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Post by spigurl on Nov 26, 2007 17:56:10 GMT -5
Caden slowly strolled into the Mage's Wing. He appeared to just be aimlessly wandering, but the man knew better. Caden was -- kind of, sort of, -- looking for Annikka. He did have an excuse ready, though. He was just escaping the growing corridors and decided to explore the one place he hadn't been. The Mage's Wing. His explorations were bound to send him to the infirmary, which was where Annikka was most likely to be.
Looking curiously at all the important looking mage type people around him, Caden couldn't help but be a little nervous. They probably wouldn't kick him out, but one never knew. Finally, Caden came to another hall, this one even less active than the first. The sign above his head indicated it being the Healer's Wing, but there was nobody inside. The knight could see all of the beds meant to treat people. Out all of them, only one was occupied. He thought it should have been more active, because it was closer to the holidays. Apparently not.
Caden's plan had been to blend in with the crowd, but clearly that would not work. Well, he supposed, I could just go in and look for her. After a moment's hesitation, the knight decided that would indeed be his plan. He entered the hall and looked around.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 27, 2007 15:04:26 GMT -5
Thank the Goddess, it's over, Annikka thought.
She stood in one of the wards offshooting from the main one that everyone walked into, and sighed deeply, pushing a small braid that had come unpinned from out of her eyes for the hundredth time. She knew it had to happen every so often, moving all but the essential patients out of the main ward -which was supposed to be just for accidents and emergencies- and into the wards designated for that type of injury or illness. You couldn't keep every single injury-laden person in the main ward, because that made it so crowded you couldn't think, let alone make split-second triage decisions.
Nevertheless, it was tedious yet chaotic, simple yet frustratingly time-consuming and all in all something Annikka really hated doing at the best of times, no matter how rarely it came. As for being Head Healer in the middle of the mess, it meant she had to be in roughly four places at once all the time.
Annikka glanced around to make sure all the patients were all right. There weren't many in this ward, and they were all either asleep or preoccupied with books, games of solitaire, and other amusements. She heard someone in the main ward, and stepped into the huge hall, now almost empty and satisfyingly quiet. "Good morning, can I h- Caden!" she exclaimed, slightly surprised to see the green-eyed knight here, and smiled broadly. "Hello!"
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Post by spigurl on Nov 27, 2007 16:21:47 GMT -5
After a closer look, Caden realized that nobody really was there. Or wasn't. Just the single man in the bed. No healers could be seen anywhere. The knight was about to go and ask the other man when he heard a voice behind him. He turned to see the Head Healer's sprawling grin. Caden couldn't help but smile in reply.
"Hello, Annikka. How are you?" He took a few steps to get closer to her, so they wouldn't be within earshot of the wounded man. Caden realized that she might be wondering what he was doing here. He was preparing to tell her his story when he came to the conclusion that lies did not suit him. At least when telling them to Annikka. So, he decided on letting her ask him. If she wanted to know, she would ask.
Caden's mind wandered back to the empty room. "Where is everybody?"
(OOC: Sorry, I'm on sort of a brain block)
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 28, 2007 2:21:09 GMT -5
"Hello, Annikka. How are you?" he asked her, moving closer to her in order not to disturb the injured man.
"Tired, but that's normal," she answered, wondering what had brought him down here. "Have you hurt yourself, or are you lost or exploring?" she enquired, picking three of the most likely reasons he would turn up here.
"Where is everybody?"
She could practically see the confusion at the unaccustommed quiet of the Healer's Wing on his face. "We did our periodical move. We're only supposed to have emergency patients in this ward, but people fill it up for convenience, see? So we have to shake things up every so often and put everyone in their proper place," she explained, and added jokingly "Don't worry, the quiet won't last very long."
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Post by spigurl on Nov 28, 2007 16:20:17 GMT -5
"You shouldn't work so hard," Caden said, replying to her comment that she was tired. "Let your underlings take some charge."
"Have you hurt yourself, or are you lost or exploring?" she asked, making him smile a bit. Caden knew she would ask.
"A bit of the third, I suppose. I've never been here, plus I figured your company wouldn't be bad. That is, if I happened to run by you. Sort of figured I would. Eventually." Caden gave her a grin, his eyes twinkling. "It's been five days."
"We did our periodical move," she said, explaining the absence of people. It made sense. Caden thought he would not like to see this room crowded. He nodded, showing approval.
"Smart decision," he looked at Annikka again. "Must be exhausting, though. I don't envy you."
We're only supposed to have emergency patients in this ward, but people fill it up for convenience, see? So we have to shake things up every so often and put everyone in their proper place," she explained, and added jokingly "Don't worry, the quiet won't last very long."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 28, 2007 17:16:21 GMT -5
"You shouldn't work so hard," Caden said, replying to her comment that she was tired. "Let your underlings take some charge."
Annikka put her hands over her eyes for a few seconds and half-laughed. She was unusually tired, it was true, but that was more because she had got up especially early today than anything else. "I can't. I want to, but I can't. Not when I'm so... new as Head Healer. They need to know me and how I work inside out before I can take more than the odd day off or snatch a couple of hours in a lull, and they don't yet. Besides, today... Moving the patients about is always chaos, no matter what, and I had to get up particularly early, that's all."
"A bit of the third, I suppose. I've never been here, plus I figured your company wouldn't be bad. That is, if I happened to run by you. Sort of figured I would. Eventually." Caden gave her a grin, his eyes twinkling. "It's been five days."
Annikka smiled warmly at him, glad to see a smile after the morning's turbulence and glad to see him in particular. She had liked talking to him in the park. "You have no idea how good it is to see a friendly face who doesn't come bearing news of another minor crisis I have to deal with. Do you remember I said I was out at the park because there was something of a lull in the business here? Well, I spoke too soon. I did want to go and find you, just talk about something that wasn't arrangements for this or that or a terminal patient or anything, but I didn't know where to find you." She winced to herself. That had sounded very stupid.
"Smart decision," he looked at Annikka again. "Must be exhausting, though. I don't envy you."
Annikka saw him nod in approval, and smiled to herself at it, even though the idea wasn't original to her by a very long shot. Not everyone saw the point of the Healer's Wing manoeuvres; surprisingly few understood that the main hall was for accidents and casualties in need of quick treatment and nothing else. "It is exhausting. You have to get up before the crack of dawn to have everything neat by lunchtime, too, as opposed to just getting up at the crack of dawn," she added dryly, remembering the yawns among the healers earlier. "It's not nice when you're used to a certain time, and then suddenly it's not early enough at all."
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Post by spigurl on Nov 29, 2007 16:06:16 GMT -5
"I can't. I want to, but I can't. Not when I'm so... new as Head Healer. They need to know me and how I work inside out before I can take more than the odd day off or snatch a couple of hours in a lull, and they don't yet. Besides, today... Moving the patients about is always chaos, no matter what, and I had to get up particularly early, that's all."
Caden nodded, understanding what it was like to need to gain people's trust. Still, one should not work his (or her) self to death trying to accomplish the feat. "Isn't it better to have a healer who is on her toes?" he joked. Then, thinking of something, Caden supposed most of the job here was done. If the healers really needed Annikka, they could come find her. "Well, now that you're busy-free, perhaps you'd like to accompany me on a walk. You can show me all of the interesting parts of the wing."
As Annikka tried to explain her busyness, Caden laughed. "I see how it is. You can't find the time to see me. Well, I just don't know why I bother." His voice had taken on the playful tone he seemed to adopted when talking with Annikka. The knight found he rather liked it. Seeing as he hadn't had this much fun from just conversing in years, Caden allowed it.
"You have to get up before the crack of dawn to have everything neat by lunchtime, too, as opposed to just getting up at the crack of dawn," she told him.
"But before the crack of dawn is my favorite time of day!" Caden protested, laughing. "It's still dark out, you're undisturbed, if you want you can watch the sun rise..."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 30, 2007 14:53:16 GMT -5
"Isn't it better to have a healer who is on her toes?" he joked.
"Oh, it's just brilliant," Annikka said dryly, recalling a painful incident where she had vented her feelings by kicking a stone wall while wearing soft boots. "Ever broken a toe, just out of interest?"
"Well, now that you're busy-free, perhaps you'd like to accompany me on a walk. You can show me all of the interesting parts of the wing."
Annikka thought the idea over. She certainly deserved a break after the morning, only... if she was in the wing, anyone could call on her. It would be just her bad luck if someone did, and it would probably not be necessary. "I'd love to," she said. "Surely they can cope without me for a few hours? Speaking of which, we should probably leave the wing if we want to have more than five minutes of a walk. Someone will track me down, I almost guarantee it. However-" she smiled conspiratorily- "if we go out into a different part of the Palace, or even the city, I can leave a note and no-one will bother to come looking unless I'm really necessary."
He laughed. "I see how it is. You can't find the time to see me. Well, I just don't know why I bother."
Annikka flushed. She knew that he didn't mean it snappishly, but still she felt compelled to defend herself. "Oh, hush, you. You know I would have come to find you if I could have."
"But before the crack of dawn is my favorite time of day!" Caden defended, and she half-smiled. She would probably like it more if she hadn't had to face it that morning on the little sleep she tended to get after paperwork and patients. "It's still dark out, you're undisturbed, if you want you can watch the sun rise..."
She grinned. "If I want the sun rise, I get up at dawn. If I want to be undisturbed, I go and hide in the dispensary and make myself useful. As for the dark..." Annikka pretended to consider the virtues of the dark, putting her head on one side, and then grinned mischieviously, exerting her Gift to let green light flicker on the open palm of her right hand. "I'm never in the dark if I don't want to be."
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Post by spigurl on Nov 30, 2007 22:20:56 GMT -5
"Ever broken a toe, just out of interest?"
Caden winced, remembering his own incidence. It was not pleasant at all. His horse had stepped rather hard on his foot when the knight strayed too long in a place he didn't want to be. The horse probably saved his life, but she didn't have to stomp that hard. "Unfortunately, yes. I've had the pleasure of several broken toes," he said, grimacing.
Caden smiled when Annikka agreed to his proposal. Also, as he hoped, she had suggested going somewhere further. He knew it was only polite to make sure she didn't want to stay here. "That's what I thought you'd say. I'd be glad to leave. This place is getting stuffy. Do you need to get some warmer clothes?"
"Oh, hush, you. You know I would have come to find you if I could have," she told him, face turning red. Caden was amused by Annikka's need to defend herself. Years ago, he would have done the exact same thing. Even if people were joking, the knight liked things right. Now, he knew people would say what they would and correctness wasn't a large concern.
"You know you don't always have to defend yourself, right? I know you would have tried to find me if you could have," the man informed the healer.
Annikka was bashing his reasons for liking the crack of dawn. "If I want the sun rise, I get up at dawn. If I want to be undisturbed, I go and hide in the dispensary and make myself useful. As for the dark..." She opened her hand and a green flame rose. Magic. Caden had always wondered like what it was like to have the Gift. It wasn't something he was blessed (or cursed) with. In a way, he was thankful for not having something else that needed to be mastered. It would have been useful at some times during his travels, but Caden didn't mind being without it.
The knight's attention was drawn back to the light that matched his eyes. Green. An interesting color. He wondered what it represented. Most mages' gift had something to do with them. So green for Annikka meant what?
"That is where you and I differ," he pointed out. "I am completely Gift free. It's very rare in our family. My uncle had it, I believe, but that's it." On an impulse, he asked, "Do you like having the Gift? It seems like such a responsibility."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Dec 1, 2007 7:59:43 GMT -5
"Unfortunately, yes. I've had the pleasure of several broken toes," Caden said.
Annikka grinned at him, eyes sparkling at the way he'd made her point for her. "My point is made. Healers on their toes get said toes broken, and that hurts a lot."
"That's what I thought you'd say. I'd be glad to leave. This place is getting stuffy. Do you need to get some warmer clothes?"
Annikka smiled back at Caden. "Trust me, it seems even more stuffy when you've been in it since dawn. I'll just get my coat and gloves- they're in my office, it's close by. One moment." She walked off quickly without waiting to see if Caden followed, seized her coat and gloves from the coatstand in the office and wrote and signed a hurried note, which read simply 'Out. Healer haMinch' and dashed back again. She didn't want to get caught by someone wanting help now. Annikka pulled her coat on and stuffed her gloves into a pocket until she needed them. "Shall we go?"
"You know you don't always have to defend yourself, right? I know you would have tried to find me if you could have," he told Annikka.
She felt relieved, even though she had known that he'd only been joking. "Yes, but... I want people to be right," Annikka confessed.
"That is where you and I differ," he pointed out. "I am completely Gift free. It's very rare in our family. My uncle had it, I believe, but that's it." On an impulse, he asked, "Do you like having the Gift? It seems like such a responsibility."
Annikka played with the light, letting it roll around and over her hand and finally collecting it in the palm of her hand. She closed her hand into a fist, and opened it again. The green light was gone. "It's not exactly rare in our family, but my mother is the only very close relative to have it, and mine is stronger than hers. As for liking it..." She thought for a moment. "I've never not had it, to know whether I'm better off with or without. It's useful, certainly, and I like knowing that there's always something I can call on to help myself or others, although sometimes I wish people made fewer assumptions about mages."
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Post by spigurl on Dec 1, 2007 14:15:26 GMT -5
Caden waited as Annikka dashed away, presumably to her office, to get her coat and gloves. The knight had only brought gloves, but decided he would be alright. He was wearing layers, so it couldn't be that bad. When she rejoined him, Caden smiled.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes, let's," he replied. Caden started walking, leading the way. He felt he knew his way around the palace by now. Perhaps not as much as somebody who had lived there for years, but enough to get to the doors. As for the city, he only knew certain parts of it. In fact, he spent the other day exploring the area where his brother and sister lived. He had even found the house where he believed they lived. After standing there for over an hour the knight had finally gotten the courage to walk up to the door. However, when Caden saw some children running about, he changed his mind. Maybe Annikka would know something.
"Where should we go?" he asked. "Once we get to the city, you'll have to lead the way."
Annikka shared her feelings for wanting to be right. Caden let out a short laugh. "That's exactly how I used to feel. In a few years, you'll forget you ever wanted that. Trust me."
"I've never not had it, to know whether I'm better off with or without. It's useful, certainly, and I like knowing that there's always something I can call on to help myself or others, although sometimes I wish people made fewer assumptions about mages."
"Yes, I know what you mean. It feels good to help people. You just have to think of that and ignore what people think or say about you."
The pair had reached the doors exiting the wing. So far, so good. Nobody had stopped them and it looked clear the rest of the way. As they passed through, Caden smiled. He led the way to the main hall. "Almost there," he murmured.
"So, I went to my family's house yesterday," he told her. "There were children playing in the courtyard. I didn't go in."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Dec 1, 2007 18:37:43 GMT -5
"Yes, let's," he answered her. They started walking; he took the lead, and she was glad, because she didn't know very much of the Palace outside the Healers' Wing.
"Where should we go?" he asked. "Once we get to the city, you'll have to lead the way."
"I don't mind," Annikka replied. She hadn't actually thought about it. "The Common, or do you just want to wander?" "That's exactly how I used to feel. In a few years, you'll forget you ever wanted that. Trust me."
"Mm," Annikka said non-committally, unsure her views would ever change on that point. He seemed to have something on his mind; she wished he would just say it. "Yes, I know what you mean. It feels good to help people. You just have to think of that and ignore what people think or say about you."
"It does feel good to help people," she confirmed, and smiled. Out of who else's mouth would she hear that? There were few enough healers who would say it out loud. Annikka looked up at him, still smiling. "You know what's best? Seeing a child walk away from the Healer's Wing, as healthy as anyone could wish, and knowing that not so long ago they were at the gates of the Black God's Realm, and you saved them."
"Almost there," he murmured.
Annikka glanced around theatrically, like a thief or a spy in a Player show, and grinned at Caden as they moved through the main hall without being stopped. "The great escape!"
"So, I went to my family's house yesterday," he told her. "There were children playing in the courtyard. I didn't go in."
"Oh?" Annikka said. "Probably your nieces and nephews and their friends. Did you see anyone else?" She touched his arm lightly. "That was brave of you, even just to go there. In your shoes, I'm not sure if I would have dared."
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Post by spigurl on Dec 1, 2007 23:14:23 GMT -5
"The Common, or do you just want to wander?"
"Wandering sounds just fine to me. That is what I do best," Caden said. It was true. As a lone knight, there wasn't much else. On his journeys, he never had a set destination. He just went, sometimes not meeting anybody for weeks.
Annikka did not seem sure she thought she would change those views. Caden just let it go, letting her think what she wanted. As Head Healer, she had a job with responsibility. She would eventually learn what had taken him so long.
"You know what's best? Seeing a child walk away from the Healer's Wing, as healthy as anyone could wish, and knowing that not so long ago they were at the gates of the Black God's Realm, and you saved them."
"That must be amazing," Caden agreed. He wished that he could do that, but knew some of the things he had done had made him feel the same.
"The great escape!" Annikka said with a smile on her face. Caden grinned back. They had left the wing and were headed into the main hallway. It was familiar to him and hardly any people were about, so they made it out easily. "So far so good. I think we're safe now." A few more minutes of walking led the two to a side exit. Caden had used it often, leaving unnoticed. As they entered the brisk air, he suddenly wished he had thought to bring more. The knight pulled out his gloves and put them on, though they offered little protection. Caden supposed they could always stop somewhere warm. Seeing as they were just wandering, Caden decided to pick the direction. He guided Annikka out of the palace grounds toward the city.
"Probably your nieces and nephews and their friends. Did you see anyone else?"
"No," he replied as she touched his arm. Caden smiled at the gesture and his other arm snaked around to pat her hand. "Though, one of them..." He trailed off unsure of his thoughts. The little boy he had seen looked like him, but Caden couldn't be sure. He was running about too quickly.
"That was brave of you, even just to go there. In your shoes, I'm not sure if I would have dared."
"I suppose," he answered. "I thought about it for a long while. I was going to go in when I saw the children. Then, it just didn't seem like the right timing."
They had reached the outer gates, and a friendly looking guard waved them through. Without thinking, Caden turned down the route he had taken yesterday.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Dec 2, 2007 7:22:20 GMT -5
"Wandering sounds just fine to me. That is what I do best."
"You travel a lot?" Annikka said and corrected herself quickly. "Oh, that's not what I meant to say, I know you travel. I meant have you ever been outside Tortall? I've never really been beyond my home fief and some of the land around Corus."
"That must be amazing."
"It is," Annikka agreed, smiling. "The best part of being a healer. You have to hold on to remembering it when the bad things happen, though." They used a quiet side door to leave the Palace, one Annikka had made use of once or twice before. Caden chose the direction, and she followed him, putting on her own gloves. "Won't you be cold?" she asked, noticing that he only had gloves with him.
"No," he replied as she touched his arm. Caden smiled at the gesture and his other arm snaked around to pat her hand. "Though, one of them..."
"Yes?" she prompted quietly. "Did they look like you or your sister? Family resemblance can be scarily strong."
"I suppose," he replied to her remark. "I thought about it for a long while. I was going to go in when I saw the children. Then, it just didn't seem like the right timing."
"Hmm," Annikka said. "It doesn't matter. You've been once. It will be easier to go back, I think." They left the palace, waved through by a cheerful guard. "Which way are we going, if we're going anywhere?" she asked, seeing that Caden was taking this route on automatic.
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Post by spigurl on Dec 2, 2007 10:34:50 GMT -5
"Oh, that's not what I meant to say, I know you travel. I meant have you ever been outside Tortall? I've never really been beyond my home fief and some of the land around Corus."
Caden smiled slightly at her mistake, but it widened as she quickly corrected it. "Yes, I've been to nearly all of the countries surrounding Tortall. You should travel more. Tortall is vast and full of surprises. I think there would also be some interesting healing techniques you could learn from others."
"Won't you be cold?" she asked, looking at his gloves. Caden laughed.
"Probably. I'm wearing layers, so I'll be fine as long as we keep moving," he replied.
"Did they look like you or your sister? Family resemblance can be scarily strong."
Annikka had hit it on the nose. The little boy had looked so much like him and not like Caden's brother or sister. The knight simply nodded, unsure if he could add anything. It really was uncanny how similar they were, even from a distance. Caden didn't get a close look, but he could see the similarities.
"Which way are we going, if we're going anywhere?" Annikka asked.
Caden was about to reply he wasn't sure when he realized that he knew exactly where he was going. Back the way to his family's house. Frowning, he stopped. "This is the way I took to get to their house. Sorry. Why don't you pick the direction."
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