The next patient was a small boy who could not stop coughing. He did not have a fever. Maya thought it could be something like asthma or allergies. His mother said he had a chronic cough. She had Alma and Laika pound the seeds and leaves of horehound together. Then, Maya instructed them to mix that substance with a spoonful of honey and give it to the boy.
“Does it taste so bad? Is that why you need the honey?” asked the boy’s mother.
“No, it shouldn’t taste bad at all. Ingesting honey made from local flowers will help your son build up immunity to them, if pollen is irritating his airways. If his cough has nothing to do with allergies, it certainly won’t do him any harm and will sooth his throat. I’ll give you the rest of the horehound to take home. Give him some every day and return in a week. If it isn’t helping, we will try something else. If it is working, we can make sure you have a large supply on hand to use whenever he has coughing bouts.”
The mother nodded and looked relieved. Already her son’s coughs were less frequent. Maya moved on to an old woman with a rash. She had Freya mix up adder’s tongue juice and arvense. She gave it to the old woman with instructions to add it to her bath. The blacksmith’s striker came in with burns. They made a salve with alkanet. Maya made a list of several potions to brew. One for gout, one for heart palpitations, one for fertility, one for fevers, one for infection, and one for warts. There were plenty of infected cuts that they treated with salves. It amazed Maya how bad a simple cut could get from dirt. The girls all got lots of practice mixing salves and humming.
Dulcie was exceptional. Maya helped her concentrate over a small boy with a high fever. They both hummed and Maya helped direct Dulcie’s powers. Together, they were able to draw out the infection and relieve the fever. Dulcie’s smile was huge as she watched the boy improve before her eyes.
“Can you teach me more magic?” Dulcie asked Maya, eagerly.
“I will teach you what I can. I have friends who can teach you more when they return. I think you will find them useful.”
“Thank you. Can I come back tomorrow?”
“Yes,” said Maya simply. She turned to address the others. “Can the rest of you come back in three days?”
The class nodded, looking tired, but happy. Maya watched as the women filed out. They all thanked her for everything they had learned. Alma’s bruise was almost entirely gone. The man with the swollen joints could bend his fingers better than he had in years. He was going to come back for another treatment in three days, too. Maya was glad they had done a practical lesson first. They had learned a lot and seen progress. She could fill their heads with memorized information another time. Maya knew word of their session would spread. She anticipated more students and poorer patients once everyone knew she wasn’t charging to teach or heal people.
Joss found her putting away the last of the dried herbs.
“How did it go?” he asked, curiously.
“Great. I think I’ve found you a palace mage. She’s only nine and will need some training, but she has a lot of potential.”
“Lucy potential?”
“Not that much, but definitely worth the effort and expense.”
“If you think so, I’ll delegate that task to you. Find her parents, convince them, and train her as best you can.”
“I think she’ll need some training from Justin, too.”
“We can discuss that when he returns. Have you heard anything from them?”
Maya shook her head. She hadn’t expected to either. They couldn’t send her a message magically and would be unlikely to find someone to deliver a scroll while traveling through the mists. As much as she longed for an update or advice, she feared they were on their own until Justin returned.
“Have there been responses to our scrolls?” asked Maya
“About what we expected so far. The Dwarves sent a missive stating they have heard Kinda’s arguments and will consider the issue at hand. The Elves sent a scroll stating Tish had informed them of circumstances. They are weighing their options but would prefer to wait for an update from Justin before making any decisions or taking any action. The scroll implied they would accept a written report from Justin, but a visit in person would be preferred. Salmatina will send a group of female warriors but are requesting Justin as their liaison once there is some confirmation of a threat. I wonder how well Lucy will like that,” joked Joss.
“As long as they don’t make her mad enough to blow them all up, we should be fine,” laughed Maya. She had never seen Lucy jealous, but if anyone could induce emotional upheaval, it would be the beautiful, deadly, talented Salmatinians.
“Therralla also agreed to prepare for the possibility of war and wants to know what we know as soon as we know it,” Joss added.
“Kennemt?”
“No, but what did you expect? I won’t take it as an insult. I’m sure our scroll hasn’t even been read yet. It probably interrupted someone’s bath, dinner party, wine tasting extravaganza, or other important pastime. It was most likely laid aside until later,” Joss shrugged. “Anything else I should know?”
“Something weird happened this morning. I didn’t worry about it too much though because I had to be here. A pair of sparrows seemed like they were trying to talk to me.”
“You speak at least twenty languages. Bird isn’t one of them?”
“No,” Maya replied with a smile.
“If they are from the Wild Woods, why couldn’t they speak?” asked Joss.
“The Wild Woods may have sent the message bird to bird. They probably assumed Justin was still here to translate and didn’t think it would matter if the birds that reached us first could speak to regular humans.”
“What did you do?”
“I apologized for not being able to speak bird and explained Justin wasn’t here to translate. I told them they needed to send a talking emissary if it was possible.”
“Are they going to do that? Did they understand?”
“I have no idea. Remember, I don’t speak bird. It’s anyone’s guess if they understand Lerramorrian,” said Maya with exasperation. “I suppose I could have repeated myself in every language I knew until they gave me a sign I could understand that they understood what I was trying to say. However, that seemed counterproductive and taxing. I knew I could accomplish something with the lesson, so I came here instead.”
Joss grinned and held out his hand. He escorted her back to her rooms to prepare for dinner.
“It is starting to seem like Justin is more important with more connections than I previously thought.”
“Yes, it does appear that way, doesn’t it? How did your meeting with the finance minister go?” asked Maya.
“Very well, thank you,” replied Joss.
“Really?”
“You sound surprised,” said Joss with mock hurt.
“Can you blame me? You’ve been treating royal business like torture sessions.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I guess I finally made a decision to control the situation.”
“How so?”
“I may not want to be king, but I can’t go back in time, and I can’t give up the crown. If I’m going to be king, I might as well be a good king. Or, at least, do my best to try to be one. So, I’ve decided to stop whining, take charge, and do what needs doing.”
“Thank goodness. If you’d moped around too much longer, I was going to have Lucy turn you into a marmot or something to assist, or alter, your perspective. You were much more fun before you were king,” laughed Maya, showing her dimples.
“You thought I was fun? That’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” joked Joss. “It inspires me to become fun once again.”
“Don’t let it go to your head,” warned Maya.
“Too late,” replied Joss honestly, grinning happily.
Maya groaned. She was happy though. Having Joss return to the guy she first met rather than the guy he had been since becoming king was a relief. Now, there was hope for Lerramorre.
&nb
sp; Chapter 6
Lucy woke up confused. She had no idea why there was something warm and fluffy on her forehead. Establishing that the warm and fluffy thing was an owl was not helpful. She closed her eyes again and tried to recall what was going on. Then she remembered Corealanna and Nut. She gently moved the sleeping owl to another perch as she got up. She stretched, yawned, and dug in her pack for clean clothes. She had no idea how long she had slept but felt wonderfully rested. As she finished running a brush through her hair, the others began to stir.
“It feels good to be clean and well rested,” said Justin, stretching.
“A luxury we won’t be experiencing often after today, I fear,” added Taran, awake, but not moving from his bed yet.
“I thought Maya and I were the ones who were clean freaks,” said Lucy.
“You are,” replied Justin. “I tend to appreciate cleanliness more when I know I won’t have that luxury for a long time. I also appreciate it after long interludes without baths.”
“Obviously, I’m generally more concerned with food than being clean, but I feel great right now,” added Gavin.
“You should feel good,” said Corealanna from the doorway. “You’ve been asleep for the last five years. An army from the mists overwhelmed Kinowenn. Now, it is dark on the other side of the mountains. You are the last hope for the worn down pockets of resistance.”
She announced this with absolute solemnity. Nut roused himself enough to open one eye. Everyone’s jaws dropped open. Lucy didn’t know how to reply. They all seemed to be trying to absorb that piece of information rather than respond to it. Taran found the ability to close his mouth first, opened it again as if to say something, closed it again and raised his eyebrows at Lucy. Finally, Justin, after running his fingers through his hair twice, was able to make words and came up with, “What?”
Corealanna laughed, a musical sound. She brushed a lock of jet black hair behind her ear where it intermingled with a purple strand.
“Sorry, I’m only teasing. I don’t get travelers or guests often. I try to give them a good night’s sleep, when I can. I couldn’t resist seeing how you would react.”
Taran let out a sigh of relief. Lucy released the breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Justin smirked. Gavin laughed outright. Gavin was an easy-going guy with a good sense of humor. He laughed wholeheartedly given the understanding there would not be much to laugh about in the mists.
“I have breakfast on the table,” said Corealanna as she left them.
Nut closed his eye, shifted on his perch, and went back to sleep. Gavin, still laughing, continued to get ready for the day. Justin kissed Lucy on the cheek and smiled at her before digging in his pack for a fresh tunic. Taran, shaking his head in amused disbelief, sat on the floor to put on clean socks. Lucy, already ready, followed Corealanna. There was porridge, fresh bread, and wild pears for breakfast.
“Thank you,” said Lucy, filling her bowl and sitting down to eat.
Corealanna acknowledged her thanks with a nod. There was little difference between how the cave looked at night versus daytime. Very little natural light entered the cave, and candles were still the primary source of illumination. Lucy watched as Corealanna stirred the porridge. Even though it was the second day, Lucy couldn’t help but stare at her. She was so beautiful and otherworldly. Lucy loved the way her delicate wings shifted and how the light glinted off them. Lucy enjoyed watching how the colors of her skin played over her body as she moved, with different surfaces catching the candle-light. As she watched and ate, the others joined her for breakfast.
“Are your intentions still the same as they were last night?” asked Corealanna.
“They are,” answered Justin decisively.
“Someone once told me great stories often start with bad decisions,” joked Gavin.
Everyone turned to look at him. Lucy wasn’t sure if saying it that way was comforting or pointing out the stupidity of the task they were undertaking. She wasn’t as concerned about creating a good story as acquiring good information. Besides, they had already agreed their decision was dangerous, but that didn’t mean it was bad. Or that they had a better one.
“On those words, I wish you luck,” said Corealanna.
“A lucky person can get away with a lot,” said Taran with a smile.
“True. A smart person can get away with more,” argued Corealanna. “I would give you one piece of advice. The mists can fool you. Do not trust what you see. Trust what you feel. If something looks safe but does not feel safe, trust the feeling.”
“Thank you,” said Justin.
“You have been here before,” Corealanna said to Justin. “These others haven’t. I hope the warning will mean more coming from me.”
Justin smiled. Corealanna motioned to Lucy.
“For you, I have one more thing. It is not much, but it may come in useful.” She handed Lucy a small silver ring with butterfly wings engraved in it. “Some may recognize my symbol and help you because of it. Wear it always. Who you know can be as important as what you know.”
“Thank you very much,” said Lucy. She slid the ring on the first finger of her left hand. She was not much of a jewelry person, but it was a beautiful ring.
“Perhaps it will bring you luck,” Corealanna added with a wink at Taran.
“Why does she get all the luck?” asked Gavin.
“She’s the only one with small enough fingers,” pointed out Nut practically. He flew into the room and perched on Lucy’s shoulder.
Gavin shrugged and smiled. He couldn’t argue with that. He certainly didn’t have small fingers. Besides, he had offended Nut enough yesterday. He thought it better not to say anything.
“When you are done, come back and visit me,” murmured Nut in Lucy’s ear.
“Thank you, I will,” she responded.
They said their goodbyes, shouldered their packs, and walked out of the cave. It was a cool, cloudy morning. They could see for about a mile in front of them, where a wall of mist crouched on the horizon. They started walking towards it. The sense of peace they had experienced in the cave evaporated quickly.
“Ready for this?” asked Justin.
“I’m always ready for an adventure,” replied Gavin good naturedly.
“Even one that starts with a bad idea?” Taran threw Gavin’s words back at him.
Gavin shrugged. Lucy smiled at his enthusiasm in the face of the unknown. She wasn’t sure if he was as brave as he seemed or if he believed that if you acted brave, actual bravery would follow. She certainly wasn’t going to call him out on it though. Real bravery or put on, his enthusiasm helped bolster her spirits.
The first day of travel went well. They did not meet anyone, innocent or menacing. The mist itself was a harsh traveling companion from which there was no respite. It made Lucy cold. Not just on the surface. The mist seemed to sink into her skin and chill her to the bone. The air was always moist, on the border of drizzle or rain. That wasn’t the worst part though. The mists swirled and whirled around them. After a few miles, Lucy had no idea if they were still traveling north or if they were hiking in circles. Added to that, Lucy kept feeling like she was seeing things out of the corners of her eyes. She kept turning her head to catch a better glimpse of something she wasn’t even sure was there. She never fully saw anything. It made her feel paranoid. She didn’t say anything to the others, instead plowing on ahead. She didn’t want to be the one complaining.
They stopped for a rest and lunch at what Justin judged to be midday since there was no sun to estimate time by. They ate the bread left over from breakfast that Corealanna sent with them. It was filling, and brought with it a delicious sense of comfort. They paired it with the fresh cheese she had sent as well, saving the travel cheese in their packs. Then, they continued their journey. Lucy was used to watching the landscape change when they traveled. The variety and novelty entertained her imagination and thirst for knowledge and made time go by faster. However, the mists were different. T
here was nothing to see in the mists except mist. If there was anything in the mists, it was hidden from view. Lucy could only make out about twenty feet in front of her, and even that distance was shrouded and hazy. It made time seem interminable. As they traveled, Lucy played with the ring on her finger. She was not used to wearing jewelry, and it felt out of place. Twisting it around her finger with her thumb, she wondered if it would bring them luck. It certainly couldn’t hurt.
Justin settled on a rather flat piece of ground to camp for the night. Lucy hoped it was a safe place. In a way, almost anything could be safe in the mists. An army could pass within one hundred yards of them and never see them or even know they were there, provided they were quiet. Conversely, it could also be the complete opposite of safe as they could not see anything approaching them.
Gavin set up the tent. Taran started to work on a stew. He decided they could all use the warmth of the fire and a hot meal after a day of traveling through the mists. Lucy set wards around their campsite while Justin used his senses to scan the area around them for potential danger. When they were done, they all huddled around the campfire while Taran stirred the stew. Lucy took off her boots and held her feet closer to the fire. It warmed her toes and lifted her spirits.
“What did everyone think of the first day?” asked Taran conversationally.
“Kind of boring,” replied Gavin. “It’s going to be hard on weapons,” he added, determined to polish his whole arsenal every night after dinner to keep rust from forming.
“Boring is good,” said Taran. “I don’t think we will have as many boring days as we’d prefer.”
“Thank you,” said Lucy as Taran handed her a bowl of stew. “I don’t like the stuff I keep seeing out of the corners of my eyes.”
“What stuff?” asked Gavin.
“I keep feeling like I’m seeing something right at the edge of my vision. Then, I turn my head and nothing is there. Don’t you see it?” asked Lucy.
Ravs Are Rarely Wrong: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol III Page 4
