Chapter 27 - Aftermath
Magrath, Vanstead Dukedom of Augustein Year 995
The square was soon filled with watchmen and guards rushing to help with clean up. One guard had even arrived pulling a wagon of stones that gleamed with the distinctive shine of ore, which had made Amara raise an eyebrow.
“A gift from Lord Alardice,” the man had said. “He wishes for us to clear the square as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
After that, rubble clearing became significantly easier. Motion magic affinities took the ore, enveloping the broken pieces in their auras and carefully drifting them away. Amara even saw a form magic user walk around patching the cracks and fissures along various surfaces.
The biggest priority, however, was the injured. Everyone who’d been wounded during the attack, including civilians who’d managed to barely escape, were brought back to the square, where a team of doctors carrying their own ore began to work on patching wounds with the sort of efficiency that only magic could grant. Between them and the ones doing physical cleanup, there were a few watchmen who slipped around the crowds, quietly gathering the dead bodies, or at least the ones solid enough to gather. Amara pitied the people who would have to identify the victims.
A sharp tug made her turn. The doctor treating her wounds had just tied off another bandage, and the woman’s expression was distinctly annoyed as she grumbled under her breath.
“Anywhere else?” the woman said with a frown. Amara eyed the bandages covering her palms and a few cuts in her arms from the glass. The doctor was another form magic user, and she seemed to use her magic much more liberally when treating wounds than Joan did. Part of that was undoubtedly because she was using ore and not exclusively her own reserves, but Joan had also often told Amara that she didn’t like to use magic more than necessary.
“Form magic still leaves wounds thin and vulnerable,” she’d said. “Sometimes people are tricked into thinking their wounds are completely healed, only for them to reopen and become more severe than they were originally.”
Amara adjusted where she was seated on the ground. Her back still throbbed, and after some consideration, she turned around and gestured at the area in question.
When she glanced back, the woman’s eyes had widened only for her to quickly school her expression. The doctor moved closer, examining the wounds.
“…There’s a good deal of internal damage here,” she muttered. She shook her head. “This is beyond me. I’ll fetch someone with more experience in dealing with these sorts of wounds. Until then, I can use some perception magic to dull the pain.”
She pulled out a small stone from the bag she’d set beside her, raising it as an olive glow began to surround her, but Amara held up a hand to stop the woman.
“Nah, I’m good,” she said. “Save the ore for someone else.”
The woman gave Amara a weird look, her eyes briefly darting over to Amara’s arms, now fully bare and old scars visible, before she shook her head.
“I’m not dealing with this,” the woman muttered as she rose, disappearing into the center of the square to seek additional help. Amara watched her retreating back with a raised eyebrow. Once she vanished from view, she took the opportunity to raise her arms, testing their movement as slowly as she could force herself to move.
“You should be careful,” Isolde said. Amara glanced in her direction. The woman had a few visible bandages, but for the most part, she seemed mostly unscathed. Amara’s eyes wandered to her earring, where the hook hung free of any stone. Isolde seemed to notice, because she slid the earring out and dropped it into one of the bags that had been placed around the square for gathering waste.
She turned, holding out the axe to Amara, who grinned when she saw it.
“Huh, so it’s still alive,” she joked. She took the handle, and the wood made a creaking noise. She raised the weapon up, and the blade definitely felt a little loose. On closer inspection, there seemed to be a shallow crack running along the blade’s surface as well, but it was still solid, which meant it was pretty good by Amara’s standards.
Isolde chuckled. “Alive may be a bit of an overstatement.”
“Well it’s not dead, so it’s the same to me.” Amara shrugged and set the weapon back down beside her. She paused. “Oh, right, sorry about the gloves.” She scratched her head. “If it helps, they lasted pretty long?”
Isolde looked amused. “Well, I suppose that means their quality was good.” She shook her head. “No matter, we can simply purchase new ones. I will need to replace mine as well.”
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Amara raised an eyebrow. Isolde’s black gloves seemed mostly intact to her, save for a small cut on the back of one of them that barely left any skin exposed. She thought back to the woman’s stats. Then again, she could understand why she might be so keen on keeping them hidden. Reserves that low would draw a lot of attention and, most of all, pity.
“Pardon me.”
Amara’s head snapped around, blinking when she found herself facing Glenn Alardice. The man was frowning slightly, eyebrows furrowed in concern, but there was still a certain perpetual sternness to his features that made him look constantly serious. He cleared his throat.
“One of the other guards informed me that the two of you helped them fend off the Aberrations. I wished to thank you and to see if the two of you were alright.”
Amara glanced Isolde’s way, and the woman’s posture was perfectly relaxed into her usual easeful elegance, looking every bit like a noble despite the cuts and dirt on her clothes.
“Thank you for your concern,” Isolde said smoothly. “And for your intervention earlier. Had you not done so, I wager none of us would have survived.”
Glenn shifted, looking slightly uncomfortable, but Isolde continued before he could retort.
“As for our injuries, I’m fortunate to have only a few small wounds.” She paused, eyes glancing deliberately over at Amara, who met her gaze with a raised eyebrow. “As for my friend, she sustained more serious injuries.”
Glenn frowned, turning to Amara. “Do you mind if I take a look?”
Amara shrugged. “Be my guest,” she said, turning around to reveal her back. Judging by the concerned sound he made combined with the doctor’s reaction from earlier, she was assuming it looked pretty bad. At the very least, she could tell that most of her shirt had ripped, and she could feel a few strips of torn cloth sticking to her skin. Some of them even seemed to have dried like that.
Glenn straightened, and Amara turned back around.
“Is there already someone treating your wounds?”
She nodded, jerking a thumb over in the direction the doctor had gone. “Yep, the one with a low bun. She’s finding someone else to deal with the back wounds.”
Glenn looked thoughtful. “I see.” His eyes darted over to the wounds briefly and he frowned, seemingly contemplating something. When he spoke again, his words were slow.
“If you’d like, the Alardice manor’s doctor is very good. I believe she would have no trouble treating your wounds.”
Amara noted the way Isolde’s gaze sharpened. The woman leaned forward, dark hair falling over her shoulders.
“Would that be alright? My friend and I are simple travelers. We wouldn’t wish to impose on Lord Alardice.”
The man’s eyes widened slightly. “The two of you are not from Magrath?”
Isolde shook her head. “No, we’re from north of here.”
“Penrith,” Amara interjected. She shifted into a more comfortable position. “The forest came down, so we’ve been traveling together since.” Isolde raised an eyebrow, and she grinned at the woman when Glenn wasn’t looking. She didn’t know exactly what Isolde was planning on doing, but she didn’t feel like sitting back and doing nothing.
“Ah, I see.” Glenn bowed his head, and Amara vaguely wondered if it was common for nobles to do that so often. Then again, if he was a bastard, he might not be the most indicative example.
“In that case, I must thank you even more for helping defend this town.” He raised his head again, nodding at Isolde. “As for your concerns, while they are appreciated, I believe my lord will not mind providing medical assistance to two travelers who have risked their lives to protect Magrath. If you wish, I can return this instance to ask for permission, provided the two of you are willing to wait for a bit.”
Amara and Isolde exchanged looks. Finally, Isolde turned to face Glenn with a serene smile and nodded.
“That would be greatly appreciated, thank you.”
Glenn nodded. With a final bow, he turned away, first moving towards the doctor Amara had pointed out earlier. Though they were too far away for her to hear anything, judging by the exasperated look on the woman’s face, she assumed he was explaining the situation. The doctor ended up waving dismissively, and with an apologetic nod, the man turned to head south in the direction of the manor.
“Sooo, I’m guessing that turned out how you wanted,” Amara commented once he was out of view.
Isolde smiled. “We shall see.” She brushed a strand of hair back. “But yes, things do indeed seem to be working in our favor, as unexpected as the attack was. I hope you don’t mind our training being postponed.”
Amara snorted. “Well, it’d be kind of hard to train without first getting this stuff dealt with.” She gestured vaguely at her back. She shrugged. “Besides, it sounds like we’re gonna get to see the inside of a lord’s manor. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.”
Isolde chuckled. She rose, dusting off her clothes. “In that case, I will go purchase some new gloves and supplies while we wait for him to return. Would you mind waiting here for me?”
Amara shot her a thumbs up. “I literally can’t not wait,” she said with a grin, patting the ground around her for emphasis. “Thanks for spending more money on me, by the way.”
The sound of Isolde’s laughter rang clearly in Amara’s ears as the woman turned to head back towards the store they’d visited when they’d just arrived. Smiling to herself, Amara scooted over so that she could rest her back against a chunk of rubble. It was probably bad for the wounds, but if she was going to get them healed soon anyway, she figured she might as well.
Relaxing back, Amara exhaled, taking in the constant movement filling the destroyed square. She crossed her legs, shut her eyes, and waited.