"All thanks to Dahlia." Gunnar motioned to the Elven woman, who hovered a few feet behind him and was dressed in a similar styled black dress as Maude's whose satin sheen gave her the appearance of spilled ink. "I refused to miss this supper on account of my being a complete invalid."
"The very idea," Maude teased as she reached for his outstretched hand.
As she got closer to her friend, the faint sheen of sweat on Gunnar's brow became visible. Clearly, this effort was costing him a lot of energy. She wove her handthrough Gunnar's arm and motioned for Dahlia to make her way to Gunnar's other side.
"Gunnar, you should also escort Dahlia to dinner. What we have to discuss involves her as well," Maude hinted as she flashed her eyes from Dahlia to Gunnar again.
The Elven picked up her subtle hints and wove her hand through Gunnar's other arm. "It would be an honor."
As the trio made their way to the main hall of the palace, Gunnar marveled at the beauty of the structure. "But the moonstone, there are no seams in the walls, so it must have been carved from one large piece of stone."
Dahlia chuckled as she took in his bewildered and awed expression. "The Elven are skilled at manipulating items to become whatever shape we please."
"Does the same skill include how you heal?" Gunnar asked. He had so many questions for Dahlia— his curiosity was unending, and Maude internally thanked him for being brave enough to ask the very questions that were on the tip of her tongue but refused to fall.
"It works a little differently for everyone," Dahlia explained. "For example, one of our healers is especially skilled in healing physical wounds. He can influence the skin to stitch itself back together using the water in a person's blood and tissues, coaxing them to reunite or even regrow the way one would coax water to erode stone into whatever shape they please."
Gunnar nodded his head as if he understood exactly what Dahlia was explaining. Maude, having never been comfortable with the Kingdom of Rivers elements, tried to grasp the concept of working with the element as opposed to directing it. Her fire responded to her heightened emotion more intensely than most, the waves of her flames cresting out of her in violent and destructive paths that leveled most of her surroundings.
Though the element of water was making itself known in her body, she didn't fully understand how the force worked.
Water was gentle— healing and smooth. Most of her experiences with water involved diving into the ocean to cool her burning skin; the soft pressure surroundingher calming her nerves better than anything else could. The way she felt wrapped in Herrick's arms was an excellent example of how he was the perfect embodiment of water in a person.
But water could be deceptively dangerous, too. The deep currents of a river can be hidden beneath a calm indigo surface, ready to drag you away before anyone realizes that you've disappeared.
"So, how does your healing work then?" Maude asked, her need to know the answer loosening her tongue faster than any mead could. "I've watched you before— your concentration is intense, and it almost seems as if you aren't doing anything at all until a person's color changes to a healthier tone."
Dahlia glanced over to her across Gunnar, the purple in her eyes becoming a lighter lavender as they passed a lit torch in the hall.
"I work with the blood directly," she said slowly. "Most of my skill lies in being able to identify the treatment needed for a person and stop the spread of disease or sickness in its path long enough to treat that person. In Gunnar's case, I was able to hold the poison within the veins that were closest to the scar."
Gods, Maude thought to herself in awe.That must be exhausting.
As if she had spoken aloud, Dahlia responded, "It can be very difficult and meticulous work. Had Gunnar been brought to me soon after he was cut with the poisoned blade, I would have been able to pull all of the poison from his blood. Unfortunately, he'll bear the stained black veins for the rest of his life."
"That's okay," Gunnar chimed in as he jammed his elbow into Maude's ribs gently. "Women love a tragic injury. I'll be irresistible now."
Dahlia chuckled— a soft and feminine sound that made her think of a spring night right when the days grew longer, but the darkness still held a pleasant chill.
The Elven healer was one of the most talented healers in the kingdom; her skills were sought out by Elven and humans alike from all over the north. When she healed, her face was focused but underneath the tension from her work, Maude could see the joy she took in her craft. It reminded her of how she had wanted to do the same when she was a youngling.
She had told Thora that she had wanted to be a healer before she knew her position in life, how she had been crushed when she discovered healers needed an affinity for watergalder. Then, she was envious of Herrick when she found out that he could have had the opportunity to learn, thinking she would never have the ability.
Except, now she did.
"Can you teach me?" Maude asked suddenly, cutting off whatever Gunnar was about to say. "Can you teach me to heal?"
Dahlia was quiet for a moment, her shock receding slowly as she took in Maude's serious face and earnest words.
"You may not have the skill; not everyone does," Dahlia started to say slowly.
"Will you try?" she asked, her voice a whisper in the silent hall.
There was a long pause, and the only other sound was their slow footsteps. As they reached the door to the dining hall, Dahlia pulled them to a stop.
"Why do you want to do this?" Dahlia asked, any friendliness in her beautiful face gone.
Maude hesitated as she glanced at Gunnar, weighing how much she wanted to reveal. His kind, blue eyes crinkled slightly in the corners as he nodded encouragingly. She let out a long breath.
