[Bloodflower Plantation] Eye of the Storm

by **Verena Lorak** on November 30th, 2014, 5:17 am

Eye of the Storm
82nd of Fall, 514 A.V.

“It is good to see you,” Cassius Paille said as he helped her off the carriage, a firm hand settling at the base of her spine. He swept his gaze across the Sitai’s expansive tobacco field. “As much as I appreciate this chance to spend more time with you, Verena, do you really have to visit the Bloodflower at times like this? I have heard that things are . . . unstable here.”

The healer didn’t reply him, for the answer – for her, at least – was supposed to be blatantly obvious. With things going on in the plantation, it was the more reason for her to visit and offer her services. She knew that when the suspicions were staking high, the Dynasty would lash out at their slaves and not all of them could easily access the Radjud-Dalat if anything happened. Of course, Verena knew that the Sitai usually kept their slaves in a pristine condition for show, but she still wanted to see how they were doing. It was a habit she was familiar with, even with the establishment of Radjud-Dalat. There was a chance that they might not need her, but at least she had offered what she could. Besides, her home became a constricting place – so was her clinic. It was refreshing to finally go somewhere else.

The Stormwarden was not surprised at her betrothed’s lack of words, concluding that she had indeed set her mind on this and there was nothing he could do to stop her. As the family responsible for the security of Kenash, Cassius had heard about the unrest in this particular plantation. Some slaves had been executed as a warning, while others were whipped for the slightest mistakes.

Cassius turned to watch Verena with the corner of his eyes. It was a change to see her wearing a pair of trousers, instead of skirts. Cassius was so used to seeing her in dresses. Yet, she looked more settled right then – her hair messily pulled back into a ponytail and wearing a loose shirt. “Promise me that you will stay in my sight.” Not that he thought she would make an extra effort of fulfilling promise. Verena often prioritized her patients first and everything else later.

“We will be in the same building, Cas,” the Lorak pointed out as she noticed a Sitai slave heading towards them. Her hand rested down on the satchel she had brought, mentally calculating the herbs and salves she had brought. During visits like this, Verena mostly expected to find whiplashes, bruises, minor wounds from working in the field and some occasional fever or two. It would not be a long visitation, unless worse conditions came up.

After the Sitai slave introduced himself, he guided the pair toward the slave house, passing through the city famous flower gardens. It was a beautiful sight. Eagerly, Verena sped up her steps and didn’t spare another glance at her future husband behind her. Truth be told, after she had found out that their wedding date had been picked, the healer avoided seeing Cas every possible occasion. She was going to spend the rest of her life with him – it was only fair that she could spend some away from him. Fortunately, Cas seemed to understand and kept their communication to a minimum – except for parties, gatherings, and the likes. Once, he had asked her if she was angry and she answered no, because she was not. The Lorak still couldn’t quite describe how she felt about all that. After all, she knew it was coming sooner or later. Yet, her mind refused to truly accept it.

To distract herself of such things, Verena paid attention to their surroundings instead. The colors of the nature were vivid enough to shift her focus. She figured it must be a joy spending time in such a lovely place.

She barely finished her line of thoughts when she saw a child running and yelling, chased down by two guards.

by **Verena Lorak** on July 7th, 2015, 5:53 am

The kid was quite swift on his feet, dashing past the visitors and paying them little attention. Verena could see he was trying to head into the swamps that was still a distant away. A foolish child. He would never make it. It was not surprising when the guards overtook the young child with their long legs. The small figure was quickly tackled down and a cry escaped the slave’s mouth.

Verena expected the boy to be dragged back to where he belonged. But when she saw the guard swung his first kick, the Lorak paused her stride. Her stomach twisted as the sole of the guard's boot slammed into the kid’s stomach. The child was obviously not going to try to escape, what was the point of that sort of violence?

Cas’s arm was suddenly wrapped around her waist, urging her to move along. But Verena refused to move. The guard sent another well aimed kick into the boy’s chest, while the other one seemed to be content with doing nothing.

Their guide finally realized that the two Dynasts were not following him and turned on his soles. He glanced briefly at the fallen child, but quickly returned his attention to the young woman. It was a surprise to him that the healer even paid attention to the scuffle. “Lady Verena, you do not need to worry yourself over that boy. He simply needs a lesson.”

It was as if the Lorak never heard.

“Stop,” Verena said as she took a step forward instead, gently pushing her betrothed’s arm away. “I am here to treat the slaves. You do not need to add another one for me to work on.”

The guards bowed their heads in acknowledgement and slowly pulled away from the frightened boy who had curled himself into a ball. He looked fragile as his body shook in fear. Carefully, Verena knelt beside him, placing a gentle hand on his skinny arm. From the bruises on his skin, Verena could guess that this was not his first time being abused. He flinched at her touch, making her pull her hand back. Maybe he thought she would hit him too.

“Are you alright?” the Lorak asked, trying to sound gentle; instead, she sounded as cold as usual. It was frustrating that no matter how much she tried to mimic a warmer tone from other people, she always failed. Sometimes, Verena wondered why she even bothered to try. “Can you move?”

The boy refused to answer her, curling tighter on the ground. A sob escaped him.

After a short chime, Cas decided that the boy was too terrified by his betrothed’s cool mannerism. Verena was a great healer and kind too, but not everyone could see it. The Paille knelt beside her, giving the boy a small smile. “You are alright now. No one is going to hurt you. Look here.” He paused, waiting for the boy until he slowly moved his head. “This pretty lady right here is a doctor. Just tell her where it hurts and she will make it better.”

Hesitantly, the boy pointed at his torso, making Cas’s smile widened. “She will place her hand on your stomach, is that alright? It won’t hurt.”

As he coaxed the refusing boy, Verena watched him closely. Cas had always been good with people – especially women – but she never expected him to handle a child well. It made sense, but she simply never imagined seeing it. He caught her staring at him and grinned.

It took a short while until the slave boy agreed, and when he did, Verena settled her hand as gently as possible. It took little effort for her to call out the cool, calm rush that was the power of Rak’keli. A young child that looked barely seven years old did not deserve such pain and bruises. As the strain started to ease from the boy’s face, the healer could tell that his bruises were starting to fade.

“Are you a witch?” the boy asked suddenly when Verena could feel the last of the pain leaving his body.

“No, I am a doctor,” she replied simply, taking her hand away. As she stood, the Lorak could feel the boy’s wide eyes on her, perhaps deciding that she was some sort of magical creature.

Cas helped the boy to stand and dismissed the guards. The two men looked taken aback, but even if he was not a Sitai, he was still a Dynast. “I will escort this slave to the barracks. We are heading there anyway.”

With a solemn nod, their guide led them deeper into the Bloodsnake Plantation.

by **Verena Lorak** on July 17th, 2015, 9:26 am

At first, the child fell back behind them in small steps. When she looked back, Verena saw that he kept his face down on the ground and had his hands clasped in front of him. He certainly did not seem eager to run anymore. It wasn’t until Cas grabbed her arm and forced her to slow down so that they were walking beside the child that Verena noticed that he was actually crying.

Cas gave her a brief glance before turning to the boy. “What’s your name?”

“Jal, my lord,” her replied softly between his sobs. Now that he realized that two Dynasts were paying attention to him, he wiped away his tears and struggled to contain his hiccups.

The child couldn’t have been older than ten years old, yet the guards did not hesitate to hurt him. Verena knew that slaves were never treated kindly by most people, but it didn’t mean she got entirely used to it. With the Rujaro acting up, every slave was a target nowadays and there was nothing she could do. Sometimes she wondered about the Rujaros. They claimed themselves as rebel slaves fighting for freedom, yet they were more than willing to hurt other slaves for the sake of sending a message to the Dynasties. In result, children like Jal would pay the price.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for them to get to their destination. Most people would expect a building in front of them, yet there was no sign of it anywhere. But the healer, who had visited the quarters on a few occasions, glanced up to see the buildings hidden between the leaves. Verena had always found that the Bloodflower’s slave quarters were one of the more interesting ones. It was certainly not beneficial for the slaves, for they had to climb up to reach their beds even after a harsh day of working. It wasn’t that uncommon to find them with falling injuries.

Cas, on the other hand, was on his first visit to the Sitais’ home and whistled in what she guessed was appreciation. “Smart to put them up like that. Anyone would have been seen climbing up or down.” It wasn’t surprising for the Paille to note its security and tactical advantages immediately, considering his family’s job of keeping Kenash safe.

“The slaves have gathered in the multipurpose room waiting for you,” their guide said before leaving them with a bow rather hastily.

A ladder descended from the buildings above, an unwelcoming entrance to the quarters. Even Cas would need some effort to hoist himself up.

Cas gestured at the child. “Up you go first, kid. Tell them the doctor is here.”

With obvious familiarity, the boy went up and followed quickly by Cas

“After you, Verena,” her betrothed said as he held the ladder in place. He glanced up once again to the quarters and placed a hand on her arm. “You can climb, right?”

“Yes, Cas.” Truthfully, the Paille’s habit of worrying over her sometimes wore her nerves thin. It was reasonable considering their connection, but it didn’t stop Verena from feeling annoyed once in a while. Ever since she dragged him out of the Den, he had paid her even more than usual. Since he seemed upset enough for her to notice, the young woman did not have the heart to tell him to back off – one of the reasons why Verena relented when Cas insisted to come to this visitation.

She grabbed the first rung of ladder and pulled herself up with a deep breath. It was not particularly difficult since Cas kept the whole thing steady from below, but it didn’t stop her from hesitating. She could just imagine herself slipping on a step and falling down to the grasses beneath. Patiently, Verena clambered up the ladder, taking care to have a firm grasp on the rung above her before moving her feet up.

There were more than two dozens slaves in the room, most of them sitting on the ground and bent their head down. Verena saw that Jal was now in the arms of an older man with a graying beard. The man seemed to be chastising the child. Four guards stood against the walls, keeping a close eye on everything. They nodded at Cas as soon as he entered.

One of the older women, Galine, immediately greeted Verena with a small bow. “Lady Verena, how kind of you to pay us a visit during these times! I hope you didn’t go too much trouble.” She turned to Cas slowly, perhaps eyeing his intimidating stature and the longbow strapped to his back. “Is he your guard, my lady?”

“No, he’s my betrothed.” Verena did not over the slave anymore information than that. Most of the time, they would get particularly malicious and distrustful when she came with company. Somehow, some slaves had gotten used to her but she knew they would turn on her given the chance. “Who are the worst patients today?”

Galine led her to the row of cots at the back of the room. “There are some of us with infection from the whippings, but the worst is this girl.” Finally, they were standing next to a particular cot. True enough, the adolescent girl lying on it was pale as sheet and shivered with a nonexistent cold. The girl was younger than she was, yet Verena noted the swell of her stomach. “It is good you came today, healer. Her pain are getting worse and I fear she might give labor early.”

“Very well. Arrange the rest of them according to priority so I’ll know who I’ll treat first,” the healer ordered as she slung her bag of her shoulder. Galine nodded in response and weaved herself into the center of the crowd.

“It’s . . . tense in here. They kept looking at me guardedly, like they are hiding something,” Cas whispered to her as he helped her to take out the supplies she had brought from the clinic from her bag. He gave the room another look before turning back to her. “Do you really think this is a good time to be doing this?”

The young woman let her violet eyes meet her betrothed’s steadily. His words rang true for Verena kept noticing some slaves whispering in the corner of her eyes, but this wasn’t the first time that she visited and was treated with suspicion. “They are slaves, we’re Dynasts, Cas. Of course they won’t welcome us with open arms.”

He sighed. “I suppose you have a point.”

“Do not worry,” Verena said, trying to give him a reassuring smile. “I have done this a dozen times before and rarely meet any trouble.”

by **Verena Lorak** on July 30th, 2015, 7:48 am

Turning her attention back to the girl, Verena pulled up a chair to sit next to the cot. If she had to guess, the girl must be around sixteen years – far too young to carry a child in the healer’s eyes. Still, pregnancies among the slaves were common enough, as it was a way for the dynasts to get more slaves for free.

The girl turned her head slowly, grimacing as she did so. Even so, she managed to smile a bit. Even as pale as she was, the slave was pretty with her light hair and dark eyes. No wonder she was impregnated so early. “Healer, thank you for coming.”

“What is your name?” the Lorak asked, after acknowledging the girl’s gratitude. It was unnecessary, honestly. She had not done anything to help yet. “How long have you been pregnant?”

“Ali, my lady. Everyone calls me Ali.” Before answering her next question, the slave girl quieted and started mouthing some words as she lifted her fingers. Verena guessed she was trying to count the days. “More than a season, I think, my lady.”

Verena placed the back of her hand on Ali’s forehead, trying to gauge her temperature. The girl’s temperature was startlingly high. Her cold and clammy skin was not a good sign. Fever could cause some damage when not treated soon. “How long have you been feverish?”

“Few days, at most,” the slave replied with a small shrug of her shoulders.

A few days . . . Verena wondered if there was an underlying cause that triggered the fever. The living condition of slaves was never the most healthy and getting a fever was something common enough that most did not even bother to care for it. “Galine mentioned you have been experiencing more pain?”

Ali nodded. “I suppose my back is always aching, but lately my stomach pain had been getting worse sometimes.”

“Point to me where exactly you felt the pain,” the healer ordered.

The girl pointed at the bottom of her stomach and Verena felt an alarm raising inside her mind. During pregnancy, to experience pain at that location was never a good sign. There was still a possibility that it might not have anything to do with the baby, but there was a bigger chance that it did.

“Is it hurting now?”

Ali shook her head.

“Tell me if this hurts.” With a proper amount of pressure, Verena pressed her fingers down on where the girl had said her stomach pain was. When the healer glanced up at Ali, the slave was shaking her head. Yet, when pulled her hand back, the girl hissed.

“Are you bleeding?”

“Yes, but not too much.”

Fever. Pain. Bleeding.

“Is he your husband, my lady? Do you have a child?” the girl asked suddenly. In the corner of her eyes, the Lorak noticed Cas going very still. She did not know what it meant, but she had no time to ponder over it.

Galine’s voice came up from behind her. “Hush, child. Do not ask about such things to the lady.”

Ignoring the older slave, Verena answered, “No, we are not married yet.”

“But you will be?”

“Yes,” the healer replied as she moved over so that her body hid Ali from the view of the other slaves. Carefully, Verena rolled the slave’s dress up, so that she could see the whole of her stomach. The Lorak placed her hand gently on the swell, feeling its warmth. True enough, the size of her did match the girl’s calculation. If that was true, then the baby would be going through some of the more vulnerable times.

Is miscarriage a possibility?

The girl’s smile widened. “You will have the most beautiful baby, my lady. With you being so pretty and the master so handsome.” A flush suddenly painted her cheeks. Then, she continued. “It is a most amazing thing, my lady, having a child grow inside you. I did not want this child at first, but to feel him, feel his warmth inside me, I cannot help myself but start loving him. I cannot even explain it.” As if to prove it, Ali laid a gentle hand on her own stomach, rubbing it lovingly.

It is very likely.

So far, all the healer had were inconclusive suspicions. The pain and bleeding were not particularly uncommon during pregnancies, but it may also hint at something worse. Verena feared that Ali was in the danger of having a miscarriage, but she could not say anything before being absolutely sure. And even if she was right, there was little she could do.

Right now, Verena should focus on what she could actually treat. The fever.

Earlier, Verena had browsed through her family’s and her clinic’s storage to gather the herbs common for minor sicknesses. She pulled out the familiar brownish chunk that was a gingerroot. It should break the fever without endangering her baby, it would also help her deal with the nausea. The young woman handed it over to Galine who had stood quite at the end of the cot. “Make sure she drinks hot ginger tea every day. I will come back in a few days to check on her and bring more herbs.”

With that, the Lorak rose from her seat and turned to her next patient.

by **Verena Lorak** on March 6th, 2016, 11:18 am

After she handled two fractures and three feverish child, Verena was ready to move on to another slave. One would expect her to be tired, but doing her job always invigorated her in an inexplicable way that nothing else could. There was no need to wave your hand prettily or consider her words carefully. That was why she was so devoted to the art of healing – it let her escape from the madness of socializing.

Every once in a while, Verena glanced back at the pregnant girl, making sure Ali did not take the turn for the worse on her watch. She turned her attention back to the slave who complained of a pain on his right stomach. His eyes had a yellowish tint to it and so did the rest of his body, enough for her to suspect a disease related to his liver.

She turned her head only to see a raven-haired guard climbing up from the ladders and pulling himself up onto the slave quarters and walked directly toward Ali’s cot. He began talking to Galine.

Losing interest, Verena continued putting pressure on the slave’s right abdomen, trying to feel the edges of his liver. She felt it earlier than expected, which could only mean that his liver was enlarged. Jaundice. Enlarged liver. It was the symptoms of a common enough sickness among the slaves.

Much to her surprise, Cas suddenly came up to her, his hand wrapping around her wrist. He leaned in close, his eyes darting around suspiciously. He seemed to be focused on something behind her. “We should go.”

“Why?” Verena demanded. Cas could clearly see that she was not finished.

The Lorak got her answer, but not from her betrothed.

An older man who shared Ali’s eyes had stood up in front of the guard, shielding the slave. Her father, perhaps. The other slaves looked tense, while the guards were reaching for their weapons. “You cannot take her! She is sick! The last time they took Gisha and she never came back!”

“It is under Lord Sitai’s order! Move aside!” Impatient, the guard simply shoved the frail man to the ground and made a grab for Ali’s arm.

Quicker than anyone could predict, a young man jumped to his feet and used something in his hand to stab the guard. But the guard was experienced and he brought his arm up, protecting his stomach from the blade. The slave had no chance when he pulled out his sword. His blade went through the slave’s abdomen and he pulled it out with a sickening sound. The young man seemed surprised, looking down at the blossoming on his shirt. A tick later, his fell limp on the floor with a sickening thump.

“Come on, Ver! Let’s go!” This time, Cas was unforgiving, dragging her by the arm toward the door. She still couldn’t look away from the blood pooling under the lifeless figure.

But he was too late.

At the sight of the dead body, something inside the room snapped. Someone let out a cry and in a wave, all the slaves surged on their feet. Chaos erupted from the center of the room and they were trapped right in the middle of it. Guards had taken their blades out, not hesitating to sink them through flesh.

No one paid any attention to the pair at first. Cas pushed through the unwashed bodies, keeping one arm secure around her waist and murmuring to her to look down. Screams had started to fill the room as blade met flesh and blows traded with blows. They were getting closer to the exit until a man stepped in front of Cas, holding a rough shiv. The man was old and weak, while Cas was trained to become the defender of Kenash and it took nothing for him to disarm him. But in that brief moment the Paille let her go, someone shoved into her, separating them.

The Lorak didn’t even have time to react before a blow snapped her head to the side painfully. She tasted blood in her mouth. Gods. She did not even have time to think. Cas was yelling her name, making his way to her as more slaves turned their heads toward the two Dynasts in their midst. She tried to take one step, but at a harsh yank of her hair, she nearly lost her balance. Suddenly, the young woman was face-to-face with an older woman, the rose of Sitai branded on her face. “You Dynast bitch!” she spat.

Before the slave could hit her, Cas was already hauling her away, shielding her with his own body. Relief swept over her as he guided her away from the madness. The guards had also started to organize themselves, turning their attention to make sure the two Dynasts would make it out safely.

“We can’t leave the sick here, Cas!” Verena protested when she recalled of the weak ones, trapped between the violence.

The Paille shook his head and practically carried her to the door. “They don’t want your help, Ver. Not now. They’ll more likely kill you. Now, help me make sure we get out of here alive.”

There was no more time to argue. They were practically tossed out of the building and Cas immediately sent her to climb down the ladder. More guards were already heading toward the tree house. They apologized to them and politely asked them to leave the premises calmly. Even as they were escorted, the healer kept glancing back at the houses hidden between the trees. A pregnant young woman was trapped up there and here she was, leaving like nothing happened. She should go back.

Cas kept a firm grip on her, mayhap reading her mind, and went deaf to all her protests. He was not going to let her go back. Reluctantly, Verena looked away. There was nothing she could do now. This was a Sitai matter and there was no way they would let her return here any time soon.

She touched the corner of lips, staining her fingers with her blood. More blood would be spilled with every step she took, yet she kept walking away.

Once they were out of the plantation, Verena finally asked, “What will happen to them?” She knew the answer, but somehow she wanted to hear it from someone else.

It took a while until Cas answered. “Death.”

by **Konrad Venger** on April 10th, 2016, 1:38 am

Nice job! Your work has pleased The Sloth!

Verena

XP:
Observation - 3
Persuasion - 2
Medicine - 2
Investigation - 2
Endurance - 1

Lore:
Cassius Paille: My Betrothed, but Not My Love
Doctoring and Healing: Same Thing, Different Djed
Kenash: Always Tension Between Dynasts and Slaves
Medicine: Identifying the Symptoms of a Miscarriage

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Solo [Bloodflower Plantation] Eye of the Storm