Winter 10th, 519 A.V.
Kelski flexed her shoulders, and bent down to pick up another huge chunk of wood. She set it up on the log, leaned over to pick up the ax, and swung again. The chunk of wood split off, just enough, that she put a wedge in it and then reversed the axe to slap the wedge with the blunt end to drive it in further. She was sweating hard as she chopped the chunks up into actual sticks, but she knew Kalistan's little private room that The Gem had grown for him would need more wood in the fire.
Every time she visited it, she took a load with her. It cut down on the work others had to do. And since she visited several times a day, it helped build up the pile that was there to keep the fire going.
The fire wasn't really needed. The Gem kept the tower and all its new offshoot rooms warm. They could walk around comfortably without heavy clothing or sleeping under furs but there was something even more comforting about having a blazing fire going. And since they had the wood, Kelski wasn't opposed to burning it.
She only hoped it helped her brother.
He hadn't woken up. He was slowly healing, but the head injury was a bad one and they'd had to resort to a bunch of things that Kelski didn't understand. She trusted Ebon though, and did as he instructed. Kelski fed the prone man three times a day things he didn't have to chew up, but could just swallow. And he seemed to do well enough with it, though his eyes never opened.
The Kelvic didn't leave it up to anyone else. She saw to the task herself. Everyone else loved the man, knew him in many ways, and for some reason, she was loathed to have them care for his prone form when they remembered him as someone else. To her, he was just stories. And those stories for her had a huge disconnect between the man she was told about and the form that was wasting away prone locked in a bed.
So she took care of his feedings, his bathing, and even brushed his teeth for him. There was a nurturing side to her personality that had come out with the formation of the guild. Caring for the stranger helped satiate a need she'd never had before. Her bondmate wasn't a helpless man and needed very little from her in many ways. So caring for her elder brother was something that filled her time and broke up her days at her workbench.
Kelski carried the wood up to his room, then returned and filled a pot of water to take and hang over his hearth. Kalistan wore diapers, much like a child so she checked them and changed them when she found them soiled. It was work that might bother others, but to Kelski it was an act of love. Each time her brother soiled himself, Ebon had told her it was a little more hope. As long as he was eating, his bowels working, and he was breathing there was hope he would wake up.
While she had him out of his smallclothes, she changed the sheets on the bed and ran a wet cloth across his form, cleaning any sweat and debris that might have accumulated away. It was hard for her to see him as others described him. Kalistan felt so 'empty' to her. But yet, she took great care and when he was once more tucked into the bed, she ran down to the kitchen to get his food. Mosa had prepared a soup with all the vegetables ground up in it. Kelski ladled out a bowl, placed it on a tray, and carried it up. She fed her brother carefully, patiently... spoon after spoon slowly until most of the soup was gone. Then she gave him water, left a kiss on his cheek, and took the dirty sheets, towels, and used bowl back to the kitchen.
Ebon caught up with her there. He studied the bundle of soiled cloth under her arm and the light tray in her hands.
"This can't go on like this, Kelski." He said softly, looking thoughtfully at the other Kelvic.
"I don't like it either, but what else do we do?" The Jeweler whispered softly. She studied Ebon, trying to search his gaze to see if he had any ideas she hadn't yet thought of.
"I've been spending time at The Outpost, getting a feel for it. I found a clinic there, ran by an Opal Order Healer. They are really good healers, Kels. Like my bondmate was. If we put Kalistan on a stretcher, we could take him there. They might be able to help." Ebon said softly, looking thoughtful.
"I talked to the Konti there. Murine. She's willing to look him over and see if she could help. It's a lot more of a chance than he has here." Ebon said softly.
Kelski simply stared at him. Then she nodded, looking thoughtful before she responded. "When do we leave?" She asked, setting the tray down on the counter and walking over to deposit the soiled linens in a hamper near the door so that she could wash them later.
"Now, if you want. It's still early there and here. Murine's clinic is empty at the moment so he'd have her attention completely." He said, then nodded towards the stretcher rolled up leaning against the door. Kelski studied it a moment, wondering how she'd missed it sitting there so openly, then nodded.
"Okay. He's clean and fed. It is a good time. Lets go." She added, rubbing her forehead and more than willing to let Ebon make this suggestion. It seemed a good one.
"Let me leave a note to everyone as to where we've gone." She said, taking a moment to scribble a note to leave on the counter for the rest of the guild. Then she followed Ebon upstairs and helped him with Kalistan, loading the prone man up on the stretcher and helping Ebon carry him down the steps, outside, and to the dovecote. She had no idea that this would work, but it was still a better idea than letting him waste away here.
Kelski flexed her shoulders, and bent down to pick up another huge chunk of wood. She set it up on the log, leaned over to pick up the ax, and swung again. The chunk of wood split off, just enough, that she put a wedge in it and then reversed the axe to slap the wedge with the blunt end to drive it in further. She was sweating hard as she chopped the chunks up into actual sticks, but she knew Kalistan's little private room that The Gem had grown for him would need more wood in the fire.
Every time she visited it, she took a load with her. It cut down on the work others had to do. And since she visited several times a day, it helped build up the pile that was there to keep the fire going.
The fire wasn't really needed. The Gem kept the tower and all its new offshoot rooms warm. They could walk around comfortably without heavy clothing or sleeping under furs but there was something even more comforting about having a blazing fire going. And since they had the wood, Kelski wasn't opposed to burning it.
She only hoped it helped her brother.
He hadn't woken up. He was slowly healing, but the head injury was a bad one and they'd had to resort to a bunch of things that Kelski didn't understand. She trusted Ebon though, and did as he instructed. Kelski fed the prone man three times a day things he didn't have to chew up, but could just swallow. And he seemed to do well enough with it, though his eyes never opened.
The Kelvic didn't leave it up to anyone else. She saw to the task herself. Everyone else loved the man, knew him in many ways, and for some reason, she was loathed to have them care for his prone form when they remembered him as someone else. To her, he was just stories. And those stories for her had a huge disconnect between the man she was told about and the form that was wasting away prone locked in a bed.
So she took care of his feedings, his bathing, and even brushed his teeth for him. There was a nurturing side to her personality that had come out with the formation of the guild. Caring for the stranger helped satiate a need she'd never had before. Her bondmate wasn't a helpless man and needed very little from her in many ways. So caring for her elder brother was something that filled her time and broke up her days at her workbench.
Kelski carried the wood up to his room, then returned and filled a pot of water to take and hang over his hearth. Kalistan wore diapers, much like a child so she checked them and changed them when she found them soiled. It was work that might bother others, but to Kelski it was an act of love. Each time her brother soiled himself, Ebon had told her it was a little more hope. As long as he was eating, his bowels working, and he was breathing there was hope he would wake up.
While she had him out of his smallclothes, she changed the sheets on the bed and ran a wet cloth across his form, cleaning any sweat and debris that might have accumulated away. It was hard for her to see him as others described him. Kalistan felt so 'empty' to her. But yet, she took great care and when he was once more tucked into the bed, she ran down to the kitchen to get his food. Mosa had prepared a soup with all the vegetables ground up in it. Kelski ladled out a bowl, placed it on a tray, and carried it up. She fed her brother carefully, patiently... spoon after spoon slowly until most of the soup was gone. Then she gave him water, left a kiss on his cheek, and took the dirty sheets, towels, and used bowl back to the kitchen.
Ebon caught up with her there. He studied the bundle of soiled cloth under her arm and the light tray in her hands.
"This can't go on like this, Kelski." He said softly, looking thoughtfully at the other Kelvic.
"I don't like it either, but what else do we do?" The Jeweler whispered softly. She studied Ebon, trying to search his gaze to see if he had any ideas she hadn't yet thought of.
"I've been spending time at The Outpost, getting a feel for it. I found a clinic there, ran by an Opal Order Healer. They are really good healers, Kels. Like my bondmate was. If we put Kalistan on a stretcher, we could take him there. They might be able to help." Ebon said softly, looking thoughtful.
"I talked to the Konti there. Murine. She's willing to look him over and see if she could help. It's a lot more of a chance than he has here." Ebon said softly.
Kelski simply stared at him. Then she nodded, looking thoughtful before she responded. "When do we leave?" She asked, setting the tray down on the counter and walking over to deposit the soiled linens in a hamper near the door so that she could wash them later.
"Now, if you want. It's still early there and here. Murine's clinic is empty at the moment so he'd have her attention completely." He said, then nodded towards the stretcher rolled up leaning against the door. Kelski studied it a moment, wondering how she'd missed it sitting there so openly, then nodded.
"Okay. He's clean and fed. It is a good time. Lets go." She added, rubbing her forehead and more than willing to let Ebon make this suggestion. It seemed a good one.
"Let me leave a note to everyone as to where we've gone." She said, taking a moment to scribble a note to leave on the counter for the rest of the guild. Then she followed Ebon upstairs and helped him with Kalistan, loading the prone man up on the stretcher and helping Ebon carry him down the steps, outside, and to the dovecote. She had no idea that this would work, but it was still a better idea than letting him waste away here.
