Ow... (Oluse)

by **Alea Davenport** on April 7th, 2012, 8:45 pm

24th Spring, 512 (sunset)

The last few hours had been excruciating. Trekking even just a couple miles with a dislocated shoulder was almost more than Alea could bear. The only thing that kept her going was her determination to see Oluse long enough to ... wave of pain-induced dizziness ... or maybe just throttle him one last time. Yeah, violence is always a good motivator.

Upon catching sight of the buildings of Avanthal, she felt an immense wave of relief...followed by shoulder-pain so intense she had to kneel in the muddy ground and retch. At least nothing came up this time; she'd emptied her stomach well before this moment. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she breathed heavily, trying to muster up the strength for one last stretch of walking. She was almost to the Whitevine healing center. Oluse was an obnoxious brat, but if anyone could heal her, it would be him.

She clutched her right arm to her chest, trying to keep the jostling to a minimum, and also to feel the compass that she wore on a chain beneath her shirt. If nothing else, that compass was at least proof that Oluse cared about her. She couldn't just die without at least rubbing it in his face... She began to wonder if these thoughts were normal, or brought on by pain-delirium.

A few more chimes of trekking brought her to the door of the healing center. She looked awful, covered in mud, plant debris, bloody scratches, not to mention her sickly pallor. But such concerns had long since fled from her mind (if they'd even been there at all), and she moved toward the door with a single purpose. Find Oluse. Make him fix it.

But her strength failed her before she quite made it. Her legs buckled, and she toppled over. She managed to avoid hitting the door with her injured right shoulder, but she the sudden movement sent a fresh wave of pain coursing through her mind. It was too much for her, and everything went black as she slumped to the ground.

by **Oluse** on April 26th, 2012, 9:59 pm

Oluse knew he had to tell his co-workers eventually. The time to leave was fast approaching, and they would have preparation as much as him to make. He by far worked more days than any other physician of his rank, and that time wouldn't be easy to fill. Especially with the patients still recovering from the storm, and administration required for visitors and increase in illness within the last few weeks. All of this weighed on Oluses' mind as his shift pulled to a close. But, still, his stomach sat in a knot, despite his own logic. These people were his family, or had been for several season. What would he say? How would he explain why he was leaving them in such a time of need. Many considered him an honorary Vantha, and with his recent 'development" some considered him a true Vantha. Would a Vantha walk away from Avanthal after the melt, to run away to a far off land full of strangers? Oluse know the answer to that question, and it sickened him. He knew the feeling of being a traitor well. Melodramatic or not, all it made him feel is a stronger push to run. Run away without telling anyone.

He knew it was too late for that, though. He had already told Alea. He still wasn't sure why, why he didn't run like his gut told him to do. To act like nothing was different then pack up and leave. Packing would only take minutes. Oluse had kept his belongings together, packed securely in his backpack ever night since he arrived in Avanthal. Three long seasons, waiting for the courage to bolt. Here it was, and he felt the gnawing obligation to tell everyone. It was killing the boy.

A forced smile and a wave goodbye, Oluse pulled open the heavy door, letting in the cool air, that should be freezing rush into his work space. A chill did bite to his soul, however, had he looked downward at a form he recognized immediately. She was shivering, and unconscious, there was blood, but not copious amount. None stained the ground around her, so he knew there was no serious external wounds. Her skin however was sheet white, and dried tears clung to her face. She was lucky the melt had taken hold of the city at it's throat or she would likely be dead from cold.

His training broke through his immediate stunned reaction with ease, and he knelt beside her, the door almost knocking him off balance as it close behind him. His gloves seemed to fall from his hands without provocation as his exposed skin brushed against Alea's. She squirmed immediately, writhing in pain. Her should was injured, possibly sprained or broken, with a vivid bruise forming around the shoulder, with slight inflammation. Oluse cringed at the thought of liquid rushing into the area, possibly shutting off blood flow to the lower extremity if the effects lasted too long. One ungloved hand touched Alea above the shoulder, the other along the inside of her lower are, checking for difference in temperature. Similiar, the blood was still flowing. Either she had fallen recently, or the cold had slowed the inflammation. He hoped for the first.

"Alea, this is Oluse, I'm going to move you, I need you to tell me what happened. Can you hear me?" He was surprised at the sound of his own voice, not the professional concerned but detached chime of his Vani, but the nearly frantic sound of rolling tumbling Denvali. He glared at the sound, wondering what had happened to his training, a tightness in his chest welling up. What was wrong with him? He just needed to focus, he thought he was until his own voice whisked that illusion away.

Attempting to disregard this abnormality in his own behavior Oluse carefully grabbed hold of Alea, and rolled her over so he could see her face, and inspect the rest of her body. She was wearing a lot of clothes, and a thorough examination would not be possible till those were stripped, but from the flesh they showed she didn't seem wounded. Her mouth was clean, save for some reminiscence of vomit, telling him the stomach and lungs were unpunctured.

Then he saw her eyes open, and the oddest sensation flushed over him. His heart beat frantically in his chest, and his hand tightened without his consent in an uncomfortable away around the arm he was moment before gingerly supporting. He wanted to think about this emotion that washed over him, wanted to identify if he was fit to treat her, or why he had such feelings. But, all that came to mind was. "A dislocated shoulder, yes, inflammation noting a few hours since the injury, possibly some minor cuts. A fall is likely, an attack is plausible. I must get the patient inside where it is warm, and get her to set up. Dry her, warm her, feed her, inspect further, question on cause, then allow her to sleep." Oluse's emotions were beyond him, he knew one thing, and one thing only, his work. This is why he had to leave, to find himself. That self that Alea always forced him to confront. He hated her in that moment...

Alea saw another thing entirely, however, as her eyes opened. Oluses' own eyes seeming to glow above her with a deep and vivid green.

by **Alea Davenport** on April 26th, 2012, 10:46 pm

At the presence of another person, Alea slid partially into consciousness. Her face was contorted in pain, a new grimace appearing every time her arm was jostled. And then, a familiar voice. A voice that could always use a good pummeling. Through the hazed of her mind, she weakly tried to lift an arm to punch him... but it wasn't responding. Wait, why was she trying to hit him with her left hand? Oh, it seemed that her right hand was clutching something through her shirt. That hand seemed pretty determined not to let go of the compass, so Alea's dizzy mind decided it wasn't worth trying to move it, even to hit that annoying boy. Then she noticed the eyes of the man who disturbed her agonizing pain. Green. The eyes of the boy who needed pummeling weren't green...

Alea sat up suddenly as her mind caught up with the present -- Oluse's eyes changed color now... and he was here. The sudden motion sent another wave of pain, but this time she grinned through her grimace. She had made it. She had faced death and returned. She had made it back to Oluse, her medic, her fellow Denvalian. And no silly wound would stop two scions of Denval.

She turned her intent gaze suddenly to stare directly in Oluse's eyes, her feral grin no doubt scaring the shyke out of him. Sweat ran down her face, from the strain, but she let Oluse help her inside. She had made it through the pain this long, and now Oluse would take care of the rest. She just wished he would hurry already. She was getting sick of this. As if to back up these thoughts, she had to stop for a moment as she had another retching spell. A grating sound came forth from her throat as she dry-heaved several times. A few moments later, she nodded to Oluse, to indicate that she was fine. As fine as could be expected anyway.

They made it to one of the nearby private healing rooms, and Oluse made Alea sit. She did not exactly feel like arguing; she doubted she could stand much longer as her vision swam in and out. She still couldn't move her arm. She gave Oluse her familiar impatient glare. When was he going to fix this?

Her functioning hand still had not let go of the compass.

by **Oluse** on April 27th, 2012, 4:00 am

Alea's lurch upward came first as a surprise, but then a relief, his eyes shifting back to their original brown, leaving the boy in a bit of a blinking spell. His vision ended on the compass tucked firmly in her hand, a soft glint of gold in the residual light from the clinic. The compass. He didn't smile, though he felt a little glad about it, mostly it just confused his mind more. Then she looked to him, with those fierce eyes and Oluse felt a twinge of urgency run through him. "Right." He said out loud, helping her the best he could to her feet, the movement causing enough pain to send her into another fit of vomiting steps later, as the pass through the heavy door. A guard took charge and moved over to the two small Denvali, offering to help carry Alea, but Oluses' ego wouldn't have any of it. He waved his hand dismissively and said, with an indignant voice. "Find somebody to clean this up." The words pointless since little more than some saliva had actually been produced. The harshness, and thankless attitude won an unreceived glare from the Kelvic, as Oluse took in Alea's nod that she could continue. The mock vomit was pungent, and unpleasant, though the act itself didn't worry or put Oluse off. He was used to such things, and focused on helping her the rest of the painful steps to the room.

Once Alea sat perched upon the table Oluse looked her straight in the eyes. And there he found something even more frightening then her usual glare. Something had changed between them, and he wasn't sure what it was. He had questioned a lot over the previous weeks about his upbringing, his heritage. His social identity. But, something in her look made him certain, at a most unusual moment, that he was Denvali. That this, what they were doing, would make their people proud. "Hold still, you are going to feel some pressure."

It wasn't Oluses' first time tending a dislocated arm, and the movement itself was swift. "Some pressure," however was a bit of an understatement. A shot of throbbing, fiery pain reverberated from her shoulder our to ever corner of her body, before meeting together in Alea's head with this odd pinching sensation, which climaxed as a dull numbing sounding, somewhere in between a "crack" and a "squish." Then, the pain returned to the inflamed area, less than before, much less. Breath became easier, and if it weren't for the swimming pain and tightness of the bruised tissue around her shoulder the pain would be all but gone. This pain would stretch on for another week at least, the bruise only a couple of days.

Oluse didn't know what exactly to say after Alea reflexively yelped, then relaxed to the give in pain. So, he looked at her, and spoke the first words that came to his mind. "You're young, it'll heal fast..."

by **Alea Davenport** on April 27th, 2012, 3:37 pm

Alea's yelp of surprise came out strangled, and followed by a violent coughing fit. She jumped up and grabbed a cup of water that stood nearby, gulping it down rapidly. Her breathing was ragged, but once the coughing stopped, she realized that she felt much better. She was still annoyed at what the storm had done to her voice; apparently she couldn't even cry out in pain properly. Still, whatever Oluse had done, it had effectively nullified the pain, and given her use of her arm again. Now her shoulder felt about as bruised as her opposite elbow, and, well, it just wasn't a good day unless you came away with a few bruises.

In fact she was in such a good mood that she gave Oluse a great big hug. Almost before he could react, she suddenly remembered she had something to tell him. Yesterday he had asked her to make a choice, one of the most important decisions of her life. She hadn't known what her answer would be at the time, but something about near-death situations and hours of excruciating pain really made one see what was really important.

She started gesticulating wildly, trying to communicate, but really just waving her arms around a lot. With a frustrated exhalation, she searched the small room for something to write with. There was a quill and some paper or parchment (she wasn't sure which and didn't much care), presumably there for doctors to make notes. She quickly scribbled a few words and showed them to Oluse.

"I'm coming with you."

Almost as an afterthought, she then added, "I'm saying goodbye to people first." This, she showed him with a pointed glare, reminding him that she still hadn't quite forgiven him for leaving her the first time with no warning, and making it clear how much she disapproved of people who would just disappear without saying goodbye. Even though many of her friends had already left Avanthal, there were still people who needed to know she was leaving.

by **Oluse** on April 29th, 2012, 9:30 pm

Oluse's eye flew wide as Alea jumped right up in a fit of coughing. He reached for glass of water upon the desk before realizing she was far ahead of him. He didn't give her enough credit for observation and quick wit at times, he knew that. But, he was glad to see her mind was cures of it's haze, even if her voice was still shot. He wondered if it would ever come back, he knew some infusions that would sooth her throat, he could whip them up and perhaps in time it would help. He couldn't think of a single reason a personal would go completely mute, however. One would think Oluse would be grateful for Alea's condition, but he wasn't. Despite all her annoyances he missed her voice, and pitied her. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what sort of maturity might spring from it.

It was as he reached down below the table to produce another carafe of lemon infused water that he abandoned this hope. A heavy hug was laid upon him, causing the cool water to splash about in it's corked container. Oluses's hairs stood immediately on end, and the muscles within his belly tightened defensively. Then as soon as the affectionate assault started it ceased, and Oluse slouched again, returning to where he was before the embrace, unknowing how to respond. Half leaning with the water in hand he watched stupidly as she waved her still healing arm around. He straightened up, and as she turned to write he firmly said. "Be careful with that arm. It might feel better right now, but that's only because it's inflamed and likely numbed to a degree. Tomorrow you will be feelings ever movement you make today. Don't stretch it. I can show you safe stretched if you really must-" She turned and thrust the leaflet in his face, promptly shutting him up.

He blinked twice, confused really. His mind had for the first time in days left the trip, and so he struggled to see what this had to do with Alea's arm, or her voice, or her wit. He slowly traced the thought back till his eyebrows raised in recognition and surprise. He didn't say anything at first, as she turned and began to write upon the paper again. He literally squinted a moment, all in attempts to dig down deep within himself and find some appropriate response to the declaration.

When the amended note was handed to him his face took on a sardonic expression. He really wished Alea would let that go. Oluse had apologized for that. Then it hit him, somewhere out of the blue. She wanted to go with him to Riverfall! He grinned. Then, the grin faded, he felt a little caught off guard by the emotion really, but the pressing issue of her wounds to presidency in his mind. "Alea, I need you to think very hard about what happened, and how you feel. Are you hurt anywhere else?" He was unaware of how rude this was, how dismissive, but his duty came first in his mind. And in that he knew what to say, to the news... He just didn't know. This was what he wanted. Wasn't it?

by **Alea Davenport** on April 30th, 2012, 2:15 am

Alea cocked her head at the words Oluse said aloud, puzzled. Was he still going on about her injuries? She felt fine now. She mentally checked her self over, wiggling around a bit, massaging her sore shoulder. She found a rather purple bruise on her right elbow that stung when she put pressure on it, but she was certain she'd had worse at some point in her life. There were a few holes in her clothes and some minor scratches, but none were very deep and they had long-since scabbed over. None was worse than that time she'd slid down a cliff.

She looked back at Oluse and shrugged casually, wincing at her shoulder's movement. She could certainly imagine that might be sore tomorrow, and possibly longer, but she was pretty sure it would be functional. She began pacing impatiently; she was fine, when were they going to talk about Riverfall? He had asked her to go with him, to leave everything behind for the grand adventure! Had that just been pretty words? Was he regretting asking her now?

She scribbled furiously on the paper again, her face contorted with annoyance. "I'm fine." On a line below that, she wrote, "You said you wanted me to go with you to Riverfall. I am agreeing. Please respond." It was just like him to find any distraction to avoid having to talk about things that were really important. Well, one way or another, she was going to make him talk.

She shoved the paper into his face, literally. She hoped she hit him hard enough to hurt his nose a little. It was the least he deserved for being such an obtuse brat.

by **Oluse** on April 30th, 2012, 2:36 am

Oluse looked skeptically upon her as she shrugged, and uncorked the water, pouring some more for her as she wrote. He then set the open carafe aside, paused, then corked the carafe. One never knew what might e capsized with Alea around.

The asailing note caught him offguard, but reflexively he tried to move away, absorbing some of the blow. With an annoyed expression he calmly, eyes level with a reprimanding tone upon Alea's, plucked the note from her hand hand read it over. His lips moves slightly as he did so, slight sounds sneaking out. He had never been a phenomenal reader, and still had to sound out his subjects.

"Oh." He said, realizing for the first time that he hadn't actually responded to her. He felt really quite bad about that. He was so accustomed to people answering his question, but at times he forget that other's deserved the same respect. He smiled softly and looked Alea in the eyes. "I am really happy. Though, I'm still concerned about what happened to you. And-" His mouth continued with a thought he was nearly unaware he had. He was worried about something else, what was it? His face poured in thought a moment before then got wider in concern. He realized he had still not asked Sama'el if she could come. As soon as the epiphany hit him, he relaxed. Surely Sama'el would understand.

Then a flash of Sama'el as his father flashed into his mind. What would Oluses's father have done? Told Oluse he could absolutely not take any of his friends with them, that it would be hard enough for just the family. Oluse blinked a bit dumbfounded by his own thought. How rude. Moments stretched on as Oluse continued to think to himself, his face shifting and churning like the ocean's waves changing in dependence upon what boiled underneath. Alea rarely got to witness this display of Oluse's even int heir youth, not often did she stop speaking long enough to see it.

Eventually Oluse seemed to refocus on the present, and Alea before him. "What?" He said habitually, used to somebody having to speak to pull him out of the trance. "Oh." He remember the part of his thoughts that would be relevant to their travels. "It's fantastic you want to come, not we just have to introduce you to the Drykas and hopefully they will approve." He smiled. The thought of asking the Drykas before finding out if Alea wanted to go had never dawned on him, and still in that moment did not.

Armed with his long moment of silent introspection to speak upon he continued with smooth and premeditated thought. "We can get you patched up here, I can prescribe you some tea that will help you fend off infection and we can get the bill all sorted out. Then the day after tomorrow, I work tomorrow, we can swing by the Drykas camp by the lake and you can meet Ronan and Sama'el. I need to have a talk with another of their friends as well." He couldn't remember Denen's name, having never met him. He smiled, having finished, unaware of his own accomplishment, the most well put together fluid and complete paragraph that Alea had ever seen come out of the introverted boy. How time to think made him so prepared.

And then, as if some extra credit, he said. "It should come up to about five gold Mizas total. A little more, but I will cover the difference." He seemed proud of himself, and out of some supreme ignorance had missed Alea's annoyance at him completely, or perhaps just found it to be unsurprising. He couldn't think of a time he hadn't seen her annoyed with him after all. Still she accepted his proposal and this filled him with confidence, warranted or not.

by **Alea Davenport** on April 30th, 2012, 3:06 am

Alea gulped down the water Oluse had poured, wondering if being "happy" was all he had to say on the matter. She turned back impatiently toward Oluse, but something stopped her from demanding his attention again. It almost looked like he was... thinking. Alea wasn't sure she'd ever seen him do that before. She figured since he was pretty new at this, she should give him time to finish, so she waited patiently while he gathered his thoughts from the dusty recesses of his largely unused mind.

When he spoke of Drykas, she frowned, puzzled. What was a Drykas? Who were Ronan and Sama'el? Just how much of this journey had Oluse utterly failed to tell her? The day after tomorrow? If this was Oluse's idea of being prepared, she didn't want to wait that long. She sneakily swiped another, blank sheet of paper, stuffing it into her pocket while Oluse was distracted by the sound of his own voice. Tomorrow, she would go find these people on her own. If they were in charge of the trip they would know what was going on better than Oluse. It would be wiser to deal with them directly. She grudgingly admired Oluse's healing skill, but was pretty sure he was completely useless for anything else.

When he brought up the subject of payment, all other thoughts fled her mind, and she felt sick. She had been in denial about her funds for some time, but the sad truth was, she could carry the coins she had remaining without even noticing their weight. Terrible images ran through her mind of what would happen if she should be unable to pay. Would she have her shoulder broken again, to restore her to the state she was in before she got free service?

She gulped, but figured stalling would not help anyone. She untied her nearly empty pouch and upended it on the counter. Her face was full of dread as seven mizas with silver bands bounced onto the counter. She looked at Oluse in a great deal of apprehension. This was all the money she had left.

by **Oluse** on April 30th, 2012, 3:39 am

Oluse raised an eyebrow at this, but reached in and pulled out five silver pieces, feeling their cool touch to his skin. "Hrm." He said thinking over the situation, his hands twiddling and churning the coins within his palm.

After a few moment he finally said. "Alea, go to the cupboard over there and grab the large jar that says 'Echinacea' on it." An herb he was instrumental in bringing to the awareness of the Vantha, and helped increase it's trade from Denval since his arrival. "Bring it down, grab one of the linen pouched from under the table and use the scale to measure out exactly one point seven five ounces then put the Echinacea in the pouches." Then he smiled, liking to get the chance to give Alea orders. "That will be two copper mizas for the pouches," he reached around, dipping the tip of the quill in the slick ink and taking the note, 'then one miza for the relocated arm." His grin got wider as he subtly manipulated the price. "9 silver and 8 copper for the one point seven five ounces Echinacea." The then wrote down the last numbers before turning around and gave a quirky smile as he said. "Plus three gold rimmed mizas for your work as a doctor's assistant for the day." He fought back a laugh as he finished. "That should come up to one gold rimmed one gold rimmed miza total." He reached in his own pocket and pulled out a Miza, and held it out to Alea along with her copy of the receipt, till twiddling the seven silver mizas in his off hand more forgetfully then in a taunting manner. "Miss Davenport."

Oluse was, in fact, a jerk. But a sweet one.