The Gift

Ruby's nose twitched, the sickly sweet stench of antiseptic the first thing to reach her senses as she slowly came to. Thin sheets against her skin; the realisation that she had been stripped of her clothing and put into bed. The odd realisation that whoever had undressed her had decided they needed to see to her modesty - she was wearing small clothes she hadn't been before, and her chest wrap remained in place. Sounds reached her horns, the chatter and fuss of a busy ward. Finally, she opened her eyes.

"Ah, you are awake little Xaela."

Ruby started and turned her head towards the voice. A white-furred Hrothgar sat beside her bed, cleaning her axe. He grinned widely at her, showing long fangs.

"Don't worry. I recovered proof of your kill to deliver back to the clan. You beat me to the beast, though it seems you were lucky I wasn't too far behind." 

Ruby placed her hands at her side, slowly trying to push herself up to sitting. Her muscles felt like jelly, drained of all their strength, and her chest ached as she breathed in.

"It… seems so." She coughed out, discovering a raw, painful throat. Looking around, she found her bed surrounded by off white curtains, and her clothing piled neatly on the table beside the bed, evidently washed and pressed. "How long was I out?"

"A day or so. I carried you back to Idyllshire and delivered you to the infirmary, then went to recover your things." The Hrothgar examined the detailing on the axe's blade; satisfied it had been cleansed totally of morbol crud, he placed it carefully against the wall. "By the time I was back they already had you tucked up in here to recover. Seems your antidotes were poorly made, nowhere near as effective as they needed to be." 

Ruby coughed and cursed the trader who has sold the concoctions to her.

"Thank you, for your kindness. You've been to such lengths for a stranger, one who got in first on your hunt as well." She spoke quietly to protect her voice.

"Ah, never mind that. It's all part of the clan hunts. I'm sure I will beat you on another one." He laughed a bellowing laugh and patted her shoulder before getting to his feet.

"I have two more things to do for you. First, I notice your linkpearl was damaged. I will be travelling back east. Have you friends I can inform of your whereabouts?"

Ruby considered for a moment. East would mean he was going to Ishgard, Ishgard meant Ashlyn. The Rava was, Ruby thought, level-headed enough to not panic about a little morbol poisoning, and she would be able to reach Kira quicker by linkpearl than the Hrothgar. She explained to him in her hoarse voice and watched him make a note of the address.

"Good. Now, secondly." He reached into a pouch with his large, clawed fingers and drew out a small, deeppallid violetblue stone. Reaching across, he placed it carefully atop the pile of Ruby's possessions.

"I see you are a strong-willed one. And strong of arm as well, not many as small as you could have felled a beast like that alone." He leaned in, close enough that Ruby felt his whiskers brushing against her horn. "If you ever find yourself in dire need of more strength and power, that stone will grant it to you." He straightened up and nodded to her. "Swift recovery, Xaela. I will see you on the hunt." 

Ruby had barely opened her mouth to question, but he had lifted a long-bladed weapon and strapped it to his back, walking away with a swish of the curtains. She lowered her feet to the floor, stumbling and pulling a curtain from its railing with a crash as she tried to follow. A Hyur nurse bustled across the room and bullied her back into bed with more medicine and a cold cloth for her hot head before she could protest. Glancing over at the stone gleaming atop her coat, she sighed and resigned herself back to sleep.

A mystery for another day.