Discovered

 

As the nighttime breeze danced among the trees, Alithea wrapped Erthen in the cloak that Fallon had left. He nuzzled into her chest, making faint sounds of displeasure at the chill. Like so many nights in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable environment, she meditated her way to sleep reviewing the bones, muscles, and ligaments in the body. She envisioned a warrior coming into the hospital tent with a gash wound across the upper part of his thigh. What would she do? What were the first concerns? What was her next and what if…?

She awoke as the sun’s rays streamed through the forest and touched the side of her head. It took a moment to realize that Erthen was no longer in her lap and she panicked. She heard Erthen cry out and leapt to her feet, running to the edge of the trees and his voice. Glancing to her right, she saw the paws of a large wolfbear and the furry clawed feet of a Person.

One of the villagers, she presumed, held Erthen in his arms, trying not to hurt the boy as he struggled to get free and rejoin his mother. Looking up at Alithea, Villager smiled and set Erthen down, then motioned for Alithea to pick up the boy. Erthen looked at the massive head and snout of the wolfbear and renewed his crying. Alithea stepped forward and gathered the boy in her arms, glancing right to the Fae warrior riding atop the beast. She recognized the pale blond color at the tip of the Fae’s ear, but couldn’t remember where she had seen her before.

Villager spoke to Alithea, but she couldn’t understand and shook her head. He swept his arm to the village and the beehive ovens, motioning her to follow him. Alithea looked askance at the wolfbear who followed behind her and Erthen. The soft grunting of the beast kept her alert to immediate danger as she walked the dirt path to the village.

At the edge of the village there was a Person outside the first beehive on the left. Villager stopped and said something, then turned to the Fae warrior and signaled her to keep the wolfbear at the village edge. The woman handed him a food cake, which he offered to Alithea. She hesitated, not knowing whether it was safe to eat. Was this one of the miner’s cakes that caused hallucinations? Perhaps a prisoner cake like the ones that Fallon had brought last night?

She shook her head, motioning that the cake might make her boy sleepy. He nodded, then took another cake from the woman and took a bite. Feeling relieved, Alithea gave some to Erthen and ate some. The villager offered her a bowl with water and she signaled her gratitude before tipping the rim to her lips. She held it for Erthen who drank rather sloppily.

The villager spoke with the Fae warrior for a moment, then beckoned for Alithea to follow. On the right, she saw Fallon emerge from one of the beehive ovens, a white cloak smeared in blood. She saw his look of surprise then made a furtive hand sign that they were to act like strangers.

Villager hailed Fallon and approached. After a moment, Fallon turned to Alithea and said, “He wants me to translate.” She glanced at Fallon briefly, afraid she would show her recognition. She kept Erthen facing away from his father as he ate, his attention fully engaged on the wolfbear several warrior’s distance away. She shifted his body slightly so that her arm would block his gaze if he did turn forward and saw his dad. She looked at Villager and nodded.

“What is your name?” Fallon asked her in a formal voice that was raised higher than normal. Perhaps he too wanted to disguise his presence from Erthen.

Unable to quickly think of a fake name, she said, “Doctor.”

Fallon fought a smile, then repeated the name to Villager, who said something to Fallon. “The Fae warrior recognized you. The seamstress of wounds. The healer.” Again, Villager spoke to Fallon who translated, “You are to accompany the food to the palace this afternoon.” He turned to Villager again, then back to Alithea. “The queen needs more wound poultice. You are to gather some. One of the villagers will show where there is some growing.”

Alithea spoke, not because she needed to, but because she hoped her voice would calm Erthen down as he tried to turn to the front. She kept her voice steady. “I will be happy to do what the queen asks.” Erthen lay the side of his head against her clavicle as though listening to the vibrations of her speaking. “I must clean up my boy and myself before picking any poultice medicine. I do not want to get it dirty.”

She waited for Fallon to translate to the Villager who touched her arm and pointed to the sleeping quarters. He motioned to someone from behind Alithea. When she turned, she saw that it was Sisseku.