Sweat poured down his back as he sipped tea from a green floral teacup. The old woman in front of him was inscrutable and studied him openly, a faint smile playing across her lips.
“All that talk of the World’s Will was bullshit, am I correct, child?”
Exill spluttered as tea spilled down his shirt, he stammered, faking outrage. “Bull *cough* shit? Healer Savta, your words are harsh and severely mistaken! The Spirit descended upon me and whispered directly into my soul!”
The old lady laughed, the weathered lines around her eyes wrinkling in genuine mirth. She calmed after a while and continued, shaking her head:
“I like you child. You may fool the common man with stories about the ‘Will descending upon them’, but if I had a denar for every time I heard such a story… anyway, it was the last word that gave you away.” She snorted, slightly outraged, “I may be old but I’m not senile. Did you think I would leap at the chance to ‘enhance my longevity’, as you not so subtly put it? Boy, your lies need to be more grounded to be believable.”
Exill was at a loss for words.
‘That, was the part she didn’t believe?!’
“I’m not saying ‘No’ either. Depending on the skills you demonstrate today I may have a use for you. Your true goal was to seek partnership with me am I right? Well, leveraging reputations, two can play that game. I’m sure the masses will eat your performance up.”
Exill remained silent, refusing to admit the lie. The old woman studied him before asking the question she really wanted to know, “so… tell me what you are capable of as a [Witchdoctor].”
***
Exill spent the next two hours summarizing his past, focusing on the amputation he performed and the various medicines that had been refined. Savta left her armchair twice during this time to go downstairs and treat the patients that had piled up.
“That must have been a challenging operation. I remember treating a retired soldier with an unusually clean stump, I asked, ‘who did this?’ and he replied it was a child. I didn’t believe it at the time, but it must have been you.” She sighed; her eyes lost in thought, “apart from that, there are many gaps in your foundation. Your knowledge of herblore can barely be described as adequate. I would have to invest time and energy, something I’m severely short on…”
Exill opened his mouth to speak but she stopped him with a raised finger.
“How about this. I outsource all my surgeries. Complex fractures, especially in the hands and feet are easier to amputate and grow anew than painfully stitch together. Patients usually go to a butcher to get this done.
I want you to head the new surgery department, 50% of patient fees. I’ll also allow you to learn from my apprentice. You will be on call from mid-afternoon to evenings. If you insist on exploring the Labyrinth you must do so in the morning when injuries are at their lowest.” She stared hard at Exill, waiting for a response.
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‘This is… actually fair?’ he felt he could push for 70% of patient fees but was willing to forgo the point. Especially if she could provide all the medicine and equipment that would be needed. He bowed his head and spoke:
“I gratefully accept your offer, Master Savta.”
“Hmph! Do not call me that, I am not your master. ‘Savta’ will do.”
She led him downstairs and introduced the elf woman who was both her apprentice and granddaughter. The maiden before them was collected and reserved, her guileless sapphire blue eyes examined him, then quickly turned away to her Master. There was a quiet innocence about her, unique to those who had a protected upbringing.
“Luna, this is Exill, he will be in charge of the surgery department from now on. We will need to convert the old treatment room for this purpose, and I need you to work with him to obtain the necessary tools.”
Old Savta then turned to Exill, “This is Luna, my granddaughter, and my apprentice. Help her clean the old treatment room and buy the equipment you need. She will be the one to teach you, do not force her. Only if she is willing and has the time.”
Exill stared at the human Healer, and back at the elf woman with pointed ears who couldn’t have been older than 20 years old. There was a vague resemblance between them beyond their blonde hair, but it was difficult to pinpoint with such an age gap. Luna pre-emptively answered his question with a small sigh.
“My grandfather was an elf. I am quarter human. It is lengthy to explain… so we maintain master-apprentice relations in public to avoid questions.”
Exill nodded and followed her to the old treatment room. It was a small dusty space, longer than it was wide. Shelving ran along one wall and held various tins and jars of what he suspected to be herbalist ingredients. Other than that, it was sparsely furnished. There was a stool on the far side, under a tall arched window that let in a lot of natural light.
“We’ll have to remove the shelving, I can see us putting an operating table under that window, and a recovery bed near the door.”
Luna nodded, glancing at Exill. She had so many questions for this serious boy whose confidence spoke louder than his years. Aside from this, there were odd things about him, like why did he wear a scruffy blacksmith’s apron backwards like a cape? Did he intend to operate with those tattered gloves that barely held together?
“Do you need clothes as well Exill? We have a few spare aprons under the counter…” she kindly suggested. Luna bit her lip when she saw him blush, suddenly looking self-conscious. She could have been more delicate with the poor boy; he was clearly short on funds. She was about to apologise when Nana Savta peered round the door and saved them both.
“Where are you staying child? We have a spare room in the attic.”
“Ah… I’m staying at the Sundry Inn, near the southeast market.”
“I know the place. It is a good fifteen minutes away. You should stay here if you want to be on call. Can’t use messengers every time there is an emergency.”
Savta harrumphed as she walked away, she had noticed the blush and awkward silence between the two. She didn’t know what to make of it, and instead called in her next patient.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have invited him to live here… he better not harm Luna’s sweet heart…’
The two apprentices continued to clean the room well into the evening, scrubbing the floors and disassembling the shelves. They worked in awkward silence, Luna because she recognised the suspicious glint in Nana’s eyes and Exill… well, his mind was preoccupied with the departmental shopping list he had to compile.
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Savta's Clinic
[https://i.ibb.co/qkNLtfd/Savta-Clinic.png]