Chapter 35

Ana breathed a sigh of relief as she emerged from her final healing class on Friday. To say that the previous session was an unpleasant experience, would be an understatement. Throughout the class, she was forced to wear a double mask as they visited the morgue to examine the infected wounds of deceased Wahrens. Ana felt sadness for the unfortunate souls who lost their lives in battle, only to end up as specimens in a such a gory morgue because they didn't have access to a Healer in time.

The double masks did little to shield them from the putrid smell that wafted from the bodies of the dead Wahrens. As if that wasn't torturous enough, students had to hold on to their sickness bags in case they threw up from the smell in the morgue.

Esther, a short woman with frizzy brown hair, turned yellow the moment they all stepped into the morgue. Meeting everyone's expectations, she emptied the lunch she ate into her sick bag within the first ten minutes of class. Ana was never one to believe in mass psychological illnesses, but nearly eight students followed suit, throwing up as the teacher, Eve Villanova, showed them the path of infection in different types of wounds.

Although her head was spinning from exhaustion, she was glad she ate nothing all morning. She silently thanked Fiona, who was in a class with a different section of students that went to the morgue earlier that day. After experiencing a majority of her classmates struggling to keep the meals down, Fiona warned Ana to skip eating until she was done with class.

Sipping on some water, Ana tried to soothe her stomach as she walked to the dining hall. She scouted the hall for Meghan, who was supposed to meet her here so they could discuss her notes from Herbology that morning.

A cheerful voice interrupted her before she could spot Meghan. "Anaya!"

Ana turned around to see who it was and her eyes widened in delight when she saw Maeve walking towards her. "Maeve! How are you?"

"I've been good! How is your hand? It's been a while hasn't it?" Maeve took Ana's hand to examine her wound. Lately, Ana had stopped dressing it and started to leave it open so a scab could form and the wound didn't hurt anymore, even when she tried to make a fist.

"Wow, that healed much faster than I predicted. You've been taking good care of it. It's a good idea to leave it open. This scab should fall off anytime now, but the area will still remain tender, so don't exert too much pressure on it."

Ana nodded and smiled at Maeve. "Thank you Maeve. Are you here to get some lunch? Come eat with me."

They each grabbed a huge rice bowl and made their way to a table. Although it had been three weeks since Ana arrived at Arcane, this was her first time seeing Maeve in the dining hall. She knew the teachers and staff ate here as well because she had occasionally spotted them grabbing food.

"How come I never see you in the dining hall. Do you not like eating here?"

"I have a school full of rowdy Wahren's who've just started to explore their limits." Maeve sighed. They took a seat on either side of the table and started to dig in.

Ana noticed the portion size on Maeve's plate and internally smiled. She was glad the girls around her had a healthy appetite. Back in Bellevue, Ana and Meghan were always frowned upon because they loved food. The girls in Bellevue ate like birds, which always made Ana conscious of the quantity on her place.

"Are the injuries that you treat really serious?"

"Some are. Most are just sprained legs and dislocated bones. I don't heal those myself. I just let the boys heal on their own."

Ana gave her a questioning look. Wahren's could heal without a single scar or corrupted mana. Ana thought a Healer should heal every Wahren wound by default. She listened to Maeve's explanation.

"I only heal Wahren wounds that would deter them from living their daily lives. The men need to learn how to protect themselves as opposed to counting on Healers and recklessly throwing themselves into danger, even on the battlefield. Most Wahren deaths happen because they think themselves indestructible. There is also a danger of mana exhaustion on the battlefield."

Ana pondered on Maeve's opinion. She was right. If Wahren's kept hurting themselves, it would drain the Healers of mana to treat any serious injuries.

"But wouldn't that deter them from training?"

"It would. Which is all the more reason to be careful, because there is nothing they hate more than falling behind. A Wahren needs to understand his body and it's limits. It is actually their biggest weapon. Not learning to watch out for yourself is like yielding a sword without any training. It would do you more harm than good."

Ana looked at Maeve in awe. Although she was only two years older than Ana, she seemed to have so much experience. She briefly wondered why Maeve hadn't moved back to Orestes, but realized that there was so much Arcane could offer even after a Healer graduated from here.

They continued to eat when George and Meghan walked over to join them. Ana quickly introduced her friend to Maeve.

"Wow, the resemblance is uncanny, but I see it!" Meghan cocked her head as she observed Maeve's features.

Maeve laughed. "The difference in our height throws most people off and also my curls. I have a little bit of my father's features in me, but Khai is a spitting image of my mother."

Ana noticed a tinge of sadness in Maeve's voice as she spoke about her late parents. She seemed to have accepted their deaths much better than Khai and was even able to mention them in casual conversation.

"What are your plans for the weekend?" Maeve asked as she scraped her rice bowl clean.

"We were actually planning on figuring out our costumes for a party next weekend." Ana replied.

"Oh! You should head to Monserrat. They have so many thrift stores and boutiques. You are bound to find something. Is this for Natalie's party?"

"You're invited as well?" George asked, but he quickly corrected himself, hoping he did not come off as offensive. "Not that you shouldn't be. I just thought staff didn't come to parties, not that you're like the other staff…" he faltered, not knowing how to sound better in the situation.

The girls laughed at his flustered expression before Maeve spoke. "Natalie was our neighbor back in Orestes. Austin and Elliot monopolized Khai, but I spent a little time with Natalie growing up. Mrs. Vilmot also took me shopping and to high teas because she was a close friend to my late mother."

Maeve seemed to be fond of the Vilmot's and Ana understood why. Mrs. Vilmot might have been a maternal figure to Maeve as she grew up.

"We're not very close, Natalie and I, but she knows me enough to insist that I make it to her birthday." She continued. In truth, Natalie never considered Maeve a friend or even cared about her. She was only sweet to her because Maeve was Khai's sister. As Maeve grew up, she started to realize this and distanced herself from the Vilmot's superficial affections.

"If you're coming to the party, you should come with us to Monserrat tomorrow." Ana grinned. She wanted to be friends with Maeve. She seemed like a kind, good-hearted person and there was so much Ana could learn from her experiences.

"Absolutely. We need you to show us all the good stores!" Meghan agreed with an excited voice. "Also, Ana is a complete bore to shop with. She only likes monochrome, which leaves me to do all the heavy lifting with her wardrobe."

"I'm begging you, please put some effort into my outfit this time so I don't end up looking like your butler!" George grumbled.

The girls broke out laughing and agreed to all go to Monserrat the next day, to grab lunch and spend the afternoon shopping. They discussed what they were planning to wear, completely brushing off every idea that George tried to give them. Ana couldn't remember the last time she laughed that much.

When they finally finished eating, the group waved goodbye to Maeve and started to walk back to the women's dormitories.

Ana had enough time to catch up on some studying with Meghan before she had to get ready for her last training session with Elliot. While she enjoyed Elliot's guidance and company, she was glad that it was Friday and the legacies were finally done with their grueling week of training. She could finally go back to training with Khai.

A small shiver surged through Ana as she realized how much she craved his company. She briefly wondered if Khai felt them same way before Meghan snapped her attention back to Herbology.