Page 48

“Thank you,” she said, her voice warmer now.“You can place them with the others.”

As Thalia moved to comply, she scanned the infirmary with practiced efficiency.Her mother had taught her to inventory a space quickly, to assess what was available and what was lacking.The tall cabinets that lined the walls were distressingly bare.Where once neat rows of supplies had stood, now only scattered jars remained, their contents meager.A workstation that had previously bustled with the preparation of poultices and tinctures sat empty, gathering dust.

The younger healer, Fenn, noticed her assessment and gave a tight smile."Not much to see anymore, is there?"

Erith shot him a warning glance."That will be all, recruit.Return to your duties."

Before Thalia could respond, the infirmary door burst open.Two students staggered in, supporting a third between them.The injured student — a girl with short-cropped dark hair that Thalia recognized from metallurgy classes — had her right arm cradled against her chest, the skin angry and blistered from wrist to elbow.

"Forge accident," one of the supporting students explained, his face pale beneath a shock of red hair."The cooling enchantment failed mid-pour."

Healer Erith guided the injured student to a cot, her clinical demeanor firmly in place."Let me see the burn."

The girl extended her arm with a barely-suppressed whimper.The burn was severe — angry red blisters covered her forearm, with patches where the skin had charred to an unsettling white.Thalia winced in sympathy.In her mother's shop, a burn like this would warrant immediate treatment with smokeneedle salve and bandages soaked in cool willow-bark tea.

"I can treat the pain, but I'm afraid we don't have anything for the burn itself," Healer Erith said after examining the injury."The last of the burn salve went to a third-year yesterday."

The girl's face crumpled."Please — there must be something."

Healer Fenn looked stricken."Surely we could —"

"We have nothing to spare," the head healer interrupted, her voice firm but not unkind."A diluted pain tincture – that's the best we can offer."

The injured student's friends exchanged worried glances."Will it...will it heal properly without medicine?"one asked.

"Keep it clean and hope for the best," Erith replied, her tone suggesting the conversation was over.She turned away to prepare the pain tincture, her shoulders rigid with tension.

Thalia's hands curled into fists at her sides.She knew what untreated burns could lead to — infection, scarring, limited mobility.In Verdant Port, her mother would never have allowed someone to suffer like this if there was any alternative.

"There's a washbasin in the corner," Thalia said, stepping forward."Cold water will help with the immediate pain and prevent further damage."

The injured student looked up, hope flickering in her eyes."Really?"

"It's basic first aid," Thalia said with a nod, careful not to undermine the healers' authority."My mother taught me.It won't heal the burn, but it might help until proper medicine becomes available."

Erith paused in measuring the pain tincture, then gave a slight nod."Go ahead.The girl is right.”

Thalia led the student to the basin, turning the copper tap to release a stream of icy water."What's your name?"she asked softly as they waited for the basin to fill.

"Mona," the girl replied through gritted teeth."Second-year.I’m from the Southern Kingdoms."

Thalia nodded, noting the subtle softening of her accent — another Southern student.Grimly, Thalia wondered if her injury was the result of the pattern of sabotage she and Luna had noticed."I'm Thalia.First-year, also Southern."

Some of the tension in Mona's face eased."I know who you are.The herb girl.People say you've been helping students when the healers can't."

Thalia guided Mona's burned arm under the stream of water, supporting her weight as the injured girl shuddered at the initial shock of cold."Just knowledge from my mother's shop," she said."Nothing special."

"Doesn't seem like nothing from where I'm standing," Mona said, her voice steadier as the cold water began to numb the worst of the pain.

As they stood at the basin, Thalia's mind raced through the herbs that would help a burn like this.Smokeneedle for pain and to reduce blistering.Silverleaf to prevent infection.Aloe vera to accelerate healing.None of which were available in the infirmary anymore, according to what she'd overheard.

Memory flashed through her mind — the small herb shop in Verdant Port, sunlight streaming through the windows, illuminating dust motes that danced in the air scented with dozens of dried plants.Her mother's deft hands sorting, measuring, mixing.The steady stream of sailors and dock workers coming in with burns, cuts, and ailments from their labor.

"Keep it under the water for at least ten minutes," Thalia instructed."Then pat it dry — don't rub.The blisters need to stay intact if possible."

Mona nodded, her face pale but determined."Thank you."

As Thalia turned away, her mind raced.She couldn’t stand by while injured students went untreated; she would lose her mind before long.There must be an area near the academy’s grounds she hadn’t yet searched, somewhere she could find smokeneedle.Burns were some of the most common injuries at Frostforge.Students came into the infirmary multiple times a week with burns of varying degrees.The healers couldn’t do without smokeneedle.