Tending a Warder\'s Wounds

Old Forest Road

The ancient road through Mirkwood continues to weave and turn its path across the forest. The road is rutted, and damp and soft looking. Around you, the summer wood is thriving.

The road continues east and west, its deep ruts thick with footprints, tracks, and an occasional bleached bone.

Dwarven Camp

Several sturdy waggons form a sturdy half-circle to give form to the fire pit, with canvas tents finishing the circle on the far side. Ponies are picketed nearby.

Contents:Gunnarr, Immin\'s Wagon, Thari\'s Wagon, Frarin\'s Pack Ponies, Caravan of the Baruk Zirak

Gunnarr\'s injuries have some noticeable improvment. The nasty color has left his chest and his leg appears to not be any worse than it was anyhow. The dwarf lies in the wagon bed wide awake. His vision is clear now. Though the dwarf is not in a very good temper. His headache is still present and made all the worse by the very uncomfortable journey from last night. The vibrations and jostling from a moving wagon going as fast as the ponys hitched to it can carry it has made Gunnarr all to aware of how sore his body is.

Eirdis knocks on the door of the wagon once the ponies have stopped to rest, taking time to see to the warder\'s injuries. She enters with her large satchel of supplies and lays it nearby. She waits for him to address her before she begins, out of respect. \"Are you feeling a bit better, cousin? I did what I could at the time. How can I help, aside from tending to your chest, leg and foot?\"

\"Arg, unfortunatly I feel worse though not because of you. The jostling of the wagon has has made the headache come back and aggrivated everything else.\" He sighs a little. \"How bad was the damage from last nights encounter?\" He grits his teeth as yet anouther wave of pain from his head commences. \"Is there anything you can do about the head?\"

\"I haven\'t been able to see to everyone yet, and Ranol could probably give you a better assessment than I. I can give you something for your headache, but it may make you drowsy, and depending on what I use, it could make you sleep. If I may, I\'d like to take a look at your chest, leg and foot while the tea is steeping, though.. It\'ll only take a moment.\" She kneels down beside Gunnarr and smiles warmly. \"I am Eirdis, by the way. My apologies for not coming to you sooner, but Thari needed watching. I fear she has broken quite a few ribs, and her breathing is still rather ragged.\" She frowns a bit and scratches her chin, then takes out some clean bandages and a small hide pouch dyed red and secured with a golden knot. She takes a pinch of the pouch\'s contents and places them in a cup of hot water, setting the cup aside for a moment while she unrolls the fresh wrappings. \"If at all possible, I\'d like to put your foot and leg in a heavy splint so as to immobilize it, and I\'d like to be able to wrap your chest more tightly. Doing these things will help stabilize you when the wagon is moving, and will give you more comfort in the long term.\"

\"Well I don\'t feel to good now anyway so a bit more pain won\'t make any difference.\" The warder says consenting to the healers idea at once. \"Anything to make the wagon journey more comfortable. It looks like I am going to be in here for a while.\" He pauses after hearing Eirdis\'s name, \"Pleased to meet you Eirdis, I am Gunnar son of Vitharr of Bundazanul at your service and your family\'s. I am most grateful for your care.\"

Eirdis clears her throat busily, inclining her head respectfully, having forgotten the customary greeting by being around humans in Bree for so long. \"And my family, small though they are, are at your family\'s service and yours, Gunnar son of Vitharr. Although you need not be grateful or even bother to thank me for what I do it is my duty and my honour to serve our Clans however I may. Allow me to fetch a few blankets so you can lay in a slightly more upright position it will help both your headache and breathing, and by doing so the medicine and treatments I give you can take effect more quickly. It\'s all in how the blood flows, and where, you see.\" She smiles and takes the steeped tea, removing most of the leaves. Grabbing a few blankets, she wads them up and helps the warder to lay back against them. Holding the cup to his lips, the lass smirks a bit. \"Go on, then it isn\'t poison, nor does it tastes like it.\" The licorice root and honey have taken away any bitterness, and the chamomile will help to mildly sedate the warder.

Gunnarr drinks the liquid offered to him. It has a strange tast but is not terrible at all. After finnishing his dose of medicine, he with some difficulty and pain adjusts himself on the blankets to the most comfortable position. \"Ah, that\'s better.\"

Eirdis nods and grins. \"If it wasn\'t, I\'d be worried. Are you comfortable? I\'m going to unbind your chest. Try not to breath to swiftly or deeply, as doing so may cause more pain and harm than good. I need to wash the areas where I put in the stitches, and rebind your chest. Then, I\'ll see to your leg and foot.\"

The dwarf has a lot easier time relaxing than before, but still he doesn\'t relish the prospect of getting his chest ripped open, again. He deliberately slows his breathing down as much as he can and attempts to keep his body relaxed. \"Let\'s get it over with then.\"

Eirdis nods and quickly unwraps the soiled bandages, wrinkling her nose a bit in concentration. She gently places her first two fingers along the stitch lines and makes sure there is no swelling or infection, then stands and fetches a bowl of warm mint-scented water. She dips a cloth in the water, wrings most of the liquid out of the cloth, and begins to bathe the warder\'s wounds gently. \"That isn\'t so bad, now, is it?\" She smiles. \"I thought I\'d have to take the stitches out and restitch your wounds, cousin, but you heal remarkably well indeed.\"

Gunnarr gives a huge sigh of relief. \"I wasn\'t looking forward to having new ones.\" He grins \"Where are we now anyway?\" He looks out the back of the wagon but can\'t distinguish that there was any difference in where they were now from where they were before.

Eirdis chuckles softly and murmurs, \"We\'re someplace in Mirkwood. I\'ve never been very good at giving directions, so I\'ll leave that to Ranol or one of the others, too.\" She gives a lopsided grin and takes the blade of a small knife in her teeth while she rewraps the warder\'s chest, slightly more firmly than previous. \"It will be uncomfortable for a few moments, but as I said, you will be far more comfortable while we\'re travelling than you would have been if I didn\'t do this...\" She winces as she finishes wrapping and cutting the bandages with her little dagger, straightening up and shuddering. \"Hmf.. Suppose I should think about having a nap soon. Haven\'t slept more than an hour each night, mostly less, since that battle with the.. What did it call itself? That orc who thought he was bold as brass.\" She furrows her brows, a headache of her own forming. \"Ugh.. Anyhow, I digress. May I take a look at your leg and foot, please?\"

Gunnarr winces slightly as the needle of the healer goesd into his flesh and does indeed feel pretty sore in the chest after she is finnished. Not wanting to cause more pain by moving anything he just gives the healer a tiny nod. \"Yeah, I need that in good shape if I\'m going to fight again.\"

Eirdis hisses soflty in empathy as the warder winces, and bites her lip apologetically. \"Sorry..\" She frowns darkly and gives the warder a startlingly Thari-esque glare upon his mention of fighting. \"I don\'t care if I have to strap you to the ponies or even sit on you, you will stay away from battle until you\'re quite a lot better than you are at present. Am I making myself clear, Gunnarr son of Vitharr of Bundazanul?\" She snorts and shakes her head. \"Stupid men, always thinking they have to prove themselves with violence. Although I admit, crossing through this sordid wood has proven very dangerous.\" She sighs a bit and unwraps the warder\'s leg, eyeing it carefully. \"You said earlier that you felt numb in your legs?\"

Gunnarr nods, \"Yes, I\'ve been numb since I can remember after I was wounded.\" He laughs, \"I wasn\'t thinking of going into battle immediately, just mentioning that I would need it when I get better.\" He suddenly looks hopeful, \"Can I go on guard duty once I can walk? I wouldn\'t be fighting and the lads need some relief.\"

Eirdis gives the warder a glance. \"That all depends on how your chest heals, and whether I can figure out what is making you numb. It might be shock, but I highly doubt it. I\'ll have to speak with Thari as soon as she\'s well enough to worry about anything other than getting better.. Until then, I don\'t want you even mentioning or thinking of moving from this wagon unless either myself or Thari is here with you. You\'ll rip your stitches, or worse, damage your leg even more, since you can\'t feel it.. I\'ll speak to Ranol about the possibility of your going back on guard duty, Gunnarr, but only once you\'ve rested and gotten yourself in better condition.\" While speaking, she has rewrapped the warder\'s leg and foot and put both in a hard, stiff and heavy protective splint. \"How does that feel?\"

Gunnarr thinks for a moment, \"It still feels numb. Though when you were wrapping it felt tingly. The orc hit to top of the foot and I probably had some spikes puncture the skin... He had a maul hammer.\" He attemps to raise the leg but is largly unsuccesfull. \"Still can\'t do much with it.\"

Eirdis nods and frowns, thinking for a while before speaking. \"Well, you have some feeling in it, that\'s a good sign.\" She straightens up a bit and stretches, almost stifling a yawn. \"I beg your pardon... I haven\'t slept at all since three nights ago. I\'m going to go take a nap, and I advise you to do the same. I will come in and check on you again soon. If you need relief from pain, I will leave three doses of medicine here for you, in individual hide pouches. Have someone simply heat some water and soak the leaves for two minutes, and no longer, otherwise the dose will be much too strong. The tea will also help you sleep.\" She stands, wincing and grimacing as stiff, unsteady legs hold her up, yet her knees visibly shake. \"Is there anything else I can do for you?\"

\"No, I think I am good for now, thank you Eirdis.\" The dwarf rests himself against his blankets while still remaining in a comfortable upright position. \"I shall try to get some sleep I do feel rather drowsey now. Gunnarr\'s eyes close slowly and soon the sound of a content snor can be heard in the wagon.

Eirdis smiles and nods, making her exit quietly and heading to her tent for some much needed sleep. Hopefully she will be able to help Thari and Frarin as well as she has Gunnarr.