After the Fire

Chapter Eleven

Jasna was at the far end of the infirmary, sitting down with a red-haired dwarf from the Iron Hills who had one of the most colorful vocabularies she'd ever heard, and what looked to be a nasty infection in his right thumb. She peered down at that the swollen digit, with the bright red squiggles stretching down almost to the base of said thumb. "Wh-what did y-y-you do again?"

"I hit it with a blasted bloody hammer is what I did!" His voice rang across the infirmary, causing several of those still abed to look in their direction. "I do not recommend ye do it, lassie!"

"It l-looks to me like y-y-y-you might h-h-have done more th-than hit it with a hammer."

A heavy sigh sent his mustache fluttering almost perfectly straight out. "It's been botherin' me fer days, lass. I had a splinter tha' I thought I'd got out, but perhaps I didn't after all."

"I can look."

"Please. I canna stand it any longer." He added a few more colorful phrases when she gently probed at it, sucking in his breath as he growled, "Oh, jus' cut it off! It'd hurt less."

"I ap-ap-apologize," she replied, biting back a smile. "I th-think it will n-n-need to be lanced."

"So lance it."

"I need to sp-sp-speak with Óin first."

"Nae, ye don't. I trust ye. Ye've got good hands, lassie. Just lop off the tip, wrap it up, an' let me get back ta work!"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid I cannot d-do that. Óin will b-b-b-be furious, and he sc-scares me more th-than you d-d-do." She rose from her chair, patting him on the shoulder with one hand. "I won't be b-b-b-but a minute."

"If ye say so."

As she straightened, she caught sight of Dís making her way into the infirmary, looking back and forth amongst the beds—for her sons, no doubt. Jasna glanced back at the dwarf with the injured thumb, then ahead at Dís, and made her way over to the dwarf princess. "Lady Dís? Fíli and Kíli are over in the back corner. Come and I'll take you to them."

"Aren't you helping Dáin?"

"Dáin?"

Dís smiled and waved at the red-haired dwarf. "Dáin. He's my and Thorin's cousin. He isn't giving you any trouble, is he?"

"No. W-w-will he?"

"He might. He's... unique."

Jasna smiled. "I can see that."

"Go and tend to him. I can find my sons and sit with them until you're free and you can catch me up with them."

"Ca-catch you up?"

Dís nodded as she skirted a bed. "Go. Before Dáin starts yelling."

Jasna swallowed hard as she stood there for a moment, then remembered she was fetching Óin, who was at his desk. She approached him. "Do you have a moment?"

"I do, lassie." He lifted his head to meet her gaze. "What is it?"

"Dáin, I believe Lady Dís said his name is?"

"Dáin. He's of the Iron Hills. What brings him here?"

"He has a nasty infection in his thumb. I think it n-n-needs to be dr-dr-drained, but th-th-think you should look at it first."

"Of course." He pushed back from his desk and came around to follow her back to where Dáin sat. "Dáin Ironfoot! Ye aren't givin' my student a tough time, are ye?"

"She's only a student? I dinna believe that for a moment. She's doesna act like a student. She knows wha' she's doin'!"

Jasna's cheeks grew warm, and then went warmer still as Óin turned a proud smile in her direction. "She's one of the brightest I've ever taught. Yer in good hands, man."