eyes so she brought her hands up to remove it. At
least she tried to bring her hands up. They disobeyed her mental
commands.
“Don’t move for now,” Vevin told her while
putting a comforting arm on her shoulders. “You were very sick and
your fever just broke yesterday.” He squeezed a little more water
into her mouth then took a cloth off her forehead. She could hear
him put it in water and wring it out. When he replaced it, it was
cool.
This time she made sure her throat was clear
before speaking. “Where are we?”
“We’re in the village of Rethram outside of
the Willden.” He gave her a little more water.
Water made the hunger worse. “Village? How
long have I been asleep?” Her voice sounded pitiful to her
ears.
“Off and on for five days,” he answered near
her ear. Vevin continued running fingers through her hair as he
talked. “I was so worried about you. You fell sick the night after
we left. I used a lot of magic to enable everyone to travel faster
and longer. There was some doubt if we’d make it out of the
Willden, but we succeeded after two days. The worst of your fever
broke after leaving the forest. It took another couple of days to
get here. That was yesterday morning.”
“I’m hungry,” Liselle said plaintively. She
wanted to ask more about the journey, but her stomach was demanding
attention.
“I have some broth, which is all your
stomach and throat can handle,” Vevin propped her up with pillows
behind her back. “There’s a healer here that gave orders for your
care. She’s young but capable.” Liselle heard a sizzle, knowing
that Vevin used magic to warm the broth. “There we go. Here take a
sip.” He held the spoon to her mouth.
Broth had never tasted so heavenly. Her lips
were tender and cracked, so she tried to gather healing power only
to find it suppressed. “Ah, ah. You’re not allowed to perform
magic. It could tear your body apart after being weakened by
fever.” The flower in Liselle’s hair tightened and she could see it
in her mind as well. It was agreeing with Vevin.
After she finished the broth, Vevin
rearranged the pillows and let her lie back down. It didn’t take
long to fall back to sleep.
***
“Liselle, it’s time to wake up.” The voice
wasn’t one she recognized. Liselle groaned at it in protest. The
voice persisted. “Come now, I know you’re tired, but you need to
wake up.”
She tried to open her eyes. Something still
covered them. Liselle tried to bring her arms up again. It was
difficult. “You want to remove the bandage over your eyes? Go
ahead, but open your eyes slowly,” the woman’s voice told her. It
took all Liselle’s strength to remove the cloth before someone took
it from her hands. “There you are.”
At first, everything was blurry shapes, but
then it started to come clear. The candlelit room contained the
wooden bed she was in, a simple table and chairs, and a hearth with
a crackling fire. It looked more like a living room than a bedroom.
Vevin sat next to her, Tathan and Anilyia were on chairs near the
table and Sir Danth stood apart from the others, next to the
fire.
“Hello.” A young woman was sitting next to
her on the bed. Her voice was pleasant. “I’m Ponella. You’ve just
gotten over a terrible fever.” Her hair was brown and she was
dressed in simple clothes. There were old claw scars on her face.
“I’m told you used magic before that and need nourishment. We’ve
brought you some food,” she pointed out to bowls and plates set out
on the table. Tathan grabbed one and handed it to her.
She took a bite out of some cheese and
grabbed a slice of bread to go with it. Ponella watched Liselle
take the first few bites. “Good, you can eat. The rest of the
healing should go well now.” Ponella put the back of her hand on
Liselle’s forehead. “There’s no fever. How are your eyes?”
Liselle stared at the healer while chewing.
It always seemed like someone wanted to talk to her
least she tried to bring her hands up. They disobeyed her mental
commands.
“Don’t move for now,” Vevin told her while
putting a comforting arm on her shoulders. “You were very sick and
your fever just broke yesterday.” He squeezed a little more water
into her mouth then took a cloth off her forehead. She could hear
him put it in water and wring it out. When he replaced it, it was
cool.
This time she made sure her throat was clear
before speaking. “Where are we?”
“We’re in the village of Rethram outside of
the Willden.” He gave her a little more water.
Water made the hunger worse. “Village? How
long have I been asleep?” Her voice sounded pitiful to her
ears.
“Off and on for five days,” he answered near
her ear. Vevin continued running fingers through her hair as he
talked. “I was so worried about you. You fell sick the night after
we left. I used a lot of magic to enable everyone to travel faster
and longer. There was some doubt if we’d make it out of the
Willden, but we succeeded after two days. The worst of your fever
broke after leaving the forest. It took another couple of days to
get here. That was yesterday morning.”
“I’m hungry,” Liselle said plaintively. She
wanted to ask more about the journey, but her stomach was demanding
attention.
“I have some broth, which is all your
stomach and throat can handle,” Vevin propped her up with pillows
behind her back. “There’s a healer here that gave orders for your
care. She’s young but capable.” Liselle heard a sizzle, knowing
that Vevin used magic to warm the broth. “There we go. Here take a
sip.” He held the spoon to her mouth.
Broth had never tasted so heavenly. Her lips
were tender and cracked, so she tried to gather healing power only
to find it suppressed. “Ah, ah. You’re not allowed to perform
magic. It could tear your body apart after being weakened by
fever.” The flower in Liselle’s hair tightened and she could see it
in her mind as well. It was agreeing with Vevin.
After she finished the broth, Vevin
rearranged the pillows and let her lie back down. It didn’t take
long to fall back to sleep.
***
“Liselle, it’s time to wake up.” The voice
wasn’t one she recognized. Liselle groaned at it in protest. The
voice persisted. “Come now, I know you’re tired, but you need to
wake up.”
She tried to open her eyes. Something still
covered them. Liselle tried to bring her arms up again. It was
difficult. “You want to remove the bandage over your eyes? Go
ahead, but open your eyes slowly,” the woman’s voice told her. It
took all Liselle’s strength to remove the cloth before someone took
it from her hands. “There you are.”
At first, everything was blurry shapes, but
then it started to come clear. The candlelit room contained the
wooden bed she was in, a simple table and chairs, and a hearth with
a crackling fire. It looked more like a living room than a bedroom.
Vevin sat next to her, Tathan and Anilyia were on chairs near the
table and Sir Danth stood apart from the others, next to the
fire.
“Hello.” A young woman was sitting next to
her on the bed. Her voice was pleasant. “I’m Ponella. You’ve just
gotten over a terrible fever.” Her hair was brown and she was
dressed in simple clothes. There were old claw scars on her face.
“I’m told you used magic before that and need nourishment. We’ve
brought you some food,” she pointed out to bowls and plates set out
on the table. Tathan grabbed one and handed it to her.
She took a bite out of some cheese and
grabbed a slice of bread to go with it. Ponella watched Liselle
take the first few bites. “Good, you can eat. The rest of the
healing should go well now.” Ponella put the back of her hand on
Liselle’s forehead. “There’s no fever. How are your eyes?”
Liselle stared at the healer while chewing.
It always seemed like someone wanted to talk to her
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