It wasn't the anger that attracted Gabriel's attention so much as the sudden fear. When Skulduggery next touched his wing, the Archangel silently pressed it up against his palm, a silent offer of comfort and reassurance.
"Yes," he answered in lieu of Kenspeckle. Herbalism wasn't his talent, but he did know something about it. "Lavender's long been used to ease head-pain. Bonding it with the holy-water makes it effective on a metaphysical level, apparently. How are you doing that, professor?"
"I've got a few bonding agents," the professor said gruffly without looking up from grinding something in a pestle. "You said your whole body was strained, correct? Like a pulled muscle? A good massage or soak should take the edge off that. I'll make another oil for it. As long as, of course," he added with a dour look at Skulduggery, "you can convince your skeleton friend here not to actually scare the life out of anyone using the swimming-pool you'd have to appropriate."
He poured the contents of the pestle into the mixing bowl and stirred it thoroughly. "This, now, is a poultice for your open wounds. I'll test it on your back first before making more; no point in making it go to waste. We'll likely need more holy water when it comes to that, though. Renn! That's your job."
Without really waiting for a response from the teen, Kenspeckle finished his mixing and turned toward Gabriel's back. He chose a relatively small gash, just as gaping as the rest but at least with smallish defined edges. Carefully, gently, the professor dabbed the poultice onto the wound, covering it from edge to edge with excess. It looked like a seal, or a cap; something to protect and heal in one.
Protect, heal and ease in one, Gabriel realise a moment later when he felt the pain in that small part of his wing numb. Experimentally he moved his wing and then hissed when the injury throbbed back to life, but kept still ... it worked. Not completely, but enough.
"Don't move," Kenspeckle snapped, slapping a part of his wing that was uninjured in censure.
"Sorry," Gabriel said, but he was smiling as he did. Truly, Kenspeckle was worthy of being his brother's ward.
no subject
"Yes," he answered in lieu of Kenspeckle. Herbalism wasn't his talent, but he did know something about it. "Lavender's long been used to ease head-pain. Bonding it with the holy-water makes it effective on a metaphysical level, apparently. How are you doing that, professor?"
"I've got a few bonding agents," the professor said gruffly without looking up from grinding something in a pestle. "You said your whole body was strained, correct? Like a pulled muscle? A good massage or soak should take the edge off that. I'll make another oil for it. As long as, of course," he added with a dour look at Skulduggery, "you can convince your skeleton friend here not to actually scare the life out of anyone using the swimming-pool you'd have to appropriate."
He poured the contents of the pestle into the mixing bowl and stirred it thoroughly. "This, now, is a poultice for your open wounds. I'll test it on your back first before making more; no point in making it go to waste. We'll likely need more holy water when it comes to that, though. Renn! That's your job."
Without really waiting for a response from the teen, Kenspeckle finished his mixing and turned toward Gabriel's back. He chose a relatively small gash, just as gaping as the rest but at least with smallish defined edges. Carefully, gently, the professor dabbed the poultice onto the wound, covering it from edge to edge with excess. It looked like a seal, or a cap; something to protect and heal in one.
Protect, heal and ease in one, Gabriel realise a moment later when he felt the pain in that small part of his wing numb. Experimentally he moved his wing and then hissed when the injury throbbed back to life, but kept still ... it worked. Not completely, but enough.
"Don't move," Kenspeckle snapped, slapping a part of his wing that was uninjured in censure.
"Sorry," Gabriel said, but he was smiling as he did. Truly, Kenspeckle was worthy of being his brother's ward.