Lyn, please... Lyn! [solo]

[Lixue]

Spring 1st, 512 AV The storm had come quickly and unexpectedly. Those who were outside were left outside and those who found shelter in time, hid away from all windows and doors. The weather turned hostile and raged. Slowly, things began to warm. Lixue had been at home, protecting her siblings in the only way she could; by offering comfort. The night had been long and sleep lacking. Afterward the storm had calmed, everyone ventured cautiously from their hiding places and wandered into the streets. The flooded, muddy streets. More than one surprise was discovered by astonished eyes. The snow.. The snow was all gone. Heat, so hot of weather, had replaced it. The city rallied together. Members of the Whitevine Hold with medicinal skills were called to heal. Lixue and her mother had answered the plea and traveled to separate holds; her mother to icestone mines and Lixue to the Coolwater Hold. Both had taken the supplies deemed necessary. The morning dragged on. Lixue was only one of many who were there to help. Apparently, the Hold had flooded and countless individuals lost their lives. Person after person was treated, each with different reactions. Some were surprisingly happy, others were sobbing and grief-stricken. Some were shouting to the gods, enraged. The whole ordeal was filled with a wide range of moods. Lixue remained calm, trying to think quickly but efficiently. No use in screwing up, after all. Glancing up at the person she was treating, Lixue questioned, "What is your name, little one?" The girl was no more than ten years and seemed more shy than anything. Her hair was matted to her forehead from moisture. The clothes she wore clung, wet. The young one seemed pale for the dark coloring of her skin tone. Wide, blue eyes were kept downcast and barely flickered up when Lixue talked. Lixue was kneeling on the soggy ground and the girl was standing. "Hm, darling?" "Nyana," she answered softly. A wince overtook her features. Lixue had moved the damaged arm. Nyana had been lucky enough to escape the chaos with only a few scrapes and a broken arm. The break appeared clean; right in the middle of the lower arm. Silent, Lixue set the bone back in place before wrapping a diamond shaped cloth around it (from the elbow to the wrist) and circling the fabric around Nyana's neck. Making sure to adjust the fabric so it would keep the arm level when tied, Lixue quickly knotted it. "I am sorry, Nyana. This is all I can do for your arm right now. I want you to keep it level and make not to bump it on anything, okay?" speaking to the girl quietly, as to not frighten her or keep her from responding. "Now, I'm going to clean up your wounds. Keep them from being infected. Understand?" The girl nodded and lowered her broken arm to her side. "This is going to burn a bit, but you're a big girl, so I think you can handle it." Again, the girl simply moved her head up and down before hiding her blushing face. Lixue shuffled around to the front of Nyana and held her lower right leg. A scrape the size of Lixue's palm was on the front of it, nearly the length of her hand, too! Picking up the pure alcohol someone had been kind enough to supply her with, Lixue gradually poured the liquid onto the wound. Nyana tensed, eyes squeezed shut from the harsh burning sensation. No words would take the pain away, so Lixue said nothing and continued to pour. A pause, then pour again. The clear alcohol ran down the girl's leg and so did dirty blood. Upon recapping the pure alcohol, Lixue dabbed at the gash gingerly with a scrap of fabric. She made sure to press and release to make sure and get all the leftover dirt. Before leaving the house, Lixue had grabbed Turmeric. Now, she used it by sprinkling it over the abrasion. Another bandage was wrapped completely around the lower leg, large part in front, and circled around band. Here, Lixue knotted it tightly, but enough so the leg could still breathe.

[Lixue]

It was then Lixue's eyes landed on a mop of hair toddling through the chaos. Toward the region still underwater. No one seemed to notice; everyone was focused on their task at hand. Lixue told Nyana, "You are finished, you may go now. Change your wound in half a day, everyday, for a week. If a red line appears or your gash appears gushy, see a medic immediately." Without awaiting the girl's reply, if there had been one, she began weaving through the crowd after the head. One way or another, Lixue was going to reach the child and keep him, or her!, from wandering into the danger-zone. Only twice did she lose sight of the head. Only moments later was it reseen. Quickly, but politely, Lixue made her way through the people. No need in shoving anyone, after all. She was sure to reach the child before s/he reached the liquid. A few steps later and the young one turned around. Lixue was startled. It was her three year old brother! Upon catching her eyes, he gurgled happily and toddled away at an awkward run. Toward the flooded area! In retaliation, Lixue picked up her pace. "Lyn, come back here! Lyn!" The boy simply giggled and kept running, arms outstretched. If Lixue could have run with her bad leg, she would have. "No! Lyn! Please, Lyn…" Painfully, Lixue burst into a jog. People were shoved out of the way as she tried desperately to reach him. Even with the desperate situation, she felt no extreme panic. Lyn's scream was cut off as he slipped under the surface. Lixue's heart skipped a beat. The pulsing pain was ignored as she burst into a full out run, arms pumping at her sides. The limp would have been someone else's jog but it quickly cut the distance in half… quarter. The water's edge was rippling. "Lyn? Lyn?" Lixue called, breathing hard from the sprint. Green eyes scoured the liquid, looking for a sibling. Where could he be? Was the water really that deep? "Sissy!" a half drowned shout rang through the air, music to Lixue's straining ears. A splash as Lyn went back under; waving chubby, tiny, arms in the direction he had last seen Lixue. Dashing into the liquid, Lixue cleared her mind. First thing's first: Think clearly. Second: How to swim?

[Lixue]

Lixue knew nothing of swimming. This fact did not keep her from wading further in, green eyes looking for her brother. The liquid seemed harder to move in; thicker, if you will. There seemed to be a force enveloping her knees, tugging her in every direction at one time. Suddenly, Lixue spotted the dark shirt Lyn had been wearing. The boy's eyes were wide and his face red. He was the length of a person away from her. Knowing there was no choice but to launch right in, Lixue took a deep breath and jumped from the spot she was at toward him. The shock of the icy water nearly forced the oxygen from her lungs. Her eyes popped open, trying to make out the shape of her brother in the blue blurriness. The concentration was knocked out of place when Lixue became aware of the fact that she was sinking. Quickly. Instinctively, she kicked upwards but moved nowhere. What else would one do to move through the water? Lonis, Lixue's father, had told stories about swimming but had never truly described the motion. Simply said the swimmer would have sore arms and legs afterwards. Arms! Weakly, Lixue began to almost flap her arms in an awkward manner. The actions seemed to be more of ungraceful underwater dance than actual swimming. However, she was moving upwards in the direction of Lyn, who was sinking faster and faster. Kicking her feet back and forth, Lixue tried to stay in place while reaching out for her brother. He, upon seeing his sister, let loose a small amount of bubbles and latched on. Relief flooded Lixue until she tried to swim. With their combined weight, the two were sinking. Kick, kick, flail arms, repeat process… Cold was seeping into her bones, making her tired. Her right leg was pulsing with pain. Lyn was turning an odd shade of blue. Lixue's lungs burned from not breathing. With one arm wrapped around her brother, Lixue tried again and again to swim upwards. How was the water this deep? Had the Coolwater individuals felt like this? The next decision was the hardest Lixue ever had to make. She let go of her brother. Lixue automatically lunged upwards, even as Lyn slowly fell through the water. Unable to resist having one last look at he brother, one last hope that he would magically learn how to swim, Lixue glanced backwards. Lyn's arms were outstretched, tiny fingers reaching, and his clothing rippled around him. Grey, haunting eyes were latched onto Lixue. His tiny mouth was open… In a plea for his sissy? The older sibling who had had no choice but to leave him behind or risk her own life? Would he understand? Could he understand how Lixue had wanted to save him, but could not? Would he understand as the freezing liquid filled his lungs and he gradually lost consciousness? Would he understand? Calm eyes gave nothing away of the inside turmoil as Lixue poorly made her way to the surface. Just as she herself was about to give up, someone's hand latched onto her shirt and tugged her out of the water. A hard hand clapped her on the back after she had collapsed on the ground coughing. Fresh oxygen burned her lungs. Someone was yelling. Lixue heard nothing. Desperation clawed at her, made her heart skip a beat. Shoving the person's hand off of her shoulder, Lixue stumbled back to the water's edge. "Lyn!" she yelled hoarsely, hands trying to dig through the shallow liquid. Someone was pulling her backwards. Lixue strained against their hold, weakly. "Lyn, please… Lyn…" End

[Warden]

-Lixue- Skill Points: Medicine 2 Running 1 Swimming 1 Lore: Assisting in a Crisis Heedless of Personal Danger Self-taught Swimming Notes: A cliff-hanger! Something you rarely see in threads. Seriously, it was a great read and well done. Keep it up!