LOG: Icicles
Date: Day 12, Month 11, Turn 25
Synopsis: Evali and Rilka are wet. And cold. Emmeline to the rescue!
River, Western Island
Trickling down from a spring off in the distance, the narrow stream eventually forms into a deep, but relatively slow-moving pool before it gathers momentum further downstream on its way to the ocean. The rise of the land allows the river to be relatively secluded from the rest of the island, and sheltered from the occasionally harsh winds. The water's deep enough to swim in, though the rocky bottom can be treacherous, and the reeds that grow about the edges are inclined to catch unwary feet.
Sections of the river have very defined functions - water is collected from before the pool, laundry is done only at the very end, along the beachfront. The great pool is for swimming, and further along, around the bend, much of the river has been turned over to seaweed cultivation, with long pieces of wood secured by ropes floating through the water.
Though the wind has chased away all signs of the rain that is so usual for the islands at this time of year, the approach of winter does not go unmarked upon in the chilly air. Without trees, there aren't many sheltered spots beside the river, but Rilka has claimed one of them, her wet clothes draped out over a boulder, her blue-ish skin being warmed as best it can by the sun as well as the blanket she's draped over her shoulders. Her errand is clear: beside her, a basket of seaweed harvested from the river, waits for her to carry it back to the settlement.
More blankets would appear to be on the way, as a couple of them wind up draped over Emmeline's arms with the request that she take them to the seaweed harvesters to help them dry off and warm up quickly. The chill can be deadly this time of year afterall. "Do you need another one, Rilka?" The harper tries to keep her tone both neutral but gentle, recalling the unfortunate last time the two spoke.
Evali is wrapped in a coat that is three times her size; one that likely used to belong to her father. She's sitting near the seaweed catchers but isn't trying to gather any; she seems to be washing a very long skirt against a rock. She's also very, very wet. Emmeline's approach causes her to turn her head, but she doesn't actually speak.
A shuddering shiver shakes through Rilka's narrow shoulders as, gratefully, she reaches, without a word, to accept Emmeline's offering. If she's still got that previous encounter on her mind, it doesn't show; her mouth curves into a vague smile as she wraps herself in its (dry!) bulk. Then, "Winter is--" A pause. "Nearly here." She must be aware of Evali: she even glances, vaguely, in the girl's direction. But it would be terribly un-Rilka-like for her to suggest that she, too, might need a blanket.
"You need more help warming up? I can try rubbing your arms to get the blood moving." The shivering obviously has Emmeline concerned, though her gaze also flicks towards Evali and winds up accompanied by a frown. "Evali, what are you doing? You're all wet. Come here and take one of the blankets." she prompts, looking next at the long skirt being washed. "How'd you get so wet just washing that?" That's right, the harper is a bit of a motor mouth. Good thing with two such quiet people, too! "Winter feels like it's here already what with this chill I'd say, Rilka."
"I," Evali says, and looks down at her lap. "Slipped on the rocks." And fell in the river, is the obvious lack of continuation in the story, but she is very careful not to admit that at all. "Carrying too much. I'd had some of it dry, too, and in this chill I don't know if it'll dry again without a fire." Now she's talking, because she can complain about the laundry's failure to do what she wants it to. Agreeably, she takes a blanket. A healer should probably be smart enough to remove the wet coat, but Evali isn't thinking about it.
Rilka's firm shake of the head seems to answer Emmeline's question, though she doesn't confirm that in words. "There's no snow yet," she points out, prosaic, as she draws her knees up towards her chest, hugging them beneath the blankets. "You should always be aware of your environment, Evali. There are clues, you know. In everything. They tell us much, and we have an obligation to listen." She's sing-singing again, if in a stuttered kind of way thanks to her chill.
"That's true. There's no snow yet. But is it near, do you think?" Emme agrees, gesturing towards Evali's jacket after the midwife grabs the blanket. "Shouldn't you..." her voice trails off, a curious glance given to the other girl. "I think we should maybe move to the fire. You'll both warm p faster, and there's hot tea there. I'll take the jacket and wet skirt... and the basket." she offers, starting to pick up the various items that are wet or need carrying.
Oh. Right. Evali flushes a little, as she actually takes the soaked coat /off/ and lays it down on a rock to dry, too. Not that there's any sun to properly dry it. "Maybe it'll need some fire too," she mutters, and then picks the coat back up again, throwing it over her arm. As a result, now she's shivering -- a wet coat was still a coat. "I can carry it," she tells Emme, "but if you don't mind taking the skirt?"
Rilka has not been learning from Shimana for nothing; the young woman glances upwards, considering the skies with due reverence and thought. "Soon," she pronounces - suitably vague. This distracts her enough that she seems genuinely surprised to glance back at her companions and see them getting ready to move, though she diligently rises with the obvious intention of following: perhaps recent events have encouraged her to make some effort at joining in. Blankets draping all the way down to the ground, she remarks, very seriously, "I would like some tea."
"Of course I don't mind." Since she's always wearing long sleeves these days, the wet skirt doesn't give Emme a chill just yet; though by the time they get back to the settlement she'll be glad for the fire too. Well, mostly. "Good. I'll get what you need. Both of you just get warm and dry. I'm sure the elders would skin me if I let either of you walk around too much all wet like that." And like any good teacher, she seems intent on shepherding her two charges in the right direction, shooing them both onwards.
"I'm not usually so stupid," Evali says a little more confidently, gaining comfort in her present situation. "Or clumsy; the basket of washing was obscuring where my feet were, I think. Tea does sound lovely, though. I hope the skirt's owner doesn't mind it isn't dry." She doesn't actually know whose it is.
Despite her words, Rilka clearly does need the shepherding; as it is, she veers off the path at least once, stopping to consider something or other: a tiny plant growing out of the rock, an interesting pebble. Her blankets trail half behind her-- she doesn't really seem to notice. Nor does she seem to be properly following the conversation: "If we let the clothes freeze, would they snap off like icicles?"
"Tripping requires neither stupidity or clumsiness. It just means you didn't see the obstacle that was there." Emmeline points out firmly. One might even say defensively. "And we'll get the skirt dry, don't you worry." That seems intended as a promise, while she slows her pace to make sure Rilka doesn't linger too long in any one place. "I... well, I guess it would depend on the fabric and how worn it was? Something threadbare might..." It probably isn't a good idea to give out prank ideas like that. Really. Her lips purse a bit, and her eyes narrow in thought. "We /could/ experiment, I suppose."
"Sometimes it does," Evali tells Rilka knowingly. She's been doing laundry almost daily since she was twelve, after all. "It has to be very, very cold, though. I've only seen it happen once. I've also seen hair freeze while actually on someone's head."
Rilka's expression lights at this possibility of experimentation, but since Evali has the answer, she seems to almost immediately forget about it. "We try not to fish from the water in winter," she tells them both, presumably linking this topic to the previous one, at least in her own head. "Because of the cold. That's why we salt the fish. I don't think I'd like my hair to snap off." The sound she makes is presumably intended to be a representation of snapping hair.
"Really, right on someone's head? Did that snap off too?" Just like Rilka, Emma seems to find this possibilty either entralling or horrifying. It has to be one or the other. "Maybe if we salt our hair it won't freeze so easily." she suggests jokingly, and maybe so that she doesn't make a face at the thought of another winter full of salted fish.
Evali smiles a little, though it's hesitant. "Yes, right on someone's head. The rest of the head stayed intact, though. It was very oily hair and it just froze up. Salting it would be interesting." She's amused, which is definitely better than when they first met up and she was in constant silence mode.
"My hair is always salty," says Rilka, sounding very serious. "That must be why it never breaks off like that." She certainly does have a lot of hair - and it certainy /is/ pretty salty, given the amount of time she spends in the ocean. She lets out another little shudder, though, and this seems less likely to be from the cold. At least they're nearly back at the settlement, now.
"I'm not sure I'm willing to dunk my head in a bucket of cold water just to see for myself, though." Emmeline admits, grinning over at Evali. "How do you keep your skin from getting too dry, Rilka? The saltwater must really mess with it." No really, it's a genuine question. If there's a secret herb on the island, she is /all/ ears to hear about it! "You two get settled in by the fire now. I'll get your drinks." The instruction is clear, though she'll not likely take any offense if there are any protests. She's just so used to talking that way it doesn't even register anymore.
"Thank you," Evali certainly doesn't protest, even if Emme is a few turns her junior. The fire sounds spectacular to her. "I wonder if the cream I make for stretch marks would help with that? I've never tried it." On anything but stretch marks.
The question seems to surprise Rilka; it's obvious she's never given it a moment's thought. "My skin-- is." Is what? Just is. She follows instructions, at least, trailing after Evali to find herself a place by the fire, her blankets re-adjusted for a seated position. "Why would you need a cream?" Now, she's inspecting her own arm, curious.
Emmeline catches only the tail end of what Evali's said about stretch marks. But when she dutifully returns with the mugs of hot tea to be passed to the other two carefully... it's obvious the harper has been thinking about what she heard the entire time she was gone. "The cream for stretch marks... would it work on scarring?" she wonders, seeming thoughtful. "It fades the color, right? Or does it work some other way." That last comment seems partially to answer Rilka's question. Though, it probably doesn't give the other girl much to go on.
Evali is now smiling brightly, both because she has tea and because she's talking about a subject that doesn't make her nervous. (There are few.) "Yes, it does. And it would work on scarring, though it depends on the age of the skin and you actually /have/ to stretch out scars a little bit to get them to fade, also. Which you wouldn't do on stretch marks, oddly enough."
Rilka wraps both hands about her mug in a vague kind of way; she barely acknowledges Emmeline for bringing it, at any rate. Evali's explanation has clearly captured her attention, though, and she focuses on the younger girl intently. "Do you make it from fish?"
Nothing in the past moon or more has made Emmeline's eyes light up the way they do when she hears Evali's answer. "When you've time, could you take a look at my arm? And see if you think it would help?" she wonders, allowing maybe a thread of desperation to tint her voice. That alone should be a clue that it's been bothering her beyond all probably proportion. "When it's cold like this, it starts to hurt again. And it's... I just want to see if I can make it go away some." Admitting to vanity is something she's not quite prepared to do, and her glance at the moment includes Rilka, when she lowersh er voice so just the two ladies can hear her. "If there's anything I can do in return... I don't have much to barter with, but I will."
"It comes from plants," Evali explains, sipping her tea. "A specific plant, its leaves are sort of white. You've got to mush it up with oil -- oils from fish do work, actually -- until it's creamy. I don't know if it would do anything for pain? But it would reduce the appearance, and if the appearance causes emotional stress to you, that might be making it hurt more."
Plants. Rilka doesn't know a lot about plants, but she nods enthusiastically anyway, dark gaze shifting from one girl to another. It makes her departure seem all the more sudden, then; she rises without warning, leaving her blankets behind, and doesn't even so much as smile at the pair before she's heading for the hut she shares with a couple of other girls, tea still in hand. Weird. Well. That's Rilka for you.
"It's the way the skin tightens that's painful." Emmeline explains carefully, nodding at what Evali says of how the cream would work. "And yes, its appearance causes emotional stress." she admits, looking up in startlement as Rilka makes a sudden departure. "Well, I guess she's warm now." the harper adds, leaning forward a bit more towards the heat of the fire.
Evali nods, watching the water in her tea swirl around before taking another sip. "She must be," she says, not seeming put out. "There's another way you can help with that, the sort of stretching thing I mentioned -- want me to show you?" She sets her tea down, hands free, to demonstrate. "It's not really midwifery, but," shrug, "You learn things. Like massage. Which I guess it is."
"Is it something I can do on my own?" There's an evident bit of reluctance on her part, but the younger of the two women rolls the sleeve of her left arm up about halfway, showing part of the scarring left of the burn to her arm. It coers fully half of the forearm and is mostly the bottom half. She's also careful to glance around befoe she does this, as if making sure that there are certain people not in evidence. "I imagine you learn all kinds of useful things being a midwife. You must have an amazing array of pain management techniques, for example." Her quick smile is an attempt to keep the conversation light when she holds out her limb for the purpose of the demo.
"Yes, actually," Evali replies with a smile, "you can do it yourself." And then she places one hand lightly on Emmeline's arm, placing index and middle finger next to each other, and then slowly spreading them apart, applying light pressure. Stretching the skin. It's not exactly comfortable, but the scar lightens in appearance and widens some so long as she maintains the pressure. Letting go, it goes back to normal. "Like that, so long as you can balance using your other hand on your arm? It only takes two fingers. As for pain management, yes, but a lot of it's really mental."
"Oh, I can manage to balance if it means I can do it without any help." Emmeline assures, head tilting a bit to the side so that she can watch how this whole thing is working. The tense of her jaw is the only indication she gives of discomfort though, and once there's the chance she tries this technique herself to be sure she's doing it right. "I can see why that would be the case. Of course, here on the Island with so few resources it would have to be. Wouldn't it?"
"There's tea," is all Evali has to say about other methods of pain management. "And breathing. Tea doesn't do much, though, and breathing requires a lot of practice. Which is why I start trying to work with people as soon as possible. You've definitely got it, though. How to do it."
"You're known as being good at what you do. I'm sure the pregnant women on the Island are glad to have you start work with them as soon as they find out." Once she receives the verbal thumbs-up though, Emme rolls her sleeve back down and pulls her arms back in close to her stomach. "I'll be sure to do that each night before I sleep, then. Thank you Evali." she adds sincerely, turnng to lift up the nearly forgotten skirt that's been drying. "This looks much better now."
Evali can't brighten, only because she's about as bright as she ever gets, but she does look pleased. "It does. The fire was a good idea. So was this tea -- thank /you/, Emmeline. I won't mention it to anyone, you know, if you're concerned about that."
"I appreciate that too. I keep it covered because... I just don't want anyone to see it. But I don't want people to know how much it bothers me, either." So the confidentiality part, that seems to relieve a bit of Emme's tension. "I'm glad the fire and the tea both helped. But now I've got to get a few things ready for tomorrow's lessons. Unless there's anything else you want me to get for you before I go?"
"Oh, no, I'm fine -- thank you so much for your help," Evali replies, giving Emmeline a soft smile and a little bit of a finger-waggle wave. "I'll finish this up and get the clothes back to their owners."
"Alright. Take care not to get a chill. And thank you." Because the healer totally needs to hear that advice from the teacher, right? Emmeline waves back and smiles oer her shoulder once before blending in with the other Islanders on her way back to her hut.
Synopsis: Evali and Rilka are wet. And cold. Emmeline to the rescue!
River, Western Island
Trickling down from a spring off in the distance, the narrow stream eventually forms into a deep, but relatively slow-moving pool before it gathers momentum further downstream on its way to the ocean. The rise of the land allows the river to be relatively secluded from the rest of the island, and sheltered from the occasionally harsh winds. The water's deep enough to swim in, though the rocky bottom can be treacherous, and the reeds that grow about the edges are inclined to catch unwary feet.
Sections of the river have very defined functions - water is collected from before the pool, laundry is done only at the very end, along the beachfront. The great pool is for swimming, and further along, around the bend, much of the river has been turned over to seaweed cultivation, with long pieces of wood secured by ropes floating through the water.
Though the wind has chased away all signs of the rain that is so usual for the islands at this time of year, the approach of winter does not go unmarked upon in the chilly air. Without trees, there aren't many sheltered spots beside the river, but Rilka has claimed one of them, her wet clothes draped out over a boulder, her blue-ish skin being warmed as best it can by the sun as well as the blanket she's draped over her shoulders. Her errand is clear: beside her, a basket of seaweed harvested from the river, waits for her to carry it back to the settlement.
More blankets would appear to be on the way, as a couple of them wind up draped over Emmeline's arms with the request that she take them to the seaweed harvesters to help them dry off and warm up quickly. The chill can be deadly this time of year afterall. "Do you need another one, Rilka?" The harper tries to keep her tone both neutral but gentle, recalling the unfortunate last time the two spoke.
Evali is wrapped in a coat that is three times her size; one that likely used to belong to her father. She's sitting near the seaweed catchers but isn't trying to gather any; she seems to be washing a very long skirt against a rock. She's also very, very wet. Emmeline's approach causes her to turn her head, but she doesn't actually speak.
A shuddering shiver shakes through Rilka's narrow shoulders as, gratefully, she reaches, without a word, to accept Emmeline's offering. If she's still got that previous encounter on her mind, it doesn't show; her mouth curves into a vague smile as she wraps herself in its (dry!) bulk. Then, "Winter is--" A pause. "Nearly here." She must be aware of Evali: she even glances, vaguely, in the girl's direction. But it would be terribly un-Rilka-like for her to suggest that she, too, might need a blanket.
"You need more help warming up? I can try rubbing your arms to get the blood moving." The shivering obviously has Emmeline concerned, though her gaze also flicks towards Evali and winds up accompanied by a frown. "Evali, what are you doing? You're all wet. Come here and take one of the blankets." she prompts, looking next at the long skirt being washed. "How'd you get so wet just washing that?" That's right, the harper is a bit of a motor mouth. Good thing with two such quiet people, too! "Winter feels like it's here already what with this chill I'd say, Rilka."
"I," Evali says, and looks down at her lap. "Slipped on the rocks." And fell in the river, is the obvious lack of continuation in the story, but she is very careful not to admit that at all. "Carrying too much. I'd had some of it dry, too, and in this chill I don't know if it'll dry again without a fire." Now she's talking, because she can complain about the laundry's failure to do what she wants it to. Agreeably, she takes a blanket. A healer should probably be smart enough to remove the wet coat, but Evali isn't thinking about it.
Rilka's firm shake of the head seems to answer Emmeline's question, though she doesn't confirm that in words. "There's no snow yet," she points out, prosaic, as she draws her knees up towards her chest, hugging them beneath the blankets. "You should always be aware of your environment, Evali. There are clues, you know. In everything. They tell us much, and we have an obligation to listen." She's sing-singing again, if in a stuttered kind of way thanks to her chill.
"That's true. There's no snow yet. But is it near, do you think?" Emme agrees, gesturing towards Evali's jacket after the midwife grabs the blanket. "Shouldn't you..." her voice trails off, a curious glance given to the other girl. "I think we should maybe move to the fire. You'll both warm p faster, and there's hot tea there. I'll take the jacket and wet skirt... and the basket." she offers, starting to pick up the various items that are wet or need carrying.
Oh. Right. Evali flushes a little, as she actually takes the soaked coat /off/ and lays it down on a rock to dry, too. Not that there's any sun to properly dry it. "Maybe it'll need some fire too," she mutters, and then picks the coat back up again, throwing it over her arm. As a result, now she's shivering -- a wet coat was still a coat. "I can carry it," she tells Emme, "but if you don't mind taking the skirt?"
Rilka has not been learning from Shimana for nothing; the young woman glances upwards, considering the skies with due reverence and thought. "Soon," she pronounces - suitably vague. This distracts her enough that she seems genuinely surprised to glance back at her companions and see them getting ready to move, though she diligently rises with the obvious intention of following: perhaps recent events have encouraged her to make some effort at joining in. Blankets draping all the way down to the ground, she remarks, very seriously, "I would like some tea."
"Of course I don't mind." Since she's always wearing long sleeves these days, the wet skirt doesn't give Emme a chill just yet; though by the time they get back to the settlement she'll be glad for the fire too. Well, mostly. "Good. I'll get what you need. Both of you just get warm and dry. I'm sure the elders would skin me if I let either of you walk around too much all wet like that." And like any good teacher, she seems intent on shepherding her two charges in the right direction, shooing them both onwards.
"I'm not usually so stupid," Evali says a little more confidently, gaining comfort in her present situation. "Or clumsy; the basket of washing was obscuring where my feet were, I think. Tea does sound lovely, though. I hope the skirt's owner doesn't mind it isn't dry." She doesn't actually know whose it is.
Despite her words, Rilka clearly does need the shepherding; as it is, she veers off the path at least once, stopping to consider something or other: a tiny plant growing out of the rock, an interesting pebble. Her blankets trail half behind her-- she doesn't really seem to notice. Nor does she seem to be properly following the conversation: "If we let the clothes freeze, would they snap off like icicles?"
"Tripping requires neither stupidity or clumsiness. It just means you didn't see the obstacle that was there." Emmeline points out firmly. One might even say defensively. "And we'll get the skirt dry, don't you worry." That seems intended as a promise, while she slows her pace to make sure Rilka doesn't linger too long in any one place. "I... well, I guess it would depend on the fabric and how worn it was? Something threadbare might..." It probably isn't a good idea to give out prank ideas like that. Really. Her lips purse a bit, and her eyes narrow in thought. "We /could/ experiment, I suppose."
"Sometimes it does," Evali tells Rilka knowingly. She's been doing laundry almost daily since she was twelve, after all. "It has to be very, very cold, though. I've only seen it happen once. I've also seen hair freeze while actually on someone's head."
Rilka's expression lights at this possibility of experimentation, but since Evali has the answer, she seems to almost immediately forget about it. "We try not to fish from the water in winter," she tells them both, presumably linking this topic to the previous one, at least in her own head. "Because of the cold. That's why we salt the fish. I don't think I'd like my hair to snap off." The sound she makes is presumably intended to be a representation of snapping hair.
"Really, right on someone's head? Did that snap off too?" Just like Rilka, Emma seems to find this possibilty either entralling or horrifying. It has to be one or the other. "Maybe if we salt our hair it won't freeze so easily." she suggests jokingly, and maybe so that she doesn't make a face at the thought of another winter full of salted fish.
Evali smiles a little, though it's hesitant. "Yes, right on someone's head. The rest of the head stayed intact, though. It was very oily hair and it just froze up. Salting it would be interesting." She's amused, which is definitely better than when they first met up and she was in constant silence mode.
"My hair is always salty," says Rilka, sounding very serious. "That must be why it never breaks off like that." She certainly does have a lot of hair - and it certainy /is/ pretty salty, given the amount of time she spends in the ocean. She lets out another little shudder, though, and this seems less likely to be from the cold. At least they're nearly back at the settlement, now.
"I'm not sure I'm willing to dunk my head in a bucket of cold water just to see for myself, though." Emmeline admits, grinning over at Evali. "How do you keep your skin from getting too dry, Rilka? The saltwater must really mess with it." No really, it's a genuine question. If there's a secret herb on the island, she is /all/ ears to hear about it! "You two get settled in by the fire now. I'll get your drinks." The instruction is clear, though she'll not likely take any offense if there are any protests. She's just so used to talking that way it doesn't even register anymore.
"Thank you," Evali certainly doesn't protest, even if Emme is a few turns her junior. The fire sounds spectacular to her. "I wonder if the cream I make for stretch marks would help with that? I've never tried it." On anything but stretch marks.
The question seems to surprise Rilka; it's obvious she's never given it a moment's thought. "My skin-- is." Is what? Just is. She follows instructions, at least, trailing after Evali to find herself a place by the fire, her blankets re-adjusted for a seated position. "Why would you need a cream?" Now, she's inspecting her own arm, curious.
Emmeline catches only the tail end of what Evali's said about stretch marks. But when she dutifully returns with the mugs of hot tea to be passed to the other two carefully... it's obvious the harper has been thinking about what she heard the entire time she was gone. "The cream for stretch marks... would it work on scarring?" she wonders, seeming thoughtful. "It fades the color, right? Or does it work some other way." That last comment seems partially to answer Rilka's question. Though, it probably doesn't give the other girl much to go on.
Evali is now smiling brightly, both because she has tea and because she's talking about a subject that doesn't make her nervous. (There are few.) "Yes, it does. And it would work on scarring, though it depends on the age of the skin and you actually /have/ to stretch out scars a little bit to get them to fade, also. Which you wouldn't do on stretch marks, oddly enough."
Rilka wraps both hands about her mug in a vague kind of way; she barely acknowledges Emmeline for bringing it, at any rate. Evali's explanation has clearly captured her attention, though, and she focuses on the younger girl intently. "Do you make it from fish?"
Nothing in the past moon or more has made Emmeline's eyes light up the way they do when she hears Evali's answer. "When you've time, could you take a look at my arm? And see if you think it would help?" she wonders, allowing maybe a thread of desperation to tint her voice. That alone should be a clue that it's been bothering her beyond all probably proportion. "When it's cold like this, it starts to hurt again. And it's... I just want to see if I can make it go away some." Admitting to vanity is something she's not quite prepared to do, and her glance at the moment includes Rilka, when she lowersh er voice so just the two ladies can hear her. "If there's anything I can do in return... I don't have much to barter with, but I will."
"It comes from plants," Evali explains, sipping her tea. "A specific plant, its leaves are sort of white. You've got to mush it up with oil -- oils from fish do work, actually -- until it's creamy. I don't know if it would do anything for pain? But it would reduce the appearance, and if the appearance causes emotional stress to you, that might be making it hurt more."
Plants. Rilka doesn't know a lot about plants, but she nods enthusiastically anyway, dark gaze shifting from one girl to another. It makes her departure seem all the more sudden, then; she rises without warning, leaving her blankets behind, and doesn't even so much as smile at the pair before she's heading for the hut she shares with a couple of other girls, tea still in hand. Weird. Well. That's Rilka for you.
"It's the way the skin tightens that's painful." Emmeline explains carefully, nodding at what Evali says of how the cream would work. "And yes, its appearance causes emotional stress." she admits, looking up in startlement as Rilka makes a sudden departure. "Well, I guess she's warm now." the harper adds, leaning forward a bit more towards the heat of the fire.
Evali nods, watching the water in her tea swirl around before taking another sip. "She must be," she says, not seeming put out. "There's another way you can help with that, the sort of stretching thing I mentioned -- want me to show you?" She sets her tea down, hands free, to demonstrate. "It's not really midwifery, but," shrug, "You learn things. Like massage. Which I guess it is."
"Is it something I can do on my own?" There's an evident bit of reluctance on her part, but the younger of the two women rolls the sleeve of her left arm up about halfway, showing part of the scarring left of the burn to her arm. It coers fully half of the forearm and is mostly the bottom half. She's also careful to glance around befoe she does this, as if making sure that there are certain people not in evidence. "I imagine you learn all kinds of useful things being a midwife. You must have an amazing array of pain management techniques, for example." Her quick smile is an attempt to keep the conversation light when she holds out her limb for the purpose of the demo.
"Yes, actually," Evali replies with a smile, "you can do it yourself." And then she places one hand lightly on Emmeline's arm, placing index and middle finger next to each other, and then slowly spreading them apart, applying light pressure. Stretching the skin. It's not exactly comfortable, but the scar lightens in appearance and widens some so long as she maintains the pressure. Letting go, it goes back to normal. "Like that, so long as you can balance using your other hand on your arm? It only takes two fingers. As for pain management, yes, but a lot of it's really mental."
"Oh, I can manage to balance if it means I can do it without any help." Emmeline assures, head tilting a bit to the side so that she can watch how this whole thing is working. The tense of her jaw is the only indication she gives of discomfort though, and once there's the chance she tries this technique herself to be sure she's doing it right. "I can see why that would be the case. Of course, here on the Island with so few resources it would have to be. Wouldn't it?"
"There's tea," is all Evali has to say about other methods of pain management. "And breathing. Tea doesn't do much, though, and breathing requires a lot of practice. Which is why I start trying to work with people as soon as possible. You've definitely got it, though. How to do it."
"You're known as being good at what you do. I'm sure the pregnant women on the Island are glad to have you start work with them as soon as they find out." Once she receives the verbal thumbs-up though, Emme rolls her sleeve back down and pulls her arms back in close to her stomach. "I'll be sure to do that each night before I sleep, then. Thank you Evali." she adds sincerely, turnng to lift up the nearly forgotten skirt that's been drying. "This looks much better now."
Evali can't brighten, only because she's about as bright as she ever gets, but she does look pleased. "It does. The fire was a good idea. So was this tea -- thank /you/, Emmeline. I won't mention it to anyone, you know, if you're concerned about that."
"I appreciate that too. I keep it covered because... I just don't want anyone to see it. But I don't want people to know how much it bothers me, either." So the confidentiality part, that seems to relieve a bit of Emme's tension. "I'm glad the fire and the tea both helped. But now I've got to get a few things ready for tomorrow's lessons. Unless there's anything else you want me to get for you before I go?"
"Oh, no, I'm fine -- thank you so much for your help," Evali replies, giving Emmeline a soft smile and a little bit of a finger-waggle wave. "I'll finish this up and get the clothes back to their owners."
"Alright. Take care not to get a chill. And thank you." Because the healer totally needs to hear that advice from the teacher, right? Emmeline waves back and smiles oer her shoulder once before blending in with the other Islanders on her way back to her hut.