RUSKE

        I was not certain when exactly my attempts at friendly greeting had turned this exchange into a battle of wills, but I was not particularly cheered by the result. Something in Petra’s stance had changed with my words. She stood with perhaps a touch of rigidity, a bit of fire in her gaze. Interesting, if nothing else. Perhaps she wasn’t exactly meek; she wore her courtesy like armor. It might be admirable, if I had ever found a use for manners. I would have preferred to see her yell, in all honesty.

        “I do believe healing would be an excellent place to start.” My ears twitched, one part interest and one part disbelief. Was she determined to prove herself to me, or did she honestly wish to become a nurse like myself? I supposed it hardly mattered, in the instant I took to think on it. The more brains we had, the better – though I couldn’t help but wonder, every now and then, if perhaps peace itself rendered my profession utterly unnecessary. How many really ever came down with a cold? Or a cough? I smirked at Petra anyway, goaded into a mild temper by the flash of something brittle in her gaze. Well, maybe there was fire enough inside her to make her sweet façade at least moderately interesting. She seemed to be quick in thought, and I had no reason to desire her affection. No; a willingness to learn was all that would prove necessary, at first.

        I answered her little speech about luck with little more than a snort. We would see, I supposed, how much luck she managed to make for herself. “I hope your philosophy serves you well. And if I ever find you out of luck, I suppose I need only remind you to make more.” It would have been impossible to keep the smirk off my features; my tail twitched, a little childishly, behind me. Well; she was irritating in an almost enjoyable way, if I was to be honest. At the same time, I began to entertain the less acceptable fantasy of jabbing my horn at her – it was a long time, really, since it had been jabbed anywhere... Which brought me around to healing again, with a rough sort of sigh.

        “I am more than capable of teaching the basics to anyone,” I declared, forgetting perhaps that Kahlua still stood directly in my presence and would probably dislike any insult to her other healers. “You still ought to meet Resplendence, though. It’s only polite to tell her you’re interested. And then she can put you to work. I would be glad to teach you, though...” Completely false, but it might at least prove interesting, “if she asked it of me. I do have other things to occupy my time, of course.” I blinked, remembering Kahlua once more, and shot a curious glance at the pied queen. She hadn’t said anything for quite sometime – was she daydreaming? Or bored? My teeth rasped against each other quietly as I mused over the situation.

        “Perhaps all this is better left to another time, however. If you’ve been traveling, you will require rest. And maybe a day or two to put some meat back on your sides.” I cast a glance at Petra’s ribs. “Then we can talk more seriously, if you retain any interest.”

NursE

world's edge