Among the Birches *NaNoWriMo 2013*

A Birch's Blessing

Nicholai awoke only shortly after Kya. They had both slept past early morning and woke just before afternoon. Both were ravenous and happy to be out of the desert tundra they had wandered into; in the forest there were edible mushrooms, certain types of late-fruiting berries, and various nuts and seeds to forage. They made up for their lost supplies in this manner, and ate a hearty breakfast that was remarkably easy to procure. The horses nosed about and each strove to walk in towards the right of the clearing; Kya obliged in letting them go free, and they came upon a brook not far from where Kya and Nicholai had slept. Kya urged Nicholai to go bathe in the stream, promising him a warm cup of tea from the Sacred Birch upon his return. 

"I feel terrible, Kya," said Nicholai. "I've never felt so drained, weak..." He spoke as if incredribly tired. 

"Please, Nicholai, drink the tea. It will help."

When he reached the end of his drink-- a hot beverage that tasted of wintergreen and oak-- he lay down again to sleep. Kya inspected his arm from afar: the wound had healed at a miraculous rate (for a human), but was not yet fully healed. The bruises were atrocious in appearance, too; the hues of black, red, purple, and blue made his arm look as if it were decomposing while still attached to his living, breathing person. But Kya knew that it was not decaying: it would function again, but to what capacity Kya did not know. The skin would heal and the bruises would be flushed out, leaving clear skin; the wound would close and leave only a jagged scar. He would be able to wield a sword, if he ever cared to with his left hand, but not as well as he might have.

Nicholai, I am sorry...

Though the days were short, there was still plenty of light left before dusk, and Kya took to exploring the woods around her between checking-up on Nicholai.  There was a slight incline to the land while Kya was heading north, and the sun shone on the leaf litter that lay all around the loosely-packed trees. The forest was as serene as any on the island from what Kya could tell. Its likeness to the island actually pained Kya; the beauty around her reminded her of all the townspeople who were meant to coexist and share in the jollity of the island forests, all of whom were missing except, perhaps, Jasper. She sat down against the strong and straight trunk of an oak and closed her eyes and prayed, once more, for divine guidance and assistance. 

The sun passed in an arc over Kya's head, and she grew hungry; from the discarded acorns on the ground she labored to make a thick, mealy bread from the acorn meat. As it roasted, Nicholai woke, looking much better than he had-- almost as good, in fact, as when they had been in the little town of Trenton.

"Care for some acord bread?" Kya asked.

Nicholai assented, and when the flat loaf had finished cooking, they both ate heartily of it plus a side of roasted mushrooms which Kya located easily in the leaf litter. The horses had their fill of acorns, too (though theirs were raw) and greedily scavenged the remnants of grass which grew here and there in the fading sunlight. When all had dined, the horses lay down in underneath an overhang of different shrubs and Kya and Nicholai discussed logistically matters.

"Nicholai-- your arm. I don't think that you should use it for some time."

"Kya, that's impossible. How can I avoid using it to grapple against goblins, rein in Bracken, or hoist my weight up into a tree? How can I wield a sword and shield myself simultaneously? It's impossible. The arm cannot rest."

"Nicholai, this is not a matter to be debated. You may try to do those things, but until your arm heals, they will be not only impossible to execute but potentially very dangerous for your arm. I've administered a strong healing draught on you and a good dose of the elven healing potion, but our magic can only do so much."