The Healer

Her heart still racing, she tries to figure out what just happened. She knows she isn't mistaken—he seemed to make it clear that he wants to spend more time with her. Admittedly, she finds him to be a handsome man and he seems to be kind and gentle, yet part of her heart still yearns for Quell, for his kind touch, the warmth of his body, the hunger of his desire. When she finally rises and starts to untie the laces of her dress, Gladys walks over.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were still here," Coral says, clutching the front of her dress closed.

"Yes, my lady, I figured you would like me to assist you with your bath," she says, offering a smile.

Coral blankly stares at the woman for a minute, "I...I can mange alone, thank you."

"Oh," she replies, surprised. Unsure what to do, she stands there.

Coral reaches down and unlaces her boots, "I am sorry, Gladys, I am not accustomed to being dawdled over. I am not a lady, by title. In fact," she says, kicking her boots and socks of, "that tub is twice the size that I am accustomed. All of this is...way too much. I am not used to any sort of special treatment."

Gladys smiles, picking up her socks and shoes and setting them by the door, "I understand, my lady; perhaps I can just remain in here with you—to answer any questions you might have?"

She nods, turning her back to the woman and pulling her dress and shift off, "That would be much appreciated." She steps into the tub, finding the water pleasantly warm and is content that she is able to sit down in it comfortably. Untying her hair, she finds the soap and pitcher nearby and drenches her head, scrubbing herself all over. "I understand that there is a centaur doctor here in the castle?"

"Yes, Sir Pelium. Why, are you ill, mistress?"

"No, I believe I am to work with him."

"You are...a healer?"

"Yes," she answers reluctantly.

"Oh, what blessed news! A human healer and a woman at that—it is no wonder that King Rainer brought you here. Sir Pelium does try, to his credit but he doesn't have a full grasp on the things that ail humans; we do our best amongst ourselves but...well, with the women especially, there are things that none would dare ask a man, let alone a male centaur. But a woman healer—you will be the talk of the town!"

"The things you would not ask a man—I assume they are to do with female parts? I have found that women are generally more open with each other about such problems and solutions to fix them."

"Oh yes, indeed, we all talk about them but, well, mistress, it becomes a whole new set of problems when a woman mates with a male centaur. I don't suppose you would know much about that but when the time comes and you have chosen a stallion for your own, I will do my best to answer any questions you have."

"It is assumed that maidens would choose a centaur then?"

"Most do but if you happen to find a human male that meets your fancy well, there is nothing wrong with that either. Generally though, mated humans move to the town to the east—it is still under Centuarna's rule but inhabited solely by humans. Some work here in town still but most farm the lands."

Feeling her cheeks burn red, she scrubs the soap into her hair, "You'll have to forgive me, Gladys, but there is one question that has been vexing me and I'm afraid it is a rather crude one..."

She laughs, "It stretches to fit, my lady. If you think on it, it makes sense—I mean, a baby's head can come out of there so something that large...could also go in..."

"From what I've witnessed, a baby coming out is not a very enjoyable thing."

"No," she affirms, "it is not. And, well, for the most part there is a lot of pain involved when a centaur...well, when he lays with his mate...but I have heard that a woman can want her mate enough that she is at ease and actually enjoys the act."

Her mind flashes back to the night before with Quell, which seems like an eternity ago...her naked back, rubbing against the fur of his belly, the way his cock ground over her clit, how she felt so much pleasure she thought she would die—she dares to think that she had wanted him bad enough that she would have, perhaps, enjoyed being impaled by his thick, long cock.

Having more questions yet too embarrassed to ask them, she stands and steps out of the tub; Gladys wraps her in a towel. There is a quiet knock at the door; the woman rushes over to peek out, holding it open as several young servants rush in, depositing packages of clothing on the bed before disappearing again. Gladys makes short work of opening them, handing her a soft white shift, finer than any dress she has ever worn. Coral slips it over her head, the fabric floating down her like a cloud.

"These should be enough for a few days; I am sure they are all styles foreign to you but once you find the type you like I will make sure to get more sent over."

She runs her hands across the fine fabrics, like nothing she has ever felt before. When her hand reaches a deep blue one, it reminds her of the depth of Quell's eyes; she chooses it. Gladys helps her put it on.

It is a three quarter sleeve dress, though the drastic square neckline leaves little to the imagination in regards to her chest. It laces across the front of her torso, the bottom opening up to a lighter blue fabric and spilling down to the ground. When she looks at herself in the mirror, she shakes her head, "I am not sure about this dress."

Gladys ties the back laces into a neat bow, "Have no doubts about it, my lady, it is truly stunning on you."

There is a knock at the door; another servant speaks with Gladys before leaving. Returning to Coral, she says, "Doctor Pelium would like to meet you before the feast. If you are ready, I can show you to the surgery."

Coral follows the woman down the long arcing ramp from the second floor, barely recognizing the vast entry hallway she came through just an hour ago. It is bustling with activity, both humans and centaurs carrying goods and foods through and down towards the east wing of the castle; they weave their ways, Coral only getting a few curious glances. She is led through a door to a much smaller, darker ramp; as she descends, she can feel the temperature grow cooler. The way is lit with tall bowl torches; they pass several doors, finally coming to the end of the hall and a large set of old, well polished wooden doors. Gladys hesitates, "This is the surgery; I am needed to help in the kitchen before the feast, but if you would like I can wait out here for you to show you the way back."

She smiles, "It is all right, Gladys, I should be able to find my way. Thank you."

The old woman bows, "Of course, my lady. I am to be your handmaid; after I am finished in the kitchen, I will make sure that everything is in order in your room before I leave for the night. I will return first thing in the morning."

Coral nods with a smile, watching the woman leave. She turns towards the door, studying the intricate carvings in the wood; she does not know what they mean, if they even have a meaning but something about them gives her a deep, restless worry as if the person who put them there believed in a magic that has long since been lost. She understands Gladys's hesitation to enter but she puts her weight against the door and pushes it open.

The inside is well lit, showing the extent of the clutter of various cases, books, vials and papers scattered everywhere. Though the front half of the room has a high flat ceiling, the back half extends taller up, being the exposed side of the mountain that the castle is nestled into. She can hear the trickle of running water, guessing that there is a natural spring running through the rocks somewhere. She glances down the length of the room; to her left, a wide alcove contains a large stone slab, raised to a comfortable height for someone who is standing. Several pulleys and chains dangle from the ceiling above, undoubtedly to hoist injured centaurs up for repair. Several large, mounds of pillows are separated by small tables near by the slab. The length of the room is littered with hutches full of bottles and vials, stacks of books, tables of what appears to be brewing equipment, dried shrubbery hanging from the ceiling. At the far end, she can see natural light, no doubt a window facing out towards the town; there is a large fireplace near it with a small gathering area. When her eyes focus, she can see the outline of a centaur before the fire place.

Coral clears her throat, "Greetings, Sir, I am looking for Doctor Pelium?"

The centaur turns towards her voice, walking over, "Yes, I am Doctor Pelium?"

She walks in, shutting the door behind her, "I am Coral Blackthorn, good Doctor. I heard that you wished to meet me?"

"Aye, yes, Lady Blackthorn," he says, somewhat cheerfully. He is shorter than most other centaurs she's seen so far, standing only a few inches taller than her. He is older, roughly the age of Piers if she had to guess; with his balding head only holding a few white hairs and round, plump belly, he wears a grey vest over his shirt, coupled with a grey jacket. His once brown hide has begun to turn grey with age and he moves slowly as if his muscles have stiffened up on him. When he reaches Coral he looks her over before bending in a small bow, "it is a pleasure to meet you, madam. I must say, you are not quite what I was expecting..."

She dips into a small curtsy, following him back towards the fire place; he offers her some tea, which she accepts. Once he has handed her a cup, he looks around and finds an arm chair in the corner, covered in books. Despite her objections, he clears it off and brings it to the fireplace for her to sit in, he standing opposing her.

"Forgive me my lady, but I will have to admit when the Prince told me of you I imagined a fearsome woman," he says, sipping his tea, "and if I heard the story of the ox from any other than Prince Quell himself I would have called him a liar and thrown him out promptly."

Coral blushes a little, "I was only doing what I thought right but apparently I caused quite an uproar. It is...not proper for a lady to know such things."

He laughs, "I am sure there were several shocked men but your knowledge is impressive and will be most beneficial to this realm. It has been several hundred years since there was a verified human healer here and to be so fortunate enough for you to be a woman is a true blessing." He smiles at her.

"Thank you, Doctor. I had heard from my handmaid that a woman healer would cause the local female townsfolk to seek help more readily; do they not come see you? Or do you strictly attend to the centaur population?"

"I will help any who need it, as I am sure you would as well, though being a centaur does make helping the human population more difficult. And if we are being frank, both female humans and female centaurs are reluctant to seek the assistance of a man, even in a professional setting," he pauses, sipping his tea, "I am sure that there will be several topics we will discuss that should never be spoken about in polite company, let alone mixed company but I hope that it will not bother you so, as I only mention such things for the benefit of our profession."

With a smile, Coral nods, "Aye, I understand Doctor. I am more than happy to learn from your vast expertise and you can be certain that I will have many questions."

"Good," he says, "now that we have gotten the formalities out of the way...I am most thankful that you are a woman. It bothers me so that when a woman gives birth, men are not allow to be present—not that any would want to be, mind you, but I worry that there isn't a medical professional on hand in case something goes wrong. Have you been to a birthing before?"

She blinks several times, surprised that he jumped so readily into the subject, "Yes, I have been to a few."

"I understand you were mostly an animal healer—were the births all animal? Any horses? Humans?"

"Several horses, uncountable numbers of animals and two human births," she thinks on it.

"That is very fortunate indeed. I have never been present for a human nor a centaur birth. We are reluctant to admit it but centaurs are more like humans in some ways, more like horses in others; that is why you are such a lucky discovery—to have knowledge of both humans and animals, it should make it easier to understand the complexities of a human-centaur pairing. Do you read, my lady?"

"Yes, though there weren't many books in my village I read them all. I was taught at a young age to read and write," she smiles, thankful to Piers as she is one of only a few women from her village that can do so.

"Most excellent," he walks over to a stack of books, looking through them; finding a particular one, he pulls it out and hands it to her. "It has been a long time since I read this book but I will forewarn you that the author, Adger Gladstone, was very accurate in his descriptions and drawings. It is a most intriguing, informative book, written by the last human doctor that was in residence in this town. From what I gathered, like yourself, he was not from around here so everything was new to him. Towards the end of his career he decided to detail everything that he would have wanted to know when he started, so that those who followed wouldn't be slowed down by rediscovering them. It should answer any of your questions that you have in regards to the human-centaur pairing."

Coral runs her hand over the thick, dusty leather binding before slowly opening the book to reveal yellowed, handwritten pages and sketches. She shuts the book and looks back up, "If it is all right with you, I would like to take this with me so I can begin reading it at once."

"But of course," he smiles, finishing his tea, "take your time and please ask me any questions you have along the way. Mr. Reid brought your case down here," he points over to the corner, "and I am looking forward to seeing what it is that you have brought on your journey here. I am sure that there are plenty of herbs each of us use that are unknown to the other—ah, for example, the poultice you put on Prince Wistan? I was curious, so I smelled it but it is unfamiliar to me."

She finishes her tea, "It was dried comfrey leaves. Is that a plant you have around here?"

His brow furrows, "Yes, it is. A rather vigorous plant—it poisoned several of our cattle years back and I know that the farmers have had trouble getting rid of it from their fields. It keeps growing back."

"Yes, cows will eat it though I have never discovered why. When ingested in large amounts, it is poisonous, but if you harvest the young leaves to make a powder from, it can be used topically. It cuts down the healing time of broken bones by almost half, from my experience. I do know in some towns they call it knitbone."

"Fascinating," he says, truly surprised, "that is not something known to us but could have been useful countless times. I should tell the farmers to harvest some instead of burning it, the next time it pops up."

She smiles, "It isn't a plant that propagates from seed, which is probably why they are having a hard time getting rid of it by burning it down. If they want it gone they will have to dig up all of the roots; it truly is a hearty plant though. The leaves also make an excellent fertilizer, so perhaps they could get benefit from it that way."

He takes her empty tea cup with a wide smile, "I can see that we are going to have a wonderful time working together. I know there is a desk and a chair around here somewhere; I will have a few of the servants come help us dig it out. Perhaps now that I have another pair of skilled eyes, we can straighten up this mess and get it organized. But all of that can wait until tomorrow. I was headed home for the evening but had to stay so that I could have the pleasure of meeting you, my lady."

Coral rises, holding onto the book, "Of course, Doctor. Thank you so much for the tea and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow." She smiles warmly, the Doctor walking her to the door.

She was hoping to spot Quell as she made her way through the bustling first floor; the second floor, in comparison, is deserted and he isn't there either. Unsure of what to do she returns to her room, discovering the wash tub emptied and gone, clothes hung up. Gladys emptied her bag, taking her dirty clothes to be washed and leaving her personal things neatly on the desk. Drawing in a deep breath, she feels restless, her mind curiously drawn towards Vadim. As a distraction, she drops herself onto the pile of pillows and opens up the book.

Immediately blushing red and flustered, she shuts it again; it takes her a moment to prepare herself. Reopening the book to the same page, she sees a detailed drawing of a naked, human man; the opposing page has a detailed drawing of a male centaur. With her face hot, she thumbs her way to the very first page and decides that perhaps starting at the beginning will ease her into the chapter on cross species relations.

Coral finds the book surprisingly interesting; Adger Gladstone, having been male, assumed that his counterparts would also be male so he was very detailed in his account of the male human body as well as the female human body. She reaches the point in which he outlines his intention to touch on all four mating combinations, human male and female, centaur male and female, centaur male and human female and human male and centaur female, though the last encounter he states as a hypothetical, as he isn't sure of the actual mechanics being able to produce offspring. As she begins the chapter with human male and female coupling, a knock on the door startles her, causing her to slam the book shut as if she were reading something that she shouldn't have been. Flustered and oddly aroused, she sets the book on the nightstand next to the bed, straightening her dress as she walks to the door.

When she opens it she is expecting to see Quell, but is surprised to see Vadim waiting with a handsome smile on his face. He looks her over, his smile growing a bit more broad, "You look stunning, Lady Coral."

She remembers to curtsey, "Oh...thank you, Prince Vadim."

"I was hoping to escort you down to the hall, for the feast," he says, "I figured that you would not know where to go so I am here to help."

"Of course, thank you," she says, stepping out into the hall and shutting the door behind her.

He walks leisurely as he did earlier, his hands clasped behind his back, "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

The way he words the question causes her heart to quicken; she assures herself it is an innocent enough one, not a proposition, "I met Doctor Pelium not that long ago; he has a full day planned tomorrow. I dare say I am just as excited to pick his mind as he is mine."

"Yes, he is a very intelligent man and highly knowledgeable about his craft though I am certain there are a few things you could teach him. I think my father intends for you to occupy a small building in town, as well, to see human patients a few days during the week. Though they are accustomed to coming to the castle for help he believes that if you are in the thick of it, that perhaps they would feel more comfortable stopping in if it were less...overbearing."

"That is a very smart idea," she affirms, "from what I can gather the female population is...far too modest to seek the advice from the Doctor."

Vadim ponders on it, "Because he is a male or a centaur?"

"To my understanding, because he is a male, though he was the first to say that being a centaur made it more difficult for him to accurately access their needs."

He laughs, "Yes, I know that all too well. He still calls my feet hooves."

She laughs along with him, entering the hall. The feast appears to have just started; four long rows of tables make up the bulk of the room. They are taller than a table that would be sat at, and there are no chairs but instead the centaurs stand at them, filling their plates, talking with each other and drinking ale. At the far end is a shorter, perpendicular table, more finely made and stocked with obscene amounts of food. Rainer sits next to his wife and her next to Wistan; Quell sits at the Kings other side. Though she would prefer to sit next to Quell, Vadim leads her to the spot next to Wistan instead. Being his regular spot, a tall plush chair occupies it; he offers it freely to Coral, holding her hand as she steps up into it. Before he can motion for another chair to be brought, two servants carry one towards him, ready to accommodate.