Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(3)
"Byron's going to stick you with latrine duty," I warned, grinning despite myself.
Ian's green eyes danced wickedly. "He can try – but I'll just tell him it interferes with my mentoring…"
I laughed loudly. "I look forward to hearing his response."
"Anything for Byron's least favorite apprentice. It's the least I can do since you took over my torch."
"I wouldn't be so – ouch!" I ducked under a low palm's hanging branches and skimmed my bad arm against the side of its trunk.
"You okay there, warrior girl?"
"I'm fine," I said through gritted teeth. "I just want this pain to end."
"We are almost there." Ian pointed to a set of wooden doors protruding from the base of a large cliff, a quarter of a mile away.
Like most of the city's housing, the infirmary was built into the rocky face of desert crags, a seemingly endless elevation that separated the Red Desert from the northern plains of the capital city, Devon, and the rest of Jerar. I had always heard tales of a desert city carved into mountains, but I had still been speechless the first day we arrived.
"Thank the gods."
The two of us continued along the dirt path, through the doors, and into the dank, torch-lit passage of the building. The air was cooler here. There were only two guards posted at the entrance. They recognized us by our apprentice garb and let us in without hesitation. The passage split into three separate channels – I led Ian down the one to the right.
As soon as we had taken a couple of steps I heard the master of Restoration's sharp, clipped voice instructing on the proper non-magical treatment for scorpion stings. Ugh. Ian and I exchanged amused expressions and entered the Restoration apprentices' classroom.
Normally, one would seek out the city's main healing center to the left of the main corridor, but students were only allowed to be treated there if their injuries were grave enough… If they weren't, we were "lessons" for the Restoration apprentices.
They had to practice on someone.
"Ry!"
Master Joan's lecture ceased the moment we entered the classroom. She shot my twin a dirty look for interrupting her talk as she confronted Ian and I with a cross expression. "What are your grievances, apprentices?"
"My right arm." I tried to avoid the curious stares from the rest of Alex's faction. I knew they wanted to be healers, but it still sent an unsettling quiver down my spine when they looked intrigued – instead of horrified - by our injuries. No one should ever be excited to see blood.
"And you?" She eyed Ian suspiciously.
Ian grinned sheepishly. "Too much sun?"
"Out!" The master pointed to the door.
Ian winked at me – fully expecting the master's response - and departed the room with a friendly wave. As soon as he disappeared several of the female apprentices sighed. I hid a smile. I wasn't the only one who had noticed my friend's good looks.
"Everyone – we will continue the lesson after we have finished Apprentice Ryiah's healing. Ryiah, please list your symptoms so that we can begin to consider a treatment."
I began to describe my injury – pain up and down the arm, swelling, and stiffness in the elbow. I wondered if it was broken.
"Break." My sandy-haired twin was the first to speak.
"And how do we confirm diagnosis?"
"I would project a casting to mirror bone placement - if there weren't any physical deformities or skin breakage, since those alone would confirm his suspicions without magic." That was Ronan – my brother's friend and sometimes rival, a fellow second-year that had ranked first in their trial year at the Academy.
Master Joan chose a fifth-year to perform the casting. The girl stood proudly, eyes alight with anticipation as she began her magic. I braced myself – the last time I had visited the infirmary for dehydration a painless casting had resulted in skin rash. Nothing like trial and error to make me wary of my fellow apprentices.
Luckily this time the girl appeared to know what she was doing. I didn't feel anything above a faint, humming vibration as my arm slowly took on a translucent outline with glowing lines shining through it. My stomach turned a little as I realized those bright orange things were my bones. There was an unnatural break in the round nook at the end of my forearm connecting to the elbow.
"Minor fracture," the girl said proudly. "Nothing we would need to realign with plating. I would recommend conservative treatment since there is no breakage and her bones do not appear to be displaced."
I swallowed, immediately grateful they would not be inserting metals into my arm.
"How would we treat with magic? And without?"
The same fifth-year replied with the proper response for both – and I was happy to hear neither detailed anything complex.
"Good. Now splint her arm as you would without magic. Byron will want her to heal naturally since it is not severe."
****
When the girl had finished wrapping my arm and secured it in a sling I was dismissed. As I passed Alex my twin caught my arm – under the pretense he wanted to check my bindings, but really so he could ask about Ella.
"She hasn't forgotten me, has she?"
I scowled at Alex, attempting to reposition my arm more comfortably. "Gee, thanks for asking about me."