The Paladin's Shadow; The Healer

Credits; Petra,

"Come one people, if you can't keep the tip pointing up how do you ever expect to learn a basic parry?"
Petra knew she had been better than this her first year.  Only two students knew how to hold a sword and one of those two was a former general and tournament champion, the other one was the son of an Imperial Guard.  What had happened to a balanced education?

The headmaster came up at the end of the lesson.  He was actually impressed, which did not seem promising to her.  Maybe when she'd had a couple hundred years to reforge the future mages of the universe she could expect bosses that had higher standards. 
"Very good for a first year enchanting instructor.  I like how you managed to weave your own lecture into it."
"Thank you sir."
"Miss, Zinksfeld I believe it was?  Well Miss Zinksfeld, I can't thank you enough for stepping up to the plate on this one.  I'm afraid our usual Combat instructor has a bit of a flu this week, been having fits of that odd reverse sneezing Ga-Vok seem to get."
"Its the least I can do.  I just hope he recovers in a timely fashion." 
They walked back up to the school and made it into the great hall before he spoke again. 
"Miss Zinksfeld, Mr. Faol tells me that you're having a bit of trouble adjusting to a classroom setting."
It was true.  She'd spent years mentoring people in the field as she fought, a life time in fact.  Going from teach as needed to lesson plans and lectures was a huge difference. 
"Its nothing too serious.  Just a change of pace from what I'm used to."
He smiled falsely.  Faol would have been kind about it, but apparently the Headmaster was taking it more seriously. 
"Well, perhaps if you talked to one of our other junior instructors it would help you along.  I'd like you to meet our next most junior faculty member.  He's a third-year healing instructor."
Great, healers.  She'd dealt with healers before, they were all sanctity of life and pacifists, and more often than not they were vegetarians to boot.  She couldn't stand vegetarians, it was unnatural to cut entire food groups out of ones diet. 
"Sir, I don't know how well I would get along with a healer."
"Nonsense," He dissmissed it with a wave of his hand.  "he's a most likeable young man.  You'll get along splendidly."
"Sir I really don't..."  He opened the door to an office off of the infirmary.  The first thing she noticed was that he was taller than she was, and by nearly a half foot.  And it was as she looked up at him that she noticed he had curly blonde hair, very small curls too, like little rings.  And the way the light behind him shone through it looked almost like a golden halo was resting upon him.  She felt the room grow rather warm and forced herself to look down, and realized that the rest of him was no less attractive, a light tan on clearly defined muscles, and there was something in his smell that just...  She looked away and blushed.  The headmaster met her gaze and didn't seem to notice her plight. 
"Sir this really isn't..."
"Nonsense.  I'm sure you'll learn a lot from him."  He exited and closed the door behind him.  She tried not to turn around, afraid he might realize what she was feeling. 
"Miss Zinksfeld?  Are you alright?"
And a voice like a newborn rabbit in suede slippers.  She could have sworn her heart had stopped. 
"Miss Zinksfeld?"
"Oh!  I'm sorry, I was..."
"Are you going to turn around or should I pick you up and carry you over to the other side of the room?"
Yes, yes you should, she thought. 
"No, sorry.  I probably ought to."  She turned around and stared rather intently at the floor. 
"I'd say don't apologize but you look guilty.  Is it something I did?"
"No, no, you're..you're perfect."
"Not really.  I hope you never know the sort of things I've done over the ages."
"Really?  Do you know some of the things I've done?"
"All of them, I know everything you've done Petra."
"You read history I take it?"
"Something like that.  The name is Shad by the way; Shad Alnutsrevn."