by P. C. Cast
Mari grinned at Sora. “Then we’ll drag him back in here.”
“Well, there’s a bright spot in the evening. I’ll go get you that indigo root.” Sora paused at the door. Quietly, she said, “After this—after you heal the blight—can he leave then?”
“Yes. He can leave then.”
“Finally. I’ll be quick.”
* * *
“’Splain this to me again,” Nik slurred.
Mari took firm hold of her patience and answered him. Again. “I’ve repacked your wounds with the poultice my mother said cures the blight. But she also notes that the patient needs to spend time in the moonlight. So Sora and I are going to blindfold you again, and guide you to a place outside where you’ll be safe. I’ll give you a potion out there, and you can sit in the moonlight and cure the blight. Understand?”
“Nope,” he said sleepily. “Don’t. Understand.”
“How about this—you do what Mari says and you live. You don’t and you die. It’s really that simple,” Sora said. “Understand?”
Nik squinted at Sora, blinked several times, and then said. “You don’t like me.”
“Like has nothing to do with it. Trust does,” Sora said.
“I like Mari more than you.” Nik spoke slowly and carefully.
Mari covered her laugh with a cough. “What we’re asking you to do might seem strange to you, but my mother was a great Healer. Trust me, Nik. I know I can heal you.”
Nik’s mossy gaze met hers, and for a moment his eyes were completely lucid. “I trust you, Mari.”
Mari swallowed through the sudden dryness that filled her mouth. He was telling her the truth. Nik did trust her.
“I’m not going to let you down,” Mari said. “I am sorry that you’re going to have to walk. I know you’re in pain.”
“Hhhhhardly at all!” Nik slurred happily.
“Well, that’s good,” Mari said. “Okay, let’s get you to the door.” Nik leaned on her and they made their way slowly to the door. Before Sora opened it, Mari propped Nik against the wall of the burrow while she lifted the strip of cloth that she would tie around his head, covering his eyes.
“Don’t really need to do that,” Nik said, grinning at her. “Won’t tell anyone where you live.”
“No one can know where Healers live,” Mari told him. “Not even the Clan.”
“Sssseems fair I can’t either then. Okay! Blind me.”
He swayed forward so that Sora and Mari had to right him before he toppled over. Then, quickly, Mari tied the cloth around his face.
“Can Rigel come?” Nik asked, moving his head blindly around.
“Yes, of course. He’ll be right there with you while you soak up the moonlight,” Mari assured him.
“And soak up the potion,” Sora said in an exaggerated whisper.
“Sssssora, I do not trust,” Nik said.
“Sssh,” Mari told him. “Concentrate on staying upright and walking. Keep your arms close to me or to your side. We’re going to be walking through a lot of brambles. Got it?”
Nik nodded, which made him stagger—which also made him groan with pain as he stepped down too hard with his wounded leg.
“Hold tight to me.” Mari put his arm around her shoulder and slid her arm around his waist, taking weight off his leg.
“That’ssss better,” Nik said. “I like holding tight to you.”
Sora shook her head and looked like she was close to taking her walking stick and hitting Nik with it. Mari quickly said, “I’m ready, Sora.”
Sora led the way through the brambles. She only hesitated twice, and both times chose the correct path before Mari had to remind her. Mari was surprised at how good the girl had gotten at finding her way through the mazelike thicket, and made a mental note to tell her so—later.
It was slow going and they had to rest often, but they made it up to the clearing where Mari led Nik to the Goddess statue and helped him take a seat on the thick grass carpeting the ground in front of it. She untied his blindfold and while he was blinking and rubbing his eyes, she took the mug of tea laced with cannabis and juice of the poppy from Sora.
“Okay, Nik. Drink this and then make yourself comfortable.”
Nik reached for the mug, but stopped as his vision cleared. He stared around them, wide, blurry eyes taking in the neat little clearing, the bramble walls, and the Goddess image that seemed to be emerging gracefully from the ground.
“Am I dreaming?”
“Yes, you are,” Sora said.
“Can Rigel be part of my dream?”
Mari frowned at Sora, but answered Nik. “Yes, he can.” Without her having to say anything to him, the young canine padded to Nik and lay down beside him. The man smiled and rested a hand on the pup’s soft coat. Mari felt a little unexpected jolt at the picture they made together. In the moonlight Nik didn’t look so pale and sick. His blond hair was mussed and fell over one of his eyes. He tried to brush it away—unsuccessfully—and then he sighed heavily, reminding Mari of a young boy—a very handsome young boy. She mentally shook herself. “Drink the tea, please, Nik,” she said.
Blinking hard, Nik looked from Rigel to Mari. “Rigel trusts you. I trust you,” he finally said. “I’ll drink anything you give me.” Then he took the mug from her and gulped the bitter potion. He lay back, looking up at the Goddess and petting Rigel slowly. “Beautiful,” he said in a dreamy voice that was oddly free of slurring. “She’s so beautiful. Reminds me of you, Mari. Solid. Trustworthy. But strange. Very strange…” His voice trailed off as his hand stilled, his eyes closed, and his breathing deepened to soft snores.
Sora walked up to him and poked his foot with her walking stick. When he didn’t react, she smiled at Mari. “That was really fast. How much of that stuff did you give him?”
“Enough to make sure he won’t wake up in the middle of us drawing down the moon.” Mari wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her sleeve. “He’s a lot heavier than he looks.”
“Yes, he is. Also, he’s got a thing for you,” Sora said.
“He does not! He’s sick, in massive pain, and I’ve filled him full of drugs. Nothing he said means anything.”
Sora snorted.
“Are you ready to do this?” Mari asked.
“If it gets him out of our burrow—yes. I’m more than ready.”
“All right.” Mari went to Nik and sat beside him, close to Rigel’s warmth. Gently, she turned Nik so that she could press her hand against the poulticed and bandaged spear wound. The other hand she held up for Sora to take. “Let’s start.”
“But you should be here and I should be where you are,” Sora said.
Mari smiled at her. “You can do this. Just like with the fern, only imagine that I’m the fern and you’re drawing down the moon to flow through you and pool into me. I’ll take it from there and send it into Nik.”
“Are you sure you shouldn’t—”
“I’m sure you can do it. Just like you can pick your way through a forest of brambles and lead us up here. I believe in you, Sora.”
Sora blinked quickly and looked away from Mari. Mari thought she saw the sheen of tears in the girl’s gray eyes, but when she looked back at her Sora was smiling. “I’m ready. And I can do this.”
Sora clasped Mari’s hand and began the incantation. Mari closed her eyes, listening with pleasure to Sora’s steady voice. She didn’t falter one time. She’d memorized the entire drawing-down spell. As Sora repeated the familiar words, Mari deepened her breathing. Easily slipping into her imagination, she drew within her mind a scene that showed silver moonlight cascading like a magnificent waterfall into Sora’s raised palm. She sketched Sora glowing with light and then made that light pour into herself, Washing through her body as well, to pool within Nik so that he was illuminated with the moon’s majesty. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, seeing in her mind the wound on Nik’s back turning from putrid and rotting to healing pink flesh. Then, keeping her eyes closed and maintaining the drawing in her mi
nd, she walked her hand down Nik’s body, from the wound on his back to the wound on his leg. She pressed her palm to it, imagining it, too, healing.
Mari had no idea how long the three of them stayed like that, connected through touch and power and imagination. She only knew when Sora sank to her knees beside her and pried their hands apart.
“It’s done. I can’t hold it anymore,” Sora said quietly, sounding utterly exhausted.
Mari opened her eyes, coming back to herself. She was ravenous and thirsty. Her gaze went to Nik. He was sound asleep.
“Do you think it worked?” Sora asked.
“Let’s drag him back to the burrow and see.”
“I’m so glad you said drag,” Sora said. “I’m not taking his head, though. I don’t like being close to his face.”
“What’s wrong with his face? I don’t think he’s ugly,” Mari said, struggling to her feet. Actually, I think he’s handsome, she thought, but refused to say aloud.
“He’s a Companion. They’re all ugly. Except you, of course. You have some Earth Walker in you, which saves you from looking completely like one of them.”
“Thank you. I think.”
Mari bent and took hold of Nik’s limp body under his arms while Sora hefted his legs.
“You know what we need to figure out?” Sora said as she panted and pulled with one hand, and with the other she used the thick walking stick to hold aside the thick bramble boughs.
“What?” Mari asked.
“We need to figure out how to wrap a rope around your creature’s chest so that he can help us drag bodies and whatnot.”
“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Mari said and then laughed at the expression on her young Shepherd’s furry face.
* * *
“It worked!” Sora exclaimed. Nik stirred and murmured something unintelligible. She frowned at him and dropped her voice to a whisper. “The black things are gone, and so are those pus things.”
“They’re called ulcerations. And the black things were spores.” Mari closed the bandage over the poultice on Nik’s leg, and then straightened, stretching her back.
“Ulcerations and spores. Got it. Can we eat now?”
“I hope so. Is the stew ready?”
“Yes it is, and I added more spice to it this time.” Sora hurried to the hearth and began ladling fragrant stew into their bowls. Mari’s mouth was watering in expectation of Sora’s increasingly delicious cooking when she sat next to the girl and began eating enthusiastically.
“This is good. Really good,” Mari said between bites.
“Thank you,” Sora said. Then she threw Nik a sideways glance. “How long is he going to stay asleep?”
Mari shrugged. “Last time he was out for an entire day. Hard to tell this time, but his body is healing quickly. Sleep will only help, but awake means he’ll be leaving soon. Sora, he knows Jenna,” Mari said.
Sora’s eyes widened. “What? How?”
“He told me that he was with the group of Hunters that captured her.” Mari glanced at Nik. He looked like he was soundly asleep. Still, she scooted closer to Sora and kept her voice low. “He wanted to know why we’re not helpless and dying of sadness like the others they capture, and why Jenna talked to him.”
“Talked to him? Huh?”
“That night—that awful night Xander was killed and Jenna captured—it was just after I’d Washed both of them. So Jenna was totally herself when they took her.”
“Just like Xander knew exactly what he was doing when he attacked them and tried to save Jenna.”
Mari took a big bite of stew and nodded, not wanting to remember that Xander had tried to save her, too. Not wanting to remember Xander’s look of disbelief and hate when he’d realized Rigel was with her.
“What did you say?”
“Say?” Mari shook herself mentally.
“When he asked you why we’re normal?” Sora said.
“I told him slavery kills us.”
“Well, that’s a version of the truth. Do you think there’s any way you can talk him into setting Jenna free?” Sora asked.
“I don’t know, but I’ll try.”
“You can’t let him know we’re Moon Women,” Sora whispered.
“I won’t,” Mari said.
“It’s forbidden. You know it’s forbidden for a Companion to know anything about Moon Women,” Sora insisted.
“I know that. Sora, don’t be crazy. I’m going to find out everything I can about Rigel and Jenna, and then, once his wounds have healed enough, I’m going to blindfold him and lead him out of here.” They ate in silence until Mari added, “You really did good tonight. I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you!” Sora covered her mouth when her exclamation had Nik stirring restlessly. Then, whispering again, she told Mari, “It was so much easier tonight. I did what you said—I pictured the moonlight traveling through me and filling you up, just like the fern, and it actually happened.”
“You’re doing it,” Mari said. “You’re becoming a Moon Woman.”
Sora’s smile was brilliant. “Because of you. All because of you.”
“Not really. I’m just following Mama’s teachings. She’d have been better at this than me.”
“I’m not sure you’re right about that, but I don’t want to argue with my teacher,” Sora said.
“Since when?” Mari teased.
“Since now. Don’t worry, though, I’m sure that’ll change.”
The girls grinned at one another. With a jolt of surprise, Mari realized that she was actually smiling. A lot. And enjoying Sora’s company. I’m not so alone anymore, she thought, and then, not sure she wanted to be attached to anyone except Rigel, Mari pushed the thought aside, saying, “I didn’t hear any shrieks from roaming males tonight, did you?”
“Early, when I was healing the fern I heard some, but only faintly. They came from the southwest and it sounded like there were maybe two or three different voices, and not the half dozen or so we’ve been hearing until now.”
Mari wiped her hands and retrieved the journal she’d begun what seemed like so, so many nights ago when she’d first heard the cries. “Three different voices, distant, coming from the southwest. That’s it?” She glanced up from the page at Sora.
“Yes, that’s it. Except for…”
Mari put the quill down and returned to sit next to Sora. “Except for what?”
“Mari, I think it’s time we try to find some of the Clanswomen.” When Mari opened her mouth to speak, Sora cut her off. “Wait, hear me out.” Mari sat back, crossing her arms over her chest, and Sora continued, “You said my next step is people. So, I need people to heal.”
“Which you helped me do tonight.”
“I said hear me out.”
Mari nodded and motioned for Sora to continue.
“I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. It’s been long enough since Leda’s been gone that the Clanswomen will be overwhelmed with sadness. I could try to wash the sadness from them. That’s all—nothing fancy. It wouldn’t be much different from what we did tonight, right?”
“Well, it’s a little more complicated than that, especially if there’s a whole horde of melancholy Clanswomen swarming you and begging to be Washed.”
“Then I’ll make sure I’m not swarmed. Here’s my plan—I’ll go to the birthing burrow today, before sunset. There are what, four women in the Clan who are near their time?”
Mari moved her shoulders. “I’m not positive, but that sounds about right.”
“I’ll talk with them and see what kind of shape they’re in. Then I’ll come back here and explain to you what I found, and you can tell me what I need to do.”
“They’re all going to need to be Washed,” Mari said. “And they might need other healing. I just don’t know what happens to one of the women if she has had no Moon Woman, and she goes into labor. Sora, I’m not sure if a woman would have the will to give birth if she hasn’t been Washed regularly of the Night
Fever.”
“Then come with me. Bring Leda’s medicine bag. Between the two of us we can handle whatever might happen in the birthing burrow,” Sora said.
“I need to stay here.”
“You said you were done hiding.”
“I’m not staying here because I’m hiding. I’m staying here because of him.” Mari jerked her chin in Nik’s direction.
“Make Rigel watch him and come with me. The Clanswomen are more important than him,” Sora said.
“Why don’t we get some sleep and then I’ll see how he’s doing?” Mari said.
“Okay, yes, we need to get some sleep. If he’s awake when we’re ready to leave, drug him again. Then you can come with me without worrying about him getting past your creature.” Sora glanced at Rigel, who was lying beside Nik’s pallet. “I can see why you’re worried, though. Your creature really seems to like him.”
Rigel lifted his head, looking from Mari to Sora, obviously understanding that they were talking about him. Mari smiled at the young canine. “I told you before, Rigel would never leave me, if that’s what you mean about me being worried. I just don’t want Rigel to have to try to stop Nik from leaving. I mean, what would Rigel do to him?”
“The creature could bite him. I’d give a lot to see that,” Sora said.
“I don’t want Rigel to bite him. I just want Nik to get well enough to walk out of here—after he’s answered all my questions.”
Rigel stood, stretched, and then padded over to squeeze between Mari and Sora, who were still sitting close enough that they could whisper to one another.
Sora grimaced and tried to scoot away. “Every time I get near him your creature gets his fur all over me.”
“Nik says it’s because of the change of seasons, and after questioning him today I know how to comb out his coat.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Rigel looked up at Sora and then sneezed all over her mostly empty bowl of stew.
“Oh, yuck. The creature is disgusting.” She plopped the bowl in front of the pup. Wagging, his tail, he gulped the rest of her sneeze-covered stew.
“He’s smart about getting more food, that’s for sure. And that’s something else Nik told me about today. Gotta watch how much he eats,” Mari said, patting Rigel affectionately. She stood then, putting her empty bowl by the hearth. “Okay, let’s get a little sleep, then I’ll see what kind of shape Nik is in.”