The Day of Thunder

[Reiko Ohta]

Having put herself up on the notice board for healing duties, Ohta wasn't too surprised when she had received a note in the morning asking her to see to someone that day. Between the wild life and fog and all the weapons around, the chances of someone getting hurt did not seem low.

With a nice night of sleep behind her and a bath, Ohta walked into the tent she'd been led to, the young guard waiting outside.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

Yukara had returned to the camp that morning to sort out her belongings - her clothes from the prior day had been aerated too a degree that rendered them unfit for polite society, so she was now in her tent, very slowly and painfully going through her travelling pack to find pull out a fresh tunic and pants, to replace the rather tattered ones she was wearing.

She was thankful for her travelling cloak, at least, which had preserved her modesty.

[Reiko Ohta]

Ohta arrived to find her patient dressing so closed the tent flap back up before noticeably clearing her throat outside, "Ryoshun-san, it is Reiko Ohta. I was sent her to take a look at your wounds for you."

The voice came through muffled by the tent cloth, especially since Ohta didn't say it too terribly loudly.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

Yukara attempted to pull the tunic over her head, and then paused.

Why bother, the healer would take it off.

"Come in."

She was still covered by the cloak, so nobody outside would see her, regardless.

Still moving slowly, she turned so she was at least facing the entrance, to see who had come to visit.

[Reiko Ohta]

Ohta had her hands tucked into her sleeves so she brushed the flap open with an elbow, her small frame having no trouble slipping through the crack provided silently, "Ah, good morning."

Her eyes did a quick once over despite the cloak; Tired eyes, a wounded posture, slow movements... yes, clearly something serious.

"Though I suppose before I say that I should ask you what is wrong and how you feel. Though either way, hopefully I can make it a better morning than it has been so far."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

Yukara contemplated her answer for a moment, and then sighed, letting the cloak fall from her shoulders to reveal her tattered garb and missing arm, her chest wrapped in fresh, but already lightly bloodstained bandages. Her exertions did her no favors.

"Imbalanced. I cannot find my center, healer-sana. I keep reaching without reaching. I feel as though I am pinned by something I cannot see."

Shaking her head, and then wincing, she concluded, "I am alive, despite dreams insisting otherwise... so I should not complain at my good fortune."

[Reiko Ohta]

Ohta walked up to take a closer look. She would try to be polite, but... it wasn't her strong suit. Instead she looked closely, "Wounds, many of them. Both inside and out. And not from some fall or slip."

She looked up into Yukara's eyes, "The dreams themselves, they did not PHYSICALLY harm you, did they?"

[Ryoshun Yukara]

Yukara contemplated that. "I do not believe so, Reiko Ohta-san. I did battle with a woman lost to the darkness and madness who I had been hunting for many years."

Glancing at the missing limb, she continued, "She had become a wolf in the literal sense, and not just the allegorical - and her pack ensured I did not achieve victory unscathed."

Her voice was still hoarse, and the dark circles under her eyes showed she hadn't slept well, no matter if the dreams had carved away the flesh or not.

"The village healer and a few others saved my life with their ministrations, though I certainly feel... numb. I suspect when medicine fades, I will feel a great deal more pain."

[Reiko Ohta]

"Ah, the wolf. I had heard talk of that. Well, regardless of how that came about, they are real animal attack wounds, certainly."

Ohta frowned but stopped looking, satisfied with what was needed and what she could do... or not do, "Well, I can dress and rewrap the wounds, looks like they were mostly well seen to. I can give you more pain numbing herbs as well, but I don't have anything for the mental troubles or lack of sleep. Not with how things are here recently. And for pain relieving herbs to help with stress, they slowly become harder to find and less than legal..."

She opens up her medicine kit, a rustic looking thing in a dark wooden box.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"I do not need you to waste such herbs on me. I will be fine... but if you could help me with these cuts and... dressing, I would be very grateful."

Yukara blushed and gestured to the ties she normally used for her garments. "I am having trouble with the knots."

[Reiko Ohta]

Ohta nodded and took one thing from her kit which appeared to be a small sharp knife. Starting with that, she cut the bandages away rather than untying them.

"This is always a cleaner option; If you untie them, you have to unwrap them over and over, and they tend to stick together because of the blood."

Putting on some gloves, she removed the first set of bandages and moved onto a second, then the third. Yukara never so much as felt the knife on her skin, yet each time it cleanly cut through the layers.

"There. Now to clean and disinfect..."

Which involved an alcohol solution.

"This will sting considerably, Ryoshun-san."

And it did. Considerably. Like a papercut in boiling lemonade.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

Compared to her dreams, however, it was only an itching pain, and she weathered it with surprising stoicism, seemingly more bothered by being reduced to her underclothes.

Still, she was a true mural of injuries, with bite punctures and claw marks spreading from her legs all the way to her scalp, though they concentrated about her chest and right shoulder, along with her shins where she had been caught.

"I am glad there are experts present. I know little of your craft, and would have been ill-suited to tend myself."

Yukara tried to sound upbeat. "We have not met - I am sorry this is your first impression of me, such a mess."

[Reiko Ohta]

"Those who get injured, especially in battles, are often a mess. It is what it is. Those who think battle a clean, elegant affair have never worked as a healer before, certainly."

The smaller cuts and scars were checked to make sure they weren't infected or in danger or opening, but only the worst got the full treatment of cleaning, dressing, and wrapping. But soon it was done; Not just alcohol and bandages but water and a sponge were used to make sure there was no dried blood or other substances left under the old bandages.

If Ohta noticed the lack of clothes, it certainly seemed to neither bother her nor entice her, instead seemingly laser focused on every part of the mural rather than its canvas.

"Then again, it looks like you should realize that too now. Still, I did what I could."

Ohta stands up and places the remainder of the roll of silk back in the box, "You're cleaned, dressed, and I applied herbs the ointment that speed healing and swelling. So they should feel more comfortable for a few days. I don't see any of them opening and bleeding again unless you do something stupid."

The water kami could have closed up the wounds supernaturally, but the herbs and bandages encouraging the body to heal itself felt more natural to Ohta.
========================

https://sakkaku.org/r/11428 - medicine pass

https://sakkaku.org/r/11429 - 13 healed

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Thank you. I have seen my share of violence... but I am rarely in such a state."

Yukara grimaced. "I just... assumed those from other lands were not so unfortunate, to be familiar with the stench of battle. My apologies for my presumption." Now that she was freshly bound with bandages, she picked up her tunic, and began attempting to pull it over her head. She was... somewhat successful, though it was getting tangled up as she had to pull it this way and that, trying to even out the bunched fabric as it was unevenly pulled about.

[Reiko Ohta]

Ohta politely ignored the little catch of things, continuing to pack her stuff.

"Lately? The madness has spared no place, unfortunately. And the generation older than me remembers the darker times. Then again, I can only speak for the Spider really; For a Clan looking for dark things... well, Matsu's bushi never have a shortage of work."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"I see. I had hoped only the Bat had such problems, but it seems the world was not so kind."

Yukara then began attempting to pull on the loose pants she often wore, and found herself once again struggling with the ties.

After a short struggle, she finally requested, meekly, "Could you perchance help me with these ties?"

[Reiko Ohta]

Ohta simply nodded, closed the box tight, and went to help, saying nothing about it. Instead, she talked about what she was interested in.

"What are Bat lands like? I've not visited really anything in that direction. Only Dragon and Lion lands, until these travels. Bat lands have always felt as far away as Stag lands, really; The other side of the Empire from home."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Ah, they are the only home I've known."

Yukara pondered how to describe them. "I have only been in the northern foothills - so the rest of the lands may be different. The lands of my birth are rugged, but beautiful. The mountains to the north are vast and rugged, but the foothills are sprawling, covered with hardy grass, boulders, and sturdy evergreens. Small creeks flow through the valleys and join into mightier streams, and in the distant horizon, you can see snowcapped mountains year round. Some of the lower mountains have monastery forts on them, former bandit hideouts that have been replaced and repurposed."

She smiled, remembering the sight. "It is often cloudy and breezy there - though the sheltered valleys can be astonishingly cold if you are not prepared - do not go to sleep in the bottoms of valleys with no exit - you can freeze to death on a summer's night."

[Reiko Ohta]

"Hai, it can certainly be surprisingly cold in some of those mountain valleys up north. Though I rarely went up that way, since the Crab were rarely welcoming..."

A small shrug, placing the last piece of cloth in place before stepping back.

"Is that comfortable enough for you then, Ryoshun-san? Not too tight about the waist or anything?"

[Ryoshun Yukara]

Yukara twisted slowly, winced, and immediately stopped. "Yes, it is nice enough I almost forgot I should not move so vigorously."

Giving a shallow bow of thanks, she added, "I admit I am confused - I feel I should be more upset, yet I mostly feel relief. Matters could have been so much worse... and I have been well cared for. You have my thanks, your efforts have saved me a great deal of difficulty."

Her hair was still a bit of a mess, but she would deal with it later. Perhaps she would have to cut it short.

"Though we had not met previously, I owe you a debt. Please, do not hesitate if I can be of service to you in turn. I am curious, are you a healer as your duty, or out of personal choice? I am still learning of each of the clans and the duties of the samurai in them."