(Flash Back) The night of long knives (Renalee)

[Race Banner]

Accidentally deleted this post getting the frame and saved it

[Renalee]

After adding the herbs to the now hot water Ren retrieved some bread, cheese and a piece of meat from the cabinet and brought them all, together with an eating knife, to Race. By then the man had managed to take care of his injured hands and wrap them tightly in bandages. His shirt lay discarded on the bed and he had seated himself on the floor. Ren joined him there and leaned her head closer to his chest, sniffing. The weird scent was still there, stronger even, now that she was in such close proximity and in an enclosed space with the man. ”It’s strange,” the girl explained after pulling back and passing the bread to Race. ”That smell. It’s like something...else.” She couldn’t really explain it and even if she could he wouldn’t understand. Humans were like that when it came to smells - limited. She cut the meat and cheese in small pieces and popped one of each in her mouth. It made for a delightful combination. ”This is my father’s bed,” Ren commented offhandedly through her mouthful. ”He won’t be needing it tonight so you can have it. I sleep in there,” she gestured with the hand still holding the knife towards the curtain across the room. ”Now for your end of the bargain... I want to know what you can do if one of the bones inside your chest is broken. And what if the flesh on your thigh is torn to shreds and you can see the bone? And what do you do if an arrow or a spear has gone through your stomach - is there even a way of surviving this?” As she was talking, Ren noticed that the right side of the man’s face was starting to color in the blue of bruises. The girl lifted a hand, extended a finger and gave his cheek a sharp poke. ”Did you know you were hit here,” she enquired curiously and grinned.

[Race Banner]

Race grunted in pain. “Gah.” He said his face twitching slightly in the area of his face which was bruised. Under her fingers she would feel the hot blood pulsating to the spot he was hit and the slight scratchy surfaces of his unshaved face. He smiled at her kindness she was a good spirit a light in this dark dark city. “How is you are so nice Ren…” he spoke softly looking at her his eyes glowing almost. In Races eyes however a man walked behind her that Ren would never be aware of or hear. It appeared to be Race but his face seemed older and the color of his hair was pale white and his eyes gray. “I was once like you …..a long time. No mistakes. No regrets. People look at you Ren and think about how wonderful your future will be. They want you to be something special a knight, a healer, or a writer. Bending over next to Ren’s ear. “I hate to tell you this, but if you continue to grow you’re more likely to wind up selling your body on the streets, or doing drugs and drinking dirty alcohol in a sewer. And if you’re successful, you’ll make your living by selling people to slavers. And you won’t think twice about killing someone who slightly wronged you. Because you wouldn’t know it was wrong in the first place. Or maybe…maybe you will be like me.” Tanner said be for disappearing before Race’s eyes. Splitting the leaves of the last remains of the bruising herbs, acorn looking seed when split open had a milky greenish wet and slightly slimy inside which had no smell beside dirt or nature. He would scoop out with his finger there countenance and wipe them over the surface of the burning bruises. His hands stinging slight from the cuts of glass as he dabbed the surface in circular motions “I cannot imagine many nice people living in this city if you want my advice I say make a run for it head to Sylaris. I would even offer you my apartment for use if need be.” He spoke softly looking at her as he took a bite of his bread.

[Renalee]

Ren watched as the man squirmed under her fingers as she prodded the bruise on his face again. It didn’t feel like there was broken bone, but judging from its color the girl decided it probably hurt. When instead of pushing her hand away Race claimed that she was being nice to him she raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize. I’m not doing it on purpose.” The human’s expression shifted suddenly and his eyes unfocused. He got quiet and he seemed to be looking at something beyond her, but when Ren glanced over her shoulder she found nothing there. Her eyebrows furrowed. Strange. A few moments passed in what for the girl was an awkward silence, but Race didn't seem to notice. When he spoke again, it was as if he was continuing a thought. “Yes. Syliras." Ren nodded quickly, deciding to ignore the weirdness. "This is where I’m going to go soon. When the end of this Fall rolls around I’m leaving Sunberth and heading there.” The green substance that the human was rubbing into his skin looked strange under the light of the oil lamp and the fire from the hearth. It would soon be absorbed under the surface and start helping with the swelling of the man’s cheek. “Are you from Syliras yourself, Human? Can you tell me more about the knights and the city?” Ren pulled her knees towards her chest, making herself more comfortable on the floor, and pushed the slices of meat and cheese towards Race. “And you never did answer my questions about those wounds.”

[Race Banner]

“Yes I am from Syliras was raised in a orphanage for a bit and was adopted but that’s a story for another time, as for the knights and the city itself its rather nice. There isn’t a lot of crime and it’s safe to walk the streets you can start a family there and have a future.” He said softly with a sad sigh. Tanner nodded in agreement standing behind her now producing about in a suit of Knight armor laughing. “As for those wound types let’s start with the first. “First if a rib a bone in your chest.” Race said pointing to each of the ribs in his chest. “Rib injuries are very painful and breathing may becoming painful a puncture lung isn’t unusual. First off you want the person to relax if the ribs are sticking out try to put pressure and push the bone into its original place. For the most part ribs heal on there on just bandage them tightly and it should heal correct and made adjustments if you feel any misshape. I would go further but just telling you have to perform surgery on the lungs and internal organs is a bit hard. “ He said laying back thinking Tanner speaking to her now but still appearing as if Race was talking. “As I was saying if a bone is showing the best thing to do is to try to seal the wound and stop the bleeding and keeping it clean. Do not burn the bone but cauterizing the wound may help. However if the wound is deep enough to show your bone you will pass out from shock I don’t care how tough you are.” Sitting back up looking at her. “As for something going through your stomach don’t jerk it out unless you have to and if you can try to shorten the width or any things sticking around it and continue to push it through your body if its all the way through or the arrow head is in such a shape that it would cut you on the way out as well. If not go ahead and pull it out and be ready to deal with bleeding and the pain. There herbs out there you can put on your skin which burns wounds shut with their reaction to the skin if I was you and I knew I was going somewhere dangerous I would invest in learning about them.” Race said becoming a bit bored of the conversation as he glanced about not touching his bed once. He wondered if there was anything to read or do as he did not sleep at night. “So Ren what do you plan on doing once you get to Sylris starting a family finding a mate or starting a business?” He asked resting his arm on the bed beside him.

[Renalee]

A family. A future. Sure, if family entailed her bondmate. That was as far as Renalee saw in the future. She needed to find that most important person. Anything after that was irrelevant, because it would surely be as it should. And Syliras... well wouldn’t that just be the perfect place to find your bondmate? So many people, coming from all over the region - and other regions too. And of course, there were the Knights. Her father always said he would like to see her bonded to a Knight or an otherwise great warrior. Ren listened carefully as Race began explaining how one would go about treating all the different injuries she had enumerated. She wasn’t sure she would remember everything, or even if she’ll be able to follow some of his instructions, but at least she knew that they weren’t all necessarily fatal. If there was a way out of it, when the time came it would be found. Ren got to her feet to tidy up what was left of their meal and put the herbs that had been waiting on the table in the now boiling water. She pulled the pot away from the fire and left it to cool for a little bit, while the water absorbed whatever healing properties the herbs had. When she returned Race was asking her a question. “I hope to find my bondmate there. It seems like the best place to start looking. I’m so excited I don’t even know if I’ll be able to wait until Winter!” The girl grinned brightly, tilting her head to the side so she could see the man’s face better. “And what are you doing in Sunberth, Race. Other than starting fights with drunk Drykas that is.”