#earthrunes

August is agog.

"It... you... "

A little shrug. "You asked."

"It is done, August."

"I cost all this?" Tiny.

A blink. "Cost? August! You were being used as bait to get at Zara. You did nothing to earn this or cause it. The only one who 'cost' this is Paler himself."

He looks confused, but nods. "I... I was bait? I .... I was coming home after class and.... there was a DeBuke troll who asked me to help him and....." He frowns. "I can't remember."

She frowns. "There was a troll there...but he wasn't a DeBuke. Earl knew him, said the DeBuke family had prior claim against him, so I released him to Earl to deal with."

A sickened scowl and she looks away, remembering something.

"What?" soft.

"The things they did to you....August...you were so badly beaten...." about to say more, but she shakes her head and blinks away what promise to be tears. "But...you are safe and healing, now."

"I.... " His head tips back to his pillow, resting. "You and Zara are ok and Paler..... what about the rest?"

She nods. "Everybody who went to get you back is safe. There was another prisoner...a boggan. The seer saw him while scrying, and...it's bleary...but I think he's fine, in a way. I know he didn't come back with us."

August shakes his head. "I don't.... Ok."

She strokes his hair. "It was the Dreaming, August. I don't expect you to remember much, especially with being beaten. You...we were concerned you wouldn't completely recover."

"Did I?"

"Well...you're better than you were? And you'll get better yet. I'm sure you will, yes."

"Ok. Water?" Hopefully, a little boy.

"Yes! Here..." she quickly refills the glass and offers it to him. "Did...do you remember anything more?" Carefully.

He drinks, happily. He stops himself drinking. "I can't remember. There was the DeBuke troll I wanted to help and then... Here." He looks at her and says with all reverence... "Coradel."

A gentle, relieved smile. "August." Tender fingertips against his brow.

"Now...you will promise me that you will stay put and do as the healer tells you until she says you are ready to move more."

Speaking of...

Emma pops back in, with a tray - tea, yes. And jello. And.. is that chicken broth?

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey."

"I feel fine....." He goes to sit.

A smile to Emma, but it vanishes as August starts to move. "August...don't."

"ZUT!" She pokes his chest with the tip of her tail, gently pushing him down.

He does.

August lays down carefully.

Emma sets the tray across his lap and mutters to herself as she adjusts the bed - he can be more vertical without having to sit. "Oh, we think we're just peaches and carrots now..."

"I.. ache. I was hurt. How bad?"

"You know Humpty-Dumpty? I am the King's Horses AND the King's Men." She takes Cora's hand and plunks a spoon in it.

August just gives Coradel a long-suffering look.

Coradel takes the spoon with a bemused air, then carefully offers August some soup. "It was bad, August. Healer Emmaline did masterful work."

"Your teeth...I wouldn't try anything more solid than the gelatin for a while."

"Thank...." A sip, another... "Miss Emmaline...." And some more soup. And jello.

"If he eats all of it, he gets a gold star. Now, Most High Coronet - you are in charge! I have plants to tend to!"

"Yes, Healer." Coradel accepts her marching orders seriously, and continues to feed August as he's ready for more.

A salute, and Emma heads back out. The soup, it turns out, is actually veggie broth.

August eats easily... and is absorbed in Coradel's eyes.

She's likewise entirely focused on him. "I...August, I'm sorry we didn't get to you sooner. The threat to you...I wanted to be certain we planned properly."

He shakes his head, after swallowing. "It was not our plan. We were attacked."

There is a gentle knock at the healer's door.

"I wanted to...." she stops and says, "Enter."

It's Innish the herald, "Baroness, Sir Earl and a Selkie have arrived. They were hoping to see Sir August if possible, how he was doing and alll and oh he's awake' A smile then sobering "I told them I would want the healer or your permission "

"Yes, he woke just a bit ago." Coradel is clearly delighted with this fact, and she turns to August. "Do you feel up to a brief visit?"

"Ah. Yes?"

Innish bows, and goes to tell Sir Earl to come by. And sure enough, Earl does show up, the door sliding open slightly "Hello, pardon me, Baroness. " He smiles a bit to see August

A smile, as game as ever. "Is Zara ok?"