Family Ties (Dauphin DaGlobster)

DragonSong · October 26, 2018, 03:37:17 PM

Bree watched him go, then sighed and shook her head, glancing down at Ka again.

"Oh, go on." Her brother smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I promise not to get into trouble. I'll just...putter around for a while."

The centaur gave him a long, considering look, then finally nodded with a sigh. "Alright, fine. But call for me if you need something."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved a hand at her. "Go on. Go find the healers or whatever."

With a huff, she set off to do just that.

DaGlobster · March 08, 2019, 09:35:03 AM

Bree would find that while the herd's camp was not all that large, the layout was dense and functions tended to be clustered together. She'd be able to see that just about everybody of age in the herd looked ready for a fight, with non-combat tasks given to the young, elderly, or crippled. Even the injured pitched in while they recovered.

The blacksmith's area was rather expansive, with crude forges and smelters spread out among the living tents. Here, the young tended to the smelting of any and all pieces of spare metal that could be recycled, while he old hammered the metal into shape.

Without Ka on her back or near her person, she was barely given any mind at all, and once she made it to the healer's quarter, it was more of the same, if not smaller. The young performed the menial tasks while their elders performed the brunt of the healing.

In the center of this section, a particularly large tent stood out from the others, the white cloth shining and the haze of charcoal incense that issued from the flap denominating it as a surgeon's tent.

DragonSong · March 08, 2019, 09:39:16 AM

Carefully, the young mare picked her way through the camp until she reached the healers' quarter. She glanced around warily, trying to figure out just where exactly she should be going or who she should speak to.

After a moment of deliberation, she stopped one of the younger centaurs and asked softly, "Excuse me, is there someone I could speak to about...finding a position?"

DaGlobster · March 09, 2019, 01:16:18 PM

The young centaur, looking no older than thirteen and hauling a large bundle of herbs and bandages on his back, gave Bree a quizzical look, mostly surprised by the total lack of any hoof markings on someone who was in peak fighting age.

"Not cut out for the fighting?"

He shrugged his load over to one side and pointed towards the larger tent. He was rather dismissive of her, and barely paid her enough mind to speak to her.

"Shaman doctor's in there, tending to the injured from yesterday. If she doesn't need any hands, then the long, low tents beside are the herbalists, they're always looking to get new foragers."

Then, just as quickly, he shouldered his burden again.

"If you aren't good enough for the Hoofs, then it's the least you can do."

DragonSong · March 09, 2019, 05:56:19 PM

Alright. They were out of here as soon as she saw an opportunity. Bree couldn't live like this, in a world where combat was your only worth.

But there would be some time before that opportunity appeared, she had a feeling.

Shaking her head, she picked her way into the shaman's tent, clearing her throat to announce her presence as she poked her head inside. "Excuse me? May I come in?"

DaGlobster · March 11, 2019, 08:52:32 PM

Inside the shaman's tent, there were a collection of injured centaurs waiting to be treated. It seems there wounds had already been tended to with mundane means, but a little magical healing went a long way to ensure a total recovery.

Past the chamber dotted with warriors waiting to be healed, there was an open area where the floor was matted down with straw. There was a female shaman about Bree's age tending to a female warrior who had her arm in a splint.

The shaman raised her head curiously to peer at Bree, and then prompty looked back down t ohe patient.

"Come in, come in," she said, all without looking up at her.

"Please, excuse the mess. It's been a busy day."

DragonSong · March 11, 2019, 08:59:38 PM

"You don't have to excuse it, ma'am," Bree said, instinctively subservient as she approached and lowered her head slightly. "I don't mean to be a bother, but I'm...new. I was told if I have some knowledge of healing I should look for work here."

DaGlobster · March 12, 2019, 10:21:40 PM

"New?"

The shaman and the warrior she was tending looked at each other. Nobody they'd ever met was "new." Everyone they knew had been born and raised within the Herd. The shaman returned to the warrior's arm, and she passed a rod made of tightly bundled grasses over the warrior's injured arm. The grasses glowed with warm healing energy as she did so.

She exchanged a few words with the warrior and he nodded.

"No matter. If you say you can heal, then we'll see," she said. The warrior got up and walked out, leaving the two alone. The shaman approached her, wearing naught but some body paint and plemty of trinkets, but just the bare minimum of clothing.

"My name is Gallia. I oversee the healers of the Herd. How skilled are you?"

DragonSong · March 13, 2019, 12:45:42 PM

"I'm skilled enough," she answered with a small shrug. "I have no magical skill to speak of, but I'm pretty decent with field medicine and herb lore, that sort of thing."

DaGlobster · March 13, 2019, 09:50:41 PM

"You sound like you'd be a good match for a Hoof. One of them lost a healer recently," Gallia said, crossing her arms as she padded a little back and forth.

"Lots of warriors come from the battlefield wounded in one way or another. The humans like to strike at our lower halves a lot."

She set her hands on her table.

"Do you know how to pull arrows from wounds? Stitch cuts and set bones?"

DragonSong · March 14, 2019, 05:02:39 PM

"Sure, I can do all that." Bree nodded quickly, shuffling her back hooves, obviously anxious to please.

DaGlobster · March 22, 2019, 06:01:39 AM

Gallia raised an eyebrow at Bree's statement, but shrugged. She snapped her fingers and from other chambers adjacent to the shaman's shrine two other younger shamans in training appeared.

"Take care of the recovering while I'm gone."

She motioned for Bree to follow her as she walked out of her tent. She looked back to Bree as she slowly walked along.

"So, you're new? As in... you're not from The Brays? I thought we were the last Herd left..."

DragonSong · March 22, 2019, 11:51:04 AM

Bree shrugged as she followed after her. "You very well may be. I'm not...from a herd."

DaGlobster · March 22, 2019, 01:24:09 PM

"All centaurs are from a herd," came Gallia's immediate answer.

They were walking through the surgeon's area now. The place smelled faintly of blood and heavily of herbs. It was a collection of four tents placed in a loose, squarish shape. A large cloth was spread out and tied to the tops of these tents, creating a shaded, semi-enclosed area.

"It is likely that yours doesn't exist anymore, or has been scattered. This camp here is the remnants of all the other herds that have come together. And we've chosen to fight, instead of accept our fate."

It was a grim scene inside. At least a dozen warriors, some lightly injured with bandages strung over them, others could be heard grunting and even screaming as the surgeons worked in their closed tents.

"As you can see, we get many wounded. Those that are not healed on the field come here. Or if there's raids," she said. There was a noticeable pause after she'd mentioned the raids.

"The plainsmen raid us at least twice a month, usually three. Different tribes from different directions. Most want our supplies and weapons. A few just see us as sport, or... food."

She shuddered.

DragonSong · March 22, 2019, 09:02:36 PM

Bree tried not to let her thoughts show on her face; honestly she wasn't even sure herself what those thoughts were.

She didn't react much to Gallia's words, only nodding as she trailed along behind her.

"Dehak mentioned something about me being assigned as a field medic," she noted after a few moments. "What would that entail?"

DaGlobster · March 27, 2019, 08:01:28 AM

"It's an important position, I'm surprised he offered that to you," Gallia said, eyes a little wide. She stopped, glancing about to see if she could spot a surgeon that wasn't busy, but came up empty handed for the immediate moment.

"The field healer gathers herbs when the hoof is not in combat. Not only for your own purposes, but to bring back herbs for the rest of us to use," she said.

"When the Hoof is fighting, you watch over the fighters and protect them. Cover the ones that get outnumbered, help wounded warriors retreat from the front lines, that kind of stuff."

She shrugged.

"You can heal, but can you fight?"

DragonSong · March 27, 2019, 08:11:26 AM

Bree bit at her lower lip, almost debating how to answer. "I can use a bow," she replied eventually. "Very well."

She shrugged, brushing her front hoof against the earth. "Other than that... I'm fast. It's how I've survived."

DaGlobster · March 27, 2019, 08:19:57 AM

"For you, speed and skill is what you'll need," Gallia said, nodding.

"I can still get you an audience with one of the surgeons, but if you can fight and heal, a Hoof is where we need you," she said.

"Just being frank."

DragonSong · March 27, 2019, 08:48:06 AM

She nodded, folding her arms over her chest. "I understand."

She could do this. They weren't prisoners, they were just...guests. And it was only right that she made herself useful in the time they had here, before they left again.

DaGlobster · March 27, 2019, 09:20:12 PM

Gallia sensed her tension, and offered her a smile.

"I understand your feeling. Growing up, I was never destined to be a warrior. Killing is not the best option, but you need to understand that we are surrounded on all sides by warlords, and every centaur out there helps, even if they're not in the fighting."

She waved for her to follow her.

"And Dehak's Hoof, too? You should know he's very influential. One of the best warriors and war leaders the Herd has," she said, and she shot her a grin, voice lowering.

"And he's a total stud, too. Trust me, I'm his personal doctor."