Excerpts from the Diary of Lunette Vedlimdt

18 Zwein, 1407

It has been a little more than a tenday since the accident. I find myself oddly hale, and a bit confused as to what happened exactly. It felt like I was broken and tossed like a doll into the street. I don't remember anything after that. All I know is that I woke up a day later, famished, sore, bruised in all the places where I was not sore, and smelling faintly like vinegar and basic soap, one of which was apparently in the barrel that shattered on the street near me, and the other used to by the medikus. Otherwise, I was fine. Alarmingly so. There's an odd discoloration on the back of my hand that remains slightly swollen and tender. They told me they couldn't understand exactly how the small scrapes on my back had bled so much, but other than the loss of the dress, I was in pretty good shape, which doesn't seem right to me. Grint, on the other hand, was not as lucky. His arm was pulverized by that barrel. If he hadn't shoved me away, I would have been instead. They had to cut it off. There wasn't a solid bone left, so they had to amputate it. His stump is healing, and he will swallow, and take in liquids, but he doesn't wake. The little bit of pudgy boy-face he had remaining has become quite sunken, so he's not getting enough, but it's all they can get him to take in. They don't want to risk him choking on anything, so it's a delicate balance between that risk and the risk of too little sustenance.

22 Dritten, 1407

Now it's been a month, and the research publication editions have been finalized and completed, several copies have been filed with the Omni, a few sent to other locations, and the remainder of the archival quality copies went back to Grint's patron in Pleichston for special distributions when his father returned to their shop. Grint's mother is staying here in his apartment and spending her days caring for Grint there. Since the doctors have done all they can, and he doesn't appear in any danger that they can help with, he was sent home after she arrived and could care for him. If he doesn't wake soon, they will take him back to his hometown. I'm convinced he did something. I've only shared this with his mother, as almost everyone else would think I'm crazy, but I'm pretty certain I came through that accident much better off than I should have been. The barrel that ripped off my cloak somehow managed not to choke me with the ties, and only lightly scraped my back. All this despite, as I'm told, tossing me into the street. It's possible that I was extraordinarily fortunate, but since I'm also told that Grint was touching my hand on the street when they picked us up to carry us to the hospital, I suspect that he had some other magic tricks he's been hiding. The hand that has the odd, fading marks on it. The spot on my hand has remained slightly discolored, but is no longer tender. Sometimes, when I am not looking at it, but just notice it out of the corner of my eyes, I see different pinnate shapes.

I find that the world is a different place for me after that mess. I'm not sure I'm happy with the outcome of that accident. I'm not even sure it was an accident at this point, although that's probably just Grint's odd paranoia infecting my judgement.

I don't know what I'm going to do if he doesn't wake up. I'm torn between hating him for being gone, glad to be alive, and finding myself being strangely relieved and simultaneously disgusted with being fine while he's lost his arm and perhaps his life as well. The least I can do is carry out his work here and continue with his next experiments.

13 Funften 1407

It's been just under a season since the incident. I'm still not sure it was an accident, but there was nothing to prove it wasn't. Last month, Grint and his mother left on the train. He's still unconscious, and extremely skinny, but he's also still alive. I'm not sure if he'd be better off dead. This world isn't kind to cripples, and despite his healing techniques working well on fresh injuries, we haven't tested them on older damage or even major injuries, so who knows how his life would go? I miss his ideas, and his quirky lopsided grin. I've started the next test he had planned, using his notes and under the auspices of his patron, have been named interim chair. Life continues, even though it's partially marking time for me.

08 Dritten 1409

The letters tell me that Grint is still hanging on, and his other research idea was a grand success, but nothing like the impact that the healing technique should have once it gets outside the academic circles. I was contacted by the Minister of Defense. One of the doctors that cares for their wounded read one of the journals and was wondering if I could duplicate the training for them, or even expand on the techniques. I'm excited to try.

28 Elften 1411

Grint finally passed away today. I had been hoping that he'd recover, but I knew it was not likely after the first month. I feel an odd sense of sorrow, relief, and longing for what might have been. I wish things had worked out differently, but life goes as it goes. The military trials happened, but I can't write about them. I did meet a nice young soldier, and we'd been seeing each other, but he got shipped out to a posting in the islands, and the letters slowly stopped coming. That's twice bitten, forever shy.

10 Vierten 1449

I haven't written in this journal for several decadia. Coming back to the Omni to teach has opened up some old habits and wounds, and only recently have I felt like looking back instead of forward. What a life. I miss those heady days of youth. Even with the improved healing technique I from Grint and the modifications made with Dr. Vonkersin, age still wins. Healing doesn't stop that process. I guess I can talk about the techniques now that the official silence period has lapsed, but everyone already knows them around here. The Coddlestahl Conjunction. Grint's Grasping Hand. The Coddlestahl-Vedlimdt Verification. I wish Grint could have seen it. He's famous for causing a resurgence into magical research. I get much of the credit, and I'm thankful for the poignant brief period where I worked with such an oddly transformative figure. I know he'd be blushing, even now, but I can't picture his face any more, except for the curiously crooked smile and the freckles everywhere. Ah, well, my things are unpacked. I'm off to the Omni, classes don't wait, not even for the Honored Lecturer in Magic.

Clipping from the City News,

23 Sechten 1453

Famed researcher and Honored Lecturer in Magic Lunette Vedlimdt passed away yesterday in her home. She and her family request donations to the Coddlestahl Endowment for Magical Research in lieu of any flowers or gifts. Ms. Vedlimdt had been teaching at the State Omniology for the last two decadia as the Chair for Magic and the Honored Lecturer for the last four years. She was one of the seminal pioneers of the Magical Renaissance and co-author with Grintel Coddlestahl for the original work that gave us the Coddlestahl Conjunction and the always useful Grasping Hand. Her later work ….