Talking to people was already something Ingrid struggled to do properly, let alone in this context. She was no stranger to screwing up, but it was a lot harder having to apologize for someone else’s actions that she was technically responsible for.
“I’m sorry about that, truly,” Ingrid apologized profusely, bowing to the priestess.
“R-really! It’s fine! I should have been more p-prepared for situations like…” the girl trailed off, looking at the door. She had a high, nervous voice. Ingrid couldn’t help but note that it sounded rather cute.
“Still, you looked like you were going to explode. I’m supposed to be the one who keeps track of my family. This was my fault,” she grimaced.
The priestess shook her head. “P-Please, there’s no need to bow,” her voice sounded almost desperate. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t d-do more to help…”
It was Ingrid’s turn to shake her head. “It’s fine, really,” she said reassuringly, “Today is a hard day for her. I guess it’s the ten year anniversary this time.”
“A-Anniversary?” She tilted her head. “Of w-what?”
“...I suppose there’s no harm in saying it at this point,” Ingrid sighed, “Ten years ago today was the attack by the Dark Fey that killed her husband and daughter. It… It broke her. Not to mention it taking her legs,” she explained.
The priestess gave a sympathetic look. “Th-the wounds in our hearts are sometimes far more damaging than those o-on our bodies,” she said quietly, “Even someone like me could t-tell how much pain she was in. My h-heart hurt just listening to her.”
Ingrid nodded, “That might be why she came here. Carys is the goddess of love after all. Maybe she was hoping for some sort of reason for it,” she said, trying to make sense of it. “Oh, I suppose I should have given an introduction. My name is Ingrid Alvar. Pleasure to meet you,” she said politely, extending her hand.
“There’s n-never a reason for it,” the girl muttered, looking sadly at the door.
Ingrid straightened herself, looking at the tiny girl. It was the first time she had noticed it, but her eyes were a deep purple. She had learned about this in her teachings from Labhras, but it still took her by surprise.
Apparently, it wasn’t well hidden, as the girl tilted her head. “Um, i-is everything alright? Oh goodness, did I s-say something wrong?” she asked in a worried voice.
Ingrid snapped back to reality, then shook her head. “Oh, uh, no, sorry. I just noticed your eyes. I didn’t really register it with the hair but, you’re an esper aren’t you?” she asked, the curiosity made apparent. “I had heard about them, but never met one.”
The girl looked a little embarrassed, with a red shade starting to dust her pale cheeks. “Y-yes. If I’m b-being honest, I’ve never met another one e-either. Ah! W-where are my manners!” She quickly started to have a small panic, then gave a stiff bow that seemed as though she had no idea what she was doing. “M-my name is Malori Leblanc! I-it’s a pleasure to meet you!”
Ingrid couldn’t help but find the gesture slightly humorous, stifling a laugh. “Well, it’s nice to meet you too, Malori. I have to say, you look young. Have you been a priestess for long?” She asked. Honestly, she was grateful for an excuse to stop talking about something so emotional.
Malori seemed slightly surprised at the question. “O-oh! Um, no, I haven’t. I’ve only been t-training for a little under a year,” she stammered. “I only really got here a year ago. I left home when I was e-eighteen, and I just turned nineteen recently.”
“Well, you’re probably the youngest priestess in training I’ve met. Especially if they left you the chapel to yourself! You must be pretty impressive,” she said happily.
The blush on Malori’s face intensified, and she looked away. It seemed to Ingrid like she had a hard time accepting praise. “I-It’s nothing special. M-my teacher just left to run some errands, he should be getting back any moment now. Your sister arrived only a few minutes after he left though,” she said quickly.
Ingrid nodded, “Ah, that makes sense. Still, I don’t imagine many trainees would be trusted with that. I know I wouldn’t.”
Malori tilted her head. “Oh, are you a-” she stopped herself as she looked Ingrid up and down, seemingly registering everything about her staff and armor. As she did, her eyes went wide. “Y-You’re a Druidkeeper!” she whispered in awe.
“Druidkeeper in training, I’ve still got a ways to go. I’m only about five years in,” she chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her neck.
“S-Still! That’s halfway to being there, it’s something to be p-proud of!” Malori pushed.
Seemingly there to save the two of them from their awkward back and forth, Ingrid heard the large doors of the church open again. Rather than her sister this time, it was a middle aged, bald orcish man who towered over the two of them. He had rich, olive green skin, complemented by vibrant bronze eyes. His tusks made their way almost to his cheekbones, and were well taken care of as evidenced by the pure white that matched his robes. Ingrid was rusty on orcish customs, but she knew that there was a deep pride in caring for their tusks. Despite his grim expression and powerful build, there was a strange aura of calmness around him.
He approached the two of them, rubbing his chin. “Ah, Malori, who might this be?” He asked in an almost uncharacteristically gentle voice.
Malori immediately snapped up straight and gestured a hand to Ingrid. “Th-this is Ingrid! She c-came by while you were running errands, Father Alig!” she said quickly.
He nodded his head, looking her over. Noticing the armor, he gave a small bow, then held out his hand. “Well, it is a pleasure to have a Druidkeeper in our humble church, my child. What brings you here today?”
Ingrid happily shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. I had come here to find my sister, but her maid has already brought her back home. I was just talking a bit with Malori. I told her it’s impressive to start becoming a priestess at her age,” she explained.
Alig smiled. He turned to look proudly at Malori. “Yes, she does do quite a good job. Her proficiency in healing magic in particular is something to behold!” he said encouragingly. Malori blushed and averted her eyes. “Speaking of which. Malori, I discussed your request with the Royal Hospital, and they’d be happy to have you pay a visit. You can show up at any time today.”
Malori’s expression immediately lit up. “R-Really? Oh, thank you Father!” she said excitedly.
“Oh, what’s this about?” Ingrid asked, crossing her arms with a smile.
Alig gestured to Malori. “Malori here had requested to do some of her training in healing magic at the Royal Hospital. She had already been doing so, but needed formal permission for it to be considered a part of her official training. I’m sure you’re aware of the Dark Fey attacks on surrounding territories. She wishes to heal some of the soldiers who have been injured in the defenses.”
Again Malori shied away, but not nearly as much.
Ingrid raised an eyebrow. “Training at the Royal Hospital, huh? You know, I have my training every day at the palace. I could talk to my Instructor and ask if I can spend today working on my own healing magic. I could give you a hand!” she offered.
Malori’s expression turned to one of surprise. “Really? A-are you sure? You don’t have to spend t-time with me if you don’t want to. Really, I don’t want to be a bother.”
“It’s not a bother in the slightest. Honestly, I need to work on it. This just guarantees that I’ll have good company during it,” she mused, “Besides, it’s not like I really have many friends. Maybe this could change that?”
The esper was silent. If her expression before was surprise, this one was complete shock. “Y-you mean that?” she asked quietly. It was like Ingrid was talking to a mouse.
“I mean, yes. Why wouldn’t I?” She asked quizzically.
There was a pause. “People haven’t really ever wanted to be friends with me.”
Oh this poor girl, Ingrid thought to herself. It was obvious she was a shut in, but this was honestly kind of sad. She offered a hand to her. “Well, like I said. How about changing that? There’s a first for everything right?”
Malori looked like she was going to tear up. Even so, she took Ingrid’s hand excitedly. “A-Alright! I-It sounds, um, it sounds nice!”
Ingrid smiled, then started walking out of the church. “Well, come on then. Let’s get going! There are sure to be plenty of people to help.”
Malori stumbled at first, clearly not expecting it. She quickly caught herself and followed eagerly. Turning back to Alig, she gave a wave and a smile. “G-Goodbye Father Alig! I’ll be back l-later tonight!” she said excitedly.
Alig returned a warm smile of his own. “Be careful not to exert yourself too much! Healing magic can really take it out of you. Make sure to take frequent breaks!” he replied. Father was simply a religious title, but Ingrid thought he almost sounded like an actual father wishing his daughter good luck. She made a mental note to come by this church at a later date to talk with him.
The two talked on their way up to the palace, mainly Ingrid asking Malori questions. Clearly, she was excited to have a friend, but still wasn’t quite sure how to fully come out of her shell. As they passed through the now busy stone streets of the city, Ingrid started getting a better grasp on Malori’s background. She had never met her parents, instead growing up in an orphanage in Baile Tonnan, the next city over. She seemed to not like talking about the orphanage though, so Ingrid was quick to change the subject.
Apparently, she absolutely adored books, and read whenever she had a moment of free time. After asking about some of her favorites, Ingrid began to see a trend with her being a priestess of the goddess of love and her favorite books being romance novels. She found it a little humorous and on the nose, but kept that to herself.
As they approached the Castle Ward and the hospital, Ingrid had another question. “You know, I didn’t ask yet. Why did you end up leaving home?”
Malori was a little taken aback by the sudden question. She appeared to think about it, like she wanted to be absolutely sure of her answer. Or like she hadn’t even thought of that question herself before. She looked up at the castle for a moment before speaking. “I guess I w-wanted to see the world that I read about so m-much. It’s not like I was e-ever adopted, so I figured I might as well t-try and do something,” she explained.
“Well, I think that’s as good an answer as any. I haven’t exactly seen the world either. I’m hoping to see it once I finish my training too,” Ingrid agreed, “I was pretty sheltered growing up, especially having been born in the war. I’ve never even left the city, if I’m being honest..”
“Um, if it i-isn’t rude of me to a-ask, how old are you?” Malori stammered, “I-I know elves tend to be very long lived, b-but I read that it’s extremely d-difficult to actually tell one’s age beyond adulthood.”
Ingrid smiled, “It’s not rude at all! I don’t imagine you had many interactions where you could talk about this stuff. But I’m still fairly young by elf standards, I just turned thirty-two last month. Most other elves see me as just having hit adulthood if I’m being honest.”
Malori looked like she was making a mental note of that, tucking it away with who knows how much other random information. “That’s fascinating! I-I’ve always wondered how o-other races view their aging. I-It feels like something that books can’t really describe a-accurately.”
It was nice to see Malori excited over this. “Alright, if I’m able to ask a question then, do espers really have perfect memories? Like I said, you’re the first one I’ve met. I’ve only read about this stuff, and who knows how much of it is accurate. Books that even mention them are rare, and I’ve only seen them in sections of the Royal Library most people aren’t allowed in.”
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Malori gave a wide smile and an excited nod. “Y-Yes actually! A-Any book I’ve read I can r-recite from memory!” After realizing what she had said, she seemed to look slightly defensive, and a little bit worried. “Um, d-do you think that that’s, um, w-weird?”
Ingrid tilted her head, a bit surprised at how quickly she went from excited to scared. “Of course not. Why would I think that? I think it’s neat. I’d love to be able to remember every single plant Instructor Owen taught me about,” she joked, “It would make studying a lot easier.”
“O-Oh, um, thank you,” she said, going a bit red at the praise. She shifted her staff anxiously. “Th-the other kids found the quirks I had to be, um, weird. They tended to p-pick on me for most of them,” she said quietly.
“Well, then the other kids were rude. You shouldn’t pay any attention to what they have to say,” she said matter of factly. “Gods, I can’t stand bullies. Just people who take out their anger at themselves on other people. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“I-it’s fine! Really,” she insisted quickly, “S-some of the stuff I do is weird. I-I can talk in people’s minds, if I focus hard enough. And I can move s-small things with my mind too. When I was little, it took me a while to get used to making sure I was speaking o-out loud instead of in someone’s head,” her shoulders drooped again. “I-It generally made them say some mean things.”
Ingrid winced a bit. She didn’t want to dwell on it too much, but it was clear the girl had some baggage to work through. “Well, I think those kinds of abilities are cool. I mean, I’ve been able to do strange things with plants since I was little. We’re all strange in our own way,” she said reassuringly.
“Hm? W-what do you mean strange things with plants?” she asked.
“Ah, well, I can get plants to grow a lot faster. I could kind of control them a bit when I was younger too. I’m a lot better at it now. I can even talk to them sometimes too!” she explained.
Malori’s eyes went wide. “I had read about D-Druids talking to plants. I’ve always been curious, w-what do they say?” she asked in awe.
“Honestly, not much. Generally they just talk about how they’re being cared for and whether or not it’s good or bad. It certainly makes them easier to care for when you’re getting direct feedback.”
She nodded in understanding. They went back and forth for a little while longer, until they finally arrived at the hospital. Seeing how nervous Malori was at the prospect of talking to the person at the counter, Ingrid was happy to be the one to do the talking. Once they were assigned to a wing, she stopped Malori.
“Hm? I-is everything okay?” she asked, looking worried.
Ingrid smiled, “Oh yes, everything is fine! I just have to go ask my Instructor if it’s alright to spend my day working on healing magic. He’ll probably be fine with it, but I was originally gonna be doing combat training today.”
Malori gave a concerned look. “Oh goodness, a-am I troubling you with this?”
“Not at all! Don’t worry, he’s a person who ‘goes with the flow’ a lot. Plus, he makes fun of me for not having very many friends. He’ll be supportive of this,” she admitted, clicking her tongue.
“I-I see…” she said quietly, “Um, if that’s the case, I-I’ll wait here!”
The determined look in her eyes was actually kind of cute the more Ingrid looked at it. She couldn’t help but laugh a little bit, patting Malori on the head. “Of course. I’ll be right back. Don’t miss me too much!” She joked as she left.
Malori waved, but there was a bit of sadness in her eyes. Ingrid made a note to be quick with asking Labhras. She didn’t want to leave this girl alone for too long.
She ran out of the hospital and towards the training ground. Luckily, they weren't very far away from each other. While people tried their best to keep accidents to a minimum, when doing things like combat training, people getting hurt was an inevitability.
Fortunately for her, Labhras was already waiting for her at the gates. He stood there with his arms crossed, tapping his foot. On second thought, maybe it wasn’t fortunate for her. She gave a nervous chuckle as she approached him. “Uh, hello Labhras, how are you?” she asked.
“It’s Instructor right now,” he said in a deadpan voice. He put his hands on his hips. “I trust you have a good reason for while you’re late?”
Ingrid clicked her tongue. “R-Right. Um, I was meaning to ask you about that. Is it alright if I work on something other than combat today?” she asked.
He blinked, “Your combat abilities need work. Druidkeepers are a military institution, you know that you’re going to see combat. If you’re still not even able to hit me, you’re probably going to die in an actual fight.”
She winced, “Okay, that was a little harsh. But I wanted to try working on my healing magic today, if that was alright?”
Labhras raised an eyebrow. “That’s kind of random. Dare I ask why?” he groaned, “Your brother didn’t get sick again, did he? Druids can do some healing, but it’s overall mediocre compared to what Clerics can do.”
“Y-Yes! But surely it’s something I can work on, right?” She gave a nervous smile. After a beat of silence, her shoulders sagged. “Alright, I met a nice priestess girl this morning, and she desperately needs friends-”
“So do you.”
Ingrid stopped short, giving her instructor a defeated look. “That wasn’t necessary, you know.”
He cracked a smile. “Neither was showing up late,” he mused, “By the way, this isn’t just a crush you have, right?”
“H-Huh? No, you know I like girls that are taller than me,” she quickly shook her head. “Not the point! I sort of just feel bad for her, and it's like you said. I don’t really have friends either. This helps both of us right? Please, I have five more years to improve my fighting.”
He stared directly at her for a moment, deep in thought. “Ugh, fine. If anything it means I get to sleep some more today. Tomorrow though, you aren’t sneaking out of it even if it is to swoon over some girl,” he huffed with a wave of his hand. “Alright, get out of here. Make sure you don’t overexert yourself or you won’t be able to move tomorrow.”
Ingrid gave a sigh of relief. “Wonderful. Thank you so much for this, Instructor!”
“Don’t mention it,” he started walking away, already yawning. “Consider yourself lucky that I stayed up all night trying to help a dire wolf give birth.”
Deciding not to ask for more information, she quickly rushed back to the hospital. Waving to the receptionist, she walked through the halls to the wing where she left Malori. They had been assigned to the Urgent Care wing, as healing magic was in short supply. Having two healers to lend a hand could potentially be lifesaving to people.
The hospital was a marvel of natural magic, another testament to the power the Druidkeepers wielded when the city was made. It looked less like a building and more like a giant tree that towered out of the Castle Ward. The floors and walls were all wooden, but magically enhanced enough that they were even sturdier than metal in most cases. Strewn through the halls were luminescent plants that glowed in different colors for the different sections of the hospital. They were always combined with complimentary colored flowers of gentle hues that truly made the building feel like a place of safety. The magic of the building itself could even sense the distress of those in it, creating auras of calm that prevented panic or hysteria.
As Ingrid came to the entrance of the Urgent Care wing, she gave a brief bow to the visage of Nilin magically carved above the door. Next to them was another visage that she recognized as Quvara, the god of healing. He was a thin, gentle looking and naked orcish man holding a staff with a snake coiled around it. His other hand was outstretched, revealing a swirling line in the palm of his hand.
She passed the twin visages of the gods and entered into the wing itself. As soon as she opened the door she came across the tiny esper sitting on a bench, a depressed look on her face. The girl immediately seemed to perk up as Ingrid approached her. Malori hopped off of the bench, rushing over to Ingrid. “H-Hello! D-Did it go well?” she stammered.
“Of course it did! I’m permitted for practicing healing magic today,” she said with a thumbs up. Smiling at Malori, she gave her another pat on the head. “Just don’t make fun of me too much. Clerical magic is a lot better at healing compared to Druidic magic, but I’ll be trying my best to keep up with you.”
“I-I’m sure you’re going to do great!” she said quickly, floundering once more under the praise. “I-I’m really nothing special. It’s just b-basic healing spells.”
Ingrid smiled at her, then began walking towards the receiving room. She turned and beckoned Malori to come with her. “Well, regardless of how well we do, magic saves lives. Come on then, it’s not called urgent for no reason. Let’s get going!” she said cheerfully.
Malori gave a cute squeak of surprise, then quickly followed along. The warm smile on her face was enough to make Ingrid’s entire body feel lighter, despite the grim nature of what they were about to see. She was thankful for the calming properties the building had, otherwise she was confident that she’d start panicking the moment she saw an injury that was too grisly. Though maybe this time would be different even without that magic. After all, this time she wasn’t doing it alone. She had worked with doctors in the past of course, but they were just people she was working with. This time, she was doing it with a friend.
“Alright, you two take a break. Go any harder and you’ll both be in one of these beds,” the doctor said. They were a fairly average height elven person with silver hair, wearing a long, white coat and a surgical mask. Despite their harsh words, their emerald eyes betrayed a legitimate concern for the two girls as they headed back into the hallway.
Ingrid could only nod as she slumped onto one of the couches in the break room, completely exhausted. She looked over at Malori, who was sitting politely in an armchair across from her. She looked a little bit tired, but not nearly as winded as Ingrid. The priest had certainly been telling the truth that morning, she was a savant when it came to healing magic.
The break room was decently sized, meant to be able to house every nurse or doctor that worked in the wing. It could in theory, but obviously if every worker was taking a break at the same time, there was a major problem. There were a couple of other people in the room, sitting scattered at various tables as they rested or ate. A gnome and a half orc were chatting about some sort of plans for after their shifts were over, while a human two tables over had his head down and appeared to be napping.
The two waited in silence for a bit, Malori seemingly too anxious to break it. Lying on her back across the couch and looking upside down at Malori, Ingrid spoke up. “My Instructor wasn’t kidding, healing magic is exhausting. We’ve barely been at it for three hours and I already feel like I need to take a nap,” she joked.
Malori gave a polite nod. “Y-yes, it does. You get used to it after a while,” she offered, “Father Alig says that the strength of the magic is d-dependent on how much the user wants to help people.”
Ingrid snorted, “Well, that explains how good you are at it,” she chuckled, “Clearly you want to help everyone you meet.”
“I-I already told you, I’m nothing s-special…” she trailed off, her cheeks beginning to glow a familiar red.
“You know, you should really give yourself more credit,” Ingrid insisted, “You are aware that you quite literally saved five people’s lives in there, right? That’s something special whether you think it is or not.”
“B-But you helped too! A-And so did the doctors!” she insisted. “Th-they should get credit too…”
“And they do,” Ingrid rolled over onto her stomach, briefly panicking as she almost fell off the couch. She breathed a sigh of relief as she steadied herself. “But them getting acknowledgement doesn’t mean that you should get none. You should be proud of yourself!”
Malori was quiet for a while, shifting nervously with her staff. She made a noise that sounded almost like a whimper, then leanied back into her chair. “A-All I’m doing is addressing s-symptoms,” she muttered, “I can’t do anything about th-the actual problem.”
Ingrid cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
“I-I can’t change the fact that the Dark Fey are still attacking, and still getting people h-hurt,” she said sadly, “Th-The war was supposed to be over a decade ago, but the attacks are still happening.”
“Well, what can we do about that from here?” Ingrid asked, clicking her tongue. She rested her chin on one of her hands. “That’s what the military is for, right?”
Malori gave a confused look. “A-Aren’t you training to be in the military?”
“Well, yes, but I still have years to go,” she explained, “They need to make sure Druidkeepers are trained properly. There are only about twelve of them in the country, and three of them are cooped up here. If they started being rushed out non-stop then it would just be sending trainees to their deaths.”
Malori’s eyes went wide. “I-I didn’t think about it like that…” she murmured, “I’ve still a-always wanted to go out into the world though. Maybe if I did, I-I might be able to make a difference. Like in the stories I read!” She sounded sad throughout the statement, but the last sentence quickly changed to excitement.
Ingrid smiled, “Well, I hope you get to. Healers are gifts of the gods. I’m sure you’re an extra special one,” she said with a wink.
Malori squeaked again, quickly averting her eyes. “...I-I’m not good w-with praise like that,” she whimpered.
“What, do you get embarrassed when you get talked up?” Ingrid joked. She sounded like Alice. Granted, she was quoting her, but the thought still crossed her mind.
Malori was quiet again. “More that I don’t know h-how to respond. Y-You and Father Alig are the first ones to really say those things about me…”
Ingrid swore she felt a pang of guilt in her heart. This girl really had a tendency to sound like a wounded animal didn’t she? She switched to sitting upright. “You know, this morning you met my sister on kind of… Awkward terms. Do you want to meet my family tonight?”
“E-Eh?” she muttered in surprise, “W-What do you mean?”
“Well, you could come have dinner with us! You could meet my butler, Chimsley, and my little brother, Mattias!” she said cheerfully, “Plus, it’s my turn to cook tonight. Chimsley always said the best way to get close to someone is cooking for them. I think I’d like to be better friends with you!”
Malori seemed dumbfounded. Her mouth opened and closed over and over again, starting words but never finishing them. After a solid minute of failing to say anything, she stared at the ground, unmoving. “...Y-Yes please…”
Ingrid smiled, “Well, let’s take a rest for a bit to regain our strength for healing. In the meantime though, what’s your favorite food? I’ll see if Chimsley and I know any good recipes!”
“You would, r-really do that for me?” she asked.
“Of course! Hospitality is always important. I want my guests to feel welcome,” she mused, standing up and giving a flamboyant bow that was also copied from Alice. “So, any requests?”
Malori seemed to think about it for a moment. “Ch-Chicken, maybe…” she said in a meek voice.
“Chicken it is! That actually works well too. Chimsley has a fantastic recipe for herb crusted chicken!” She said excitedly. Ingrid moved over to Malori’s chair, sitting on the arm of it. Malori squeaked in surprise as the taller girl leaned over her, her face going a little red. “We have a plan then! We finish here today, then we head back to my manor for dinner.”
Malori gave a small nod, still leaning back from Ingrid. She cleared her throat. “Th-That sounds n-nice. Um, thank you for this!”
“Think nothing of it. Now, I’m going to take a quick nap to make sure I don’t pass out when we’re doing the next round of healing,” she sighed happily, before heading back over to the couch and flopping onto her back.
Malori giggled quietly. “S-Sleep well, Ingrid. I’ll probably just do some r-reading. Again, thank you.”
“Like I said, you’re more than welcome,” she yawned. She let the drowsiness overtake her, closing her eyes and letting her body relax as she fell into what became a wonderful nap.