A few hours later Keh’dor’rin returned, stopping, frozen, in the doorway. “That thing was a woman the entire time?”
“Yes. And a very beautiful one at that!” Mei’nin’sa hummed happily, continuing to comb Tejara’s choppy, long black hair. Tejara sat in front of Mei’nin’sa, her back pressed against Mei’nin’sa’s knees as Mei’nin’sa sat in her little throne-like chair. Tejara was dressed in some of Mei’nin’sa’s older clothes. Mei’nin’sa’s top was far too big on her as she had a much smaller bust, so the top gapped in the chest and slid off her shoulders even more than it did for Mei’nin’sa. Keh’dor’rin didn’t pay any mind to that, however and strode through the room.
After trying and failing a few times to get Tejara to report her own condition, Keh’dor’rin took matters into his own hands and began to feel along her body for injuries, watching her face to see when she winced.
Just when Keh’dor’rin cupped her nose and jerked his hands to force her nose back into alignment, Nai walked in. She let out a loud eep and gagged.
“Do you need something, Nai?”
Mei’nin’sa asked, interrupting her mid-gag.
Nai coughed into her closed fist and averted her eyes, “Young Master Val’lin’r has come back to see you.”
Mei’nin’sa sniffed loudly and turned her nose up, “He was just here, tell him I don’t want to see him right now.”
Nai glanced back at Tejara and Keh’dor’rin who was washing the blood from her nose off his hands in a small basin, “He brought medicines and money to pay for the woman’s treatment.”
The warmth was gone from Mei’nin’sa’s deep brown eyes, “I said, I don’t want to see him right now.”
“Wait.” Keh’dor’rin ordered Nai, who hadn’t yet turned around to leave. He stood up from his crouch and turned to face Mei’nin’sa. “Were you expecting that I treat the woman for free? Why not let him pay, he’s the one who had her beat up.”
Mei’nin’sa reached out and caught a tress of Tejara’s drying hair between her fingers. She absentmindedly rubbed the split end between her thumb and forefinger, “You just want to see him.”
The permanent scowl on Keh’dor’rin’s face deepened despite the pink rising on his cheeks, “Just because I treat you for free doesn’t mean I’ll treat any of your pity cases for free.”
