Convalescence

It had been two, long, weeks.

“Peregrino.”

We had repaired all the damages, Lis had been taken back by Queen, the burn having healed already a week ago.

“Peregrino.”

Naturally the Queen had decided to make sure her little princess was completely fine, and so another week went.

“Peregrino.”

Unfortunately for me, she had been, by far, the least annoying patient.

“Yes?” I asked, trying to keep my annoyance out, while the foolish elf was on the Intermitent Magique Reproducion, or Interment (that one is easy) Magical Reproduction.

It was quite nonsensical, but I wanted to keep the use of the acronym IRM, or MRI, and if you have any kind of complaint I will point you to wherever it may be put with my middle finger.

“I know my legs are healed, when may I start walking to, at least, refind confidence in my strides?” She asked, her words still annoyingly archaic, while her nose was turned up and her blue eyes were still glaring at me.

Those had been…rather long two weeks.

“Wait until the exam is done, and if it shows your legs have somehow become unbroken, which is possible with the spirits here, along with your strange blessings, in two weeks, I will let you come with me to the Hamlet and pass the night there.” I bartered, trying to make sure to not have her around for longer than necessary.

“Hmph. I find this acceptable, Peregrino. Hopefully there will be something else than cheese, bread, nuts and onions, at least some Garum would be good.” She whined, and it was a whine, at least not moving her arms overly much.

Those were still broken, the clay doll had already shown so, even while working.

Even if they were still healing pretty fast, all things considered.

I, deep inside, hoped that those blessings would work faster.

“I also find the lack of literature abominable, above all from someone learned like you. The books you have are written in a barbarian language, a bastard child of the language of the Urbe.”

Much faster.

Which is why when, taking out the fourth doll I had used in four week, I was relieved at seeing that the lines on the legs and on the right arm, which had already faded a lot the last time I did the test, around four days ago, were completely gone.

Now, theoretically, one should let those legs rest for some days, even after taking out the cast.

But practically, letting her go out would both make my days less annoying and help her recovery, so the decision was quickly made.

“It seems that you should, at the very least, be able to walk, if without too much stress. I will give you-” I started to explain, moving towards her right leg while I took a small hand cranked saw, made with small teeth so it would not cut too much.

Started to.

Because then this fool of an elf lighted up like a christmas tree, tattoos and lines joining together in a kaleidoscope of colours.

Ooooh!

Pretty!

Loud!

And yes, it was loud, as the spirits themselves said. It was like having an orchestra playing right beside your ear.

That is, still not loud enough to not hear the twin “crack”.

Which was made from the cast breaking by this absolute idiot deciding that flexing two barely healed legs was a good idea for getting the cast out.

Said cast, divided lengthwise, had a lot of potential energy in it, which needed to go somewhere.

That somewhere being my head, met with a croissant worth of cast right on the forehead.

Naturally I went to my knees and rubbed my head, while the spirits laughed and the idiot started nursing her legs:

“Why do they hurt so much, Peregrino! The legs should be healed, no!?” she complained, loudly, while I was down nursing my poor, poor forehead.

After another groan from my floor, I explained, getting up slowly and massaging my forehead, which was starting to have a bump: “What of “not too much stress” didn’t you get?! The not too much?! The stress?! Because using your legs to break the casts is a mightily good way to break them again!”

Maybe I was a tad angry.

But it was quite understandable, and I didn’t even hit her on the head with a slipper as my mother would have done.

“Now, sit down and let me look! And then, if you didn’t make the situation worse, I will let you walk!” I continued, as calmly as a boiling kettle, while preparing the wheeling chair.

A very wooden, very ugly, and very heavy wheeling chair, but still a wheeling chair, which was usable.

“Peregrino, if you expect me to sit on that contraption, I will punt you, aid or not aid given.” The elf threatened, but other than the threat she sat and let me do the exams.

The legs didn’t show any kind of swelling, redness, or bruise, and just a slight tremble caused by a fool’s action.

After that, I gave her my right hand, and, with a nod, I helped her on her feet.

She did so, looking down on her still casted arms, one far more than the other, with a questioning look.

“I would like to wait for them. The IRM still shows that some healing needs to be done, and I don’t want to push them too much, and your actions just now have given me even more reasons to avoid doing so.” I gave my reasons, while glaring into her eyes.

She had the good sense of blushing, and her long ears bent down slightly, while her eyes went to the floor.

Good.

It was kind of silly, she was as tall as me, and I knew she had muscles, but I was too annoyed to do more than glare at her.

Something that I found great pleasure in doing.

Then I stood beside her when she did the first step, then the second and the third.

When I saw, and was sure, that she had control, I let her walk, the cane to help her at the ready but unnecessary.

She took the next steps, and I followed her outside, where she looked around, displeased by something.

What it was I could not say.

“Peregrino. Where is this “hamlet” you continued to talk about with the nana? If, and it’s a big if, I find myself in a different world, and not just somewhere far off the Urbe with similar people, I need to have directions.” She ordered, or tried to.

She wilted immediately when I whirled around and, with my index, I pointed at her still casted arms: “If you wish to die so badly to start your quest when it’s almost winter,” And it was cold enough to be winter itself, but it still rained for now, not snow: “Then do it when you still aren’t under my own roof, or near it. I do care about them, and your stupidity almost costed you. So wait.”

The foolish elf turned towards me, growled a tad then, imperious, she asked this time: “May you accompany me towards the hamlet? I will not go “to my death”, I can see that the weather is becoming too cold for sure travel, but I wish to see something else than a bed.”

There was an undercurrent of pleading under the pride, and I felt slightly guilty at not being able to move her around.

Slight.

She had been hard to work with.

“Alright. But please, do keep calm.” I pleaded almost, my hands clapping together even.

She hummed at that.

I should have known she would have done something.

“I will take my sword.” She said, before returning back into the house, despite her right arm still being in a sling and her left still having a cast.

I really should have done something about that as well.