Episode 174 We’ll Do It Together
We’ll Do It Together
Earlier that morning...
“I’m sorry I have to drag you with me everywhere I go,” Tharios says as he calls for water to rinse off his toothbrush.
Viala shrugs. “I enjoy spending time with you, elf prince.”
After stowing his toothbrush, Tharios turns toward her, leaning back against the wooden counter. “You enjoy making rounds with me? Waiting while I see patients and listening to all the healing talk?”
That seems unlikely. It’s why he doesn’t visit the healing center as often as he did before Viala walked into his life. He used to see his own patients several days a week. Take his turn as the ranking healer on night duty.
It didn’t seem fair to expect Viala to tag along all the time, so he quietly transferred his patients’ care to other healers.
Now he only consults as needed.
He’s never told Viala he gave it up for her. As far as she knows, he’s only ever consulted.
He’s the crown prince, after all. It isn’t as if he can’t find enough to keep him busy at Windhaven. That Father and Mother encouraged him in his desire to train and serve as a healer was surprising enough.
But then, they always encouraged him to lean into his strengths, even if his time serving at the healing center was only meant to be temporary. He knew he’d have to give it up eventually. He just didn’t expect it to be so soon.
A knock at their chamber door reaches them, and Tharios straightens to answer it, but Viala lays a hand on his chest.
“I enjoy seeing the light in your eyes when you’re helping others,” she says softly.
He steals a kiss before opening the door to find Rafelis waiting in the vestibule.
“We’re ready whenever you are,” Rafelis says.
We.
Tharios should probably get used to being flanked by guards more after what happened in the woods, not once but twice.
If it would keep everyone around him safe, he’d take a full band of warriors with him every time he left Windhaven.
That said, there are limits at the healing center. Limits even the Crown Prince of Lostariel must follow.
“I’m only allowed one guard while seeing patients,” Tharios reminds Rafelis. It was the compromise the Healer’s Circle agreed to when they allowed a prince to join their number. The healing center takes patient privacy very seriously.
“Are we seeing patients today?” Rafelis asks with a smile.
“It was my suggestion.” Viala links her arm with Tharios’s. “It will help him work through everything that happened with Taliel and Jonas. Remind him who he is.”
Tharios laughs lightly as he looks away. He wasn’t planning to share that part with Rafelis.
“I believe Viala is right,” Rafelis says with a nod. “And you know I’ll happily play healer whenever you’ll let me.”
Tharios returns his smile. As a warrior-class healer, Rafelis has the same privileges at the healing center as a healer’s assistant.
Not that he often visits the healing center in a healer’s capacity. His duties as Second to the First usually keep him busy.
But he’s never turned Tharios down when invited to come along.
“I have to keep my skills sharp,” Rafelis adds. “I’m sure Nestial will find herself in need of a healer plenty of times in the years to come if she’s anything like the three of you were growing up.”
Tharios laughs at that. At least Rafelis was always around to heal the minor injuries they experienced.
“I’m eager to meet her,” Viala says as they wander down the corridor out of the royal wing.
“And I am eager to show her off. But not tonight. Tonight, Taliel is bringing Jonas home for dinner. Averyn told me I’m not allowed to torment him. I didn’t hear the ‘too much’ she added at the end, but I’m sure she said it.”
“Sure, she did,” Tharios says with a chuckle. “Have you gotten any sense of Nestial’s magic yet?”
Her magic is unlikely to reveal itself this early, especially with low-born parents, but Rafelis and Averyn are both powerful magic wielders, despite their birth. Rafelis might sense something in his daughter sooner than most low-born elves would.
“Occasionally, I think I catch a faint hint of something, but then it’s gone, and I wonder if I’m imagining it.”
Four warriors join them in the main corridor as they turn toward the west entrance to Windhaven.
“What do you suspect?” Tharios asks.
Rafelis’s smile grows. “I keep going back and forth between water magic and life magic. But the water magic may be from Averyn’s magic seeping into her milk. And the life magic is probably wishful thinking on my part.”
Tharios shrugs. “She may inherit both, especially since Averyn has dual affinities. You haven’t sensed any stone magic?”
Rafelis shakes his head. “Not even a hint.”
“Dual affinities for life and water magic is a sought-after combination in the Healer’s Circle,” Tharios says. “Healer Cadowyn still laments Mother joining the warrior bands instead.”
“It’s a good thing she did.” Rafelis opens the door for Tharios and Viala. “Lostariel would have been lost without the fierce First Nestraya leading us during the Battle of the Wildthorne Woods.”
Their guards flank them as they step onto the cobblestones and turn toward the healing center in upper Darlei. Perhaps they should have ridden, but it’s a beautiful fall day, and the ten-minute walk with the sunshine filtering through the trees won’t hurt them.
Tharios often walked during his time serving at the healing center. Grandmera encouraged it. She said it was good for him to walk among his people, and Father agreed.
“When do elflings usually start showing signs of magic?” Viala asks.
“Typically, by age two,” Tharios says, “Though there’s a wide range of normal depending on many factors, including the strength of their magic. We don’t grow concerned unless we can’t detect magic in an elfling by age five.”
“Then there are some elflings who are born with magic oozing from them.” Rafelis bumps Tharios’s shoulder.
“Has Tharios told you we could sense his air magic from within the womb? Nestraya’s magic masked his other affinities, but for the last month of her pregnancy, she had a breezy saltiness about her even when Lorial wasn’t near. ”
Tharios laughs, and Viala looks at him in surprise.
“He did not tell me that,” she says. “Did you use your magic as a new elfling?”
“The room often felt a little breezy around him,” Rafelis says with a grin. “And you should have heard him wail whenever Nestraya or Lorial got too far away. And he did not like Deridyn at all. But he was fine with me.”
Rafelis looks far too happy about that for his own good.
Viala shakes her head in confusion as her brows wrinkle.
“It’s because I could sense their magic,” Tharios says. “Apparently, I thought it was normal to be drowning in air, life, water, plant, and fire magic at all times, so Rafelis felt familiar with his life magic. But Deridyn’s stone magic scared me.”
“Deridyn was here when you were born?” Viala asks.
“He was,” Rafelis says as his smile fades. “He came on behalf of all Outerlanders to pay his respects to the grandson of Cerian Thariosi, Nestraya’s first father. They were old friends.”
“How is Deridyn?” Tharios asks. “I’m surprised he didn’t come for your daughter’s birth.”
Rafelis scratches his brow as his smile returns. “I anticipate bearing the brunt of his wrath when he finds out Averyn had me tell him she was due a month after her actual due date. She didn’t want him hovering at the end, and I thought it best to do as she asked.”
Tharios stops walking as he stares at Rafelis. Then he shakes his head. “You are going to be in so much trouble when he finds out.”
“I’ve been trying not to think about it. It seemed safer to endure his wrath than Averyn’s.”
“Except for the fact that Averyn sort of likes you. Most of the time, anyway. I’m pretty sure Deridyn tolerates your existence for his granddaughter’s sake.”
“He likes me!” Rafelis smacks Tharios’s arm as they start moving again. “He just pretends he doesn’t.”
Tharios laughs at that. Deridyn wasn’t happy when he learned Rafelis was planning to spirit his only granddaughter away from the Outerlands, even if Rafelis fought by Deridyn’s side in the Battle of the Wildthorne Woods.
“I expect him to show up any day,” Rafelis continues as they ascend the slight rise toward the healing center. “I’m surprised he didn’t travel with Quilian, but Quilian said he left in a hurry.”
Tharios stops again.
Uncle Quilian. He forgot about Uncle Quilian.
“I didn’t check on Uncle Quilian this morning. We should go back.”
Rafelis grabs Tharios by the arm, preventing him from turning around. “I looked in on him before I knocked on your door. He’s healing well, just tired after the journey yesterday. I did something for the pain, and he’s sleeping now. You can check on him more thoroughly later.”
“I don’t want him to think I forgot about him.”
Even if he did forget.
“He knows you have a lot going on right now,” Rafelis says. “Let him sleep. Your mother promised to look in on him while we’re away.”
Tharios sighs. “I need to examine her, too. She’s been using her magic more than she should be.”
“One thing at a time, all right? First, the healing center. I’m sure Healer Cadowyn will happily borrow you for the morning. And while we’re there, we’ll find out what anyone knows about Fenoral’s miraculous recovery.”
Breathing out slowly, Tharios nods, and Viala slips her hand into his as they approach the massive oak tree that houses the healing center.
“You can do this,” Rafelis says quietly. “We’ll do it together. Come on.”