(no subject)

[thewidewideworld]

{From here}

Sinric leads Athelstan back to their rooms, through a door behind the stairs. Their rooms are neatly kept and clean. It's clear Sinric has been very watchful about his duty to keep their rooms. He brings a chair over for Athelstan before heading off to run him a bath.

"Are the painkillers helping? I can fetch stronger ones, if you need them?"

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

"They are", he says quietly. "And I - I need my mind clear."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric nod and lowers himself to his knees to help Athelstan out of his shoes, gently cupping his ankles. He does this for his lord and master and knows the way to look after someone well.

[athelstanthescribe]

His shoes are simple things, no laces or fiddly bits.

He lifts his feet a little to let Sinric take them off.

[thewidewideworld]

He massages over the turn of Athelstan's heel and up his ankle, finding the swollen joints and over-worked muscles that had carried Athelstan on his wounded feet.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan makes a sound somewhere between pain and pleasure - or perhaps more like relief at his abused muscles being treated gently.

[thewidewideworld]

"Tell me if it's too much. Tell me if I'm hurting you, please?" Sinric whispers, watching him carefully.

He moves to roll up Athelstan's pants, working up to his calves. "Perhaps we should move to the bath so I can do this in earnest."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Hot water will ease things", Athelstan agrees. "And those skilled hands of yours."

[thewidewideworld]

"I am at your side and at your service." He offers Athelstan his arm and helps him to the bathroom.

He helps Athelstan to sit on the edge of the bath and helps him to undress.

[athelstanthescribe]

The help is appreciated, as otherwise this might go very slowly.

"Should we take off the bandages?" he wonders. "Then dry ones can go on again after."

[thewidewideworld]

"Yes, you're right. I can fetch fresh ones when we're done." He kneels again to carefully unwrap Athelstan's feet. He keeps his eyes low, trying to keep the worry and pain for seeing Athelstan's wounds off his face.

[athelstanthescribe]

He tries to work on his hand bandages at the same time, peeling them gingerly away from the wounds.

They've been healing from the inside out, but progress has been slow.

[thewidewideworld]

"Wait, let me do that for you." He leans up to take Athelstan's hands, cupping them gently as he unwraps them with care.

He leans in to kiss the tips of Athelstan's fingers before rising to lean over to turn off the taps, checking the water of the bath.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan turns to watch him.

"Just these left", he says, trying to find the end of the wrappings around his back and ribs.

[thewidewideworld]

"I'll get it. Please?" He runs his hands around Athelstan's chest to find where the bandage starts, rolling it with care away from Athelstan's skin.

He stays behind Athelstan, mostly so Athelstan can't see the pain on his face as he sees the mess of Athelstan's back.

[athelstanthescribe]

"You'll spoil me so", he says with an effort at lightness, "I forget how to do things for myself."

[thewidewideworld]

"You are loved and hurting." Sinric answers with the same forced lightness, kissing the tip of Athelstan's shoulder. "You don't have to worry about doing things for yourself when you have us here to look after you."

He offers Athelstan his arm to help him into the water.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan takes it, never more glad of the walk-in bath, and slips into the water with a hiss of mingled enjoyment and fleeting discomfort as it soaks into his wounds.

"Will you join me?"

[thewidewideworld]

He smiles and nods, waiting for Athelstan to be safely settled before stepping back to strip.

There are healing bruises on his hip, his thigh, his shoulder. He sits on the edge of the bath to unstrap his own bandages before slipping into the water.

"Would you like me to keep massaging your legs? It felt like you might be very stiff."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Yes, please." He moves his legs a little in the water. "I've been very idle lately."

[thewidewideworld]

"They have permitted you time to rest and recover?" He asks, moving his lithe body into the water to settle at Athelstan's feet. He takes Athelstan's leg across his lap, his hand move neatly and gently over the overworked muscles.

[athelstanthescribe]

"They don't want me for my physical labour", he says a little dryly, hands settling gently on Sinric's shoulders. "So I'm allowed to sit and watch the world pass me by."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric nods and moves to allow Athelstan to steady himself better on Sinric's shoulder as he works on the muscles of Athelstan's calf.

[athelstanthescribe]

He's sitting bolt upright, letting nothing but water touch his back.

"The heat is helping, I think."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric dips his head, kissing Athelstan's shin. "Here, I have an idea."

He slips out of the bath to fetch a towel and the tie from one of the robes hanging behind the door. He bundles the towel into a pillow and binds it up with the tie. He gestures Athelstan over to the edge of bath. He guides Athelstan to lean back, using the towel as pillow. That way his neck and head are supported but his back is off the side of the bath.

[athelstanthescribe]

"You're a genius." He can relax a little better now. "The cuts there are healing, I think, but..."