the boy relax. His stance eased a bit, and there was less hesitation as he set the wash cloth aside and reached for the salve. There was fortunately only one to choose from so he couldn't make any mistakes there. Looking about for a moment, he saw no obvious implements to use to apply the salve, so Korbin just used his fingers. Scooping up a small amount, he began to dab it onto the 'wound'...
He did have some trouble remembering that the spot was supposed to be tender, and occasionally there was perhaps a bit more force used than he might have used if someone was actually in pain.
"Do you actually get use for any of this, or do you just heal everything with magic?" he asked absently, as he worked. There was an itch to hum under his breath, but unable to hear himself, Korbin refrained from it.
Every time Korbin used too much pressure, Loren made a show of hissing and gritting his teeth against the nonexistent pain. Still good. Just be careful not to use too much force on an actual wound. With that, he pointed at the bandage. Next step is to wrap it, carefully, and then secure it.
At the hunter's question however, the healer smiled. I do. For starters, there are wounds and illnesses that I can't always heal in one sitting. Rather than keep people cooped up in here, I send them home with medicines so they can take care of things on their own. Pausing to let that sink in, he gestured around at the many currently empty beds. Besides, I'm just one person with a finite amount of healing energy. If I burn myself out on the little things, I might not have the magic to cure the bigger ones. So it's best to treat what I can with more mundane methods.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
The aroma rising from the salve was at once fresh and pungent, and it prickled his nose until he wanted to sneeze. Swallowing down the urge, he tried not to smile at Loren's acting. It did help steer him back to the right way of doing things, so he guess he was grateful, but Korbin still felt it was a bit silly.
Taking a moment to wipe his fingers free from the salve on the already used wash cloth, Korbin reached for the roll of bandage. The long fingers were nimble, and not entirely unfamiliar with the act of wrapping, but he did have some trouble with fastening a good knot that wouldn't come undone. It wasn't easy to determine what kind of pressure was right or too much either, and he frequently glanced up to see what kind of reaction he was getting.
"Alright, I guess that makes sense," he replied quietly. "How much can you do with it? Is there anything you can't heal?" It was clear he was interested, and as his misgivings were forgotten in the midst of work, Korbin's questions picked up.
Loren didn't mind getting teased for his acting, and he certainly didn't mind drawing a smile from Korbin. When the hunter glanced up looking for guidance, however, the healer just shook his head a little bit.
It was only when the other man finished tying the note that the Launceleyn reached over. Excellent first attempt. But I've always found this type of knot keeps it in place without applying too much pressure. He untied the bandage, then slowly redid it using a combination of his fingers and his telekinesis.
Tucking the trailing edge of the bandage underneath the top, he held his arm up for Korbin. Now undo the bandage, carefully. Assuming there's some scabbing and skin caught in there, and when you pull the cloth off it will hurt. It was an unfortunate, but true and unavoidable part of the process.
Nodding at the questions, Loren smiled a bit wryly. Can't regrow things that aren't there anymore, can't heal Ascended or those with lifedrain with regular healing magic. He pointed at the unicorn horn in the corner. That can, but I don't know if it has limits, so I try to use it sparingly.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
"Alright." He studied the new knot to make sure he knew how it was tied, and before unwrapping, Korbin tried it out a few times for himself. Just so he would remember it. Then he began to roll the bandage back off again, quickly at first but more slowly and carefully as it got closer to actual skin and whatever blood and fluids might have leaked to get stuck in the bandage. Possibly he was a bit impatient, tempted to go with the 'pull quick and get it over with' approach... But Korbin tried to restrain himself, guided again by whatever theatrics the Grand Healer went with this time.
Following the gesture, Korbin noticed the horn. Eyes widening slightly as he recognized it for what it was, he looked up from his work with raised eyebrows. "Where did you get hold of that?" he wondered. Most unicorns he'd come across were companions, like the one the Captain had... and he couldn't imagine anyone would condone chopping off the horns of their pets to give away.
As for the rest, he committed the information to memory. Assumed those would end up on his worktable eventually, if he turned out good enough at the job to be kept around. "Good to know, though... Anything else I would need to know about it?" Not the horn, per se, but healing with magic in general.
Not minding that Korbin practiced the knot—in fact, nodding in approval—Loren just held in arm in place as the hunter practiced. As the bandage got pulled off quickly, the healer winced, not acting this time, but in imagined sympathy. However, when the other man slowed down, the Launceleyn nodded again. At this point, you would clean the wound, and reapply the dressing. For now, let's move on.
Lowering his arm, he took the used cloth and wiped his arm down. Then he bent to take out more cloth and a stick. Do you know how to tie a tourniquet?
Glancing at the horn, he let out a pulse of amusement. Happy accident with my summoning magic. Smiling wryly, he just shook his head.
As Korbin asked for more information about healing magic, Loren raised his eyebrows. As with all magic, there are three levels. Basic can take of minor cuts and scrapes, medium can deal with slightly more serious wounds, and mastered can heal pretty much anything short of death if you catch it in time. Pausing to let that sink in, he tilted his head to the side. Most healers need to touch their patients to use the magic.
Then he sighed. On that note...sometimes people won't want healing. Both magical and nonmagical. Obviously do your best to respect their wishes. However, the unhappy expression on his features indicated how he felt about those stubborn fools who turned down help.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
