Ashes to Ashes - A Mount&Blade: Warband RP

[AurianaValoria1]

Bellatrix took one sip of the potion and nearly spit it out in the dirt, her nose wrinkling and her tongue curling at the taste. She was tempted to pour it out on the ground while the physician had his back turned, but she thought the better of it, instead turning up the bowl and chugging it until it was gone. Dropping the empty bowl by her cot, she was about to try to go to sleep until she saw the good baron making his way through the aisles of wounded soldiers. He had ditched his helmet and was immersed in speaking with several injured men; he would occasionally nod or shake his head and the give a reassuring pat on the shoulders and or arms of those that talked with him.

 

At last, he spied her amongst the sea of cots and bedrolls (over which by now had been erected a large, makeshift, open tent), and he gave her a wry smile as he stepped nimbly by one poor soul and edged his way over to her bedside. She instinctively pulled the sheet higher up under her arms for modesty's sake, wincing as the movement stretched the stitches on her shoulder. Pulling up a stool, Mirchaud sat down next to her and gave her a wry smile, "What cheer, my lady?"

 

She frowned, "My shoulder feels like it's been split in two..."

 

He chuckled, "It very nearly was."

 

In the light of the surgeon's candle, Bella could see that Mirchaud was still quite baby-faced for his age, lending a youthful, almost mischievous charm to his features. His dark eyes seemed to laugh at her a little, and she glanced away, "That was you carrying me off the battlefield...I suppose should thank you for rescuing me."

 

He shook his head, running a hand through his disheveled hair, "I only did what any other self-respecting soldier would do. I was near, saw you fall, and I could not leave you there and risk the enemy capturing you...or worse." He looked at her pointedly, letting his words sink in, "I did not expect you to fall quite so fast, Lady Bellatrix. You should pick your opponents - and your position - a bit more wisely in the future."

 

"I wanted to take out those damned archers," she hissed, blue eyes blazing, "They were downing men left and right...someone had to do it."

 

"And you performed admirably," he grinned, "You simply gave no regard to your own safety. That, I am afraid, is a grave mistake. If you were a commander and your men saw you fall like that, their morale would suffer great damage. And morale is just as key to winning a war as good steel and tempered skill."

 

Bellatrix did not at all like getting chastised like this, but she took the punishment anyway; he was right, of course. And that made it sting all the more.

 

He seemed to notice her discomfort, and he added, "But not to worry, my lady. It is over, and you have survived. That is what is most important, yes?" He smiled gently and took her hand, "Rest well. We will be moving in a day or so." He then briefly kissed her knuckles before standing and slipping away, heading towards more of the injured and the dying. Bellatrix watched after him for a few moments, a smirk pulling at her lips again.

 

'Proper Swadian farewell' my foot.

[GrueMaster]

"Heh, as many a bar patron can likely attest to." Aidan gave a chuckle as he moved to more closely to inspect the young man when the Vaegir commented about Nord fists. "Anyway, let us see what can be done for you. Here, let me tilt your head back a bit..." The bone smith began to gingerly move the man's head back, as to better ascertain the state of things both inside and out of his nose. "So, I am Aidan Airdsgainne, by the way. What be yours?"

Komolov did as Aiden requested, his gaze cast skyward as he replied, "Komolov Yuliy. Airdsgainne, eh? I haven't heard such a name before, in all truth." His tone hinted of pain, but the Vaegir kept as firm a grip on his senses as possible. Upon further inspection, it seemed as though his nose had indeed barely endured a maleficent assault by a strong-armed fist.

"Well, I am not originally from these lands, so I would expect as much," Aidan replied, before nodding both at Komolov's attempt at fixing his nose, and the self-control he was maintaining whilst enduring pain (having not missed the Vaegir's tone). "Well, Komolov," he said, leaning away to grab a nearby bucket of water and his bandages. "You've done a decent job of straightening your own nose, but the inside of it, from what I can tell in this light, leaves a little to be desired. I'm going to need to clean it a little first, so sit still." He dampened a linen, then began to carefully clean the broken nose. "So, what brought you here?" Aidan asked, trying to help keep Komolov's mind on other things as he worked.

Focusing intently on their discussion as a distraction, Komolov closed his eyes while the bone smith carefully cleaned up the Vaegir's broken nose. "What brought me here." He mused thoughtfully, "The promise of denar, I suppose. I am a sellsword under Mirchaud's command, at present." A slight cringe rattled the Vaegir's body, and he bit his lip in concentration. "... An odd patron for a Vaegir, but a patron nonetheless..." He added several breaths later.

"Fair enough," the bone smith said simply. "It does pay for food and rent, I suppose. I am practically a sellsword under Mirchaud myself, if you look at it..." He tossed the now-sullied cloth to the side and pulled out new two strips of the material and his jar of goldenseal root once again. Going to need to make sure that doesn't heal poorly...

Aidan applied the salve on the linens and rolled them firmly until they were of the desired thickness, keeping the tincture on the exposed side of the roll and tearing off the excess. Now holding two medicated nose-plugs nearing two-and-a-half inches in length in one hand, he picked up a thick leather strap, folding it before handing it to Komolov. "Here," Aidan said as he did so. "You are going to want to bite down on that..." He is not going to like this... he thought, and, as soon as the young man complied, began placing the linen plugs, slowly twisting them into place to make sure the septum was aligned and supported properly and did not heal crookedly.

The Vaegir immediately, almost ravenously bit down upon the folded leather strip, and an audible, somewhat primeval vocalization erupted from deep within him, betraying his already evident disposition. In spite of his pain, Komolov remained rigidly still as Aidan lodged the linen rolls deeply into his nose; all the while, the Vaegir kept his eyes shut tightly.

Quietly finishing the placement of the rolls, the bone smith placed both hands on either side of Komolov's nose. "Now, I need to do one last alignment before we are done," he said calmly. "I'll do this on the count of three, so brace yourself... Ready? ...... Three!" Aidan cried suddenly, and with a soft *Crick-crack* gave one last even pull and press on the nose, straightening it out one last time, before stepping back. "There, I am finished," he stated matter-of-factly as he stepped away and began shifting through his medical supplies, letting the Vaegir vent as he willed.

Cringing noticeably, Komolov did not anticipate Aiden's final gesture that resulted in sudden, rejuvenated pain radiating from Komolov's readjusted nose. Once the bone smith mentioned that he was finished, the Vaegir spat out the leather strip and grumbled in pain, "Better off wrestling a leopard than brawling a Nord son of a..." His voice trailed off as he dug into his satchel and recovered a familiar half-empty bottle of vodka. The Vaegir's leering emerald gaze all but tossed a dagger or several in the physician's backside before he took a drink from his bottle.

 

Pretending not to notice Komolov's glare, Aidan pulled out a small jar of boneknit salve and a few more clean strips of bandages, and approached the now-drinking man. "Now, those things are going to need to stay there until tomorrow," he said, giving out directions. "No exceptions. As soon as you wake up, take out those bandages, *carefully* clean out your nose-nothing extreme, just a touch of water will do- and then replace them with these bandages. You may take a short break first and breathe easy before you do so."

 

The bone smith handed Komolov the bandages and salve before continuing. "Make sure, however, to apply that salve to the linens first before you roll and place them. It will help speed along the healing." Aidan, done giving directions, packed up his things and prepared to move on to the next patient. "As there are additional people who are in need of my services, I must go now. " He said, giving a polite nod. "And please, don't forget my directions or lose those supplies I've given you, " he asked, gesturing towards the bottle of alcohol in Komolov's hand. "I won't be replacing them if you do. Take care, Komolov, and do try to avoid any further brawls." The bone smith deadpanned as he said his farewell, before walking away; there were others that needed medical attention.

Komolov nodded briefly, listening with intent before Aidan gave him the spare salve and bandages as well as instructions on when and how to use them. Depositing the items away in a separate interior pocket within his satchel, the Vaegir nodded again at the bone smith's departure. "As soon as I wake, wash and apply the salve to the bandages beforehand... You have my gratitude, best of luck." He said lastly before standing, taking another drink.

Edited August 25, 2015 by GrueMaster

[AurianaValoria1]

Four days later

 

Bellatrix flexed her wounded arm and looked up at the parapets of Knudarr Castle in the distance. Jarl Haeda's fortress was a small one, but stout - round towers dominated the structure, so it could not easily be undermined. That, and it sat on a chunk of rock at the top of a small hill, a creek serving as a natural moat. Thus, besieging this castle would be a literal uphill battle, and due to the placement of the crenelations, ladders would not suffice. Thus, Mirchaud had ordered the building of a siege tower, which would make coming over the walls a substantially easier task.

 

That wasn't saying much.

 

They had left the Swadian camp and parted ways with the rest of the Swadian army, making their way into the woods to the northeast to deal vengeance against Jarl Haeda for his trespass at Amere. Scouts reported at least eighty men manning the fortress, and they had all barricaded themselves inside as Mirchaud's army approached. The two forces were fairly evenly matched in terms of numbers, which the baron had bolstered with reinforcements from his peers, but Bellatrix was still not sure he could take the castle; she was not the only one amongst the injured of Mirchaud's host.

 

Sitting beneath a tree on the edge of their siege camp, she watched the men building the tower. It would take another twenty four hours at least to construct, and so they were just biding their time while the Jarl's men huddled in their keep and depleted their food stores.

[FreemasonGamer]

Four days the Vaegir spent carefully tending to his gradually-mending injuries which he had received during the successful battle of first blood against the Nordic forces of Jarl Haeda. For four days, he maintained the well-enough condition of his steed and the nigh-pristine condition of his equipment; the tasks were essentially intended to occupy his unusually plentiful amounts of spare time. Throughout the entirety of those four days, Komolov waited for a response from his brethren of Ayyike whom he had contacted in hopes of bolstering the numbers of their forces, but a response from his brethren he never received. Disheartened and disappointed—yet not entirely surprised, either—he continued onward as the lone Vaegir under the baron's command as the Swadian army was mobilized, its encampment dismantled before those who were capable followed Mirchaud's lead to Knudarr Castle.

 

Once a siege camp had been established neighboring the fortress's vicinity, Komolov offered his assistance scouting to coincide with the Swadians' reconnaissance efforts. Although, a certain anxiety had taken root within Komolov's sober spirit; why did his lifelong companions not seize an opportunity to aid and fight alongside him? Did the Vaegir's fellow huntsmen value their lives over foreign denar? Was there truly such little hope in the endeavors Komolov had presented to them? Such thoughts often loomed menacingly within Komolov's mind, though he frequently busied himself to prevent any dark brooding that might have further hindered his morale or even dampen that of those around him.

 

When word quickly spread—on the fourth day, to be specific—that a siege tower was necessary in order to breach the defenses of Knudarr Castle, the Vaegir did not hesitate that day before approaching their leader directly. After a tense conversation with none other than Mirchaud himself, Komolov was granted a place atop the highest perch of the Swadian siege tower, shoulder to shoulder with the best marksmen at the baron's command. With such an opportunity to prove himself within his grasp, Komolov suppressed his uncertainty as best he could as the day of the siege drew ever closer.

 

On the eve following his discussion with the baron, the Vaegir happened upon the sight of Bellatrix resting beneath a tree as she witnessed the Swadians continue the construction of the siege tower; arching a brow, Komolov strode up to her side and watched the carpenters and engineers craft their machine of war.

 

"May I suggest a less rambunctious plan of attack when you follow Mirchaud to the walls of Knudarr, dearest war maiden?" The Vaegir jeered to his comrade, who was unknowingly one of the lone few he felt comfortable bantering in the presence of, "It'd be unfortunate if either of us fall prey to the cornered animals lurking within them; I'm still curious of what all is in store for our charming little brigade after all this."

[GrueMaster]

Damn that fool! Aidan thought as he angrily paced throughout the siege camp. Passers-by quickly stepped out of the way of the agitated smith, surgeon's kit and robes now replaced by a chain shirt, with a large knight-hammer and kite shield slung on his back, alongside a light crossbow and bolt quiver. Being pragmatic, the bone smith did not want to be caught in a surprise attack without the proper equipment. He had been like this for four days now; he had requested emphatically for Mirchaud to pause a few days in this conflict to allow for the wounded to recover, or at least to the point where they could be moved safely. Not only was Aidan denied, the Swadian lord had immediately ordered the army to move the very next day and to begin preparations for a siege.

 

We'll lose a fair number of troops that would have otherwise healed entirely... such a waste... So deeply frustrated by this as he mulled over what he considered to be a severe mistake, Aidan nearly ran into the young Vaegir he had treated that first day. "Pardon me, Komolov," he apologized, distractedly, before noticing Bellatrix was there as well. "And greetings to you as well, Bellatrix," he added, following with a short laugh as he connected the source of the vodka now. "Ah, so you two know each other... how ironic it is that one of my patients procured the alcohol to clean the wound of the other."

 

"This is not right," the bone smith protested quietly, his mirth now replaced with disgust as he looked at the Nord castle up ahead. "Mirchaud is pushing his men in his haste to secure victory... hmph... won't be much of one if he gets all of the injured killed because they didn't get the time to heal..."

 

Aidan looked at Komolov, squinting momentarily at the Vaegir. "I see you've followed my directions," he said approvingly. "Seems you have a good head on your shoulders, after all." He paused a moment, before sighing. "Well, it should help you tomorrow, I suppose. You'll likely be at the front of the line, as you seem to be one of our soldiers who isn't injured." Aidan then looked at Bellatrix. "Well, at least you get to stay back a ways... that arm of yours isn't quite ready for such strenuous endeavors. You will be staying here in the camp, correct?" the bone smith assumed, looking at the woman in askance.

Edited August 31, 2015 by GrueMaster

[AurianaValoria1]

Bellatrix rolled her eyes at Komolov, "Hiding in the back gets nothing accomplished, you know. Sometimes you have to risk a little to gain a lot." She sighed and added, "And I assume that, should we seize control of this castle like we probably will, we'll be sleeping in their beds in a few nights. But...better check them for bugs first."

 

When Aidan posed his question, the sword sister's temper flared, "No, I won't. We need every available weapon out there, and I won't let this stop me," she pointed at her arm, "Maybe you should stay behind. Your fussing and fretting like an old wet hen is making me think you belong there instead."

[FreemasonGamer]

Komolov chuckled in response to Bella's eye-rolling, though his amusement quickly withered when her temper flared towards Aidan upon his arrival and inquiries. Soon intervening, the Vaegir replied to them both, "I'm sure Bellatrix can handle herself thanks to your handiwork, master Aidan. Besides, she is right in that brooding over what cannot be changed is a fool's errand."

 

Sparing a glance at Bellatrix in hopes of her anger being alleviated, Komolov returns his attention to Aidan before noting the kite shield, warhammer, and crossbow slung over the physician's shoulders. Whistling in slight admiration, the Vaegir inquired, "Outfitted for much more than solely mending wounds, eh? How adept are you with that crossbow, friend?"

Edited September 2, 2015 by FreemasonGamer

[GrueMaster]

Aidan merely laughed at Bellatrix's outburst, before giving her a deathly-serious look. "When you push yourself as healthy person, there isn't much to worry over when you strain yourself. For someone who's injured, however, further aggravation of one's injuries can lead to permanent or near-permanent consequences. But," he sighed, "I can see there will be no convincing you, otherwise, Bellatrix. Do as you please in this. After all," he said with mild sarcasm. "I am merely a physician who knows his practice. Just remember: I won't cater to fools who injure themselves."

 

The bone smith gave a dark chuckle when Komolov whistled at his arraignment. "Oh, I am always a surgeon, first and foremost, dear Komolov. I simply use this" Aidan said, gesturing to the knight-hammer," to surgically remove people's lives from their bodies. The crossbow is simply for dealing with those occasionally hard-to-reach thorns. Alas," he mockingly lamented, "as a physician is far better at treating someone when they are right next to the patient, the same goes for me in this situation, and so my marksman skills leave something to be desired."

 

Aidan fell silent for a moment, pondering the possibilities of tomorrow's events. He appreciated the Vaegir's wit, a commodity he hasn't gotten to enjoy much in Calradia; and Bellatrix's stubbornness and spirit, though annoying, was oddly refreshing. The smith found he felt he would be losing something if he didn't try to look out for these former patients of his. "Komolov, Bellatrix...there's a philosophy I like to follow at times like this: Sometimes the best treatment for an injury is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. Sometimes this means removing the... means by which it would occur." Looking at both of them, Aidan continued to speak. "As your physician, I can hardly allow two foolish patients of mine to go and get themselves killed, and if I can't get them to stay put in bed, I suppose I shall have to crush every poor sod who threatens them."

 

"So, I believe I will be joining the two of you tomorrow." He gave a grim smile. "I'll be able to watch over you two, and provide "treatment" to our foes at the same time. I find this rather agreeable, don't you?"

[AurianaValoria1]

Bellatrix smiled a little at the physician's reasoning, "Well...I think your method of treatment is something I can agree with, yes." She shifted positions, pulling one leg under her, "Though...you might not have to watch over us as much as you suspect. I, for one, don't plan on making the same mistakes again." The warrioress patted the bow that rested in its quiver beside her, "Trust me."

[FreemasonGamer]

Upon witnessing Bellatrix reply to and reassure Aidan in the most generalized of senses, Komolov crossed his arms and gave a slight laugh. "Aforementioned mistakes being Khergit nonsense involving archery from horseback?" He replied with a confident smirk.

 

"When you fire that bow, be sure to keep two steady feet beneath you. That's how I get by." The Vaegir mused, undoubtedly telling the sword sister something she should very well know. "It's how I'll get by atop that beauty." He noted, tilting his head in the direction of Mirchaud's siege tower.

Edited September 3, 2015 by FreemasonGamer