The Fallen Will Rise Once More [Complete]

[GoblinFae]

"Why?" she whispered softly, stopping her rocking. Then, realizing she had spoken she looked at the healer and chose a different vein of conversation. "I am doing better sir, thank you. What day is it? I seem to have been sleeping a bit much lately and have lost track of time," she added raising her brow in jest at him. "I belief I have your healer friend to thank for that.

"I was inspecting the damage. You have taken very good care of me and I thank you dearly. My only concern is my side. The bruising and swelling is quite extensive even under your expert hands. Is there cause for worry? I would hate to endanger your life and that of your family anymore by staying longer than necessary. But, I do not feel well enough to leave yet," she admitted. Her face turned away from in apparent shame. Whether she truly felt that or not was a different matter. Her thoughts still lingered on memories of old drowned in questions left unanswered.

[CastlesInTheSky]

So she was doing well. That was good. Windsor didn't advance into the room but stood by the doorway. He listened to what she had to say, a faint amusement turning the corners of his mouth upward at the mention of his friend.

Windsor nodded, addressing her concerns. "Don't worry about the swelling and bruising, it will heal with some time and care. It is actually healing very well; I had expected it to take a bit longer to get to this stage. It's also due to the fact that the arrow had that nasty tip to it with all the barbs." He turned his head for a moment, staring into space and gathering his thoughts. "I wouldn't leave if I were you, either, and not just because of the wound." He turned back to her. "Stay until you're well and everyone has calmed down about the...incident with you and the guards."

[GoblinFae]

She looked at him in surprise. "Thank you," she said completely meaning it. "You do not have to protect me. I am well aware of my crime and the punishment befitting it. Would it not be better for your family if you turned me in? I will not deprive an innocent man of his home and livelihood for my sake. If you chose to do so, I would not fight you, not after you saved me and have kept me alive. I owe you that much and more."

Tiraris looked down at her hands once more. Her palms were no longer the soft pillows of flesh that befitted a nobleman's daughter. Now they were covered in calluses from holding the sword and the bow in more than just sport. "If you can find it within yourself to forgive me, how can I repay you for your kindness? I have not been very grateful to you of late and I wish to remedy that."

[CastlesInTheSky]

Windsor looked surprised as well. Well, it had been quite a while since he had a patient that was actually grateful for what he had done. It was...well, nice. He almost sighed at the word 'innocent'. No man was innocent in the world in which they lived, nor no woman pure. All was tainted in some way or another.

He shook his head, holding up his hands in front of him. "Ah, how can we be discussing payment, now? I don't even know your name. I'm Windsor Wright. And you?"

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris was taken aback by the introductions. Anyone who wanted her for the job addressed her by Silverd'art or assassin. It had been a long time since she had ever needed to say her name. She wondered briefly if sharing her name was a good idea. 'Mark my words, I am going to pay for this later.'

"My name is Tiraris. I think you understand why that is the only name I can give you. It is a pleasure Windsor Wright. You have been very kind to me." She began to rub her eyes tiredly. "It must be late. You probably need your rest. We can talk more in the morn. I promise, I will not try to flee this time."

To prove her point Tiraris carefully began to settle back under the covers with some difficulty. She could not wait for the day to come anew so that at last she could stretch her limbs. She could already feel the pain that would come from trying to stretch and exercise herself back into her former condition. But, until then she would be a good little patient and do as the healer says, for now.

[CastlesInTheSky]

He understood why full names couldn't be exchanged on both sides and nodded. From what he'd seen with the guards, he wasn't sure if he wanted to delve any further into the whole situation; he was in deep enough as is.

"It's a pleasure, Tiraris, and I suppose you need your rest as well. We can talk about more things in the morning and check up on those wounds. Good night."

With that, he headed off to bed himself, the door of the room he stayed in closing softly.

[GoblinFae]

"Good night," she called softly back.

[center:27rgth9v]~~~~~~~~~[/center:27rgth9v]

She woke early the next morning feeling sore but alive. Gingerly she rose from the bed and began a series of stretches trying to bring fresh blood to her limbs. It was going quite well until she tried to stretch her torso. Then, fire seemed to blaze within her and her vision blurred. Tears formed in her eyes as sweat formed on her brow. She collapsed where she had stood panting, trying to regain stolen breath. She tried to stand twice more but felt the nausea and dizziness return again. "Well that was very silly," she giggled out from her position on the floor.

[CastlesInTheSky]

"I'd have to agree."

Windsor had quietly stepped up to the doorway to see how she was faring and entered to see her falling to the floor. His usual professional demeanor cracked as the corners of his mouth turned upward slightly. He supposed she had been walking, perhaps stretching, when the injury had decided to make itself known painfully. Or she was just clumsy, but he doubted that, considering that she was some sort of warrior.

"I apologize for my intrusion, I just wanted to see how you're doing and if there's anything you need."

[GoblinFae]

"It is no intrusion. This is your home, it is I who is the intruder," she said still sitting on the floor. Taking a deep breath, she tried once more to stand, pulling herself up onto the bed. She was only semi-successful, as the pain flashed again and collapsed once more. "I guess you could help me up. I seem to be weaker than I thought."

Looking once more at Windsor, she really observed him for the first time. He was attractive, she would admit. He looked young. 'He cannot be that much older than me. Although, he is not really my type.'

"You know we keep putting it off and putting it off. We really need to discuss payment for your services. I cannot abide letting you and your family starve and risk their lives for me without compensating you in some fashion. If you are so insistent that I stay, then perhaps I can help you here, until I get better."

[CastlesInTheSky]

Windsor made his way over to her, noticing her studying him and thinking nothing of it. He gently helped her up, a slight frown crossing his mouth again at the subject of payment. This seemed strange, considering that most people would be quite pleased at the mention of money, but it wasn't the money subject that bothered him.

He stepped a few feet away, giving her space and sighing, shaking his head and taking off his glasses for a moment, cleaning them off with his sleeve.

"Don't worry yourself with that, I don't really have a family I need to support. As for your other request, we'll see about that. For now, concern yourself with healing and in a day or two we can talk about you helping around here." He glanced at her, studying her for a moment with his unmatching eyes and putting his glasses back on. They were both blue again.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris looked at him in mild surprise as she noticed his eyes. 'I thought they were the same color.' When she saw him replace his glasses and the eyes return to both being blue, she realized what she was seeing.

"Why do you hide your eyes like that? They are too beautiful to be doing that," her eyes widened with her slip. "I mean, they are a part of who you are, you should not hide them." Nervously, she moved her hair onto one shoulder revealing her own pointed ears.

Meekly she asked, "Would it be possible to have some food?" She was all too aware of the hunger pains. She had not asked before out of embarrassment. The freedom she had earned by escaping her mother's cage made her self-sufficient. She had forgotten the need to rely on others.

[CastlesInTheSky]

Windsor blinked, his eyes widening for a moment. He damned his pale skin for showing every slight hint of a blush that may appear on his face and looked away briefly, and when he glanced back, saw that she had pointed ears. Elven ancestry? He said quickly, "Your ears, they're part of who you are, don't hide that either." Oh, so now he was so terrible at giving compliments that he had stolen the diction from hers. With a quick turn he said, flustered,

"Well, um, thank you for saying...I'll get...food."

He quickly exited the room and came back with a plate of cooked fish and eggs that had been previously made by the healer for Windsor, but he didn't mind. He handed it to her and said, "Is this all right?"

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris found the blush endearing. Before she knew it she was joining him in that blush as she reached up and touched her ear. "Thank you," she said without looking at him. "It is an old habit I suppose."

Her cheeks felt like they were on fire as Windsor left the room. 'You have received compliments on your beauty from High Lords and Ladies, why are you getting so worked up over this healer?' Before she contemplate this further, the healer was back with food.

"It looks wonderful!" She exclaimed with a grateful smile. Her stomach rumbled at the prospect. "However, I do not think I could eat this all myself. Would you share it with me?" She patted the bed next to her. "Please?"

[CastlesInTheSky]

Windsor looked surprised again but nodded and sat next to her. "Sure." The corners of his mouth turned upwards in a small smile. "I'm sad to say that I wasn't the one who made it." He grabbed a bit of the fish and tried it, smirking. "I don't cook, I burn."

[GoblinFae]

His statement struck a chord within her. Before she knew it the tickle in her throat turned into full-blown laughter. She laughed and laughed, basking in the healing power of happiness. She laughed until her ribs hurt again, and she was more gasping than laughing. Tears running down her face, she began to catch her breath again. "I am sorry, it is just," a chuckle bubbled out, interrupting her. "It is just I cannot cook either. I am a disaster in the kitchen. Well now we have something in common. For all the things we can do, we cannot cook." She giggled a little more before settling down and eating some egg.

"Why did you do it?" She asked between bites. "Why did you save me, after you knew?"

[CastlesInTheSky]

Windsor chuckled but tried his best not to laugh, covering his mouth and looking the other way, still smiling but barely keeping himself from doing it. He looked back at her, trying not to smile so widely but failing. "It's alright. Well, I guess we do have that in common." He chuckled again after she said the last part.

He wasn't expecting the question that came next. He chewed thoughtfully, trying to think of how he would respond. How to say it without sounding strange.

"Well...I can't just leave someone to suffer, no matter who they are. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't help you." Seeking to not sound so serious, he added, "Even though you did bruise my face." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth again.

[GoblinFae]

Her brows scrunched together as she tried to remember. "I bruised you?" Aside from their first meeting, she had had little interaction with. "Oh!" she exclaimed when it dawned on her. "I punched you!" Her hand came up to cover her mouth as her eyes twinkled in mirth. "I am sorry about that. But, under the circumstances could you blame me?"

The laughter left her eyes, replaced by something deeper, something had she seen it she would not have been able to explain. Raising her hand she gently cupped Windsor's cheek. "You have a kind heart, healer." Turning away she let her hand drop.

"Your healer friend. Who he is?" What she really wanted to ask was what he knew. She felt compelled out of necessity to trust Windsor, but that did not mean that that trust extended to the other healer.

[CastlesInTheSky]

Windsor shook his head, chuckling. He could laugh at it now, though at that time he had been quite irritated. It wasn't too hard of a hit anyway, and due to the circumstances he forgave it without a problem.

He stared at her for a moment, blinking and feeling cheeks heat up slightly. "Thank you..." He looked away as she did, touching his cheek consciously. Kind...it had been a long time since he had been called that and the other had meant it.

Windsor looked thoughtful. "Oh, him. He's the man I apprenticed from when I was first starting with healing. He's sort of like a father to me in a way." He shrugged.

[GoblinFae]

"He is a pretty powerful healer," she remembered aloud, tapping her forehead. "Do you do magic as well? Or are you trained in other healing arts? I am afraid I do not know very much about it. I can do the few simple things necessary to keep myself alive but other than that, I am at loss, much like my cooking."

"You said you have no family to care for. Do you have parents? Siblings? Anyone?"

[CastlesInTheSky]

Windsor nodded. "Yes he is...and I do both magic and the other sort of healing, as I have to know both, really." He thought it was always good for people to know at least a bit about healing in case something happened to them.

He sighed. "I have my parents, but we don't talk. I don't have any siblings or anyone else to consider family."