Though it appeared the archdemon had been taken out and the darkspawn were being driven back underground, there were still some stragglers to clear out, and there were still hundreds of people who had been displaced because of the blight that were sick and injured and required help. There was still plenty of work left to be done, plenty of people still in need of help. Her resources were stretched thin, though she imagined many were, she was already receiving as much aid as was possible from her son in Denerim without looking like he was playing favourites to his mother, so she reached out to Amaranthine to see if any help could come from there.
Some aid had been given in the way of medical supplies and medical help. A letter reached Madeline ahead of the help so that she could expect its arrival. Since it was too much stuff to send through the eluvian network, it would come the slow route. Madeline paced around the main road into town, expecting the help to arrive soon, based on when the letter had said they left and the fact that it was nearly a straight line from Amaranthine to West Hills. As soon as she saw the caravan crest the hill, she told her adviser to go and gather some helpers to unload the supplies as soon as they were there.
They probably weren't expecting to be met by the Arlessa, but she was a hands on leader, she led by example.
Rosalie traveled with a bunch of supplies and a healer to the planned destiny. The blonde narrowed her eyes as they arrived, seeing a woman in the distance that seemed to stand out from the rest. It wasn’t the clothes per se, but the way that she carried herself what caught her attention.
Once they arrived the blonde started to command the people to arrange the supplies and she approached the woman, since the rest were busy. When she got closer the recognized the woman and went red “Uh…uh” said Rosalie extending her hand “My name is Rosalie Rutherford ma’am, I come here as a doctor to offer my assistance along a healer” she informed the brunette.
Madelaine smiled warmly as the young lady approached her. She'd been told who to expect by the Commander and Arlessa of Amaranthine. She'd met Commander Cullen on a few occasions ever since the Hero of Ferelden had chosen to settle in Amaranthine with the Ferelden Grey Wardens. Madelaine could see the family resemblance in his sister, though she was definitely younger.
Yes Rosalie, I'm Madelaine, but please call me Maddie. I wish we were meeting under different circumstances. I've known your brother and sister-in-law for a number of years now. The help is much appreciated. We're a small town compared to Amaranthine and I fear a bit over stretched when it comes to refugees, but I simply can't bring myself to turn anyone away. She explained.
“I think that its quite admirable your willingness to admit refugees despite of not having that many resources” said the blonde with a nod “I come with supplies and some healers, I will return to Amaranthine but a few of them will also stay in here after my departure” said the blonde “A little gift from Amaranthine to help to lift a bit the burden here” said the doctor. “What is the main medical problem here, diseases? Wounds? How can we help?” asked the blonde getting in business mode.
So far we’ve seen little in the way of the taint here, thank the maker. Most are just injuries and sickness incurred from the fleeing. People getting trampled, people spreading disease in close quarters in not so great conditions. People not getting a proper diet right now because of the resources. Fighting between the hopeless, bandits praying on the weak. I’ve tried to keep those that are sick in some way separated from those that are just injured, but it’s been a tough job keeping everyone organised. She said with a tired shrug.
“Depending on the disease you are going to have to change that, because airborne ones will only case further damage if the people is bundled in the same place. I will stablish also a triage system in order to make the first attention more efficient if your healers had not set it up already” she said entering in doctor mode as she listened to Madelaine’s explanation. “The ones suffering from blood loss will benefit more from a meat based meal in the beginning, it has proven to increase survival” she wasn’t talking to Madeline per se but rather ordering the list of commands that she would have to make.
“Don’t worry, while I will return eventually not all the healers that travel with me will. They will stay at the least a couple of weeks more helping to create a more efficient system that will spare you a lot of effort after, trust me” she said smiling brightly at the older woman.
Madeline was relieved for the help, West Hills wasn’t as big as Denerim or Amaranthine, not that they were some small out of the way village either, but they certainly did not have the resources that the bigger cities had, not that it stopped Madeline from taking in as many as humanly possible.
Madeline nodded as the instructions tumbled out of Rosalie’s lips, at one point whispering to an adviser that had appeared and then someone else that would be in charge of making sure the diet changed that Rosalie mentioned.
I’ve given word to send the hunters out, we’re low on meat supplies at the moment, but we’ll send what we can to the wounded that require it while we wait for more. As far as triage we’ve been doing what we can, but our head healer left to check on family down south two months ago and never returned. Their apprentice has been doing the best they can, but they weren’t as equipped or experienced to handle something on this level. Madeline explained.
“That’s perfect and don’t worry I know that you all are doing your best, we are here to help you so that your best is even better, as I said some of the most experienced healers will remain here after we return to Amaranthine” said the blonde with a reassuring smile. “Are you having more trouble with the wounded or the sick? Like, there are more people who needs wound treatment or disease curing? Doctors are better at the later and healers at the former.
We’ve had problems with bandits taking advantage of the chaos left behind by the blights. So definitely wounded. As far as the sick, there’s a few cases of people simply not having access to the potions they usually take day to day. One girl suffers from asthma, but we can’t get the herb we need. It was hard to go herb picking when the blight had effected so many and so much across Ferelden.
“While I can’t do much about the bandits because I don’t know much about which more “soldiery assets” we can spare, I can offer my healers for the plant seeking. Perhaps with someone to escort them if the lands are very dangerous, but most doctors are good at recognizing and using herbs for the obvious reasons.” Rosalie explained “But until you have the remedy, reduce the physical exertion and the exposure to cold and humidity for the asthmatic patient as much as possible and she will get better” added Rosalie thoughtfully.
“And how is the leader, any medical problem you need checked ma’am?” asked the doctor, because she knew that at times the ones that endured the most were the leaders.
Madeline nodded at Rosalie’s words, it was nice having someone that really knew what they were doing when it came to the healing side of things. They’d been stretched thin for months, and Madeline wasn’t the sort of leader to close herself off in some comfortable home and let other people do the hard labour, no she was out there every day in the trenches with everyone, if not doing things around the town, then out with the soldier’s trying to clear up the bandits and any straggling darkspawn.
When the topic came around to Madeline herself, she hesitated. She wanted her people to come first, but she also thought about what her children might say to her, though they all had stubborn streaks just like she did. She shrugged.
Have anything for exhaustion? Though I do have some bruising from a fight I got into with some bandits a few days ago. One of them shield bashed me pretty hard from my side, bruised my right shoulder pretty good, It’s been hurting me. She admitted somewhat apprehensively.
“Coffee and willpower I fear” she said with an understanding smile “For the bruising I have a few ointments which won’t fix the bruise since after all it’s a physiological event after a fight but it will reduce the pain notoriously” she said “If you wish I can examine your shoulder to see if it’s only regular pain or uh-oh something broke pain”
Madeline didn’t like taking the attention away from her people, despite the fact that her advisers constantly berated her for pushing herself too hard. Trying to remind her that if she didn’t take care of herself, who would lead them in her place. It was sound logic, but not something that was easy for her to follow. She had been putting other people first ever since she became a mother. She hesitated, looked around, and then slumped slightly.
I guess it couldn’t hurt. It definitely makes me feel my age, twenty years ago I wouldn’t have blinked twice at an injury like this, now I feel like it’s slowing me down. She hated getting old, not that anything could be done about it, especially since she’d never resort to blood magic. Not strictly because blood magic was taboo with a lot of people, or the fact she didn’t have magic herself, but because it felt selfish somehow. She had her life, her years, cheating it with blood magic felt cheap somehow.
Rosalie nodded and explored the shoulder. There weren’t deformities in the structure and the movement range was acceptable so her suspicion was that it was just very badly bruised “You are lucky, this hurts but definitively the bone is right and I think the tendons are fine too, otherwise your range of active mobility would be way smaller” she said with a smile.
“There’s anything else I can help with? Otherwise I will go with the rest of the team to give them a hand” she asked politely to the arlessa.
Madeline was relieved it wasn’t anything serious, she didn’t exactly make a good patient, and probably wouldn’t have followed whatever orders were necessary for a more serious injury. She smiled and looked around. She felt a lot better now that Rosalie and them were there. Her people needed help and she would always do her damnedest to make sure they got whatever they needed, even if many of the people in need weren’t technically her people. Refugees had filtered through there from various plays in southern Ferelden, not just West Hills.
Please, I’m just so grateful you’re here. If you need anything at all just let me know. I have some matters I must attend to at the Keep. If I don’t see you before you leave, just wanted to thank you again for coming out here. With that Madeline turned back to her duties and headed to her advisers that were waiting for her at the Keep.
