Healing Hands {May 2994} [Runa]
Jan 30, 2018 11:15:05 GMT -5
Post by Ceolmund on Jan 30, 2018 11:15:05 GMT -5
“Her father and I do, too. I hope she keeps some of the spark she has. Working here can…”
Not grown, but understanding, Ceolmund nodded. The Captains were not ones to shy away from telling the boys what kinds of things they were going to experience upon the field. Nobody wished for them to go into shock on their first muster, and though that was several years off still for Ceolmund, he had already been hearing of the horrors of battles for years. Even a small portion of their training consisted of healing; though the main point was to be able to still the bleeding and transport someone as comfortably as possible back to the city where the Lady healers could take care of them. The boys must know what to do to stop bloodflow, what to do if someone has had an arm or a leg hewn, and how to resuscitate a person who has stilled their breathing.
Even so, the Ladies in the Hall had to witness a great number of horrors that most of those in Edoras aside the Eored never need imagine.
“They can think what they like of me. I know the truth, my husband knows the truth. My children. Everyone can see they’re wrong about you, Ceol.”
Ceolmund's eyes were down, yet he felt Hildred's touch and let out a breath of relief. If Hildred knew, perhaps it was all that mattered. He was not sure she knew well enough about the everyone he dealt with. It was true Gudmarr was the worst of the boys, and Yrik not far off; though the laughs and taunts had followed him for years. He had given up hope of them ever stopping. He simply needed to learn to ignore them and to get on with his own life.
“Let her come if she comes, sweetheart. Like those boys, what she does is not your fault either.”
The boy pressed his lips together. He was not altogether sure. He did his best to keep his Mother calm, and when she acted in an unseemly way, it was often his, or his sister's, actions that had caused her to do so. Still, he could not think on it longer nor speak on it, for Runa was returning, announcing her presence like a sunbeam.
Ceolmund was grateful all the while he did not need to answer. He had never had a cookie he did not enjoy, and mint tea had always been his favorite. The girl was giving him no room to respond either way, but she seemed to know what he would like and sat the tray beside him.
“I’ll go ahead and set this elbow. Runa, sweetheart, you should tell Ceol about your Name Day gift.”
“Oh! My Mama and Papa got me a new longknife! It has a long white handle. I think it’s bone. Papa says I’ll have to grow into it a little—it’s better used like a short sword right now, but Uncle Tor and Uncle Brand said I shouldn’t buy a sword yet, because I’m still growing, so I guess this means we can work on sword technique anyway! You must train with swords a lot.”
He listened with interest as Runa spoke on her longknife, though meanwhile he felt Hildred feeling along his arm and applying heavy pressure, and knew what was coming. Ceolmund tried to distract his mind as he could, watching the girl seem to almost quiver in excitement as she motioned and spoke about the weapon. He could almost picture it in her hands; and indeed for her size a longknife would be more of a sword. At that moment he heard the pop, and closed his eyes, letting out a low groan, and then taking a deep breath afterward.
Hildred sent Runa for the sling a moment later and Ceolmund leaned to reach for the tray and take hold of the willow bark tincture, swallowing the bitter concoction all down at once. He was well familiar with it over the years, though at home brennevin was the cure to all ailments. This did not work quite so quickly, but it also did not dull all senses the same way. The girl was back in an instant, and already working to set the sling about his arm, and he sighed with relief for no longer needing to hold it. The sharp pain had been replaced with a simple tenderness, and he already knew things would return to normal for that arm given a bit of rest now. Hildred was an expert healer.
Ceolmund eyed Runa for a moment, then smiled and reached for his belt, drawing out a knife of his own from it's sheath. He had a longknife of his own, similar to what Runa had described, yet today he only had his utility knife upon him. Still, it was a beautiful specimen, and had once belonged to his Grandmum. He held the horn handled seax in hand for a moment to show her. Delicately carved knotwork covered both the hilt and the blade, then he gave it a nimble fingered twirl before extending it for Runa to hold.
After she took it, he reached for one of the cookies, nodding his approval after he took a bite, and afterwards taking up the hot tea for a sip. He sighed, knowing his Mother was likely already on his way, yet relishing the dim lighting and herbal smells of the Hall and not wishing to get up and depart just yet. There was nowhere he would be allowed to go. Either back to the training grounds to face the other boys; though he knew the Captains would dismiss him for the rest of the day at least; or homeward again, as Mother had made it clear that his freedom only extended between the grounds and his home. Even Grandmum's house up the hill would not be an acceptable stopping point without Mother's permission. Perhaps for now, he would just sit and wait for the inevitable.
“I c-could… shhhh-ow you h-h-how to sp… sp-ssspin it,” Ceolmund offered, glancing around the room for something blunt to put in Runa's hand aside from the sharp blade. Ceolmund had practiced a long while with a stick when Grandmum had showed him, before picking up a blade for the trick.
Not grown, but understanding, Ceolmund nodded. The Captains were not ones to shy away from telling the boys what kinds of things they were going to experience upon the field. Nobody wished for them to go into shock on their first muster, and though that was several years off still for Ceolmund, he had already been hearing of the horrors of battles for years. Even a small portion of their training consisted of healing; though the main point was to be able to still the bleeding and transport someone as comfortably as possible back to the city where the Lady healers could take care of them. The boys must know what to do to stop bloodflow, what to do if someone has had an arm or a leg hewn, and how to resuscitate a person who has stilled their breathing.
Even so, the Ladies in the Hall had to witness a great number of horrors that most of those in Edoras aside the Eored never need imagine.
“They can think what they like of me. I know the truth, my husband knows the truth. My children. Everyone can see they’re wrong about you, Ceol.”
Ceolmund's eyes were down, yet he felt Hildred's touch and let out a breath of relief. If Hildred knew, perhaps it was all that mattered. He was not sure she knew well enough about the everyone he dealt with. It was true Gudmarr was the worst of the boys, and Yrik not far off; though the laughs and taunts had followed him for years. He had given up hope of them ever stopping. He simply needed to learn to ignore them and to get on with his own life.
“Let her come if she comes, sweetheart. Like those boys, what she does is not your fault either.”
The boy pressed his lips together. He was not altogether sure. He did his best to keep his Mother calm, and when she acted in an unseemly way, it was often his, or his sister's, actions that had caused her to do so. Still, he could not think on it longer nor speak on it, for Runa was returning, announcing her presence like a sunbeam.
Ceolmund was grateful all the while he did not need to answer. He had never had a cookie he did not enjoy, and mint tea had always been his favorite. The girl was giving him no room to respond either way, but she seemed to know what he would like and sat the tray beside him.
“I’ll go ahead and set this elbow. Runa, sweetheart, you should tell Ceol about your Name Day gift.”
“Oh! My Mama and Papa got me a new longknife! It has a long white handle. I think it’s bone. Papa says I’ll have to grow into it a little—it’s better used like a short sword right now, but Uncle Tor and Uncle Brand said I shouldn’t buy a sword yet, because I’m still growing, so I guess this means we can work on sword technique anyway! You must train with swords a lot.”
He listened with interest as Runa spoke on her longknife, though meanwhile he felt Hildred feeling along his arm and applying heavy pressure, and knew what was coming. Ceolmund tried to distract his mind as he could, watching the girl seem to almost quiver in excitement as she motioned and spoke about the weapon. He could almost picture it in her hands; and indeed for her size a longknife would be more of a sword. At that moment he heard the pop, and closed his eyes, letting out a low groan, and then taking a deep breath afterward.
Hildred sent Runa for the sling a moment later and Ceolmund leaned to reach for the tray and take hold of the willow bark tincture, swallowing the bitter concoction all down at once. He was well familiar with it over the years, though at home brennevin was the cure to all ailments. This did not work quite so quickly, but it also did not dull all senses the same way. The girl was back in an instant, and already working to set the sling about his arm, and he sighed with relief for no longer needing to hold it. The sharp pain had been replaced with a simple tenderness, and he already knew things would return to normal for that arm given a bit of rest now. Hildred was an expert healer.
Ceolmund eyed Runa for a moment, then smiled and reached for his belt, drawing out a knife of his own from it's sheath. He had a longknife of his own, similar to what Runa had described, yet today he only had his utility knife upon him. Still, it was a beautiful specimen, and had once belonged to his Grandmum. He held the horn handled seax in hand for a moment to show her. Delicately carved knotwork covered both the hilt and the blade, then he gave it a nimble fingered twirl before extending it for Runa to hold.
After she took it, he reached for one of the cookies, nodding his approval after he took a bite, and afterwards taking up the hot tea for a sip. He sighed, knowing his Mother was likely already on his way, yet relishing the dim lighting and herbal smells of the Hall and not wishing to get up and depart just yet. There was nowhere he would be allowed to go. Either back to the training grounds to face the other boys; though he knew the Captains would dismiss him for the rest of the day at least; or homeward again, as Mother had made it clear that his freedom only extended between the grounds and his home. Even Grandmum's house up the hill would not be an acceptable stopping point without Mother's permission. Perhaps for now, he would just sit and wait for the inevitable.
“I c-could… shhhh-ow you h-h-how to sp… sp-ssspin it,” Ceolmund offered, glancing around the room for something blunt to put in Runa's hand aside from the sharp blade. Ceolmund had practiced a long while with a stick when Grandmum had showed him, before picking up a blade for the trick.