[center][h2][color=DAF6C7]Riona[/color] / [color=1E90FF]Sjan-dehk[/color] / [color=B0E0E6]Dai-sehk the Surgeon[/color][/h2][h3]Flashback: The Previous Night[/h3][/center]
[hr]
Flickering shadows danced on the cluttered desk. The pungent smell of dried herbs and steeping infusions filled the cramped and stuffy cabin. An oil lantern squeaked as it swung from an steel hook punched into the wall by the door. 

Hunched over the desk, Dai-sehk did his best to ignore the rolling floor as he picked up a dried leaf with a pair of forceps. With great caution, he dropped it into a small vial of water. Almost immediately, wispy trails of green wafted from the leaf. Dai-sehk paid it no further attention – he would run further tests of the newly brewed mixture once it had time to rest – and instead focused on the other leaves and herbs arranged in neat rows on the pages of an open book. Its pages were covered in illustrations and sketches of various plants found throughout the Commonwealth and its closest neighbours. Dai-sehk’s own handwritten notes decorated the margins and between paragraphs. 

One-by-one, he compared the appearance of each herb and leaf to what was in his book. And with each, his lips pressed tighter and tighter together until his mouth was a mere crack cutting across his face. None of what he had bought matched either illustration or description. Not enough for him to be able to ascertain their use and purpose with confidence, at least. He had plenty of experiments to look forward to, it would seem. Normally, he wouldn’t mind – it might even bring him some modicum of joy – but he needed to find a reliable way to replace his supply of medicine. And the sooner he could do that, the better.

He slid his glasses up his nose. With a muted grumble, he picked up another leaf with his forceps. 

The rap of knuckles against his door interrupted him. [color=1E90FF][i]“Dai-sehk? You in there?”[/i][/color] It was the Captain’s voice.

Dai-sehk huffed, carefully placed the leaf back onto the book, and shut it. He placed the heavy tome on a pile of yet more of his day’s bounty from Sorian’s markets. Only then did he call out a response. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Yes, I am here, Captain. The door is unlocked.”[/i][/color]

The door creaked open and the Captain stepped into the cabin. Dai-sehk didn’t bother to stand, nor did he salute. He had served with Sjan-dehk long enough to know that Sada Kurau’s Captain didn’t like standing on ceremony. If anything, the man actively avoided it. Dai-sehk did, however, offer him a nod as a show of respect. It was the least he could do for the person who had once snatched him from death’s door. Behind the Captain came a young woman. A local Caesonian, Dai-sehk guessed from her curled tresses, tanned skin, and generally non-Viserjantan appearance. He glanced at her, then at the Captain. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Who is she?”[/i][/color]

Riona couldn’t stop her eyes from darting about the doctor’s cabin. Everything was new, from the creak of wood to the sway of the floor beneath her feet. The unfamiliar motion sent a thrill through her stomach.

[color=1E90FF][i]“She is…”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk began. He furrowed his brow as he thought about how to introduce her. [color=1E90FF][i]“Rehn-ah is probably the closest we’ll get to her name. Anyway, she has wounds I want you to look at.”[/i][/color] He ushered the woman into the cabin, which was quickly becoming even more cramped. [color=1E90FF][i]“Been lashed recently, from what I understand, and she hasn’t seen an actual doctor yet. I would’ve gone to Rasehndah or Sazarin, but they looked like they were busy with many things.”[/i][/color]

Dai-sehk nodded slowly. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Yes. I told them to study and practice.”[/i][/color] He looked at Riona and Sjan-dehk in turn with scrying eyes. The Captain had clearly just stepped back aboard not long ago – he was still dressed in armour, and his weapons still hung from his belts. Wherever he had come from, it couldn’t be too friendly a place. The woman – Riona – however, was dressed simply in a dress. It was unlikely the Captain met her anywhere near a fight, as his attire would suggest.

With a mental shrug, Dai-sehk decided not to dwell on the matter any longer. There was no point. It wasn’t his place to decide who could come aboard Sada Kurau and who couldn’t. All he needed to know was that the Captain had personally asked for his help, and Dai-sehk wasn’t about to decline. Dai-sehk reached for a stool and dragged it over. Then, he twisted around and reached under his desk to pull out a leather bag, the very same one he had taken with him on his trip around Sorian that very same day. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Well, have her sit and lift up her shirt. There should be something around for her to cover her chest if she wants to.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk looked around a few times. Then, he grabbed a used tunic hanging from a hook punched into a nearby wall. Dai-sehk saw him do it, but didn’t voice any complaint. And so, the Captain turned to Riona, handing her the shirt and stepping aside to let her pass. He pressed himself almost flush against the hull of Sada Kurau. [color=1E90FF]“There, you sit,”[/color] he said, pointing to the stool. [color=1E90FF]“Face away from Dai-sehk. Then you show your back and if you need, use this–”[/color] he tilted his chin towards the tunic [color=1E90FF]“–to cover your front.”[/color]

Sjan-dehk and the doctor’s conversation washed over her in alien syllables, but her nose twitched at familiar scents. The sharp bite of silvermist—good stuff for lowering fevers—mingled with moonbloom’s sweetness. Strange, moonbloom petals were normally used for soaps, not medicine. And was that—yep, bloodroot. Poison, but useful if you knew how.

[color=1E90FF]“There.”[/color] Sjan-dehk’s voice drew her attention, and she turned to see the offered shirt. With a nod, she accepted it. [color=DAF6C7]“So, uh, I’m not sure what you told him, but a simple check-up is fine. It’s been…”[/color] she trailed off, fatigue suddenly leaden in her bones, [color=DAF6C7]“a rough couple of days.”[/color]

Sjan-dehk blinked once, as if not fully understanding what she was saying. [color=1E90FF]“But you are still injured, that is correct? Better to be safe than sorry, like your people say, yes?”[/color]

True. Riona began to remove the layers of her clothing, carefully folding each piece and stacking them on the nearest table. [color=DAF6C7]“I used some home remedies on myself, so my injuries shouldn’t be too bad.”[/color] With a final tug, Riona pulled her cotton dress over her head, leaving in her undergarments. [color=DAF6C7]“I got into a scrap yesterday. Nasty one. Took a knock to the head, nearly got my windpipe crushed, and the guy dosed me… something. I want to make sure there’s no permanent damage.”[/color]

As she bent to deal with her shoes, the light caught the myriad of scars that criss crossed her exposed skin. Each mark told a story, some faded with time, others looked more recent. But one... one old silvery line demanded attention like a shout in a silent room.

When Riona turned around, a matching scar on her abdomen completed the horrifying picture: they were the entry and exit wounds from a blade that should’ve been fatal.

The wounds, distinct and almost crying for attention with their pale glows, immediately captured Dai-sehk’s attention. Whatever blade that had pierced her had to have been well-sharpened, and used by someone who knew what they were about, judging by how clean the scars were. Riona was either a very lucky, or a very unlucky woman to have suffered and survived such an injury. On the one hand, she had been inches away from death. But on the other, that she had kept her life by such a close margin meant that she had to be possessed of no small amount of fortune. That, or she had caught the fancy of a Deity, Spirit, or some other supernatural force of some kind. 

Sjan-dehk cleared his throat. [color=1E90FF]“You are lucky,”[/color] he commented, surprise tinting his words.

Suspecting he was referring to the oldest scar on her body, Riona shook her head. [color=DAF6C7]“Not lucky.”[/color] Her fingers traced the line. Flashes of that fateful day crossed her mind, [color=DAF6C7]“Just a mother’s love.”[/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“What did she say?”[/i][/color] Dai-sehk asked. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“She got into a fight yesterday,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk replied, translating only what he knew Dai-sehk was interested in hearing. [color=1E90FF][i]“Took a hit to her throat and her head. Sounds like she got drugged as well.”[/i][/color] He chewed on his lip and looked in Dai-sehk’s direction. [color=1E90FF][i]“Just make sure there’re no lasting wounds. Treat what you can, do something for what you can’t.”[/i][/color]

Dai-sehk nodded. [color=B0E0E6][i]“As you say, Captain.”[/i][/color]

Riona’s feet, bearing the kind of marks you get from dancing in fire some time ago, padded softly across the floorboards to the waiting chair. In the low light of the cabin, those wounds went unnoticed by either man, although Dai-sehk did note that there was something odd about the sound her feet made. But, he didn’t think too much about it. There were more pressing wounds for him to see. 

Words seemed pretty useless when you couldn’t understand each other, so Riona settled for a polite smile-nod combo that she hoped were universal gestures before settling into the seat, back turned to him.

Dai-sehk leaned forward and examined the scars criss-crossing Riona’s back. And right away, he knew for a fact that she had been lashed many, many times. Fresh scars – still red and angry – cut into old, faded ones, and those rested upon scars that had long since turned into fleshy ridges on her flesh. He grimaced; there was nothing he could do about the latter two, and even the new ones were already starting to scab, a sign that they too would soon become immutable scars. Spots and lines of dark crimson marked where the scabs were tearing, and it were those areas where Dai-sehk focused his attention.

He twisted in his seat and swept his eyes over the desk, quickly finding a murky, glass jar half-filled with a green paste. [color=B0E0E6]“This, it sting,”[/color] he said matter-of-factly, his voice dull and devoid of any warmth. [color=B0E0E6]“Stay still. Do not move. Otherwise, will be difficult.”[/color] He dipped his fingers into the jar, scooping up a generous amount of the paste and daubing it onto Riona’s weeping scars.

Riona flinched—not from the cool paste or the sting, but the unfamiliar contact against her skin. Breathe, she reminded herself. Just a doctor doing his job. No threat here. She fixed her gaze on the far wall, willing her muscles to unclench.

If Dai-sehk noticed her reaction, he either didn’t show it, or didn’t care. With him, it could easily be either of the two. Or both. [color=B0E0E6]“Do not worry about throat,”[/color] he said as he worked. [color=B0E0E6]“If there is injured, you would know by now. Also for drugs. You say you it happen last night? Then already one full day. Most drugs, they already affect you by now also. Just be careful. You feel normal? Is okay. You feel different? Then worry.”[/color]

Sjan-dehk let out a sigh. [color=1E90FF]“Dai-sehk has own way of talking,”[/color] he said and glanced at the surgeon. The man merely responded with a shrug. Despite himself, Sjan-dehk chuckled as he shook his head. He supposed that a warship wasn’t the best place for Dai-sehk to develop his bedside manners, even if it did give him a place to polish his already exemplary skills. [color=1E90FF]“But he is good surgeon.”[/color]

[color=B0E0E6]“Too kind, Captain,”[/color] Dai-sehk murmured.

A half-laugh escaped Riona. The doctor’s bluntness was refreshing. No sugar-coating, no bullsh*t. Just the facts, raw and unfiltered. This one, at least, wouldn’t dance around the truth or pat her hand while lying through his teeth. She met the man’s eyes, noting the sharp intelligence there, and nodded. Yeah, she could work with this.

For several moments, Dai-sehk continued his work in silence, punctuated only by the occasional grumble whenever he found a spot he had missed. Meanwhile, Sjan-dehk leaned against the door frame with arms folded across his chest. He looked over Riona, taking in the sheer number of scars on her person. It didn’t take long for him to give voice to the question that gnawed at his mind. [color=1E90FF]“You have many scars,”[/color] he started a touch more awkwardly than he intended. [color=1E90FF]“They are…No, what I mean is, the people, the ones you work for, they do this to you a lot? Flogging?”[/color]

Riona’s lips quirked in a half-smile that didn’t reach her eyes. [color=DAF6C7]“That’d be giving them too much credit.”[/color] She shook her head, [color=DAF6C7]“No, not all of these were because of them.”[/color] Her hands absently rubbed the raised lines on her forearm. [color=DAF6C7]“Some are from accidents. Some happened during training. And some…”[/color] She flexed her work-worn hands, gaze catching on the ruins of her once-pristine manicure—remnants of a rare moment of vanity, [color=DAF6C7]“Some are… self-inflicted, in a sense. To remind myself. To…”[/color] The words “punish myself” hung unspoken in the air.

There wasn’t any need for Riona to complete her sentence. Neither Sjan-dehk nor Dai-sehk needed much thought to guess what she had meant to say. Self-flagellation and self-mutilation were common practices of certain sects which existed in the darker corners of the Commonwealth. They had flourished during the War, and had persisted for months after its conclusion. Dai-sehk never quite understood the theory behind their actions – and he had no desire to learn – but he knew enough to know that adherents of such beliefs got it into their heads that they had to punish themselves to appease some Deity or Spirit. And that once they were appeased enough, they would put an end to all pain and suffering.

It was all idiocy, as far as Dai-sehk was concerned. Of course, he was all too aware that there was nothing about Riona that indicated she was the same brand of idiot as those cultists, but it would be a lie if he said that he didn’t think of her as a silly person for doing what she had done. Words formed on his tongue, but a very sharp, very stern, and uncharacteristically severe look from the Captain made him swallow them.

Sjan-dehk breathed in deeply through his nose. [color=1E90FF]“Well,”[/color] he said. [color=1E90FF]“No matter where they come from, you still have wounds. They must be looked after.”[/color]

[color=B0E0E6]“It is done,”[/color] Dai-sehk said and slid the jar back onto his desk. He wiped his hands on his trousers, reached into the leather bag, and pulled out a white bandage, folded into a neat square. For the first time since he started treating Riona, his actions were gentle as he pressed the fabric against her wounds, making sure they were covered completely. [color=B0E0E6]“Scars will heal. But will leave mark. If you want to remove them, you go to Sudah. Find Sehja. She can do that better.”[/color]

[color=1E90FF]“Sehja, she is healer,”[/color] Sjan-dehk explained. [color=1E90FF]“Not doctor. She heals with arcane ways. Can do many, many things. Strange and interesting things.”[/color]

Riona’s eyes widened at the casual mention of arcane healing. [color=DAF6C7]“You shouldn’t talk about that so openly,”[/color] she cautioned. [color=DAF6C7]“Magic is... it’s not exactly welcomed in these parts. So, be careful.”[/color]

That was news to Sjan-dehk, and it was news he stored away with a note to pass it on to [i]Sudah[/i] as quickly as possible. There were more than a few magic-users aboard the larger vessel. It would be troublesome if any of them were to run afoul of Caesonian authorities. And if things got to the point where Sjan-dehk had to invoke Jafi’s long-standing promise to offer all magic-users protection, it could get very, very messy.

[color=1E90FF]“Thank you,”[/color] he said to Riona with a nod.

Her gaze drifted down to her scarred flesh. There was a time, not so long ago, when she’d considered erasing every mark, every reminder of her past. The thought had become particularly tempting after things with Dan had shifted, blossoming into something more than friendship. She’d wanted to be beautiful for him, unblemished.

But Dan... he’d seen past the scars, told her she was lovely just as she was. That there was no need to hide the story written on her skin. Riona’s lips quirked in a bittersweet smile at the memory.

It wasn’t just for Dan that she’d kept the scars, though. Deep down, in a place she rarely examined too closely, she didn’t believe she deserved to be free of them.

[color=DAF6C7]“Do you think I should erase them?”[/color] The question slipped out without thought. She looked up, meeting first the doctor’s eyes, then Sjan-dehk’s. [color=DAF6C7]“I... get myself hurt so that I don’t forget what was done to my home. So that I can keep…”[/color] She paused, weighing her words carefully. How much could she reveal without saying too much? [color=DAF6C7]“Keep the feeling I had then, alive.”[/color] The spell needed that energy to feed on, lest it withered and faded before having the chance to properly activate. 

Riona’s gaze flicked between the two men, searching their faces. [color=DAF6C7]“What... would it mean if I let my scars fade into nothing?”[/color]

[color=B0E0E6]“Means they go away,”[/color] Dai-sehk replied flatly. What other answer was she expecting? With deft and skillful hands, he wrapped the bandage around Riona’s body, taking care to avoid touching or even brushing his fingers against anywhere sensitive. He finished it off with a secure knot on her back. [color=B0E0E6]“You want scars to go away? You can. But only ones on body. Ones in mind? Not easy to go away.”[/color]

He fell silent for a moment. Then, he shook his head slightly. He didn’t know what it was that Riona wanted to always remember, but he knew that it wasn’t his place to tell her to do anything. [color=B0E0E6]“What you do, it is your choice. But if you do not let yourself, you never forget.”[/color]

Riona nodded slowly, feeling a faint flush of shame creep up her neck. The question had tumbled out before she could stop it, and now she wished she could snatch the words back from the air. These people were strangers. What right did she have to burden them with something so personal, so weighty?

Objectively speaking, the doctor was right: a scar was just a scar. Lines on skin, nothing more. It was her mind that gave it power, her memories that imbued it with significance. There was no reason for these people, or anyone really, to care about what it meant to her.

Sjan-dehk noticed the flush on Riona’s cheeks. He sighed, looked at Dai-sehk, then at her. [color=1E90FF]“So your home, it is no more?”[/color] He probed cautiously, and even as those words left his lips, he realised that it likely wasn’t the best question to ask. Not now, in any case. [color=1E90FF]“No need to answer,”[/color] he added quickly. Clearing his throat, he continued, [color=1E90FF]“What Dai-sehk mean is that your scars, the one on your body, they are not what you should worry about. They are there, they are not there, they do not affect what you remember. You want to forget, you will forget. You want to remember, you will remember. Scars only…Only form.”[/color]

[color=DAF6C7]“... I almost did once,”[/color] she muttered. She’d never make that mistake again. Quickly, Riona lifted her head and forced a smile, [color=DAF6C7]“Thank you for the offer. I’ll carry them with me… to the very end.”[/color] And beyond, she thought, if there was a beyond for someone like her.

[color=B0E0E6]“You can wear back your clothes now. All is done,”[/color] Dai-sehk said as he leaned over to snatch a satchel off the desk. [color=B0E0E6]“Do not let bandages become wet. Otherwise, infection. Take off when you wash. Replace if you need. Can use any clean cloth. If not sure, boil water. Soak cloth. Let dry.”[/color] He handed her the satchel. [color=B0E0E6]“For pain and itch. If need, crush, mix with water. Make paste. Apply to wound and cover again. If wound start to smell like fish, start to worry. Find doctor, or find the Captain again.”[/color]

Riona bowed her head slightly as she accepted the satchel. [color=DAF6C7]“Thank you, Doctor Dai-sehk,”[/color] she said. As she dressed, her mind wandered to the satchel’s contents, anticipation building at the thought of discovering unfamiliar remedies.

Back with the physician, Riona caught a glimpse of dried leaves peeking out from beneath a leather-bound book. Curiosity got the better of her, and she gently lifted the book, revealing an assortment of herbs scattered across the wooden surface.

[color=B0E0E6]“You–”[/color] Dai-sehk began. Despite the mess Riona had made, and what she had done with his work, he only sounded somewhat annoyed. The rest of his irate words, however, died on his tongue when he saw what Riona was doing. 

Setting the book aside, she scrutinised the plants. Her hands moved swiftly, sorting them into distinct piles. Before long, three neat stacks lay before her.

Riona pointed to each in turn. [color=DAF6C7]“Poisonous,”[/color] she said, indicating the first pile. Her finger moved to the second. [color=DAF6C7]“Can make things smell and taste nice, but doesn’t do much aside from that.”[/color] Finally, she gestured to the last group. [color=DAF6C7]“Has medicinal benefits.”[/color]

Dai-sehk blinked. She had worked fast. Much, much faster than what he would expect from someone with no professional knowledge. He looked at the neatly organised piles. Riona had likely saved him countless hours and even days of work and trouble. And as much as he wanted to know more about her, particularly how she knew so much about herbs and poisons, his itch to get back to work was stronger. 

[color=B0E0E6]“Thank you,”[/color] he said to her with a slight bow of his head. His eyes glanced at the pile Riona had said was composed of poisonous leaves. That was certainly very useful information. [color=B0E0E6]“Very helpful,”[/color] he added. Then, he promptly turned back to face his desk. He pushed his glasses further up his nose, picked up a pen, and returned to his work. [color=B0E0E6]“All is done, yes? Then you can go. Close the door.”[/color]

Pride glimmered in her eyes. Adjusting the satchel’s strap, Riona said, [color=DAF6C7]“Thank you again. Have a good night.”[/color]

Dai-sehk didn’t look up. He didn’t even say anything, and simply waved his hand.

Sjan-dehk sighed and gestured for Riona to leave. He followed behind her, quietly closing the door behind him. [color=1E90FF]“Do not mind him,”[/color] he said as he led the way back up to Sada Kurau’s main deck. [color=1E90FF]“Dai-sehk, he likes to work. But he is good man. Most of the time. Other times, even we feel like throwing him overboard.”[/color] He looked over his shoulder at Riona with a grin to make it clear that it was a joke. 

The crisp, night air, light with ocean salt, greeted them as they emerged from [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s lower decks. A cooling breeze washed over the deck, rustling sails and ropes. Roosting seafowl cooed and cawed above, from where they sat on the mast tops and rigging. 

[color=1E90FF]“Wait,”[/color] Sjan-dehk told Riona, and quickly swept his eyes across the deck. His gaze soon rested on a pair of sailors standing by the gunwale, their rifles slung over their shoulders, hats atop their heads, and eyes fixed on the pier. [color=1E90FF][i]“You two,”[/i][/color] the Captain called out to them. They both let out a yelp of surprise and turned around, snapping to haphazard salutes. Sjan-dehk regarded them with a smirk. [color=1E90FF][i]“I’ll pretend I didn’t see or hear that, but I expect better from both of you next time.”[/i][/color]

[i]“Y-Yes, Captain!”[/i] The shorter of the two replied.

Sjan-dehk pointed to Riona. [color=1E90FF][i]“Our guest is going home. Go with her, make sure she’s safe, then come back as quickly–”[/i][/color] He stopped himself, thought about it a little more, and shook his head. [color=1E90FF][i]“Belay that. Escort her home, make sure you’re with her until she’s physically through the door, then the two of you can spend a little time in the city if you like. Just don’t do what Yehn-tai did and get into a fight, otherwise I’ll personally see to it that you’re both scrubbing latrines till your hands bleed. And make sure you’re both back before midnight, otherwise it’s Master Kai-dahn who’ll do that. Understood?”[/i][/color]

The taller one nodded. [i]“Understood, Captain. Thank you, Captain.”[/i]

Sjan-dehk turned his attention back to Riona. [color=1E90FF]“Ahn-seh and Izayan will send you home,”[/color] he said, walking her to the gangplank as he did so. [color=1E90FF]“Lead, and they follow.”[/color]

[color=DAF6C7]“Thanks for your help and hospitality, Captain Sjan-dehk. I’m glad I was able to finally talk to you in person.”[/color] Riona smiled at him. [color=DAF6C7]“My sister talked about you with such enthusiasm. I’ve been curious.”[/color] She nodded a greeting to her escorts as her fingers traced the outline of the medicinal satchel at her hip. The unexpected kindness she’d received tonight settled warm in her chest.

One foot on the gangplank, Riona paused. The night air carried the scent of salt and possibility. She turned, [color=DAF6C7]“Hey, crazy thought, what if we—you, me, my sister—get together sometime? Nothing fancy, just... I don’t know, grab a drink, have a meal, or something?”[/color]

Sister? Sjan-dehk couldn’t think of a reason as to why Riona would invite him to meet with her. Maybe she was someone he had met before? But he couldn’t recall meeting anyone who looked similar to Riona. Or maybe he did, and it was his memory that was once again failing him. Regardless, he couldn’t think of any reason to refuse. He was going to have to get used to Caesonian society as soon as possible, and getting to know another Caesonian would surely help with that. 

[color=1E90FF]“Okay,”[/color] he replied. [color=1E90FF]“But we eat somewhere…Not like today, yes? This afternoon. That was strange place.”[/color]

Riona barked a laugh, [color=DAF6C7]“Agreed.”[/color]

With that, he stepped back from the gangplank and waved Riona off. [color=1E90FF]“Will be very late soon. Can talk next time. Goodnight, and be safe.”[/color]