by Diane Rapp
When Maggie set the ring in Tessa’s hand, a surge of energy pulsed through the stone and she dropped it.
Trenton caught the ring in mid-air. “You best treat that ring with care.”
Tessa wrapped her arms around Trenton’s neck. “I’m so glad you’re alive. We should have tracked those ruffians down to find you, but we thought…”
“I was dead! That’s what I meant for you to think, because I didn’t want you getting caught in the open. It took you longer to figure out a plan to trap them inside the mountain than I figured, but your training took over in the end.”
Tessa’s eyes widened. “You led them here so we could trap them?”
Trenton laughed. “No. They discovered the mountain on their own. I led them on a merry chase until I knew I was caught, and then I sent Sparks back to warn you.” He eased himself gingerly onto the rock and sat next to Tessa. “You caught them like a real trapper, and I don’t mind that you used lethal force on your prey.”
Trenton carefully wrapped Tessa’s fingers around the ring. “Calm your mind and learn to use the power in your ring. You remember my stories about Krystal? She used her amulet to increase her power and help Donovan win the crown. Relax and let yourself feel the ring’s power.”
Tessa slipped the ring onto her finger and gazed into the stone until warmth spread through her body. Memories flickered through her mind. She felt intrigued yet repelled by the energy vibrating through the gem. Do I hear voices? Is it possible to reach my mother? As the thought entered her mind Tessa saw an older woman, no longer the carefree smiling woman in the dream garden. Krystal’s loneliness flooded her mind and Tessa tore her gaze from stone. Do I really want this kind of power?
Maggie patted her hand. “Don’t worry. Krystal felt unnerved the first time she used her stone. In time she learned to control the power and did marvelous things.”
Trenton nodded. “Krystal said the stone’s a tool, like a good knife or a sturdy trap, so use it sparingly and with noble purpose.”
Tessa thought about the dream garden and her sisters. She tucked the ring into her pocket and sipped Maggie’s broth. Amber leaned against Tessa and the girl stroked her soft ears.
7 ~ LAURYN ~ THE HEALER
The heady fragrance of lilacs filled in the garden. Lauryn closed her eyes and inhaled the scent while Tessa combed her hair. “I wish my hair was like yours, so pretty and gold in the sunlight,” Tessa said as her chubby fingers tried to capture wispy locks and twine them into braids.
The playful breeze sent the silken strands flying and Lauryn sighed. “My hair is wild and messy but yours stays in place. See? Mine slips out of its braid and floats like cobwebs into my face.” Both girls giggled as another strand of flaxen hair drifted across Lauryn’s corn-blue eyes. “See what I mean? I should just chop it off. Let me braid your hair.”
She twisted Tessa’s thick auburn locks into smooth braids, artistically threading yellow flowers through the coppery strands. She pointed at their reflection in the glassy pool. “See how beautiful you look?”
Tessa tied a yellow scarf over her head. “Now our faces look alike. Wouldn’t it be fun to change places and fool everyone?”
Lauryn covered her hair with a dark scarf and the sisters grinned at their watery reflections.
*****
A creaking door startled Lauryn, and she realized she had slept in a stiff wooden chair next to her patient. Soft footsteps padded across the wooden floor.
“Is my mum all right?” Ellie asked timidly.
Lauryn rubbed her eyes and felt the sorrow that radiated from the young girl’s mind. She blocked the overwhelming emotions and said, “I’ll check on her.”
Her mind still foggy from the brief sleep, Lauryn leaned over her patient. The woman’s rhythmic breathing sounded good. She touched her chest lightly and sank into deep rapport, monitoring the woman’s heart and lungs. She broke contact and rose from her chair.
Smiling, she gently pushed Ellie into the main room of the cozy cottage. Glowing fireplace coals cast warmth over the massive man slumped in the handmade chair near the hearth. White novice robes billowed around Lauryn’s slender body as she bent to stroke the curls of the child playing on the floor.
Ellie could contain herself no longer. “Please miss, is mum going to be all right?”
The girl’s plaintive tone woke the large man who peered at Lauryn with feelings of helplessness radiating from his mind.
Lauryn said, “Your mother’s weak but the worst of the fever passed in the night. With rest she’ll recover.” Waves of relief washed over Lauryn. “Now don’t let her get out of bed for a week or she’ll have another bout of fever. We could lose her next time.”
Ellie nodded with solemn eyes, and Lauryn handed over two pouches. “Mix herbs from this pouch in warm broth and feed it to her three times each day. Two pinches of this powder in sweet tea will help her sleep, but don’t mix them up.”
The girl tucked the medicine into separate apron pockets and ladled porridge into a bowl from the pot hanging over the coals. She placed the bowl on the table next to a plate of bread. “It isn’t much but nourish yourself…please.”
Lauryn felt tempted to refuse, knowing this poor family had little food, but it would wound their pride. The coarse grains and nuts in the porridge tasted wonderful, and her body responded to the nourishment replenishing the energy she’d spent.
Bart watched her eat with somber eyes. “If I can do anything for you and the sisters…”
Lauryn grinned. “We’ll call on you next week. Sister Chella says the convent needs spring repairs and your strong arms and steady hands are a blessing.”
A smile flickered over Bart’s weathered face. “That rickety building of yours always needs fixing, so I’ll come bend my back to any task you find.” He glanced at the door leading to the bedroom.
“Next week is soon enough, so take care of your wife. Give her plenty of liquids and keep the babe quiet so she sleeps. I’ll stop by in two days. Send word right away if her fever returns.”
She stood to leave but Bart took her hand into his rough, calloused fingers.
“We owe you so much…I couldn’t live without her.”
Lauryn’s throat constricted as the man’s intense emotions threatened to overwhelm her mind. She gently removed her hand and said, “God gave me the gift that helps me heal. Direct your praise to Him and take comfort.”
Bart gazed into her delicate face. “Sister, we thank Him daily for sending you to help us all.”
She blushed and slipped through the door with a shy wave of her hand. She felt guilty about fleeing from the intense emotions inside the cabin but relaxed to enjoy the long walk back to the sanctuary.
Taking a deep breath of clear spring air, she threw back the cowl of her robe and let her hair float like spider’s silk in the breeze. She scooped a palm of icy water from the creek and sipped it like nectar. Having escaped from a long night of sharing the burden of her patient’s pain, she felt light, carefree, and decided to gather a bouquet of spring wildflowers for the sisters’ dining table.
The sweet trill of songbirds tempted her, and she let her mind drift. She momentarily lost the reality of a heavy body tied to the earth as she shared the sensation of flight, soaring in the wind with wings stretched taut. Thudding hooves vibrated through the soil and menacing thoughts shattered her trance. Six warhorses thundered down the hill, carrying men dressed in the swirling robes of the desert focused on her. Panic shot through her chest and she ran.
They reached her too fast to escape. Fumbling to raise the hood of her cloak, the stink of dung, sweat, and dust surrounded her. A warhorse huffed hot breath down her neck as she dodged its heavy hooves. Another charger blocked her path and boisterous laughter burst from the ruffians. They made a game of chasing her down.
Blocking their disgusting thoughts, Lauryn felt a tug as a desert rider snagged her cloak. She dangled like a helpless kitten until the clasp at her throat popped open and she
scrambled to escape, dodging and weaving through churning hooves.
The rider tossed her limp cloak aside with a growl. Another rider swept down and yanked her onto his saddle with a wild whoop. “The prize is mine,” he shouted. “Let’s see what I caught.” Leather gloves pitted with metal studs bruised her skin as he mauled her. “A prime one too, if I don’t miss my mark! She’s one of them nuns.” He spit out the word like a curse.
Lauryn squirmed and kicked to free herself, but he gripped her tighter. “The more you fight lass, the more I enjoy it. I’ll teach you to behave as a proper wench.” The raspy sound of his voice and his vile thoughts made her stomach churn.
“Look here men.” He ripped her tunic open to expose young breasts. “The little wildcat is soft as velvet underneath.” He hefted Lauryn over his head to display her body to his gawking companions. “She’s a tasty morsel we can all share.”
Overwhelmed with panic and the foul stench of his breath, Lauryn retched directly into his face. Cursing, he flung her away. “The witch poisoned me with her cursed filth.”
The warhorse whirled as its rider ripped off fouled gloves and helmet, screaming at the top of his lungs. Landing hard, Lauryn crawled through a cloud of dust and melted into the shadows of a gnarled thorn bush. She hid in the brambles like a trembling rabbit clutching her torn tunic. Lauryn’s head ached and her throat burned.
Realizing the girl was gone, the grumbling men began a search through the thicket of bushes. As lethal thorns pierced tender horseflesh, their horses whinnied and balked. Lauryn inched deeper into the bushes, biting her lip to keep from whimpering when sharp spikes gouged her skin. Mud oozed through her fingers, smelling of mold and decay, but she smeared the dark muck over shiny white skin and hugged the ground.
Loud voices argued. Thundering hooves signaled the arrival of their leader, and the men frantically tried to justify losing the girl.
“She was a witch, sire. She disappeared into thin air after she attacked me!”
“Aye she turned into a bird and flew off in a blinding light. We couldn’t follow for fear of our lives.”
“It weren’t our fault! She was a witch, just as they say.”
“Jarrack will hear of this, mark my words.”
Lauryn cringed at the sound of the leader’s cruel voice.
“It won’t go easy on you if we don’t find her. Don’t be stupid and waste your time looking in bushes when she’s running to the convent. Go and hunt her down before she cries a warning of our attack. Be gone!”
Fear vibrated through her body as the soldiers rode away. She waited, knowing that their leader stayed behind. She felt his mind touch hers and slammed barriers in place.
He chuckled and said, “So you’re a telepath. Jarrack will be pleased when I bring you to him.” The warhorse pawed the turf as his rider worked his way around the perimeter of the thicket.
“I sent those idiots away so I could find you. Come out, little one. I won’t let them touch you. You’re too valuable to waste on scum like them. Don’t fight! My mind can penetrate your barriers and I’ll find you. I’m too strong to resist.”
A covey of quail rose in a cloud of flapping wings that spooked his mount. While he wasted precious minutes calming the animal, Lauryn flung her terrified mind into a wild bird and felt wings beat in time to the thud of her heart. She struggled to fly higher, fleeing the dreaded man-creature. Don’t look down! An updraft lifted her light body high above the ground and she trilled with pleasure. The man’s anger radiated at her like flames licking her feet and his thoughts invaded her mind.
You can’t get away. Meet my gaze and you’ll be mine.
Frantically she pumped her wings and stretched a long neck toward the clouds.
No. Come back my little bird, you must not lose yourself in a wild mind.
The mental touch diminished. She reached the cool mist of the clouds and soared with the breeze, circling higher and higher, safely away from those menacing black eyes. Wind whistled through her feathers as she broke through the mist of the cloud into the sun. She was free! She forgot the heavy, pain-ridden body on the hard ground below. Time did not exist. She soared over the stone walls of the convent and saw women running in confusion. Horses with men on their backs chased them with swords raised.
Why should I be concerned about land-bound creatures when I can fly to heaven and visit God? A bell clanged and screams tore at her heart. I must help my sisters—after all, I am human.
Pain lanced through Lauryn’s mind as it was wrenched from the bird and returned to the cold body lying on the ground. Her skin felt clammy and her legs ached. She wanted to hurl herself from the thorny brambles and flee from the heavy human body.
No. I’m human.
Lauryn calmed her breathing and listened. Silence! The man and horse were gone but she heard the sound of a distant bell. It tolled a lonely appeal for help and Lauryn remembered the scene she witnessed as a bird in flight—the sanctuary under attack!
She crawled through thick brambles, ignoring the pain of thorns jabbing her tender skin. Her body obeyed her will, but her hands felt numb and her feet tingled as blood pumped through her stiff legs. How long did I fly in the mind of that bird? She walked and then ran back to the little cottage. I must get help!
Light glowed through the curtains. She knocked feebly and leaned against the cool stone wall to support her shaking body. Heavy steps thudded inside. The door opened, and she felt strong arms lift her body as she fainted.
*****
The garden felt warm. Felesia ran ahead of Lauryn, her velvet-brown hair floating like a halo. Nearly out of breath Lauryn forced her legs to run just a little faster to catch her sister.
Suddenly Tessa touched Felesia and said, “Tag you’re it. You can’t catch me,” The chase was on again. With a squeal Felesia ran after Tessa but tripped, crumpling to the ground.
Pain lanced through Lauryn’s leg. She shared Felesia’s pain as her sister rolled on the ground holding her bleeding knee.
“I didn’t do it,” Tessa cried. “She fell all by herself.”
Lauryn bent over Felesia, stretching her hands a few inches over the wound just the way their mother did when she healed people. Heat radiated from her fingertips as she concentrated and stared at the bloody knee. Soon Felesia stopped sobbing and brushed dried blood from her knee.
“Thanks, Lauryn. It feels better, but I’d better wash the blood off my tunic before nurse sees it. She’ll make me go inside and rest.” Felesia ran to the fountain, her short legs churning.
Lauryn felt woozy and Tessa wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I felt so scared but you made it better, just like mama. How’d you do it?”
Lauryn shrugged. “I don’t know. I wanted to help her and heat came out of my fingers.” Lauryn stared at her hands. “They don’t look different.”
Tessa squeezed her shoulder. “I’m glad you helped. We should always help each other.”
*****
The sting of a wet rag touching the scratches on her face made Lauryn sit up with a start. Inside the cottage, she rested on a small bed. Ellie jerked back and clutched the offending rag tightly.
“It’s okay.” Lauryn gently took the rag from the girl’s clenched fingers. “Where’s your father? The sanctuary’s under attack and the sisters need help.” She stood but the room tilted, and she plopped back onto the bed.
“Papa thought something must be wrong, so he went straight to the convent. He said I should clean your wounds.”
“I must go help.”
“No! You’ll get lost in the dark.”
Lauryn knew Ellie was right. She couldn’t do much in the dark so she laid her aching head on the cool pillow. Dreaming that hands tried to grab her, she jerked awake shivering. Light filtered through the curtains and Lauryn remembered the men who attacked the convent. She grimaced against pain as she stood.
Ellie appeared at the door. “I saddled our donkey. She’ll carry you to the sanctuary, but I’ve got to tak
e care of mum.”
“I’ll be fine alone, but let me check on your mother before I leave.”
Ellie nodded. “I’ll fix you some breakfast.”
Ellie’s mother slept quietly, and Lauryn felt reassured that the healing process worked within the woman’s body. Softly closing the door, she smiled at Ellie. “Your mother’s getting better.”
Ellie beamed. “You’re a miracle worker! How can we ever thank you?”
“I’ll take that breakfast you offered. I’m starved.” Lauryn sank her teeth into the hot bread smeared with honey and a fork filled with scrambled eggs. She felt astounded that her stomach didn’t reject the food.
“I brought you some fresh clothes.” Ellie held a pile of neatly folded garments.
Glancing at her torn and muddy tunic, Lauryn nodded. “Thanks, I can’t go out in this condition.” She bypassed the nice dress, obviously Ellie’s only good garment, and slipped on a pair of faded breeches and a shirt softened by repeated washing. “After I leave, bar the door and don’t open it for anyone except your father. There are desert riders out looking for young girls.”
Wide-eyed Ellie nodded solemnly.
Lauryn eased her aching body into the saddle and rode as fast as the donkey would run. A knot of fear formed in her chest as she approached the sanctuary. Would the men be waiting to catch her? She tied the donkey behind a large bush and listened for unusual sounds at the back gate.
There was silence.
She found the gate key in its hiding place and winced at the raspy sound when the gate swung open. No one rushed to attack her but the once immaculate grounds revealed trouble—statues smashed, the vegetable garden trampled, and trash strewn across the pathway. Tears flooded Lauryn’s eyes at the sight of a bloody robe.
A heavy hand gripped her shoulder.
Lauryn spun on her heels, fists ready to lash out in defiance, but it was Bart. He towered over her head and her tight fists looked puny next to his meaty hand.
