505-06-17 Healing Apple

From Crossroads Wiki

Shelter - Ainsley Wood - Central Gateway Isle(#4836RLnA) This dwelling is partly build on the ground, and partly in the tree. This room wraps around the tree itself, the trunk of the tree being in the center of the room. There is a ladder and an opening in the ceiling, going up to a second room. Inside this room is a luxurious pile of furs in one corner. A fire pit is in another corner, with a flue opening above to let smoke out. There are windows in the walls, set in all four directions. The windows are covered in canvas. Other than that, the room is rather bare right now.

It's Wednesday, June 17, 505 A.G. It's 09:06 PM (night). The deep blue night sky is clear and cloudless, and the stars glitter. A brisk breeze blows from the northwest.

Having eaten a slice of the apple given him by Lilith, Mouse slices up the rest and brings it in to Taengle, offering it to her on a pewter plate. "Try these Taengle. Supposed to be good for you, and it tastes pretty good too."

Taengle is sitting over by the fire, on a piece of fur. She is whittling something from a piece of wood. It looks like it might be some type of animal carving. Putting her knife and the piece of wood down, she looks up at Mouse, smiling warmly at him. Then, she looks curiously at the plate. "Where did you get a pewter plate?" she signs to him with her hands. She accepts a piece of the apple, chewing it carefully. Apples are hard to eat when you don't have a tongue.

The taste is far beyond pretty good. The fragrance clouds the senses, rich and sweet and reminiscent of sunlight. It bears a warmth not unlike that of liquor, but more solidly reassuring than that, spreading through the mouth and stomach.

Mouse chuckles, "There is a whole set of it in the box over there Taengle. I like plates. And forks and knives and even spoons." He picks up another slice of the apple and waits for Taengle to finish what she's got before taking half between his lips and offering the other half to her. Yes, he's trying to get her to eat the thing.

Taengle's eyes widen when she tastes the apple. She swallows the piece she is eating, and then signs to Mouse. "We have all those. I made some. Made out of wood." She has a look on her face that almost cries out 'city boy'. When he offers her the next apple from his mouth, though, she giggles, leaning forward, and taking it from him gently with her teeth.

Mouse loses the battle for that slice of the apple. And the next he feeds to her, trusting her never ending appetite to get her to work through the rest. "Yes yes. Wooden plates. Very nice I know. Pewter is better. Good apple eh? I think we'll grow these outside."

Taengle gives Mouse a warm smile, and signs to him, "They are the most delicious apples I've ever had! Where did you get them? And we can grow more? Outside?" She gets kind of a dreamy look on her face, as she eats all the apples he gives to her, spitting out any seeds to save for growing trees.

It's the heat in her stomach that might indicate something unexpected about the apples, spreading slowly to her limbs. Unlike the kiss of liquor, it brings energy, not lassitude. That warmth cascades through Taengle's form, like the tide of an ocean. The first sign of something not entirely warm and good is a dull ache in her mouth, at the base of the rent but healed flesh.

Mouse nods and says, "I thought we would grow them outside. Plant them in a circle around the house." He watches her closely and then says, "They are the best apples I've ever eaten. I love them raw. I could barely imagine how good they'd be in a pie."

Mouse looks a bit akward with that answer, despite how easily it came. And he flushes a bit pink and looks to find the floor quite amazing at this very moment. Nice floor.

Of course, he should lay stone in here. That's be better. And dig a root cellar while he's at it. Look how small Taengle's feet are.

Taengle frowns suddenly. "Something not right," she signs to Mouse. She looks a bit distressed. "My stomach is hot. And my tongue... it hurts." She looks over at him again. "Where did you get these?!? she signs again, more emphatically.

Mouse grunts and looks up. "Eh...I noticed some burnin' meself." He reachs down to pull his kilt up, "Lost the scar from that fight with the boar in the arena. See? Healed me up nice. Don't even feel the ache." Still, he avoids answering the question.

A thick, metallic taste fills Taengle's mouth, some more significant pain coming with the struggles, and an odd squelching sensation. A slight seep of blood escapes from the corner of her lips, and abruptly her mouth feels far too full.

Taengle lets out a muffled cry at the increase in pain, and she leans forward, in shock, as something is filling her mouth. A few drops of blood drip down onto the floor. She opens her mouth, and reaches her fingers inside, trying to figure out what is going on. She looks quite distressed.

Mouse looks rather distressed at the trickle of blood. He reachs out to hold her arms while he looks at her mouth closely, "Ah Providence! What's wrong? It didn't do that to me!"

The feeling fingers hurt the inside of her mouth a bit, tender flesh unfurling rapidly but not so rapidly that it's ready to be prodded yet. Fingertips come away bloody as they feather across thepainfully regrowing flesh. Even her back aches, stings, as the weals of violence are softened away to newer skin.

Taengle pulls her fingers out, bloody. She seems about to really panic. "What is happening?" she signs frantically, little drops of blood from her fingers flying into the air. "Mouse!" She squirms on the floor, obviously in pain from whatever the apple is doing to her.

Mouse looks at the scars healing on her back then bends down to pull her hand from her mouth, "Careful Lass. You're healing. Tis a magical apple. Heals. It healed me knee up. Now it's healing you up. I'm sorry it is hurting. Providence...I didn't expect it to..." He drops down to hold her as best as he can without touching her back, which is obviously a challenge.

A minute or two, it's hard to measure time when one is scared, frantic, or pained, but the odd slide and convulsion heavy within Taengle's mouth finally dulls to just a throb again, a sting, and lastly a tender sensation. It is akin the skin beneath a newly shed scab, the sensitivity of her tongue and the skin of her back. The tongue is the most delicate, even the touch of the roof of the mouth keenly felt, if not precisely painful.

Taengle clings to Mouse as he tries to hold her. At the new sensations, her eyes widen in shock. The skin on her back, if healed, reveals her birthmark, which looks like a brilliant set of diaphanous wings. It's her tongue that is most concern to her, though. She opens her mouth. Slowly, cautiously.

Mouse keeps his eyes on her, watching her each step of the way. He is glad for his training in healing, but he's only seen magical healing at work a few times, and nothing so potent. "You're healing Taengle. It's the apple. It's healing you." He looks into her mouth as she opens it, "Providence be praised! You've your tongue back!" He hugs her to him, hands on her biceps, again being cautious of her back. In the end, only a tingling remains, and a feel of warmth in the stomach.

Taengle is trembling, in fear, in wonder. When Mouse says she has a tongue again, she brings her fingers up to it, touching it very tenderly. She winces a little, as the flesh is still a little tender. Looking up at Mouse, tears start to fill her eyes.

Mouse gives her a kiss and says, "I tested it first on me love. But...I had to see if it could heal you up. And it did. You have your wings back. Your pretty wings. I can see them now."

Taengle brings her fingers out of her mouth before Mouse kisses her. She looks shocked. Completely shocked. For a long moment, she doesn't do anything, but furrow her brow in concentration. Then... she opens her mouth, and tries to talk. Since she hasn't had a tongue or used her mouth to talk in over 9 months, it comes out slurry, but it may be understandable. "Mouse?" she says, and her voice is rather light and airy. Almost ethereal in its tone.

Mouse starts crying at that. Tears roll down his cheeks in thick torrents as he smiles at her, kissing her repeatedly and clutching her to his chest. "Providence be praised! Oh sweet Providence you've got your tongue back Taengle!" His big arms shake with his emotions, wanting to wrap her up, but still very careful of injuring her newly healed back.

Taengle is taken back as Mouse starts to cry. She never thought she would see that big giant of a man cry in a million years! Suddenly, tears well up in her own eyes, and she is clinging to him, not caring if he hurts her back or not. She whispers in his ear, "Mouse... oh Mouse... I love you." Word still slurred, but in that pretty tone, and so heartfelt.

Mouse puts one arm around her carefully, pulling her tight. Probably achingly tight. "I love you too Taengle. Oh Taengle!" He's giddy and laughing even though he's crying like a baby, and he puts both hands to her face, cupping it in both hands, "Oh Providence! You can talk! You've a tongue! You can taste food! Eat! Oh Providence!" Mouse starts covering her face with joyous kisses, kissing every inch of it in rapidfire succession.