Family Ties (Dauphin DaGlobster)

DragonSong · March 28, 2019, 10:15:24 AM

Bree felt her face heat and she stared at the healer with wide yes. "Oh! Well...that's nice?"

Oh gods what was she supposed to say to that?!

Dropping her eyes, she shuffled her hooves as she followed after Gallia, praying silently that Gallia wouldn't have anything else to say about-- well, that.

DaGlobster · March 28, 2019, 10:25:42 AM

Gallia laughed.

"You're definitely not from around here. Too shy," she said, and her smile leveled out. She joined her hands in front of her as she walked.

"But I hope you'll grow like it here. I couldn't imagine being out there by myself..."

DragonSong · March 28, 2019, 11:53:37 AM

"Oh, I wasn't by myself," she replied quickly. "My brother has been travelling with me."

If she was being honest, she was probing a little. Testing. How would this centaur react to her relationship to Katahn.

DaGlobster · March 28, 2019, 07:20:58 PM

"Your... brother?"

Gallia gave her a puzzled look.

"Another centaur?"

It seems she was completely unaware of the connection. She'd heard that there was a row in the elder's tent because a human was being allowed to stay. She hadn't seen this human, or heard of who or how the human arrived.

DragonSong · March 28, 2019, 07:28:15 PM

Oh boy.

Bree ducked her head slightly and mumbled, "Um, no. Not...exactly. We were raised together though, he's my best friend in the world, and his mother called me a daughter." Her voice had gone almost defensive, shoulders creeping up toward her ears as tension thrummed through her.

DaGlobster · March 30, 2019, 06:22:29 PM

"Oh..." she said, tapping at her chin.

"You must be the one who arrived with the human, then..." Gallia started, and she shrugged.

"I personally don't care as much. If a human doesn't want to kill me then I don't see a reason to be hostile."

Then, she gave Bree a concerned look.

"But others will be much harder to convince..."

DragonSong · March 30, 2019, 08:04:33 PM

Bree snorted quietly. "Yeah, I'd actually figured that out for myself," she muttered-- and almost immediately winced at the venom in her tone. With a sigh, she hunched her shoulders and mumbled an automatic, "Forgive me, ma'am."

DaGlobster · March 30, 2019, 09:20:13 PM

"No, don't apologize," she said, giving her a straight look.

"It's the truth. There is no love lost between our people and humans. But even a human can earn their place here, I think. Proving himself is what's important.

DragonSong · March 31, 2019, 10:03:30 AM

She didn't really react to that, besides a soft, noncommittal hum. Gallia seemed kind enough, but Bree could not say that she even really wanted for her and Katahn to find a place here.

She simply followed the other mare as directed, waiting to receive orders.

DaGlobster · March 31, 2019, 10:10:39 AM

There was a bit of awkward silence between them, and then Gallia spoke back up, looking to her.

"So, should I tell Dehak that I'm training up his new field healer?"

DragonSong · March 31, 2019, 10:42:06 AM

Bree considered that for a moment. On the one hand, she wasn't sure she wanted to be out in the field with these people, fighting and killing and— Hakeshna knew why else.

On the other hand, earning Dehak's trust could only be a good thing in this place, for her and her brother. And she would be able to scout escape routes, should such action be necessary.

Not to mention the fact that she wasn't entirely sure she really had a choice.

So there was only one answer to give. "Yes."

DaGlobster · March 31, 2019, 10:56:16 AM

"That's great," Gallia said, completely oblivious to Bree's ruminations. As far as she knew, Bree was a stray centaur who'd been welcomed into the Herd with nowhere else to go. The fact that she might've been plotting to escape the Herd was the last thing she'd ever expect.

"For now, why don't you help me tend to the warriors in my tent? I'll send a colt over to Dehak with the word."

DragonSong · March 31, 2019, 11:17:50 AM

"Yes, ma'am."

A part of her hated how easily she slipped into a role of subservience, but she couldn't seem to stop it. She'd never been the fighter in their old life, that was always Ka. And though she wasn't a slave here, she couldn't help feeling that offering her services without complaint would be a good trait among these people. At least for now.

DaGlobster · March 31, 2019, 11:59:44 AM

Her subservient act actually didn't sit all that well with Gallia, who simply said "I have a name, you know," with a teasing grin before re-entering her tent.

"We have sutures, bandages, herbs for the wounds," she said, motioning to the wounded warriors waiting for the shaman's healing touch.

"Make them comfortable. The surgeons have already treated their major wounds, but the minor ones are our responsibility."

DragonSong · March 31, 2019, 12:17:10 PM

"Right. Sorry." Bree ducked her head and nodded as she was given her task, then clopped cautiously toward the nearest patient.

Clearing her throat, she tried a quiet, slightly nervous, "Um, hello? My name is Brianna, I-- I'm here to help."

DaGlobster · April 01, 2019, 09:25:15 AM

The first warrior she approached, a lithe looking female centaur with a bandage across her head and covering one of her eyes, gave her a labored look.

"Heldra," she said simply.

Apart from her bandaged head and stitched side, she had several cleaned but otherwise untended smaller cuts along her human sides, along with a long, shallow gash going straight down her body.

She looked away, finding it difficult to meet Bree's eyes. The shame of a defeated warrior.

"Just do what you're gonna do..."

DragonSong · April 01, 2019, 10:23:21 AM

With a sharp nod, Bree set to work.

She had not been exaggerating her abilities. Most of her skills had been theoretical before she and Ka left Essyrn, but in the time since she had become quite a skilled field medic. Her hands were deft and gentle, and when the time came to stitch the longer gash down the mare's side she offered a quick, "Bite on this," and pressed a scrap of cloth into the other centaur's hand before getting to work.

DaGlobster · April 01, 2019, 05:01:58 PM

The injured mare kept shooting her glances, noting how she stood out as distinctly not from the herd. Bree's work was solid though, so she just kept quiet, wincing and flinching periodically.

She took the cloth and leveled an uncertain look at Bree, but nodded. She bundled up the cloth and stuffed it into her mouth. She crossed her arms and looked away.

DragonSong · April 01, 2019, 05:11:39 PM

The poultice she had spread over the mare's side should be enough to dull the pain, but Bree knew from experience that there really wasn't much to distract one completely from having their skin sewn back together.

So she just got to work, hands moving quickly and efficiently, though she tried to be as gentle as possible.

DaGlobster · April 01, 2019, 06:50:27 PM

The mare let out rough noises and grunts as Bree worked, but she soldiered through it. When she was finished, the mare took the cloth out of her mouth and handed it back to Bree, giving her a labored but grateful look.

And yet, there were many more warriors to treat...

[Time skip to later in the day?]