Echos of a fateful meeting

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Bastian raised an eyebrow. Didn't always eat? While hypocritical right now, the soldier considered food important, hence his forcing himself to eat. "Long as you eat something," he admonished. Breakfast was important.

He didn't remember much of the first bath. The notion of cleaning his injuries made enpigh sense though. They were extensive enough wounds and he had passed put the other day. Leti had admitted his type of healing involved treated water so that made the idea of doing it again more normal. Bastian did like baths. Not that that was something to be shared out loud.

Bastian nodded. "Whatever you think is best," he agreed. Not that he was looking forward to getting there.

He finished the milk and a bit more bread. "You bake or does Cain?" He asked.

[Feleti Eidothea]

Leti had to chuckle at the notion of his still severely wounded patient worrying about his health. Even so maybe he did nibble at the bread with a bit more purpose.
He was glad to have bastian not fuss about the bath. He wasn't really in a position to refuse but it would make things easier with his cooperation.

It made sense that bastian might think they had made the bread. They did make nearly everything around here after all. Though leti did sometimes trade in the village for things they didn't grow or bake themselves.
"both. sometimes. Cain prefers to make hearty herb loaves that keep a long time....but I like making buns." They didn't always bake but they always had bread.
"Even when we don't people are always giving us bread and jams." It was part of the way the village payed them really. Just about anytime Cain went into town he would go to see a patient and come home with an assortment as random as a handful of mince pies and a string garlic cloves.
"I'm sure they aren't nearly as good as food in the capital." He added as he had heard rumors that people ate very exotic food there indeed.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Bastian wasn't the sort to let things bother him, especially if in the moment there wasn't anything he could do. He did suppose, however, that once they started moving, he would complain a lot more. Moving held very little appeal to the man. Especially with the stairs and yesterday's...escapade. There would be quite a bit of fussing and complaining once he had to face the pain.

He didn't imagine the pair lived entirely off the land. But he figured they did most of theor own cooking. The abilitt to live entirely separately even if they visited the village. The generosity of people surprised him. Though that must have been what Leti meant by trade last night.

"I'm not a noble," he informed the other man. "I work in the castle. Sometimes I get to sneak a taste of something but...it's just food." The soldier liked food. But he wasn't much for having a refined pallet. "This is better than what I eat on the road," he said with a shrug. And yes, he was aware he was speaking about milk and bread.

He settled back in the bed and closed his eyes for a moment. His breathing was starting to feel a little tight again and he pressed a hand to his ribs with a groan. It hurt at first, but after a moment the pressure felt better.

[Feleti Eidothea]

Leti might have took a moment to consider how little he knew of bastian.
Well maybe he would have if bastian hadn't groaned in pain. That little call to action made him realize that causal chit chat would better be served latter. He finished off his bread and stood to go finish setting up the bath.

Once he returned the look on his face made it clear that it was time to get to work. He moved to bastian's side and positioned himself to help the other man up. He considered carrying bastian but likely doing at least a little exercise would be good for him. He did try to support most of bastian's weight as they moved back up toward the bathroom. He knew how much energy this took out of the man so he gave the man a long moment to rest in the bathroom as he prepared the ointments.
It wasn't as easy to get straight to pulling the bandages off with the poor guy awake and still in pain.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

It wasn't that he refused to share. He simply wasn't one to initiate or explain without being encouraged. Normal conversation was...not something he was used to, clearly.

He tried not to make a big deal about it, but he was constantly fighting the edge of the pain. Bastian thought he was doing rather well, all things considered.

Given the look Leti gave him and the end of conversation, he knew to prepare himself. But moving still hurt. He did his best to help stand and walk but their progress was littered with breathy swearing. The good night's rest had helped at least and once at the top of the stairs it was easier. Bastian leaned back amd enjoyed the respite, panting. "Can we...not do that again?" His tone was serious but he meant it as a joke and forced a smile. "This is gonna hurt?" It wasn't really a question.

Maybe it would be better if he wasn't conscious. But he supposed being able to talk was a good indicator of how he was doing. He'd try to keep it that way. He watched Leti work, seeking a distraction.

[Feleti Eidothea]

Leti was glad that the man had at least some humor left in him.
The question of if it would hurt made him hesitate. He turned slowly to look bastian more in the face. "would...like something for the pain?...or something to make you sleep? " Some of the ointments did have a bit of a numbing effect but they didn't do much for the other aches and pains. It wasn't as though it hadn't occurred to leti to give him something but with how little the man had been eating and drinking it had seemed better to fall back on his own gift. He couldn't do the work of cleaning the wounds and use his healing gift at the same time. There was also the trouble that bastian had proven he would overwork himself if given the chance. They had a theriac of poppy strong enough to ease a man through surgery if need be. But it tended to cause people to think and talk a bit...freely. He could bastian something less strong that would likely put him to sleep but he wasn't sure if bastian would prefer to be asleep.

He scooped some of the warm bath water into a basin to use on the wounds. The healer was ready to begin so now was the time for bastian to decide.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Leti didn't need to answer directly for Bastian to understand the answer was yes. That serious, sad look on the man's face...it said a lot. Bastian didn't want to look away.

The soldier shook his head as the other man spoke. "No. Not really." He didn't like being affected by things like drugs or herbs if he could help it. He was in mild pain already and changing the bindings wasn't going to be pleasant. "Slept enough already," he mumbled.

But he also wasn't sure he should be allowed that power. If it was up to to him...he would probably pass out before admitting to need it. He did recognize this. But he didn't ask further, simply stared back at Leti. He was ready. Hopefully. At the very least, he would prefer to be awake.

[Feleti Eidothea]

Leti considered his answer for a long moment before standing and quietly walking out of the bathroom. Clearly he had gone off to fetch the pain medicine, it must have been in a much more out of the way storage since it took him several moments. He came back with a sizable earthen jar and a very small wooden spoon. He opened the jar and took a pea sized dollop of the thick ointment like substance and then prompted for bastian to open his mouth. "just this once." He said in the tone of a promise rather than a warning.
He could see the man's hesitation but given how the man had passed out he worried that bastian would hide the pain. After another day or two of healing the changing of the bandages should be more bearable. Instead of letting bastian take the spoon, as soon as bastian opened his mouth Leti swiftly thrust the spoon in and pressed the dollop down on the back of bastian's tongue. He had never tasted it himself but he had been told it tasted of spicy dirt.
He then went to put the pot back. By the time he returned bastian would likely already be feeling the numbing and slight euphoria.

Leti moved aside his robes and set about peeling the bandages off to have a full inspection of his shoulder and chest wounds. To his great relief the bleeding of most of the wounds had gone down dramatically. The infection from a the other day seemed to have been cleaned. On the whole it was a good turn of events. Unlike the other times he had changed bastian's bandages since his waking, leti was being much more through this time. Looking over each wound, flushing it with water from the basin, donning it with ointments and carefully re-binding it. He had been worried that perhaps bastian might have reopened one of the larger wounds but it turned out to not be bad enough to need stitching which was a resounding relief.
He worked fairly quiet with concentration.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Bastian watched Leti determine his refusal of any help to be invalid. He couldn't argue with that he supposed. When the other man was gone for a long time he started to realize this was going to be a lot more serious. Much like his lack of horrible injury before now, he had never had very strong pain medication. He knew enough to know that some kinds were...not used lightly. If it took Leti that long to get and he only wanted to give him a little... Bastian didn't argue taking it. He didn't want to but fighting it was largely pointless. Just this once.

Besides, he wouldn't mind not feeling anything for a while. He winced at the taste. Spicy dirt was a polite way to put it. He struggled not to gag. "Delicious," he grumbled.

By the time Leti returned, he'd slipped down toward the floor a bit more and was quite pleased with something. Everything felt a little heavy, but it didn't hurt. Seeing Leti again, he grinned tiredly.

The guy seemed focused and much too serious for some reason. He could still vaguely feel what was going on but it was in a sort of removed way. Bastian could feel Leti's fingers on his skin and even in the wounds and while he knew that was supposed to hurt, it didn't. It was...oddly intimate. Or maybe not oddly. "You're...very good with your hands," he mumbled as Leti worked. "Think I'll live?" It was hard to know if he was serious or making a joke and honestly Bastian didn't really know right now.

Leti wasn't talking much but he had gathered by now that that didn't necessarily mean anything.

[Feleti Eidothea]

It was surreal being able to do the cleaning as thoroughly as he was without seeing so much as a wince. He was glad to be able to really get the work done, but seeing bastian act so differently was a little odd. He wouldn't say he knew the man well enough to really have a full judgement of his personality but he would have to say the drug was at play here.

He replied to the Schrodinger joke with a confident matter of fact tone "I told you, you'll leave this cave as fit as you've ever been." This was certainly a strong test of his gift but he knew he could heal the leg and many of the stab wounds so far as to not even have a scar left behind.
He looked after the leg, the part that probably would have hurt the most without the drug. After making sure that indeed the bones were setting right he seemed to give a nod of satisfaction.
"Alright time to get in the bath." He helped bastian into the tub which like last time had been filled with herbs and certain flowers. He watched the man settle into the bath. His hands slipped into the bath and he placed one hand on bastian's back and one on his chest. He closed his eyes and let his gift flow, nothing would seem to happen at first, but then perhaps the water would seem to glow slightly.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Bastian would agree woth was surreal. At least until Leti inspected his leg. A few winces found their way to the surface there. He mumbled vague curses before sucking in a deep breath.

At the suggestion of being fit, he chuckled. "I know I will," he said just as confidently. At least at first. "If...if I can't go back...then I have go back." It was...cryptic. In his head, he knew he had to. Even if he couldn't get back to where he was, he couldn't stay here. The Wardens would find him, just to make sure he was really dead. And he had to go back.

"Two baths in...three days?" Had it been three days? "...feel like fucking royalty," he grumbled. He was able to help get himself in the bath and groaned on reflex from the warmth and the floral scent. Bastian leaned back into the waters and closed his eyes. He blinked a little at Leti's hands on him but then relaxed again and closed his eyes.

"You don't talk very much," he observed. Which was hilarious considering Bastian didn't either. Leti's deduction that the drugs were at play was correct. The warden almost seemed to be asking for conversation whereas before he had hardly instigated. At least, for the moment, the topics weren't too out there.

[Feleti Eidothea]

The healer didn't understand the cryptic words but it was a subtle reminder. That bastian would leave, had to leave. Of course he had no idea about the wardens or bastian's more important role with them.
Leti chuckled at bastian's jab about being spoiled. It was probably a frivolous use of water elsewhere. It could honestly be seen frivolous here especially if it weren't part of the healing process. When there wasn't high rain to fill the catchers outside, hauling the water up the mountain was no easy task.

Though the note about his general quietness did cause him to think for a moment. "I just......don't usually have anyone to talk to I guess...." Cain wasn't the most talkative either and Leti visited the village far less often than cain did.
In a light tone he asked "Would you like me to? I'm afraid I don't really know any jokes." He imagined that bastian's time here must be quite boring considering how hard he had been trying to busy himself the few days he was here. Seeing Bastian fully relaxed like this caused him to realize how pained bastian had looked before even while sleeping. Something told him that had more to do with than just the injuries.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Frivolous or not, he couldn't say he disliked the idea. Especially in the current moment. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like this bath was particularly relaxing. The water encasing him in it's warmth, the herbs filling his nostrils, the other man's hand on his chest... it was the most comfortable Bastian could ever remember being, stone tub or not. He hardly noticed.

His eyes drifted open as Leti suggested he didn't know any jokes. "Not unless you want to. I'm not very...good with jokes either. Or stories. Or people..." his voice trailed off but his tone was easy. In the moment, he was more focused on the other man than the soft glow of the water but it did dawn on him that something was...off. Strange. Wrong. Then again all of him felt wrong. Even the lack of pain felt wrong. His brows wrinkled in thought, worrying at the feeling.

Naked. He was naked again. Hmm. "You have a habit of taking my clothes off, Leti," he said. Also an observation. Also not a joke, but honestly it could have been. Should have been? He was succeeding at not thinking about his words very much.

[Feleti Eidothea]

Well they were quiet the pair. Leti wasn't one to hide his feelings or thoughts really. He gathered that bastian was similar in that regard but that there was something different about each others...quietness.
Or maybe the way that bastian was suddenly free from thinking about what he said was causing leti to think a lot more than usual about it.

His grey eyes studied bastians pensive face with an indescribable feeling.
But his concentration was broken quiet suddenly by the warden's little spoken observation. "wuh?" He replied his face a bit of surprised confusion, his hands suddenly retreating from the water and the glow fading. After a short beat a slightly bashful smile settled over his face. "I suppose I do." He replied his tone a bit light hearted, seeing as he certainly couldn't argue against it. "I'll have you know I don't have that habit with just anyone, bastian." Leti added also as an observation. He certainly didn't go around disrobing villagers when he came for a check up.
He knew that his intentions had been that of a healer but after the dream last night he was beginning to wonder if there wasn't more to that.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

True, he didn't hide his feelings. But he wasn't much for sharing without prompting either. And sometimes...well, sometimes he tried not to have very many feelings. It was...easier not to let himself be distracted unnecessarily.

Which made Leti...hard to fit into things. He was a skilled healer. Necessary. Bastian was positive that wasn't the only reason he wanted to be around the guy. Unnecessary. And also...maybe a little necessary? The drugs pushed that door open wider so he could see it. Not just freer with his spoken word but woth his thoughts. And the bath made everything...okay. Comfortable.

So much so that he started when Leti jerked his hands away. Notably the 'odd' feeling went away in that moment. Bastian wasn't certain what he had said but hearing the other man tease back was reassuring. That it was okay to talk about. Now if only the guy would touch him again and he could go back to relaxing. "I'm nothing special," he confessed. He was a 'just anyone' as far as he was concerned. "But it's okay. I don't mind." He had a lot to work with and no reason to be shy about it. Even without drugs.