Closed Fighting Fire with... Fire? (Ashka Windrunner)

[Waisana]

15th Summer 517AV

It was a scorching hot day, the confines of the River Flower made almost unbearable by the dry spell. Syna had climbed high into the sky and even through the pavilion, Waisana felt the effects of the goddess. Her clothing clung to skin sticky with sweat, the doctor periodically pulling the fabric away from it to circulate some air. It was an unpleasant sensation although thankfully the skirt she wore billowed, even though it fell a little past her knees. It seemed far enough from her legs not to cling wetly to them and when she moved, the swish of material provided a welcome relief.

Few people had ventured into the River Flower, the few truly serious cases visited by some of the healers or a capable doctor. For the most part, the Drykas were unwilling to venture out under Syna's gaze directly, especially at this point in the day when skin was scorched and the very air rippled with heat. Some of those who had come had done just that however, ventured out during the hottest part of the day, and had paid for their folly. A few had merely fainted but that had caused additional problems when they fell from their Strider or fell and hit something solid. Some were suffering from sunstroke and were being closely supervised,
cool, damp cloths pressed to their foreheads. Those in the healing tent were adults, which the blonde could understand. When children fell ill, their parents preferred to keep them close to them in their pavilions and treat them themselves,
only sending for a doctor or healer when they deemed it necessary. Some were reluctant to seek one of the Opal clan should their child fall foul of a fever,
certain that they knew how to deal with such things, but Waisana thought it unwise, especially considering how many serious illnesses carried fevers as a symptom. It wasn't her place to interfere.

With little to do aside from prepare medicines, the teen swabbed her own face with one of the damp cloths floating around the place. Soon, she was dripping water down her neck and back as well. She excused herself from her duties,
begging a half bell to bring her Strider for a ride, intending to bolt alongside the city in an attempt to generate a bit of a cool breeze for herself.

When she got outside, she went straight to Drusine, taking the now dry cloths from the mare's back. She wet them again and placed them on the horse, watching a slight steam come off the horse's flesh, even though she was in a shady spot.
She could sympathise with the animal, especially as she felt as if steam should be rising off her too. The doctor tried to coax the beast to drink but she didn't want to do so, and Waisana knew better than to try to force her to do it. Ensuring that her mount was hydrated was important but her Strider was clever enough to know how to look after herself without a Drykas to tend to her. She rubbed the mare's nose affectionately, leaning her forehead against it.

"It is so very hot, I feel for you," she murmured, the horse responding with a snort, nudging its rider. She rubbed the cloths over Drusine's back before settling them about the horse's neck. She replaced her yvas, securing it in place as her mount fixed her with what she felt was a stern stare.

"We go for short ride so I can cool down. I will cool you when we return," she soothed, fixing her bag of medical supplies to the yvas in the off chance that they'd be needed. It was always better to have and not need rather than to need and not have, as the young woman believed. Taking a few steps away from the horse, she rushed forward and sprang, hands landing on the yvas and pushing so that her momentum would carry her high enough to vault onto the mare's back. Her right leg twisted easily to get over to the other side but her left hit the horse's side. There was a whinny of protest, four legs moving to maintain balance as the blonde rider wiggled her way into position. She blew a puff of air over her forehead and lightly brushed Drusine's mane with her fingers in silent apology as she caught her breath. Once she was recovered, she gripped the yvas firmly with her thighs, leaning forward a little as she tapped her heels into either side of the mare's flanks, urging her into a walk. Waisana began weaving her way through Endrykas, another gentle tap moving the animal into a light trot as she aimed for the city's outskirts. She had only been moving for a chime or two when she registered a disturbance.

Some people moved quickly about the city on foot and some would raise their voices on any ordinary day but now it was different. There was greater activity and it was growing closer, a panicked edge to the shouts that she heard and there were even a few shouts. Waisana applied pressure to one side of the mare's flanks to turn her, heading towards the sound and quickly finding herself in the midst of urgent calls and sprinting bodies. There was a great deal of confusion but the one thing she could pick out was the word 'fire'. She moved Drusine into the path of a running man, leaning back and providing a constant pressure to bring the beast to a halt so she could cut him off and wave him to a stop.

"Hey! You there!" she called, waiting until he looked up at her. Fire? Where? she asked with rapid gestures, eyes darting to the sky over the city, searching for a tendril of smoke that was different to those that came from cooking fires. Fire was used for many things in the city but if something had caught alight, the plumes of smoke would be darker and wider. She could imagine the grasses themselves catching alight, especially considering how hot it was and the time since the last rains.
The grasses were dry, which made them an ideal fuel for tendrils of flame to consume and use to spread.

Dung pits, he replied simply, adding hurry before he rushed past her.
His simple message conveyed a great deal of information to the doctor. The dung pits was a simple name for an area where many of the unsavoury or slightly hazardous jobs took place such as tanning and fat rending, as well as a place for butchery and the disposal of human and animal wastes. It was a broad area and often partly encircled a large portion of the city although never near a water source. Considering that dried dung could be used to start fires, Waisana understood the horror of the situation. She made Drusine turn, concentrating on the signals she was sending her horse so that she wouldn't give confusing or conflicting ones. She got her into a walk and then a brisk trot, slamming her heels in a little harder when she could see a reasonably clear path to the edge, Drusine getting into a canter as the blonde wondered how bad the situation was. People were sure to provide help to put fires out but accidents happened and she had horrifying thoughts of burning people and livestock, horses panicking in the presence of flames. When she saw where the fire was, she'd have to get as close as she dared before dismounting and running. It wouldn't do to be on a spooked horse.

Please let no one be hurt, she thought fervently as she raced to see where the trouble was, barely conscious of the sound of other racing hoofbeats near her.

[Ashka Windrunner]

Under Syna's scorching rays, a redhead Drykas and her claybank stallion strode around the Tent City, having just returned from their daily tour of the family herd. With the suffocating heat clutching at the grasslands those past days, extra care was necessary to ensure the animals did not suffer from heat exhaustion or sunstroke. Luckily, the herd of Eyktolian desertbred were, by their nature, resistant enough to not be too bothered by the high temperatures. Ashka mainly had to check on the most sensitive individuals, like the youngest foals and their mothers.

They walked slowly on their way back, the Strider's hooves falling heavily onto the dusty ground. Ashka held herself loosely on the yvas, her body bouncing along with every step, tired and sticky with sweat. The ride had been short, but not short enough to avoid the effects of the weather. They would have to find shelter soon, or be at risk of sunstroke.

As they arrived atop a small hill, covered with dry and yellow grass, the tents of Endrykas appeared to their sight, and Ashka let out a sigh from both relief and exhaustion.
"Almost there, almost," she mumbled to her weary mount. The stallion answered with a stern snort, tired and eager to arrive. Ashka could feel the heat of his body, the sweat on his neck and flanks, the exhaustion in its legs, and she understood the urgency of getting to the shade. She patted him encouragingly, wiping sweaty patches of hair off his shoulder. Her legs squeezed around him, pushing him to a trot for the last hundred feet that separated them from Endrykas. "I'll make sure to cool you down, once we arrive."

She guided her mount through the golden domes of the Topaze Clan pavillions, by shifting her weight on his back and pressing her calves onto his right or left side depending of the direction she wanted to go. The Strider answered her signals instinctively, steering at her commands and weaving its way through the tents. Thanks to their mutual bond, navigation was easy without much communication.

They finally reached the Amethyst wing of the city, both panting and sweating profusely. Ashka felt a slight ache growing on her forehead, and she swore internally for not being more careful with the heat. Luckily, her waterskin was filled from a small, almost drained stream they had stumbled upon on the way back. Once in the Windrunner camp, the girl swinged a leg over the Strider's rump and dismounted, landing heavily on the ground. She quickly took the yvas off the horse's sweaty back and reached inside the yvas bags for the waterskin. The redhead gulped down a couple of mouthfuls before entering her pavillion. She fetched a clean cloth and brought it back outside, where her stallion was waiting.

"There, this will cool you down," she said softly, damping the cloth with some of her waterskin's content. Gently, she then rubbed it on the animal's forehead, around his cheeks, along his neck, his shoulders and withers. This way she wiped off sweat and dust from his grey coat and hoped to lower his body temperature a bit.

Lako neighed his appreciation, nudging her hand playfully as she worked along his head. The girl smiled back at him, happy to bring him some relief from the scorching heat.
"Now you rest, I will call for you later. Maybe we'll go for a ride tonight" she added with a wink, absent-mindedly signing cold and dusk with her words. The stallion snorted again, pleased with her care, and trotted away to a shaded spot of the encampment.

Leaving him to rest, Ashka turned back to the pavilion, from which her mother bolted out, an air of urgency affecting her features.
"Ashka ! I need a favour from you." Iris' tone was particularly pressing, triggering in her daughter an anxiety to rise quickly and fade her smile away.
"What is it ? Anything, is it urgent ?"
"Lohar's medicine is almost empty. With this weather, he needs it more than usual. Could you fetch some at the River Flower ? I promise to let you rest once you're done" the Drykas mother explained, her hands gesturing for apology, need, grateful.

Ash sighed silently, slightly disappointed at the thought of the extra chimes separating her from her fresh bedding, but there was no delaying the task. She knew how much her grandfather suffered from the heat, and was eager to help relieve him from the pain.
"Don't worry, I'll go now." Relax, back soon. She added a smile to her answer and was rewarded with a mirrorring expression on Iris' usually distant look.

Having just sent her Strider to rest, the girl didn't have the heart to call him for another tiring ride, and resolved to go on foot. The River Flower was located close enough for her to reach it within a dozen chimes or so. She turned away from the entrance flap of the tent and set herself to a steady walk, soon speeding to a slow jog. The sooner you get there, the sooner you come back were the words with which she motivated herself into a run despite the heat.
She passed by the Wind-Knotted Gates, oddly empty of people because of the weather, and soon reached the Tent of the Patrons and the Opal side of the city.

There, she slowed back to a walk, exhausted and soaked, her hair sticking to her face and her clothes damp with sweat. She had a longing thought for a cold, cool river, or at least the humid pieces of fabric her mother kept ready inside the pavilion when the temperature rose, but had to content herself with another sip of the waterskin she still had in hand.

Suddenly her mind shifted onto much less pleasant thinking. All around her, she realised people were running, shouting, and a sense of panic filled the air. The girl glanced around, confused at first, then greatly worried as she made sense of the screams and calls.

Fire.

A fire had been spotted near the city and was making its way towards it. In panic, she set her gaze to the horizon, searching for smoke that would indicate where the danger was coming from. She spotted a thick, greyish cloud raising from the outskirts of the city, somewhere between the Emerald and Opal areas, and people making their way towards or away from it, running in panic, carrying blankets, pots, and all sorts of belongings.
The girl temporarily forgot her original mission. If the fire reached the pavilions, the damages would be terrible; she had to help. In a tick and despite the heat, she bolted into a sprint, hoping to reach the area and help put out the fire before it was too late.

Pavi Grassland sign | Common | Nari

[Waisana]

There were others racing on horseback but there were also those on foot, the gravity of the situation spurring them to run rather than take the time to mount their Striders. The four legs and broader stride of the horse were certainly an advantage if you wanted to cover an area quickly, but it wasn't possible to give the animal its head if there were people underfoot.

Choosing to head for the edge of the city had been a wise decision because it allowed Drusine some room to manoeuvre. However, there were still plenty of running people that had to be avoided. She trusted that task to her mount and hoped that the Drykas would be sensible enough to throw themselves out of harm's way. While the mare was used to people and the fact that she wasn't supposed to trample them under her hooves, the doctor feared that if she tried to direct her movements, she'd accidentally hurt someone. She wasn't a good enough rider to ensure that she steered clear of an obstacle in time, especially if said obstacle was a moving one.

Once she reached the sparser edge of Endrykas, she was able to loop around, heading for the billowing smoke that was darkening sky above one area of the city. Soon enough, she was forced to dip into the confines of the various tents so that she could approach the blaze from the correct side. Of course, once she found herself in the thick of things again, Waisana had to concede that she'd probably be quicker on foot.

Swinging one leg over the yvas so that she could slide down Drusine's side, she left the Strider amongst the pavilions of the Emerald clan, quickly leading her to a place where she was less likely to be in the way. Once the animal was dealt with, Waisana took her bag of supplies from the yvas and started running towards the smoke, trying to focus on her breathing as the heat of the day surrounded her and pressed her down.

The young blonde woman wasn't unfit but she hadn't built up endurance for running, her body wasn't appropriately conditioned to be able to run far for very long. She could force her legs to move quickly, pumping beneath her and stretching her stride, but her muscles were used differently than when she was riding and a burn developed quickly. Rather than sprinting all out, she forced herself to adopt a slower pace so that she wouldn't burn herself out, but it was still difficult. One of the hardest things was actually keeping her breath.

As she pushed her body forwards, her lungs tried to pull in more air to support the exertion, and within ticks, she felt as if she'd forgotten how breathing worked. She'd suck in air in jagged bursts, gasping and panting, the heat seeming to sear her throat and creep its way down to her lungs. The teen tried to focus on taking breaths in through her nose and shoving air out of her mouth, her nostrils seeming too small to take in the air she needed. Try as she might, when she did that, she'd instinctively start gasping again. She knew that if she stopped, her legs would grow heavy, the burning in her throat would become more acute and it'd be harder to start up again. The panic of those around her was pouring some adrenaline into her system but she wasn't truly afraid or sufficiently pressed to benefit from the full dose of the hormone.

When the fire came into view, the doctor slowed. Her hands moved to grasp each side of her waist, inhaling as deeply as she could as her body screamed for oxygen. Together with the heat, the sudden headiness after the run made her feel a little faint. After only taking a few ticks to catch her breath, Waisana moved on quickly to where the flames were licking across the dry grasses. Opaque smoke was rising from the burning foliage and the air was choked with it, the young woman moving alongside the flames as others worked to put the fire out or at least halt its progress. Her eyes darted over the Drykas who ran with water and cloths, some even trying to dig the soil up to smother the flames but the ground was hard from lack of rainfall. Many were coughing, rubbing at streaming eyes as they worked and the Opal teen sought those who might need her assistance.

She held a cloth to her mouth and nose, the material doing something to block the unpleasant smoke but it was still difficult to breathe around the fibres. She sought more cloth, intending to hand them out to those who were fighting the fire. Some had set up a bucket chain, passing water to where it was needed and the teen stopped one man close to the edge to offer him a cloth.

Make breathing easier, she explained through sign, some of the cloths getting away from her in her movements. A number toppled into the water supply and she hurriedly fished them out, signing apologies as she wrung them out and handed one to the man. She tried one of the damp cloths herself, wondering if they still worked; she didn't want a man right on the edge to have a defective mask. Instead, she found that the dampness made things better. The damp fibres seemed to filter the harmful smoke, making it easier to breathe. As she hurried on to pass along more of these damp cloths, she heard screams, seemingly of pain and abandoned that task. Instead, she jogged towards the sound with her cloth still clasped over her airways.

[Ashka Windrunner]

Her sprint was short lived. The girl obviously was much more used to horseback than using her legs to cover long distances. She could feel in her muscles and chest the endurance she lacked. Very soon she had to stop her run, panting and gasping for air, and feeling a sharp pain grow in her side. Her heart raced painfully in her chest; her lungs cried for more air, but she wasn't able to breathe deeply enough to bring them all the oxygen they needed. Mentally scowling herself for leaving Lako at the camp, Ashka eventually caught her breath after a few ticks of standing there, hands on her knees, and resolved to continue at a trot; she felt much too exhausted for another sprint.

The area of the fire proved easy to find, not only by following the thick clouds of smoke now curling over the city, but also the streak of frenzied people riding and running towards and away from it. As she got closer, she noticed the bright flames eating away at the dessicated grass, advancing towards the city in a line like an attacking army. It seemed the Drykas slowly organised to fight back; she could see people form a chain, working together to pass along water-filled containers and blankets and clothes to smother the wildfire. A foul smell in the air made her realised she was very near the dung pits; although it meant the area was not deserted and the fire had been spotted early, the thought of piles of dried and flammable Zibri dung lying around was not reassuring.

The Drykas girl stepped closer, and a heat wave rushed all over her body, adding a red colour to her already sweat-soaked skin. Even from a dozen feet, the might of the flames affected her. She felt fear and adrenaline mix in her body, triggering her heart into an even faster race. The heat, the tiredness of the sprint, the dehydration... Ashka felt dizzy, hazy, and the thick smoke burning her lungs didn't help in any way. She coughed harshly and covered her mouth and nose with her hand, but that was barely efficient. Further away, someone was distributing clothes for people to cover their faces with. Having nothing better at hand, Ashka used her shirt, pulling up on the collar to bring the fabric over her nose and mouth. Slightly better, she thought.

What to do, now ? She was about to join the chain and help bring water over, but a firepit close by caught her attention. It was burning high, fed by the wildfire, but also had unburned branches very close to the flames. She remembered one of her lesson on firecraft : a fire can't live without its fuel. The Drykas decided to put it out before the last twigs fed the fast-growing flames. Over the pit a clay cooking pot hung, its content burning away with everything else around, but Ashka paid it no attention, dismissing it as a meal forgotten in the general panic.

She opened the waterskin that was still held tight in her grip and, without further thinking and a growing light-headedness, threw its content on the flames.

Of course things did not go as planned.

As the liquid made contact the flames, the unexpected happened. The water splashed partly inside the pot which, unknowingly to the girl, contained animal fat in the process of being rendered, and in the reaction that followed, the grease fire suddenly blew up in the Drykas' face. Bright oranges and reds flashed, heat engulfed her, and the fire grew, hot and higher than ever.

The girl let out a scream, startled and terrified, and in a reflex movement brought her arms over her face and stumbled back. When the burning-hot grease had landed on her, she felt a scorching pain throb in her arms, from the wrists to the elbow. Moaning and gasping from surprise and distress she shook them, trying to get rid of the burning matter. She took a few steps back and casted her eyes down to her injured limbs; a streak of glowing, scarlet red skin streched on each forearm, radiating pain. So much it hurt, she felt like flames were still gnawing at them. Hurt, shaken, grimacing, she didn't notice the presence rushing to her.

Pavi Grassland sign | Common | Nari

[Waisana]

Screams of pain and flames bursting up high. It wasn't difficult to find the source of the sound, the sight of the rushing flames and a young woman holding her arms up to protect herself were indication enough. Waisana rushed to the poor woman's side and tried to tug her back from the flames, coax her to get to a safe distance. Her eyes skimmed over the site of the fire and was surprised to find that it had originally been a cooking fire. She could make out the sight of a pot had tilted into the flame, the contents spilling and spitting into the tongues of fire. Whatever was in that pot seemed to be feeding the blaze, but she didn't have time to work it out. Instead, the injured woman was a distraction.

The doctor peered at the raw, scarlet flesh of her arms, the marks of direct contact with the flames and she winced in sympathy. Her gaze flicked up to the other's face and she recognised the features from somewhere. Her eyes narrowed briefly, eyebrows coming together as she puzzled over the identity. Ah! She'd been part of the mission to Stardown Crater last season! She couldn't remember her name--she wasn't even sure if it had been given--but that wasn't important right now.

"I am Waisana. I will help." What happened? she asked, touching the wounds gingerly when she finished signing. She was trying to grasp the extent of the damage and how deep it went but she was very conscious of the blaze that was still raging quite close at hand. Her blue eyes fixed on the twisting tendrils of red, orange and yellow, wondering how she could tackle it alone. The teen took in the presence of the water skin discarded on the ground, open and spilling closer and closer to the flames. She assumed that this woman had tried to put it out, but had gotten burned before she could do anything. Whatever was in the pot wasn't water because as it spilled out, it was increasing rather than dampening the inferno so she assumed that was oil. Dragging the pot out of there wouldn't work; she'd only spread the fire rather than starving it because they ran over the liquid. There was no water to deal with it and she couldn't remove the fuel, but she knew that fires needed air too and she'd seen people smother flames before.

"I have to deal with this first and then I will help you," she explained before she darted into the nearest pavilion, to which she had to sprint. The tent was quite a bit away from the fire but she darted in and gathered up blankets. The fact that they weren't her belongings was a peripheral thought in the doctor's mind, her main concern simply to put out the fire at all costs. Bundling fabric in her arms, she dashed back out and tossed it on top of the blaze. Smoke started to billow out at the edges almost immediately and she saw bright tongues lick about the material. The fabric began to darken and with a little shriek of terror, the blonde started stamping desperately on top of the material, moving to jump madly up and down all over it. The heat beneath her was apparent around her legs and it wasn't until she felt it cool a little that she finally realised after a few chimes that it had been extinguished.

Waisana took a step back and reached down tentatively to lift a corner of the blankets, drawing it up further when she saw that it seemed clear underneath. She was incredibly glad that she'd worn boots today rather than sandals because it wouldn't have been fun to dance on flames in open shoes, even if it was through a layer of material. The damage to the borrowed blankets wasn't too bad. There was darkening and some of the material had little holes in it but overall, it could have been a lot worse.

Now that the fire had been dealt with it was time to deal with her patient. She bent to retrieve the open water skin and found that there was still liquid in it. She carried it over to the injured woman and poured some of carefully onto the skin. It wouldn't do a lot but after the initial sting, it would provide some temporary relief, especially in this heat which was sure to aggravate it and make it all the more painful.

"Is your Strider near?" Can you ride? Pain? she added, gesturing to the burns along her arms. The notion of trying to mount a horse with such injuries was an exceedingly unpleasant one in Waisana's mind. If she couldn't ride or her Strider wasn't close by--many had run here after all--then they could return to Drusine where the blonde would be able to access her medical supplies at the very least. If the other could get that far on foot then the young Opal girl was confident that someone would allow them into their pavilion so they could start treatment as soon as possible; getting to the River Flower on foot was just too far, especially after the delay of putting out the fire.

[Ashka Windrunner]

Through the tears of pain now pooling in her eyes, Ashka distinguished the silhouette of a blonde woman running towards her. She didn't recognise her at first, but after the girl introduced herself, she had a better chance at observing her features and recalled her as one of the healers of the River Flower. She also took part of the expedition into Stardown last winter. Ashka winced a little more at the recollection of that day; it had been filled with fear and desolation.

Blinking to adjust her thoughts, Ashka focused on the blonde's sign and speech : Waisana was her name, and she wanted to help. "I am Ashka", the redhead answered, introducing herself. "I tried to put the fire out, but..." she continued, showing the cooking pot still burning away. "Whatever this is caught fire as well." Very flammable, careful she added, showing her red forearms to the other. The blonde girl examined her wounds cautiously, but the fire still blazing was a more immediate emergency to care of, so when she excused herself before running to the nearest pavillion, Ashka just nodded her understanding and grit her teeth.

The blonde came back with her arms full of blankets and Ashka could only admire the idea and watch as she worked to put the fire out. She covered it with the fabrics and stamped down, the flames dying because of a lack of air. Ash scowled herself for not thinking about it earlier on; she made a mental note to remember that technique for future use.

The redhead took a step forward to try and help Waisana with the fire, but a sudden throbbing pain in the arms got a groan out of her and force her to stay where she was. She felt the burning sensation coming and going, rising to a level of pain that brought new tears to her eyes, but there wasn't anything she could do to ease the feeling. The natural reflex of pressing her palms against the burns only brought more discomfort to the already stinging limbs, so she decided to just wait for the other Drykas girl. After a quick observation through clouded pupils, Ashka noticed the white beads dancing in her hair which indicating her as part of the Opal Clan. Their healers and doctors being the best of all among the Drykas, she could only hope the blonde would have the ability to help her.

Once the fire out, the doctor picked up the waterskin Ash had dropped on the ground and, coming closer, poured its content onto her scarlet skin. The redhead held out her useless arms and sighed with relief as the liquid cooled her scorched skin.

Can you ride ? The blonde asked, looking at her forearms with worry. Ashka shook her head. She'd never be able to get on top of Lako in this state, even if the Strider was around.
"No riding for me, and my Strider is away," she replied, adding heat, resting as an explanation. Her face darkened briefly at the thought of her family scattered in the grasses or remained at the camp; hopefully no other fire had broken out in any other area of the city...
Shaking her head off the unpleasant thoughts, Ashka gladly accepted Waisana's offer to walk to her own Strider, where the blonde said she had useful equipment to treat her injuries. With a last angry look at the now extinguished firepit next to her, she followed the healer away.

Pavi Grassland sign | Common | Nari

[Waisana]

Ashka. The name rang with familiarity and she was ashamed of herself for having forgotten it. Of course, when the two of them had met, it had been under peculiar circumstances, particularly for the doctor. Waisana had been suffering acutely when she'd volunteered for the expedition to Stardown the previous winter. It had been some masochistic impulse that had driven her to participate, a desperate need for the adrenaline that she'd become accustomed to having in her system during her captivity by the Zith. She'd needed the terror and danger of death to help her feel alive and to cope with the comparative security of her existence back among the Drykas. In retrospect, she remembered little about her behaviour during that expedition and she hoped that she hadn't made a fool of herself or come across as grossly unkind.

Now was her chance to make up for any negative actions from the year before. As it was, she'd already helped put out the fire that had flashed out at Ashka but now it was a matter of treating her. Thankfully for the young woman, the doctor had a good supply of rhinedale ash in her bag. She didn't always carry that particular herb around with her but considering the weather, there had been more than one Drykas with sensitive skin who had not been wary in the sun. For sunburn, she used it sparingly, preferring to use a jile salve for soothing the damaged skin. However, sometimes the surface could be left raw enough to justify the use of rhinedale. It was a matter of forming both a soothing and protective layer between the burn and the air, and in a pinch, the teenager had used mud before. After all, when she'd been within the Zith colony, she hadn't had the access to herbs that she had here and furthermore, she hadn't been allowed out to look for them.

She set a swift pace in the direction of her own Strider, knowing that the longer Ashka was forced to endure the heat, the more fiercely her skin would seem to burn. As she walked, she did her best to make conversation in such a way that they could communicate predominantly in Pavi as opposed to Grassland Sign. She highly doubted that the young woman wanted to be waving around her sore arms as she tried to speak so Waisana tried to be considerate.

"It is very hot for the horses--hot for people too--but we won't stay out in it long. Heat makes a burn feel worse," she explained. "If you are near a fire, hot water, hot air, anything hot, it is agony but I have something for cooling. Does it feel very bad?" she asked, eyes moving to her companion as they moved onwards. Many still ran past them to tend to the wildfire and while the blonde would have loved to help, there were more pressing concerns for her. Her job was to heal and she could only hope that the fire didn't gift her any more patients.

"The fire back there, what happened?" Flared up, why? Her gestures carried uncertainty as she wasn't sure that Ashka was aware of what had happened. After all, what ever it was had occurred quickly and if she hadn't thrown up her arms to protect herself, things could have been much worse. She was sure that the other was aware of that without her telling her and it was better not to deal in could have beens. It was better to be grateful that it was no worse and leave it at that rather than dwelling on the alternatives. Facial burns could be nasty to deal with depending on the severity and they weren't fun for the patient either.

"Feeling pain is good for you," she told Ashka. "Some burns are so deep, you feel nothing and you may never feel anything again. I think yours is in the middle because it has blistering and the skin has not gone white. It is a good sign. You will not have scars."

When she finally reached Drusine, she patted the mare's nose, feeling the heat of her body before she moved to the yvas bag. Shade. Sit, she ordered, indicating the opening to the nearest pavilion. Rather than fumbling around in the bag for what she needed, she carried it with her, intending to spill out the contents. The pavilion that she moved into contained two women, both of whom were tending to infants. She rapidly explained the situation, gaining permission to use the space provided that she saw to one of the babies afterwards. Settling near the tent opening, she spread out a cloth and dumped the contents out on top of it. Unable to soak the young woman's arms in water, she instead took two cloths, dunked them and held the sodden material out to be draped over the wounds.

Next, she found the bone container that she wanted, peeping into it to see that it had the ash she was looking for before she poured some of it out into a small bowl and added water to it, mixing it into a paste with a short smooth stick of bone.

[Ashka Windrunner]

The two Drykas women strode briskly, moving away from the still blazing fire and towards Waisana's bonded mount. Holding her arms out so the scorched skin wouldn't rub against her clothes, Ashka looked at the people rushing to the wildfire with an mix of guilt and concern in her eyes. She had wanted to help but only managed to injure herself and now, others had to go and risk their lives as well. She looked down on the scarlet streaks on her forearms; the red patches of skin gleamed faintly in the daylight, and she noticed a small, white swelling near her right wrist. The woman looked away when she felt a throbbing pain rushed through again and she grit her teeth as tears wet her eyes.

Her companion explained that high temperatures made burns feel worse than they were, and Ashka nodded in confirmation; with the heat surrounding them and Syna's rays pouring onto the grasslands, the burning sensation was even more intense. She clenched her fingers into fists by reflex, as an attempt to keep control of the pain.
"It feels bad, but I had worse", she replied, shrugging her shoulders in a motion she wanted nonchalant. Ashka didn't want to come across as whiny or weak, but the grimace that frowned her expression betrayed the soreness she felt. "You're right, this heat doesn't help." She had wanted to sign her discomfort but the slightest bend of her wrist awoke the ache in her arms, and she just abandon the idea of using Sign language. "I've never been burnt so much before... The pain just doesn't go away. Thank you for helping me" she added with a hint of a smile, grateful the Opal Clan girl had been there to put the fire out and stayed to look after her injuries.

She wouldn't know how to care for them herself. She barely remembered the names of a few medicinal herbs, nothing close to knowing how to make and use medicine. When putting some thought into it, she realised the only people in the Pavilion who had the abilities to treat wounds were her mother and grandmother; two Drykas with a working knowledge of plants out of the eighteen the Windrunner counted... It was more than time someone else took interest into the healing art, and Ashka promised herself she would study it more seriously.

A question came from Waisana, what happened with the fire, she asked. The redhead Drykas put her thoughts back in order to answer her query; what had happened indeed ? She recalled throwing water onto the flames, then stumbling away as the blaze rose unexpectedly, missing her face by only a few inches... The thought of what could have happened sent a shiver down her spine.
"I tried to put it out with water," she started. "But something was burning there, in the pit, and the water did nothing. Instead, it just blazed up. I think the liquid in the pot caught fire as well..." Absent-mindedly, she attempted to express the strangeness of the situation but her sore arms rewarded her with a stinging feel that brought another frown to her face.
"I'm not sure what it was" she concluded, somewhat bothered to not be able to explain the accident in more details.

She listened attentively to the doctor's description of different burn types. She had indeed saw blisters forming on her skin, and another glance revealed many more, dotting the scarlet surface like little milky pearls.
"I clearly feel them" she added with a half grin. It was a quite frightening thought than that of losing the sense of touch... Ashka surely felt lucky, in her misfortune. And what a relief to know that there wouldn't be scars ! They usually resulted from blemished tissue that had become difficult to heal; the Drykas hoped the woman's observations meant a prompt recovery.

She followed Waisana to her Strider, admiring the pinto mare with an appreciative eye, and then to a nearby pavilion whose occupants showed much hospitability and understanding. Ashka thanked the two elderly women as best as she could, her face still occasionally twitching when throbs of pain hit her. Waisana soaked some clothes into water and hold it out for Ashka; the redhead took hold of them with more thanks, wrapped her forearms into them, and sighed immediately with the relief it brought her.

Her grey gaze followed the doctor's movements: she was rummaging through the content of her yvas bag until she found a small box, which contained some kind of dark powder. Ashka, curious as usual, kept her eyes on the process and stayed silent for half a chime as the blonde proceeded to mix it with water in a bowl; then, willing to learn a little from her, she spoke her mind.

"I wanted to thank you again for helping me... My arms already feel better with those clothes." She held up the forementioned with a small smile.
"I was wondering... What is this black powder there ? Is it some kind of treatment for burns ?" She looked at the Opal Clan girl with a little hopeful air, wishing to learn what she could from the unfortunate event. Then, with another glance that this time didn't dare to be too optimistic, she added :
"Do you think it'll take a long time to heal ?"

Pavi Grassland sign | Common | Nari

[Waisana]

The blonde waved off the woman's thanks with a casual gesture with her hands, smiling towards her. "It is my job to help. It is not a chore, I'm happy to do it," Waisana explained. "The pain will ease soon but I won't be able to make it go away entirely. That will take time." Healing, patience.

The doctor finished mixing her paste and went to remove the cooling cloths in order to apply the remedy. However, Ashka's questions gave her pause and if she was to answer her, it wouldn't be fair to remove the one form of relief from the other's arm while she conversed. She sat back on her heels and picked up the paste that she had made out of the Rhinedale ash. She held it out so that her patient could examine it. She mixed it a little to show its consistency before setting it down once more so she could speak.

"This is a from a plant called Rhinedale. I cannot find the plant myself but others collect them. We burn it and we mix the ashes with water to make this paste. We use something that has been burned to heal what has been burned.Balance, she told Ashka before she reached for the cloths, peeling them away from one damaged arm and lifting the bowl of paste. She used the bone to scoop some of the paste onto the injury and gently smoothed the medicine across the skin evenly. She ensured that there was a good coating over the burns, hiding the red under the dark substance. She set the bowl aside and picked up some thin, dry fabric.

Starting at the woman's elbow, she looped the fabric around and tied a simple knot, which she then wrapped the makeshift bandage over that spot to secure it. She covered the skin down to the wrist, making another simple knot, firm but not too tight, before tucking the short, loose end beneath the other bandages. With that done, she moved to repeat the procedure on the other arm. It was the work of about ten chimes, the Opal clanswoman taking her time but such a simple administration of treatment was not overly time-consuming, despite the care taken.

Once she was finished, Waisana sat back on her heels again, looking pensive. She considered the nature of the injury and the scale of the damage as she considered how to answer the question about healing time. "There are many blisters that must heal but if Rhinedale ash is used once or twice more, it will greatly help. Perhaps seventeen or eighteen days, perhaps a day or two more or less. As I said, it should not scar but the skin may be different after it has healed." Whiter, lighter, different colour, she murmured, moving her hands in slow, concise Sign. The blonde tilted her head to the side, smiling in a reassuring way as she reached out to pat Ashka's hand.

"It will not be very bad. You will heal quickly and well. It could have been much worse," she remarked, making a clicking noise with her tongue. "I do not know what happened but I believe... there was fat in that pot. For some reason, when it went on fire, the water made it worse. Perhaps it is because fat and water do not mix. Think! If you put them together will stay apart." Separate. Layers. "Maybe that is what happened with the fire. Instead of putting it out, the water made the fat move away from it. The fat must have splashed up and burned you. Do you think that sounds right?" she asked as she got to her feet, brushing her hands down her clothes.

She thanked the women for the use of their pavilion and indicated to Ashka that she should follow her out. "Where is your Strider, Ashka?" she questioned.

[Ashka Windrunner]

Ashka examined closely the container the doctor presented her. The black powder had been mixed with water to form a dark grey paste, and Ashka's attention peaked when Waisana started her explanation. Rhinedale... She mentally repeated the name to remember it in the future, and pondered a moment over the idea of healing a burn with ashes. The gift of one of Caiyha's children to relieve her scorched limbs.

The doctor then worked on removing the cool clothes from her arms, and despite her care Ashka couldn't help but wince when the skin was stripped of the protective fabric. With this heat, the air around them felt hot and stingy on the wounds, adding to the burning pain that hadn't left yet. But the Drykas forced her arms still and her mouth shut; the blonde woman was helping, so Ash was in no place to whine.

Waisana operated with skillful, efficient hands at spreading the mixture onto the red skin and covering injury and remedy with a new piece of cloth. Ash watched her fingers moved dexterously around her limbs, admiring her ease and professional manner and trying to forget her own discomfort. After the woman was done, the redhead repeated her thanks once more. "It may be your job, you still are extremely helpful. The damage and scarring could have been much worse if we hadn't crossed paths so soon, so thank you again," she said with a grateful smile.

Listening to the doctor's advice on her probable healing time, the redhead nodded. "Hopefully it won't bother me too much when working, at least if I wait a couple of days. Do you know where I can find more of this Rhinedale ash ? Or maybe I should go the River Flower directly for treatment ?"

Ashka returned a thankful smile to the doctor at her reassuring words. "It could have been, indeed. You're probably right about the fat. I didn't pay much attention to this pot, didn't think about the dung pits and all their hazards." She moved her hands to form a sign but the motion sent a sharp sting along her burns, and she had to stop herself, silencing a moan. "I will remember to be more careful next time I try to put out a fire by myself," she added, gazing at her bandages.

When Waisana stood up, Ashka followed her out, thanking the women who had hosted them warmly. Turning to the doctor, she answered with a vague gesture of a hand, directed at the Amethyst spoke of Endrykas. "My Strider is back at the pavillion, unfortunately. But I believe I can just walk, if that's fine ?"
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Pavi Grassland sign | Common | Nari