With swift, precise movements, Sebastian manipulated the joint. A sickening pop echoed across the suddenly silent training ground as the knee realigned. The warrior gasped, then relaxed slightly as the worst pain subsided.
"Don't put weight on it," Sebastian instructed. "It needs to be bound and rested."
The crowd parted as Ochrehand arrived, her expression shifting from concern to wariness when she saw Sebastian kneeling beside the injured warrior.
"I reset the joint," Sebastian told her, moving back to give her space. "Dislocated, not broken."
Ochrehand assessed the injury with practiced hands, her movements efficient. "Clean work," she said after a moment, not looking at Sebastian. "You've done this before."
"Yes."
She began applying a poultice to reduce swelling, then wrapped the knee with strips of cloth. Sebastian watched her technique with interest, noting the mixture of herbs she used, some familiar, others unique to orc medicine.
"You should’ve waited for me," she said, still focused on her work.
"The longer a joint remains dislocated, the more damage occurs," Sebastian replied. "Particularly with components involved."
Ochrehand's hands paused momentarily. "He doesn't have components."
"No," Sebastian agreed. "But the principle is the same. Tissue damage increases exponentially with time."
She finished binding the knee, then finally looked at him directly. "You know healing as well as harm."
It wasn't a question, but Sebastian answered anyway. "Yes."
"Interesting." She helped the injured warrior to his feet, supporting his weight. "Stoneclaw needs rest. Continue your training."
As Ochrehand led the warrior away, Sebastian noticed something he hadn't before, intricate braids in her hair, different from the warriors' styles. More complex, with small objects woven into the pattern. He found himself curious about their significance but knew better than to ask amid the training ground.
Training resumed, but with a subtle difference. The warriors still maintained their distance from Sebastian, but their wariness had shifted slightly. Something in their expressions had changed,not trust, exactly, but a recognition that his knowledge extended beyond killing.
Near midday, Thornmaker called a halt to the exercises. Warriors dispersed to other duties, many glancing back at Sebastian with expressions ranging from curiosity to lingering suspicion.
Thornmaker approached as the others left. For a long moment, he simply studied Sebastian, his weathered face unreadable.
"You helped today," he said finally. "That doesn't make us allies."
"I don't need allies," Sebastian replied. "Just people who will listen when I tell them how to stay alive."
Thornmaker's mouth twitched, not quite a smile, but an acknowledgment of the point. "Tomorrow. Same time. The dwarves want to hear what you know about vampire weapons."
He turned to leave, then paused. "That warrior you helped, Stoneclaw. He has a family. A daughter."
Every warrior here had connections, lives beyond the training ground. They weren't just fighters but parts of a complex social web. Something Sebastian was only beginning to comprehend.
"I understand," he said.
Thornmaker nodded once, then walked away, leaving Sebastian alone in the training ground.
Sebastian remained there for a time, processing the morning's events. A small step, perhaps, but meaningful nonetheless. Not acceptance, but the beginning of integration. A way to be useful beyond violence.
As he turned to leave, he noticed Ochrehand watching from the doorway of the healing house. When their gazes met, she didn't look away. After a moment, she nodded, a gesture so slight it was barely perceptible. Then she disappeared inside.
Sebastian found himself recalling Boarstaff's words from the night before. Community, not politics. Something different entirely. Something he was only beginning to learn.
He was about to return to the eastern caves when he saw Boarstaff approaching from the council area. The warchief nodded in greeting, his expression thoughtful.
"Thornmaker tells me you were helpful this morning," Boarstaff said as they fell into step together.
