“I’ve known Rose for about five years now. She has healed at all of the Spring Games that I can remember,” Wisp said over her shoulder as they headed up the stairs of the large stone building. It was set just south of the Arena in the center of Sanctuary and by the look of the building, the Healers within did very well for themselves.
“Are you sure they are going to be willing to work in my district?” Jala asked, her eyes trailing across the shiny brass fixtures on the door and outside lamp. “And will I be able to afford them?” she added, just before Wisp pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Rose herself won’t be going. This is her building, but she said she had two apprentices that would be more than capable of handling the work,” Wisp replied, pulling her cloak off and hanging it on a wooden rack near the door. As usual, the small Fae was dressed in tunic and trousers in the Faydwer house colors of green and gold. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with only a few strands coming loose to frame her delicate face.
“Ahh, I was hoping you would make it by today,” a woman’s voice called from the back of the room. Jala looked over from the painting she had been admiring and bowed her head to the woman. While she didn’t look old by common terms, she had a matronly appeal to her. There was no grey visible in her short golden curls and her smooth face was wrinkle free but the way she held herself and watched them, bespoke of age.
“It’s luck that we managed it. Jala is always busy,” Wisp said with a smile and waved a hand toward Jala. “Rose this is Jala, my friend I spoke to you about, and Jala, this is Rose, the best healer in Sanctuary,” Wisp said in introduction.
“From what Wisp tells me, you could be a formidable healer yourself. Repairing an eye is no simple trick,” Rose said with a warm smile. “Follow me and I’ll introduce you to the two I told you about yesterday”
“Thank you so much.” Jala bowed her head to the woman and moved to follow as she headed down the well-lit corridor.
The entire building had a pleasant scent to it, reminding her of fresh country air - crisp and pleasant. The hall was brightly lit with paintings on either side depicting various landscape scenes. She glanced at various doors curiously as they passed, but remained silent.
“It’s not often that I would let an animal into my hospital,” Rose said quietly as she stopped beside a brightly polished door and looked down at the Bendazzi. “I will make an exception this time, however, just for the chance to see a Bendazzi closer. They are such fascinating creatures, aren’t they? Kali is truly a genius with her work if only she would try to do more good.”
“I can barely stand to be away from him. I’ve gotten so used to having him beside me that when he is gone it feels as though a limb has been removed,” Jala said with a smile and ran a hand through Marrow’s coat affectionately.
“He is incredibly clean too, never makes a mess and hardly ever makes a sound,” Wisp added in smiling down at Marrow.
The first one to say good boy and pat me on the head loses a hand, Marrow warned her.
“Are the apprentices inside?” Jala asked, shifting the conversation from Marrow quickly. He had a fickle sense of humor and it was difficult to judge when he was serious, even for her.
“Yes, of course. You probably are in a hurry aren’t you?” Rose nodded and smiled before pushing the door open and waving them in.
The interior had the look of a study room about it with large bookshelves lining two walls. In the center of the room rested a table with two people seated there, staring down at open books. At the sound of the door they both looked up and bowed their heads in respect to Rose. One of them, a young man whose true age Jala couldn’t begin to guess, stood and offered a chair to Rose. He had reddish blond hair and a few scattered freckles. A half-blood she guessed by the thick glasses that rested on his nose. On others the frames might have looked awkward but on him they seemed to lend a scholarly air. The other healer stood as well, though more slowly. She was thin and dark of skin with her dark hair cut very short. At full height she was taller than Jala by several inches and built like a whip. Her features were perhaps a bit too sharp to be considered beautiful but the combination of her dark skin and pale grey eyes certainly made her exotic.
“Wesley, Kendry, I’d like you both to meet Jala. She is the one we spoke of earlier, seeking help for the Merro district,” Rose said sweetly. “Jala these are two of my best students. Wesley has a natural knack for working with patients that show fear and Kendry is very skilled in the more delicate procedures. I’m sure the two of them will be a great help to you.”
Wesley stepped forward with a smile and offered a hand. “Nice to meet you and good that someone is finally going to do something about the slums. The plague last year was barely contained.” His voice was rich with a slight accent.
“I have to wonder why you are helping them, though,” Kendry said, not moving from the table and eyeing Jala with a bit of suspicion.
“Her bedside manner is wretched but she is a good healer,” Wesley said with a grin before Jala could answer.
“I’m doing it for several reasons. The most important reason being that it should be done,” Jala said, her voice firm yet polite.
“The reason does not matter to us. What matters to us is what she requires of our services,” Rose said quietly, looking at Kendry with a slightly raised eyebrow.
“That would be a good thing to know,” Wesley agreed, glancing at his fellow student with what looked like a note of pleading.
“The first thing I intend to do is either repair a building or build one, depending, to use as an orphanage. There are far too many children living in the gutters there. I can section part of it off to use as a clinic but I need to know what you will require in the clinic to work,” Jala explained.