The Healer and the Warrior

by Bekah Clark

  “I—” I broke off when Meg walked in with a tray full of meat and vegetables. My stomach growled loudly, and she grinned at me as she set the tray down and left quietly. Torric brought the food to me and I dug in with a furious need. After I devoured everything, I curled up on my side. I could feel the need to sleep taking me again. “I need to sleep a little more. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll be fine.”

  He tugged me to him. I felt myself drifting off. Softly, he stroked my back until I finally fell asleep.

  When I woke some time later, it was dark. Torric was asleep beside me, his arm still around my waist. Gently, I lifted it and laid it by his side. Moving slowly, I slipped out of the bed and pulled on a robe. I made my way to the bathing chamber, and closed the door behind me. When I came back out, I found Meg standing in the hallway, her arms crossed, and a critical eye on me. “Do you know how much you scared us?”

  I smiled weakly. “I didn’t mean to. I just couldn’t let one of them die.”

  Her hand softly grasped my arm. “I know. But you could have warned us that it would take so long.”

  “I didn’t know how long I’d be out…or that I’d even be asleep that long. I’ve never healed more than one person. I know it isn't wise, that we shouldn’t heal more than one person a day. I didn’t know why.”

  She clucked her tongue. “Are you telling me you put your life on the line for strangers?”

  “Well, I was pretty sure that I would live.”

  A frown twisted her lips. “Pretty sure? It would kill Torric if you didn’t wake up. Didn’t you think of that?” Her stern features reminded me of my mother when I’d been particularly naughty.

  “I’ll be honest—I didn’t think of anything other than the fact that if I healed the mother, she’d never get over my letting her child die, and that if I healed the infant, both Lizza and her baby brother would be raised without a mother. I couldn’t choose just one.”

  She sighed and shook her head, then came over and drew me into a warm hug. “You dear, sweet girl. Don’t do that again! Do you understand?”

  I looked away. It wasn’t like me to be able to walk away from healing someone in need. I didn’t think I could promise not to do it again.

  Meg grabbed my face and turned it toward hers. “Do you understand?”

  Frowning, I said, “I’ll try.”

  She let out a frustrated sigh. “You need to think about the people who will be devastated if you die. Or the people who won’t be healed because you made a choice that killed you.”

  “You mean like Donner?”

  “Our king needs you, yes. But what of all the lives you could save besides his? Once you’ve healed him, you can set up a place where you can heal again. Also, you told me about Kayla. Who is going to teach her if you die? What about those of us who care for you, what will we do if you die from doing something foolish?”

  I exhaled heavily and closed my eyes. She had many good points. Who knows how many lives would be lost if I died before my time? And my friends—they’d be sad. However…

  “It’s just so hard not to heal. And I felt like I could do it.”

  “I know. And you did do very good, dear. Please just be cautious in the future. Think of Torric and the rest of us before you make another rash decision.”

  I nodded and headed back to the room. I crawled slowly into the bed with Torric and burrowed into his side. His arm slipped around me and drew me close. I looked up to find him watching me. “Did you hear that?”

  He smiled softly. “I did. She’s right.”

  I cuddled into him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  “Listen, Donner might ask you to go to the front lines to heal our warriors. I’ll talk to him and explain how you can’t.”

  My lips contorted at the thought. “I can speak for myself, you know.”

  “I’m not saying you can’t. But Donner can be persuasive, and you worry about people too much.”

  I laughed and nuzzled his neck.

  He said, “Only when they took you to burn you as a witch had I been so scared.”

  “Well, I’m here now,” I whispered in his ear, “and I’m not going anywhere. Well, except to see Donner.”

  “I feel like locking you up,” he growled.

  “If you want to drive me away, that’s the way to do it.”

  He laughed softly. “Lass, do think I’d actually follow through on that?”

  A smile flirted with my lips. “No. I know you’d never hurt me. Of that, I’m absolutely certain.”

  He squeezed me to him “Just don’t scare me like that again.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  He growled before falling silent. His arms drew me tighter to him. The tension rolling off him was palpable. I stroked over his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly. Softly, I hummed to him as I ran my hand over his arm. It took some time, but eventually he relaxed under my gentle touch. We rested there, wrapped in each other’s arms. I was no longer tired after all the sleep I had gotten, but soon he was snoring again. I watched the sky out the window. A few stars were twinkling in the night, and I could hear the wind playing with chimes in the distance.

  I felt at peace, safe, and warm in Torric’s arms. I wasn’t sure how long he would want to be with me. For that matter, I wasn’t sure if, for him, this was love or caring mixed with lust. And even though I loved him, I decided I didn’t care how long I had with him. I wasn’t going to dwell on tomorrow. Instead, I was going to enjoy what time I had with him. However long that time might be.

  As the sky slowly brightened and the glorious colors of dawn painted the heavens, I felt Torric’s arm slowly tighten around me. When I examined his face, he was asleep, but I could sense a stirring in him. Slowly, he woke. The more aware he became, the tighter his grip grew around me. Just as his eyes were about to open, I softly kissed him. His kiss was slow and languid. And then, it was urgent.

  Desire flooded through me. He rolled me onto my back and deepened the kiss. My hand slipped through his hair and down his back, fingertips caressing every defined muscle. He was still in his pants, having crawled into bed dressed after I woke. My hands slipped around to the front of his leathers and started on the laces. Suddenly, he grasped my hands and pulled away from the kiss. He frowned down at me. “Lass, you’re not ready for this.”

  “You don’t know that.” I pouted up at him and he let out a soft laugh. Gently, he stroked my hair back and kissed my brow. Then he wrapped me up in a blanket.

  “Your head is still aching.”

  I frowned up at him. “How would you know that?”

  He put his finger right between my eyebrows and softly massaged the area. “You get the cutest little furrow right here when your head is aching.”

  I blinked in surprise. “That’s quite an observation.”

  A bright twinkle of amusement sparkled in his emerald eyes. “I miss very little when it comes to you. I’ll go get some breakfast and tea from Meg, and I’ll be back. Wait here.” He kissed my temple gently and got up. He paused at the door and glanced at me. A flash of delight tore through me. He shook his head. “You make it very difficult to let you be.”

  “Good. Because I don’t want you to ever let me be.”

  His smile warmed my heart. For a moment, it seemed like there was something he wanted to say, but then he shook his head and walked out of the room.

  Looking around the area, I had a feeling that I would not go out for a couple of days, at the very least. Lying back down, I took a deep breath and decided it was for the best. Despite my advances, I felt worn down, and my head pulsated with each beat of my heart. I wouldn’t tell them, but a few days of rest were just what I needed.

  Chapter Eighteen

  After two days trapped in the room with only the bathing chamber as my one escape, I was going crazy. Torric was worried, and since my headache was lingering, I didn’t fight him on it. It was on the third day that Torric and Vonn went out. After I washed, I quickl
y dressed and went downstairs, where Meg was kneading dough in the kitchen. She smiled brightly when she saw me. “There you are. I was wondering if you’d ever leave that room again.”

  I grinned and replied sweetly, “Don’t blame me. Blame Torric.”

  She frowned. “You know very well it was your own fault.”

  With a shrug, I grabbed some bread before taking a seat at the table. Watching her as she took the dough, put it in a bowl, and covered it with a small, colorful tea towel to let it rise for a bit, I smiled. Meg made me wonder what it would have been like to have an older sister. She was warm and kind, and in these days that I had been in Pheon, she had made me feel most welcome. I frowned.

  “What are you thinking of, dear?”

  “That I’m going to miss you.” My breath snagged on the last word, and I turned away to hide the moisture in my eyes.

  She stopped and smiled warmly at me. “I’ll miss you, too. So you have to come and visit.”

  Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “I will. I promise.”

  Sunlight streamed through the window, and I peeked out. The sky was bright, and the air that came through the opening was clear and clean. It was a perfect day, and I was tired of being in the house. My eyes drifted back over to Meg, but she was busy working. I debated. On one hand, I wanted to help her. On the other, I was so tired of the enforced rest that I needed to get out before I lost my mind. “Meg, do you need anything at the market?”

  She paused and looked at me. Then she laughed with a twinkle in her eyes. “You’re tired of being in here, hmm? If I let you go out and buy what I need, do you promise not to run off and heal someone?”

  A scowl took me. “You know I can’t promise that. If someone is before me in need of healing, I can’t help it.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “All right, if someone is wounded right before you, I understand. However, if you hear of someone injured, will you please at least come get me first?”

  Delight flushed through me and rang in my voice. “That I can do.”

  She regarded me for a long moment and then added, “Torric’s going to be angry, so hurry back before noon to soothe him.”

  I bounced up and hugged her tightly. “Thank you.”

  As I turned, she called out, “Wait! Let me tell you what I need and give you some money.”

  After I wrote down her list and had some money in my pocket, I set out with a spring in my step and a satchel on my hip. It had been some time since I had gone shopping alone. Back in Vella, before Torric had taken me, I did everything alone. And while I did not miss that lonely life, I was excited to go wandering off in a village alone. Pheon seemed like the perfect place to roam.

  As I made my way down the lane, I moved along unhurriedly as I took everything in. When I had gone with Meg, I hadn’t had the opportunity to really pause and examine the buildings. Whereas Vella had very plain buildings with bright red doors, Pheon was alive with color. I saw homes in all manner of colors. Blues, reds, greens, yellows, and every other color in between lined the road. Many of the homes had intricately carved doors. Some had brightly painted columns that held aloft large second-floor verandas covered in plants. I wanted to climb onto one of them to see if they were gardens.

  The market was much as I remembered. I found the fabric store and perused the various bolts of some of the most amazing weaving I had ever seen. I let my hand softly caress the fabric and wondered at its softness. I smiled and imagined a dress made out of the vibrant blue. I was quite sure Torric would like it on me.

  “Are you looking to make a dress?” A sweet-faced, elderly woman came over to me. She was just a little shorter than I was and had amazingly bright amber eyes. She smiled, and it was so infectious, I grinned back.

  “Sadly, no. I’m just browsing.”

  Her eyes lit up in recognition and she beamed. “You’re that healer.”

  “What?”

  With knowing eyes she said, “I saw you with Meg the other day, and I heard from Lizza how you saved her mother. I’ll give you the fabric, dear. That you’d do such a thing for Cyn and her family is a rare thing. From your hair, I suppose you’re trying to hide you’re a healer and yet you exposed yourself.”

  “Healing is a gift that always needs to be freely shared,” I repeated my mother’s words.

  “Indeed. Are you shopping today?”

  I beamed brightly at her. “Just picking up some things for Meg. But your fabrics were so lovely I had to look.”

  “You go and shop. When you come back here, I’ll have some fabric ready for you to pick up.”

  I felt tears spring to my eyes. In Vella, no one ever praised me for a healing other than my family. Here, in this faraway place, a woman was so grateful for my work, she wanted to give me a gift. I wiped my eyes and took her hand. “You don’t have to do that. But I do thank you.”

  “No, you’re right. I don’t have to do this. I want to. Now, get out of my store so I can get to work.”

  I laughed and gave her a grateful hug, which she warmly returned. After I got her name, I said, “Thank you, Cera, for your kindness. I truly appreciate it.”

  She smiled back at me and I turned, strolling out into the hustle of the market. I made my way along the well-worn path and stopped next at a spice trader’s store. Within the shop, the air was heavy with the rich scent of the exotic spices. I told the man behind the counter what Meg had wanted to purchase, and I wandered while he prepared them for me. While there were many seasonings I knew, there were also many exotic spices and blends that I had never encountered before. Heady scents filled the air, and their many colors were rich and vibrant. By the time I had my purchases in the satchel and paid for them, I loathed leaving. There were other items on my list, however, and so I was off.

  I spent the better part of my time slowly wandering from shop to shop. However, as I moved along the way, a cold shiver ran up my spine. Glancing around, I searched the crowd but didn’t notice anyone. Deciding I was being a bit paranoid, I shook it off and moved on to the next vendor to order some flour for delivery to Meg’s home. I smiled as I let the chattering of vendors and consumers flood over me. It seemed that, just like the market back home, people exchanged all sorts of news and gossip as they shopped.

  “Healer!” A small girl’s voice rang out behind me, and I turned to find little Lizza running up to me. Her eyes were bright with her happy smile. I paused and waited for her.

  “Lizza, you look happy. How’re your mother and baby brother?”

  Her happy smile turned into a huge grin as she replied. “Very well, thanks to you!”

  Her smile was so sunny that I found myself grinning down at her. Gently, I stroked the top of her hair. Tilting my head, I asked, “Would you like to go get a sweet?”

  Her eyes lit up. “Yes, please!”

  She skipped beside me as we walked down toward the baker who had set up a little stall to sell some confections. Once we arrived, I waited while she picked one. I chose a little chocolate cake with creamy vanilla frosting. Armed with our goodies, the two of us found a bench and ate. The cake was so delicious that I craved another piece before I even finished the one I was eating. Lizza ate hers up in three quick bites. She chattered to me about how adorable her baby brother was, but also how he cried about everything.

  I chuckled. “Well, that’s how they tell you they need something. Make sure you take good care of the two of them.”

  She jumped off the bench grinning and said in a singsong voice, “I will.”

  As she ran off, amusement threatened to bubble out of me. I wondered briefly if I would have a child one day—and if I did, what he or she would be like. Would that precious one be a healer like me? I didn’t know. I did know that I hoped that I was still with Torric when that day came.

  Rising, I stretched before heading off down the market way. Inhaling the rich and varied scents while listening to the town gossip, I was content. Back home, I had never been content. Going to the market was usually a hurried exp
erience where I got what I needed and got home as quickly as possible. Here, I was enjoying the warmth of this village.

  An arm suddenly wrapped around me and I looked up to find a strange man staring down at me with a grin that sent a shiver down my spine. He had long, matted, oily black hair held back in a braid. A long, scruffy beard covered most of his face, and his gray eyes had a wild gleam to them. He chuckled down at me, his putrid breath turning my stomach, and then he started hauling me along. In a quick, low voice he whispered, “Don’t scream now. I really don’t want to hurt you. But I will. I will.”

  As fear sunk its ugly claws into me, my mouth was too dry to even swallow. My eyes darted around wildly. As we passed the fabric shop, Cera started to call out to me and then frowned. I met her eyes and beseeched the Spirits to make sure that my fear got through to her. And that she conveyed to Torric that I’d been taken. Again. I was such a fool. I thought that here, in this village, I’d be safe. Instead, a strange man was roughly dragging me into an alley. My bones rattled as I shook. He laughed in my ear.

  I took a deep shuddery breath. “What do you want?”

  “Why, I want you, healer.” His voice was low, but it rang with all the hallmarks of an unsteady mind. That was one thing I couldn’t cure.

  “What do you want me for? Does someone need healing?” Instead of replying, he cackled as we made our way down one alley and into the next. My breath started to come in quick gasps. Even if Cera had seen which alley we went down, who knew where this man would drag me? Once he brought me into a building, Torric would not be able to find me—at least not in time.

  I tried to stall. “So someone does need healing?”

  He grinned down at me, and his sour breath washed over me. I gagged as he answered, “Many people need healin’, and you’re gonna make me a fortune!”

  My eyes went wide in surprise. “You…what’re you going to do with me?”

  “Once we get to my cart, I’m tyin’ you up and we’re headin’ out of here. We’ll travel together, you and me. When there are people needin’ healin’, you’ll do it. And I’ll reap the rewards.” He gave me an appreciative grin. “I’ll wait, but eventually you’ll learn to want me.”