Bait

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Cu Chulainn wasn't a patrolman, nor did he ever aspire to be one. He was the guardian of his country in the sense that he would respond immediately to dire threats but he had never been the man to watch every village one by one and butt his head into every squabble he saw. Despite that, he had a keen eye for trouble and countless thoughts about what justice was supposed to be--so, he tended to intervene in problems when they presented themselves if only because of the fickle nature of what justice looked like to him.

Two farmers were arguing over a fairy mound, claiming ownership over a magic bow that sprung out of it. It had been hovering in the air, moving around on occasion from their perspective. Cu Chulainn, puzzled, wondered if the two men were fools--as there was clearly a man in white attire holding the damned thing. He stepped down from his horse to approach the two in the middle of their quarrel, watching the bowman, who was ignoring them as he read from a thin piece of paper held up in front of him. The two men didn't notice the bowman at all.

The bowman met eyes with Cu Chulainn, perplexed.

"You can see me?"

"Yeah. You can call me Cu Chulainn and... I'm curious. Never seen an archer carry that kind of bow, before."

Their exchange of words was brief, if not polite on Cu Chulainn's end. The farmers backed off immediately when they saw Cu Chulainn speaking to what they presumed was a demented ghost clutching the bow and ran when the bow lifted and fired, trying to take off Cu Chulainn's head from the neck. The young man let out a terse sigh, unstrapping his spear from his back after avoiding the volley before making a bit more effort to close the gap and stride towards him. The dark-haired archer was stunned that his shot hadn't landed and even more so when the following dozen bolts were parried and redirected just as easily. He jumped up and kicked the bowman square in the chest, dropping him to the ground before there had been a few popping sounds.

Strange. It didn't sound like the sound of bones breaking--he didn't think he kicked hard enough to do that. The bowman stumbled back, coughing and wheezing, his eyes bulging open as he buried his hand in his clothing to pull out a vial. The thing had broken in the center and little white tablets fell to the ground, dissolving. The shocked expression he wore spoke more about what happened than whatever he could pull out with his strange accent.

"I--I can't stay here!"

He threw a capsule to the ground, blinding light shining and catching Cu Chulainn off guard. He stepped back, vanishing into a tear in thin air, just as a few more of the tablets landed on the ground where he had been standing. Cu Chulainn rubbed under his eyes before stepping over to the remaining tablets, picking them up with a scowl.

"What a pain--fairy mounds are just troubling these days. Nothing good comes out of the damned things anymore--"

As if proving him right, a dozen or so howling voices rose up in the woods, the town, and the mountains all at once. Screaming farmers and milling people came shortly after, clearly bothered by the owners of those inhuman howls. His irritated scowl deepened and he ran off, away from the mound and towards the sound of trouble, "Speak of the devil... and he'll come crawling right away, huh?"

Comments

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Ah. My teachers've said the same about me. [It was an offhanded recollection. Scathach wasn't elderly in appearance but she had hundreds of years on him. Still, she managed to be wrong about plenty of things... even if she took it personally when someone happened to notice it or worse--point it out.] Pretty sure my teacher would really like you.

[Cu Chulainn set another bucket of water from one end of the room down beside himself and gathered a small basin of water from it, setting it down where he intended to start working on removing the arrows.

Letting Yoruichi enjoy the warmth of the steam for a few moments, Cu Chulainn sat down on a bench and began ripping at his tunic and undershirt to get to his wounds, looking them over critically. He felt every bit of that pain but the thin veil of divinity in every fiber of him insisted it wasn't a problem. He weighed what arrows he could deal with first just in case something came knocking at the castle's door in the next ten minutes.

He made a pile of the strips of his clothing he tore off and planted one hand around an arrow embedded in his shoulder, giving Yoruichi an embarrassed look.]

Ah--sorry, I'll try to be quiet.

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Oh? Maybe I'll see her around, then.

[The warmth of the steamy room causes her muscles to sag for a moment, and she'd like nothing more than to quickly wash up so she can slip into the hot bath. But then Cu Chulainn starts to strip down, apparently preparing to yank out all the arrows himself.]

No, wait! I'll do that. [She gives him a disbelieving look before stepping near him and placing her hand over his.] Do you need something for the pain? Or something to bite down on?

[It's bad enough he's been walking around like this for a while, but he'd even carried that barrel of water through the castle for her. Helping out here is the least she can do.]

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W-wait, you want to-- [Cu Chulainn couldn't reason out a scenario in which Yoruichi hadn't been trained on that sort of care. If she'd been trained the way he had, then she could probably stitch herself up if need be, so there was no sense in turning down help. Still, he didn't like being scolded. In that vein, he was just as confident Yoruichi wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.]

--You can help as long as you don't tell anyone you did. I'll get chewed out for sure.

[Even if the people who would have been doing the most reprimanding were hunched over in pain for the foreseeable future. Cu Chulainn smiled grimly, shaking his head at her next couple questions.]

It's be nice but I'll be fine without it. Pain isn't an issue, though I'll need help if my body gives out despite it.

[goneonenight]

I said I'd help, didn't I?

[As he'd guessed, Yoruichi has been well trained in field medicine. Even if she hasn't yet treated anyone with such extensive injuries, she knows what to do. But knowing that she'll have to do this without any sort of painkiller brings her up short. Because now the task has shifted from 'helping him' to 'hurting him'.

Even though she knows she'll be inflicting pain for his own good, it's still enough to for her to inhale deeply, steeling herself for what will be an unpleasant time for them both. Still, it needs doing so she's not going to back down now.]

Why would you get in trouble?

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It's probably meaningless but I'm sure they'd bother me about treating you like a medic. There's probably some old rule about not letting nobles do these kinds of jobs.

[None the less nobles who were also venerated soul reapers. Setanta looked up at the ceiling, feeling a little dejected. Yoruichi seemed disturbed by it as well, though she must have been taking it a bit personally from what he could tell. He hadn't thought much about the issue of pain himself. With magic at their disposal, he didn't need to worry about the loss of mobility or function. Everything would go right back to where it needed to be.

Maybe she was offended he hesitated?]

I'm not saying I don't think you know how to do it, though! Any good teacher would focus on defense but know how to handle injuries, too. So, I assume I'm in good hands, here!

[goneonenight]

[Yoruichi shakes her head.]

It's a dumb rule, especially now. Who cares about titles when the fighting starts?

[Despite her rank, she'd been trained on any number of tasks, including that of a medic. In the heat of battle, or during a mission, there's no telling who will need to carry out what task. Besides, as the heir, she needs to be the best at everything. As a girl, people will be looking for any excuse for her to fail and she doesn't plan on giving it to them.]

No, I wasn't mad. Just wondered, that's all.

[She places one hand on his shoulder and firmly grasps the arrow in the other.]

We'd better get started, then. I'll pull it out on three, okay?

[When he nods, she counts, then pulls steadily until the arrowhead pops out with a wet noise and a fresh gush of blood.]

Oh. [Her eyes go wide at the sight and her voice is faint, but her hands at least are steady. After a deep breath, her next words are firmer.] Let's get the next one when you're ready.

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Either way, I'm grateful. It'll help make sure I don't miss the basics. [Unsurprisingly, field medicine performed on one's self was rarely that successful. Even if he were in a safe space for it, Setanta was sure he'd be distracted enough to forget an arrow simply because he wanted to be done with it and rest. When Yoruichi prompted him, he gave her a short nod and made a little noise in the back of his throat when she pulled the arrow through. His vision got fuzzy at the edges but he still held his head up, frowning in a little bit of surprise. That was as smooth as they went. He barely noticed Yoruichi watching him with a bit more intensity than before. That didn't really surprise him. Given how rough he looked, it seemed like a daunting task to treat him even just to remove what was left over.

Shakily, he dabbed two fingers into the water basin, rubbing them together until they made mud. It looked like a simple trick and he rubbed the clay-like mud into both ends of the wound, giving Yoruichi a short nod of his head.]

Hnn-- ... That went as well as I'd hoped.

Ah, just--use part of my clothing to grip the arrowhead. No sense in you cutting up your palms doing this.

[goneonenight]

Oh, right. [She bends to grab a couple of strips of fabric, wrapping them around both hands.] What's that you put on your wound?

[She could have sworn there was nothing but plain water in that bucket, but he'd brought his hand out with some kind of paste he'd then spread onto the wound. She'd planned on using healing kidou on him later, but whatever medicines he has at his disposal can only help.

Another arrow has most of the shaft still attached; with a brief warning, she snaps it off a hand's breath from the arrowhead, readying it to be more easily removed.]

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Hm? [He wasn't too surprised by that. Druidic magic was specifically for the living. Spirits had their own means, though he didn't know nearly enough about it to call it by the right name.]

It's clay. It's nothing special--just an old druid's trick to turn blood into clay. Stops blood and seals wounds long enough for a little treatment.

[At Yoruichi's warning, he stopped talking so he wouldn't bite his tongue. Cu Chulainn cleared his throat, ready for Yoruichi to finish the rest of that arrow. He'd silently thank Medb for being too hasty to ready up notched arrows for her soldiers.

Even so, he couldn't stand those damned archers. Whether or not he felt most of that pain, it was more than enough to make him grit his teeth in discomfort. He had to hope Yoruichi would keep doing it as well as she had at first.]

[goneonenight]

[Yoruichi extracts the next arrow, rinsing the wound to make sure there's no debris left behind. Satisfied, she nods at Cu Chulainn.]

Okay, next one.

[Doggedly, Yoruichi removes every last arrow; some come out more easily than others, and one is wedged in so badly that she's surprised they don't both collapse when it's out. That one had grass and dirt inside the wound, and she has to take extra care to clean it out properly.

But Cu Chulainn withstands the pain, with only an occasional grunt or grimace to betray how agonizing it must be. As she works, she keeps checking in with him, pausing whenever he needs a few moments to gather himself. She can't imagine having to stay awake through all of this--the idea of him trying to do this himself is horrifying.

Finally, the last one comes out and Yoruichi almost sobs in relief. That had almost been worse than the battle. As she rinses the last wound clean, she looks up at him, a tired grin flashing over her face.]

Still with me? I'll heal you in a minute, then we can start binding these up.

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Huh? [Whether or not he could actually handle the pain didn't matter much when every arrow took more blood with it. Eventually, he'd succumb, but he was fortunate enough to have allies and resources to work with. Instead, he'd suffer a little longer and recover.

Knowing the next day had the potential to be worse, Setanta reached over to give Yoruichi a comforting grip on her shoulder. It was a little shakier than he'd like to admit but for some reason, he felt more sorry for her than himself. The pain he was in was one thing but he knew exactly how painful it was to hurt someone he didn't want to hurt.

Still, he grinned from ear to ear. He had to try to lighten things up.]

Yeah. You should have an easy time casting on me without any interference, now. I'd ask if you wanted a drink but I'm sure we're both a bit too sick to our stomachs for that.

[goneonenight]

[Her smile grows a little stronger at the warmth of his hand on her shoulder. Despite how much pain he must be in, he's still worried about her.]

It's just be a waste of good booze at this point. [Focusing, her hands glow blue with kidou as she lays them on his chest. The healing should help close up the wounds as well as replenish some of his energy. But she can't risk draining herself, so his own stamina will have to take care of the rest. If they'll be fighting again tomorrow, she needs to be able to defend herself as well.] All I'm going to manage after this is a bath and straight to bed.

[Not that she knows where she's sleeping, but she's sure someone can direct her. She doesn't want to bother Cu Chulainn with one more thing after all he's done today.]

I can close up the wounds but they'll still be tender. You'll need to be careful tomorrow.

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Yup. Course, there's always the morning. [Getting rowdy and drunk before a big fight was normal enough in his household but when he stopped to think about it, any drinking he did in the morning would be fairly light and quiet. Most of the warriors he'd start the day with were, quite literally, cursed.

He hoped Yoruichi would be early to rise, at least.

He shut his eyes when he felt Yoruichi focus her kidou on him, jolting just a little at the sensation. It was, quite literally, a transfer of power and it startled him just a little. When he relaxed, he felt his wounds begin to close up, likely faster than Yoruichi expected. Cu Chulainn would think it was normal--demigods tended to maintain the same 'shape' when their energy was replenished. As he healed, his body remembered what it was supposed to look like and worked to bring it back.]

Oh. [When Yoruichi talked about the rest of the night, it answered another question he had.]

So... spirits sleep. If that's the case, my room in this castle goes unused, so feel free to use it. I'm much more comfortable in the barracks.

[It wasn't that he preferred the barracks--just that he liked the view out of that particular window.]

[goneonenight]

[To Yoruichi's surprise, Cu Chulainn's wounds start closing up much faster than usual. At this rate, she won't need to work on him nearly as long as his injuries would normally need. That's a relief, as she'll need to conserve what energy she can for what's coming.

Amused, she raises an eyebrow.]

You've seen me eat. We pretty much do all the same stuff you guys do. But if you don't mind, I appreciate it.

[As welcoming as everyone in the castle has been, there's no way she'd be able to relax enough to sleep in an open environment. A private room that she can seal off behind a barrier will ensure that she can actually get some rest. She'll just have to wake up early enough to dispel it before anyone comes for her; she doesn't want to insult her hosts.]

This is going a lot faster than I thought it would. I'll be done soon.

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Oh. [Somehow, that seemed a little less exciting than what he imagined. Somehow, Cu Chulainn expected Yoruichi would rest by settling into a shadow and disappearing for some time or maybe she needed an offering to keep being bound but, after having known her for only a day, Cu Chulainn realized she was essentially just like a human.

Though, it was also a relief. If she were incredible just by merit of being a spirit and not because she trained hard, it would have been disappointing.]

Is it? [It was strange enough that he figured he couldn't memorize it at a glance but, even after trying to watch Yoruichi carefully, he decided it would be rude to try and pilfer what might have been a secret art just because he was curious.]

If that's the case, then I may be fit enough to get some work done before I go rest!

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[Yoruichi gives him a disgruntled look.]

Don't go undoing all my work. If you do, I may not help next time. [It's not completely a serious threat; she wouldn't let him bleed out in front of her, but she won't be happy if he gets hurt again just by being careless.

She focuses another few moments, closing up some of the damage to his feet before sitting back with a sigh. The glow fades from her hands, and she exhales as she rolls her shoulders.]

How's that? I should have gotten most of it.

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Huh? [Her face scrunched up in irritation really fast. It prompted a half-nervous smile from Cu Chulainn, who raised his hands defensively.]

Wait, do you think I mean heading into combat? I just need to reset runes and re-purpose those arrows. If she attacks at night, I won't need to lift a finger to repel her.

[Setanta slowly began to stand up once Yoruichi was done, stretching out his arms and legs, feeling his joints loosen with each shuddering movement. When he was done, he offered her a tight nod. For all the good work she did, he contemplated digging through his work satchel.]

Am I supposed to feel this energetic after getting healed by a spirit? After good work like that, I ought to find you the better bath aromatics.

[goneonenight]

Oh. That's fine, then.

[And it's reassuring, as well. Everyone in the castle could do with a night of rest behind secure defenses. Who knows what Medb will throw at them tomorrow?

She blinks as Cu Chulainn stands up, his movements becoming smoother as he stretches. He's in much better shape than she would have thought. Maybe Unohana could have brought him back to this state after such a short healing, but as gifted as Yoruichi is, she knows she's nowhere near that level of skill.]

Not after all the damage you had. Are you normally such a fast healer?

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[When Cu Chulainn noticed Yoruichi's surprise, he began to slow down just a little. He looked over his injuries, noticing how much his skin had matched over without looking particularly worn or light from scarring.

He assumed she was just being modest, earlier.]

Not much faster than anyone else, no. Maybe you're better than you expected?

[Not that he'd question it too much. If Yoruichi had an easier time healing him, it meant she wouldn't need to burn herself out just to repay him.]

[goneonenight]

I mean...maybe. [She doesn't sound convinced, but it's also not worth dwelling on any more. Now that she's no longer focused on healing Cu Chulainn, the dirt and blood on her skin is starting to itch again. She's trying not to think too hard about what else she might have carried back from the battlefield.

She plucks at her uniform, grimacing at the dirty fabric. She'll definitely need something else until it's cleaned.]

Do you think I can borrow something to wear for a while? [She's not familiar with the clothes the women wear here, but she can manage.

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In situations like these, people tend to operate with heightened senses. Wouldn't surprise me if that were it.

[Cu Chulainn's blase approach to it may have sounded dismissive but his world was ever-changing and maddeningly random. Fortunately, he was paying attention to the one thing that he really felt was important for the moment--loosening and crushing herbs over the bath. When Yoruichi brought it up, he looked at her and blinked slowly. He may have nearly recovered but there were plenty of things that tended to fly over his head.]

Oh--Wait, yeah, I can find you something, easily. Any preferences on colors? [He sprinkled the last of the herbs, leaving an aroma of an open, grassy meadow. It was genuinely comforting for him to smell but once he cast a spell on it, he felt his muscles relax and the residual pain left over began to completely deplete. It wasn't particularly good when it came to healing but he liked using it before sleeping.

Druids may have been infamous for being crazed cultists that practiced human sacrifice but most of them were just 'handymen'. Cu Chulainn took a little pride in his own studies with it since no one had taught it to him--not even his grandfather.]

This should help you relax, too. Just try not to doze off in the bath with it.

[goneonenight]

[She looks on in curiosity as Cu Chulainn prepares the bath. She doesn't recognize the herbs, but they smell fresh and green, nothing like the bath salts she's seen used for muscle aches back home.

Even from here she can feel the effects of the herbs in the steam coming off the water; tension starts to seep out of her muscles, and she suddenly can't wait to get in. Grabbing a bucket, she fills it with hot water.]

Oh, as long as it's comfortable and not too fussy. [She sets the bucket by the bath, and straightens up to look at Cu Chulainn.] I do like bright colors, though.

[She sits down on a nearby bench, and begins to take off her boots. It takes a few moments to work them down, revealing surprisingly muscular legs for her small frame. Dropping them on the ground, she stretches, wiggling her toes with a long sigh. It doesn't occur to her that basically starting to undress in front of a boy her age(ish) might be seen as inappropriate. But standing on formality seems less important than usual after digging more than a half dozen arrows out of Cu Chulainn, so it just doesn't register today.]

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[Stretching his arms over his head, Cu Chulainn let out a pleasant sigh. He didn't feel he'd gotten back to a hundred percent but he was closer than he thought he'd be an hour prior. As Yoruichi gathered water, he washed his hands with the remaining water in the basin and reached out the window to pour the remnants into the drain just outside. At that, he set aside another barrel to gather hot water for his own bath before bed.]

We've got plenty of nice robes after the last dye merchant passed through. I should be able to find something for you to sleep in and something else to use tomorrow.

[It'd be a little difficult changing it into something a spirit could wear but Cu Chulainn was confident his grandfather could give him tips on adjusting what he needed to if he couldn't figure it out.]

Hm? [As Yorucihi dipped into the water, Cu Chulainn peered aside at her and he let out a triumphant 'humph'.]

I knew it. Runners' legs.

[goneonenight]

Thanks. [Putting her filthy uniform back on after a relaxing bath would have been miserable. But she'd figured a big castle like this would have clothes for guests somewhere.

She looks over at him, one eyebrow raised.]

I can't believe after everything that's happened today, that's what you focus on.

[But she's amused rather than irritated, unlike earlier when he'd first started flirting with her. Over the course of the day, they've been through enough for her to trust him, and she's just figures that he flirts with any pretty girl he sees. She can deal with that. She'd already turned down his marriage proposal, and she knows he's not the type to force himself on a woman, so she's not worried.]

But I'm a scout, so I do a lot of running, yeah. I'm one of the fastest people in all the squads.

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[She'd learn to regret giving Cu Chulainn the power of choice when it came to matching colors.

He snorted at her comment, shrugging his shoulders. He shifted the barrel aside and began pumping water from the well attached to the wall.]

I'm interested in finding love. When you're in that mindset, you tend to focus on things... Though, this time, it was just a little bit academic, too.

[Still, he could tell a mildly tame boast from simple modesty. Being a 'scout' wasn't even remotely disqualifying among warriors. It required stamina and strength. Plus, strong legs made for punches that could floor the toughest folks around. He knew firsthand what it was like to get a straight punch to the sternum from someone who just 'looked' a little fit. ]

You gotta learn from experience, so meeting new people and seeing how they do things can only make you smarter and more flexible, right?