*****
My eyes opened at the first sight of morning. The air smelled fresh, the birds chirped in the trees, and I was in the enemy camp sleeping on a fluffy mattress. I rolled over and stretched my limbs. I felt grimy from all the dirt the night before. What I wouldn’t give for a shower.
“Miss Prudence.” Marshall’s voice said from the sitting area.
“Yes Marshall?” I asked as I put my arms back at my side.
“I have laid out your clothes for the day as well as your shower supplies. There is a creek nearby you can bathe in. It’s shaded by the trees so nobody can see.” I heard footsteps on the ground edging their way towards my sleep area.
“You are too good to me.” I said as I saw his face round the corner. He had bathed himself and his clothes were clean, well as clean as they could be.
“Let me help you.” He offered me a hand and I willingly took it allowing the shifter boy to help me out of bed. The gowns skirt dropped to the floor and I breathed in deep. His eyes were lingering on my chest and the thin fabric that was covering it.
“Hand me my robe if you don’t mine Marshall it’s in the second drawer on the right.” I pointed towards the wardrobe and he did as told. I wrapped the robe around myself and left the bed area as Marshall grabbed my clothing and bathing supplies.
He led me down a narrow path to a pool of water. I looked at it longingly as he handed me my shampoo and lavender body wash. I created a table out of the tree roots around the pool and had Marshall place the towel and my clothes on it.
“Go back to camp and unpack my makeup I will need that as soon as I finish.” He turned and ran back to the tent leaving me to the water and its delightfulness.
I raised my hands and created walls from the forest around me. Nobody could get in and nobody could see over the top, I had my own personal bathing pool. I disrobed quickly and waded into the water. I felt as if the dirt was falling off my body as I submerged myself in the glory of the pool. I washed every crevice and scrubbed my face and hair clean. I swam around the pool for a bit before getting out and wrapping the towel around my body as I pulled the clothing that he had picked for me.
Not bad for a boy I might add. A blue silk V-neck that hugged every curve of my body from my chest to my hips. He had also chosen a pair of flare legged jeans that I didn’t remember seeing in the bag. I dressed slowly putting my tennis shoes back on my feet and lacing them up. Rubbing the last bit of water from my hair I waved my hand and a door appeared in the makeshift wall allowing me to pass through.
I entered my tent again and placed the gown and robe on my bed. Marshall had done as I had instructed and I quickly began on my face. The lines around my eyes not to dark and the eye shadow a pale blue to match the shirt. I ran a brush through my short blonde hair and fixed it to curl under my ears.
“Absolutely beautiful.” John’s voice made me jump as I turned to look at him with a cruel expression.
“You should not sneak up on a woman as she dresses.” I said to him my eye burning.
“I was not meaning to sneak.” He apologized. “I merely wanted to see your face this morning.”
“You have seen it.” I said as electricity pulsated across my fingers.
“You excite me so Miss Prudence.” He smiled at me wickedly. This was the John that I had known in that alleyway. This was the John that pulled from me the innocence I had fought so hard to keep.
“You anger me so Mr. Borrows.” I said back at him as he took two steps back.
“JOHN!” The voice was harsh but it was Miranda’s. His head shot to the right as the red head entered my tent.
“Yes?” He asked his attitude changing.
“Leave us!” She demanded. John gave a bow and left the tent but not before turning back to look at me through the sheer fabric half a dozen times.
Miranda stood there in a yellow dress her green eyes were livid. I assumed however they were not meant for me as they softened when he left the tent.
“He’s a determined man.” I said dryly glancing at her.
“Great they fit you.” She said looking at my jeans.
“I knew I had not packed jeans.” I laughed softly. “Yes they fit quite nicely.”
“I had John purchase them this morning. You will find they fit better here in the woods.” She smiled. “I figured you would want to meet the others.”
“Of course.” I looked around the room fighting the urge to make the bed myself.
“Follow me then.” She said as she led the way out of the tent and into the sunlight.
“Tell me then, how many do you have here?” The cries had begun again and I could see the tear stained faces of the prisoners they kept in their wooden jail cells.
“We have about two hundred men and just as many prisoners.” She said pointing towards the cells.
“You said some of your men were ill?” I asked as we walked down rows of tents towards the sounds of clanging metal.
“Yes. They are in our hospital tent.” She said pointing towards a white structure at the furthest point from us.
“What ails them?” I asked softly.
“Some of them have gone blind, some of them are taken by bouts of vomiting blood.” She held her nose. “Dysentery is another issue. Many of these people never had proper medical treatment due to the lack of doctors of their kind.”
“That’s unfortunate.” I said keeping pace with her strides. For a short woman she walked briskly.
“Very much so. My doctors work around the clock but they are worn out, their magic drained.” She shook her head.
“When will we go there?” I asked as she kept leading me towards the battle cries.
“Soon. First I want you to meet the ones that are well. It’s less depressing that way.” She said as we cleared another row of trees.
“Understandable.” I nodded as she came to a stop. There were probably one hundred and fifty men fighting side by side Wesley running around frantically handing them weapons and bandaging wounds.
“He is a man of many talents.” She smiled seductively. “As you will learn this evening.”
“You keep him busy that is for sure.” I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and looked out towards the field as swords clashed together and arrows flew at makeshift targets.
“I have to. As long as he moves he is more apt to have visions.” She pointed out. “He will have four or five a day if I keep him busy. Always with the drawing he is.”
“How often did you feed from him?” I asked her as she leaned against a tree and watched her men spar.
“It was every night until I put him in a coma. After that I had to be careful. His soul is bound to me but he still fights it. What he does now is only meant to keep him alive. He will tell me anything I want to know.” She crossed her arms and looked at me smugly. “With you here though his blood count should increase. This of course depends on how much of him you need to sustain your power.”
“I won’t need much. With age comes glory.” I smiled at her and she laughed.
“I have been on this Earth for a very long time Miss Prudence, it is a rare honor to meet someone that has been on this Earth longer than me.” She pointed towards two men. “See them there?”
“Yeah.” I followed her finger.
“Those are my two best fighters. When my mother called for volunteers they chose to stay by my side. John took control of one group for a while until his friend Trissa took over and he returned to me. Loyalty is a must among my men. Then there are lap dogs like Marshall.” She groaned. “Good boy by all means but he is too kind hearted. Will not pick up a weapon but with his power he can turn into just about anything I require.”
“He is a good boy.” I agreed.
“He is only here because of his sister. He’s loyal yes. However, his heart lies somewhere else.” She glanced towards the white tent.
“What do you mean?” I asked raising an eyeb
row. I had already figured this out on my own but knowing that she felt the same power and energy from him concerned me. That meant that no matter what he was not safe here.
“He and his family were traveling towards the Warden’s location. His sister was the only one that seemed favorable for our side.” Miranda shrugged and pushed past the subject. “You ready to meet the sick ones?”
“Of course.” I agreed as she pushed herself away from the tree and began walking towards the structure.
We walked side by side and entered a large white tent, the smell was overwhelming as we walked between the two rows of cots. Each bed was filled with the ill; and the nurses, many of them male, were running around trying to make the others comfortable. They all looked at me with pale faces and dull eyes. Against my best nature my heart went out to them. It didn’t matter that they were considered the enemy. Nobody deserved to be in this state.
“My bed side manner may be a bit rusty.” I said as I tried not to touch anyone. The smell was making my stomach turn.
“That’s fine. Many of these men have a crappy attitude.” She growled at one of them who stuck out his tongue and flipped her off.
“Whatever I can do to help I will.” I said nodding at several of the more conscious patients.
“We need medicines. That is the big thing. If you have any connections in the medical field that is.” She smiled at me as we hit the end of the tent. A tall man with red eyes looked at us exhausted. His fingers were bruised and his lips were chapped blood oozing out between the dried skin.
“I don’t know if many of my old connections are even alive.” I chuckled to myself. “I will make some calls and see what I can do.”
“Miss.” A man’s voice called to me and I turned around. He was in the third bed welts all over his flesh and his eyes were bloodshot.
“Yes?” I asked as he locked eyes with me.
“Are you the Priestess?” He asked me in a weak voice.
“Yes.” I answered him with confidence. I know I had to be one with the coldness in my heart but at the same time this man was reaching out to me. How could I ignore the calling of the ill? Then it hit me. My mother for all these years had done nothing but want to help those less fortunate and I never understood. Not till now that is.
“I knew you would come.” He smiled softly at me and nodded to the others. “I told you she would come.”
There were some grunts and groans in answer to the man’s proclamation. I put my finger up to Miranda and walked to the man’s cot taking a seat beside him. He looked at me with a new hope in his expression. What stories had been passed about me that this man would think I was a savior? I reached out and ran my fingers through his hair.
“What ails you sir?” I asked politely.
“I haven’t eaten in days. Each time I try to eat it comes back up as blood.” He hung his head as his stomach made a violent rumble.
“Lilly do you have any pills? I would like to attempt something I haven’t done in a long time.” Miranda scrambled around and threw a white bottle at me. “Thank you, this will do nicely.” I opened the bottle and took out two of the pills and holding them in my hand tightly I willed for something to happen. My toe started to burn a little, where the ring was secured, and a faint smell of roses filled the air. I opened my hand and looked at the man.
“What is that there?” He asked the color of the pills were now a soft yellow.
“These will settle your stomach. If it works you could be up and moving within a matter of days.” I wasn’t sure if my magic pills were going to do as instructed but Mona had told me that I had a bit of potions magic in me.
He took them greedily and swallowed without the assistance of water. “I will gladly test the theory.” He said brightly.
“Anything to make you feel better.” I squeezed his hand and stood up. Miranda smiled as if she was triumphant. The woman that doubted me yesterday morning was slowly coming around.
Wild Fire Page 54