The Accident
Kaelyn turned briefly to Mason who simply said, “Go! Go!” and nodded. Kaelyn followed Eric as quickly as his younger legs could carry him. “What happened, Eric?”
“I don't know, Miss. I just heard a crash and was sent to find a healer. Someone said you were at the wizards, but nobody I talked to knew where Miss Daisy was, so I ran to find you.”
“Well done, Eric, thank you,” Kaelyn said, walking quickly, digging through her bag, finding what herbs she had prepared. Something falling on you could be anything from minor bruising to a broken bone to a concussion...she mostly had mild pain relief and a few strengthening spells that might hold a bone in place until it could be treated...she hoped it would be enough.
They arrived to find a crowd gathered around the dry goods store, which wasn't surprising. News travels fast in small towns. People stepped aside silently as Kaelyn walked to the shop; getting in the way of a healer simply wasn't done. Kaelyn resolved her face into her “serious but confident” look, one that she had learned well from Colm. Being calm was half the battle.
But she didn't need it. When she got inside she found Daisy, wearing a very similar look, helping Brant the shop boy sit up.
Brant was a year younger than Kaelyn and Daisy, but looked younger still due to his slight frame. He had pale skin with some young-looking freckles scattered across his nose and cheeks, and a shock of wild red hair that was unruly at the best of times, but entirely out of control at the moment.
“Oh, good, they found you, Kaelyn. I happened to be close when I heard the commotion, but Eric was too fast for anyone to catch him, it seems,” Daisy said with a smile at Eric, who beamed with pride.
“I'm glad you were so close Daisy! Is everything okay?”
“Well...nothing's broken...” Daisy said, resting her hand on Brant's forehead, and still talking. “I checked both with an aura crystal and cursory movement tests once it was safe. I feel...there's a possible injury in his brain, will you confirm, Kaelyn? It seems the crate hit his head.”
Kaelyn nodded and knelt on Brant's other side. His green eyes were fixed on Daisy's face and his expression was...unsettling. Kaelyn had heard of the injured finding themselves attracted to those who assist them...
Kaelyn rested her hand on Brant's forehead and quietly recited a clarifying spell under her breath. With her eyes closed she could feel...or see...it wasn't clear which sense was involved...the movement of life inside Brant. For the most part it was jumpy, unsettled, the result of any shock or fear. But there was a pulsing, disjointed spot in his head. It was minor, and didn't seem to be threatening any major systems. She probed it gently, testing for pain, and there was an element of pain there, but it seemed to be something...else, something she couldn't identify. At length she opened her eyes.
“How do you feel, Brant?” She asked?
“I'm..I'm fine, Miss,” Brant said quietly, glancing only briefly at Kaelyn as he spoke, then returning his gaze to Daisy as she packed up her bag, professionally stowing her charms and herbs.
“Do you have willow fine in your pack, Kaelyn?” Daisy asked.
“Yes, one moment.”
Daisy asked Eric for a glass of water and Kaelyn measured a small spoonful of willow powder into a small silver thimble, held it as she repeated the words of pain relief until she felt its powers activate. When she was done Eric was standing by, holding the glass of water. Kaelyn poured the powder into the glass, and asked if they had any honey in the shop. Eric nodded and broke a small piece off of a comb. Kaelyn mixed the honey into the water, commenting how honey helped with the willow's effectiveness. Which was true, after a fashion. Getting the injured to drink the entire thing helped it be more effective. She then handed the glass to Brant.
“Thank you, Miss Kaelyn, and Miss Daisy,” he said, drinking the entire thing in one long draft. He stood carefully, with both apprentice healers helping him get to his feet. “We'll tell Master Colm what we saw today, and he may ask you to come visit the house, but I think you're okay.” Daisy said, brushing Brant's back and straightening his collar. “For now, just be more careful, take good care of yourself, and maybe take it easier today. Eric, how much do we owe for the honey?”
“Oh, nothing! You were helping our shop, it is less than the least we can do...do...should we pay...” Eric stuttered. Daisy stopped him. “Of course not! We are here to help, and I'm glad we were both close, and very glad that it wasn't more serious. In fact, we have a few things we need here...if you could help us, Eric?” Daisy said, pulling Mama's list out of her bag.
“I'm fine to handle it, Daisy, Miss,” Brant said, taking the list from her with a shade too much eagerness. “It would be my honor. And we'll send it by runner, we just got a new batch from the druids...” Brant looked over the list. “This will come to...sixty five, even.” Daisy nodded and counted out coins.
“Mama sent me with money for a runner,” Kaelyn said, but Brant shook his head. “Again, it's the least we can do. I'll cover it myself, make sure it works correctly.” He pulled a runner out of the back room, an odd wooden device that looked like a basket crossed with a spider; eight wooden legs holding up a wooden basket. Runners were convenient, strong, and could be used as firewood when the enchantment wore off. Brant started gathering items from Mama's list and piling them carefully into the runner.
“Well...okay, if you're sure...” Kaelyn said. Brant nodded. “Go ahead, I'll send this along.”
“Okay then. Thank you, Brant,” Daisy said and led Kaelyn outside.
As the two healers walked across the town square to the Fountain, the town's more popular inn, Kaelyn motioned to Daisy that they should talk for a moment.
“What do you make of what you saw in Brant's head? That wasn't like any internal injury I've ever seen.”
Daisy waited until they had a respectful bubble of space around them so she could talk freely. “I don't know either, Kay, but Master will know. He didn't seem very physically injured at all, the crate wasn't that heavy that fell on him, and he didn't have any real bruises. But our work is done, and we got a free runner out of it; so Mama will be pleased. Now, let's go see who is at the Fountain!”