A Healer In the Slums (I'l Fana Kelbé contract)

Armed with a writ of her advancement, Katarya takes a contract as a healer to an Elven family in the slums.

Fellsgard is the foundation of Khy'eras' history and through reconstruction, it is now a vibrant and lively city. People reside here due to mild climate, opportunities, and safety and stability. Adventures often start from Fellsgard. Read more...
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Katarya Frost
Character
Witch
Level
04
46 / 46 HP
40 / 40 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 35c
Race: Human
Class: Wizard
Posts: 315
Joined: September 27th, 2019, 12:09 am
Has thanked: 37 times
Been thanked: 21 times

A Healer In the Slums (I'l Fana Kelbé contract)

Post by Katarya Frost »

"Now, just make sure you keep that leg elevated, Héri" She instructed the old Elven woman, using the Elvish for 'lady' as a mark of respect.

The old elf was sat back in her chair with a rather swollen leg up on a stool. She was dressed in ragged clothes, and the shack she called home was also home to two daughters and a granddaughter. She had almost closed the door on Katarya when the witch had arrived at her door, insisting she 'didn't need any help, thank you very much!' But the combination of Kat's Elvish and the letter from Cáno Aurae herself had meant the woman had stepped aside and Kat had been allowed in.

It was Kat's first out-call since she had lost her shop. True, she didn't have access to the provisions she used to have, but she had managed to buy some bare-essentials: mostly pain-relieving and sleep tonics. She had even managed to beg some bandages from the hospital she used to frequent regularly when she had been affiliated with House Enlann. Though it was daunting heading into this part of the slums, news apparently travelled fast, and she didn't get any problems from the Elves that eyed her as she strode through the untidy streets towards her destination.

"You'll be seeing Tillá; she's an old woman, even by our standards, and not given to being told what to do." Elára had told her. The Quimellë had said, when Katarya had enquired if there were any requests for help from the slums that might need a healer.

The witch suspected she was being tested by the Quimellë; she had nodded when Katarya had presented her with the letter from the Cáno, but she knew she would have to prove herself in the eyes of Elára Vëa, herself. "I'll get the job done," she assured the elder Elf.

Elára nodded, but gave nothing away on what she thought of Kat's assurance.

Tillá had, as Elára had predicted, been difficult. "I don't need to rest! Who will do the washing? Who will keep the house? Silly girl; I have a family to keep!"

But Katarya was not easily bowed. "You'll not be able to do those things yourself Héri Tílla, if you don't rest." Kat pointed out. "Your daughters will have to just take over for the next two weeks."

"Two weeks!" The Elf had exclaimed. "Ha! You think I'll be able to set on my backside for two weeks!"

Kat shrugged. "It's either that or you risk the infection growing, in which case you'll either lose your leg, or you'll die." She pointed out, matter-of-factly.

"I thought you were meant to be polite! You shouldn't talk like that to an elder woman!" Tílla said, indignantly.

Kat looked her right in the eye. "I have nothing but respect for your age, and for your seniority, Héri" Kat assured her. "But right now, I have to speak as a healer, and you are my patient. What I advise is because I want you to get better. I don't want you to suffer with your leg any longer than you have to."

When Tílla had finally given her reluctant assent, Kat administered a drop of a pain relieving tonic into some weak wine, and gave her instructions to have a drop or two when she felt in a lot of pain.

Putting her things away, she was turned, putting her bag over her shoulder. "I'm adding you to my rounds for daily visits, just so..."

"Daily?!" Tílla sounded completely exasperated. "Why do I need to see you daily? You've already done enough! Here I am, sat like an invalid all under the orders of a Human! If my Kaerin were still alive he'd have not even let you in!"

Kat realised that this was going to be an uphill battle, and could only hope that her other patients were more amenable to her. "Then it's lucky for me that the Héri of the house is such a good patient! I'll keep an eye on that leg, and you must send word to the Kelbé if you need anything else; anything at all. I will come right away."

The old woman grunted, staring ahead. Then just as she turned to leave, Héri Tílla spoke up, quietly and reluctantly. "Hanta." She said {thank you}.

Kat smiled. "Take care, Héri." And left the little shack.

***

Kat walked back towards the Hart thinking that she might have done some good with the héri; she had even gotten a thanks! It made her smile.

As she passed by the poor shacks and huts that dominated the slums, she moved out of the Elven dominated area and through the area she was more familiar with, mostly because it was a heavily human populated area, and they had often called on her grandmother to help.

"Miss Kat!" A voice called out.

The witch turned her head and smiled as a man strolled over to her. "Mr. Gull! This is a pleasure! How are your wife and daughters doing? I hope Lily is still keeping up with her healing practising!"

The man was heading the same way, so he walked with her and talked as they went. "Oh aye, Miss Kat; she's always going about the place telling everyone what's up with them! It was a shame about your shop; terrible it was, after all the good you gone and done for us. Lily misses working there."

Kat gave a sad smile. "I miss having her around! She was always quite a force in the shop; you'd never believe she was 8 years old!"

Mr Gull laughed at that. "Damn near wears us all out, she does!" He then gave her a quizzical look. "Mind if I ask what you was doing down in the Elf-parts?"

Kat shook her head. "Not at all! I was just seeing patient, nothing special."

The man turned to look at her with surprise. "You heal that lot, too?"

"Of course," she said, not liking the tone he had adopted. "I'm a healer; I go where I'm needed."

Mr. Gull grew very serious. "Now, Miss kat; I know you're a competent you lass ... I mean 'woman', but you gotta watch yourself round that lot. Those knife-ears would steal from you as soon as look at you, if not worse!"

Kat stopped and rounded on the man, her eyes as cold as her surname. "It's that kind of ridiculous attitude that causes problems between people. Considering how polite your daughter always was with my Elven customers in the shop, I had expected you to be more tolerant of others who weren't so well off. She held up her hand as he was about to protest. "Unless you're about to apologise, i suggest you hold your tongue, Mr. Gull., and you not speak like that in front of me ever again ... and preferably not at all, to anyone! She turned and walked off, picking up her pace so they wouldn't walk together. "Good day, Mr. Gull."

***

"You survived!" Elára said, as Katarya walked back into the Hart, her stomach rumbling for some food.

"Only just!" Kat admitted. You weren't joking when you said she didn't like taking orders. I hope the pain relief will help her relax for my next visit.

"Next visit?" The Quimellë asked.

Kat nodded. "She has a nasty infection; I want to make sure she's following orders and resting! I half suspect I'll find her on her feet when I return." She smiled as Naya brought over a plate, placing it before her with a friendly nod (Aurae's blessing had worked wonders with most of the staff).

"Calling everyday will not impress us, you know." Elára pointed out, writing something down int he contract ledger. "And you won't get paid until your job is finished; that's the contract."

Kat glanced up from her food. "I know that. But she really does need caring for ... if I were to just leave it be, then she could get very ill, and then what good would I have been? You might think me chasing prestige, Quimellë, but patients are patients, and they must always come first ... my grandmother taught me that."

Elára looked at her for a moment, as if deciding what she thought of that, then she shrugged. "As you like, little witch." And closed the book.

Kat rolled her eyes at the woman's back (she'd never have dared done it to her face), and tucked into her meal. Prestige and standing was very important to her, but if she had any weaknesses, it was for poor people in pain, so she'd do her job, even if it cost her time and coin.

All in all, not a bad day for Katarya Frost.
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