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Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown

Ch 4-5, Your Highness

The following days passed quickly for Friar Arlowe. Once Doctor Brownell had finished with Cruff the old Raccoon Dog sat beside his son non-stop. The rest of the group handled the required activities of the day and were courteous enough to leave him to his vigil, stopping by only on occasion when they felt he needed to be aware of their activities, or when checking in on him; he appreciated both kinds of visits.

The first such visit came from Sister Aurelie on the second day of what Friar Arlowe hoped would be the start of Cruff's recovery. She came in to let him know that the party elected to stay in Vallara several more days to see things through regarding the Church-- apparently they felt that they could be of some use to Prince Malcom as he worked to resolve the issue involving the men from the Newport Cathedral who had come to hunt Arlowe and his friends down. Whatever the resolution, the Monk hoped there wouldn't be any more bloodshed.

The second visit was a day later, when Aodhan came to tell him that the party would remain in town for at least a week; apparently the Church was not pleased to find out that their troops had been apprehended by Vallara, and Malcom was going through quite a long set of diplomatic measures to smooth over what they considered to be an impossibly unforgivable slight... apparently there had even been some talk of excommunication of the entire city council! Friar Arlowe would have been dumbstruck by such discussion, if not for his entire focus being on his son-- regardless, the news still sank in, and all he could do was shake his head.

Brother Rhys had also come to visit him twice, praying with him both times and offering words of solace. It felt good to spend some time with the Rat, as it helped to reaffirm the Monk's faith in the troubling times. In all, almost an entire week had passed during their stay in Vallara, and, other than managing to trickle some water and broth down Cruff's throat, there was little in the way of good news, unless, of course, he count the fact that there was also no real bad news when it came to his son.

It was the morning of their one week stay in Vallara when Dr. Brownell herself stopped in to check on them. Throughout the week there had been aides and assistants coming in to change Cruff's bandages and check on him, but that day the Mouse herself had chosen to come. Friar Arlowe wasn't sure whether her presence was a good or a bad thing, but she got straight to the point, "Friar, your son is resting, and it may be several more days before he shows any sign of improvement... there really is nothing you can do for him right now."

His response was direct and final, "I can be here for him. It is what a father should do, Doctor Brownell."

The Mouse woman smiled, and rested a paw on his shoulder as she came to sit by his side, "Please, Friar... you can just call me Christine. Honestly, all of my regulars do, and I've seen more of you lately than I often see of them in a year. I am not so formal here if I don't need to be." and she began looking over the Monk's son.

Friar Arlowe's ears raised, "I'm sorry? Very well, um, Ms. Christine. I apologize-- I had heard the commotion the night when we first arrived and I had thought that it would be a better idea to defer to your title to--"

She began laughing immediately; it was a jovial, good-natured laugh, but it quickly returned to a neutral expression as she got back to business, "I assure you, I maintain my 'I have more credentials than you' talk just for the stuffed shirt University block heads that unfortunately manage to find their way to Vallara... otherwise I'm told I can even be considered something almost bordering 'pleasant'."

It was the Raccoon Dog's turn to laugh, but he did so only out of courtesy; in truth, every fiber of his being was in pain at seeing his son in such a condition. He forced himself to continue on the topic to avoid having his mind go to that dark place, "We have not traveled with Mr. Severna long, but from what I have gathered I can assure you he is not as stuck up or conceited as he may have first appeared."

Christine smiled, slowly soaking some fresh bandages in a foul-smelling concoction, "I know that, Friar... truth be told, I think that poor man is terrified of me... but I suppose getting in my shots at the University however I can sometimes overcomes my better judgment. In the scheme of things, it really isn't that bad of a vice, is it?"

The Monk smiled pleasantly at her engaging conversation, then looked back to his son as the Doctor began unwrapping his wounds, "It is said that any vice is a blemish on one's soul, and that where spots tarnish the field no purity shall be found..." he paused as the Mouse looked to him, and he offered a wink, "Though, if that is true, I could hardly think of a man or woman alive who would be fit for heaven... could you?"

The Doctor shrugged half-heartedly, though she did pause to smile back at the Friar's attempt at good humor. She skillfully changed out Cruff's old bandages for the freshly soaked ones and held up one paw, motioning for a ceramic bowl situated on the other side of the Monk. Friar Arlowe handed it to her without complaint, and she set the discarded cloth into it before waving it away; the Monk obediently returned it to where it had originally been positioned, "Your son is on the mend, Friar... the worst of the concern is over."

Arlowe stood immediately, "So he will recover?"

Christine nodded patiently, "He will not die, no... but it is hard to tell just how seriously he was wounded until he awakens and attempts to do the things he had done before being injured. It is hard to say he will 'recover' fully but yes, your son will most likely survive."

The Monk wasn't sure exactly sure how to take the news. He was elated to hear that his son would not die, but her honest and forthcoming explanation of the situation did give the old Raccoon Dog a pause from celebrating, "Then... thank you for what you've done, Doctor. I appreciate your services. I am afraid I have no money, but if you will allow me time to--"

He fell silent as she raised a paw, and she spoke her piece, "You do not have to concern yourself with my bill, Friar Arlowe. Prince Malcom has already covered the cost for both your son and that misogynistic horn-and-a-half scholar in the next room." The Monk was able to tell based on the casual flick of her head toward 'the next room' and the smirk the Mouse wore that she it was playful banter and not serious objection to the prong horn.

Friar Arlowe clasped one her paws in his, "Thank you again, Ms. Christine... and Mr. Flew truly is a good man. I would not judge him too harshly based on his profession. You of all people should know the unfairness that brings."

The Doctor gave his paws a light squeeze and extracted hers. She smiled, looking up at him with no shame of her admiration, "Sometimes I wonder if insight and fairness is a prerequisite in clergymen."

The Monk sighed, lowering his eyes, "If that were the case, my daughter, then I would dare say that Vallara would not be finding itself in the position it now stands." He smoothed out his robes and composed himself before inquiring, "How goes the negotiations? The last I heard the Church was furious."

The Mouse passed him, resting her paw on his shoulder for a moment, "Your companions explained

everything to me, Friar... you shouldn't take what is happening personally-- the decisions that

led the Church to raise forces against the tribesmen were not of your doing and you could not have

controlled it regardless."

Friar Arlowe sat back down at his son's side, "Apparently insight and well-placed wisdom is not just the purview of holy men, Doctor. You should occasionally strive to hear what you say and you might be surprised at the intelligence there."

Christine lingered at the door, "Oh? Well maybe you should consider telling the University that sometime."

The Raccoon Dog flicked an ear, "I would have thought they'd know considering you earned a title from them."

The Mouse laughed, just a hint of scorn in it as she stood by the exit, "I submitted my application to them and completed my courses by correspondence... it took me nearly six years what I could have accomplished in five years of classes at the University, but if I'd have shown up they would have turned me away at the gates... the University does not allow women to become Doctors, Friar."

Arlowe cocked an eyebrow, "Surely there is some equivalent... The Church may not allow women to become Friars, but they can be Nuns."

Christine shook hear head, "Nurses... a job that requires next to no training other than being able to follow the orders of a man."

The Monk offered a calming smile, "The Book of Sheyn says 'Beautiful is the flower that can bloom in the snow.'... you prevailed to become a doctor regardless of the hardships, thus I would call your story one of success rarely rivaled by any other."

The Mouse started smiling again as she shook her head, "No... I just understood the system better than most."

"How so?"

Christine slowly opened the door and took a step through it before looking over her shoulder, "The Correspondence Degree had a very length application, and I was able to prove to them that I would make a good student.

Friar Arlowe nodded, "That is a very good way to look at such a--"

"And, since they never asked if I was male or female, I didn't have to lie." the door closed behind the Mouse, leaving the old Raccoon Dog stuck mid-sentence, but with a smile on his face.

He couldn't help but wonder how many of life's most vexing problems he could have solved if only he had looked for a way to break the rules by following them. Such wasn't a good line of thought for a Friar, but, for once he was perfectly content to entertain it... and it took him in a surprisingly insightful direction.