by Sophia Sharp
She tossed the glass shard back onto the pile, ran to the entrance of the barn, and peeked out. Seeing nobody, she ran out toward town. She followed some of the main roads, moving fast, into what looked to be the commercial area of town. If anybody had been looking, all they would have seen was an indistinctive dark blur.
Nora pressed herself against the outer wall of a building in a small alley and looked around. She spotted a sign hanging over the entrance of a single story brick building not far from her. Jolene’s Basement. Through the glass panels, she could see parts of the storefront where racks of various clothing items hung pressed tightly together.
She examined the building from her vantage point. She didn’t want to break in through the front if she could avoid it. But from where she stood, she couldn’t see any other way in.
She thought for a moment and then did a fast lap around the entire building. At the rear, she noticed a single door with a red sign above it marked “Employees Only.”
Perfect.
She tugged on the handle, prepared to rip the door right out of its frame, but as she pulled back, the doorknob moved freely in her hand. Surprised, she twisted – and the door came open. In spite of herself, she had to smile. She had never been to a town small enough where businesses didn’t feel the need to lock their rear doors overnight. It was unfortunate she had to take advantage, though.
Once inside, she raced through the racks quickly, looking for something plain. Something that would allow her to blend in. She found an inconspicuous pair of jeans and a small yellow shirt that she liked and grabbed both. Before she left, though, she also picked up a new shirt for Alexander. She thought for a moment, and then grabbed two more – she didn’t want to risk coming back again if he needed more.
She left the store, gently closing the door behind her. Walking slowly from the rear of the building, she looked all the way around her to make sure there were no people anywhere. Seeing none, she ran back to the barn.
As she ran, though, she had an uncomfortably familiar feeling of unseen eyes watching her. With her increased perception and augmented senses, there was no way she could have missed anybody, yet…there was an itch between her shoulder blades that reminded her of the time she had first been stalked in the dream world. She thought it must have been her nerves acting up, because as far as she could tell, there was absolutely nobody else around.
Quickly, she reached the front door of the barn, and the feeling of being watched dissipated. It was not gone entirely, but had become much less pronounced. Even as she stepped inside it didn’t go away completely. Which told her it must be her nerves, because there was no way anybody from outside could still see her.
The first thing she did was check on Alexander. As she walked up to him, she saw that he was lying in the same position as she’d left him earlier. He was still asleep. His shirt was damp and clung to his body.
She reached out to place a hand on his forehead and winced. It was burning hot – much hotter than before. She knew his body was fighting the poison, but she didn’t know how much longer he could hold out.
Dropping the bundle of clothes next to him, she hesitated for a moment before reaching down and pulling his shirt off. He needed to have something clean on. His shirt clung to the wound, and she eased it off with great care. She examined the wound. It looked better than she remembered – less vile. And a scab had started to form over it, but it was still moist and unnaturally dark. But, she noted happily, the wound may have gotten just a little bit smaller.
Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to help Alexander. He was getting worse. She wasn’t sure how much she could judge his health on the basis of what the wound looked like.
Once she’d dressed Alexander and tended to him as best she could, she picked up her new clothes and went into a corner to change. After taking the dress off, she was surprised to find the jeans fit looser than they should have – had she lost weight? – but the shirt was the right size.
She went over to the broken mirror and propped the largest shard she could find against the wall. She backed away so she could see her reflection fully. Her hair was still a mess, and she ran her hand through it to tame it as best she could. After a few minutes of struggling with it, she calmed it down enough to make herself look somewhat presentable. And definitely less conspicuous.
With the jeans and plain shirt, nobody should look at her twice.
Chapter Sixteen
~A Simple Shopkeeper~
Nora walked slowly down the streets of Nakusp. She had already been walking around for a number of hours, but with no idea of what to look for specifically, her search for the healing woman was proving less than ideal.
It was during the first half of her expedition that the earliest risers started coming out onto the streets. Cars started driving by her, and she passed by workers opening shops and adults going for their morning jog. It was then that Nora realized just how well developed her sense of smell really was.
She could smell everybody. It didn’t matter if they were in front of her, behind her, or somewhere off to the side – she could make out their smell. It was a distinctly human smell, and as Hunter had told her once, it stunk. But it did not stink like something offensive, rather, it was just very, very pungent.
If she closed her eyes, she could tell exactly how many people were around her by all the individual scents she inhaled. She realized, after she passed the first person on the sidewalk, what she smelled was not the person’s odor, but rather the scent of their blood.
She thought it should have been appealing to her – at least, to the Vassiz within her. And while there was no doubt something still called out to her, it was like coming across a cheap burger after having feasted at a five-star gourmet restaurant.
She picked up her pace. With her better hearing, she had been able to pick up bits and pieces of conversation from the people that sometimes passed her by. And from what she’d heard, she had been surprised to learn that Nakusp was a bit of a tourist destination. That granted her infinite relief, as it meant a young girl walking around looking curiously at everything wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
It felt…good…to be around people. To be in a living, breathing city – no matter how small it was. She’d never gotten used to the relative isolation she had lived in while one the run. Being among people made her feel safe. More secure.
She wanted to go down all the main roads to try and get a feel for the town’s layout. Unfortunately for her, there didn’t seem to be any. The blocks were uneven, and the streets curled strangely around old buildings. It was like the entire town had been built without any regard for right angles or straight streets. The old, four-story complexes were the tallest buildings around, but it didn’t look like there were many people still living there.
A small side street caught her attention, hidden away from view by a large bush out in front. She hadn’t noticed it last time she passed this area, and her curiosity got the better of her.
The street was narrow at first, and Nora had to all but squeeze between two brick buildings. But then it opened up into a fairly spacious circular area. Nora saw there were other small side streets leading to the area. And right in front of her, on the far side of the clearing, was a single open storefront.
Nora walked closer. The store looked to be unattended. There were display tables set up outside that had all sorts of various trinkets and indigenous decorations, like carved woods and precious stones, ivory necklaces and thick bracelets. Nora looked inside and could see the storefront extended deep into the building. There were shelves, and they were stock full of all types of antiques and various other things. The overall style of everything on display, however, was undeniably indigenous. There were miniature totem poles carved from oak branches, and painted wooden orcas jumped out of clear glass waves. There were different types of colored garments, from dresses, to scarfs, to decorated skirts and slippers that looked to be made of straw.
“You see anything that interests you, gi
rl?”
Nora jumped. She had been so engrossed with the things on display she hadn’t noticed the person sitting on a rocking chair inside. She was an old woman, weathered with age and possessing leathery copper-toned skin. Strands of gray hair fell out of a blue bandanna that sat atop her head.
She wore a dress that Nora thought might have been passed down from her mother, or even grandmother. It had swirls of all sorts of different colors below the waist, from blue, to yellow, to green, to violet. Symbols of great animals – bears and wolves and wildcats – decorated the upper parts. It looked like a traditional, albeit somewhat unusual, native dress.
“Oh. Uh…” Nora stuttered, becoming very conscious of how out of place she looked.
“I noticed you had an eye on that green emerald,” the woman said, getting up slowly. She walked over, using an old cane to help herself balance, and picked up a small carving of a lion. She pushed it into Nora’s hands. The eyes of the figure were green and sparkled fiercely in the light. Nora looked at it uncertainly. There was a sort of…resonance…that she felt, holding it.
“No?” the woman asked, taking it back. “Maybe this is more your style.” She picked up a beautifully woven shawl and draped it around Nora’s shoulders. “There. It fits you well.”
“No, thank you,” Nora said, gently pushing the woman away.
“Very well.” The woman turned around, looking back at her store. “Browse through, take a look at whatever catches your fancy. I collect all manner of things. Things that most might not even know the purpose of…but some could find very useful.”
“What do you mean?” Nora asked. The way she said that last bit, it seemed a little…suggestive.
“Oh, nothing much. Except that you can always bet on finding things here that you might not even realize the true value of.”
“Hm.”
The woman returned to her chair. For a long, uncomfortable moment, Nora felt the woman’s eyes on her. Not knowing what else to do, she cleared her throat and looked to her feet.
“You’re not from around here, are you?”
“What?” Nora was shocked, and looked up defensively. “What would give you that impression?”
“Oh, not many young girls come to visit me or my store anymore. Most don’t have any use for antiques, for relics of the past, in their busy lives.”
“Oh, well—”
“You also don’t have the feel of somebody from around here,” the woman continued cryptically. “Tell me, girl, where are you from?”
“Uhh…” Again Nora stalled for time, thinking of something to say that would sound credible. The woman barked a laugh.
“Cat got your tongue, hmm? That’s alright, if you have secrets you don’t want to share, I can understand that.”
“I don’t have…secrets,” Nora defended, trying to diffuse the situation.
“Hah! Everyone has secrets, girl. Yours are no more troubling than the next. Tell me, did you come here alone?”
“Here?” Nora said, thinking quickly. “I’m by myself, aren’t I?” She didn’t want to draw attention to Alexander if she could avoid it.
“Yes.” The woman smiled. “Nice rooms we have at our local inn, don’t we?”
“…yes.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “You think so? I have always considered them dirty and downtrodden. Especially the rats. Oh, I can’t stand the rats. They’re everywhere, you know. Dirty little creatures, hiding under mattresses and in between the walls. And the stench. They say it came from a gruesome murder committed in the basement nearly fifty years ago. The smell of blood and guts permeated the entire building and ingrained itself into the structure. The locals, most of them, have gotten used to it, as have the people working there, but I never could. Most of the visitors we get around here tend to avoid the place, to be honest. Now, a nice, clean girl like you wouldn’t consider that very accommodating, do you think?”
“Well… no,” Nora admitted. The old hag had set a trap for her, and she’d walked right into it with her eyes closed! Nora berated herself for answering the last question without thinking. For even engaging with this woman!
“Now,” the woman said, rocking back in her chair, “why don’t you tell me the truth?” Nora opened her mouth, but the woman raised a finger to interrupt. “And don’t try to deceive me this time. I’ve been in this town at least four times longer than you’ve been alive, and I can smell a liar.”
Nora looked around helplessly. This woman had a way with words, and as much as Nora wanted to, she couldn’t just turn around and walk away.
“My friend is sick,” she finally admitted. “I’m looking for somebody who could help him.”
“Sick, eh?” The woman pushed herself up and walked over to Nora. She stood close and looked Nora straight in the eye. Nora stared back uncertainly. After a few moments, the woman nodded to herself. “I can see you tell me the truth, and I believe you. Aye, even this haggard old bat can see what’s clear as day. Your friend – what’s wrong with him?”
Nora thought for a moment. She didn’t want to give anything away, and she still didn’t know just who this woman was. She had to be understandably cautious. “He has a fever,” she said finally.
“A fever?” the woman repeated, staring straight at Nora. “Some rest and some fluids should heal that. I think if that were the case, you wouldn’t sound so worried.”
Nora frowned in spite of herself. She tried being careful not to give anything away, and yet this woman somehow picked up on her concern for Alexander? “It’s a very bad fever,” she said. “And…he has an infection.”
“An infection?”
“Yes,” Nora nodded. “He got cut, and I think it got infected.”
“Hmm,” the woman said thoughtfully. “Now that is something that could be problematic, yes. Your friend – where is he?”
“Nearby,” Nora answered cautiously. She didn’t want to give this woman any more information than she already had. “Anyway,” she said, backing up, “I think I should get going. I’m going to need to find a doctor for him, and…”
To her surprise, the woman stepped right up to her. She peered up into Nora’s eyes. “You won’t be finding no doctor here, girl. Most folk around here don’t believe in modern medicine. There is a woman, though, who tends to people’s ills. She’s called a goodwife around here. She is more traditional, but her treatments have cured dozens of ailments that even the most sophisticated drugs won’t touch.”
A goodwife? Could she be talking about Alexander’s healing woman?
“Where is she?” Nora asked. Hope filled her again. “You must know. If you do, you can tell me. You can take me to her!”
The woman smiled, showing a mouth full of yellow, crooked teeth. “Why, my girl,” she said sweetly, “you’re looking right at her.”
Chapter Seventeen
~A Healer’s Price~
Nora had to forcibly close her mouth to stop from gaping. After nearly four hours of fruitless searching, she had stumbled – just by chance – on the exact woman she was looking for? And if it wasn’t for the woman’s own pushiness in asking questions she would have never even known it!
“You’re the goodwife?” Nora asked incredulously.
The woman stepped back. “As I told you before, sometimes you find things you do not realize the true value of. But if you are truly so disbelieving, perhaps it will be better for you to continue thinking of me as a simple shopkeeper, capable of little more than selling people trinkets they may never use…?” She started to turn back.
“I’m sorry,” Nora said, reaching out with her hand. “I didn’t mean to offend you. Please, my friend is very sick. He needs your help!”
“He does, does he?” She paused for a second. “Very well. I always help those who come to me, no matter their first impression.”
“Thank you.” Nora sighed in relief.
“But I make no promises, girl. I will do what I can, but beyond that…if the sickness you spoke of ha
s taken your friend too far, he may be out of my reach.”
“You must try,” Nora insisted. “You must!”
The woman nodded. “I will do what I can. Tell me, where is your friend now?”
“…outside town,” Nora admitted. “There is an abandoned barn, and we—”
“You set up camp there like two destitute vagabonds,” the woman finished Nora’s sentence. “I take it, since you did not seek out an inn, you have no money?”
Nora stammered for words, trying to come up with some plausible excuse, but none came. “No,” she admitted shamefully.
“A healing will not come free, you know.”
“Please!” Nora said. “You must see what you can do! There must be some way for me to repay you. You’re right – I don’t have any money. But I can tend your shop, or do work for free, or, or…”
“Spare me,” the woman said, waving Nora away. “When I find some use for you, I will call upon you. That will be the basis of our agreement. I will look at your friend, and make every effort to see him to full health, and in return – in payment – you will answer my call, should I ever need you.”
“Done,” Nora said quickly. “Absolutely. I’ll do whatever you want.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “Do not be so quick to volunteer your services, girl, before you know what you are getting into. If you’re not careful, you might find yourself falling down a very long well with no hope of climbing back out.”
“Uh…”
“Advice for the future,” the woman explained, “seeing as how you’ve already made the promise to me. But if I gave you a chance to take it back, would you?”
“No,” Nora answered determinedly.
“Good,” the woman said. “That means your will is strong. As is your concern for your friend.” She nodded, seemingly satisfied with their arrangement. “I will do what I can.”
“Will you come now?” Nora asked. “I can show you where he is, I can lead you there—”
To her surprise, the woman barked another laugh. “My dear girl, as I told you before, I have lived in this town longer than you’ve been alive. I know every nook and cranny of it. I know the barn you speak of – there is only one that fits the description – and I will see myself there.”
