abraxaslogs | Open Log

Nadine has never been a horse person.

Despite growing up in rural New England, where it's hard to throw a stick without hitting a horse, that had just never been a part of her life. Even after living in Abraxas for over a year, and having to ride due to necessity, she's stuck with renting a mount when need be or just doubling up with someone else. But it had reached a point where that just wasn't viable, and after a series of conversations and proper lessons, she now has her own horse.

Sort of.

In actuality, Nadine now has a pony. A hardy and good sized pony, but a pony all the same. Julie had helped pick the animal out, being far more knowledgeable about horses and Nadine's needs in that regard. And a good thing, as the round little dappled mare named Dumpling is not at all what Nadine would have picked out for herself.

Now the pair are in the yard area behind the inn and stables as Nadine attempts to get comfortable with her new hoofed companion. Thankfully, Dumpling had come with tack - a simple saddle that was a good size for Nadine and a bridle already fitted to the pony. Another thing to be thankful for is that Nadine knows enough experienced horse people who can teach her how to put it all on and take it all off.

For the moment, though, Nadine is focusing on one important aspect of horsemanship. Getting on and off the horse. She's dressed for the activity, wearing her leather pants and boots and a plain white cotton shirt. And while she wishes there was a more private place to do this, it probably won't be too bad.

"Alright..." She awkwardly pats the little mare's nose. "Guess we better get used to each other, huh? You are cute..."

And supposedly very calm mannered and steady. Keeping the reins in her hand, Nadine positions herself at Dumpling's side and grabs the front bit of the saddle - she can't remember what it's called - and holds tight to steady herself as she lifts up her left foot to slip it into the stirrup. Which she can do, she finds, with how short the pony is. It's by no means a smooth step up, but she can get her foot in the stirrup.

"Okay. I can do this. I've seen Geralt and Julie do this dozens of times." It's just like stepping up...a really big step. And swinging one leg over at the top of it. Piece of cake.

Except not. Nadine manages the big step up...and ends up on her middle, draped over Dumpling's back. To the pony's credit, she doesn't move beyond glancing over her shoulder to look placidly at Nadine's rear end. At least she can scramble the rest of the way on, but it isn't pretty. There's a good deal of squirming and pulling herself and struggling to get her leg over and settled properly. But she manages it, and after a few minutes is sitting upright in the saddle with a heavy sigh.

"Why hasn't this world invented cars yet?"

"What's a car?"

The voice comes from the back step of the inn, where Sylvain had stepped out from a few moments earlier, just in time to see that mostly-successful attempt in mounting a horse. Other than the amusement lingering in his gaze, however, his expression only shows a friendly smile, his posture relaxed and at ease as he steps down and crosses the yard to greet... the pony.

"Hello, darling, aren't you pretty?" Hands stroke in an affectionate pet before there's a nudge of a muzzle at one of his pockets, getting a chuckle from him as he fishes out a pair of sugar cubes and offers them as a treat. "And clever, too."

The pony greeted, he glances up to cast a playful grin at the woman currently perched on her back. "You need a hand?"

"Oh...uh...it's a mechanical vehicle. No horses involved."

Nadine's look is a slightly sheepish one. But they can't all come from places where horses are the normal mode of transportation. And better to look like an idiot now, in the safety of the yard of the inn, then struggle when she finds herself in a difficult position. Again.

Dumpling seems quite happy with the attention, though true to her steady nature remains right where she's standing. Nadine certainly has no intention of actually going anywhere, she's still mastering mounting and dismounting without a stepping aide.

"And thanks, but I have to get used to doing this myself. I'm not a horse person, I'm still learning everything. This is basically homework."

She'd made a promise, after all. She can't keep relying on other people and their horses. It's just not feasible anymore.

"Thankfully Dumpling is very patient."

Huh. Interesting. Sounds like something Jayce would make - not that he knows a whole lot about machines yet. His world was still very strictly in the 'horses' era. Well. Them and wyverns.

He gives Dumpling another affectionate pat before stepping back and inclining his head at her with a smile. "Well. You successfully made it up there, so you're doing better than some. Were you just practicing mounting and dismounting or are familiar with, uh, where to go from there?"

Please tell him someone has taught you how to make it go?

"Oh no, I can do the in between part. I've just always had someone boost me up or used something to climb on. And help me down."

There's a sheepish note to this admission. Nadine's been here well over a year, she ought to have learned this a long time ago. But she's learning it now. While she doubts she'll ever be any sort of skilled horsewoman, she's determined to master the basics.

"And I guess we're bonding...I just bought her a few days ago. She's a little too big to be a kid's pony, but she's pretty me-sized."

She gives the pony a pat on the neck.

"I'm Nadine. The healer with the clinic down the street."

"You know, when you're first learning, there's no reason you can't use your surroundings to your advantage." He casts her a warm smile before glancing around the yard. "It'll get easier with practice, of course - most things do - but I'll be completely honest, when I was first figuring out how to do this, I always tried to find things that made it not quite so big a haul to get up there. Like a step or the fence or a tree stump or something."

Granted, he'd been pretty little, but he didn't think the advice would hurt.

Although when the woman introduces herself his eyes light up in recognition. "Oh! Claude's mentioned you before! A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Nadine. I'm Sylvain."

"Yeah...yeah, there's nothing wrong with that when you're first learning." Nadine nods.

"I first started learning about a year ago." She's well beyond the point where she ought to be struggling, but it had always been something done when she needed to. And half the time she could just ride double with someone much more experienced, who could hoist her up and help her down.

Until something happened and her inability to mount a horse led to three people dying. Bandits - or at least armed robbers - but still. Once her lack of ability had a body count, it was time to seriously learn how to handle a mount herself.

"Oh!" Nadine also smiles in recognition. "Yeah, Claude's mentioned you. It's good to meet you."

Sylvain just shrugs at her explanation about the length of time she's been learning. "Everyone learns at their own pace. And you look perfectly comfortable up there, so none of that went to waste. I've known people who've been riding for years and they still look like they're going to slide right off the first wrong step their mount takes."

Nadine's smile has him looking playfully horrified, however, a hand held over his heart. "Shit, did he? Trust me, I'm sure whatever he claimed was greatly exaggerated."

"Thankfully I'm not too far off the ground." But Nadine does need to practice both steps, so she grabs the front of the saddle to keep herself steady and swings one leg over so she's sitting perched sideways in the saddle. It really isn't very far to the ground and she slides down with a small groan.

Well. That didn't go too badly. She'd hate to wipe out in front of an audience. Even one that's proving to be very supportive and non-judgmental.

"And don't worry about it, your name just came up when we were talking different schools of magic. I'm a healer by trade, but I dabble in Academic Magic."

He hums as he watches her, hand stroking the pony's neck to steady her just in case. His hands twitch, ready in case Nadine looked unbalanced, but she dismounts with ease and he flashes her a bright grin when she successfully manages it.

"Good job! See? You'll be an expert in no time."

The mention of magic has him cocking his head to the side, because he's surprised he came up under that topic at all. "Huh. I admit, all the magic in this place is still confusing as anything to me. I didn't dabble in it much back home, just some basics in black magic and white magic. Mostly for emergencies, one way or another."

"We were just sort of comparing different schools of magic, and how magic here and in your world is different and similar. And how magic can be handy in emergencies and things like that. He mentioned other people from his world being here."

Much of it in the context of Academic Magic, and what spells Nadine has learned so far. And how none of them are healing spells. But she'll tackle those when she feels ready. Her spells are practical ones that come in handy in daily life, which is what she's focused on.

Once upon a time she'd had the idea to focus on magic, but...certain events made her rethink that idea.

"Don't worry, no claims were made about your specific magical prowess."

That just makes him snicker as he shakes his head. "Well, that's probably a good thing, because I'm not sure I have any magical prowess. And yeah, the magic here is very different from what we knew back home."

He lifts a hand, calling up the flicker of white magic he knows how to channel and there's a faint glow around his hand, warm and soothing, but he douses it again, because he has nowhere to channel it to at the moment.

"Most of what I learned came from watching others cast it, or in emergency situations on a battlefield. Back in school, I only took the basic introductory class and never pursued it much further. Martial training kept me more than busy. Maybe how they teach it in Thorne is more with how I'm familiar with training magic, but the Free Cities seem to take a pretty unique stance on it even for this place."

He pauses and then glances over at her curiously. "I don't actually know what they use for healing magics in this place, I'm not sure I've even seen anyone wielding it. Do you know what it's like?"

"Yeah, they look at magic as an outdated and old fashioned system. I was in Thorne, for a while, when I first came here. That's where I started learning magic - it's not common in my world. Most people didn't even believe it was real."

As she talks, Nadine turns to begin untacking Dumpling, another thing she's familiarizing herself with.

"I haven't learned any healing spells myself, yet, but the ones in my book are cast the same was as any Academic spell. There's an incantation and specific elements that need to be in place for it to work. And healing spells are a little more complicated than the basics."

The basics covering what she knows and has more or less mastered. While none of the spells she knows are particularly powerful, they're useful.

He nods, thinking that over. "This might sound like a silly question, but are there people who teach that sort of thing here in Cadens or is that only in Thorne? It might be a little outdated, but that doesn't mean it's not still useful."

Especially when it comes to things like healing. If they're heading into a war, that's going to be imminently necessary anyway.

"I know they have schools and more official training for it in Thorne, but I hadn't considered what was available here in the Free Cities until now. Granted, I've been mostly stumbling face-first into what I've learned so far anyway."

"Not really. The Free Cities really emphasize relying on technology, not magic. I got some weird looks when I used magic during the search and rescue in Libertas. And most mages who move here move here for a reason." It's not the first time she's been asked this question. It would be a lot easier if there were any magic teachers around, but if there are...they aren't advertising.

"But you can find books, sometimes. That's how I've been studying it, I have an instructional book. But just the one, I'm afraid, and it's pretty basic." Once she finishes it...well, she'll have to try and track down a more advanced book, she supposes.

"You might have better luck just asking other Summoned, if you want to explore magic. A lot of them know a lot about it."

Sylvain gives a quiet sigh, raking his fingers through his hair as he frowns. "I can understand some of their reasoning, but can their technology really do the same - or as much - as a healer could with their magic, when it comes to someone wounded? I feel like you should have a better system in place before tossing out the old ways, otherwise what's the point?"

He knows firsthand what a skilled healer could accomplish, despite how dire a wound could be. He hadn't seen much evidence of that even in Libertas, even though he had fallen back on some of his white magic at the most dire times.

"I guess I will see if I can find some books, then. Claude would probably know where to find some." He muses that thoughtfully, because their room is always cluttered with books these days, he swears, every time he finds Claude he's surrounded by at least ten new ones. "But asking around to the other Summoned isn't a bad idea either. Especially since some in the other Factions might have more information on how to go about it."

He watches as she works at untacking her pony, a smile returning to play at his lips. "You're pretty good at this part, clearly. I'll let you finish with her, but if you ever need help when it comes to this sort of knowledge, at least, I'd be happy to help if you need some." He gives Dumpling another fond pat.

Nocwich had been a (mostly) pleasant trip the first time, and Nadine is quick to return when news spreads that the Summoned are welcome to visit on designated weekends. There are some supplies she'd like to get more of that aren't available in the Free Cities, and a part of her is eager to return to the wooded hunting grounds. She wouldn't mind a visit to the hot springs, either. Besides, most everyone she knows is doing the same. Understandable, there are only so many places they can easily visit.

Not to mention it gives her an excuse to wear her fur stole and winter leathers.

While in the square, Nadine can be often found shopping in the marketplace - paying particular attention to herbologists and apothecary supply stalls - or taking it easy on a bench with a hot hand pie or spiced warmed fruit drink, bags and boxes of her purchases arranged around her.

When she isn't shopping, she may be harder to find. As before, Nadine ventures into the hunting woods, strips down behind a bush and transforms into her white lupine form. Her clothes are secured on her back in a bundle, and the pendant of small golden antlers she always wears is still around her now-furry neck. Like last time, she spends her time in the forests tracking and stalking animals, practicing moving quietly and utilizing her heightened wolf senses. Should she see - or scent - anyone she knows, she'll be quick to approach with a wagging tail.

With a proper herbology education at this point, Nadine is beginning to start experimenting. She has a solid knowledge of this world's pain relievers and sleep aides and other common cures and how they interact with one another. And thanks to Jaskier's unique ability, she's been able to grow herbal remedies from her own world that don't exist here. Turmeric, black cohosh, goldenseal, cannabis...she wishes she had more knowledge of medicinal herbs from back home, but she only knows the handful popular in country stores and farmer's markets where she grew up. Or at least well enough for them to be magically reproduced here.

But it's a start. And maybe, if she has success with this little project, she can ask Geralt and Jaskier about herbs and medical plants from their world. She knows Geralt mostly uses toxins, but he may have knowledge of other things. He knows a lot.

It's quiet in the clinic, so it seems the perfect time for some experimenting. Instead of her usual set up, Nadine has bundles of various herbs, native and not, set out on the workbench in the back of the front room. There's a large piece of parchment spread out below them, and an assortment of colored pencils scattered about. A series of complicated beakers and vials and glass jars are set up on the shelf nearby, some sitting on burners. A few little containers of liquids and gels are near the chemistry apparatuses.

This looks like a rather big project...

Altaïr is well accustomed to attending his own injuries, or to visiting a trusted physician when necessary. Unfortunately, the latter has become much scarcer since his arrival in this world; he doesn't truly trust anyone, though there are some people he is more comfortable with turning his back on.

This would be less of a problem had the bandit he encountered this morning in the wasteland been less erratic with his knife strikes. Altaïr had never considered his life to be in danger, but he'd ducked at the same time the man had flailed, and now there is an irritatingly placed wound near his shoulder blade that is just deep enough to be a bother.

None of this stops him from eyeing the setup toward the back of the room once he enters. He has an oozing knife wound, yes, but the pursuit of some kind of knowledge is much more interesting.

"Good afternoon." He raises a hand in greeting, refusing to show the twinge of pain he feels as he does. "What is it you're working on?"

"Oh, hi." Nadine looks up briefly from her work with a tired and distracted little smile.

"Uh...I'm working with some local herbs, some things I got in Nocwich, and some plants from my own world I had magically grown here. I'm trying to see which combinations work." She hovers her hand over each category as she names it off. "I have no idea if anything will, but I thought it would be a fun project."

And potentially lead to stronger and better potions and tonics.

Taking a closer look at Altair, Nadine raises her eyebrows and turns entirely from her work. It looks like there's something a lot more important that needs her attention.

"Can I...help you?"

About fifty different questions immediately come to mind — which herbs, which ones came from which location, how could herbs be grown from other worlds, what combinations show promise so far? He's neither an herbalist nor a healer, but that doesn't stop him from being hungry for knowledge.

Then she drags his attention back to the reason he's here in the first place. Of course.

"I was hoping I could take the clinic's name at face value," he says. "I had an encounter with a highly disagreeable fellow earlier today. I think the parting gift he left me needs stitches."

"That's mainly what I'm here for. Come on back, I'll get you fixed up."

Nothing she's working on needs her attention, or can't be left as it is. Nadine leads the way to the exam and whatnot room, and promptly goes to scrub her hands.

"Shirt off and hop up on the table there." Her head jerks to the exam table at the center the room. This is clearly where the messier work happens, the glass front cabinets here filled with medicines and bandages and surgical supplies. Everything is spotlessly clean and the equipment is well cared for - even if most of it was purchased secondhand.

"So what happened? Any potential poison or anything else I should know about?"

In an ideal scenario, he would see to this himself, but unfortunately bones are not that stretchy. He's seen Nadine put enough of her efforts into healing others that this is an acceptable second-best option.

"Likely not, unless it was very subtle." He's not dead or writhing in pain that is excessive for a knife wound, two points against poison. "A bandit thought me an easy mark. He was wrong."

He pulls his linen top off and then the makeshift bandage he'd used, twisting in place on the exam table so she can see the wound. Nothing life-threatening, but jagged enough that it had bled a fair amount.

"Bandits have gotten pretty bold lately."

Nadine approaches with her medical bag, carrying everything she should need to tend to a simple blade wound. That's what she's had the most actual hands on experience with, she could stitch up a gash half-asleep.

She has done it half-asleep, on reflection.

"A friend of mine and I had to deal with some just a few hours ride from the city walls." Though they hadn't been much of a threat, really. That time. With the unrest from the attack on Libertas and the dwindling of trade goods, she imagines it's only going to get worse. The scavengers and predators that hang at the edges will be ready to take advantage.

Shaking away those thoughts, she turns her attention to Altair's wound.

"Ouch, that's a rough one. But you're right, it should just need a cleaning and some stitches. I'm going to start with a topical numbing agent around the wound, it'll tingle a little and then you won't feel much of anything."

"These are desperate times for many."

That won't stop him from defending himself. It hadn't stopped him from doing what had to be done to end the encounter and ensure that this particular bandit would not menace anyone else again, especially not those more vulnerable than Altaïr or Nadine or her friend. But it doesn't mean he lacks pity for those who made very poor choices for a reason.

"That's fine. I can tolerate pain." A few faint, older scars on his torso are evidence of that, though they too were never life-threatening. He cranes his neck around to see what she's doing, ever curious. "What causes the numbing?"

"Being able to tolerate pain doesn't mean you need to deal with it when it's not necessary."

It's something she hears a lot. But she has painkillers and numbing salves for a reason. It's not pleasant getting stitched up, and that's a nasty looking wound. She's a healer, she's going to do what she does.

"And it's a distilled version of the secretions from a desert lizard. Undiluted it does more than just numb, but once it's been processed and mixed with a couple of other things, it just temporarily numbs sensation topically."

She shows him the jar of faintly yellow cream with one hand as she applies it with the other. It doesn't smell strongly but there's a faint herbal aroma wafting up from it.

"It's a popular topical painkiller with doctors here in Cadens."

He's tempted to ask how, which lizard, please explain the full process, but just barely refrains, though the interest and eagerness is plain on his face.. It's not as though he knows how every tonic and poultice is made in the Holy Land; he's benefited from several without asking about how they were produced. But here in this strange land, he's found that all he wants to do is know more about everything.

"The medical techniques here are impressive," he says. "In this world, things like the Horizon and the magic one may learn stand out the most, but I've found myself wishing I could bring some of the healers' knowledge to my homeland. It could save many lives.

Not his, not in this case, with a painful but hardly life-threatening injury. Then again, there is always the danger of infection; it's one more reason to check his arrogance. Not even he is immune to unfortunate if unlikely outcomes.

"They are. As far as a lot of machines and things go, this place is behind my world and time. But they have a much better understanding of biology and nature and why things happen than we did back then. And some of the tools and medicines they have are better than what I'm used to."

As she talks, Nadine keeps up her work, applying a cleansing salve to stave off infection and get any dirt and grime out.

"My world technically advanced beyond herbal medicine. It's looked at as quaint and old fashioned and something silly people use. But our herbal medicine is nothing compared to this world."

He shifts briefly as her efforts result in refreshed pain that had previously been dulled by time and his own temporary care, but then holds himself steady. It isn't the worst he's felt and this is necessary to proper recovery.

"Perhaps it isn't a matter of time alone that prompts such improvements, but a willingness to delve deep into available resources in addition to eagerness to chase new discoveries," he suggests. "An open mind yields better results than one ruled by existing assumptions."

It seems obvious to him. But he knows from experience that many value the prejudices of their existing worldview more than they do change that could benefit all.

"In my world, a lot of it came down to religion. And certain dominating religions not being too interested in discoveries that could undermine their position." A simplified summary, obviously, but Nadine stands by it.

She finishes up cleaning the wound and moves to pulling out her suture kit.

"And higher education in my world isn't exactly available to everyone, not like here. I don't even pay to attend the academy. I mean I'd have to if I was living there, and when I need to rent equipment outside of class, but just attending doesn't cost anything." Which is amazing, to her. She'd been prepared to argue her way into some kind of scholarship, but it hadn't been necessary.

She just had to pass her classes.

The tch sound he makes at the mention of her world's religions is possibly enough to show what he thinks, but he follows it up with words.

"An unfortunately common aspect of religion," he says. "For all that they claim connection to higher powers, those powers don't appear to value free thinking. No doubt it's in their best interest that their followers be told what to believe."

It's not that he doesn't think people should be free to worship as they choose. He does. He just...wishes they'd choose something different.

"I'd be suspicious of those benefits, given the manner of our arrival here in the first place. But — that's worthwhile, to pursue greater knowledge in whatever way it's available to you."

"Oh, you don't have to tell me. I was raised in the church - literally, for a little while. My first family was really religious, and when they died I was still a kid so I went into a church run children's home."

That part of Nadine's past she has no problems talking about. At least the broad strokes. There's no real point in keeping quiet the fact that she's an orphan, or that she'd been raised in a very religious environment. It's not like she agrees with a lot of it.

"And I'm not too worried about any agendas from the academies. It's the same for any citizen of the Free Cities, education is freely available. As long as you keep up and pass all your classes." She threads her needle and ties it off with a practiced motion.

"Okay, we're gonna start the sutures. It doesn't need too many and the area around the wound should be nice and numbed now. It'll feel weird, but it shouldn't hurt much."

First family? He finds the references interesting, though he doesn't question it for the moment. By the laws of nature, people should have only one family — but then, are his Brothers not exactly that in their own way, and was Al Mualim not more like a father than the one he knew? Perhaps he and Nadine have more in common than he'd have guessed.

"Weird is fine. Please continue."

He can already feel the effectiveness of the topical agent, or lack thereof.

"It's strange to think that education may be so freely given," he says. "Knowledge is power, and power is often hoarded."

"I don't know, I can understand it."

Nadine sets to the actual suturing, trying to go quickly. Even with a topical numbing agent, it's not a pleasant thing to sit for the surgeon.

"The Free Cities really highly values innovation and new ideas. The best way to foster those is with a well educated population. The idea is the education is provided...and the fruits of that education will benefit and be put into service of the Free Cities. So it's self-serving, in that way."

And gives the Free Cities clout - they have all these highly trained professionals at their disposal. How often has she heard that the Academy's doctors are the best in the world? And how lucky they all are to live where they do, to be allowed the chance to join their ranks.

"Plus we have to pay for supplies and books and rent lab space...if we want to do anything outside of the classroom we have to buy our own equipment, and of course the Academy has a shop...."

He understands the concept of investing in a society's future, but he's still skeptical as it relates to the Summoned. They may be among the local citizens, but they are not of them, and there is no guarantee whatever they might learn will be put to use to benefit the Free Cities. Unless the academics, all of them, know something the Summoned don't.

But even Altaïr recognizes that's an excessively paranoid thought, and Nadine surely knows more about the matter than he does. He may have to change that.

"An economic advantage as well," he acknowledges. "Perhaps I will look into this myself. I would like to learn while I am here."

And if he ever leaves. If Altaïr has his way, he will only stop learning when he dies.

Open Log

Cadens, Outside Mag's Inn, Open

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Nocwich - Open

Salves & Stitches Clinic - Open

hope you take talk-ins, doc

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sobs because I only noticed the subject line typo after it was too late

don't it's a beautiful typo

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