[Sanctuary] At Dira's Door

[Kavala]

Timestamp: Summer, 16th, 510 AV.
Time: Late at night
Purpose: Healing Khiara's Horse
Status: Open

Kavala been up more than twenty four hours. FIrst there had been the confrontation on the beach, then the confrontation with Raiha, and when she'd finally managed to crawl out of the sea and attempt to get to bed, she'd found a half-dead horse waiting for her. Aweston had taken the stallion in while she'd been below the sea so she had no idea how the owner had gotten the frostmarch stallion from wherever the break had happened to Sanctuary. She'd delivered it into the hands of the Sanctuary staff and had fled the scene, unable to stay for reasons that escaped Kavala at that moment. When Kavala saw the condition of the stallion, she didn't know whether to be furious or frustrated - and wondered if the animal belonged to someone that had no idea how to deal with trauma in horses.

He was a gorgeous white Frostmarch stallion, young, and covered in sweat. Someone - the owner perhaps - had made him walk all the way from the point he'd broken the leg to at least Sanctuary, and it had him deep in shock. The break was in his left front radius and looked to be clean. Obviously they'd made him walk three-legged all the way to shelter of Sanctuary without the use of a sling between two horses or any medications for pain. Kavala examined the sweating horse carefully, automatically blanketing him even though he wasn't cold. She knew treating the shock as a medical worker was far more important than treating the break. Injuries in horses that were associated with fear, especially those involving the pain and lack of mobility of a leg break, often triggered shock. When a horse goes into shock, the body's response includes shutting down the circulatory system, depriving the body of air and leading to major organ failure, and ultimately, death.

The Stallion, who's name Aweston said was Vsenri, was rapidly breathing, shaking and shivering, and his extremities felt cold, especially his ears. His gums were pale and did not 'refill' when she pressed her fingers into them with the rate a normal horse's gums would go from white to pink at pressure being held then released. It indicated low circulation and a weak pulse that was backed up by her checking his pulse. Shock was far more serious than a break. So Kavala worked quickly, all the while her anger growing for what she considered torture of the animal she worked on.

[Kavala]

Kavala immediately added another blanket to Vsenri’s back, hating to add weight but needing to keep the stallion warm. She called to Aweston to bring in the braziers and they were all lit outside his stall adding warmth to the cool winter air. Heating the stallion up would help enormously. Warmth often counteracted shock, but so too did getting his blood circulating again. Kavala moved quickly but with an aire of not being in a hurry at all. She carefully kept her eye on him as she worked around him, moving up onto his broken leg as soon as she could.

Breaks were hard things to heal in horses. Many people assumed that Rak’keli healers could mend bones with a snap of their fingers and then send the patient off to return to work, with the bone as good as new. That would have been true, perhaps, if the patients were living breathing creatures that often needed downtime after trauma. People. Horses. They were both two fruits plucked from the same tree. Whatever had caused this break would spook this horse for a long time in coming. It would most likely leave him scarred mentally and perhaps even scared of whatever fate had befallen his leg. Kavala knew horses like the stallion were often ruined after a major injury unless they had a lot of faith and trust in their riders.

Faith. That’s how she healed.

Kavala laid her hands on the broken radius and tapped the power in the gnosis mark. She could taste the cool clear healing balm of Rak’keli’s sphere of influence as it surged through the marks and poured into her being. She channeled it, repurposed it, and then sent it into the stallion’s leg. The bone began to knit together, sealing itself firmly together. Pain flared and disappeared, replaced by numbness and cool clear almost refreshing essence. Kavala worked a long time on the bone, knowing it was a weight bearing limb and it was important to get the healing just right.

[Kavala]

There were layers to healing. First came the bone, which in itself had broken bits of marrow that would race through the stallions bloodstream and make him ill. Once that was regathered and replaced, the inner and outer layers of bone were knitted. It was a restoration to original form, sometimes even stronger, but it wasn't a cure-all for pain and soreness in regards to healing a break itself. Next came layers of muscle and tendon that were layered around the bone, hugging it, cradling it, comforting. That would ease the pain, as too would the soft tissue work she did next, repairing the damage the two jagged pieces of bone did to the flesh around his leg.

As she worked, Kavala kept her senses open, experiencing his pain for her own, because it helped her to know when what she was doing was working and when she was missing the mark. Once she had the soft tissue healed, Kavala took the stallion out of his stall and worked him, forcing him to walk around and use his leg. It was still a bit stiff for him, but at least being whole again the pain was outright gone. She worked him until he was sweaty, tired, and needed a break showing no more signs of the shock that had chilled him to the bone earlier.

Then, carefully, she put him back into his stall, gave him fresh hay, oats, and a lot of lukewarm water and left him to his devices. She checked on him twice on her rounds, and in the morning sent him back to the city along with a hefty bill for her services.

[Baku]

Thou has written, and thou has completed, so I award thee the following.... Kavala: +3 Animal Husbandry, +3 Medicine, +3 Observation, +1 Deduction, Lore: No Rest for Healing Hands, Recognizing Poor Caretaking of a Horse, Shock and How it Affects a Horse, Prioritizing Treatments, Anger Against Irresponsible Horse Owners, Countering Shock in a Horse, Mental and Physical Trauma and the Need to Heal Both, The Healing Magic Done Right, Order in Healing, Healing the Mental after the Physical, Checking and Rechecking, Making Sure All is Well Before Sending a Patient On its Way, Sending a Bill for Services Rendered Additional Rewards: +30 Gold Mizas for Services rendered paid to Sanctuary by Horse's Owner Additional Notes: A short, but sweet thread. Good work.