By the next morning, a large tent had been erected in a corner of their new fort. From the highest point of the keep, Asala could see the Inquisition's standard flapping in the dry wind. To her knowledge, it was their first incursion since the time they moved into the Hinterlands. The standard reminded her how much the Inquisition had truly grown since starting in the little hamlet of Haven. She turned back into the tent to see the waiting faces of a few of the scouts.
Fortunately, none of their injuries were life threatening, but nonetheless needed to be treated before infection set in and sepsis struck. And considering that the only medical personnel on hand were herself and the elven Warden, it seemed that they would be working together for the time being. Not that Asala minded it, of course. Nostariel seemed like a kind and pleasant woman-- not to mention level-headed, considering the endeavor the rest of her order were currently undertaking...
Regardless, she moved down the tent to the first person who had shown up when they put the tent up. Rashad took up most of the cot that he sat in, his bare ashen chest sporting some minor redness, but that was not the most important injury he had sustained. It was just an effect from the major redness in his right arm, where apparently he just barely dodged a fireball the night before. He was handling the pain well, calmly sitting in the cot patiently waiting for her to get to him. Still, he noticeably held the arm out and away from the rest of his body.
Asala moved to sit in front of him, offering him a comforting smile, one that he returned with a greeting, "Beres-Taar."
She went to the pack that always seemed to be at her side before realizing that it wasn't there. She had hung it up on a post outside along with her cloak to dry from when she fell into the water in the caverns below. She blushed a bit, rather hoping to forget about that before she turned toward Nostariel nearby. "Um, Miss Nostariel? Do you, uh, do you have a healing potion?" she asked, looking rather embarrassed as she did.
Nostariel glanced up from where she was stowing a few supplies from the last patient who'd come through. A lot of them had been provisionally bandaged and salved before one of the two healers was free to see them, after all. It seemed like something she was used to doing—already, everything in the tent had a place, a sort of organized, homey neatness pervading the space. It felt less like a medical tent after a battle and more like the sort of neighborhood place one would go with a cough or fever.
It didn't take her long to figure out why Asala was asking; she moved her eyes to Rashad and considered something for a moment. “Burns are difficult, aren't they? Save the potions; we might need them later. I can take a look at his arm. Rashad, right?" She smiled at Asala's friend, moving to stand next to where he sat, on the injured side. She was not a large person, even for an elf; they were almost matched in height even then.
Carefully, she took the uninjured part of his hand and unbent his arm, shifting it slightly where he held it away from his body. The hand she used was already a soft greenish color, Asala could see; it must have been some kind of painkilling spell or the like. Her other hand lit with a paler purplish-blue; she passed it over the burn area a few times, her hand hovering about an inch from the skin. Gradually, the blistering and swelling reduced, until both were gone, and then the spell flickered and turned white. The next several passes returned the skin to its normal greyish color, rather than the angry red it had been before, new flesh replacing the old in an almost-rippling motion.
When she was satisfied, Nostariel hummed quietly and took both hands away. “Can you move it around a little and tell me how it feels?"
Rashad did as he was told, and the look of surprise was immediate as he moved and stretched his hand. "It is... fine. Thank you," he said in Qunlat, though mostly to Asala, probably expecting her to translate for him. It took a moment to register as like Rashad, she too was surprised by the speed and effectiveness of the healing spell. The reason Rashad, from what Asala figured, had been surprised was because she had always been the one to patch him up, however her own method would have him completely healed in an hour or so-- not the minutes it took Nostariel. Rashad gently nudged Asala's knee with her foot to get her attention, where she snapped out of it.
"Oh, uh, he says it is fine, and he thanks you..." she said with a tilt of her head. "How... did you do that so quickly?" she asked, forgetting about how forward it may have seemed. Meanwhile Rashad stood and made to exit the tent, flexing his arm the entire way. Once he passed the flaps, she could hear Rhys's voice spring to life.
“Mostly a great deal of practice." Nostariel smiled slightly, but there was a certain weight to it that lent credence to the answer. She flexed her hands a little, as though there was still a little magic in them, slow to fade. “Holding multiple spells at once is rather difficult to do, but not strictly necessary. If you're asking how I can heal burns, though... that has more to do with my training." She tilted her head to one side, pushing a lock of hair behind a pointed ear.
“Have you ever heard of spirit healers, Asala?"
Asala thought. The term sounded familiar, but she was unsure where she had heard it from. A blush flicked across her face, somewhat embarrassed by her own ignorance. Were she more formally trained, she probably could've answered her, but as it was... "Um, only very recently I am afraid," she answered with an apologetic smile. One of the books that Cyrus had translated had something about spirit healing, but she had not read that far yet. It was on her to do list, however. Along with the rest of the book, of course.
Nostariel did not appear surprised at the answer, nor, apparently, did she think that it should have been more obvious. She dipped her chin slightly in a nod. “Well, it's rarely taught outside of Circles. The controlled environment makes the initial steps... less likely to go wrong. But the basic idea is, some mages make a sort of agreement with a spirit of Compassion." Brushing her hands together as though to clear them of some unseen dirt, Nostariel pursed her lips. “It isn't easy—generally, they expect a prospective spirit healer to prove themselves a worthy conduit of the energy. But... if it works, a great deal more becomes possible, healing-wise. Double-casting is a different skill, of course, but I find the two compliment nicely."
Double casting was a skill she was more familiar with. The spell she had cast against the enemy Venatori mage was something similar, as it contained both her barrier spell and the dispel Cyrus had taught her. It had been... difficult to practice, as along with the concentration required, she had to be careful not to let the spells overlap. The dispel would terminate the barrier and itself if they were woven too close together. By no means was she a master at it, but she had taken the steps needed to be proficient.
But it wasn't the double casting that caught her interest. At the explanation, Asala's eyes flew wide. "An agreement with a spirit? But does that not... usually lead to possession?" All mages knew the dangers of listening to the things that dwelled beyond the veil. Unfortunately, she felt her ignorance showing once more.
“Usually, yes." There was a flicker of something in the Warden's eyes when she said it. Humor, maybe? “Which is why the first step is more likely to go wrong. Sometimes, other spirits or demons will disguise themselves as Compassion, and for that reason, the prospective healer must be very careful. Often, one's teacher will enter the Fade as well, and help make sure the apprentice does not fall into such dangers."
Nostariel paused there; an unreadable expression crossed her face. Perhaps she was recalling something—her eyes had that kind of distance to them. “But in fact the bond formed isn't one of possession. It's looser than that. A... sharing of energy, if you will. Compassion wants to help people, a healer can. So Compassion lends the healer its power. After a while the connection is so automatic, it doesn't even need to be consciously reached for. Or at least that's what I've found. But the spirit is never in my mind. I'm as free of possession as you are, thankfully."
"So the spirit is... looking over your shoulder, in a way?" Asala asked with a tilt to her head.
After a moment of consideration, Nostariel nodded. “You could think of it in that way, yes. Though it doesn't feel quite so obtrusive, after you get used to it." The corners of her mouth turned up. “Which is definitely a good thing. I think that would have made me too nervous to do all that well, particularly when I was still learning."
Taking up a blanket from one of the cots, she folded it into a neat square and set it back down at the end, moving down to the next one to repeat the process while she spoke. “Of course, there's more to learning the art than just bonding with the spirit. There's a whole range of new spells that the energy makes possible, though it's no good at all for anything destructive, of course. If you can think of a type of injury, there are probably three different spells involved in healing it: flesh-knitting, sanitation and the removal of infection, blood clotting, bone-fusing... the list goes on. It certainly takes time to master, but..." Her motions stopped a moment, and she regarded Asala with a more solemn expression.
“If one studies it diligently enough, practices often enough, almost no injury is beyond one's reach to heal. One can bring a dear friend back from the cusp of death, and go far beyond the capabilities of potions and tonics."
Asala's gaze fell to the ground as she thought. As it stood, she needed the aid of several doses of potions in addition to her healing spells to heal most wounds, and even then it was a relatively slow process for the larger ones-- certainly not the moment or two it took for Nostariel to erase Rashad's burns. "I see..." She would have to find that book when she returned to Skyhold.
"Thank you for... this. It is something to think about."
“No problem at all." The smile returned to Nostariel's face, warm and amiable. “It's unusual to talk to a mage with any particular interest in healing. Most of them are much fonder of the flashier parts. It's been... refreshing, actually."
Fortunately, none of their injuries were life threatening, but nonetheless needed to be treated before infection set in and sepsis struck. And considering that the only medical personnel on hand were herself and the elven Warden, it seemed that they would be working together for the time being. Not that Asala minded it, of course. Nostariel seemed like a kind and pleasant woman-- not to mention level-headed, considering the endeavor the rest of her order were currently undertaking...
Regardless, she moved down the tent to the first person who had shown up when they put the tent up. Rashad took up most of the cot that he sat in, his bare ashen chest sporting some minor redness, but that was not the most important injury he had sustained. It was just an effect from the major redness in his right arm, where apparently he just barely dodged a fireball the night before. He was handling the pain well, calmly sitting in the cot patiently waiting for her to get to him. Still, he noticeably held the arm out and away from the rest of his body.
Asala moved to sit in front of him, offering him a comforting smile, one that he returned with a greeting, "Beres-Taar."
She went to the pack that always seemed to be at her side before realizing that it wasn't there. She had hung it up on a post outside along with her cloak to dry from when she fell into the water in the caverns below. She blushed a bit, rather hoping to forget about that before she turned toward Nostariel nearby. "Um, Miss Nostariel? Do you, uh, do you have a healing potion?" she asked, looking rather embarrassed as she did.
Nostariel glanced up from where she was stowing a few supplies from the last patient who'd come through. A lot of them had been provisionally bandaged and salved before one of the two healers was free to see them, after all. It seemed like something she was used to doing—already, everything in the tent had a place, a sort of organized, homey neatness pervading the space. It felt less like a medical tent after a battle and more like the sort of neighborhood place one would go with a cough or fever.
It didn't take her long to figure out why Asala was asking; she moved her eyes to Rashad and considered something for a moment. “Burns are difficult, aren't they? Save the potions; we might need them later. I can take a look at his arm. Rashad, right?" She smiled at Asala's friend, moving to stand next to where he sat, on the injured side. She was not a large person, even for an elf; they were almost matched in height even then.
Carefully, she took the uninjured part of his hand and unbent his arm, shifting it slightly where he held it away from his body. The hand she used was already a soft greenish color, Asala could see; it must have been some kind of painkilling spell or the like. Her other hand lit with a paler purplish-blue; she passed it over the burn area a few times, her hand hovering about an inch from the skin. Gradually, the blistering and swelling reduced, until both were gone, and then the spell flickered and turned white. The next several passes returned the skin to its normal greyish color, rather than the angry red it had been before, new flesh replacing the old in an almost-rippling motion.
When she was satisfied, Nostariel hummed quietly and took both hands away. “Can you move it around a little and tell me how it feels?"
Rashad did as he was told, and the look of surprise was immediate as he moved and stretched his hand. "It is... fine. Thank you," he said in Qunlat, though mostly to Asala, probably expecting her to translate for him. It took a moment to register as like Rashad, she too was surprised by the speed and effectiveness of the healing spell. The reason Rashad, from what Asala figured, had been surprised was because she had always been the one to patch him up, however her own method would have him completely healed in an hour or so-- not the minutes it took Nostariel. Rashad gently nudged Asala's knee with her foot to get her attention, where she snapped out of it.
"Oh, uh, he says it is fine, and he thanks you..." she said with a tilt of her head. "How... did you do that so quickly?" she asked, forgetting about how forward it may have seemed. Meanwhile Rashad stood and made to exit the tent, flexing his arm the entire way. Once he passed the flaps, she could hear Rhys's voice spring to life.
“Mostly a great deal of practice." Nostariel smiled slightly, but there was a certain weight to it that lent credence to the answer. She flexed her hands a little, as though there was still a little magic in them, slow to fade. “Holding multiple spells at once is rather difficult to do, but not strictly necessary. If you're asking how I can heal burns, though... that has more to do with my training." She tilted her head to one side, pushing a lock of hair behind a pointed ear.
“Have you ever heard of spirit healers, Asala?"
Asala thought. The term sounded familiar, but she was unsure where she had heard it from. A blush flicked across her face, somewhat embarrassed by her own ignorance. Were she more formally trained, she probably could've answered her, but as it was... "Um, only very recently I am afraid," she answered with an apologetic smile. One of the books that Cyrus had translated had something about spirit healing, but she had not read that far yet. It was on her to do list, however. Along with the rest of the book, of course.
Nostariel did not appear surprised at the answer, nor, apparently, did she think that it should have been more obvious. She dipped her chin slightly in a nod. “Well, it's rarely taught outside of Circles. The controlled environment makes the initial steps... less likely to go wrong. But the basic idea is, some mages make a sort of agreement with a spirit of Compassion." Brushing her hands together as though to clear them of some unseen dirt, Nostariel pursed her lips. “It isn't easy—generally, they expect a prospective spirit healer to prove themselves a worthy conduit of the energy. But... if it works, a great deal more becomes possible, healing-wise. Double-casting is a different skill, of course, but I find the two compliment nicely."
Double casting was a skill she was more familiar with. The spell she had cast against the enemy Venatori mage was something similar, as it contained both her barrier spell and the dispel Cyrus had taught her. It had been... difficult to practice, as along with the concentration required, she had to be careful not to let the spells overlap. The dispel would terminate the barrier and itself if they were woven too close together. By no means was she a master at it, but she had taken the steps needed to be proficient.
But it wasn't the double casting that caught her interest. At the explanation, Asala's eyes flew wide. "An agreement with a spirit? But does that not... usually lead to possession?" All mages knew the dangers of listening to the things that dwelled beyond the veil. Unfortunately, she felt her ignorance showing once more.
“Usually, yes." There was a flicker of something in the Warden's eyes when she said it. Humor, maybe? “Which is why the first step is more likely to go wrong. Sometimes, other spirits or demons will disguise themselves as Compassion, and for that reason, the prospective healer must be very careful. Often, one's teacher will enter the Fade as well, and help make sure the apprentice does not fall into such dangers."
Nostariel paused there; an unreadable expression crossed her face. Perhaps she was recalling something—her eyes had that kind of distance to them. “But in fact the bond formed isn't one of possession. It's looser than that. A... sharing of energy, if you will. Compassion wants to help people, a healer can. So Compassion lends the healer its power. After a while the connection is so automatic, it doesn't even need to be consciously reached for. Or at least that's what I've found. But the spirit is never in my mind. I'm as free of possession as you are, thankfully."
"So the spirit is... looking over your shoulder, in a way?" Asala asked with a tilt to her head.
After a moment of consideration, Nostariel nodded. “You could think of it in that way, yes. Though it doesn't feel quite so obtrusive, after you get used to it." The corners of her mouth turned up. “Which is definitely a good thing. I think that would have made me too nervous to do all that well, particularly when I was still learning."
Taking up a blanket from one of the cots, she folded it into a neat square and set it back down at the end, moving down to the next one to repeat the process while she spoke. “Of course, there's more to learning the art than just bonding with the spirit. There's a whole range of new spells that the energy makes possible, though it's no good at all for anything destructive, of course. If you can think of a type of injury, there are probably three different spells involved in healing it: flesh-knitting, sanitation and the removal of infection, blood clotting, bone-fusing... the list goes on. It certainly takes time to master, but..." Her motions stopped a moment, and she regarded Asala with a more solemn expression.
“If one studies it diligently enough, practices often enough, almost no injury is beyond one's reach to heal. One can bring a dear friend back from the cusp of death, and go far beyond the capabilities of potions and tonics."
Asala's gaze fell to the ground as she thought. As it stood, she needed the aid of several doses of potions in addition to her healing spells to heal most wounds, and even then it was a relatively slow process for the larger ones-- certainly not the moment or two it took for Nostariel to erase Rashad's burns. "I see..." She would have to find that book when she returned to Skyhold.
"Thank you for... this. It is something to think about."
“No problem at all." The smile returned to Nostariel's face, warm and amiable. “It's unusual to talk to a mage with any particular interest in healing. Most of them are much fonder of the flashier parts. It's been... refreshing, actually."