Wound Care by StarSpray  

Wound Care

“Well, of course it isn’t healing, if you’re always washing it in seawater!” The old woman shook her head, and her pointed glare had Maglor sitting down before he could think better of it. He’d ventured into the little fishing village in search of food and maybe a dry place to sleep for a night of rain and wind—he hadn’t expected this, to be bullied into a hot meal and a healer’s attention. “Let me see it. This is no way to tend a burn. I thought you Elves were supposed to be wise!”

“Um,” he said when she fixed that glare on him again. He tried again. “Perhaps that reputation is less well-deserved than we would wish.”

“Obviously.” The woman took his hand and smeared an ointment over it, oily and smelling of something both herbal and floral. It stung for a second, but not nearly as much as seawater, and then it faded to a tingling numbness. Maglor stared at it in shock. He hadn’t thought it could be treated. “I’ll give you a jar,” the woman told him, “but mind you keep it properly clean! With fresh water! None of this saltwater nonsense.”

“Yes ma’am.”