A Different Kind of Magic

Sewing

Nine people stood crowded around the bed. Eight of them watching the last. The girl had her fingers pressed on either side of Merlin's head, concentrating.
"Can you help him?" Snow was anxious, but the girl ignored her. "Excuse me?" Nothing. "Miss?" Still nothing. Snow grabbed her arm and the girl jerked away, removing her hands from Merlin's temples.
"What?" She hissed. The princess backed up slightly.
"Can you heal him?" The king asked.
"I think so."
"You think so?" Arthur didn't look pleased.
"I case you haven't noticed, Short Stack, magic isn't exactly a precise art." She referred to his diminutive, dwarf height. Arthur looked really unpleased. Ignoring him, she kept talking. "I'll see what I can do for Merlin." Snow looked at her in disbelief.
"How did you know his name?"
"Prince Merlin of the Fearless 7? Kind of hard not to know his name." The girl shrugged. "Before I get started, I'm going to need something to eat."

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The girl sat there eating a sandwich that Hans had made for her, while Snow stared.
"If you keep looking at me like that, I will magically seal your eyes shut."
"Sorry, it's just... you're so... different."
"I'm going to ignore the fact that that was rude, and ask you what you mean."
"I don't know, you're very... mysterious."
"Thanks. It's kind of my thing."
"What's your name?" The girl paused eating.
"You know, no one ever asks me that. I just get summoned, do my job and then leave."
"That's so sad." Snow paused. "So what is it? Your name, I mean."
"I... um... Idena." (I-deen-a)
"What? Are you not sure?" Snow chuckled.
"It's just been so long since I've used it." Snow looked like she might cry, but Idena stood up from her seat and left the kitchen.

Pino, Noki, and Kio stood by the foot of Merlin's bed, watching the girl. She stood there with her arms crossed, tapping her foot, absentmindedly.
"What happened here?" She pointed to the bloody bandages covering the wizard's chest.
"Not sure." Noki shrugged.
"We thought it might be from his magic." Pino suggested.
"While his magic exhausted him, it did not cause this." Idena explained. "May I?" She barely lifted the edge of bandages, indicating that she wanted to take them off. Kio nodded his head. Slowly, she removed the cloth covering his torso. Merlin twitched a bit, and Idena whispered to him. "Sorry, this is gonna hurt." She gently pressed a finger against his wound. He cried out in pain. Straightening back up, she muttered. "This isn't going to work."

"You can't save him?" Pino asked nervously.
"Oh, I can, I think, but not like this." Idena cleared her throat. "Let's change things up a bit." She shifted and pulled back her hood, revealing her face. Idena had long blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail, a piece covering her left eye. She looked to be no older than the rest of them.

"Do any of you know how to do stitches?" All three shook their heads. "Oh good, now you get to learn." The triplets widened their eyes in disbelief. "Nah, dudes I'm just kidding. Can you get me a needle and some fishing line? Oh, and you know, clean them first."
"Right." Pino left to go get them.
"And Kio, can you get me some clean bandages, rags, and boiling water?" Kio nodded before walking out. Idena sighed. "This might take a while. Noki, if you'll stand over there, you'll be out of the way."
"Of course." He paused, not noticing that he had turned into his human state. "Can I ask what you're doing?"
"This wound is the main thing keeping him unconscious." She said, pointing. "I'm assuming that Regina used an enchanted knife, because the wound contains poison. If I had been summoned earlier, there would have a better chance at saving him, but as he is now, he's barely alive." Noki looked disheartened. "What I'm going to do is put him in a coma like state that slows time down in his body, so that the poison won't affect him as quickly." She spread her hands out, which began to glow. "And please don't interrupt me."

Idena held her hands over Merlin's unconscious form. Green light erupted from her palms, pouring towards him. Slowly, tendrils of green magic surrounded the wizard, lifting him up in the air about a foot or so. Now he was encased in a transparent green bubble with magic vines slowly twisting around it. Stepping back, Idena looked exhausted and weak.

Pino and Kio came back in with their supplies, almost dropping them in surprise at what they saw.
"Thanks, guys." Idena took the items from them. "All of you are going to need wait outside for this part."
"Oh?" Kio asked.
"Doing stitches normally, isn't easy. Doing stiches magically, requires ridiculous amounts of focus."
"Okay." Pino nodded.
"And if one of you wouldn't mind standing by the door, or making a do not disturb sign, so I'm not bothered? I don't want to accidentally stab Merlin's heart, or something."
"Right." Noki walked out, taking his brothers with him.

"Okay, Merlin. Let's get this over with." Idena bit her lip in concentration, sweeping her hair out of the way. The girl picked up a rag and slowly cleaned the wound. Merlin kept wincing in pain. "Oh, boy. The worst part hasn't even started yet." Idena grabbed his hand, squeezing gently. She needed keep him grounded, focused on something other than the pain. Merlin's response was slow, really slow, because of the time enchantment, but he actually gripped her hand. "Here goes nothing." She grabbed the needle and fishing wire. As Idena concentrated, her eyes began to glow, and so did her hands. With one, she slowly stitched Merlin up, using magic to move and position his flesh where it needed to be, and with the other hand, Idena held his, to comfort him.

After what seem like hours, Idena stumbled out of the room, only to find the remainder of the F7 standing outside waiting.
"How is he?" Arthur seemed worried.
"See for yourself." Idena had pulled her hood up again, and was now leaning on the wall for support. Merlin's friends rushed inside, except for Noki.
"Are you alright?"
"You're not going to see Merlin?"
"He'll still be there when I go see him, but you didn't answer my question."
"I'll be fine." She felt a human sized hand on her back.
"Are you sure?" Idena turned to look at Noki.
"I used some complex magic, I'm just tired."
"Alright. Maybe you should get some rest."
"I still have far too much work to do to save Merlin."