[The Main Gates] Safe Haven (Dusk)

[Sturlin]

His surly demeanor held until the boy entered the room. Something about Sturlin made him partial to children, perhaps the difficulties he himself had encountered at that age. The smile he offered the kid was more frightening than his normal face, which was probably one of the things which kept him distracted while his teacher worked. While Tomas was around, Sturlin's taciturn nature seemed to be toned down for his comfort.

Ignoring a needle was surprisingly simple when compared with the complexities of emptying your mind. Sturlin allowed his eyes to shut. Visualizing his leg, he imagined a string connecting the pain to his lungs. With each breath he pulled in, he focused on 'pulling' the pain up the string and into his chest. Every gust of air pushed out of his lungs was filled, in his mind at least, with the pain he was suffering from the healer's work.

Things continued this way throughout the stitching. While the pinpricks were still felt clearly each time she pierced the flesh, the radiating pain which would have stung the wound of an unfocused mind was carefully inhaled and expelled. His mind returned to focus only when they began discussing the price of their services. As the boy offered him a shy smile he winked at him with his good eye. Five gold Mizas seemed rather high, but he had to admit that she took very good care of him.

The sleeping draught bothered him. His mouth opened to speak, and then he shut it. Rewording his question in his own mind was top priority. How these knights dealt with magicians within their walls was still a mystery. Marks of the gods were one thing, Reimancy was quite another. When he raised his voice to speak it was clear and concise. "This drink. Will it hamper my mind in any way? Side effects perhaps?"

[Dusk]

Helena gave him another dry smile at the question, and just said "Tomas?"

The boy piped up, a little more confident now that Sturlin wasn't so grumpy-looking. "The sleeping drought will help you get at least eight hours sleep, sometimes more like ten. You will wake up a little groggy, and need to drink a lot of water to replenish your system," he said, practicing his Official Healer's Voice, "but there will be no lasting side effects. The grogginess should wear off in about a bell."

Helena chuckled, giving him a nod of approval which set the page to smiling widely. Adamal chuckled as well from where he sat on the other side of the room and played with Sturlin's strange little cat. "Take it," she said, holding Sturlin's gaze. "This is Syliras, the bastion of human civilization and the safest place in all of Mizahar. You and everyone here are under the protection of the Knights," she said with a wave at herself and Adamal, who gave a little salute, "and we take that job very seriously. Take it, and rest while you can."

[Sturlin]

It was not himself he was worried about, directly. Magicians should not be wandering around inebriated. That sort of behavior was one liable to breed accidents and misunderstandings. Grogginess, however, did not sound as though it would lead him to misuse his abilities. Taking the drink in his right hand he offered them a salute with it, and then quaffed it in a gulp.

"Thank you for your help. I'll arrange payment when I awaken." Running a hand over his face, he leaned back and let out a sigh. Sleeping draught aside it had been two days since he had enjoyed a good nights sleep. "Good lad you've got there to help you, miss."

[Dusk]

Helena chuckled and patted the boy on the head, who beamed a smile and looked proud of himself as only a child can. "One of the best," she laughed, ruffling the boy's hair.

She took back the empty bottle and gave it to the boy to tuck away in his pack, and then made sure Sturlin was fully settled, pulling the linens over him to keep him warm. "Rest, and worry about everything when you wake up."

The sleeping draught worked fast, especially considering how little he'd eaten in his two-day trek out of the woods. Soon his mind fogged, and his eyes closed, and the last thing he'd see was Adamal gently settling Mr. Pickles on the bed beside him.

When he woke that evening, there was a wavering candle providing a point of light in the room. It dipped and swayed, until it finally settled on the table beside his bed and shone on the pale white face of the woman who carried it. She looked much like Helena, a silverine Konti, but her eyes were a deeper shade of blue and her smile was somehow wiser, older, something Sturlin would sense even before his eyes blinked clear.

"Time to wake up, young man," the woman chuckled, and her voice was lower than the healer's had been. "The Knights said if you don't get any water in you before moonrise you're like to feel even worse when you waken. And I've brought you some soup as well," she said, waving to the tray she'd already set beside him.

If he collected his wits enough to look around, he'd see that Mr. Pickles was currently devouring a bowl of ground meat and had another dish of water beside it.

"I'm Matilda," she said in explanation. "I've brought you some clothes, and a pitcher of water to wash up if you'd like."

[Sturlin]

"I may need to visit the city more often. So many pretty women to take care of me," he said groggily. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he sat up on his bed and offered her a hand in greeting. After a good rest, and with hunger in his belly, he was more apt to treat his host with kindness. Hunger is the best sauce, they say, and that water and soup truly looked like a banquet.

Sleeping in a bed was usually unpleasant, plagued by nightmares and visions. Whatever was in that draught she had given him was a miraculous mixture. For the first time since his early childhood he had slept peacefully since his head touched the pillow. More than anything he was grateful for that.

Too polite at the moment to begin scarfing down food instantly, he grabbed the water and took a deep drink. The cool liquid helped to clear the gunk from his throat and awaken him. Looking upon the Konti with fresh eyes he offered her a scarred, lopsided smile. "Thank you."

[Dusk]

She peered down at his hand for a moment before she finally quirked a smile and took it - and then she chuckled and clutched it in both hands, nodding a little. "It is no trouble, Sturlin," she murmured, patting his hand once more before releasing it. "Eat, eat - if you wait any longer, your hands will shake from hunger and you'll ruin my sheets," she said, pressing the bowl into his hands.

Then she bustled around the room, straightening things and pouring the washwater from her pitcher into the basin in the corner. She returned to lay a simple shirt and trousers beside him, both ragged and well-worn but clean. "These should fit you," she said, straightening up. "And your horse is fine, before you ask," she chuckled.

[Sturlin]

With courtesy satisfied there was no need to stand on ceremony. As she moved away from his bed he gripped the soup bowl in one hand and dipped a pinky finger in to test the temperature. Once he was sure that it was not scalding hot he set the spoon aside and drank from the bowl using both hands. Many interconnected gulps and one gasp of air later, he set the bowl aside and went back to drinking from his water.

"Thank you for taking care of Francis, and myself, and Mr. Pickles," he said in between drinks of water. "Even if it is for pay you and your friends are more kind than you have to be. Speaking of which, whenever you need me to settle the debt let me know." This last was said while he gestured at the pack carrying his valuables.

While she responded and went about her business he kept his eyes on her. He had met more Konti today than in most of the rest of his life. Living in the woods with his uncle he had not encountered many other people before he came here. They were pleasant to look at, he'd give them that.

[Dusk]

She chuckled, and nodded. "It is our pleasure. Syliras is here to offer succor to those who need it. Now. I believe Helena said you owed five gold for their services? And two silver for today's lodging and meals. You may stay as long as you wish at the same price."

[Sturlin]

Thinking this over, he tugged his pack close and then fished around inside of it. Once he had gathered a palm full of gold mizas he placed them on the tray that she had brought for him, along with his empty bowl and cup. There were six in all. "I will stay for another four days, bringing the tally up to an even six gold mizas. Might as well pay in advance."

[Dusk]

Matilde chuckled and gathered up the coins, nodding to him as if unsurprised. "You'll want to stay off the foot for at least a day," she said, raising pale eyebrows as she looked down at him, "or else it'll swell up and you'll be spending more gold on a better healer. Keep it elevated. And when you go to the market, don't believe the girl when she tells you it's a reasonable price for your clothes. Offer her half, and she'll take it," she said, winking slyly before she reached down to give the bald cat a scratch and then slipped out of the room.

END!