The Prince of Ilios

Thirty

But now it was time for Medical Aid. They headed into the Palace. Led to a separate room. It had a large table and rows of shelves covered in medicinal herbs, bandages, and odds and ends. River's eyes were as big as saucers.

"This is amazing!" She awed. She stared at the rows of medical journals, "There is only one other of this journal, and it is kept in the vault of the Library in Sana! I have only ever seen copies of it."

"I'm glad you enjoy it." Nicola interjected. A warm smile spread over his face for River. His hands were behind his back, "You all are welcome to take a look around. This is the infirmary. Please, become acquainted with where things are kept, seeing as you will be using them momentarily." I swear he is part ghost he appears and disappears so quickly.

The girls nodded and began their perusal.

Ellora scanned the shelves. Various amber and blue bottles sat on them. Each with a drawn picture of the plant, a date, when it was cut, how it was cut, and what pieces of the plant were in the jar. One curious amber bottle held her attention. A blue flower was drawn on the label. She reached out to touch it.

"Not that one!" River stopped her hand, "Ellora, that one is a stinging nettle. If you touch it, you will be in pain for days."

Ellora's brows knit together, "Oh, sorry." She scratched the back of her neck with the hand that had reached for the bottle, "I didn't know plants could be so dangerous."

"Of course. How do you think poisons are made." Minerva scoffed.

From vipers like you of course, Ellora tried to keep the thought in her mind instead of on the tip of her tongue

River rolled her eyes at Minerva, "You probably don't have nettles in the Southern Isles. It's too tropical."

Ellora nodded.

Mrs Brooks came into the room in a flurry. Her black shoes clacking loudly on the white stone floor, "Alright, Ladies, let's begin!" She introduced the Royal Physician, Dr. Emmit Willis and moved to leave.

Nicola was heading out to follow her when she turned on a dime and gave him a scowl. His shoulders drooped and he turned back to the room. Ellora envision a younger, golden haired Nicola, being scolded by Mrs. Brooks in the same manner with the same reaction. She could not help but smile to herself.

"You will be needing to grab a partner for today's assignment." Dr Willis was training them as his own apprentices, and starting them off right away, "In the jars beside you, you will find various ailments. It is your job to cure your partner of these ailments. I will come around and give my approval of the correct treatments."

River and Ava partnered up, which left Ellora by herself. She glanced around at the other groups.

"Is there anyone without a partner." Dr. Willis asked the group.

Ellora stepped forward, and then Kendall came out from the back, head down, taking the daintiest steps Ellora had ever seen. It was as though she were walking between glass shards. She smiled kindly at the young girl, "Hello, Kendall was it?"

"Yes." Said the girl's soft voice.

"Do you know much about Medical Aid?" She tried to make conversation.

Kendall was quiet as a church mouse, "No. I have never studied."

Ellora took the jar in hand and mixed her hand around in the bottom of it. She pulled out a strip of paper. The writing was scrawled and hard to read, "I think it says, broken arm. Would you like to have the broken arm, or shall I?"

"I wouldn't know what to do." Her voice was just above a whisper, but it was light and airy. It had a dreamy quality to it that Ellora found soothing.

Kendall's brown ringlets bobbed as she sat up on the stool that Ellora motioned to, "Then I suppose you will have the broken arm and I will do my best to treat it."

Ellora went to the shelf to look for a book that might help. She surveyed all of the titles and found one called, "Bones."

Minerva snatched it away, "Excuse me. This is mine for now. Like you would even know what to do with it. You probably don't even know how to read."

Ellora grimaced back at her, of course she knew how to read. Just how uneducated did she think they were? She went back and scanned the books, found one to her liking and took it back with her to Kendall.

"Minerva can be very cruel." Kendall piped, looking up at her from under her dark long eyelashes.

"Yes, well, I think this will work, just as well." Ellora leafed through the pages, and then went to grab the supplies from the shelves. She came back with her arms full. She skimmed the texts again and began. Two pieces of wood around the arm and wrapped tight. Then a cloth used to tie it securely over the shoulder. She looked over Kendall, "How does it feel?"

"I don't know."

Dr. Willis grabbed a finger and watched the blood fill the tip back up, "It looks good to me. What else would you give the patient?"

"I would tell her to go home and get plenty of sleep. And also," She grabbed up the tiny amber bottle she had, "this."

Dr. Willis nodded, "Very good. This concoction would help ease the pain. How should she take it?"

Ellora stared at the bottle. The plant was on the outside. The contents included the stem, leaves, and flower, "I don't know."

"In a tea." River coughed from behind her.

"Well, yes, Lady River. That would be correct. Or even a syrup, if she would want it to be sweeter. Children do love sweet things." The old man walked on to the next pair.

"I'm not a child." Kendall pulled off the bandage.

"No, you are not." Ellora helped her out, "That is why River said tea. She has a brilliant medical mind. But, I would rather have the syrup. I am not too fond of bitterness, or medicine." She stuck out her tongue and Kendall giggled. It was a light sound, like the tinkling of bells, making Ellora smile too.

Nicola stepped up behind them, "Glad to see that you are having such a good time." His grim expression warned them that he was being serious.

"We were only talking." Ellora looked over at Kendall, who seemed to shrink within herself at the Prince's harsh words.

"This is serious." His face grew even more grave, "Medical aid is extremely necessary in times of battle. One must learn it with as much dedication as possible. Even if only to be a little helpful."

Kendall looked like she was about to burst into tears. Ellora stepped forward so that her body was between them and Nicola would speak to her directly instead of to Kendall, "Things are easiest to learn when they are fun. That is why many valuable lessons are learned through songs and fables. In the future there may be a harsh reality, but for now, we are just doing our best at a subject that we do not know."

Nicola gazed into her defiant eyes, he took a step forward, standing only a few inches away, "There are no songs or games on a battlefield. Only screams, pain, winners and losers. It is ugly, and horrid and one might as well be prepared for it."

Kendall was horrified with fear. She was clearly not ready to face the harsh realities of war. Ellora grabbed her hand, "I believe that you have made my partner completely distraut. Kendall, dear, why don't you go out and get some air, and a cup of water from the maid."

The young girl steadied herself and walked out of the room.

"Kendall, did not need to know all of that. You may very well have had to see death in its face, but she has not. She cannot be taught if she is terrified of what she may see." Ellora started cleaning everything off of the table.