“Yes, my lord.” It certainly could have been worse.
Seventeen nights After Meeting the General
My toes were no longer in danger of frostbite. I spent two more nights in the tower before my new life would begin. Prior to being escorted to the infirmary by Espen, I was awarded new clothes. A soft blue healer’s tunic, linen trousers, leather boots, and a simple fur cloak.
While my wardrobe got an upgrade, my living quarters certainly did not. Yet my new home was closer to my comfort zone. The tile floor in the living quarters of the infirmary was simple and elegant. This part of the castle was cosier. Less grand and more homely. There were eight beds in total, but at least twenty fur blankets littered around the room.
I took a step towards an unmade bed, next to a window. Unlike all other windows in the castle so far, this window had thick curtains. Espen stood in the doorway. I was given the day to get accustomed to my new living quarters.
It was daunting that I would be sharing this place with other healers, but I was also excited to learn from werewolves. All I knew of the craft, I learned from my mother. We were druids, using magic, herbs, and our environment to createremedies. I was interested to learn how my knowledge was different from that of werewolves, who healed without magic.
“You can use the blankets from the chest over there,” Espen said, pointing to a large wooden chest in the corner of the room. “The furs lying around are gifts from suitors for the other healers.”
“Suitors?” I asked. Espen walked over to me. He reached for the furs lining the bed next to mine.
“Yes, suitors. Healers are coveted mates. Soldiers hope that if they get banged up, they will have an omega to take care of them,” Espen explained. He sat down on my bed. I touched the velvet curtains. I had never felt the soft material in my hands before. It was far too expensive.
“Is it a prestigious task?” I asked. Espen hummed.
“Not prestigious so much as important.” Espen motioned for me to come sit next to him. The mattress was not as soft as the one in the tower. I could feel the wood underneath as I sat down. “We don’t care much for status here. We have no nobility. We are more interested in contribution.”
“Those silks are earned through merit?” I asked. I playfully tapped him on the shoulder. He grinned at me.
“Yes, in a way,” he said. “My brother’s, not my own.” He ran his hand over his silk robes. “All I do is make trouble. I suppose one can be born privileged in the Oaklands as well.”
“What does your brother do?” I asked.
“Alain is the General’s primary advisor, as well as his trusted friend,” he said. I should have guessed that Espen was Alain’s brother. The two had similar smiles, and similar sunny dispositions. “You should get some rest. You have to work tomorrow.”
To my surprise, Espen gave me a hug then. My shock brought me so out of balance that I nearly fell to the floor.
“I will visit again,” he promised, before leaving me alone in the chamber.
Eighteen nights after meeting the General
The next day I found myself waking up among strangers. Most of the beds in the sleeping quarters were occupied with figures still lying motionless under the covers. On the bed next to mine, however, a man was sitting. He was wearing a healer’s tunic, reading a book, his onyx hair framing his face as he looked down at it. He smelled of roses. I sat up.
“Good morning,” the man whispered. I responded similarly, unsure of what to do.
“Get ready and come to the infirmary,” he said. His voice was commanding despite the low volume. I nodded at him. He left the chambers, and I rushed to get ready before anyone else woke up. Having to meet one person was enough for now.
I tiptoed to the infirmary, careful not to wake any of the other healers. When I entered the infirmary, there were two young women working. They must not have slept at all. Three elderly patients were already in the infirmary, and were likely those in need of constant care.
“Gabriel!” The rose-scented man I had just met entered my space, and to my utter shock, hugged me as if we were old friends. I let out a yelp. The man only hugged me harder. “My name is Inge.”
“Nice to meet you,” I finally responded when my shock waned a little. Inge threw me a beautiful smile. I returned it rather weakly.
“Good, good.” Inge started rattling away about my responsibilities during the first week. Throughout the day it was rather easy to follow him around the infirmary.He taught me about all the ingredients in the pantry with a smile on his face.
The following days passed faster than any had ever passed before. From dawn till dusk each day, I shadowed Inge as he bandaged wounds with thicker cloth than would be used for humans. As he mixed local herbs into unique remedies for ailments only werewolves could get. As he joked around with the patients to relieve their pain a little.
During the hours where I was free to do as I pleased, I still found myself in the infirmary. I sat and observed the workers, from apprentices to senior healers, until my body was no longer tense. Until I was moving around the infirmary much like the others.
Working kept me from going insane. The days were a whirlwind, but they followed a certain rhythm. It became the one place that was not new to me anymore.
Within that peace there were still strange occurrences. The first of such incidents happened during my second day in the infirmary. I was making a paste for a child with a fever, when a servant entered the infirmary through the entrance to the omega quarters. She handed Inge a package, whispering to him in a low voice. I was trying not to eavesdrop, pointedly focussing on my own activities. Not long after, Inge handed me the package.
“This is yours,” he said.
