24th Ashan, 718
The White Fox Inn
The White Fox Inn
The trial before, they'd arrived in Viden and made their way here. The White Fox Inn. It was a nice place, judging by the look of it and Vega had to admit that she'd enjoyed the food they'd had the night before. That was all she'd managed, though, before she fell into bed and slept, hard. She'd stood for the first time in over twenty trials just five trials before and she was still in a lot of pain. However, compared to how it was before, she couldn't be more delighted and she knew that she was progressing much, much faster than the healers in Scalvoris had said she would. She'd done what she'd said, too, on the last trial of Cylus. She'd walked off their ship, the Wanderlust. After the first time she'd stood, Vega's determination had moved up a notch and she'd been insistent before then. But she was going to walk off the ship, she'd promised herself and, more importantly to the stubborn redhead, she'd promised him.
So, with a walking stick in one hand and her arm in his on the other side, she had slowly and carefully walked. It was useful, she had discovered, to really listen to her body. There were different kinds of pain and she was learning them. There was the slow, dull ache which itched almost inside her legs, like the bones themselves were needing to be scratched. That happened a lot and she believed her father when he told her it meant that she was healing, that the bones were knitting. Then, there was the pain which was throbbing, all encompassing and shot through her entire body with every movement. That was acceptable, her body's way of telling her that things weren't right. As soon as things changed, though, and she started to feel like she was being stabbed inside her leg, or inside the knee, then it was time to stop. If she didn't stop then, she paid for it and it was to her detriment.
She'd had no idea that there were different types of pain and, frankly, she'd been happy in her ignorance.
The aids to help her walk were things which Arlo and she had worked on and created together. The best for what they were going to do to-trial was a stick which reached her elbow, with a handle for her to hold on and a strap for around her arm, just below the elbow. She had a pair of them they'd made and they allowed, enforced, her putting some weight on her legs, which was what she needed in order to develop and strengthen them. But equally, they could take almost all of the weight and so she could push it or take it easy as needed.
Arlo had gone downstairs, taking the dishes from their breakfast down. The people who were in charge here had been very kind and Vega couldn't fault them. By the time they'd got here last night, she'd been exhausted and Arlo had dealt with everything, leaving her to rest in their room. To-trial, their plan was to go and explore Viden a little, maybe do some shopping. It was all very 'tourist' and Vega worried that it was a touch mundane compared to what they were used to. She'd even started to say so, but when she turned to say it, she'd seen the look of pride on his face as he watched her walk and she knew she needed to say no such thing. They were taking it easy, for now, and besides knowing them even shopping would end up being an adventure. "Thank you, Xiur," she whispered. She said no more than that, she figured he was an Immortal. He knew what was what.
When Arlo walked back in, Vega's face showed her delight at seeing him. She'd dressed and brushed her hair while he was gone and she was sitting on a chair in their room. "Hey. A'right, so, shoppin'?" She grinned wickedly. "Clothes for a play, confections to eat an' I do recall you said you'd spend all yer money on me?" Of course, that wasn't exactly how it happened, but there it was. "An' before we go, I promise that I'll say when I need to sit down for a bit. We're gonna need to go for a while, then stop an' have a cake or a cup of tea or somethin' an' then go again. An' if it gets to the point that even that's pushin' it," he'd worry about such things, she knew, and she didn't want him to worry about anything. "then you pick me up an' carry me to the nearest place where I can sit an' wait while you go get the chair. I promise." Looking at him she grinned. "An' I wear the stupid pegleg so I don't get cold in my bones, yes, I know. Deal?"
Assuming that he said yes, she grinned and nodded. "Pass me those there crutches, then, an' stop lollygaggin'."
So, with a walking stick in one hand and her arm in his on the other side, she had slowly and carefully walked. It was useful, she had discovered, to really listen to her body. There were different kinds of pain and she was learning them. There was the slow, dull ache which itched almost inside her legs, like the bones themselves were needing to be scratched. That happened a lot and she believed her father when he told her it meant that she was healing, that the bones were knitting. Then, there was the pain which was throbbing, all encompassing and shot through her entire body with every movement. That was acceptable, her body's way of telling her that things weren't right. As soon as things changed, though, and she started to feel like she was being stabbed inside her leg, or inside the knee, then it was time to stop. If she didn't stop then, she paid for it and it was to her detriment.
She'd had no idea that there were different types of pain and, frankly, she'd been happy in her ignorance.
The aids to help her walk were things which Arlo and she had worked on and created together. The best for what they were going to do to-trial was a stick which reached her elbow, with a handle for her to hold on and a strap for around her arm, just below the elbow. She had a pair of them they'd made and they allowed, enforced, her putting some weight on her legs, which was what she needed in order to develop and strengthen them. But equally, they could take almost all of the weight and so she could push it or take it easy as needed.
Arlo had gone downstairs, taking the dishes from their breakfast down. The people who were in charge here had been very kind and Vega couldn't fault them. By the time they'd got here last night, she'd been exhausted and Arlo had dealt with everything, leaving her to rest in their room. To-trial, their plan was to go and explore Viden a little, maybe do some shopping. It was all very 'tourist' and Vega worried that it was a touch mundane compared to what they were used to. She'd even started to say so, but when she turned to say it, she'd seen the look of pride on his face as he watched her walk and she knew she needed to say no such thing. They were taking it easy, for now, and besides knowing them even shopping would end up being an adventure. "Thank you, Xiur," she whispered. She said no more than that, she figured he was an Immortal. He knew what was what.
When Arlo walked back in, Vega's face showed her delight at seeing him. She'd dressed and brushed her hair while he was gone and she was sitting on a chair in their room. "Hey. A'right, so, shoppin'?" She grinned wickedly. "Clothes for a play, confections to eat an' I do recall you said you'd spend all yer money on me?" Of course, that wasn't exactly how it happened, but there it was. "An' before we go, I promise that I'll say when I need to sit down for a bit. We're gonna need to go for a while, then stop an' have a cake or a cup of tea or somethin' an' then go again. An' if it gets to the point that even that's pushin' it," he'd worry about such things, she knew, and she didn't want him to worry about anything. "then you pick me up an' carry me to the nearest place where I can sit an' wait while you go get the chair. I promise." Looking at him she grinned. "An' I wear the stupid pegleg so I don't get cold in my bones, yes, I know. Deal?"
Assuming that he said yes, she grinned and nodded. "Pass me those there crutches, then, an' stop lollygaggin'."
