He had peeled off his tunic as asked, and Rei let the damp rag sink back into the bowl. She splayed her fingers across the muscles of his lower back, going through the motions of applying light pressure and asking if it illicit any pain response in him. There were several tender spots there. “Black and blue most certainly,” she commented, taking an herb out of a cupboard for pain. She used some of the leftover boiling water to make him a hot cup of black tea and sprinkled the herb powder in it. She handed him the wooden cup. “Drink it even if you don’t like it. It will ease your back.”
Rei drug a small chair across the room and sat in front of him with the bowl in her lap. She soaked the rag before wringing it out, though leaving enough dampness there to clean his wounds. The most prominent was the cut above his eye. Her movements were gentle and practiced. She always took great care when treating someone’s injuries. The rag rolled over the dirtied wound, sweeping up dust and particles as it went and washing out the flesh. “You were lucky. A hair deeper and I would have to stitch this.”
When she finished cleaning the largest cut, she turned her attention to smaller abrasions on his face. Her touch was gentle, still, as she cleaned each and every nick she could find on his body. When she was satisfied that she had gotten all the wounds she could see, she set the bowl aside. “Your poor handsome face will be black and blue tomorrow, too.” She sighed. “At least he got what he deserved, eh?” She beamed, enjoying the pride Wendell was taking in her. “Good there was only one? Let’s hope this just doesn’t happen again.”
She was washing her hands clean when he brought up something she hadn’t expected. Did she use moseke mist? The name didn’t ring a bell. She went to her bedside table where her books on herbs was splayed open and rummaged through the pages until she found it. Also known as Maiden’s Whisper. Now that name rung a bell. “Oh yes, of course. Sorry, I’m just used to people calling it Maiden’s Whisper. I keep a bit here. Take it when I’m supposed to. No worries, darling Wendell.” She came back to his side, leaning over to press a ginger kiss to his lips.
Rei drug a small chair across the room and sat in front of him with the bowl in her lap. She soaked the rag before wringing it out, though leaving enough dampness there to clean his wounds. The most prominent was the cut above his eye. Her movements were gentle and practiced. She always took great care when treating someone’s injuries. The rag rolled over the dirtied wound, sweeping up dust and particles as it went and washing out the flesh. “You were lucky. A hair deeper and I would have to stitch this.”
When she finished cleaning the largest cut, she turned her attention to smaller abrasions on his face. Her touch was gentle, still, as she cleaned each and every nick she could find on his body. When she was satisfied that she had gotten all the wounds she could see, she set the bowl aside. “Your poor handsome face will be black and blue tomorrow, too.” She sighed. “At least he got what he deserved, eh?” She beamed, enjoying the pride Wendell was taking in her. “Good there was only one? Let’s hope this just doesn’t happen again.”
She was washing her hands clean when he brought up something she hadn’t expected. Did she use moseke mist? The name didn’t ring a bell. She went to her bedside table where her books on herbs was splayed open and rummaged through the pages until she found it. Also known as Maiden’s Whisper. Now that name rung a bell. “Oh yes, of course. Sorry, I’m just used to people calling it Maiden’s Whisper. I keep a bit here. Take it when I’m supposed to. No worries, darling Wendell.” She came back to his side, leaning over to press a ginger kiss to his lips.