Jess smiled and the glowing door opened at her approach.
She hummed a soft even as she strode into the pristine little rooftop garden, stretching into the very face of Highrock mountain itself. The leaves of all the plants in the garden seemed to quiver, as if straining for her touch. Laughing gently, she stroked the dozens of herbs and flowers she passed on her solemn journey to the heart of that garden. Leaves and stalks from a dozen herbs with the most potent of healing properties, many heretofore undiscovered, fell gently into the wicker basket she found herself holding as she made her way to the exquisite sapling seeming to grow from the very rock itself, that perfect miniature oak.
“Mistress. Please. We’ve talked about your singing. Many times.” Her familiar's pained expression was as pleading as a cat’s could ever be. Jess laughed gently.
“Very well, Midnight. Though personally I think my tune a fine one. Besides, the plants don’t seem to mind.”
“That’s because they’re plants, my mistress. They love you, as all plants do. Besides, plants don’t have ears. And I think I know why plants never evolved ears.”
Jess felt her lip curl in what was dangerously close to a pout, before breaking out into laughter once more. “Very well, Midnight. You have been very patient with my dream so far, tonight. I shall forbear from singing for the nonce.”
“A wise decision,” Midnight assured. “Oh look, there is Lady Vaila, gazing upon you clear as day. I do believe she is about to swoon. Or curtsy. Or something. Best catch her, Jess. She looks ready to fall over.”
Lady Vaila's awe-filled gaze made Jess feel distinctly uncomfortable, even as she reached to steady the shaking herbalist.
“My Lady! By the great tree of Yis, you have come!"
Jess chuckled softly. “It is just me, Lady Vaila. Paying tribute and asking a boon of my favorite tree.”
The herbalist gazed at Jess with indescribable awe, tears gently streaming down her face. "Thank you, Sacred One. Thank you for saving my daughter. She means everything to me. Absolutely everything!"
Jess followed the woman's gaze to little Louise sleeping at that very moment upon her mother's carefully laid out bedding, and Jess nodded in instant understanding. After Mord and his fellows had kidnapped Vaila and her daughter from the very realm of dreams, perhaps only within this sacred garden, expanding from rooftop into the very bedrock of the mountain itself, could she truly feel safe. A garden so sacred that those whose hearts were filled with darkness would be unable even to climb the steps to the rooftop doorway, let alone pass through.
At that moment, little Louise opened her eyes, gazing warmly at her savior.
“Hi Jess! You look very beautiful tonight. You’re all glowy, like the moon.”
Jess smiled. “Go back to sleep, little one. Dream sweet dreams.” Jess bent down to kiss the child, and Louise immediately slipped into deepest sleep. Jess then turned to Lady Vaila. “It is time for you to rest, my dear professor. Sleep well and awake refreshed. No need to burden yourself with the memory of this dream.”
Lady Vaila gazed at Jess with an expression of faint puzzlement, before abruptly yawning and curling about her child, falling into a gentle sleep in the heart of that exquisite little garden, her skin caressed by a warm evening breeze.
Gently covering them both with blankets, Jess proceeded to the miniature tree that looked so very much like oak, kneeling before it, her head against the tiny natural basin that collected a small puddle of water nurturing its roots. Jess seemed to lose herself in silent prayer, before giving a grateful nod. She plucked out a flask made of a risen queen’s diamond tears and moonlight, filling it full of the water from the sacred pool, even as she plucked out the one leaf gently floating therein.
“Thank you, Great One," Jess whispered softly, even as she stepped back, the curious spring breeze now stronger, swirling her hair faster and faster before the miniature windstorm settled upon the wicker basket she held, gathering up all the various herbs, stalks, and flower petals she had gathered, even as Jess, with grave ceremony, held up a silver dagger that had been but a figment of dream but moments before, gently pricking her thumb, allowing but a single drop of her crimson life-force to pour within the crystalline flask of sacred water.
The entire storm of leaves and cuttings coalesced within Jess’s hand at that moment, and with greatest care she squeezed, feeling all the power and potency of those herbs trickle from her clenched fist, dripping slowly into the crystalline flask, even as the brilliant light of the full moon filled the flask with a silvery glow.
Jess turned to her familiar and smiled as the air grew still once more.
“It is done.”
Midnight nodded solemnly. “You have been given a potent gift, mistress.” He flashed a mischievous smile all his own. “You could drink it yourself, and gain oodles of delicious power.”
Jess laughed throatily. “Silly cat. Always trying to tempt me with the most outrageous of suggestions. Perhaps that’s why I love you so.”
“You love me for my natural grace and exquisite elegance,” Midnight purred. “Very well, my mistress. You have made your choice, and your workings are all the stronger for being a product of your own free will.” Her cat suddenly looked thoughtful. “Come, Jess. It is time.”
Jess nodded. “Indeed it is, and Erica is fast running out of just that.”
They stepped forward once more, Jess and her familiar finding themselves in the infirmary, Sir Jevons gently comforting young Brynjar, openly sobbing as several healers, faces grim, did their best to tend to a wheezing Erica, breathing her last.
“If you are going to do it, it must be now, my mistress.”
Jess nodded solemnly at her familiar’s words, even as she approached the bedside, the healers clustered about the dying Erica crying out and stepping back for some reason, though Jess was far too busy with the crisis at hand to worry about their panicked cries.
“Come, Erica. If you wish to awaken, you must stay with me a bit longer.” And with that she gently pried apart the tightly clenched jaw of the young girl wheezing her last, determinedly pouring down the contents of the luminous vial down her throat.
A reflexive swallow, then utter stillness.
Young Brynjar cried out in anguish, sobbing over his betrothed’s still form.
Then Erica gave a shuddering gasp, sat bolt upright in her bed, and screamed.
The shrieks ripped through the infirmary, even as Erica's features, normally fixed in an expression of such ebullient joy, were now twisted into a visage of horror, trapped by visions too hideous to bear.
And Erica continued to shriek, even as Brynjar’s cries of gratitude and love turned to ones of panic and alarm. Even as Sir Jevons and the coterie of healers rushed to her bedside, eyes filled with feverish hope for their patient, yet all the ministrations were to little avail.
Midnight sighed, gently patting a sobbing Jessica’s cheek. “You have done what you could, my mistress. The cost for pulling back from entering the garden and its gentle promise is a glimpse of horrors we both know all too well.”
Jess nodded through her tears. "They can hardly bear it, Midnight. They are not like us, those poor children. Nothing like us at all."
Her familiar gave a sympathetic nod. “Come, Jess. To bed. Your body suffered serious injuries these magicians can’t hope to mend. Let us rest. It will do you good.”
Jess took a deep, shuddering breath. “Even if this is but a dream, I feel my heart race. On to gentler sleep, I think, for me and Erica both.” With that, Jess gently approached the shrieking young woman lost in nightmares past, trapped in horrific visions without end. Jess bent down, softly kissing her cheek.
Within moments, Erica collapsed once more, still moaning softly, and the healers assembled breathed a collective sigh of relief. The worst was over, they declared, and miracle of miracles, it looked like their patient might actually decide to live, though it was too soon to tell.
Jess turned over as the healers' hopeful w
ords washed over her, grimacing slightly as her shifting form caused sharp spikes of pain to rock through her bruised and battered body. She wakened momentarily then, bleary-eyed and in pain, hoping that, somehow, her beloved friend would heal in real life, just as Erica had in her dream. Much to Jess's relief, her aching body eased its throbbing after but a few moments, and her racing heart calmed as she registered the comfort of her familiar curled up and resting by her side, soothing her back to sleep with his gentle purrs.
8
Twilight, get off my chest. Why are you gazing at me like that?” Jess sleepily asked, her hand absently stroking her familiar’s lush fur even as she gazed bemusedly into her cat’s piercing blue eyes.
Twilight flashed a toothy grin. “No particular reason, mistress. I just wondered if you were intending to get up any time this century, or if I should resign myself to a long, sad, fishless epoch. Hardly worth being awake for that, really.”
Jess smiled. “I am sensing my familiar is feeling a wee bit hungry.”
Her cat cocked an eyebrow. “Really, Jess. It has only been what, three days since your Hound put you to bed? I am only moderately starving, and if I ate any help, I swear it wasn’t anyone from the kitchen.”
Jess chuckled tentatively, surprisingly relieved not to feel the jolts of pain she half expected to. “I do hope you are kidding, my love.” She blinked, looking down, gently patting her hip. “By the gods, I think I am actually on the mend.” She sighed with relief. “I was afraid I’d be laid up for weeks if not months, the way Sir Jevons was gazing so forlornly at me the other day. Hmm, maybe his healing magics worked after all. They just needed some time to kick in!”
Twilight’s grin was positively smug. “Yes, Jess. Perhaps that’s it. Now if you are through admiring your convalescence, I do believe I smell a rather fine example of poached whitefish emanating from the kitchens below.
Jess felt her stomach growl, and gave her smug looking kitty a sheepish grin. “Very well then Twilight, after I take care of necessary business, to lunch we go.”
And a much refreshed Jess, donned once more in her customary Highrock uniform with her priceless mithril shirt twined tight underneath, made her way to the dining hall below, whistling a happy little tuneless ditty that caused only a few of her fellow students to wince and grimace, before waving warmly at her passing.
“Good to see you back on your feet, Jess,” was an oft made comment that earned more than one well-wisher a warm smile in return, as Jess made her way to the dining hall.
“Got your ass handed to you right proper, you uppity wench," on the other hand, was a comment that earned the snide young Aspirant who had uttered it a far less cheerful look. The pockmarked youth at the receiving end of her gaze turned a ghastly shade of white, sobbed, and darted back as fast as his feet could take him.
Jess blinked, sharing a glance with her smug looking cat. “I thought my bruises mostly healed, Twilight. I didn't think I looked that terrifying.”
Her familiar's expression only grew smugger. “It's what's on the inside that counts, my mistress. The eyes are windows to the soul, after all, and peering too deeply into your own is never a good idea for those who have earned your displeasure.”
“Why Jess, whatever did you do to that poor boy?” teased Josie, grinning warmly at Jess as she gently took her friend’s arm, leading her to their favored dining table.
Jess shrugged. “I have no idea, really. I just glared at him after he made the kind of comment I'd expect from Mord."
Josie shivered, which made her look all the more endearing, Jess thought, so sweet she already looked with her hair done up in careful braids, her beautiful brown eyes so complemented by her sky blue dress.
"What a ghastly man that Lord Plaga is," Josie concurred, “no matter how handsome. His beauty is like that of a hunting cat, the moment before he strikes. Only girls enamored of their own destruction would purposely seek the attentions of someone like him.” Josie winced at her own words, gazing at Jess almost apologetically. “Jessie...”
Jess forced herself to smile. “It's okay. What's done is done. And if there was ever anything besides blind fury between him and I, surely that's done as well.”
Josie halted them for a minute, giving Jess an uncommonly serious appraisal, her intense gaze now that of a healer in training. “I see your body is vibrant with vitality. And by the gods, it looks like Sir Jevons did manage to fix your broken teeth. He was worried that you would bear the marks of Mord’s brutality for life.” Gently, Josie examined Jess’s nose at various angles, giving a firm nod of approval.
“All in all, I would say our master healer did as fine a job on you as one could hope for," she allowed with an approving smile. "Do you have any pain when you walk or breathe, Jessie?"
Jess smiled and shook her head. "I feel quite good, actually. Surprisingly so, considering how horrid I felt before sleeping. Oh, I see Malek and Raphael waving to us. It looks like lunch has been served."
“Indeed," Twilight observed, eyes alight like a hawk spying prey, Jess mused, so focused her familiar was at the steaming plates upon their table wafting delicious flavors even Jess could smell. "Now tell our dear Josie that she may cease her poking, you are quite fine. Let us be seated, my Jess. Kitty is hungry!"
Jess laughed warmly at familiar’s insistence, gently scratching his purring form, happily oblivious to the curious stares as her hand seemed to stroke the empty air above her shoulder.
Josie blinked, then smiled. “Let me guess. You’re conversing with your invisible familiar, nature mage that you are.”
Jess chuckled in gentle protest as they seated themselves at table. “Really, Josie. I am hardly a mage of any sort. I’m just good with plants.” They were immediately made welcome by Alex and Jera, giving their friends a warm greeting even as Twilight flowed from his favored perch, near instantly diving into the nearby tureen of succulent whitefish with a single bemused nod from Jess.
“By the gods, it's good to see you up and about!" A relieved-looking Jera assured, even as Alex, armed draped snugly about his beau, gave an affirmative nod.
“It is good to see you, Jess," Alex said. "When I hear about how badly Mord had injured you, well, Jera and I feared the worst." The lovers shared a nod at that, even as Josie huffed.
“Really, guys. I told you that Jess would be fine. Master Jevons is one of the finest healers in Erovering. Even if Jessica’s flesh is stubborn in taking healing magics, if anyone is able to do the deed, it would be him.”
Jess nodded. "I remember feeling very, very sore and being quite tired of Sir Jevon's tickling filaments, pretty as they were to look at. But I guess he did me some good after all, for I only feel the slightest bit stiff, with only an ugly bruise or two to show that I had taken injury at all. Hardly a sore muscle in my body. In fact, if anything, my muscles are itching for a good workout."
“Oh, I would not recommend that." Raphael, future merchant prince in training, gave a gentle shake of his head. "Even I know a wounded soldier is expected to convalesce for weeks with no more than stretches and runs at most, before straining his body in melee once more." Raphael's warm smile, however, soon turned into a sickly grimace as he gazed at Twilight's rather animated devouring of a certain tureen's contents. "Is that tureen moving? By the gods, those fish!" He shut his eyes tight. "What in gods' wrath is causing that poor fish to twist into nothingness like that? I think I'm going to be sick." He shuddered.
Alex and Jera both fastened their eyes upon the sight of Twilight’s gluttonous feasting. “How fascinating,” Alex allowed, gazing in rapt wonder even as Jera paled and looked away. Alex turned to Jess. “Your familiar, I take it?”
“My very naughty familiar, who knows better than to startle my friends." Twilight turned about, grinning smugly even as he held a freshly caught fish madly flapping in his jaws.
“Quite delicious, mistress. Cook's rather delectable stew pairs quite nicely with perch as well."
Alex blinked. “How on ear
th did a fresh perch get in our whitefish stew?”
“To say nothing of the fact that it is still flapping about, hovering above the table?” Josie asked, shivering against Raphael.
“Twilight, why were you so insistent on whitefish if you were just going to catch your own? Now please behave!” Jess hissed in exasperation even as her familiar winked, loping off the table with his prize, noisily devouring his kill under her chair.
Josie’s gaze was almost reproving, and Jess thought it an outrageous betrayal of her cheeks to flush so brightly when she had done nothing wrong. “What was that about you not being a nature mage, Jessie?” Her friend asked archly.
“I had nothing to do it. It was all Twilight,” Jess grumbled, doing her best to ignore the increasing stares coming from more than one nearby table, the entire murmur of the hall changing in pitch and tone.
Alex, the least shaken, gave a calculated nod. “It appears that his manifestations are strengthening, Jess. No doubt he too has gained in power after your Delvings into the realms of Shadow.
Jess gave an exasperated shake of her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Alex. Twilight is the same as he ever was. He frequently robs us blind whenever Cook serves fish. Why do you think we always ask for two tureens? I guess you guys can just sense him better now.”
Alex blinked, giving a slow bemused nod, even as Jera shivered. “You’re right, Jess. We always do ask for multiple tureens, and it’s not like we’re a huge table. And we never really think to ask why that is.”
Jess shrugged. “It’s for Twilight. I always tell you all that, and you guys just smile it away like it’s my little quirk and we go on to other things. Frankly, I’m surprised you all even noticed Twilight’s antics today.”
Shadow Knight Page 18
