*Late evening, Day 17/0*

-=Xanthia=-

>>"Why, Th'rin?" she cried, holding him and sobbing aloud the question that was
>the most perplexing. "Why?"
>
>He returned the gesture, gently caressing her hair, "There is no answer .."
>There never was.
>
>Xanthia continued to sob with her arms around him .. just taking comfort in
>the human contact. Were it not for the sadness in his heart, he would have
>smiled. Xanthia had just taken a real step toward humanity. She had sought
>him out .. rather then pulling her hair .. or grabbing a knife .. or any of
>the other hundred things she might have done when something upset her as
>much as this.
>
>He wasn't going to spoil the moment for anything.

She relished the comfort in his arms, his companionship and
compassion. For once she did not feel all alone in the world, Th'rin
was with her and he understood. He grieved, too. 

Her body began to sag with fatigue even as she continued to sob in the
head healer's arms. "Here," Th'rin prompted, "You need to rest. You're
not used to standing so long."

"No... need you." Xanthia whimpered into his shoulder.

"Sh..." Th'rin soothed, I'll be right here. Let's just move to the
couch."

Xanthia nodded and crutched over to the sofa against the wall. She
smiled gratefully through red rimmed eyes as Th'rin eased her legs up
and released the leather straps that held the brace to her leg.

"There now," Th'rin set aside the brace and rubbed the red depressions
from the straps where Xanthia had fastened the device too tightly in
her hurry, noting there was no reaction from the redhead. He moved to
sit down beside her and Xanthia grasped a hand out desperate for
contact.

"Sh... " He sat down behind her and eased her back so her head was in
his lap. "I'm here, just relax."

"But Trinale..." Xanthia sobbed anew.

"I know," Th'rin replied sadly. He stroked her hair softly, slowly,
watching as her breathing slowed down and her sobs relented.

"I'm scared, Th'rin." Xanthia confessed. "Everyone I love, everyone I
care about, they leave or they die." She looked up at him with
uncertain eyes, "You won't leave, will you?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Th'rin reassured her, stroking her hair some
more.

***

** Morning, Day 1 **

Xanthia yawned and stretched, looking uncertainly at her surroundings,
realizing the pillow she laid upon was actually Th'rin's lap. Then she
remembered; Trinale, the grief, and Th'rin's compassionate embrace.
She rubbed the blanket that covered the both of them across her face.
Curious, she thought, she didn't remember him covering her. Xanthia
was normally a light sleeper, if he'd moved from beneath her she would
surely have awoke. 

"Morning," Xanthia greeted quietly as Th'rin opened his eyes. "Thank
you." 

Th'rin eased himself out from under her.  "How's the leg? Any pain?"

"Mmm? Pain?" Xanthia asked as if it was a foreign concept.

"Does it hurt?" Th'rin rephrased the question.

"No, doesn't feel much of anything. Hasn't in a few days."

Th'rin walked around to the other end of the couch.  He reached under
the blanket and pinched the big toe of Xanthia's crippled leg. "Feel
that?"

"Feel what?" Xanthia asked.

Th'rin peered beneath the cover. "Wiggle your toes," he instructed.

Only the toes on the healthy foot moved.

"Now the left foot," Th'rin prompted.

"I did." Xanthia said, "Both."

***

-=Corra=-
*Later that day*

"I don't understand it." Th'rin frowned as he consulted with Corra,
the two of them sitting on the same couch that he and Xanthia had
occupied earlier.

"Th'rin" Corra looked at him sympathetically, knowing that the young
man had many burdens at the moment, "There are many nerves in the
legs. Surgery such as you did, it's practically unheard of in these
parts."

"But I thought she'd only lose leg stability."

"You know as well as I do there are many nerves in the limbs. These
things happen. You did the best you could. You saved her leg where
another healer would have amputated. That's a miracle!"

He shook his head, "That first day of therapy, when she didn't push
back on my hand, "I thought she was just being difficult."

"She was." Corra reassured him.

"But..."

"She still has use of the muscles in her buttocks and hips. She's got
feeling from mid thigh up. With the brace she *can* walk." Corra
patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, "You need to start
focussing on the positive, son. How's Xanthia handling it?"

"Surprisingly well. She seems unfazed, as if that's just the normal
way of it. She's more upset over Trinale's death than anything else."

"That's understandable," Corra replied softly, her spectacled eyes
taking in every detail of Th'rin's expression. "You miss her too, eh?"
she asked with motherly concern.

***

NRPG: Tag Kris! Hope I did okay with Th'rin. Corra will surely lend
Th'rin a sympathetic ear. Didn't want to write too much as I know that
Arlene plans on the funeral and eggs and such being on day one. At
least that's what I think she said (can't find the NRPG.)




                \=/,         _-===-_-===-_-===-_-=======-_-===-_
                |  @___oo   (    Submitted by:                  )
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=    Jacqueline "Morgan" Allgood    )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__    morgie@iquest.net               )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_                                   )
     )   _ /  / _)            (   The heart and soul of:          )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_  Xanthia/Maxima of Whiteriver   )
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