Xanadu Weyr - Infirmary
The infirmary here is intended for human care. It is spotless and smells of disinfectant, cots are lined up against one wall, a curtain can be pulled to give some privacy to the occupants of the cots if they so desire. A cabinet stands off against another wall, instruments and medications stored against when they will be needed. A couple of curtained off beds are used for examinations of patients and the treatment of minor injuries which won't require long term care. A desk with chair is just off of the doorway for the healer to sit and catch up on record keeping after a long days work.
The day is bleek, and the clouds are moving in overhead, some of them dark and promising rain as is typical during late autumn. Phylicia however, is currently inside the infirmary, dressed again in that hiking gear she was in the day before. It's the early afternoon, so most people - including her - have likely eaten lunch a short while ago. Phy is in the infirmary, a fair sized satchel under the desk, helping a master out at a bedside … by holding a jar within easy reach.
The doorway to the infirmary slides open, and Tenebrous slinks in, a large pack on his own shoulders. He nods once to the On Duty, his hood low over his eyes, and simply waits along a wall, allowing his bag to slide down to the floor.
Since Phylicia's attention is being /oh-so/ occupied by holding a jar of ointment for the master who is just conferring with the patient now, she notices as the door slides open and Tenebrous slips in. She gently touches the master on the shoulder and he nods to her, so she caps the jar, placing in on the stand next to the cot and then moves to approach Tene. "They already know I was waiting for you." She says simply, moving to the desk. She pulls out the satchel, which for two days time, looks frightfully light. But then out comes another, which could almost rival his in size. The larger one gets slung over her shoulders first, and she merely grips the smaller one. "One full change of clothes and emergency information." Medical and family included. Ha, see? She's a good girl.
Tenebrous grunts once. "Well done. In return, I have something that you may find useful, given the front that's about to roll in." He reaches into his own, large pack, and a moment later, comes up with a rolled pack of hide. He flips a thong that holds it bound, and it unrolls into a smaller, but no less protective hide coat, completely with a deeply yoked hood. He offers it to her, arm extended. "It seemed…fitting."
Phylicia actually laughs, though she keeps it a bit hushed. "Oh /good/. Now we can match." She jokes, setting the lighter pack down to carefully take the coat from him, grinning. "Seriously though, thanks. The headwoman had /no/ good coats she could find. At least nothing that wouldn't drown me." The coat gets hugged closer, and with a small touch of juggling, she has it and the smaller pack back in her arms.
Tenebrous tilts his head. "I do not understand. What is the significance of matching?" With the coat handed over, he hauls his own pack up again, face still curious. "I provided you with the coat out of necessity."
Phylicia just looks at Tenebrous for a second, blinking. "It.. was a joke." She says after a few moments. And she's not entirely sure she wants to go any further into it than that. So instead, she re-settles the larger pack, resembling something of a pack mule at the moment. "Though I really am thankful for it. The best coat the headwoman had in my size had holes in just about every seam." And we won't mention her (lack) of sewing skills. She moves forward a little bit, but then pauses by the door. "And I have /no/ clue which way we're going…"
Tenebrous murmurs, "We'll work on that, too, trust me." Then he tilts his head again. "If you're ready, we'll begin. Tonight, we make camp in the woods, at Stormhaven." He eyes her load and then holds a hand out. "Give me the big one. I'd rather you be light on your feet in case we need to move quickly."
Phylicia's jaw slackens for a moment, but she starts to take the larger sack off of her shoulders. "But it's the heavier one…" Well DUH. It's why he's taking it. She places the larger strap in his awaiting hand, and then shifts puts the coat on, just incase it starts to pour on them, before shrugging on the lighter pack and nodding to signal her readiness. "Ahm. I never studied maps much. Where's Stormhaven?" Well, at least he can be sure she won't be hesitant about asking questions.
Tenebrous slings the larger pack up onto his shoulder next to his own, checking a few buckles before murmuring, "Stormhaven is nowhere, and that's the way I'd like it to stay. It's not on any map, in a section of the forest that few are foolish enough to try and get to." Without another word, he opens the door to the Infirmary and slips out into iron skies and the promise of a cold evening…
Xanadu Weyr - Clearing
A wide clearing stretches from east to west, the ground packed hard although grass grows across most of it. Trees are strictly forbidden in this space, their danger to the constant draconic traffic reason enough to banish them to the forest that creates a this and sharp border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places with upturned petals to wave to whoever may be looking.
The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the mountain where, high above, Xanadu's Star Stones and the ever present watchdragon sit on a lonely peak. Directly south is a massive tunnel, fully wide enough for even the largest dragon to fly down. Southeast are wide steps leading up to the Caverns and eastwards is the large entrance to the Infirmary. Somewhat north of the Infirmary is a human sized archway that has a frequent quantity of traffic — it leads to the Tavern. Southwest lies the low ledges currently belonging to Xanadu's queens while north and west a broad path cut by the side of the cliff leads to the Feeding Grounds and due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr.
Phylicia hopefully won't get too cold. The young healer has packed woolen things, as well as a dense woolen blanket or two. Part of why her pack is its size. "Have I mentioned that sometimes you just make me feel so … safe?" She asks his back, her tone heavy with light sarcasm. It's a good thing she still has that long dagger. Not that she knows how to use it beyond slashing. But then again, she's not supposed to feel safe, or she'd likely do something stupid.
Tenebrous doesn't shrug or respond with any humor of his own, merely offering, "That's why little girls don't play the game, Phylicia. You wanted to sit in the chair." Once he's clear of the clearing proper, his form changes entirely, slouching with every step, moving with more fluid grace. His pace begins to pick up from a walk to a ground-eating lope, and soon, he's near the treeline to the forest.
Phylicia watches as Tenebrous goes into a lope and her face just pales. She's supposed to keep up with /that/? Well, either way she picks up a jog, attempting to keep up with him. She'll fail at that soon enough. "So I did. And I will. You just have to give me time to.. to.. tone up!" She calls after him, no where near as graceful.
Xanadu Weyr - Forest
In sharp contrast to the treeless, carefully manicured look of the main clearing, the forest is full of trees, and maintains most of its natural look. Wild flowers grow in their seasons, bordering the road leading from the main clearing as weaves its way between the stands of trees - wide enough for traffic of all types, even draconic. Leading off are several smaller, less worn trails, which branch outwards, making their way to private residences and other attractions - the theater for example. The road, though, continues on eastward, to the feeding grounds and the mine, and beyond that, to the coastal road out of Xanadu's territory.
Amongst the normal weyrs scattered amongst the trees, there is one that is undergoing construction. A large, four-sided structure is protruding, supported by thick wood beams, bearing a ledge, and four large clock faces. It towers over the trees, creating quite a sight for arriving riders.
Tenebrous brings that ground-eating lope to a halt when he enters the forest proper, moving at a slower, more measured walk. When Phylicia arrives as well, he stops near a tree. "And now we begin," he murmurs to her. "I have pictures back at Stormhaven of plants that I expect you to identify each day, but for now, simply enjoy, and be alert. The woods are alive around you with things large and small. Learning begins with awareness and respect. Come. I will lead you on a path through this area that will take you away from any hazardous plants." And off he goes, moving at a much more managable pace.
Phylicia is panting lightly by the time she catches up with Tenebrous at the forest's edge, gladly taking that moment's rest before they start off at a walk this time. Since the clouds haven't opened up on them yet, she lets the hood stay off, taking in a deep breath, which scents heavily of to-come rain. But after the breath her attention sharpens, though the smile doesn't leave her lips. If it's just paying attention for now, that one she can - and will most willingly - do.
Tenebrous paces along slowly now, weaving in and out of objects with that slouched gait of his, body like a low-slung hunting hound. "Questions as we walk?" His course takes him further into the deep woods, and towards a clearing…
Xanadu Weyr - Deep Forest Clearing
Between stepping over tree roots and pushing your way through ambitiously high bushes, you almost stumble into the clearing before you. Some bizarre force of nature has pushed the trees outwards to form a rough circle that is nearly one hundred feet across at its center. Low grass covers its interior, and curious looking bushes appear to have been transplanted from elsewhere, forming an isle down it's middle. Their blooms are vibrantly colored and each bush has a strong, pungent aroma that suggests something beyond the ordinary about the flora in this area.
A large patch of earth off to one side is home to a circle of stones, ash in the center, and a sturdy log has been dragged before it, possibly as a makeshift bench. The earth has been freshly turned in several locations, suggesting that something was buried within the last month. All in all, it appears to be a delightful camping spot. It would be almost idyllic, except for the subtle presence of animal tracks found near the circle's edge and around the makeshift fire pit. The tracks have clearly not been made by man or dragon kin.
The path that runs east-west through the forest can clearly be seen here, though it begins to turn north near the west end of the clearing.
Phylicia's eyes dart from tree to tree, plant to plant. And Tenebrous breaks her slight concentration. "Questions?" She repeats softly. It's like she doesn't want to raise her voice very loud in the forest, as if it seems wrong to. "Is my head going to explode again?" Comes the half-serious question. The answer is probably yes. And then she sighs in envy as she watches how he moves in the forest, not coming near to even echo'ing it. "But, when you say I need to understand it all, how 'all' are we talking? I'm not a Herder…"
Tenebrous waves a hand. "Plants are your concern, and all things that concern plants. You will learn plants, botany, herb and its lore. How to move among all those things without disturbing them, and how to mvoe among them when disturbing them is not an issue." In other words, how best to run your butt off in case of emergency. "The weather and the march of the seasons concerns the plants, and every plant has its time." A pause. "And the creatures that live among the plants…the ones you need be aware of."
Phylicia is probably going to develop even better calf muscles under Tenebrous' tutelage, as she considers the meaning of those words. "I just volenteered myself for something like the candidate's survival camp, didn't I?" She asks, though there's very little regret in her voice. If anything, there's more anticipation. "Will there be much active, this close to winter?" Oh look. A smart question.
Tenebrous shrugs a little. "More than one might expect. Because this region of Pern stays so temparate, there are only a few killing frosts every year. Several of the plants never truly hibernate. It's a good time to learn about seedlings and dormant plants, as well as some of the…other things that live in the forest." He moves through the clearing towards a steep incline on the north side. "Be very careful here. Stormhaven is not entered lightly…" Then he ghosts away down the trail.
Xanadu Weyr - Deep Forest Trail
The trail that runs through the forest becomes more difficult to follow here, the ground more treacherous. Dead leaves and loosely packed earth make footing harder to find and the trail frequently doubles back on itself at sharp angles, often dropping downward at an alarming rate. Much of the path's borders are choked with tall, leafy vegetation, making further exploration a dangerous prospect at best and nearly suicidal at worst. At various intervals along the path, the ground along the upward slope appears to have been ripped away, carved out by some massive force of nature. Bare earth is visible in ugly patches of wet and dry, the gnarled roots of trees reaching out hungrily like the claws of some arboreal nightmare.
The farther down one travels, the louder the noises of the forest become, until they seem nearly deafening at the bottom of the gorge. Looking up the steep trail to the southeast, it becomes obvious that, if anyone were to fall down that slope, no one would ever be able to hear their cries for help.
Phylicia is thankful that Tenebrous is keeping his pace to a walk, because otherwise she'd be in trouble. She only walks where he has, keeping a careful eye on his path while still trying to pay attention to her surroundings and the condition of the plants. Not like many of those will change within a day. "No, it really isn't." She huffs at the incline she's expected to take, eyeing it dubiously for a moment before continuing on again, occasionally pausing to test her footing. "You do this on a regular basis?" There's a touch of disbelief to her voice.
Tenebrous nods once, his tone careful. "Very regular. The only other way out of the Haven is through the mountains, and that is a path I haven't taken enough times to be comfortable with it. Even this is a cautious trek, and one that should never be made if it can be helped when raining. The run-off from higher ground turns this into a graveyard. Even the animals keep to higher ground." At last, however, the two of them reach the bottom, and Tenebrous murmurs, "Though it looks daunting, stay on to the north, through here…" And into the plantlife he vanishes. It is only on the other side, when they break into the open that Tenebrous murmurs, "Welcome to Stormhaven, Phylicia…"
Xanadu Weyr - Deep Forest Waterfall
"How could I have possibly missed this?" Anyone who frequently travels the deep woods between Xanadu Weyr and the mountains to the west might ask themselves that question upon stumbling onto this place for the first time. A waterfall, easily a hundred feet tall, dominates the immediate area, commanding attention. Like something from a storybook, it stands before you, flanked on either side by sentinel trees and mountain brush mired in stone-spotted soil. Water cascades over a beaten rock face at its peak, flowing down in a white-capped torrent to crash into a small, crystal clear pond below.
Not content to remain where it is, the pond appears to have carved a great trench into the earth, through which a stream now flows, traveling further west towards a massive rock wall in the distance. The stream bisects the area, and a narrow point some 30 feet away from the pond itself makes for an easy jump to the other side. The shore around the pond's immediate edge appears to be mostly soil and large slabs of rock, but that gives way to a grass field after only a few feet, a touch that gives the entire area an idyllic feel. The air is fresh and clean with the bite of cool mountain water and the tang of forest life. It is alive, this place.
Phylicia steps through the plants, a few paces behind her mentor and pauses. Her breathing is heavier, but she's not outright panting. But upon taking a look her breathing stops, and her jaw drops leaving her mouth to hang open just slightly. Hey, y'wanna remind her to breath? Oxygen is a good thing. She's young enough to be sold on the beauty of the place alone, even with the threatening storm. And Phy can't even think of a thing to say, stuck in place as she is.
Tenebrous glances over at the young woman who has decided to throw her lot in with his and actually smiles, a real, genuine smile. "Yeah," he murmurs. "Me too." Then he starts over to the edge of the pong and follows its bank around to the base of the waterfall's massive flanking stones. "I spend a great deal of time here, and as my student, you are welcome to as well, though I ask that you bring no one here without warning me first. Stormhaven is as much a refuge of the mind as it is the body."
Phylicia starts as Tenebrous speaks to her, which starts the air flowing back to her lungs and causes her to blink. The fact that he's actually smiling doesn't seem to throw her for a loop either as she takes a few long (for her) strides further into idylic place. "I probably won't come here without you. That slope was … something else." She says, though her smile is still broad as she follows him closer to the waterfall, pulling up the hood against the mist the splashing water creates. Okay yeah. No more commentary about hooded people for her.
Tenebrous nods once. "MOst likely a wise course of action, until you accustom yourself to the terrain." He smiles almost wistfully at the water of the pond. "I enjoy the fall and winder here a great deal, but spring and summer are a great pleasure to behold in this place. The differences in temparature make swimming in this water a truly magnificent experience. "
Phylicia looks to the water of the pond, her eyes briefly following the stream that flows from it. "The temparature now is … probably not something I'd enjoy." She chuckles, croutching down to stick her fingers into the water to judge. "Might be just a /bit/ of a shock." She takes her hand out of the water, and shakes the dripping water off with a few quick flicks of her wrist.
Tenebrous smirks. "At least all of your delicate bits are on the inside. I've tried swimming in this during the colder seasons. It's not an experience I'd care to repeat…" He reaches around onto the rockface itself, feeling for something, before making a satisfied sound. N "Normally, what I'm about to show you is accessed through the water, but givne the time of year, I've had to find another way. Be careful." Very slowly, he begins moving along the wall itself, his course eventually taking him out over the water…and then into the wall itself, vanishing from sight.
Xanadu Weyr - Waterfall Cave
Cleverly hidden behind the illusion of stone, a cave has formed at the base of the waterfall itself, large enough to host several individuals comfortably, or one person and a dragon. The walls are moist and textured, with small rivulets of water draining from the cave floor down into the pond beyond. Moving further back into the cave finds a dry floor and a smooth rear wall. Two sturdy camp chairs lean up against the back wall, along with a generous bedroll, wrapped in water-tight animal skins. A small bundle of firewood rests off of the floor on a makeshift stand, drying.
The roar of the falls is loud here, making conversation difficult from any range other than close, and the sheer volume of water makes it almost impossible to see through to the forest beyond. The only way out appears to be via the water, back the way you came.
"/Most/ of my bits are inside." Phylicia calls from the outside as she tentatively feels where Tenebrous had his hands, looking carefully before following, and more shuffling her feet than actually walking, unless the stone demands her to lift her feet. "I'm sorry, but a female's chest is still sensitive to changes like that." She pratically has to scream over the roaring of the water, but that doesn't deter her much. And a few moments later she appears, having found the tiny little path. How he's not deaf is beyond her.
Within the cave, Tenebrous has already shed his pack onto one of the bedrolls, and has begun prepping a fire. Small, dried logs are arranged in an efficient circle before he adds a wad of tinder to its base, and then reaches into his satchel. he comes out, cupping something in one hand, and murmurs, "Preserve…" Then he quickly clenches that first of his, and releases an instant later. In his palm, a small gout of flame erupts, a golden pillar of flame, and he holds ot up to the prepped fire, apparently feeling no pain at all.
Phylicia is just going to die of shock one of these times, after Tenebrous pulls a trick. As it is, she barely suppresses a shriek as his hand is suddenly on fire, and he doesn't seem to care. "What in the name of Thread are you /doing/?" is the reaction he gets though, which isn't much better than a scream. Hurried steps take her next to his side, a hand going to his shoulder, her lighter pack getting dumped to the ground.
Tenebrous jumps visibly when she screams, and the fire rolls around in his hand for a moment before he closes his fist over it with a hiss. "Going deaf, first and foremost. Empty shell, misss, relax." He opens his fist slowly, revealing three objects. Two of them are small, about the size of peas, and are black in color. The third is larger, a little bigger than a golf ball. "Two minerals, when rubbed, create heat and a spark. The spark ignites the third obeject, a ball of cotton that's bound with thread and soakedin flammable liquid." He eyes her. "Do *not*…scream." He clenches his fist again, opening it a fraction of a second later. That golden billow of flame leaps up, his hand unharmed. "Physics demands that the heat goes up. Not down into the flesh."
Phylicia takes her hand from his shoulder, though she stays put just where she is. "I wouldn't've screamed if you would've /warned/ me you were lighting your hand on fire." She protests, trying not to sound like a sulky teenage girl. She looks to one of the camp chairs, and then makes her way over to one, sitting down in it. "But there's still /fire/. In your /hand/." She doesn't seem to grasp the concept that it wouldn't hurt. "Doesn't it hurt at all?" Thankfully her tone has dropped back more to a normal level, though her face is slightly flushed from the fright.
Tenebrous nods once. "Here. If this makes it any easier…" He begins rolling the ball of flame around his hand, causing it to lurch wildly in the air. After a moment, he simply tosses it up into the air, catching it carefully with the other hand. "See? No pain. And no screaming." He holds that flame-filled hand to her. "Let me see your hand. Palm up, fingers spread.
"
Phylicia looks warily at his flame-filled hand, knowing exactly what he's going to do once she holds out her hand. "You're crazy." She says flatly. "I'm crazy for letting you do this." She continues on before she holds out her hand, palm up and fingers spread. Yeah, she really is crazy for wanting to do /any/ of this mentorship with him. But crazy is fun!
Tenebrous murmurs, "Steady hand. And for Thread's sake, don't throw it around in here…" Very gently, he allows the ball of flame to roll out of his hand and into hers. The ball is almost cool at first when the ball lands, but then it grows warm. And warm only. The heat radiating from the flame above is clearly felt, but below, where the flame is blue, it's just warm enough to be noticed. "Eventually, the fuel inside of the cloth dries out, and they have to be resoaked, but that process only takes a few minutes. It will take me a little time, but I intend on making you a set as well. It's useful for light, useful for lighting a fire, and useful for scaring off…shadows. Among other things. When you're done with it, allow the chemicals to drop between your fingers, and then squeeze your fist. Quickly."
Phylicia holds back her flinch as he rolls the ball into her hand, and she almost lets it roll right off her hand, before she cups it just slightly enough where it won't roll off. "This is… this is…" She seems to be at a loss for words. "Crazy." She's getting awfully fond of that one word today. "There really isn't much heat to it." And very carefully, with her other hand a safe distance away, she runs it along the length of the flame, just to confirm where all the heat is, before she looks up, giving him a flat look. "Oh give me some credit. I'm not dumb enough to go throwing fire around period." Much less where there are burnable things. "What're the two minerals that cause the spark?" With a little bit of fiddling, she gets the pea-sized minerals off her hands, and quickly closes her hand around the flaming ball, only to open it a moment later to see just a normal-looking cotton ball wrapped in thread.
Tenebrous shakes his head. "I'm not exactly sure that their names are, but according to the geologists, they're a close approximation to old terran flint and steel. The hunters and beast-crafters use them when they're out and about for starting fires, and I borrowed a few sets when I was younger to experiment." He grins a little. "My first tests were somewhat less than successful." He gestures at the fireball. "What you're holding is my final product. I don't talk about it much, for various reasons." He gestures to the laid firewood. "If you wouldn't mind. DOn't forget to close your fist and remove your hand once the tinder takes. The fire in your hand is substantially less hot than what you'll get from the wood…"
"Huh." Is what comes from Phylicia as she deposits the minerals back in her hand. Before she lights the ball though, she slips out of the chair, down by the built fire and then squeezes. Feeling a bit of heat, she opens her hand to a small piller of flame, and removes the minerals before continuing. "'Somewhat less than successful'?" She repeats, holding back a laugh. "I don't think I even want to know." She says, lowering her hand towards the tinder, trying to coax an area of it to take. After it does, she quickly pulls her hand away in a controlled fashion closes her fist again to estinquish it, watching the fire take to the rest of the tinder and even some of the bigger pieces.
Tenebrous nods once. "You're better at that than I was. I couldn't do it with my hand, at first. I would light a little stick and use that, rather than the ball itself." He nods to the ball in her hand. "Don't forget to thank it when you're done." Then he turns to one of the bedrolls and begins preparing it. OUtside, the low, angry rumble of thunder is heard beyond the roar of the waterfall.
Phylicia offers a grin. "I've talented hands. Or so I'm told." And then she looks at him, then down to the un-lit cotton ball. "Ah, what?" She's not used to talking to inanimate objects and the thunder outside attracts her attention for a few moments as her smile fades a little. "At least we won't really notice the rain in here." Partially because it's already wet from being behind and under a waterfall.
Tenebrous turns back to her, holding his hand out for the lighters and the fireball. "The light. Remember to thank it. Or thank something." He gestures outside. "We work in a forest, with the forest, young miss. Above all else, we should worry about fire. All I ask when I use it is that everything is preserved, and I thank it when it's done. Only a fool is thankless. Thank yourself if you must, but we're in the middle of the largest tinderbox on the south continent."
Phylicia isn't thankless! Just … uncomfortable talking to things that can't at least make an animal's sound back. "Um, thank you." She murmurs very quietly to the little cotton ball and mineral stones, before putting them back into Tenebrous' waiting hand. "Does it count if you, y'know, just … /feel/ thankful?" She slides back into the chair she had left for just a moment, before standing again and going to her smaller pack. "Where would you like this?"
Tenebrous shrugs, accepting the fire materials with a nod. "Be thankful in your own way," he murmurs before nodding to a corner of the cave. "Put them there, for now. The back wall of the cave is dry, so your belongings should stay dry as well." Despite the ligth of the fire, the inside of the cave is momentarily lit with a bright, violet light before the clap of thunder is heard. It's more of a bone-deep vibration than something heard, in the cave, something that shakes the stones.
Phylicia puts the smaller pack where directed, before going back for her larger pack, freezing still like a scared animal as the cave flashes with the violet light. But only for the moment, the thunder brings the rest of the reaction which is a shudder as she hoists the sack onto her shoulder, and brings it over. She's quiet as she bends over the second bedroll, taking a look at how it's put together before she starts fussing with it. Awww. Does the poor little girl not like storms?
Tenebrous closes his eyes as the rumble of the storm reaches his ears, a slow smile spreading on his lips. "Should be a good one tonight," he murmurs, his voice warm. A few more movements have him finishing with his bedroll, and with another practiced movement, he strips his jacket from his body. It's left in a neat pile next to his own pack, and with another fluid motion, he strips his shirt up over his head.
The notion of a half-naked stranger might come off as awkward, given Tenebrous' brief period of knowing his student, but such notions are hard to entertain once his torso comes into view. The majority of his back is an ugly, mottled mixture of blues, greens and sickly yellows, the last stages of what must have been massive bruising. Angry looking fingers of red reach around some of his ribs like fingers of a vengeful lover, and his chest is a mosaic of little patches of healed skin. The odd scar here and there rounds out the picture of what appears to be the posterchild of physical abuse. But Tenebrous only kneels onto his bedroll and then gently lowers himself, exhaling through a grimace.
"How long was this trip going to be again?" Phylicia asks, putting enough back bone into her question so it's not a whimper but rather merely softly spoken. She has a rough idea that sleeping is going to be a small issue at least for tonight. Phy doesn't turn quite quick enough, so instead of looking away as he strips his shirt off, she's actually staring in morbid fascination and horror. "What… /happened/ to you?" Again, her voice is breathy, but this time because of the horror of all those bruises. Her own jacket comes off, neatly folded ontop of her pack, much like he did with his before gets a little closer unless he warns her otherwise. She may only be an apprentice, but even she could be scolding him severely for all he's be doing with that mass of bruising. "Don't you have any ointment or balm for that?" And there goes her fear of the storm - besides for a cringe as a peal of lightening flashes and thunder sounds - right out the door as her tone goes to what some would call 'mothering'.
Tenebrous pauses in his motion to lay down, his eyes tracing up from Phylicia's shoe to her hip, and then her shoulder, and face. "I make what I need," he says in a neutral tone. "But I don't…" he finishes laying himself down on his back, eyes closing in weariness. "…it's hard to reach my own back," he offers at last. "I put it on when I can and time takes care of the rest. As for what?" Those eyes open slowly. "I jumped off of the waterfall. From the top." That neutral tone in his voice drifts to hollow, and then something…else at the end.
Phylicia almost whimpers in sympathy at the discomfort or outright pain he must be going through. Though as he finishes talking her face turns into a lesser version of one of those scowls most healers are famous for when a patient has been misbehaving. "For Faranth's sake, Tenebrous!" Oo. Full name usage. "I may only be a senior apprentice but I /can/ apply ointment!" As he says why, she doesn't press into the matter, though she's of a mind where she could easily think of several offensive names to call him for his, uh, stupidity. "I have a sort of bruise balm in my pack, if you don't have anything made." Her tone has softened now, so she's not 'scolding' anymore. "Just don't you go expecting me to pull any stunt like that. I won't." That one is flatly said, though another - louder - crack of thunder has her cringing again, sinking slightly into herself. For liking nature so much, how can she dislike storms?
Tenebrous sighs, closing his eyes again. "No, Phylicia, I don't imagine you would. You seem like a perfectly whole young lady." He's still for sveral more momenets before murmuring, "To answer your other questions I had planned on two days for your first trip, but it can be cut short if you find yourself uncomfortable. I am accustomed to these circumstances." He jerks a thumb at a bundle large enough to hold a grown firelizard that rests behind the dried firewood. "Medical kit is in there if you find yourself injured. Componants are labeled, and all quite…potent. I make my own."
Phylicia blinks at his 'whole' statement, before shaking her head, moving over to that medical kit and opening it, gently shifting through the kit until she comes up with the appropriate jar. Her demenor has softened since her searching the kit, but her lips are still rather close to a frown. "D'you want me to use gloves, or just wash my hands off after?" And she kneels to the side of his torso, awaiting his answer though supplying one of her own. "I don't like storms." She says simply at first. "But if I'm going to do this, I'm gonna have to learn to deal with them." Or just learn how to deal with very little sleep.
Tenebrous opens one eye, looking over at her. "Do neither," he says, his voice level. He holds out a hand. "I didn't accept your request so you could be a nursemaid, Phylicia." When he speaks next, it's eerie how…dead it sounds. "I have no dependencies. It's how I've lived for…a very long time now. It is what I am, and who I am. It is a facet of the thing that you chose as your mentor. This is not something you must do."
Phylicia may be young, but she can still be stubborn, and she still has a brain. "I didn't request your mentorship so I could play nursemaid." She says, her voice not dead but instead level. "I requested your mentorship so I can learn, but I figure I can do it better if you can actually move without being in pain." A very slight smile tugs at the corner of a lip. "See? Completely self-centered." She's trying to dismiss how often he seems to shove away human contact. He took her on, he's stuck with her now. "Now, if you /like/ being in pain, I'll leave you to it, but if you'd like a little relief, tell me how you'd like me to apply it." He wouldn't have it if he didn't use it. She can't imagine him having company over a whole lot.
"Thank you, Master Fraille," Tenebrous mutters to himself. "Thank you with eggs…" With deliberate slowness, he turns over onto his stomach, arms up and bent to pillow his head. "Just the center line, on either side of the spine will be fine. I can reach the other areas myself, if you're going to insist." A pause, and then the tone of his voice shifts a little more clinical. "Observe the coloration of the skin when you apply anything with numbweed in it. The flesh may engorge, signaling a non-regular reaction." Then he goes still, his back tense. Waiting. It's obviously taking him a great deal of self control to just lay there. Musculature is evident, but its made ugly, rather than beautiful by the trauma.
Phylicia misses the whole reference to Master Fraille and eggs. After all, she hasn't really met the ancient master as of yet, and she certainly doesn't know their relationship beyond former mentor/mentee. Phy is able to keep herself at a clinical distance, mostly because she already has a significant other and who knows how old Tenebrous really is? She grunts softly at the mention of numbweed, and retreats for two seconds to go get a glove since she doesn't favor the idea of a numb hand. Two fingers dip lightly into the pot before both gently yet firmly rubbing the mixture into his back, just to the right of his spine, going the length of the bruise, which is likely his entire back. A corner of her lip is nibbled upon as she looks at his tensed muscles. All the questions that seem to pop into her mind are really none of her business so instead she pays close attention to his back, waiting a few moments to see if any changes happen before moving to the other side of his back.
Tenebrous makes a strangled little sound when her hand touches his back, and for a moment, the entire area flushes red, not from the numbweed, but from tensing again. His whole body trenbles, and a shaky breath leaves his lips before he finally stills the motions of his body, propping himself up on his elbows. His eyes close tightly for a moment and then open, unfocused and twitching a little. "That's…that's good," he stammers, starting to turn a little. "That's…good, that's fine."
Phylicia squiggles backwards after she finishes applying the numbweed mixture, and he starts to prop himself on his elbows looking to get a pace or two away. She then stands slowly to go back to her bedroll, and kneels within reach of her pack. The twitching and the tensing have made her a little nervous, though she tries to call up her back bone again as she strips off the sullied glove, stuffing it inside-out into an empty external pouch on her larger pack. There hasn't been a clap of thunder for a little while until one sounds like it came from directly over the waterfall which makes the girl actually jump. "It was … alright?" She asks slowly, softly. "I didn't cross the line?"
Tenebrous nods hurridly, sort of curling up on his cot and propping himself by one elbow. "What…line?" He swallows hard. "You were fine, apprentice, don't worry." Then the numbweed starts to kick in, and he half-crumples back to the cot, groaning. "Oh," he breaths. "Ok, that's new…I don't…normally work that spot on my back…" Then he glances up at her again. "What…line? What line was there to cross?"
Phylicia half-lifts her shoulders in a shrug as he asks. "You just seemed to be getting … testy." She says, trying not to lose her back bone, because once it's gone, she's huddling up in that bedroll, with it pulled clear over her head. She pulls off her outer tunic that serves to catch most of the dangerous brambles and such things, and unbuckles her hip-pouch, which she still wears. She blinks as he collapses onto the cot. "Ah, is this an okay reaction, or should I be worrying about now?" She's never seen a person collapse after the application of numbweed. "I just thought maybe I was doing something you didn't approve of." Like badgering him into letting her put the ointment on his back.
"People don't touch me, apprentice," Tenebrous mumbles from his pillow with bluntness. "How do you think you'd react if no one had touched you like that in sixteen turns?" It's a staggering statement, made all the worse by his matter of fact attitude. Broken he is, and apparently aware of it. "As for my reaction…the human body holds itself in certain ways to accustom itself to pain. I've…never had my back numbed before. Not over my spine. It's a little new…"
Phylicia also unbuckles the belt around her waist, since sleeping with a belt on is just plain uncomfortable. "Well, maybe people would touch you more if you didn't hold yourself back so much." The snippy comment is out of her mouth before she can even think about what she's says, and her breath hitches. As an apprentice she's being awfully rude, but then again this likely isn't going to be a normal apprenticeship. "Ah. I .. don't think I meant that… that it sounded." He can probably hear her blush starting, if he hasn't noticed her face nearing a beet-red complexion by looking. "Well, I would say try to relax, but you're pro'ably used to being tense." Fighting numbweed just doesn't work. Numbweed always wins.
Despite most of his back being numb, Tenebrous still manages to turn and fix her with one blue eye, and it's remarkably cold. "I never bothered to echeck and see what kind of healer you were before I took you on." Then he turns away, laying still. "If you're a mind-healer apprentice, get out. Now."
Phylicia starts shrinking now. Yeah. That was totally taken - and said - badly. "/I'm/ not a mind-healer." She says defensively, her tone shrinking in with her shoulders. Booted feet get drawn in closer, and her arms wrap around her knees. "I was just one of the general-type healers. It's my daddy that's the mind-healer." Who seemed to promote screaming sessions with his patients. Thankfully she didn't inherit the view of that being the correct way to get issues out. "I can't help if I picked one or two things up." And its remarkable how much her voice and posture have shrunk in on themselves at the thought of being thrown out. Especially during the middle of a storm.
"Drop them." Slowly, Tenebrous begins to gather his knees under him until he's up on all fours. With almost painstaking care, he begins pulling pins from his belt, making sure that any wisps of his hair are tucked away before he reaches for his shirt and begins tugging it on. Without another word, he raises to his feet, placing one hand on the wall for balance, and moves to the mouth of the cave. There he sits, close enough ot the water that he has to be cold, closer to the storm than can possibly be safe. There he stands, a barrier between the storm and things within. "Get some sleep."
"I'll try." Phylicia says quietly, unlacing her boots before grabbing one of her changes of a shirt and pants and balls them up carefully, making sure the button of the pants is tucked well into the middle before she starts crawling into the bedroll. A look is given as he puts his shirt on and stands way closer than is comfortable for her to the storm. She opens her mouth to say something, but then snaps it shut. They had that talk already. She's not his nursemaid. Instead she inserts herself the rest of the way into the bedroll, pulling it clear up over her head, and scrunching down into a half-fetal position which he'd be able to see by the concentrated lump further down in the bedroll.