what it is though.”
She faced Kale, her gaze accusing.
“Don’t look at me,” Kale
said. “You’re the one she threatened.”
“What? Melaina threatened
you?”
Shale tried to play it down.
“It was hardly a threat.”
Blake didn’t look pleased at
all. “When was this?”
Shale tugged on her ear.
“After I showed Anikett that move. Melaina didn’t like me interfering.”
Blake was indignant. “You
were only helping.” At Shale’s shrug, she said, “No, I don’t like this,
Shale, not one bit. I’m going to have a word with her.”
“No!” the twins exclaimed in
unison, startling Blake to a standstill.
“That’ll only make her
worse.”
“It comes down to one simple
question, Blake.” Shale regarded her seriously. “Do you trust me?”
Blake didn’t hesitate. “I
trust you.”
Shale smiled. “Then leave it
to us.”
SHALE KNOCKED ON the healer’s
door, not wanting to barge in just in case someone was being treated.
“Enter,” a musical voice
called from within.
Kale went in first, never one
to hang around. Shale followed, her gaze landing on a waif of a woman with
pale blonde hair, whose skinny arms looked like they would snap like a
twig.
She glanced up from the
assortment of jars that she’d been examining, and smiled pleasantly at
them. “You must be the twins I’ve heard so much about.”
Shale had to resist the urge
to roll her eyes. Amazons sure knew how to gossip. There was no one else
in the lodge, so she assumed this was the healer. “Appollonia?”
“That’s me.” She studied
first Shale, then Kale. “My, you’re much more attractive than I’ve been
led to believe.”
Kale sniggered. “I bet we had
horns in some of those stories you heard.”
“And tails, too,” Appollonia
said humorously. She pointed to a couple of spare chairs behind them,
along the wall. “Please, sit down.”
Kale took the chair closest
to the door, and Shale sat beside her, glancing around the room. There
were three beds in the lodge, all pressed against the one wall. There was
plenty of space to maneuver between them though, and a chair was beside
each bed. At the far end, two shelves stretched across the width of the
room. The top shelf was cluttered with an assortment of jars and bottles,
no doubt filled with medicinal remedies, and the bottom was stocked with
rags and bandages, cutting implements, and other tools of the trade. A
table and chair were positioned in front of the shelves, and the table was
littered with scrolls and parchment.
“Please forgive the mess,”
Appollonia said. “You caught me in the middle of cleaning.” She dipped her
hands into a bowl of water, and then dried them on a cloth. “Would you
like something to drink? I’ve got some lovely herbal tea.”
“No, thank you,” Shale
replied, as Kale shook her head.
“I must confess, I’ve been
hoping you’d stop by.” Appollonia held up her hand apologetically. “Not
that I wished you ill, but I was curious as to what all the fuss was
about.” She stepped out from behind the table, walked around it, and
perched on its surface.
“As healer, I bet you hear
about everything,” Shale said.
“Oh, yes. I’m probably the
most knowledgeable person in the village, after the queen and the princess
of course. Talking helps to distract people from the pain, you see.”
Appollonia smiled again. “Though I find the more gossip surrounding a
person, the more interesting that person is.”
Shale’s eyebrows rose, she’d
never heard it put quite like that.
Appollonia certainly had a
unique way of looking at things.
“And that’s exactly why I
wanted you to call in. Now, first things first, are you hurt or ill?” She
focussed more on Shale, noticing the fading bruises on her face.
“No, we wanted to give you
something.” Shale looked to Kale, who started to detach the small pouch
from
She faced Kale, her gaze accusing.
“Don’t look at me,” Kale
said. “You’re the one she threatened.”
“What? Melaina threatened
you?”
Shale tried to play it down.
“It was hardly a threat.”
Blake didn’t look pleased at
all. “When was this?”
Shale tugged on her ear.
“After I showed Anikett that move. Melaina didn’t like me interfering.”
Blake was indignant. “You
were only helping.” At Shale’s shrug, she said, “No, I don’t like this,
Shale, not one bit. I’m going to have a word with her.”
“No!” the twins exclaimed in
unison, startling Blake to a standstill.
“That’ll only make her
worse.”
“It comes down to one simple
question, Blake.” Shale regarded her seriously. “Do you trust me?”
Blake didn’t hesitate. “I
trust you.”
Shale smiled. “Then leave it
to us.”
SHALE KNOCKED ON the healer’s
door, not wanting to barge in just in case someone was being treated.
“Enter,” a musical voice
called from within.
Kale went in first, never one
to hang around. Shale followed, her gaze landing on a waif of a woman with
pale blonde hair, whose skinny arms looked like they would snap like a
twig.
She glanced up from the
assortment of jars that she’d been examining, and smiled pleasantly at
them. “You must be the twins I’ve heard so much about.”
Shale had to resist the urge
to roll her eyes. Amazons sure knew how to gossip. There was no one else
in the lodge, so she assumed this was the healer. “Appollonia?”
“That’s me.” She studied
first Shale, then Kale. “My, you’re much more attractive than I’ve been
led to believe.”
Kale sniggered. “I bet we had
horns in some of those stories you heard.”
“And tails, too,” Appollonia
said humorously. She pointed to a couple of spare chairs behind them,
along the wall. “Please, sit down.”
Kale took the chair closest
to the door, and Shale sat beside her, glancing around the room. There
were three beds in the lodge, all pressed against the one wall. There was
plenty of space to maneuver between them though, and a chair was beside
each bed. At the far end, two shelves stretched across the width of the
room. The top shelf was cluttered with an assortment of jars and bottles,
no doubt filled with medicinal remedies, and the bottom was stocked with
rags and bandages, cutting implements, and other tools of the trade. A
table and chair were positioned in front of the shelves, and the table was
littered with scrolls and parchment.
“Please forgive the mess,”
Appollonia said. “You caught me in the middle of cleaning.” She dipped her
hands into a bowl of water, and then dried them on a cloth. “Would you
like something to drink? I’ve got some lovely herbal tea.”
“No, thank you,” Shale
replied, as Kale shook her head.
“I must confess, I’ve been
hoping you’d stop by.” Appollonia held up her hand apologetically. “Not
that I wished you ill, but I was curious as to what all the fuss was
about.” She stepped out from behind the table, walked around it, and
perched on its surface.
“As healer, I bet you hear
about everything,” Shale said.
“Oh, yes. I’m probably the
most knowledgeable person in the village, after the queen and the princess
of course. Talking helps to distract people from the pain, you see.”
Appollonia smiled again. “Though I find the more gossip surrounding a
person, the more interesting that person is.”
Shale’s eyebrows rose, she’d
never heard it put quite like that.
Appollonia certainly had a
unique way of looking at things.
“And that’s exactly why I
wanted you to call in. Now, first things first, are you hurt or ill?” She
focussed more on Shale, noticing the fading bruises on her face.
“No, we wanted to give you
something.” Shale looked to Kale, who started to detach the small pouch
from
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