Mist & Bone
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“Give us the murderer, and we’ll leave you in peace,” their leader demanded. His red hair glinted in the sunlight. His grip tightened on the pommel of his sword. The design of a winged beast glared at her from his leather breastplate. The workmanship of the armor and the finely tailored shirt underneath indicated his status as a noble. However, she did not recognize the insignia.
“I’m not about to surrender him to you,” she replied.
The protective symbols in the rocks glowed white as he tried to cross the threshold of her property. A pulse of energy, like a wave of heat, traveled the stonewall until it enclosed her land. He tried once more but met the resistance of the magical barrier and flashed her a hateful glance. Behind him, one of the horses shrieked in pain. Fog coiled around their legs and tried to drag them to the ground.
“Sir, we have to go. It’s not safe. We’ve angered the damos.”
Their leader kept his blue-eyed gaze fixed on Zieka not moved by his man’s statement. “Turn him over. You don’t know what you’re getting involved with if you don’t. Your little scribbles can’t keep me or them out forever.”
“Even if you return, I won’t relinquish him to you.”
The leader’s eyes narrowed. One of the horses screamed. He turned back toward his men and swore. The thickened vapor encircled the search party.
“Sir, please.”
A strand of fog snaked around one of the dogs and pulled the animal into it. The leader grumbled, mounted his horse, and kicked his heels into the sides of his mount. They raced from the clearing to escape the swelling fog leaving Zieka with her charge. She shook her head as they retreated knowing the leader’s threats weren’t empty. The glade hazed over until the miasma surrounded her property, blocking any view of the forest. A dark shadow glided by the entrance, but she ignored it. The entities within never crossed the barriers of her land.
Zieka dragged the injured man into her house and hoisted him onto her bed. His pallor grew as more blood seeped onto her blankets and her hands. She grabbed a knife, cut away the fabric of his shirt, and tossed it away toward the fireplace. A few of his scratches were superficial, but the ones still bleeding had struck some vital organ. Another wound had hit close to the artery under his arm. Her fingers traced over the various scars marring his body. She closed her eyes taking stock of his injuries in her mind’s eye. Zieka could see the places which needed to be tended to first where the breaks in the energy field surrounding his body had weakened. Her hand landed on the wound under his arm. Herbs wouldn’t hasten this kind of healing. She took in a breath, concentrating her energy into her hands. Her mind dropped away. Her power flowed down her spine like molten metal, fusing with her bones, until it consumed her. Zieka directed the healing magic toward his injuries. She bit her tongue as the pain intensified. The space under his arm where the energy gushed out like his blood sealed over. Her power then rushed to the damage on his side near his liver. Her fingers traveled along the plane of his stomach. Another surge of energy charged through her. In her mind’s eye, the man’s aura sealed itself. The healing power cooled in her fingers. She opened her eyes, and her hands roved the rest of his body. He would survive. The other gashes she could make poultices for.
Her head spun as exhaustion overtook her. When she tried to stand up, Zieka collapsed back into her chair as her body cooled. Once she could move without shaking, she gathered a few dried herbs suspended from her ceiling. She threw them into her mortar and ground them with her pestle. Zieka added a little bit of water and plucked one herb which made her healing foolproof. Seven silver vigata petals clung to the stem in the shape of a bell. Dark green leaves, as big as her hand, looked freshly picked. She crushed a leaf and a petal between her fingers and added it to the mixture. It turned the same silvery hue as the flower. She spread the paste on clean cloths and placed them on her patient’s remaining wounds so they wouldn’t fester. She gathered her energy for another scan. His breathing evened out and his body responded to her curing. Zieka pressed her hand to his forehead and pushed her magic into him with the intention for his slumber to deepen. After a ragged inhale, his body relaxed.
Her head throbbed. She settled into her seat, safe to recover her strength from the healing she performed. Her eyelids drooped and she surrendered to a dreamless sleep.
