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“Welcome back master Olly!” Tetia greeted him as he pushed open the door.
“Oh, hello there,” he told the girl, blinking, a little surprised to see her. “Where’s Qifrey?“
“I think he’s working with Richeh. Her newest spell is giving her trouble.”
“At this hour?”
“This hour? Is it really that late? I hadn’t noticed!”
“It seems like Coco has,” Olruggio commented. The girl gave a little wave from her spot on the floor, yawning as she did.
“Oh Coco! You’re falling asleep! Sorry to keep you up, I didn’t realize how late it was. I suppose we should both head off to bed.”
“I believe that would be for the best.” Ollie agreed. “Get some good rest now girls.”
He gave a little nod to the girls who started collecting their things and made his way towards the study in search of Qifrey. While he didn’t find his friend. He did find Richeh.
“Oh,” the girl said, looking up for her from her work. “I didn’t realize you were back.”
“My trip was shorter than I thought it would be. Qifrey sent for me. Do you know where he is?“
“No, I’m not sure, maybe in his room? I haven’t seen him all afternoon.“
“I see, thank you Richeh,” Olly said, nodding slowly, trying to keep a frown from his face. “Now off ta bed with you.”
——
Olly was fuming. Qifrey had vanished. Well and truly vanished. He’d ensures all the girls had gone to bed, which they did without much fuss. Even Agott seemed to realize now was not the time to insist she needed to study more.
He was half down the hall, pondering why exactly the witch hadn’t been seen in hours, when the man appeared. Qifrey stepped out of the window way and guilty look on his face as their eyes locked.
“Where have you been?” Olly asked suspiciously.
“Uh…” Qifrey replied, eye wide. Olly sighed.
“You ought to wait before leaving the girls alone. They’re clever so I’m sure they fed themselves, but still. I only now sent them off to bed.”
“It’s well past midnight,” Qifrey said, blinking.
“I know, and I’ve been here for two hours. How long were you gone? Why didn’t you wait? The girls are children, you are their master, and I know it is my duty to watch over you all but it’s your responsibility as well.”
“Olly, can we do this tomorrow? Please? I don’t feel too good,” Qifrey’s voice was strained, and exhausted. Olly paused, some of his frustration draining away. “I’m sorry, but it couldn’t wait.”
The moment stretched out between them as Olly studied his friend’s expression, his slumped posture, the hand pressed not so subtly to his side. The cloth covered silhouette of a sword. His eyes widened and he moved closer, now a mere step or two from the man.
“Qifrey did you go-?“
“Yes,” Qifrey said, confirming the unasked question hanging in the air. “Can I leave? I need sleep.“
Qifrey started to walk past but paused, a pained look crossing his face. Then suddenly the white haired man was hunched over, coughing. Olly was at his side in an instant, a hand on the man’s back, assessing the situation.
“You’re hurt,” he commented.
“Wow, hadn’t noticed,” Qifrey wheezed before coughing some more. When Qifrey finally pulled his hand away, Olly’s heart stopped. The sleeve was painted red with blood. Olly was so focused on that fact that he nearly missed Qifrey’s head drooping and the sword slipping from his grasp.
The man’s chest stuttered as a fought to breath and suddenly he was slumping forward, and into Olly’s arms. He lowered the man to the ground, heart pounding. He pulled the man’s head into his lap, and listened to his friend’s lungs.
Olly couldn’t heal the witch. That was illegal, after all. But he’d learned a little medicine just in case when he’s been sent out in the middle of nowhere to watch a reckless man and the growing number of children he adopted. Gently he tipped the other partially to the side, so the worse lung was elevated, and pushed his cloak under the man’s feet.
“Oh come on you arsehole, wake up,” Olly muttered, gently shaking the man. “come on now, the girls can’t loose you, you’re all they have. I can’t loose you, please,” he begged. Qifrey stirred, his eyes dragging open and Olly fought back a sob.
——
Olly was warm. And.. crying? Maybe? Why was that? Qifrey was in too much pain to care. His whole body ached from his failed fight with the brimmed caps. His lungs hurt, and he was pretty sure he was bleeding internally.
Distantly he heard Olly shouting and the sounds of the girls. He tried to tell them he’d be okay.
“No you’re not,” Olly told him. Well, if Olly said so, who was he to argue? The girls were surrounding him now, and he felt himself being lifted briefly. And then Olly was there, pole in hand, and Coco was tugging a blanket over Qifrey, with Tetia’s help. Agott was nodding stoically and Richeh was stuffing something into a bag and passing it to Olly.
“Fly safely, Master Olruggio,” Agott intoned, hits uncharacteristic worry in her voice.
“We’ll be alright, don’t worry,” Richeh added.
“Take care of him?” Coco asked.
“Of course.”
“Don’t worry Master,” Tetia told him, her small hands closing around his. “Just focus on getting better.”
“I’ll be alright, I promise,” Qifrey told her, voice still raspy, patting her head with his free hand. He made eye contact with each of the other three as he continued. “Be good, try to get some more rest. I’ll do my best to get better soon, and the doctors will do all they can.”
Then they were off.
“You better not by lying to the girls,” he hears Olly mutter over the wind.
“I’ll be okay, Olly, promise,” he told his friend. Before pain and exhaustion once again pulled his eyelids closed.