Houses of Healing II

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta - Ranger/Healer training
with The MasterHealer: Assisting with Ms Irma
@Pele Alarion @Winddancer

At one point, he remembered how helpful that healers apprentice had been to Pele when he’d come to walk his father home. He couldn’t remember her name, not Matilda of the flowers, but the other one. The pretty one. Anyway, she’d been picking things up and tidying up and Unalmis almost moved to follow example and collect Ms Irma’s cup from where she’d stowed it on the window sill. But those beady eyes of the laundress were swift. And further more they looked about ready to leap out of the patient’s head at that precise moment. Let alone if he dared step a foot further into the room.

Now he couldn’t believe for one moment that the Master Healer was only joking, telling the awful woman to coddle her foot in cabbages .. but whether the recommendation would work or not, the image was still a difficult one to shake off. Until Pele mentioned the word ‘sprain’. Wait, the woman’s ankle was only sprained ? This was all for a silly little sprain ? Honestly he should not have expected anything else from such a person, but still. The laundress was being incredibly rude to rather Healer who was trying to help her. And Nal was under no delusion that it was pain or fear making her act so. He'd never heard of her being courteous to anyone.


“If you can’t reach your foot to do it yourself, maybe you should stay here in the Houses of Healing, where somebody can swaddle your sprain ..” he had to close his eyes and open them again to get past that diagnosis. “Err .. for you,” he managed to finish the suggestion without breaking a mock serious expression. “I mean, it’s not like you have anything important to rush off for. Not really. A laundry can practically run itself. They don’t need you there at all I’m sure. And I am certain there would be many diligent volunteers here to lay the cabbages on your .. sprain. So many willing hands that you would have to let every one .. have a turn ..” he smiled, helpfully. Far too happily. There was likely no way she would agree after all. For many reasons, the foremost being that he was the one who'd suggested it.

[Pele Alarion]

Master Healer Pele Alarion with Erynneth Raedor @Rillewen
Study

Pele looked expectantly at the door to find that it was Eryn who had been knocking, and she listened as the girl went on to explain right away what her visit was and was not about.

"Well, I am certainly glad that you do not bring any medical emergencies with you this time," the healer laughed lightly, her blue eyes glinting with merriment. While it was her duty to tend to anyone who needed assistance, she did not mind having some time to deal with other things, such as studying.

She motioned towards one of the chairs then. "Why don't you take a seat, Erynneth. Unless you mean to stand there all the time while we talk?" Pele cleared some space on the table by moving books and notes a bit further away. "We will have to discuss and agree on some basic terms, such as time limits and so on. Speaking of that - how much time will you have? And would you be willing and able to come here for a few hours every day or perhaps less often to permit for your other responsibilities?"

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion

Erynneth Raedor
Reception - 2-3 weeks after Kaylin's injury

Eryn smiled and went to claim one of the chairs Pele had indicated. "Right, you mentioned about that when we spoke before," She mentioned with a nod. "So I talked to my aunt and uncle, and my father, and everything's worked out as far as schedule, I think." She hoped it would all work, anyway. It was one thing in theory, sometimes another in practice. "Aunt Aggie is going to take over some of the delivery days that I was doing so I'll only keep one day that I do that, so then for most of the week, I only have to do the milking in the morning, and help with churning butter.. then I can come here from morning time until whenever in the afternoon." She explained, trying to make sure she had everything covered.

"So, I think I could probably get here about the ninth hour, in the mornings," She paused. "I'm not entirely sure how long it takes to get from home to here, but I think that should give me enough time. And then I can be here to learn for however many hours you think necessary. I think before, you mentioned around four hours? That works fine, or I can stay more than that if needed. I won't actually have to be home until late for the evening milking," She paused, thinking. "Although a bit of free time in the afternoon would be nice." She added with a little laugh. "I'm very excited to begin," She added with a little grin.

[Pele Alarion]

Master Healer Pele Alarion with Erynneth Raedor @Rillewen
Study

"All right," Pele said, and leaned back into her chair to listen to the availability conditions Eryn presented. She nodded in satisfaction and offered a smile to the eager young woman. "Well. What is a free time anyway?" she then laughed, thinking of how she had gotten herself so busy she had to purposefully plan some time off to avoid exhaustion. "So about four hours five days a week, and you can choose the two days off each week. Preferably not four days together from two weeks combined, unless you mean to travel somewhere or need that much time away," she got back to planning. "You may stay longer, of course, but don't overrate your abilities. And I'm sure your father would like to see you at times too, else he'd be concerned if you disappeared here for days. Agreed?"

From the supplies on the table Pele chose the items necessary to make some sort of written agreement. "Then I could inform the other staff here and see that they take on instructing you should I not be here. Healer Linaiwe is a source of such a wealth of knowledge if you need a recommendation in whom to search for, though you can learn from all healers and nurses here."

"Now, what else..." she thought, tickling her chin with the soft end of the quill, as she looked at Eryn. "Anything you'd want to figure out? Questions?"

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion

Erynneth Raedor
Reception - 2-3 weeks after Kaylin's injury (and Duinion's)

Eryn laughed lightly. "Yes, well, some people think I won't have any free time at all once I begin this. But it's really not much different, timewise, than making the deliveries. And Aunt Aggie's going to take that over. She said she missed doing it anyway, so I think everyone will be happy enough." She was pleased about that. "But yes, I agree.. I don't want to be away from my father for too long," She added with a mild frown. "That was why I waited as long as I did to come," She was sure Pele would have heard about his injury by now, it had been a couple of weeks since he returned from the mountains, and Eryn had insisted he go to the houses of healing to have it checked, despite his insisting it was fine. Turns out it was not fine.

"Well, I thought I would especially like to learn as much as I can about treating..well, the sort of injuries he has, on the first." She mentioned thoughtfully, after being asked if she had anything she'd like to figure out. "Sort of like focusing on breaks and all that, if that's possible. Because.. I want to be able to aid in his recovery as much as I can, and help him take care of his foot. Since I'm around him the most, I thought it might be helpful, you know, knowing what to do for it. He.. doesn't like coming here," She admitted, slightly awkward, as if worried it might offend the healer to hear this. "And he really doesn't like being stuck in one place for so long, if you know what I mean."

After a bit of thought, she tried to think if there were any other questions at the moment, and shook her head slightly. "The only other question I can think of right now, is..when can I begin?" She smiled, eager to get started.

[Pele Alarion]

Master Healer Pele Alarion with Erynneth Raedor @Rillewen
Study

"By free time I mean free time," Pele remarked after a moment of silence as she jotted down some things, and then put the quill aside to look up at the healer-to-be. Her blue eyes studied the young lady intently while she thought of how to put into words what she meant to say. "Riding horses, reading books, anything else relaxing. Looking after your father is a duty, and not self-care, the time you would need to recharge. You will make sure to have some rest. Daily. That's my first order to you as a healer apprentice." Pele might have just as well preached the same to herself, though she did the best to find a few moments of peace between all the tasks she had to accomplish. And while her voice had taken on a certain commanding quality, her eyes were gentle and understanding.

"I am not sure there's anything much you can help your dad with right now except to remind him that he must let his foot rest if he wants to recover faster, and check that there are no sores, suspicious bruising or anything else that shouldn't be there. The bones simply take time and rest to heal, and there's no way to speed the process up otherwise," she explained, a smile barely touching the corners of her lips.

Leaning back into her chair, Pele continued studying Eryn, and then continued: "You should think a little bit broader than your immediate family though. A healer has to deal with all sorts of people, some of whom are just horrible patients. Or even enemies if you happen to be a healer on the battle field," she paused slightly, and then added. "We might get to setting bones, but that is not a place to start; a very complicated procedure and sometimes can be unsuccessful. But there's all sorts of other general care for patients that can be learned."

After another moment's pause, she chuckled softly: "Suppose this is a start for you already."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Pele Alarion

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing reception
4 days after Midsummer - continued from here

While he was somewhat glad that Arnyn had stopped asking questions that required having to think, Trastion wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad thing that she had remained silent after his answer. Was she upset with him? Or perhaps just worried. Whatever the case, he thought vaguely that it was probably good that she was the one guiding him, because for all the time he had lived there on the sixth circle in the ranger dorms, he had never once been to the houses of healing despite its close proximity. He didn't exactly know what to expect, nor what he should say or do when they got there. And, if he had been on his own to find his way back up, he would have taken probably twice as long, with quite a few pauses for rest. It seemed like it took ages for them to finally reach the healers, but at the same time, it was as if they arrived before he knew it.

The moment they entered, he noticed it seemed cooler and darker, for which he was quite grateful. The heat and brightness of the outdoors was not helping his headache. At all. He was still leaning lightly on Arnyn, letting her do the guiding, while he focused on keeping up with her. Curious what this place would look like, he let his gaze drift slowly around the interior, careful not to get his head spinning again with any too-rapid motions. After the initial look around, he closed his eyes as he kept close to Arnyn's side. The vases and other things out for decoration looked doubled, and he didn't enjoy seeing things that way. "What do we do now?" He wondered softly, almost whispering. Now that they were here, he wasn't really sure what to expect, nor what to do to get help. But Arnyn would know, surely, and that was another reason he was glad to have her with him.

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion

Erynneth Raedor
Study - 2-3 weeks after Kaylin's injury (and Duinion's)

"Well, yes." Eryn nodded slightly. "I'll have plenty of free time, that's not anything to be concerned about." She assured Pele. "Even if I only have time to do chores, there's an extremely hyper dog to play with, and an old horse to exercise, so those are sort of... chores that aren't really chores because they're fun." She grinned. "But don't worry. I have plenty of things I'll be doing in the afternoons that are fun. Swimming and things like that."

She fell quiet then as she listened to Pele reply to her inquiry, and grew thoughtful. "Yes. Suspicious bruises and things like that... that's just the sort of thing I meant, mostly. Just learning what to watch for. Not.. setting bones and all that, I don't think I'd be ready for that just yet," She smiled a bit nervously. "I just figure I'll be checking on him more often than any of the healers up here could do, unless they make a trip out to the Pelennor each day... so I mostly just hoped I could learn what to watch for, and...certain things that are alright for him to do, and what's not alright.." It occurred to her she probably sounded like she was talking about a small child, and held back a little snicker of amusement at that. "He's not the best patient, himself... I know he'll want to push his limits, and I just want to know.. well, things like that." She explained, with a shrug. "And anything more that I can do to help him be more comfortable, too."

"As for thinking broader, I definitely didn't mean that was all I wanted to learn," Eryn assured her, shaking her head slightly. She hesitated briefly before continuing, "Actually.. one of the reasons I want to do this, is because... well, what happened with Kaylin, for instance. I was so scared. I had no idea what to do. I had no idea if she was dying, and if those men hadn't been around, it might have been completely up to me to patch her up. I.. I don't know what I would've done." She explained softly. "And even after he got her stitched up, and said that she would be alright, I was still worried because it looked like a really bad, serious wound... I couldn't figure how something like that could possibly be 'fine', and I just... I'd like to learn how to handle things like that on my own, and know for myself what's going on, to tell how bad the wound is, and all that. I want to be able to help people if they're hurt. I don't want to..not know how to help them next time something happens. If that makes sense."

Eryn smiled slightly to hear Pele say that this was a start already. She was really beginning. It felt a little unreal that she was actually here, beginning her training. Taking a big step in a completely new direction. But so far she and Pele were still only talking, and she wondered what would happen next, and if she would get to actually do anything today or just discuss things. "What does a new apprentice healer usually do first?" She wondered, then paused. "Oh.. Do I call you Captain Alarion? or Healer Alarion? or.. what?" She had first met her as the ranger captain, but now she was training from Eryn as a healer, and it was a tiny bit confusing.

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Reception
4 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen @Pele Alarion

"You sit," Arnyn said quietly but firmly, lowering Trastion carefully into one of the chairs with armrests. "And wait."

She shook her head as she walked over to the reception. "Sir," she greeted the elderly gentleman (Ralph the Receptionist) who was writing something down as she rested her hand on the reception desk. "I have a young man with me who has suffered a head injury. He has spells of dizziness and trouble maintaining his balance and thinking properly. The injury is about 4 days old." That should give the man an idea of how urgent it was or was not to have him go get someone. In Arnyn's opinion, he needn't run. Obviously. But those who made healing their profession, sometimes had different ideas of how things should be handled.

"It looks like a concussion to me, but I recognize this isn't my area of expertise. I would like to have him checked out by one of the healers, please," she requested politely. "In addition because I am curious to learn to what extent the foolish way he has handled his injury so far can be attributed to the injury itself, or whether it is more likely related to his regular state of being."

[Pele Alarion]

Ralph the Receptionist and Master Healer Pele Alarion
Reception
4 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen , @Arnyn

"Four days of concussion?" Ralph responded, and looked up first at Arnyn and then at Trastion. "It has been a while then." With that he scribbled down some notes as a written report before he went to search for someone who could attend to this case.

A few moments of the sound of quill across a bit of parchment, Pele emerged from one of the hallways, dressed in her Ranger uniform and fastening her belt with securely sheathed dagger.

"I've done my rounds and off now, Ralph, if there's an emergency..." she said, addressing the receptionist, and stopped half sentence when she looked up to find that the reception was inhabited by more people than the receptionist alone.

"This is not exactly an emergency, ma'am," the man responded somewhat cheerily. "But it seems that the youngster there has been walking around with concussion for whole four days and might need a check-up. But if you are on other urgent business, I might look for someone else."

"You say what?" Pele frowned, and then turned towards Arnyn since she was clearly the one who had taken Trastion here, and he must be the one with the concussion. "I might just handle this myself then. Four days though?... Is it true, Arnyn? What's all this?" Her hands straightened out the now fastened belt; she was not about to change back into healer outfit just for this.

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Reception
4 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen @Pele Alarion

"Hmm," Arnyn simply nodded at Ralph's summary. But the man hadn't had a chance to go look for anyone yet, when Pele came out. Her words confirmed the look she had about her: she had been about to leave the Houses of Healing for Ranger business. Arnyn left the initial talking to the receptionist, smiling faintly at her friend and Captain as she approached.

Pele's frown was somewhat satisfying as she looked quickly at both Arnyn and Trastion and then focused on Arnyn to ask several questions. She was clearly surprised, if not discontent, that it had been four days already. Arnyn couldn't argue with her on that front.

Momentarily torn between answering as she knew she should - factually - and answering with a shrug and a 'what-can-you-do' gesture, the Lieutenant settled for a combination of sorts. "As far as I've been able to deduce, yes." She gestured toward Trastion sitting in the chair, waiting for Pele's eyes to return to her before giving the Master Healer and Captain a shrug. "This is the first I have seen him since this happened. His archery was terrible and he literally fell over when I had him swing a sword. Based on what he has been able to tell me, I believe a concussion is likely. But I'm no healer." Despite everything, a soft smile came to the Lieutenant's face. "So here we are."

Arnyn approached Trastion to stand beside him. "Where do you want us?" She wasn't about to leave now.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Pele Alarion

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing reception
4 days after Midsummer

Trastion was quite glad when Arnyn had him sit. They had taken fewer breaks along the way than he would have, on his own. Though it was more comfortable in here than out there in the heat, his head was spinning and as soon as he got sat down, he tried to steady it by resting it forehead on his hand, making use of the right armrest for his elbow. Now, he just had to wait, and part of him hoped it might be a slightly long wait, so he could rest longer. Closing his eyes, he tried to wait for his head to settle down and stop feeling so spinny.

He couldn't hear any of Arnyn's discussion with the receptionist, due to the ringing in his ears that seemed to have grown angrier from the lengthy walk up through the city circles. He frowned slightly to himself, feeling a bit like he did if he had gone too long without sleep. Like he could almost doze off right here. If the chair had been a little more comfortable, he might have just curled up to let sleepiness take over, in the hopes he would feel better after a nice long nap. Instead, he tried not to let the sleepiness creep over him. As Arnyn came to stand by his chair, Trastion slowly looked up, blinking a couple of times. His vision remained slightly blurred, but he wasn't terribly surprised by that, as he was slightly used to that by now. But why was the captain there? Why was she in uniform, here at the houses of healing? He was confused, but made an effort to focus his attention better, in case she would be scolding him. "Am I in trouble?" He wondered, guessing that might be the case.

[Pele Alarion]

Master Healer Pele Alarion with Erynneth Raedor @Rillewen
Study

“Fine. All right.” Pele’s eyes glinted merrily when Eryn provided a plenty of verbal proof that she would have enough fun activities and would not follow the Master Healer into work overload. “Animals are surely great companions, and I wish I had more time to give to my horse and take him out for proper exercise.”

She grew more serious when Eryn continued speaking of her father, and after a thoughtful nod or two, she said: “Well… The more he pushes the limits, the longer it will take him to get back to Ranger duties. Basically, if he refuses to comply with healing regimen, he just makes it worse for himself. But then he’ll just have himself to blame if his ends up sitting around for months.” A shrug showed that there was only that much she could do in the matter. “But yes, perhaps you could talk some sense into him. The foot needs time and rest, and it can’t be helped. He must avoid putting weight on it. When it will be healed enough, it’ll need exercises to regain strength. Meanwhile he’ll just have to resort to using his arms. As for bruising – there should not be any at all, that is, unless he stubs his toes against something. Otherwise, if his toes become bluish, go numb, tingle… get someone to look at it.”

“Well,” she then responded gently to Eryn’s concerns that she did not know when injuries were serious and at her concern levels due to this. “You will learn to see a difference between a serious and not so serious injury, soon enough. However, sometimes our care for the people, friendship, family ties – it might mess with our knowledge and with what we see, and then things might look worse than they are.”

Then Pele rose to her feet. “Right. I think I should show you where things are around here and introduce you to some of the staff. And… Don’t worry about calling me Captain or Master Healer – I’ll respond to either and won’t mind. Sometimes I am not sure those two roles can be so strictly separated, especially when I have to sort out Rangers’ health,” she chuckled softly. “So shall we then?”

~~~~~
Reception with Arnyn @Arnyn and Trastion
Reception
4 days after Midsummer

“Mhm,” Pele mumbled, taking in the provided information, and making a brief mental calculation of the timing. Questions formed in her mind, and she would want to find out as much as possible about the possible circumstances surrounding this incident, and it seemed to her that Arnyn knew more than she had shared. However, dealing with Trastion’s condition was a priority at the moment.

She could not help a slight amusement at Trastion’s question. “Seems that your body is giving you enough trouble already,” she said after she had given him a quick first visual assessment. “I’ll see if I need to give you more trouble later or not.”

“Let’s move to a treatment room, come along,” she instructed, setting off back the way she had come, and then opening the second door on the right to let them into a room with cupboard-lined walls. “Sit him down here,” she told Arnyn, motioning towards a cot. “I’ll have a look. So… dizziness, lack of balance, apparent drowsiness.” She listed off what she had learned this far of Trastion’s condition and prepared to investigate some more. “A head injury?”

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Reception -> Treatment room
4 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen @Pele Alarion

When Trastion gave them that miserable look and then asked Pele if he was in trouble, Arnyn smiled faintly. Part of her was amused at the question, because surely he was given the state he was in, and also surely he should be given he had not reported anything to the command of what had happened to him - or what he thought had happened to him. Yet another part of the Lieutenant felt a pang of guilt for not guiding the recruit better, and for not managing to inspire enough confidence in Trastion to speak with her of all this.

Thankfully, Pele did not seem to be in a chastising mood.

Following Pele's instructions, Arnyn helped Trastion to his feet and into the treatment room. Wordlessly she followed the master healer's instructions and made sure Trastion got situated on the cot. A nod came at Pele's question. "Yes, a lump on his head," she said, taking up some of the talking for the recruit, who seemed to have gotten much worse during their walk up to the Houses of Healing. "Also, trouble with loud noises. A bad headache. Some memory loss of what happened either shortly or a few hours before he got the lump. And he's having some trouble thinking."

Arnyn raised an eyebrow at Trastion, a shadow of humor behind her dark eyes. "More than usual, anyway. Anything else, Trastion? "

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Pele Alarion

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room
4 days after Midsummer

Trastion held still while the captain was taking a look at him. For now, at least, he wasn't going to get a scolding, but it sounded like there might be one coming later. He wasn't really sure what to think of that so didn't try too hard yet. Quietly, trying not to move so fast that it upset his balance, he stood up with Arnyn's assistance. Hopefully, as long as he didn't move too fast, the dizziness wouldn't get too bad. Despite feeling a little embarrassed to have to rely on Arnyn's help, he followed the captain, glad it was only a short distance to the room.

He was also glad when Arnyn provided some answers for him, after Pele had asked about his symptoms, so he didn't have to talk as much. Or remember as much. Trastion gave a faint smile at the last bit. "Yeah, it hurts to think too hard," He agreed while carefully sitting on the edge of the cot, holding onto the edge with a hand on either side of his legs. He frowned thoughtfully, refraining from nodding as the motion might make it worse. "And a lump, yeah." He agreed with what Arnyn had mentioned. "Right here." He indicated the place on the back of his head, careful not to actually touch the sore place. "It still hurts a little," He added quietly.

Anything else? He took a moment to think about what had already been listed, trying to keep track of what he'd told Arnyn and what Arnyn had told Pele. "Um, it's a little hard to remember things," He mentioned, frowning. "The last few days are sort of.. blended together, kind of foggy in my memory, if that makes sense." He paused. "And my head keeps pounding.. it gets worse when I move too much, or too quickly. The ringing too." He forgot that he hadn't mentioned the ringing in his ears, and carried on, "I keep feeling like everything's spinning around me whenever I move at all. And my vision's kinda weird." He frowned, feeling that needed more explanation but struggled to find the right words. "It keeps getting blurred and stuff, playing tricks on me. Like, things look closer than they are, or further away." After a pause, he asked, "Did I mention I keep getting dizzy?" It might have been mentioned but he didn't remember saying it. "The stairs are the worst..I couldn't even come downstairs for.. the first day? I think? I'm not real clear about the days anymore.. I didn't realize it had been as many as four." He frowned in confusion.

[Pele Alarion]

Master Healer Pele Alarion
Treatment Room
4 days after Midsummer
@Arnyn , @Rillewen

"All right..." Pele decided to get a proper amount of information first before she scurried around looking for any necessary treatment tools. The more both Arnyn and Trastion described it to her, the more she was convinced of the correctness of diagnosis.

"Let me see that lump, Trastion, I won't touch it... too much," she said and then took to examining the location of injury. Gently she parted the hair over the the lump and winced at imagining the level of pain. "From a blunt impact," she assessed. However, she decided not to press the young man for information seeing that he was in a poor condition and had memory issues. She did look searchingly at Arnyn wondering if her friend had been able to figure out something more than what was said. Trastion might have fallen, or it could be outcome of an attack by someone, and while her primary task at the moment was to make sure the lad was properly taken care of, identifying the source of the injury was important.

She did not touch the lump any further, and took a step back. "Look at me, Trastion," she ordered, placing her fingers under his chin to lift his head up so she could examine the pupils of his eyes. "This is a concussion you have for sure, if I have ever seen one," she concluded. "I'll have you stay here at the Houses for three days so healers can keep an eye on you. Bed rest, plenty of liquids, some food, and more bed rest on these days, and then we'll see how you feel after. We can settle you in one of the recovery rooms, and if you need anything from the barracks, it can be retrieved."

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Treatment room
4 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen @Pele Alarion

Three days at the houses of healing. Arnyn approved of the Master Healer's decision, even though she wasn't sure whether Trastion would like it much. The Lieutenant liked that this way, Trastion would be forced to actually rest. He had not been doing enough of that the past few days - not with a concussion this severe. He had been pushing himself and in doing so had probably prolongued the time it would take to recover.

"I would like to have a word with you," she told Pele quietly, in response to the earlier searching gaze her friend had given her. "But I would like to see Trastion set up in one of the recovery rooms, first. If possible."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Pele Alarion

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room
4 days after Midsummer

Sitting still while the healer took a look at him, Trastion only slightly winced from her touch on the back of his head. He rubbed his shoulder, scratching it absently while waiting for more questions or something. Instead, the healer just asked him to look at her. Ordered, actually. He obeyed, but he didn't have to do much to achieve it, as Pele turned his head upward without him having to do so. He merely sat still, keeping his eyes open while she examined them. And then she declared that this was, indeed, a concussion. He frowned, unsure if that was good or bad; he'd already been assuming it was, based on what Arnyn said, but now to hear it confirmed seemed almost like a sentence of doom, but then he also had very little idea what it actually meant.

"Will I be alright?" He asked hesitantly. "I mean..." He paused, wondering if this was a dumb question, but proceeded anyway, "It's not something I'll die from, is it?" It didn't sound like there would be much treatment to be done.. staying here for three days, getting a lot of rest? Was there not anything else that could be done, he wondered? It had been four days already, he remembered, and now he would be spending three days here. A week then from the time this happened. He had some vague notion that maybe that was all the time he'd have, before... Or maybe he would be better by then? The latter was hoped for, but he couldn't help worrying if he could expect the former. "What about my duties?" He wondered, as an afterthought. He frowned, fairly sure he had some sort of duty either this evening, or the next one, but couldn't quite remember. Or maybe that had been yesterday evening.

[Pele Alarion]

Master Healer Pele Alarion
Treatment Room
4 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen , @Arnyn

What conclusions Pele came to from the careful look into Trastion's eyes only supported the rather long list of all other symptoms: the pupils of his eyes were quite large, and it seemed to her that one was slightly bigger than the other, besides the look seemed rather unfocused. She let him lower his head, while she turned slightly towards Arnyn and with a slight nod approved of what her friend had said.

Trastion's somewhat concerned questions drew her attention back to him, and Pele could not help but laugh softly. "No, I don't think it is necessary for you to die unless you leave your room without permission and end up falling down all the way from the wall of the sixth circle. And what duties are you talking about, Recruit?" The healer's blue eyes glinted merrily. "You are unfit for duties, so your new orders are to rest properly and let the staff of the Houses of Healing pamper you a bit. You've been up and around with this for a while, so getting back on your feet properly might take a bit longer. But you should be just fine if you do what you are told." Pele patted his shoulder lightly, and motioned towards the door. "Let's find you a nice room then."

Sure that Arnyn would assist him as she had done this far, Pele led the way, only stopping by the storage room to choose a clean linen shirt and trousers which she thought would fit Trastion. This time they had to walk further, into another wing of the building, and then Pele opened one of the doors to let them into a room which was small enough and yet did not seem too cramped. She placed the set of clothing on a chair by one of the two beds, and then closed the curtains to shut out sunshine which might be too bright for Trastion's eyes.

"Well, a clean, soft bed, fresh clothes - change out of your gear and into those. I can have the ones you are wearing now collected and washed later so you get them nice and fresh when you are ready to leave here," she said. "One of the nurses will bring you water and some food a bit later. So, make yourself comfortable and get that rest your body wants so badly. Anything else?" Pele looked around to make sure nothing essential was lacking, and then turned her attention back to the patient, prepared to help him change should he need and ask for any such assistance.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Pele Alarion

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room
4 days after Midsummer

It was reassuring to hear that he would be alright, as long as he did as he was told. Trastion took a moment to think about that. The new orders weren't difficult, at least. Rest, letting healers take care of him. The thought of lying down and resting was a welcome one, especially now that he felt reassured that he wasn't likely to die from this. Still, it was strange to hear her say he was unfit for duty. He hadn't quite thought of it that way, until now. Who would take over his duties, then? Would they be upset at having to fill in for him? He wondered about that a bit as he let Arnyn help him along, leaning slightly on her as they followed Pele to their new destination.

As they entered the room, he winced slightly from the brightness, closing his eyes to shut it out, until Pele closed the curtains. Anything else? He opened his eyes again, trying to take in the surroundings. He tried to think if there was anything else he might need. "I can't think of anything," He answered. He fumbled a bit with the clasps of the leather bracer he was wearing, to protect his arm from the bowstring. Then he paused as he remembered having been at the training grounds. "Wait," He frowned, taking a confused look around. "Where'd I put my bow?" He seemed to realize suddenly he didn't have it, but recalled having it when he set out earlier.

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Treatment room
4 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen @Pele Alarion

Her expression was serious when Pele acknowledged her words with that nod. At Trastion's question about his duties, though, a soft smile appeared in her eyes and on her lips. It were questions like those that really made him such a recruit. The well-intentional, concerned recruit... Worried about his duties, when he had brushed his face - or rather, the back of his head - with death. The thought made her smile waver as Pele laughed and andswered him. Arnyn was glad that Pele wasted no time and wanted to show them to a room right away.

The Lieutenant moved to support Trastion once more, and she helped him out of the treatment room and into the recovery room which would be his home base for the next three days. It was a bit of a walk, although none of them spoke until they entered the room. When Pele told Trastion to change out of his gear into the new clothes, Arnyn hid a half grin. Surely Pele was not waiting for him to do so in their presence?

After noticing his useless attempt at taking off his leather bracer, Arnyn didn't wait to be asked and simply stepped in to unclasp it for him. She took it off right when he asked about his bow, and took a step back, turning and pointing to the two bows tied together on her back. "Your bow's right here. We left your arrows at the grounds, but I wasn't just going to leave your newly acquired bow. I'll keep it secure for you until you are allowed to handle it again," she decided on the spot, taking his other arm to take off the bracer on that side as well. She placed them both on the side table next to the bed for now. "I think you'll manage changing clothes on your own..."

She raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at Pele. "Unless you think we should help the recruit with his boots, Captain?" She flashed Trastion a grin.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Pele Alarion

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room
4 days after Midsummer

Trastion peered a bit more carefully at the bows on Arnyn's back, and relaxed slightly. "Oh, yeah, I forgot." He replied with a small frown, now halfway remembering that she had indeed paused to do that. It seemed like a long time ago now, as if several days had passed already since they were down in the training grounds. At a glance, he had assumed the two bows on her back were really one that just appeared like two, due to his vision being blurred and doubled. It was a relief to know his vision hadn't gotten quite that bad, at least. "Thanks," He added, glad to know the lieutenant would be keeping his bow safe. He had a suspicion it was partly to ensure he didn't try slipping off to train again until he'd been cleared, but didn't think too hard about that. He tried not to think too hard about anything, in fact.

"Yeah.." He managed a small smile at Arnyn's teasing comment, "I can definitely handle changing my clothes all on my own." He assured the two women, with a faint tint of red in his face as he lightly rubbed the back of his neck. "I've managed at least that much on my own each day." Even his boots. He moved carefully toward a nearby chair positioned next to the bed, so he could sit down and get his boots off. His first attempt at finding the chair's arm was unsuccessful, his hand going just past it. On the second try he caught hold of it, and sank into the seat slowly. Then paused, taking a moment to let the dizziness fade a little. "I can manage without help, I promise." He grinned slightly.

[Pele Alarion]

Master Healer Pele Alarion
Treatment Room
4 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen , @Arnyn

"I'll send someone over soon enough with water and food for you," Pele said, doing her best to contain her entertainment at Trastion's slight blush when Arnyn teased him. "And if they find you rolling on the floor one boot in hand and one still on your foot, you'll get help. Perhaps it should be someone who can toss you into the bed then."

Even though she joked around, Pele observed the Recruit's movements and did not like what she saw. He definitely needed rest, and at least he would get it here where he could be kept under a watchful eye in case of need. She was not sure how he had managed to get on for whole four days, and she thought of checking in with Mourgan wondering why he had not reacted to Trastion's strange behaviour and not reported that the Recruit needed seen to.

"I'll check in on you in the next few days to see how you are faring with your recovery," she promised more seriously, and then turned to leave. "If you have any needs or want something fetched from your room, tell the staff, and we'll see what we can do for you. Agreed?"

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Treatment room
4 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen @Pele Alarion

With a faint smile, she nodded at Trastion's reply and then Pele's. When the captain and master healer turned to leave, Arnyn's attention focused on the woman more fully. "Can you spare another minute outside, Captain?" Arnyn asked quietly.

Turning to Trastion, she looked him over one last time. "I will go and inform Mourgan of your whereabouts, so he is not unduly concerned with your absence." After a pause, she added: "Trastion, do try and listen to the healers. The better you do, the sooner you will be on the mend. I will see you soon."

Then the Lieutenant followed Pele out of the room, walking with her on the way toward the entrance and exit to the Houses of Healing. "I have some news," Arnyn spoke slowly, the concern obvious in her voice. "I think our Umbarian friend might be to blame for Trastion's condition. And for missing weapons in the armoury. Do you know... whether she can change her appearance into a man's?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Pele Alarion

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room
4 days after Midsummer

Trastion smiled faintly. "I think I'll be alright, but thank you Captain." He answered, really hoping he wouldn't wind up falling out of the chair and into the floor. He felt that now that he was sitting, he should be alright to take his boots off, but that still remained to be seen. Carefully leaning forward, he undid the laces on them both as Pele was preparing to leave. "Yes Captain," He answered after a moment, working on loosening his boots now, mostly by feel because it was easier.

After what Arnyn said, he couldn't help a faint scoffing noise. "Yeah... I doubt he'd be all that concerned," He muttered under his breath, meaning it only for his own ears, though he may have muttered louder than he meant to, due to the ringing making it hard to hear quieter sounds. Still, she could tell Mourgan, at least. Maybe then he'd believe Trastion hadn't been lying. "I will," He assured Arnyn when she instructed him to do as the healers said, speaking louder for that so that she would hear him. Indeed, he had no intentions of disobeying the healer's orders, now that he knew it was more serious than a mere lingering headache. He slowly sat up, trying to be careful not to disrupt his equilibrium too much with the motion and change in posture. He used the opposite foot to push each boot off, so not to have to remain leaning down.

They were heading for the door now. "Um," He hesitated, one hand scratching around where his uniform's insignia was bothering him. "Arnyn? Since you're going to the dorm.. could you send my back pack here?" He requested, hopeful, realizing he was going to need something from it. "It'll be in the trunk at the foot of my bed." He added, feeling glad that he had kept most of his things packed in it.

Once the two women left the room, Trastion got started changing; trousers first, just in case someone came back sooner than he was ready. After that, it was time for the shirt. The new one seemed as if it would be more comfortable, at least. But it was the matter of getting the other one off that made him hesitate. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he slowly and carefully pulled the uniform shirt off, trying to avoid letting it rub too much against his chest and shoulders as it came off, hoping to avoid aggravating the skin there. He briefly glanced down at himself and frowned. His uppermost half was still rather red; that much he could see even with his blurry vision. The troubling areas were starting to itch more and more as the salve wore off, probably a lot to do with the heat and sweat, and he knew before long it would feel like it was burning again. It was taking more effort to resist the urge to scratch, but he also knew that would only make it worse.

He sighed and pulled the other shirt on, though he could hardly tell which side was the front or back, with his eyes as they were. Trying to ignore the discomfort, he laid down on the bed with a soft groan, trying to find a comfortable position. Food and water would be quite welcome, as he couldn't quite remember when he last ate, or had anything to drink. After a moment he recalled that Arnyn had given him a drink from her canteen, but that seemed like ages ago now. He shut his eyes, trying to will his head to stop pounding, and his ears to stop ringing, and his chest and shoulders to stop itching, but none of those things cooperated with what he wanted. Maybe if he kept still, he could drift off to sleep, and could escape the discomfort for a while, at least. Earlier in the reception room he had felt like he could doze off easily, but now that he wanted to.. he wasn't sure that he could.

[Pele Alarion]

Master Healer Pele Alarion
Leaving treatment room -> towards garden
4 days after Midsummer
@Arnyn

At first Pele walked at a rather leisurely pace, yet when Arnyn mentioned the likely cause of Trastion's troubles, she froze for a moment looking at her friend. "She might be?..." She did not say anything for a couple heartbeats, and then spoke in a quiet voice: "Let's talk of it out in the garden." Now, in a more determined step she headed for the study and healer rooms which were near the reception, and catching sight of Linaiwe, the elderly healer, in the study through the open door, she stood in the doorway and said: "Linaiwe! Can you be bothered to check in on a lad over in treatment room three? Concussion. He'd benefit from some food and water, and another careful look by the healer. He's called Trastion." Having received an affirmative answer, Pele then led Arnyn through the reception and out into the garden.

She walked a bit to be out of the hearing from any of the doors and windows, then stopped and turned to look at Arnyn. "Is there proof that it could be her?" she queried. "Suppose she might turn herself into a man if she had a mind to, though I have never seen her do it. She hadn't really 'played' that way with me... until now, that is. In the form of Amber."

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
The garden
4 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen @Pele Alarion

She'd looked over her shoulder when Trastion said her name, and had nodded at his request with a faint smile. Yes, she would do that.

As Pele froze, Arnyn waited for the sudden news to sink in. When Pele said they could discuss it in the garden, Arnyn agreed in the form of silence and compliance. Once they were surrounded by greenery, her friend halted and turned to face her. Pele was all business now. Arnyn tilted her chin slightly. "Not solid proof," she replied. "Yet from what Trastion has told me, it is the only option I can see that allows things to fall into place. Trastion was guarding headquarters at midsummer. That is the day he sustained his injury, and the last thing he remembers is Amber showing up and hearing a noise. Then nothing."

The Lieutenant paused as she gauged the look in Pele's blue eyes. "Yet... Kaylin saw Trastion, in the evening - when we arrived with Shamara. She sent him away. Trastion remembers nothing of this. He thought he'd left his post, until I told him Kaylin had seen him there. He found it all very confusing."

"But it makes sense to me. If Trastion was knocked out by Amber, it makes sense that seeing her is about the last thing he remembers. It also makes much more sense that weapons could have been stolen from the armoury - the guard was no longer an issue, because she'd temporarily disposed of him. And then the suspicion of who it was, now becomes the logical deduction. And if she could take Trastion's form... it would have been her, pretending to guard headquarters upon our arrival. Which also explains why Trastion thought he'd left his post early, even though he has no clue why he would do such a thing."

Despite her logically driven and calm exposition, Arnyn still felt rattled. "You say it could be so," she rephrased Pele's earlier response. "Then how do we know that the people we speak to, are the people we think they are?" Concern deepened the dark brown of her eyes.

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion

Apprentice Erynneth Raedor
Study, with Linaiwe 4 days after Midsummer

Eryn was deeply absorbed in reading a book about different poisons and how to treat them, a topic which her father had somewhat inspired with a recent 'refresher course' on that very subject. He seemed eager to contribute things that he knew, toward her training here at the houses of healing, and had strongly suggested she carry a small pouch of powder. Which led her to wonder about various poisons and things one might encounter, either in the wild, or from enemies. After all, one never knew when some knowledge like that could be useful, out on ranger missions and whatnot. And so here she was.

The sound of a vaguely familiar name being mentioned drew her attention. Eryn looked up, blinking in surprise. "Trastion?" She repeated, after Pele had left. She turned to Linaiwe. "I know someone by the name Trastion.. or sort of, anyway." She had met him, at least, and thought that he seemed nice enough. And he'd stood up for Nal that day with Lt Brian, and that made a big difference in her opinion of him. "May I come along?" She asked, hoping to get a chance to actually learn things 'hands on', rather than just reading about it. And maybe she could be useful, too. She was trying to remember what she'd read about concussions. "Concussion is a head wound, isn't it?" She asked, frowning slightly in thought as she tried to recall if it was 'concussion' or 'contusion' she was thinking of.

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Trastion's recovery room
@Rillewen

Trastion's pack had been brought over the day he'd been brought to the Houses of Healing. Arnyn hadn't been able to deliver it to him herself, but she had dropped by the day after for a brief visit. She had checked in on him, they had spoken briefly, and she had asked for a progress report from the healers on his situation afterwards, after leaving his room and before returning to her duties.

Today, the Lieutenant had carved out a bit more time. She carried a small bag with her as she entered the houses of healing and gained permission to see the recruit. Upon cracking open the door to the recovery room after a clear knock, she noticed the curtains were still drawn and the room was a bit gloomy. She didn't really look into the room just yet, however, leaving the small crack in the door instead and waiting. "Trastion?" she asked quietly. If he was asleep, he might have awoken from her knock. But then again, perhaps he wouldn't have. For a moment, Arnyn waited to see whether a reply would come.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room
2 days after arriving in HOH

Staying at the houses of healing was.. different, for sure. Thanks to the dimly lit room and being allowed(actually ordered) to do nothing but rest each day, Trastion had done a lot of dozing since he arrived. His rest was mostly only interrupted by a few healers or nurses once in a while, sometimes to check on him, other times just to bring him food. He was feeling noticeably better than when he arrived, now that he wasn't up and about, walking around and everything. He wasn't entirely sure if the dizziness had faded because he wasn't up on his feet so much, or because his head was getting better. Hopefully the latter. He still had another day at least before Pele would determine if he needed more time to heal, and he hoped he'd be considered healed by then. A week seemed too long to be out of commission, but then maybe if he'd come in when he first got injured, he would've already been healed by now...

He was trying not to think too much, but it was hard. While it was easy to doze, he blamed that partially on being so bored. Because he was supposed to be resting, there was not much to do but rest. Even reading was supposedly a strain on his eyes and would make the headache return. The knock on the door didn't wake him from being asleep exactly, but stirred him out of a drowsy state of boredom. And then Arnyn's voice called softly in. "Yeah, come in," He smiled, glad she had come. Though she had come by yesterday, it had been brief, and he'd been a little disappointed when she had to leave so soon. He'd been thinking a lot (against the healers orders, shame on him) since the other day when she brought him here, and had a few things he hoped to talk about. Maybe he'd have a better chance to talk to her, today.. or else he might have to wait until he was cleared to go back to training, and would have other things to do by then.

[Pele Alarion]

Master Healer/Captain Pele Alarion
Garden
4 days after Midsummer
@Arnyn

While Arnyn explained the whole situation with Amber and Trastion, Pele's eyes grew increasingly stormy as she reigned in the anger at Relic - she was quite sure by now - doing whatever she wanted. At least Trastion was alive...

"It does make sense," she spoke after taking a deep breath in an attempt to regain the inner calm. "And it would explain how Relic's ring ended up in my cup. So she was simply entertaining herself in the headquarters building." She took a few moments to think, and then continued. "If she knocked out Trastion and took his form and place - where did she take him? Did he say anything of where he was when he came around after? I'd want to ask Trastion questions, but he is in no condition for that, not yet."

Pele's hand ran absent-mindedly through her hair as she considered the other related question. "I am not sure, Arnyn... I can feel her, I would sense her even if she posed as you. Unfortunately, I cannot give this... skill... to others, and I would not want them to gain it the way I had," she said hesitantly, thinking over the options. "I suppose, we simply have to rely on knowing each other. I doubt she has learned enough of each of us to put up a faultless performance. There's always the option of watching for changes in the eyes - in case she has a slip-up. If the one whom we think we know has an unusual choice of words, an uncharacteristic behaviour. Otherwise I really don't know."

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
The garden
4 days after Midsummer
@Pele Alarion

Arnyn watched Pele carefully during her response to the news. It was obvious she was trying to remain calm. Outwardly, the Captain was successful. Inwardly? Arnyn was not so sure. To be fair, Arnyn wasn't very sure how calm she was, herself.

"He said he woke up in his dorm," Arnyn responded, repeating Trastion's chosen words. "That part makes the least sense to me. Why would she go through the trouble of getting him back there? Obviously it would be aproblem if a second Trastion was lying about headquarters, but bringing him back to his own room at the barracks..." Arnyn looked for the right words for what she wanted to say. "It seems overly tidy for someone trying to bring chaos." For a moment, Arnyn's dark eyes were filled with many an emotion, though it was hard to tell which ones exactly. Concern, definitely. Cold anger, for sure. Fear? Perhaps. Her next words were uncannily quiet. "Pele... We are incredibly lucky that she did not kill him."

Pulling her own thoughts away from that - it would do no one any good to dwell on it; Trastion was alive, and he should be fine, and Arnyn was grateful for that - she returned to the second part of her answer to Pele's question. "I should add I am getting the impression he is tip-toeing around what exactly happened after he woke up in his room. I cannot imagine why Trastion would not think to report this himself, for he has not seemed like the sort to bask in his own ego. Before this, he has not refused to admit to it when something goes wrong. Moreover... I cannot imagine Mourgan seeing him like this and also not reporting anything. As a veteran, he should know better." Arnyn drew in a deep breath. "There is more to this. He is simply not telling me. Then again, it's not like I am telling him about Relic's part."

Pele's next response did not settle her. "Relic would have a harder time impersonating some than others," the Lieutenant said with a slow nod. "But I do not yet know every one of Gondor's Rangers to such a degree that she would not be able to fool me after watching them for a while. She would have a hard time convincing me she were you, or Karis, for example. But Duinion, for example? Or Unalmis? She may succeed there." She had only given a few examples of every which way, but it applied to two much larger groups, of course. "Am I to always be suspicious of half of our unit?" Arnyn whispered. "Forgive me, my friend... I did not realize the full extent of the danger this sorceress poses to you. Nor to us." Arnyn lowered her gaze to the ground they were standing on. "But I believe I have a better understanding of it, now."


Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Trastion's recovery room
6 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen

She opened the door wide then, came in and closed it once more. As her eyes adjusted better to the gloom of the room, Arnyn sighed. "Well, this room sure is depressing. Dark. Hardly anything to look at. You must be bored out of your mind." She dropped the small pack on a chair next to the wall and walked over to the window. "I know they told you to keep the room dark," she mused. "But how about we try juuuuuust a small bit of light? If it's too bad, I can close the curtain again." She opened the curtain no more than a handwidth - and did so as far away from Trastion as she could get, closest to the wall opposite his bed. Looking over her shoulder, she gave him a questioning look. At least she could see him just a tad better, now.

Deciding to give him a moment to adjust, she lingered by the window and then opened it a bit. "And some fresh air, perhaps," she decided. "So, what does your head say? 'Close it all back up and get the hell out?' Or am I allowed to stay?" One of her typical faint smiles appeared on her face.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room
2 days after arriving in HOH

He gave a faint smile, hearing her mention how depressing the room was, all dark and gloomy. He hadn't actually thought about it, but yeah, it was sorta. Thanks to the thick curtains, it was hard to even tell whether it was daytime or nighttime. So when she pulled the curtain aside slightly, he was mildly surprised to find it was rather bright outside. Trastion closed his eyes at first, waited a moment, and slowly opened them again. The light wasn't too harsh. He was glad, and smiled slightly more. "No, that's fine." He assured her. "It is pretty boring here, but at least my head isn't pounding like it was."

It was also nicer when a little breeze wafted in, fluttering the curtain slightly, but bringing a smell of outdoors. There were gardens outside, he'd heard, but hadn't really seen much of that, himself. "Thanks." He added quietly. He sat up a little bit, trying to adjust the pillow so he would be propped up a bit, rather than lying flat. He ran his fingers through his hair, figuring it was probably a mess. This seemed to make it messier, though he didn't realize it. Looking over at the lieutenant, he wondered whether she would have anything to say to him. Certain questions and concerns returned to his mind, but he waited to see whether Arnyn would bring up..certain things. "So..." He hesitated, not really sure what to say. "How busy are you today?" He asked, after a bit. That seemed like a good start, finding out whether she had time to stay for a bit, or not.

[Lail]

Garthain with Cali (@Rillewen)
Treatment Room

Garthain sat tall in his chair, scribbling down notes of everything important she said. Her brother’s name, their relationship as twins, Ryn’s murder (possibly unreported and unsolved? But out of the jurisdiction of the Tower Guard) and missing daggers, which she described in great detail. He wondered if the daggers could be somewhere back in the Tower Guard, buried in piles of evidence and unclaimed found items. Perhaps he could locate them. No one else would want to take the time to do so.

He flipped to a blank page in his book and tilted it toward Cali in her bed. “Are you able to sketch the daggers in as much detail as you described them?” One look was all he needed to understand the answer was most definitely no. She explained that she was unable, due to her injuries, to sketch anything at this moment. He would have to do his best to draw them based on her descriptions. Garthain cleared his throat. “My apologies, Miss Dringolben. That was terribly thoughtless of me…Please, go on.”

As if she wore armor around her wounded heart, shielding her from the grief of her brother’s loss and the injuries she bore, she continued to tell her story. When she mentioned the War, he visibly tensed, clenching one fist and looking down at his notes rather than at her, though he listened to every word and intonation, detecting the buried sorrow so many carried with them in the intervening years. At the mention of the fayre, more recently, he gazed at her once more and jotted down the key details.

How unfortunate that her visit back to the city should take such a dark turn, and at the fayre, too. His instincts pushed him to apologize again, but what good would that do? No, he could only record every detail and piece of information, every name, every place, every possible person who might prove to help find a lead on solving this case. That was the only way to truly make a difference for the woman before him.

Still, his brow furrowed when she mentioned her unconscious friend and the strange man in the tent. His stomach sank, fearful for the other woman’s fate having seen Cali’s injuries and state, and he wanted for a moment– tell her to stop– he didn’t want to hear anymore. He didn’t want to know the ending. But it was his job and here she was– she had lived it, and she was suffering through reliving it once more.

Garthain set down his pen and looked her in the eyes, holding her gaze. He wanted to reach out and take her hand, to offer some comfort, but he kept his hands firmly in his lap behind the wall. “Miss Dringolben, you are doing a very good thing in telling me all of this. The smallest things can sometimes make a huge difference. I want you to know that. You might be making a difference today in telling me this.”

“I have a few questions I would like to ask and then you may continue. Please take your time.” He took a sip of water, again as a way to reassure Cali as well as refresh himself. “Let’s start with your friends you met that day. What are their names?” Not only would the details help, but asking for the group at once instead of singling out her unconscious friend seemed somehow kinder. “Can you describe what the tent looked like both inside and out? What time of day was it?” He paused for a moment and lowered his voice. “And describe the man as well, please...as much as you can. Anything helps. Was he tall or short? Dark or light haired? Did he have any distinguishing features, like a tattoo or scar?”

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Trastion's recovery room
6 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen

The smile remained as she pulled over the chair into the thin column of light she'd let into the room, moved her pack to the ground and sat down in it. She was still pretty far away from the bed, sitting against the far wall, despite the small size of the room. But she figured it would be best not to crowd the man too much. He sat up a bit, she noticed, tried to straighten out his hair. And then he seemed a bit... at a loss. Or hesitant, maybe.

Arnyn slanted her head at his question. Was he hoping she would not stay too long? "Not busy," she said. The Lieutenant would have been, but after dropping at Trastion at the houses of healing two days earlier, she had moved around what she could to facilitate a longer visit. It had not been possible for yesterday - too little notice - but today, she had managed to free up a large block of time. No need to tell Trastion that, however. She did not want him to feel awkward or guilty for her having gone through the trouble. "I have time for a longer visit, although if your head starts bothering you, just say so and I can leave."

"How are you feeling?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room
2 days after arriving in HOH

Not busy, she said. Good. Trastion gave a small nod. He was about to speak up to mention he was glad for the company, but then her question caught him a little off guard. How was he feeling? He paused, thinking about how to reply to that. "A little better," He answered slowly, after a hesitation. "If you mean my head, that is." He added quietly. He hadn't tried being upright for too long, so he had no idea whether the dizziness and everything would return when he was allowed to be up and about, but for now it had faded significantly. But as the headache faded, other concerns had begun to crowd in, and in between dozing, he had been thinking.

"I.." Trastion hesitated, not even sure how to begin. He decided to say something else instead. "I'm glad you came. I wanted to thank you for.. you know.. caring enough to make me come here." He smiled faintly, a little nervous. It wasn't going to be easy, saying what he'd made up his mind to say. And it was hard to get to it. He took a deep breath. "And, I should apologize, too." He felt that might be a step in the right direction. "I've.. kept a lot of things from you, and.. still you believed me. I...that means a lot to me. More than you might think." He spoke the last part softly, looking down. "Mourgan didn't." He paused slightly and then gave a wry smile. "My mother hardly ever believed me about anything either."

He took another slow, deep breath, trying to prepare to launch into what he had in mind to say, and still the words didn't spill out. It was as if all the words, were jumbled up, fighting over the order they should be spoken, and none of them seemed right to him. How to begin? He frowned slightly as he struggled inwardly for a moment, until a memory came to him. Their pact from the first training session, about being honest and only telling that which he was comfortable sharing. With that in mind, he decided to start with upfront honesty, "I um, I think there's something you should know, but I'm not sure how to..say it." he glanced up, a somewhat troubled look on his face. "I don't know how to begin." Suddenly a bit anxious, he looked toward the door. "Do you know how close these rooms are to each other? Could someone overhear us talking?" He worried, a thought he hadn't considered until now.

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Trastion's recovery room
6 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen

She nodded when he said he was feeling a bit better, not answering him verbally right away as something told her it was time to let him speak what he would. That hesitant tone... if she'd learned anything about the way he spoke, it was that hesitation meant he was thinking about how to say something, and whether he could. Or would.

And if she had to be honest, Arnyn would admit to having many questions for her recruit. Questions about his past, which she did not utter since their agreement. But also questions about what she had noticed when she'd gone to his room to inform Mourgan and retrieve the pack Trastion had requested. And she had not asked these questions because of some agreement - but rather because she wanted to know whether he would tell her anything of his own accord. Thus, it was needless to say that Arnyn was curious to hear what Trastion was deliberating on.

Some surprise showed on her face when he thanked her for caring enough to make him come here. While it was a gracious thing to thank her, and she appreciated it, the sentiment behind it first seemed more than superfluous. Of course she had made him come here, given the state he was in! Who did he take her for? But then the initial surprise changed to one of a different sort when he apologized to her. It meant a lot to him, he said. And his words seemed to indicate that he hadn't had someone before who.... well. Looked after him like this? Who believed him as she did? Who trusted him to come forward in his own time? It did not sit well with her that she - if she was understanding him well enough - should be an exception to most of the people in his life. He deserved better.

She swallowed back some of the emotions welling up as she saw the struggle on his face. Soon followed by concern. Arnyn rose to her feet at his question. Without answering right away, she opened the door to look outside. There was a door close to their left, and a door to their right. She stepped out for a minute, and before closing the door behind her, she gave Trastion a quick smile. "Let's find out."

The right door was closed, but the sign on it declared it a supply closet. When Arnyn opened it, it held linens and blankets. The door to the left of Trastion's room was open; the room, as of yet, empty. She went inside and closed the door, and knocked on the wall in between this room and Trastion's. "Talk!" she ordered, shouting as loud as she dared in the serenity of the Houses of Healing. He should hear that well enough, or if he did not catch the word, he would probably realize what she wanted. After a while, she heard something, she thought. Now and again, not the whole time. And she definitely could not make out the words.

After a minute, she nodded to herself and left the room, leaving the door open as she'd found it. At least no one had come down on her to berate her for disturbing the peace of the buildings. Must be a quiet day.
Entering Trastion's room again, she made her way over to the window. "No one would overhear unless they had their ear glued to the door," she stated. If he was worried about people hearing what he was debating to say... She closed the window again. Then she turned to look at Trastion for a moment and walked to the chair against the far wall, to lift it and put it next to the foot of his bed. "You can begin... wherever you like," she said quietly.

[Pele Alarion]

Master Healer/Captain Pele Alarion
Garden
4 days after Midsummer
@Arnyn

"Seriously..." Pele closed her eyes briefly, then sighed and looked at Arnyn thoughtfully. "She would have killed him outright but apparently she saw some use of him yet. Perhaps it is worth investigating later at some point to see what happened in that room after, if Trastion and Mourgan would be willing to talk of it at all, and if it might help the whole matter."

A short silence later, Pele returned to the fact of Relic pretending to be whoever she wished to be. "I cannot claim I know each one perfectly either. But at least I can spot Relic whenever she is around no matter in what shape. But I don't think it would do to tell the Rangers not to trust anyone. Yet, I am not sure I have a good solution to this issue."

Pele shook her head and said quietly: "Things like these make me regret that I have pulled everyone into this mess since Relic is drawn to me like a bee to honey. I have often played with a thought of leaving... exiling myself, if you will. To pull her away. But I doubt she would follow now that she can just do damage here and.." Her blue eyes reflected deep distress and pain which she had trouble expressing in words, and she did not even attempt that task, instead she turned to looking for solutions. "She must be stopped. Here, since she has come." Pele's gaze softened, finding solace in hope, as she added: "At least I no longer need to face this alone."

~~~~~~

Healer Linaiwe with Eryn @Rillewen
Study

Pele seemed in some hurry, so Linaiwe merely gave her a good look-over as she listened to the report, and then turned towards Eryn who had joined in.

"You don't say," she spoke, a faint smile on her lips as she considered the option of having the young apprentice come with her. "But fine, come, if you want. I don't think there will be much to do, but we can have a look. First we have to visit the kitchens and fetch some food and drink - definitely could use your hands to carry it all."

She then nodded her grey head to confirm Eryn's words on concussion. "Yes, it is a head wound, not necessarily an open one. It happens when people fall and hit their head, or if someone attacks them on purpose and hits their head with something," she explained. "Well then, come along, miss Erynneth." With that she set aside the book she had looked into and headed for the door. "The kitchen."

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion

Apprentice Erynneth Raedor
With Linaiwe 4 days after Midsummer

Eryn smiled, pleased that she had remembered it correctly. There was so much to learn and keep track of, it was a little confusing at times. It was a bit more complicated than she had anticipated but she didn't mind. A bit of a challenge wasn't a bad thing, and it was nice when she was able to do things to help others. She put away the book, and went to join Linaiwe. "So, what sort of things can be done for someone with a concussion?" She wondered, following the healer toward the kitchen. "If it isn't an open wound.. how can you tell if someone's got that?" She tried to remember what she knew about broken bones and sprains and other non-obvious types of injuries. Things that would only become evident with a little investigation. Another thought occurred to her. "Is a concussion very serious?" She frowned, concerned for the patient. He seemed nice when she met him that day, and she was sorry to hear he was injured.

---

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room 3, with @Arnyn
2 days after arriving in HOH

Watching Arnyn go to the door, for a second Trastion was not entirely sure what she was doing.. leaving? but soon it became evident she was simply checking out whether anyone could eavesdrop. Thoroughly. He smiled slightly and waited. Faintly, he heard her calling from the next room, to talk. Put on the spot, he paused and then spoke in a normal tone, a few random sentences that came to mind, and waited for her to come back. She even closed the window, he noted with some satisfaction of how thorough she was about it. And the extra few moments gave him a little time to gather his thoughts a bit.

After she had returned, he was glad to see she'd moved closer. Good.. otherwise he would have asked if she would, so he wouldn't have to speak across the room. And then.. the lieutenant said he could begin wherever. But that was still easier said than done. Then another thought from earlier returned to him, and he glanced over at her, looking worried. "I need to ask.. um, aside from you, and Mourgan, and the captain... H-how many people know that I'm here? How easy would it be for someone else to find me, if they.. um, asked around or something?"

After hearing the answer, he took a deep breath. However hard or easy it would be, there was little he could do about it, he realized. He focused his gaze ahead, at the wall across from him. Easier than looking at her, even in the dim light.He continued, trying to come around to explaining his reasons for asking. "So... you told me once.. that anything I tell you in confidence, no matter when that might happen, would stay with you alone." He began, quietly, and paused with a quick glance toward her as if to check if she would confirm that, though he didn't doubt that she meant it. He returned to looking at the wall. "I've just.. I've been too afraid to trust anyone. For a long time.. a few years at least." He swallowed, taking a short pause.

"I remember you also said, that same day, that the rangers are like a family that you can count on.. and trust with your life." He wondered if she would be surprised that he remembered those words.. it seemed like a long time ago now but he hadn't forgotten. "That's.. a little hard for me to really understand, I guess." He added with a faint, wry smile. "Most of my family is.. nothing like that." He concluded quietly. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a few breaths to try and gather his thoughts and recompose himself, trying to decide how much he felt comfortable sharing.

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Trastion's recovery room
6 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen

She let his questions sink in for a brief moment. "The healers. The staff. Lieutenant Brian. Everyone else they might have told. For someone trying to find you, probably not too difficult." Arnyn frowned. Why was he worried about this? After all, many more people would know he usually lodged in his room at the barracks. "Fewer people than the number in the know of your residence at the barracks," she put voice to the thought. Yet she did not ask why he was posing these questions all of a sudden. It was clear he was trying to work up to something.

"So... you told me once.. that anything I tell you in confidence, no matter when that might happen, would stay with you alone."

Arnyn nodded when he glanced at her, as if to check. Of course. She had meant it. She meant it still.

The fear he voiced aloud next, though, saddened her. Too afraid... It sounded so lonely. When he repeated her own words back at her, words from months ago about family and trust, Arnyn smiled softly. Her smile faded when he claimed this was hard for him to understand. The implication being, of course, he had known little of such trust in his life.
When Trastion fell silent and closed his eyes, Arnyn drew in a long breath. "Life is hard, Trastion," she said quietly. "Everyone needs people they can lean on. People they can count on. People to share the joys and hardships." She slowly shook her head. "I am sorry to hear that you have been so lonely." For that is what she heard. He had been afraid, and this had made him lonely. "No one should be lonely."

She hesitated. Even though she had told Trastion before that she was there when he decided he needed her, this moment seemed so much more decisive. Repeating the offer, she felt, would put her in a vulnerable position. Leaning forward to put her elbows on her knees, her hands folded together, Arnyn took the plunge. The risk was worth it. He did not deserve to feel as he did. He needed someone. "You could start with me, Tras." Her words came even more quiet then his had been. "I could be family."

[Rillewen]

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room 3, with @Arnyn
2 days after arriving in HOH

For a moment, it was difficult to swallow. Hearing Arnyn's reply.. Trastion closed his eyes again, feeling tears filling them, and a lump grew in his throat. He tried mentally ordering the tears to go away, but one slid out anyway. Thankfully, on the opposite side from where Arnyn was sitting. He drew in a slow, slightly shaky breath and managed a faint smile. "That's why I'm telling you this." He mentioned quietly. After a short hesitation, he added, "I.. came really close to telling you some, after our last training session. I.. wanted to. But then, I chickened out. Maybe I should've.." He frowned and turned his gaze down toward his lap, trying to calm the inner storm a little so he could actually say it.

He took another slow breath. "For most of my life, my brother was.. the only one who.. who was really like family." He paused, quietly rubbing one eye, in an attempt at subtly wiping that pesky tear away. He tried to clear his throat. "I could always trust him." He added quietly. "We always had each other's backs, you know? I could always rely on him.. no matter what. He always stuck up for me, defended me, helped me..." He sighed. "We were.. the only real friends each other had." He paused, looking down as he rubbed his face, trying to pretend he was composed, but this was a bit harder than he'd expected it to be.

"I uh..told the captain when I enlisted that my brother had died. I think I told you about it too." He took a slow breath. He knew he'd mentioned having a brother to Arnyn, and even if he didn't specifically say he died, it wouldn't have been hard to guess it by how he grew sad at the mention of him. He went quiet for a moment, trying to get the next words out. "I've.. never told anyone this," He hesitated, keeping his gaze down. "For.. a while, after he died, I.. felt guilty." He swallowed quietly. "I was supposed to be with him. I would have been.." He wiped his eyes again, frowning. "But..something happened and he had to go without me, and.. then the accident happened, and I kept thinking, maybe if I'd been there..." Trastion paused, realizing he was getting a little off track. He swallowed the lump down as best he could.

Clearing his throat, Trastion tried to return to the reason for telling her any of this. "Anyway..." He sighed, and risked a brief glance toward Arnyn. "Sometime later, I.. learned something, concerning his death." He explained, frowning. "Something, that..." How to put this? He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "..made me realize that I was in serious danger of..joining him." He was struggling to put all of this into words for the first time, but plowed on anyway. "Danger.. which I couldn't fight, nor predict..or prevent..." He dropped his voice and his gaze. " So.. I ran. And I've been running, until.. I came here. And I sometimes wonder if that wasn't a huge mistake, but.. at the same time, I'm glad I did." He glanced at her quietly, going quiet now.

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
The garden
4 days after Midsummer
@Pele Alarion

"I do not like the sound of that," Arnyn mumbled when Pele said apparently Relic still had some use in mind for Trastion. She did not like it at all. He was still so young, and if she was reading between the lines well enough, his sould was wounded already. Somewhere along the way, Arnyn had grown fond of him. If Relic touched him...

The rest of Pele's reply, however, drew her attention fully from one wounded soul to another. The one standing right before her. Arnyn took a step closer to Pele and put a hand on her arm. "Pele, no. You must not think like that. Never think like that. Your heart was broken. Your spirit... in dire need of repair. I thank the Valar every day for the strength you showed. But, Pele, you needed family. You were right to come here. Who knows what might have happened to you otherwise? Besides - what is done, is done."

At her friend's hopeful words, Arnyn smiled encouragingly. "Yes. You are not alone. You are here. With us. And we will deal with her together." She held Pele's eyes with her own. "And I will remind you of this every day, if you need me to."



Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Trastion's recovery room
6 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen

He was almost breaking her heart, the way he was sitting there, obviously wrecked by the emotions he was trying not to give free rein. Arnyn quietly looked at the recruit in front of her. Part of her wanted to reach out to him, but another part of her knew they were not close enough for that not to be awkward. She would have to show her support in other ways. Perhaps, listening and waiting would be enough.

She smiled softly when he spoke of his brother, nodding to encourage Trastion to continue. He had indeed told her his brother had died. The smile faded as he went on. She gave a slow nod when he said he had run from fear for his life. And when he fell silent again and glanced at her, Arnyn drew in and let out a deep breath as she looked at her recruit. "You told me he had passed away, yes," she said quietly. "You did not speak of your bond with him, but you could not have said it more loudly all the same." Arnyn offered him a faint smile. "I recognize the grief of lost brotherhood well enough when I see it."

She let her gaze drop for a moment before looking back up at Trastion. "And if I am being honest... It was no secret to me that you had run away. Or at the very least I should say I had the very strong assumption that you had. But the why was a mystery." She paused, to think on her next words. "I think that, if you ran because you were in danger of something you had no other way of preventing, that running was the right choice." A frown settled on her face. "Why do you sometimes wonder whether it was a mistake? If it allowed you to live, and you did not harm anyone else in the process?"

[Rillewen]

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room 3, with @Arnyn
2 days after arriving in HOH

The surprise was evident in his face upon hearing Arnyn say she already knew he'd run away. What? How? His eyes had widened slightly, before he relaxed when she quickly ventured on to say that she had guessed it, though not in those exact words. "I'm not so good at hiding this then.." He mumbled, somewhat disappointed as well as worried. Her following words though, brought a faint smile. He wondered if she remembered those words she had spoken back on the training grounds, that time she said something similar. About how running away shouldn't be seen as cowardice, if it enabled one to live to fight later. He hadn't forgotten, and those words had helped him to get past the feeling of guilt for having run away in the first place. But this was a different matter.

Her question made him pause a moment before realizing she had slightly misunderstood what he meant. Trastion hesitated slightly, and shook his head. "No.. I meant, I wonder if coming here might have been a mistake." he explained quietly. He took a slow breath, trying to think how to explain that a little better. "I, um.." He frowned. "Well, since I arrived in Minas Tirith, I've discovered that there are a few people around here... people who could identify me. And I fear that at least one has recognized me." He explained quietly. He looked down, fearing the lieutenant was going to be upset when he told her this next bit. "My name isn't really Trastion, either. I..made that up when I ran away, to hide from.. the people I feared would be looking for me."

He took a deep breath and carried on, trying not to give too much time for her to become upset at the revelation he had lied about his identity all this time. "Those first few days after.. you know." he motioned toward his head, vaguely. "My head hurt so much I couldn't hardly think straight. I don't really know what I was thinking. I just kept trying to act like I was fine." He frowned. "My head feels a lot clearer now, but I'm still not entirely sure about my suspicions. Some of it doesn't make sense..." He frowned in confusion. "But anyway, I've had some time to think.. and I can't help wondering if maybe it was them who attacked me.. that maybe they've found me again. And... well, I have a suspicion that this," he waved a hand toward his head, "might have been an attempt to kill me. But then again... It doesn't make sense that they didn't..." He trailed off, frowning as he hesitated for a moment. "I don't know."

Glancing at Arnyn after a moment, he added, "Whatever the case.. regardless if I'm right or wrong about that, I just.. I wanted to tell you about this.. about me. Because... well if those people I mentioned, who might recognize me.. if they do.. well, I just didn't want you to hear about this from anyone else.." He frowned, hoping she understood what he meant. "I mean.. I don't want any of this getting out at all, but, if it does.. I wanted you to hear it first from me." There was an anxious look on his face. "You're.. the first person I've ever dared to tell any of this to," He added quietly.

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Trastion's recovery room
6 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen

She smiled faintly when he said he wasn't so good at hiding things. "I think that is less your doing and more my own," Arnyn said, shrugging one shoulder. It wasn't so much an attempt to reassure him, but a statement of the truth as she saw it. People often ended up telling her more than they had planned on, one way or the other. Whether it was because of the things she asked, said or did - she hadn't quite figured out yet.

His clarification about Minas Tirith maybe being the wrong choice, made her slant her head and gain some new understanding. Especially when he said he feared at least one person could identify him - and perhaps had already done so. The way he averted his eyes betrayed he was very unsure about her reaction to what he was about to say next. When he said Trastion wasn't his actual name, she almost smiled. But she held it in. He didn't give her much of a chance to respond to that, moving on to fears and assumptions about who had given him the concussion.

His guesses made her sit up straight again. It was as if something had slapped her in the face. How could she have missed this? Of course that would be one of the things he might be thinking about. How much had he been obsessing about this since this had happened to him? Probably the whole time that he'd been here, at the houses of healing - at least. Perhaps longer. And she could not tell him what had really happened. He couldn't know the real culprit. Arnyn bit the inside of her bottom lip and looked away.

Her dark eyes returned to the recruit when he continued. That he wanted her to hear it from him, rather than anyone else, touched her.

And so, after all the things he had said, and despite all she wanted to say, the first words to leave her mouth were brief, but heartfelt. "Thank you." She looked him in the eyes, to let her words sink in. "Thank you, that you would tell me all of this of your own accord. You honour me with your trust, Trastion." She smiled faintly. "For regardless of your birth name, that is how I know you. And your name changes nothing about who you are." She tapped her heart. "Inside. And so. Your real name changes nothing for me."

[Rillewen]

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room 3, with @Arnyn
2 days after arriving in HOH

He was somewhat surprised by her response. Thanking him. Trastion hesitated, somewhat unsure at first what that was for, until she went on. For the trust. He managed to give a faint smile in return. "You're the first person since I left home that I..felt I could trust." He shrugged slightly, and noticed that she had not even asked what his actual name was. Yet, what she did say about his assumed name, left a small smile on his face. "Calling myself Trastion was originally my idea of a sort of joke," He admitted quietly. "Because my parents always said I was 'nothing but trouble'. But, well, I've come to like it pretty well." He hesitated for a moment. "It.. feels a little more.. fitting.. than the one my mother gave me." He still hesitated, unsure if Arnyn meant her words to mean that she didn't need him to tell that name, or what.

After a moment, he smiled a bit more than before. "I've wanted to tell you so many things, but.." He sighed. "There was so much that I couldn't say without..leaving too many hints that would connect to my..past." He explained, frowning a little at that. "I really hated all the lying and trying to cover up who I am for the last few years... but I didn't know what else to do." He frowned. "And.. then trying to pretend like I had no prior training with weapons..." He sighed, slowly shaking his head. "That was difficult.. and obviously failed because you saw right through me. I'm terrible at all that stuff, but there wasn't much else I could do."

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Trastion's recovery room
6 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen

"I quite agree it's a near perfect name for you," she said, mirroring his small smile. "Although I do not agree with the 'nothing but trouble' idea. Trouble, for sure," she said, trying a slight joke. "But that is not all there is to you," she finished the thought, returning to the realm of the serious.

Maybe she could help by telling him what she had been thinking. "From what I have seen and heard... I already assumed Trastion Leithor was not your actual name. It is difficult to imagine parents giving that first name to an innocent newborn... More than anything else, though, I would have been disappointed if you kept using your actual name when you were trying to run and hide." She lifted an eyebrow. "So once I figured out that is what you were doing..." She smiled apologetically. "I also assume your family is well off. Given that you and your brother each received professional weapons training for over a decade. That does not come cheap. And now you say there are people here who might recognize you... Rather than know you... I would say a well-off family in certain social circles. Which would bring me to either the merchantry or the nobility."

She ignored the part about her seeing right through him. "I cannot say whether anyone has guessed your real identity or recognized you. However..." She gave him a direct look. "I can tell you that what happened to you at midsummer was unrelated to all this. That was not your past catching up with you."

[Rillewen]

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room 3, with @Arnyn
2 days after arriving in HOH

Trastion's smile grew slightly at Arnyn's words. While he knew that it wasn't true that he was nothing but trouble, it was nice to hear someone else agree with that fact. Before he had much time to consider how to reply to that though, Arnyn went on to tell him what she had already guessed about him. And the amount she had figured out without him telling her.. it was a bit astonishing, as well as slightly alarming. If she could guess that much.. how much had he really fooled other people?

His jaw dropped slightly, for a moment, after Arnyn had finished. He closed it, blinking. "Wow. I thought I was a little better at hiding than that..." He commented, then remembered he had spent a bit more time with Arnyn than most others, and had already told her a few things. She had known he had some secret, so putting together the rest must not have taken much effort on her part. "Well..." He cleared his throat. "Um. I guess there isn't a lot that gets by you, huh?" He smiled faintly. "So. Yes.. I do come from one of the noble families, of Belfalas." He admitted, with a soft sigh. "Have you guessed which one already, too?" He wondered, half joking. He had a suspicion that, if she could figure out all of that just from things he'd said and she'd observed, it wouldn't take much to figure out which family, and therefore who he was, based on other things he'd said. "Anurion was my name, back then. In case you were wondering." He mentioned quietly. "And... I lied to the captain when I enlisted.." He looked down, regretful. "She asked if I had any relatives, and I told her no. I didn't want too many questions about my family and origins.. you know?" He glanced at Arnyn, hoping she would understand.

"Although I did live in Lamedon before coming here, so that wasn't a lie.." He added, wanting to make that clear. "And I did work at the quarry like I said. Until someone came looking for me.. and I had to leave.. and the other jobs too.." The next part she said left him a little... surprised, and confused, and curious, among other things. "How can you be.." He paused, frowning slightly as he remembered the day she gave him those beans, how she'd asked that he not ask any questions. He decided not to press that any further. "Well...if you're sure, then.. good. That's a relief.. I think.." He gave the lieutenant a curious glance but didn't question that any further.

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Trastion's recovery room
6 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen

She shook her head with a soft smile when he asked her if she had guessed which family he was from. "My ties to Belfalas are limited, these days," was all she said to that. That he gave her his first name, then, allowed the smile to stick. "Anurion," she repeated quietly, looking at the recruit she had come to know as Trastion. "I feel like both names fit you, each in different ways. But this Belfalasian name of yours will not cross my lips beyond this room, not unless or until you ask me otherwise."

Arnyn sighed. "I cannot say much about the lies you have told the Captain." She gestured vaguely with her hand. "These lies are choices you felt you should make. And they concern you and her, not me. Honestly... I do not approve of them. But I do understand them, given your situation." She wondered if he would say anything more of the situation in question. "Considering you think you are in danger from... someone, or someones, in Belfalas."

She was pleasantly surprised that he would simply accept her claim that his concussion had nothing to do with his past. "I am sure," she reassured him. "And I am sorry that I left you thinking otherwise all this time. I did not stop to think that maybe you were connecting it to what you were running away from." Of course, the more she would know about why he was running, the better she could take such things into account...

[Rillewen]

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Houses of Healing treatment room 3, with @Arnyn
2 days after arriving in HOH

He smiled faintly. It was strange sharing any of this with anyone, after all this time. A part of him was still afraid of how much he had shared, but another part was relieved to get it all off his chest. "I don't know how well that one fits me," He shrugged, not quite sure what she was going by for that comment. "It's strange, hearing it spoken aloud by anyone but myself, after all this time." He added thoughtfully. "Thank you, though." He added, relieved to hear that she wouldn't speak it again.

He nodded slightly as the lieutenant assured him that she was sure that the matters were unrelated. She obviously knew something he didn't. He looked down again as she replied about his lies. At least she understood why, but he did feel bad for all of it. It had been easier to keep up his deception in the jobs he worked before. He never let himself get close to anyone. It was different now, with the rangers, people he was getting close to, and it was starting to bother him the more he became close with people, like Mourgan. It was hard sharing a room with someone and having to keep so many secrets.

"There is one person among my.. relations.. that I still consider family.. as family should be." He mentioned quietly after a moment. "My little sister. She's the only one that I bothered to say goodbye to, the day I left." He smiled faintly, sadly. "I couldn't tell her anything though.. she's just a kid. I couldn't burden her with knowing the truth about why I left. About.. what really happened to Aeron. And who was responsible." His voice dropped quieter, and he sighed before continuing. "I just told her I had to go on a quest far away, and I might not be back for a long time. I made her promise not to tell anyone about my quest, because it was a secret." He frowned, hesitating. "I think if I hadn't had to be a big brother for her, I'm not sure how I would've gotten through losing.. my big brother." He admitted quietly. "It was difficult, having to leave her behind. But I think.. I hope.. she's better off there."

Trastion hesitated, thinking, and realized he had basically danced all around telling Arnyn who was actually the threat that had caused him to flee. He glanced at her, resolved to tell her that much at least. "Her father.. my stepfather.. is the one who wants to kill me." He admitted quietly. "I overheard him one day, talking about the 'accident' that killed my brother, and how he'd have to arrange a similar accident for me." He swallowed, watching to see how Arnyn would react to this. "He arranged it so that my brother would die without even having a chance to fight an enemy he didn't know he had." he frowned, a little anger surfacing at this statement. "And if he could do that to Aeron.." Trastion hesitated. "He was always a lot better at fighting than I was.. so I figured there's no way I'd stand a chance. Without knowing where or how, or when, he'd strike.. what chance could I possibly have?"

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Trastion's recovery room
6 days after Midsummer
@Rillewen

Arnyn leaned back in her chair, smiling faintly. "Well. I know that in Belfalas names can carry a lot of weight. And yet, the book stays the same no matter the cover."

Surprise managed to break through on her face when Trastion mentioned he had a little sister. The Lieutenant immediately wondered whether she would be safe, if Trastion felt that he had not been if he had stayed. Some reassurance on thaty part at least came when he said it was the girl's father who posed the danger. A stepfather.

"Then this man, your stepfather, would be the head of your family. So he wants to..." she gestured vaguely, her logic resurfacing as she spoke. "Take over whatever your family has? I'm assuming there are things to inherit, it he would move against your brother and yourself, and that he wants to put his own children in the right position once he himself passes." Sometimes, focusing on the logic was easier than confronting the feelings. She frowned as a thought came to her. "Is this why you signed up with the King's Rangers? To improve your skills, so you could return home stronger? Because, fighting aside, he could have you run into something that you could not find your way out of with a sword, Trastion." A hint of worry touched her eyes and voice.