by Jerry Skell
The captain's wife handled the meals. The captain, his wife, their four-year-old son David Michael, two men, a father, and son from the second cabin, two crewmen and Myrtle and Elodia sat for breakfast. They had been on the canal for twelve days. David Michael, as usual, sat next to Elodia talking to her.
"David Michael, you are talking that poor girl’s ears off," his mother said.
"I really don't mind at all Patricia," Elodia said. "He reminds me of my little brother." She gently ruffled his hair as he talked.
After the meal, Myrtle and Elodia helped with the dishes and clean up while the crew left the boat to tether it to the mules that would pull it along the canal. It only took a few minutes and they were off down the canal.
"It's unusually cold for this time of year," Patricia said as she dried the dishes as Elodia handed them to her. She kept a watchful eye on her son as he fearlessly climbed all over the boat.
"Will the canal freeze?" Elodia asked.
"It did a few years ago, but that was unusual. The water is just terribly cold. You are both heading for Bountiful?"
"I have family there," Myrtle replied.
"I understand you'll be continuing your studies to be a healer?" Patricia said looking at Elodia.
"That and hopefully reuniting with my fiancé."
Their progress halted as they entered a lock. They tied up to the side and waited while another down-bound barge slipped into the lock. David Michael used the event to jump repeated between the boats in spite of his parent's protests. Elodia sat on the cabin top and marveled as the water level dropped lowering the boats to the next canal. The mules were hitched and they continued westward.
Later in the day the captain and crew were off the boat to exchange the mules. This took place at least three times a day so they always had fresh mules. The mules were owned by the canal company and would hire them out. David Michael had been having a difficult day as he had enormous energy and curiosity. He had been leaning over the gunwales trying to entice ducks to take bread from his hand when he fell into the canal.
Patricia, witnessing the fall, immediately jumped in after him both disappearing in the muddy water. Elodia pulled off her boots and pulling her dress and petticoat off over her head jumped into the water. The initial shock of hitting the cold nearly freezing water drove the breath from Elodia. She allowed herself to sink and touching a person in the water grasped her in her arms and kicked hard to the surface with Patricia in her arms.
Patricia gasped and wept protesting as she was lifted on board. Myrtle had her lay on her side as she vomited river water. Elodia then made a series of dives to the bottom and on her third dive, she encountered David Michael. She held him tightly and pulled him to the surface. The child was lifted out of the water and laid on the deck, then Elodia was lifted out. Elodia was shivering and dripping wet as she knelt at his side. She breathed into his mouth as Myrtle felt for a pulse.
Again and again, she breathed into the child. Myrtle looked into her eyes and shook her head.
"NOOOO!" Elodia screamed as she reached out to the child. Her hands began to glow as she touched him. Myrtle joined her, her hands also glowing as they combined their skills, healer, and witch. Elodia felt her lungs fill with cold fluid as she realized she was taking the child's injury and accepted more and more until her breathing faltered. Elodia hoped to take all the child's injury, willing to die if need be to save David Michael.
Then David Michael took a breath, then a second and a third. Elodia was now shaking uncontrollably when one of the observers covered her nakedness with a blanket. Patricia and David Michael were wrapped in blankets and carried to their cabin. Then the captain lifted Elodia and carried her to her cabin. Myrtle added blankets to her. Then there was a knock at the cabin hatch and the captain handed a heated blanket to Myrtle. She added this to those already covering Elodia. The captain returned with a kettle of hot tea.
"Please thank the girl," he said.
Elodia's shivering had stopped and she was exhausted, "My socks! I must have kicked them off." Then she slept. Elodia did not sleep long. She sat up and sipped the hot tea, then dressed. She dried her hair, leaving it down and unbraided. "What happened Aunt Myrtle, my hands glowed."
"You're a witch Elody, just as I told you."
"Am I to be burned?" she asked her eyes wide with fear.
"Oh, no. Witches are appreciated here in the republic. To be more precise you're an empath Elody."
"An empath?"
"You can take the pain and injury of others into your own body, you can give comfort and together with a healer do wonderful things. It’s fraught with danger as you can die taking on too much. Many young empaths do. The temptation to throw caution to the wind to help will be great."
"Why didn’t I know this?" Elodia asked confused.
"You powers only emerged minutes ago. Your love for David Michael and your willingness to sacrifice your own life for him triggered it."
"I could feel the fluids from his lungs enter mine. I could feel his fear, I could even feel how cold he felt. I could feel myself falter for a minute, you also took some of the lung fluids? Davida was flying overhead wasn’t she?"
"Yes, there was quite a reaction seeing the dragon. I almost lost you so I assisted. My life force is no longer strong enough to be of much help, but a healer and a witch together are more powerful and can do wonders.”
"Once Davida knew I was safe she disappeared."
"Dragons can cloak, disappear in midair," Myrtle added.
"I'm starving, but I don’t know about ... ah,"
"They all saw you naked, you can hide in here and I will bring your dinner or you can brazen it out and come with me."
"I'll go," Elodia said blushing.
"ODIE, ODIE!" David Michael shouted as he ran to her, hugging her as she lifted him in her arms. Patricia then rushed to her weeping and adding her hug, then finally and more slowly the captain.
"Thank you Elody," the captain whispered. "Thank you for saving my family."
They finally reached Williamstown on a small bay on the Great Inland Lake. They took rooms at one of the town's inns. They planned to purchase passage on one of the lake schooners to Fareast. These plans were dashed as Myrtle became ill with a respiratory infection. A local healer was called and Elodia prayed for Myrtle's recovery.
Chapter 12 Eastpointe
"I'm so grateful that we could share the costs of the sleigh, my funds are getting low," Eli said as he sat across from Jacob and Susan.
"Glad we can help, the sleigh costs the same with one or a full load, besides we are all going to Eastpointe," Jacob replied.
"I was paid well to resupply the stations. If I'm lucky I'll hire on one of the narrowboats," Eli added.
"Elody told us how you would meet at that pond. Did you swim together?" Susan asked.
"No, she would come with her little brother Davey to swim. I would come later and eat with them and swim after they left. I had dinner at her mother's home several times. All I want now is to find her and find a place to live."
"You know Eli the Novi School has housing for journeyman," Jacob added.
"I have thought about that. I would rather rent something in Old Novi near the harbor. It's a matter of funds."
"I really don’t think Elody will care where you live," Susan said. "She would be happy in a cave with you."
"You think so?"
"That girl is in love Eli. You are all she talked about."
"Do you know where she might be?" Jacob asked.
"Five canals all meet at Eastpointe, all going to different ports in the lake. I'll just find a boat that will hire me and head west. Unless I can discover what canal she took. Either way, I know her destination."
The three friends parted at Eastpointe. Eli spent the day inquiring about two women traveling together without success. He hired on a narrowboat as a pole-man on a down bound run to Port Gratiot. The narrow boat would use an existing river for much of the run and the pole-man
assisted in the steering and powering through slower expanses of the river. A short canal would be used along with a lock where they worked their way around a waterfall. For that run, the pole-man would be the mules.
The trip was uneventful. Eli would inquire regarding two women traveling together at each stop and of every passing boat. The conversation everywhere was about the dragon. Another story about a witch was also common talk. Eli had little interest in either story. It took twenty-five days to reach Port Gratiot. Eli was paid and entered an inn in the port.
The inn was famous for its beer-battered fried fish and fried potato wedges. Eli sat enjoying his meal and some of the inn's equally famous ginger beer. Tomorrow he would try to hire on to one of the lumber schooners that regularly crossed the lake; one step closer to Elodia. Eli overheard a conversation taking place between two families sitting at the next table.
"Her name was Elody, she's a witch and saved my family."
"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt. Did you say her name was Elody?"
"Who's asking?"
"I'm sorry, my name is Elijah Lehmanson. I'm looking for a young woman named Elody who is traveling with my aunt." The woman sitting next to the man Eli had addressed suddenly stood and hugged him."
"Your Elody's Eli. She told us all about you. This is my husband Sam and my son David Michael. Call me Patricia," the woman said.
"Your woman saved my wife and son, she brought my son back after he done drown," Sam said. He then related the tale of Elody's intervention. We left her in Williamstown, just up the coast.
Eli was elated with the news. His first thought was to rush to Williamstown. But chances were, they had already embarked in one of the lake schooners. Eli barely slept that night. In the morning, he hired on to the lumber schooner, J.T. Wing, and headed across the lake.
Chapter 13 Dragon Flight
The healers came and went and Myrtle's condition continued to worsen. Elodia participated in a “laying-of-hands with the other healers and pleaded with Myrtle to allow her to try with her empath powers. These attempts also failed to improve her condition.
“Why Aunt Myrtle, why can’t I do anything?” Elodia asked in frustration.
“Healers and Empaths can do wonderful things Elody. But in the end, death always wins. It’s the way of all flesh. I will not have you squander your life in a vain attempt to save mine. Is that clear?” Elodia nodded. “Good, you have so much potential. I have enjoyed getting to know you.” Elodia sat with her and took care of her. She always had a smile and did her best to cheer the woman, but in her private moments, Elodia wept.
"I've always wanted a daughter," Myrtle whispered.
"You have six sons," Elodia said smiling as she held Myrtle's hand.
"I love you like a daughter Elody."
"Thank you, Aunt Myrtle," Elodia said with tears in her eyes, "I love you too."
Myrtle reached behind her neck and unclasped the necklace she always wore. Then gave it to Elodia. "Take this, I want you to have it." Elodia looked at the necklace. It was silver and oval in shape. It depicted a dragon hatching from an egg surrounded by flames.
"This beautiful Aunt Myrtle, I can't take it."
"It's yours, sister-daughter. You will take my place in the coven. You are the dragon rider." Elodia took the necklace, put it around her neck, and then kissed Myrtle. "You must leave me Elody. My journey has ended and yours begins."
"No. I will not leave you, Aunt Myrtle," Elodia wept.
Elodia went to have lunch after feeding Myrtle and waited for her to sleep. She sat on the bench close to the hearth. She had tears streaming from her eyes as she ate. She could not leave Myrtle. Then Davida broke into her thoughts, "Let me fly her home."
Elodia finished her meal. She went to the trading post and purchased a length of thick rope and assisted Myrtle to dress. "Can you walk as far as the courtyard?"
"To ride a dragon again I would crawl to the courtyard."
They dressed in several layers against the cold, then with Myrtle hanging on to Elodia they walked to the courtyard. All activity stopped when Davida landed. Everyone watched in awe. Elodia tied the rope around Davida's neck then assisted Myrtle to sit on the Dragon's neck as she climbed behind her on Davida's shoulder. Then taking the rope, she tied herself and Myrtle about the waist and attached it to the rope that encircled the dragon. Davida jumped into the air as they flew out over the lake.
"Where are we going?" Davida asked.
"Myrtle knows," Elodia replied. Myrtle closed her eyes and thought of her home remembering a dragon's flight taken in her youth. Davida, seeing the thoughts of the elder dragon rider, moved through time and space. They made a popping sound as they passed through an airless frozen void then with a second pop were flying high, circling Bell Isle and the city of Bountiful.
"How?" Elodia asked.
"Dragon magic!" Myrtle whispered. They continued to circle lower and lower as cheering crowds gathered to welcome the dragon. "Land there," Myrtle said as they very gently touched down. Several hands took hold of Myrtle.
"Take her inside, Ruth is waiting."
Elodia was intimidated by the sudden rush of eager hands all gently guiding her into a stone house.
"Come this way Dragon Rider," a woman said and Elodia was taken to a room on the second floor. "You can stay here for the present. Mother Ruth will call for you, rest for now." Elodia was left alone. She took off her red coat and shed her layers of clothing until she was down to her petticoat and red dress. Then she folded and put her other clothes on the bed along with her backpack, and she waited.
Elodia waited about four hours when an elderly woman knocked on the door. Elodia opened the door.
"I'm Mother Ruth, Myrtle's cousin."
"She told me about you, you're the coven leader. How's Aunt Myrtle"
"She passed child, shortly after arriving."
No, no, she," Elodia wept. Ruth held her.
"She was very grateful you brought her home Elody. Would you like to see her?" Elodia nodded and was taken to where Myrtle lay. "We'll have her funeral tomorrow. She told us all about you and your dragon, Davida?"
Elodia nodded unable to find words. She heard a loud argument going on in another room. "WHY do I have to mentor HER?" the young woman shouted angrily. "She just arrived and she already has the medallion. I'm almost through, I've worked hard. It’s not fair to me to be her DAMN BABYSITTER!" The young woman stormed past Elodia glaring at her.
"We need to talk Elodia, privately." She led Elodia to a small room. It had a desk and two chairs. "Please sit." Elodia sat after Ruth did.
"I have nothing, Aunt Myrtle was hoping I could continue my apprenticeship with you."
"You arrived, Elodia, with uncounted wealth," Ruth said as she smiled at her. Elodia looked puzzled. "Did you know your name means foreign riches?" Ruth continued smiling.
"Oh yes, my dragon. I've always liked my name, it sounds kind of musical."
"And Myrtle has left you all her belongings."
"What about her sons."
"She took care of them before she left on her mission. She has left you with five thousand pounds." Elodia's mouth dropped.
"My entire village never had that much."
"You need to be cautious. Jealousy can turn a good woman. Say little to anyone. Maryann Lehmandotter will be your mentor. She really does have a good heart. Try and see it through her jealousy. She is also an excellent teacher.
"Is she the one that passed us?" Ruth nodded. The next few days passed in a blur as Myrtle's funeral was held and she was laid to rest. Elodia was scheduled to meet with her mentor. She was apprehensive as she stood in front of Maryann as she sat, not looking at her face.
"OK, Elody is it?"
"Elodia actually but everyone calls me Elody."
"OK Elo-dia, recite the rubrics."
Elodia had recited them daily before a gentler instructor and knew them cold. She recited them word perfect.
"Now the nosodes." Again Elodia recite
d them word perfect. Maryann continued to fire questions at her regarding remedy choices, confirming symptoms and antidotes. The questioning went on for over three hours. Elodia knew she was doing well, but Maryann seemed unhappy. Then finally looking into Elodia's face she said, "Your knowledge base is marginally acceptable. I'll let Mother Ruth know. Being a healer is much more than simple recitation Elo-dia."
Elodia felt drained as she sat for lunch. She was starving and took good helping as the food was passed. Then she noticed everyone was watching her eat. She knew her table manners were exemplary, and 'I'm hungry,' she thought. So ignoring everyone she simply ate. Several days passed and no one spoke to her. The male students smiled at her, the girls just walked by. She had never in her life felt so alone. Eli had a sister who was in training but Elodia was afraid to inquire about her.
Three days later Elodia needed to simply get away. She summoned Davida. The dragon met her in an open field by a pond.
"I need to get away for a while Davida. Can you fly me somewhere?"
"Anywhere you like little one." Elodia climbed onto the dragon.
"Take me home."
Chapter 14 The J. T. Wing
The Wing, as every called her, was old. She had two doors on either side of her bow. These were used to load cargo. Eli and the crew spent two days loading lumber into the hold. Then the doors were closed and caulked tight. Deck cargo was then loaded with the stacked lumber reaching the height of six feet on the deck. Then they were off across the lake.
One man stayed at the great wheel while a second stood on the deck cargo giving locations of other ships also underway. The captain stood silently by the wheelman. They ate in two shifts. Each man keeping a four-hour watch. After the watch, they would check the cargo and take a turn at the pumps. Then they had eight hours off unless needed for pumping.
To say the Wing leaked was an understatement. Every four hours they needed to spend an hour pumping. The winds were from the north as the wing sailed slowly. They had fully reefed the sails to have room for the deck cargo. The sails were fully hoisted to the gaff head. This shortened the sails and kept the boom clear of the cargo. The Wing had three masts. Her ends were hogged and her paint chipped and peeling. But Captain Bruce paid well and the food was good. Eli felt lucky to find work.