Ambrosine was furious when she realized Cap’s raptor was injured–a fury that, in all likelihood, completely outshone the situation.
Or maybe not. The situation was kind of shit, anyway.
She tended Cirice at the infirmary to begin with, stuffing all of her feelings into a box so that she could project calm. “Okay, girl. Let’s have a look at you. You can’t even limp right because both feet hurt, hmm?”
There are those who would hesitate to get so close to the clawed feet of a raptor even when they were well, but Ambrosine was unconcerned. Cap may have held the raptor’s heart, but Cirice knew the guardian as A Lady Who Brings Food. This was the only reason why Ambrosine didn’t call for Tove, seeing as how the ranger was the one with animal healing experience.
But blood was blood, and magic was magic. She rested a hand on Cirice’s stubby muzzle, crooning softly as she used her magic to seal up the wounds.
Good luck keeping bandages on her feet, anyway. This was just the easiest way to handle it.
“Good enough I think, yeah?” She rubbed the softer scales around the base of Cirice’s horns. “I’ll take you home. I’ll even turn you back out with Trouble, because I think you could use the company.”
She clucked softly, walking back towards the waypoint.
====
She picked Trouble up on the way, opening the gate to his new, albeit smaller digs. He followed his human and his friend up the trail with no complaint, until she released them both into their original pen. “Be good,” Ambrosine cautioned, rapping Trouble on the nose. The green raptor trilled softly.
She watched them a moment, then shook her head. Trouble was unlikely to live up to his name for once. He was already fussing over Cirice, snuffling her feet and gently butting her shoulder until she squawked at him and shuffled over to the softer grass.
The little raptor settled onto her side with a heavy sigh, clearly moping. Trouble settled his greater bulk against her back and rested his head on her shoulder.
“There’s my sweet boy,” Ambrosine murmured, and walked away. “Don’t worry, Cap. I’ve got her.”
====
She packed her first aid kit with trepidation.
Magumma was a…place of trauma for Ambrosine. (As it was for many.) The fall of the airships–the struggle to survive after that–
–the number of people she couldn’t save–
–the chakk, the arrowheads, the DRAGON, the gods be damned EVERYTHING–
She felt the panic rising and sat down on the floor. Oh, this wasn’t going to be good. Maybe she shouldn’t go.
Maybe she had no choice. If she didn’t go, and Cap wasn’t dead… “Jess?”
The smaller woman–her wife, the thief and bounty hunter, a pretty little killer with scars just as deep–stuck her head through the doorway. “What is it, love?”
And Ambrosine–the scholar, the spy, the one who dealt with demons–held out a hand. “I need you to come with me when I go with the Vanguard. I think–I can’t, without you.”
“Okay.” Jess walked over and set the small chest aside. She sat in Ambrosine’s lap and cupped her face in her hands. “Okay.”
Ambrosine could breathe a little better.
But Jess still had to ask. “Don’t they have other healers? Riathan is a guardian, too, you know. And Tove–“
“They aren’t me,” Ambrosine said, clenching her jaw. “I can’t–not go.”
“But you can’t go, either.”
“I can, with you.”
“…okay.”
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