She hesitated, but eventually she moved away from his back and next to his side, keeping his pace next to him. She stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. And with the lack of distraction, her thoughts again returned to guilt.
Why had she spoken up? What had she done that for? What was she trying to accomplish in the first place? Her fists clenched open and closed as she walked with her heavy thoughts. As she continued walking, she tried to distract herself by focusing on hiding her limp the rest of the way.
She hesitated, but eventually she moved away from his back and next to his side, keeping his pace next to him. She stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. And with the lack of distraction, her thoughts again returned to guilt.
Why had she spoken up? What had she done that for? What was she trying to accomplish in the first place? Her fists clenched open and closed as she walked with her heavy thoughts. As she continued walking, she tried to distract herself by focusing on hiding her limp the rest of the way.
Skarde kept glancing over at her. Something was wrong, that much he could tell. She was favoring one leg, years of working with animals could tell him that much, though she was doing a fairly good job at hiding it. But it was more than that. She was... Upset? Angry? Nervous? Maybe just in pain? Emotions were so much harder to determine... Nevertheless, in an attempt to help in some way, he brushed his hand against hers to get her attention. "It'll be ok." He assured her, though he wasn't actually entirely sure what was going to be ok.
Skarde kept glancing over at her. Something was wrong, that much he could tell. She was favoring one leg, years of working with animals could tell him that much, though she was doing a fairly good job at hiding it. But it was more than that. She was... Upset? Angry? Nervous? Maybe just in pain? Emotions were so much harder to determine... Nevertheless, in an attempt to help in some way, he brushed his hand against hers to get her attention. "It'll be ok." He assured her, though he wasn't actually entirely sure what was going to be ok.
She tensed at the random touch before relaxing again. She side-eyed him and then smiled. "We aren't dead, and we can still move. I say that's already pretty ok." She shook her head, ridding herself of guilty thoughts for the time being.
She tensed at the random touch before relaxing again. She side-eyed him and then smiled. "We aren't dead, and we can still move. I say that's already pretty ok." She shook her head, ridding herself of guilty thoughts for the time being.
"If you say so." That spread enough doubt for him to drop the matter. It was timed well though, as they made it up the hill to the healer's hut. Skarde paused before he entered, letting out a deep sigh. "This isn't gonna be fun." He grumbled, Barakki pausing at his side, pressed up against his leg.
"If you say so." That spread enough doubt for him to drop the matter. It was timed well though, as they made it up the hill to the healer's hut. Skarde paused before he entered, letting out a deep sigh. "This isn't gonna be fun." He grumbled, Barakki pausing at his side, pressed up against his leg.
She looked over at Skarde and lowered her eyelids at him. "You will be fine. Besides, she can't hurt you. That will just make her have more work to do." She held her hand on the doorknob, opened the door to the hut.
Inside was a moving picture of Sigard pacing back and forth across the room, mumbling to herself with her hand over her mouth, staring at the floor with worry. She looked up at Skarde standing in the doorway, and her face flooded with relief before quickly turning into anger at seeing his state. "What in the name of Odin happened to you? You said you would be fine going out, and you come back in shambles?"
She looked over at Skarde and lowered her eyelids at him. "You will be fine. Besides, she can't hurt you. That will just make her have more work to do." She held her hand on the doorknob, opened the door to the hut.
Inside was a moving picture of Sigard pacing back and forth across the room, mumbling to herself with her hand over her mouth, staring at the floor with worry. She looked up at Skarde standing in the doorway, and her face flooded with relief before quickly turning into anger at seeing his state. "What in the name of Odin happened to you? You said you would be fine going out, and you come back in shambles?"
"I dunno, the number of times I've been hurt he might just put the both of us out of our misery..." Skarde muttered before stepping inside and facing the onslaught.
"Look, it was just supposed to be a meeting! How was I supposed to know that fights would break out, I don't go to meeting all that often. I went assuming that the jarl would explain things, some of the elders would discuss it and then we'd all go home." He protested, quietly thanking the gods that he at least had the strength to defend himself this time around.
(I think the healer is a man? /nm)
"I dunno, the number of times I've been hurt he might just put the both of us out of our misery..." Skarde muttered before stepping inside and facing the onslaught.
"Look, it was just supposed to be a meeting! How was I supposed to know that fights would break out, I don't go to meeting all that often. I went assuming that the jarl would explain things, some of the elders would discuss it and then we'd all go home." He protested, quietly thanking the gods that he at least had the strength to defend himself this time around.
(I think the healer is a man? /nm)
"Yeah, well maybe next time do your research. Also, don't go to one of the most important events in the village right after you just got done feeling bad, only to the restart the process all over again." The healer continued to rant on to Skarde, with Astrid standing in the doorway awkwardly.
She bent down on her knees, wincing a bit at the weight she was putting on her legs, and petted Barakki before standing up with some effort. She watched the argument (if you could call it that) for a few more seconds, before beginning to slowly walk away, not wanting to put much attention on her leaving.
"Yeah, well maybe next time do your research. Also, don't go to one of the most important events in the village right after you just got done feeling bad, only to the restart the process all over again." The healer continued to rant on to Skarde, with Astrid standing in the doorway awkwardly.
She bent down on her knees, wincing a bit at the weight she was putting on her legs, and petted Barakki before standing up with some effort. She watched the argument (if you could call it that) for a few more seconds, before beginning to slowly walk away, not wanting to put much attention on her leaving.
"I'm sorry... By all accounts, such meetings sounded dull and boring and uneventful which is why I thought it would be safe..." Skate sighed, seeming to deflate a little at being told his recovery would start all over again. He glanced back at Astrid, wanting to ask her something, then noticed her starting to leave. "Where are you going? We both need to get checked out, remember? You were in the thick of it far more than I was."
"I'm sorry... By all accounts, such meetings sounded dull and boring and uneventful which is why I thought it would be safe..." Skate sighed, seeming to deflate a little at being told his recovery would start all over again. He glanced back at Astrid, wanting to ask her something, then noticed her starting to leave. "Where are you going? We both need to get checked out, remember? You were in the thick of it far more than I was."
She tensed up her body, and then released the tension with a held-back sigh. She looked back at Skarde and walked back into the healers hut, trying even harder now to hide her limp in front of Sigard. "I was just pacing a bit, nothing more." She hoped that would be a convincing enough statement for him not to question any further.
She tensed up her body, and then released the tension with a held-back sigh. She looked back at Skarde and walked back into the healers hut, trying even harder now to hide her limp in front of Sigard. "I was just pacing a bit, nothing more." She hoped that would be a convincing enough statement for him not to question any further.
"Outside?" He asked suspiciously. That definitely didn't seem right, but he wasn't going to push the matter as long as she stayed and actually accepted the medical help. He shook his head a little, then turned to Sigurd. "You should probably check her out first. I get hurt often enough nowadays that I should be used to it, I can wait for a bit."
"Outside?" He asked suspiciously. That definitely didn't seem right, but he wasn't going to push the matter as long as she stayed and actually accepted the medical help. He shook his head a little, then turned to Sigurd. "You should probably check her out first. I get hurt often enough nowadays that I should be used to it, I can wait for a bit."
