Elunara made her way down to the training yard and found Grogek standing to the side, seething.
"How's Mark?"
"Doing better, we managed to heal his belly, and then I had a lovely chat with his girlfriend, who apparently can't decide if she wants to wait for marriage or not, giving Mark a good case of blue ball."
"Oof, tough." He frowned. "We?"
"Yeah, I'll explain later, but I lent my energy to helping heal the wound. A centimeter deeper and he'd be dead."
"I knew I shouldn't let him walk on his own." Grogek spit. "Save me from idiots."
"Hey, he made it just fine. So, which one is the moron?"
"Blue guy with a staff. Nikal."
"Ugh, his form is pathetic."
"He's from here, rescued from slavers. Wants to know how to fight in case they come again."
"Figures." She kissed his cheek. "You'll whip him into shape in no time."
He ran his hand down her ass. "I'm just going to keep him away from sharp things until I have more confidence in him."
"Ina would appreciate it."
Without warning, Grogek shot his hand out and caught the staff mere inches from Elunara's face. "Or, I might refuse him ALL weapons..." Grogek muttered.
"Dude!" Someone yelled. "You almost took out Grogek's wife!"
Nikal dropped to his knees and started bowing. "Please, please don't kill me."
Elunara sighed. "Let me talk to him." She took the staff out of Grogek's hand and walked over to the groveling Nikal. "Get up."
Nikal stood on shaky legs. "Please..."
"Show me your hands."
"What?"
"Palms up, let me see."
He held his hands out and winced.
She ran her hands over his palms and considered. She jammed the staff into the ground and carefully inspected his fingers and palms. "What did they do to you?" she murmured. "I haven't seen this kind of damage in years..."
"I... I got caught stealing food for the others. They made me stick my hands on coals. Every time I was caught, they..."
"Come with me." She grabbed him by the wrist. "I'm borrowing this." Elunara saluted Grogek and kept moving.
"He is... your husband?"
"Yes."
"He is a rather large orc."
"People keep telling me that." She stopped by the leather worker's building. "Hey, Sam. I need a favor."
"Sure, Elunara, what's up?"
"I need a pair of gloves, soft inside, outside for grips. For this guy." She sat Nikal in a chair. "Sam's going to measure your hands." She looked up. "I'll probably need a couple of pairs. Make one a tight fit, the other a lose fit, Ina will probably want to bind his hands."
Sam considered as he measured. "Yeah, I agree. Let her get some salve on those and then we'll fit him another time."
"You keep nearly killing everyone because your hands have no grip. They're burned smooth. The gloves will give you a grip. I also suspect you might have some nerve damage, making it difficult to clamp your hands properly. We'll work on that."
"I'll have to make buckles at the wrist." Sam nodded.
"Charge the buckles to me."
"Can do." Sam nodded. "Got what I need."
"Good." She grabbed Nikal by the wrist again. "Follow."
"You are very kind."
"People keep telling me that." She pushed open the door to the healer's building. "Ina!"
"Ina isn't here."
Elunara sighed. "Gods, it's always you. Look, just get Ina's burn salve. He needs some for his hands."
Leslia peered at the hands. "How long ago was this?"
Nikal shifted uncomfortably.
"Slavers. He needs after care."
"Alright."
Grogek opened the door. "I assume you discovered something I didn't see?"
Elunara held up one of the Draenei's hands. "They have no grip to them."
He ran his fingers across the palm. "Here I just thought he was exceptionally clumsy."
"You and I both know where assumptions have gotten us."
Leslia stooped down and began to rub the salve into the man's palms. "This should help make your hands soft and aid in the healing of new tissue. We'll have to bandage your hands."
"I've got the leatherworker making him some gloves."
"Yes, that will do nicely." She smiled back at the Draenei. "I'll wrap your hands. Come back in the morning and we'll change out your bandages."
"Yes." He murmured. "Yes I will." He smiled at Leslia. "You are very beautiful."
She smiled back. "Just keep returning in the morning so that we can get you back in the training yard."
"I'd keep to the staff." Elunara nodded. "At least until we're more certain how his injuries will heal." Elunara led the way back to the leatherworker. And Grogek continued on. "Hey, Sam. He's bandaged up."
"Sure, let me see if my calculations are right." He considered. "Yeah, these will work. I'll have them to you in about an hour more."
"Sure thing, just bring them down to training."
"Can do."
"I owe you so much."
Elunara shrugged. "No more than anyone else in this town."
"You are too kind..." Nikal trailed off and stared at the Draenei woman holding a basket.