“Coming, just a moment” shouting as I dragged myself out of my room, hearing someone yelling my name. They didn’t sound panicked so I didn’t rush myself, however coming out I was greeted with an odd sight.
Three men stood off to the left wall looking around appearing slightly confused, while Ember had a tendril of slime holding onto another man's leg while pulling him over to one of our stone treatment beds, actually it was the only one with a bedroll on it making it really suitable for comfortable use.
I noticed the man holding a bloody wrap of linen around his left hand with his right, which must have been the cause for the visit, and I was glad to see Ember had ‘triaged’ the visitors and was bringing the injured person to a bed.
“Don’t mind him, hopefully he didn’t cause much bother? He's new to the job of welcoming people but he's just trying to help make sure your friend here gets treatment. Now let me have a look” as I got to the bed the man was now sitting on, with a proud looking ember having climbed up next to him, I gestured for him to remove the linen.
A fairly clean but deep cut had gone through his hand, a lot of blood had come out but it looked like it was mostly done bleeding already and had even started trying to rejoin where it could internally. “Worth healing for sure, it's very clean and I don’t leave scars outside of extreme situations, but this should be over fairly quickly and won’t hurt, although it can feel a bit ticklish”.
“I don’t think we have spoken much before, you do the logging and your brother does the building right? Pass me that linen too, we will need to get rid of that considering the blood on it” talking away with him to try to keep the focus on me instead of the injury I gently took hold of his hand from the back, and moved my other hand over the top.
“Yes ‘mam, been goin’ by Split now. Didn’t much care for my earlier name, and folk here have been much kinder than home was such a fresh start as it goes. What is the little bossy slime name? If you don’t mind the ask” I could hear the attempt to push back his accent, by the sounds he was from one of the ‘freed’ farming communities near my home village for sure, people taken by some less than reputable groups who think humans being created as a slave species should remain as such.
“Ember is the little fellows name, it’s his first real day on the job so I think he's just taking it seriously, though he should pay attention to this part as his mana affinity may let him also do this one day” Focusing on my skill I felt the fire fall from my raised hand and into the cut to pull the flesh together and repair the skin cover it. Not a lot of smoke escaped, but it didn’t take too much mana so not a lot of blood had been lost. “There, all done and good as new, that cut looked very clean so whatever blade did it would likely have gone much deeper if luck weren’t on your side so please be careful. Otherwise anything else you need disposed of that is bloody feel free to leave with me, if not though feel free to take this as a good excuse to take it easy the rest of the day”
After the men had headed back off, hopefully to be careful with their sharp objects but who was I to complain about actually having healing to do, I went to grab the linen that was used as a bandage to burn it. Looking down I realised the linen was spotless, still torn up from where it had been ripped off something, but very clean. Judging by the preening, how a slime even preens I have no idea but it was definitely the feeling it gave off, Ember had taken it on himself to consider this part of his cleaning duties. As long as he didn’t decide he was fond of people as food I didn’t mind, and put the linen with the other bandages just in case it was needed later.
“Well if Mircha has a new healer coming to join us I better get this place set up, I heard he might have more news for us tonight to so let's finish getting the other rooms ready” In the end along with her bedroom, the attending area, and the storage room Bren had helped set up another bedroom that was a little smaller plus a bunking room. The bunking room could hold eight people, with the beds being set into the wall itself with small storage cubbies under them build as shelves into the wall as well.
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Steadily going through the space Styx and Ember dusted, swept, and generally make the spaces look presentable. There was a lack of blankets, or really any comforts, but the space was habitable at least now. “Tonight that last gem should be done, and the cave will be hopefully finished. Wonder if it will get any useful perks, but honestly just having the founder title is something I am excited for. How about we go back to reading before dinner and our news from Mircha?”
For some reason Ember seemed to really enjoy the book about raising Zarklings for farming, or at least he enjoyed listening to Styx read it when she wasn’t reading her books on healing practices or combat methods. Slowly their day crept by, with Styx and Ember enjoying the flickering burning lights from the mana gems scattered around the attending front room of the cave while they read about possibly the most insane cattle farmed.
Finally it got late enough to justify dinner, and they made their way over to grab something to eat.
Surprisingly when Styx went to grab a plate of boiled sprouts and fish, the druid cross farmer had worked out how to grow sprouts in a matter of days so combined with the cooks food preservation skills it was about to become a settlement staple, she was surprised when one of the cooks came over with a large bowl filled with leaves, scales, bones, and other scraps from the meal. “Don’t mean to be a bother, but we noticed your little fellow with the dishes, and figured this lot only ends up composting at best or buried if it don’t break down well, so the other two girls agreed we could give him the scraps as it were if his happy to clean up some dishes at the end of the night and save us a job?”
The moment she had made it clear this bowl was for him Ember had jumped into the bowl, getting a small squeak from the poor woman holding it. Grabbing the bowl off her I sat it down on the ground next to us while Ember enjoyed himself greatly in the range of foods. “That sounds like a good deal, it looks like he's quite happy with the agreement at least, I don’t really know when everyone has normally eaten by for each meal to bring him over though?”
“Oh right, it depends but most folk are here and eating as soon as it's available. If he can clean them properly though it's more about just coming by before the next meal is being prepared. We don’t have a lot of bowls or plates, so having enough for the first batch at least is important so no one is waiting. Maybe if you come by with him before your morning run? We usually cook as we see you go past, then sometime shortly before noon would be good for lunch, and just before sunset for dinner? If that is agreeable. Oh I’m Megan, sorry I forgot I knew your name and no one had likely told you mine. The other two girls there are Kem, and Demaria the shorter one next to her”
“That works fine, lovely to actually say hello, I keep meaning to be friendly but everytime I come by you all look busy and I really don’t want to intervene. The hunters were meant to spread word but I am offering healing for absolutely any injury right now, still trying to rank up my skills further, so even if it's for a small burn or tiny cut feel free to stop by” Scoping Ember out of the bowl, which now looked freshly cleaned though I could see some bones still floating around inside him, I passed the bowl back to Megan.
“Thanks, we will remember that, have a good night and if you can pop back either later tonight or before your run to clean those dishes we will make sure the little guy gets his meal as well” Waving me off I felt that free food to help Ember grow was definitely going to be worthwhile and if it gained us some good will with those making our meals that was all the better.
“Lets get settled in for the night Ember, you did good work today, and tomorrow we will see Chris and see if he got that crafting finished so we can trade for some blankets. Lifes going to get easier once we get big enough for a serious guard or merchant guild branch so we can use our pay hey buddy” humming away to myself I made my way back home, feeling satisfied with a day where not a lot was achieved, but I felt what we did do was done well, and things were settling in a good way.