Alysanne

A loud sigh of exasperation escaped her as he asked whether she wanted to heal him, her eyes rolling sky high in a gesture that had, formerly, been something she’d expect her sister to do - never herself. “Of course I do.” Wasn’t she a doctor? Whatever her current feelings towards him, she wasn’t about to ignore such a severe injury as this. She wondered if the Moon Goddess knew that this was the one price Alysanne could never pay, and that was why it had been a part of her quest. Alysanne would bleed herself dry finding a way to heal everyone that needed it if she could.

“I think you’re reckless, and…” Her voice faltered with the next words, the confession coming as little more than a whisper as her eyes darted away, toward the little elephant by his side. “...you frighten me...” That was where her anger was rooted, after all. In one night she had learned to fear and distrust Tembovu, the kind stallion she knew as a glazier before he became king. In a small way, part of why she would heal him was because she was afraid of him. If she healed him, perhaps she would gain points in her favour and escape any future wrath from him without wounds. As much as she resented that fear, it could be a shield. She had family here, this was her herd and if placating their dangerous king meant keeping them safe she would do it.

That wasn’t all of it, though, wasn’t even most of it. really, it only came down to one thing. The only thing that mattered. “But you’re also in pain.” And her green eyes sought his blue ones then, wanting him to understand how much she meant what she was saying. “And I’ll do whatever I can to alleviate that pain.” The physical and the mental. She wasn’t sure they had ever been truly friends - certainly friendly though whenever they crossed paths - and she wondered what Tembovu had been going through, what was it that was happening in his life that had caused him to let the knee get to this point. Wondered if there was something she could have been doing all this time to help.

His next question shocked her and the wounded wing in question twitched under his dark gaze. She ducked her head, feeling ashamed. Alysanne should know by now that she wasn’t as good at hiding things as she liked to believe she was - she knew Iona could always see right through her but she didn’t know that Tembovu could as well. She had thought she was getting to know him too but that had gone up in smoke, burned away with Mauja’s skin. “It was… I didn’t heal myself so that I would remember my failure. I caused you pain that day, even if it was only temporary, and I never want to forget how terrible that was.” She whispered quietly, wondering if she was confirming his thoughts - if that was why he had not let his knee be healed either. As a reminder, as punishment. So that he would remember what had happened. It didn’t make it alright, of course, didn’t erase what he had done, but it was easier to see through that hazy fog of anger now.

“But I would have healed it if it started to fester.” Alysanne spoke chidingly, a ghost of a smile tugging at her black lips. The scratch and sprain of her wing was nothing compared to the state Tembovu’s knee was in right now.