“Times of adversity helped to bring out both the best and worst of man.” - Old dwarven saying.

“Ma’am, this is restricted area for the injured, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to-” started a young dwarven guard – and he was a really young one, with his beard barely reaching fullness, still rather sparse at the sides – when Aideen approached the wagons that had been turned into a temporary hospice. The young dwarf was likely just doing his job as he was told.

So instead of making trouble for him she cut off his words by throwing the token Ginnie had made for her so long ago.

“Healer,” Aideen snapped as she passed by the surprised guard, who only barely caught the token she threw at him.

The young dwarf fumbled the token and nearly dropped it before he finally got a good grip at it. The token was done in the language used in Knallzog – somewhat different to the one used in the Kingdom Down Under after centuries of language drift – and common, but he managed to understand enough to see what it stated. By the time he lifted his head to reply, Aideen had already passed him and entered the nearest wagon, though.

Once she climbed into the wagon, her eyes quickly checked the severity of the injuries suffered by the patients within. There were nearly a dozen of them – mostly dwarves – laid out on the wagon’s floor, with only blankets and bedrolls beneath them. Most of them suffered from broken bones and other concussive injuries, likely caused by the rockslides and avalanche.

“Who are you? What are you doing here? This is the sickroom-” said a dwarf who from his robes was likely a healer as he noticed Aideen’s presence and turned to accost her. The dwarf was an older one, with part of his hair and beard already white with age, and he looked at her with both some suspicion and surprise.

Aideen knew the reason why. She could feel that the dwarf happened to share the same affinity as herself, and as such, he was more sensitive to mana of that affinity. Her sudden entrance must have felt like a blazing sun of mana had suddenly entered the carriage to the dwarf’s own senses if he was even slightly sensitive to mana.

“Healer, just arrived with the caravan from Alfheim,” she replied politely even as she moved towards the nearest patient and quickly checked their condition with her mana. A cursory check showed that the dwarven woman in question had broken both her legs, as well as sprained one shoulder. A quick pulse of healing mana set the bones together once more and unwound the twisted muscles, as if the injury never happened. “My token’s with the guard in case you want to check.”

The old dwarf watched Aideen work with some concern at first, before Aideen noticed him checking on those patients she had already taken care of, and the expression on his face changed into one of utter surprise and fascination. Aideen made her way through the wagonful of patients almost as fast as the old dwarf could check on her work, and by the time she reached the last patient, the old dwarf was kneeling next to her, with a curious and near pleading look in his eyes.

“You can watch, yes, just be careful not to disturb my work,” said Aideen nonchalantly after she looked at the old dwarf’s face. The way his eyes shined almost like a child seeing their favorite candy made it hard for her to turn him down, and she just went to work even while the old dwarven healer observed with his own mana.

Her mana coursed through the patient’s body, while the old dwarf’s remained by the surface of the patient’s skin, well out of her way. His mana was close enough to allow him to observe her work, but also far enough so as not to disturb her. She didn’t care either way and did what she came to do, taking care of every injury suffered by the patient in mere moments.

“Marvelous…” muttered the old dwarf in a daze after Aideen finished her work. The old dwarf fortunately seemed to regain his bearings when she stood up, and quickly followed her out of the wagon. He caught up just as Aideen reclaimed her token back from the young dwarf who stood guard before the wagon, and called out to gain her attention.

“Miss! I beg your pardon!” called the old dwarf to Aideen. He quickly walked over and covered the rest of the distance with a near-worshipful look on his old, wizened face and caught up to her within a moment. “If you deem it fit to render more aid, those who had the worst injuries from this incident are in another wagon. I can lead the way if you’d like.”

“Please lead the way, then, good sir,” replied Aideen with a nod. She then noticed that Celia had caught up with her as well, and after some thought, addressed the old dwarf once more. “This is my apprentice. She can only do healing with mundane means, but I imagine it ought to suffice for those with lighter injuries. Got any she could help with?”

“Oh, certainly, blessed be your kindness,” replied the old dwarf with a slight, thankful bow. “The third wagon from the left is where the people with the lighter injuries are. If you would be so kind…”

“Got it, I’ll head over right away,” said Celia with a nod. She then took off towards the wagon specified by the old dwarf without a moment’s pause.

When Celia nearly reached the wagon, Aideen noticed how the old dwarf gestured towards the guard stationed there, which allowed Celia to pass through without a hitch. As for their own destination, the old dwarf’s presence itself was plenty to allow them to be waved in by the guard. The wagon they came to was a larger one, the sort only used by well-to-do merchants.

Laid on bedrolls inside the wagon were nearly two dozen heavily injured patients.