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there to heal, not to simply sightsee."
Heat crept up her face. She had been playing inside the man's arm without
healing him at all, simply enjoying the sensation. She glanced up at Fredric's
face. His face was calm, but puzzled.
"I am sorry," she said.
"No, Elaine," Silvanus said. "Do not become distracted not even by words or
pity. Concentrate on the injury. Heal it."
"How?" Elaine started to turn to look at the elf. He touched her gently and
turned her face back to the wound. "See only this. Feel only this."
She took a deep breath and did as she was told. She felt the bruising; it went
all the way down to the bone. A breaking of blood vessels, a near crushing of
flesh. She wanted to heal the broken blood vessels, to smooth the flesh inside
as well as out. She drew her invisible fingers through the tissue, as if
combing them through putty.
The broken flesh closed behind her touch, like a wall mending itself. Her
fingers drew outward until
Elaine could feel them resting on Fredric's arm. She stared down at the torn
flesh.
Elaine drew her hand over the tears. She smoothed the outer skin, and it moved
under her touch like clay. The flesh melting together, mending itself as she
ran her fingers and thumb over the wound. She ended by holding his forearm
between her hands and smoothing her palms down his arm, as if working in
lotion.
She lay his arm in her lap and looked at it, turning it from side to side. But
Elaine didn't need her eyes to tell her it was healed. With that last
smoothing motion, she had felt the flesh whole, of one piece, with no
imperfections in it.
"It is done," she said. Her voice sounded a little surprised, even to her own
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ears.
Fredric lifted his arm before his face, turning it, staring. He ran his hand
over where the bite mark had been. "There isn't even a scar. Silvanus, there's
no scar."
The elf crawled forward and grabbed the arm. He ran his fingers over the
healed flesh. "Bertog be praised. It is as if the skin were never broken."
"I knew a healer that could do that," Thordin said, "but he was a temple
elder."
Silvanus looked up at the fighter. "I have known only two clerics that could
do this." He traced fingers back and forth over the smooth flesh. "Are you
experiencing any pain?"
Fredric raised his arm, flexing the hand. "It feels wonderful, almost better
than new."
"My turn next," Randwulf said. He held out his wounded arms. He wasn't smiling
when he said it, no teasing now. Elaine didn't know him well enough to read
his expression, but it was solemn, perhaps impressed.
"How do you feel, Elaine?" Silvanus asked.
"Fine."
"Do you feel at all tired?"
She shook her head. "No."
"Not at all?" Silvanus asked. "Be sure you are not tired, Elaine. You have
just done your first major healing. You must be careful to conserve your
strength."
Elaine sat back and thought, how did she feel? She wasn't tired. In fact, she
felt wonderful. Refreshed, alive.
"I'm not tired at all. I feel wonderful."
Silvanus stared at her, as if trying to gauge her reaction. "Don't feel you
must be strong for others. If you are too tired to heal Randwulf, you could
harm yourself."
"I feel fine."
"How could she be harmed?" Jonathan was standing just behind her, tall and
forbidding, though he was asking after her safety. Even after last night, he
was worried about her. Elaine reached out to touch his hand, to let him know
his concern meant something to her. Jonathan jerked his hand away, as if her
touch burned him.
Elaine let her hand fall back into her lap. She stared at his face. She would
not look away, would not make this easy for him. Jonathan would not meet her
gaze. He stared fixedly at the elf.
"If she is too tired and persists in trying to heal, she may tap into her own
life-force. Elaine could use up her own life, spilling it away into Randwulf.
She is new enough to healing that she does not know the signs. She could kill
herself giving others life."
Jonathan finally did look at her. He stared into her face. He took a deep
breath and touched her hair with his fingertips.
Elaine raised her hand slowly. He didn't move away. She touched his hand, and
he returned the touch, squeezing the fingers gently. "I would not want
anything to happen to you, Elaine."
"I feel fine, truly." She laid his hand against her cheek as she had as a
child. He smiled, and she felt better than she had in hours.
"Then heal him, but be careful." He patted her cheek and pulled his hand
gently from her own.
Elaine turned back to Randwulf. "Do I heal him just the same?"
"Yes," Silvanus said, "it is nearly the same type of wound. You can either
heal one wrist at a time or both together."
"How do I heal them both?"
Silvanus smiled; it held almost bitterness. "You are eager, child, aren't
you?"
"It feels . . . wonderful."
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