Aveen thought that after his first night here, he would have concered the small cultural shock, but that was one of the many sweet lies he told himself.

His arrival at his assigned camp in the south of the peaks went without any incidents. The weeks on the ship where boring sometimes, but it gave him enough time to read the books he brought with him about Gyr Abania, Ala Mhigo and some practical uses of the healing spells he knew. Sometimes he was nervous already, but that was something he had expected. When the ship passed Thavnair, he mentally waved to Delan, who still lived there and remained a good friend. Aveen had last visited him in Thavnair about one year ago. It had been a wonderful time and if life had been different to Aveen, he would have stayed with the red haired Midlander. He had loved him once. But as his heart was also occupied by Tristan at that time, it had just surfaced feelings of guilt towards both men. The funny thing being that he wasn’t even close to a “real” relationship with Tristan at any given time, and Delan was such a kind soul, that he just wanted to see Aveen happy and would have given anything to achieve that. In the end, Aveen had decided against both of them.

So here he was now. In Gyr Abania where his ship had spilled him out again at the next possible port and he took the organized transportation to the peaks.

Just some weeks ago it was Tatami Mats and Shōji Doors and now it was rocky floors and big Tents or Huts. Aveen had felt a bit dizzy. But the Landscape was beautiful. Different, but beautiful.

He got introduced into the small team of medical workers in this movable military “hospital” between Ala Ghiri and the eastern road towards the Lochs. Though the war was mostly over and Ala Mhigo free, the fighting against remaining smaller groups of Garleans had not stopped over night. The Resistance still had to secure the peace and protect the citizens. Aveen had his fair share of encounters with Garleans back in Kugane and on a trip to Doma with Tristan. They sent a very unpleasent shiver down his spine when he thought about them. Maybe he wanted to proof to himself that he could manage these memories now. That he was strong enough. He knew very well, what kind of pain and misery the empire inflicted and had left behind. He had seen it every day in is former Professor.

Aveen had a tent to himself, which he liked very much. It was big, with a bed, a desk, some shelves and even a small corner with another bed if the main wards for the patients would be full and he had to heal a patient there. For now it just was a resting place for his many bags and books. The atmosphere inside was cozy, with many smaller spread lamps to give light in the night. And the thick and wonderfully woven fabric of the tents walls was colorful and unique. Those tents and camps could be easily build down and up wherever the medics were needed. For now it all felt like an adventure. New people. New surroundings. New daily routines. It was like the ship had transported him from an old life into a new one. Being a painfully theoretical academic until now, Aveen’s experiences in practical healing were small and he secretly hoped, that he would gently be able to just do some assistance here and there. Patch up some smaller wounds. Support the more trained healers with his aether…

But that would have all been too easy, wouldn’t it?

The morning was still young, when Aveen heard loud voices outside his tent. The chocobos kweh’d nervously and many people seemed to speak at once. He went outside to see what the turmoil was about and already found himself approached by one of his new colleagues, a middleaged Au Ri woman.

“Cazian, with me to ward 2, please.”

“What happened?” Aveen asked a bit nervously while he followed the Au Ra. He just saw several Highlander discussing something with other medics several yalms away near the entrance of this camp. They seemed wounded. One of them even carried a seemingly unconcious woman and was quickly directed to one of the healer tents.

“A small company. Came into a fight with some Garleans last night. Some of them were badly injured. We have two Hyur currently in Ward 1 and a Miqo’te in Ward 2. Marghi is currently doing the first patch up for the latter, I request of you to finish his work so we have him free if a bigger operation is neccessary for any of the other fighters, understood?” the Au Ra calmly but quickly explained to Aveen while they made their way to the healer wards. He followed and swallowed a bit nervously, but then gave her a assuring nod.

“Marghi will give you an update on the patient’s state. I heard he had been unconscious when he came here. If you need anything you don’t find in the healer wards, come to me to the Alchemist tent. Thank you for helping us.” she smiled and let Aveen walk the last steps towards the ward alone, already on her way again to plan in the other healers.

Aveen entered the large tent which served as one of the well equipped healing wards. At his arrival yesterday he had a short tour here but this was suddenly a very different situation. The smell of blood and desinfections hang in the air. On one of the two medical beds on either side of the tent lay a light brown skinned Miqo’te on his back. His Torso was bare and what was propably his jacket or coat had been placed on a stool in the corner. It looked dusty, with wet undefinable darker spots in between. The Miqo’te was motionless and already had a bandage around his belly and left arm. Aveen felt the healing magics still in the air and resonating from some parts of the other Miqo’te’s Body. Undoubtly the work of the Highlander Healer standing next to the bed. Marghi. He had a kind face but looked a bit exhausted as he looked up towards Aveen.

“He is still unconscious but the most severe wounds are sealed. I removed one projectile. Keeping him stable should not be hard but his aether is a bit disobliging. Please keep the healing process in flow, the rest should work fine by his own body.” Marghi explained matter of factly without keeping them up with smalltalk first. Aveen stood next to him and looked the other Miqo’te up and down quickly while Marghi already took his right hand back from its leviating position above his patient’s chest.

“Got it.” Aveen simply said and hoped the more experienced healer didn’t notice how small his voice sounded.

“Thank you.” the Highlander said, loosened his healing connection and let Aveen do the rest. Before he left the tent, he desinfected and washed his hands on the nearby basin.

Aveen extended both his hands above the naked chest and the bandaged belly of the other Miqo’te and channeled his aether. He had done this many times before, so that came easily and then he just went to work to first shortly inspect the already treated wounds through the connected aether. The poor guy seemingly was shot by two projectiles into his lower torso. One grazed his right hip above the bone, the other had found its mark a few ilms next to it. His left upper arm was grazed by a projectile, too, and had a deeper cut towards the shoulder.

As it was Aveen’s luck, the Patient came to himself mere minutes after Aveen was alone with him and did not just let the nervous new healer do his work quietly. The blonde Miqo’te groaned and a scowl ran over his face. His ears, still covered with some sand, twitched. Aveen prayed to Thaliak that he was not a Seeker with bright eyes. Please don’t let him have ugly bright Seeker eyes.

“Where am I…?” the Blond asked huskily, still dizzy.