Chapter 9

A dozen riders, carrying the colors of Lord Kelvin, slowly walked their horses along the banks of Loch Glas. One of their numbers, a King’s Healer, had spent most of her afternoon meeting with the Elders and Wisewoman of the village of Ursa, which stood on the other side of the long lake.

For once, since the whole nightmare began, Aislin had been able to bring good news to one of the villages. The Black Stone Plague, which continued to ravage the countryside, had yet to cross the Loch, instead of moving along the King’s Road.

At least this visit had been peaceful. Aislin shouldn’t have been surprised that rumors of the illness traveled faster than the malady itself. The news panicked nobility and commoners alike, many shutting their doors to strangers, some of them rather violently.

After having a horse killed underneath her by some nervous castle bowmen, Sir Nevan insisted that Aislin ride in full King’s Healer’s regalia with a heavily armed escort.

“You should assign this task to someone else.” Sir Miles looked at the young healer with worry. Although she continued to work day and night to heal the sick, Aislin also felt the needed to speak to other villages to calm their fears.

Garbed with the sunburst tunic, and silver chain of her mother’s old office, Aislin yawned into her hand. Unfortunately, sleep brought no rest as her nights continued to bring more troubling dreams.

“Who do you suggest, Miles? My grandmother cannot leave the village and Macha I need by my side. Plus, most of these villages will not allow anyone else inside their village but a King’s Healer.”

“Send a messenger if you need information, someone you have already healed.” It had become common knowledge that the plague did not return after being treated by Milady Aislin.

Both Knights admired her and worried that Aislin pushed herself too relentlessly, spending half a day in the saddle while filling her mornings and evenings with healing.

“Miles, I need more than information. Remember, many of these Wisewoman possess years of experience that I just don’t have. And don’t forget Mistress Olina of Riverwatch discovered the use for the Green Willow, not I?”

A rare plant, usually ingested to calm the nerves, a side effect of drinking a bitter tea made of the leaves had been discovered to slow the progress of the illness in the most severely ill. Even though the plant’s supplies were limited, the tree only being found along the coast, it had given Aislin extra time to heal those afflicted.

“By the gods of battle, woman, you’re a stubborn one.” The Knight growled. Although Sir Nevan ruled the lands in his father’s absence, everyone knew when it came to a plague, a King’s Healer word was law.

“Don’t think we haven’t had the same argument with her, Sir Miles.” Macha laughed, pulling her horse forward to walk alongside the pair.

Deciding to change the subject, Aislin asked. “Has Constable Sinclair discovered anything more about the destruction of Kilrush or the missing armsmen?”

Sadly she hoped that some natural calamity had taken the townspeople's lives, but she feared the worse. What concerned Sir Nevan, the men, who brought back the shocking news of the town’s demise, also brought the news that the stone never reached its destination.

“Not much, but he plans on sending another detachment to search the ruins. Thanks to you, we now have men who are fit enough to travel.”

“Perhaps they can arrange for a merchant to supply us with more of the Green Willow leaf?” Macha asked.

Miles nodded. “Might be a little tricky with the Bann in place, but I will speak with Nevan.”

News of the illness had finally arrived at the ducal palace. His Grace wasted no time in setting a Bann on all of Lord Kelvin’s lands. No one could enter or leave without the permission of the Duke, which included Lord Kelvin himself now trapped outside his own lands.

“What about the young girls that have gone missing?” Aislin hesitated to ask. Already it had become somewhat rare to see young women in the village streets, their families keeping them indoors.

“Beyond rumors and stories, nothing; although thankfully, there have only been a few incidents lately.” Except for the fact that only Aislin could heal the sick, if Sir Miles had his way, he would have already placed the two women in the nearest tower for their own protection.

“Have you heard all of the rumors?” Macha whispered, noting the uncomfortable looks of the armsmen that surrounded them.

For most, even talking about the black shadow was considered bad luck. The plague had begun with the unearthing of a relic of the Black Sorceress, who knew what other evils would now befall them.

“I wish I could do something to stop it,” Aislin commented to none one in particular. Plenty of rumors circulated about a shadow hunting the villages at night. With her newfound ability to influence the spirit, if confronted by such a creature, she would try and bind it.

“Aislin, please don’t say that you’re doing enough already.” Macha, who was sick with worry for the way the woman she loved pushed herself, had to stop herself from yelling.

Aislin looked at her beloved then nodded, however, there was a fire in the King’s Healer’s eyes that the young apprentice did not miss.

Throwing her hands up in disgust, Macha growled. “You’re right Sir Miles, she is stubborn.”

--0--

Dismounting in front of her grandmother’s cottage, all Aislin wanted to do was to fall asleep in her bed. She knew that there were still a few villagers that needed her attention, but she didn’t have the strength.

“Sir Miles, I don’t think you really you need all of these armsmen to watch over one lone healer.” Aislin gave the young Knight an amused look. From what she gathered, Miles appeared to be leaving her entire escort in the village.

“You’re still planning on staying the night.”

Aislin nodded, stifling a yawn. “Yes, I need to spend the morning in the village seeing those that are ill. Don’t worry; I’ll be returning to the castle in the afternoon.”

“You have a meeting with the village Elders of Whiteflow tomorrow afternoon.” Macha reminded her love as she dismounted from her horse.

“Evening then.” Aislin looked up at the Knight and smiled.

“No chance of you sleeping in late tomorrow, then?” Miles asked half-jokingly.

No matter how the King’s Healer tried to hide it, Aislin looked like she was going to fall over most days now. At least once today the Knight had caught her sleeping in the saddle.

“Sounds lovely.” Aislin had to stifle another yawn.

Sir Miles looked down at the young woman affectionately, having grown rather fond of Aislin the last few weeks. Any thoughts of marriage for social and financial gain didn’t seem so appealing anymore.

Still, if Sir Miles had been honest with himself from the start, there had never been a real chance that he could have taken Aislin for his wife. Besides his cousin’s apparent interest, Lady Aislin was a King’s Healer.

Throughout the Kingdom, all knew that those women, regardless of rank were considered wards of the King. Historically those marriages became quite a political affair often than not, made with the sons of the upper nobility. Nevan would be a good choice; a landless Knight like himself had no chance at all.

“I’ll be back with your escort tomorrow.” Sir Miles twisted in his saddle, ordering three of his men to remain.

Aislin didn’t bother to argue about the guards, thanking them as the armsmen gathered all of their horses, leading them to the villages stable. “Don’t you have other things to do than escort me all over Lord Kelvin’s land?”

“Actually no, right now, you’re my sole responsibility. I would also like to point out, as the one responsible for you, that I am not happy you’re planning on spending the night in this village.” Miles leaned over in the saddle. “That cottage of yours won’t protect you from some shadow looking for you.”

Aislin shrugged, she wasn’t too sure of that. So far, only Macha knew she had recently gained several new abilities including creating wards. Although unable to repeat that particular feat, the Sprit Healer had been able to cast a rather large circle around the entire cottage. Even more surprising, this morning, Aislin had been able to see water elementals called Undines playing on the shores of Loch Glas.

“I’ll be okay, Miles. I have Macha to protect me.”

Ina’s young apprentice smiled at that statement, before noting some of the villagers moving towards the healer’s cottage. “I see your presence, Aislin has been noted.”

The Knight stood on his stirrups to get a better look at the crowd, half tempted to order them back to their homes.

“We’ll be fine. See, Mistress Ina is also with them” Macha started pushing Aislin into the cottage. “Go, I’ll take care of this.”

Even with the King’s Healer now safely inside, Sir Miles didn’t like the thought of leaving Aislin with these villagers. “Keep her safe, Macha.”

“With my life.”

--0--

Ina looked up as Aislin returned from the back bedroom after removing the King’s Healer regalia. The Wisewoman couldn't believe how much her grandchild had changed in the last couple of weeks.

Gone was the quiet, unassuming boy who tried not to stand out replaced by a blossoming young woman, who during a time of crisis, had stepped forward to take charge.

Ina wasn’t sure she could have done as well, managing all of the personalities involved. From the nobility, merchants unable to leave the lands, to village Elders, to Wisewoman, they now all looked to Aislin for advice and aid. Ina wished that Aislin’s parents were alive, they would be very proud of what she had accomplished in such a short time.

“You’re not getting enough rest.” Ina kissed her grandchild’s head while setting down a cup of tea in front of her.

Macha gave her beloved the eye. She knew that Aislin’s sleep had been troubled but had refused to speak with her grandmother about the problem. She needed to stop worrying about others and take care of herself for once.

With a sigh, Aislin reached for the cup of red berry tea. “No, I keep waking up in the middle of the night.”

“Bad dreams,” Macha explained.

“I don’t understand. You’re having nightmares?” Ina frowned, looking at her apprentice for confirmation.

“You can call them that,” Aislin said evasively.

“Aislin, if you won’t tell her, then I will,” Macha said somewhat testily. She knew that her lover didn’t want to worry her grandmother, but without sleep, there was no way Aislin could continue at this pace.

Finally relenting, the raven-haired beauty explained to her grandmother the reoccurring dreams that continue to haunt her sleep.

“The dream where all the Kingdoms end up covered in blood is the most disturbing.” Aislin looked down at her teacup, surprised to find it empty. “You don’t seem too surprised.”

“No, you are touching the Spirit Realm daily now; Diviners and Dreamers are very similar. Although Diviners normally have their visions while awake.”

“I think I’ll pass on that; it’s bad enough having them while asleep.” Aislin rolled her eyes at the smug look on Macha’s face. “Yes, you’re right, I should have told my grandmother sooner.”

“Yes, you should have. Now every night before bed, you need to drink one cup of tea mixed with a Silver Sage leaf. It should help you sleep.” Ina laughed at the face her grandchild made. Silver Sage had an extremely sour taste.

The Wisewoman could still remember as a young Court Healer, another girl, who didn’t like silver sage, who also had trouble sleeping because of dreams. At least she remembered what that noblewoman drank to help her at night.

“Once this crisis has passed, I believe you need to stand before the full Council and speak to them about those dreams of yours.”

“Mistress Ina, from what you have told me, they weren’t too interested in meeting with Aislin, much less speaking with her,” Macha said, concerned for her beloved.

“True, but this time they will listen,” Ina said with some satisfaction remembering how the Council of Elder’s treated her grandchild.

She left their number in disgust, as the group was more afraid of their positions than doing what was right. With Aislin’s newfound gifts and the rank of a King’s Healer, they would have no choice but acknowledge her.

Relieved that her grandmother wasn’t too angry, Aislin decided to bring up something that had been bothering her for some time.

“Gram, I know you didn’t want to ask, but I spoke with Sir Nevan about sending word to the Duke for help. Although you don’t believe it to be true, another King’s Healer might possess similar skills to heal the Spirit.”

With the plague spreading to two more villages on the Kings Road, Aislin was under no illusion that her ability to heal everyone was long past.

“I wish you would have waited, but I still don’t think any of them will be able to help. My child, you have a unique gift.”

“Even so, why should we not ask for help? I wanted to do this last week, and you told me to wait.”

“Because you need to prove your worth, to show that you are no threat to the Kingdom.”

Standing up, obviously annoyed at the direction the conversation was going, the young woman approached her grandmother. “What? How could I be a threat to anyone, much less a Kingdom?”

“Please, Aislin, listen to me. This is important.” Ina took the teacup from her granddaughter’s hand and set it down on the table in front of her. “I know I have kept secrets from you…”

“All my life.”

“Yes, all your life, and I’m sorry, but I made a promise long ago to keep you safe.”

Aislin closed her eyes. She didn’t want to fight with her grandmother, but she was sick and tired of all of her secrets. “To whom my parents?”

“No, your grandmother.”

“What?”

“Please Aislin, I promise you once Lord Kelvin returns, we will all sit down and tell you about your past. It’s well beyond the time. But I can’t, at least not right now. All it will do is confuse and trouble you.”

“More than I already am?” Aislin turned away, she knew she needed to go to bed, but there was little chance she was going to sleep, silver sage or not. “I’m going for a walk.”

Before exiting the cottage, she stopped. “Gram, I don’t regret asking for help. No one deserves to die just because you want to play politics.”

“Aislin,” Ina called out to her granddaughter, but she had already left disappearing into the oncoming night.

--0--

As she left the cottage, the King’s Healer felt three large forms walk up next to her matching her pace. “Good evening, armsmen, Seamus, Kirk, and Argyle, am I right?”

The three men grinned, pleased that the Lady had remembered their names.

“A little late to be walking around.” Seamus, the largest of the three guards, voiced his concern.

Like the rest of the escort, he had overheard the discussion this afternoon about women who had vanished. No coward, the armsman just didn’t believe that his spear would be any use against a creature from the Spirit Realm.

“Don’t worry; I’m visiting a friend. I’ll be returning home before it gets too dark.”

The main reason she returned to the village had been to visit her friend Renn, who had come down with the illness the day before. Aislin had already healed Renn’s mother, Mistress Aoife, late last week, and she thought that Renn might not catch the disease. Unfortunately, Aislin didn’t have the strength to heal her friend tonight but planned on it first thing in the morning.

As she made her way to Renn’s cottage, she noted that, for the most part, people remained indoors, especially young women. Still, some villagers came up to her to either thank her for her healing or to ask when one of their loved ones would be healed.

“Lady Aislin, it's good to see you up and about.”

Lost in thought, Aislin didn’t even see the village headman’s wife Seara approach, followed by a small group of other village wives.

“Good evening, Mistress Seara.” Aislin turned around; putting on the best smile she could at the moment. She had not seen Rowena's mother in quite some time, which for her was no great loss. Still, Aislin didn't know why, but something odd was going on.

“May I ask where are you going tonight?”

Aislin wondered why the concern. “I’m off to visit Renn.”

“I’m sorry, we cannot permit that.”

“Excuse me?” There was a fire in the King’s Healers voice that the women in the village had not heard before. Her escorts, on the other hand, made a note of it becoming instantly on guard.

“She is not that ill. We have more deserving people to be taken care of first.”

“That’s right.” One of the other women stepped forward giving the three guards a look of contempt. “No worse than what our good lords have been doing right. Letting us villagers suffer while they take care of their own first.”

Another woman stepped forward. “Right, so now we will decide who will be healed.”

“Or not.” The village headman’s wife gave a half-smile, looking at the rest of the women for support. “None of us wish the child harm, but right now, she is nothing but a burden on her family and really the entire village. In fact, if she died from this illness it would be best for everyone.”

Something inside Aislin snapped. Too tired to care, too tired seeing the death of those she didn’t have the strength to heal, too tired hearing from those who put themselves before others, Aislin stepped forward and slapped Mistress Seara across the face.

“How dare you say such things, Renn has nothing but love to give to those around her, and you find it a burden. She has always been my friend even when all of you lashed out at both of us with scorn; she always has never spoken an ill word to anyone least of all me.”

“That’s because she doesn’t know any better.” Seara looked at the King’s Healer with nothing but hatred in her eyes.

Leaning forward, Aislin got into the woman’s face and spoke in a fierce whisper. “I don’t know what problem you had with my mother, nor do I care. Even with how you have treated my family, I was more than happy to take care of yours. So don’t tell me who I can or cannot heal.”

Aislin stepped back looking into the eyes of every other woman. “Know this; I will heal who I will when I will. No one in this village has any say about it.” And with that, the King’s Healer turned on her heels, walking away towards her friend’s home.

“How dare you…” Seara started but stopped looking down she found the sharp end of a spear pointing directly towards her chest.

“Mind your betters.” The armsmen named Liam dropped his spear as he looked at Seara and the rest of the group of women in disgust.

“My better, she is nothing but…”

Liam raised his spear again. “I would be careful what you say next.”

The King’s Healer had saved his life and that of his children; the guard was not allowing these women to speak to her in any tone of voice but respect.

Seamus nodded to Liam in approval. “You women should know better; besides being of noble birth, Lady Aislin carries the golden disk and silver chain of the King’s Healer. So watch your tongues least you lose them. Now be off with you before I turn you over to the Constable.”

What the guards missed was the satisfied smile on Seara's face as she walked away.

Moments later, the third guard came running back, intercepting the two approaching the cottage. “Go find Mistress Ina.”

With the guardsmen right behind them, Ina and her apprentice ran to the small cottage of Mistress Aoife, who stood outside looking worried.

“Hurry.” She turned running inside.

Macha’s chest filled with panic, almost screamed as the group entered the back bedroom to find Aislin collapsed on the bed.

“What happened?” Ina quickly walked up to her grandchild, her healing senses looking to see what was wrong.

Renn, holding the King’s Healer in her arms, looked up with a concerned look. Sounding much younger than her fourteen years, she said in a whisper. “Don’t be so loud you’ll wake her.”

“What happened?” Macha too, started to look over the unconscious healer.

“I wasn’t feeling well,” Renn said with a frown.

“I had hoped Renn had escaped the illness, but as you know, last night she wasn’t feeling well. Then this morning Ina when you visited, she appeared a little worse but not that bad. But during dinner, she fell asleep while eating. She hadn’t eaten anything, and her color was so bad. Ina, I was afraid she wouldn’t wake in the morning.”

The Wisewoman looked over to Mistress Aoife with concern “Why didn’t you send word to us?”

Looking surprised, Renn’s mother answered. “I did, I spoke with Mistress Seara. With Niles away with Lord Kelvin, I couldn’t leave my daughter alone. She said that it would be taken care of. So when Aislin came running into the house, I thought she came to heal Renn.”

“Thank the goddess; she’s only sleeping.” Macha looked unhappy but relieved at the same time.

“That’s what I said, silly.” Renn giggled.

Ina smiled while stroking her grandchild’s head. “She must have been very concerned for you.”

“I’m sorry Mistress Ina. I believed that Milady Aislin’s argument with some of the village women might also have brought this on.” Liam stood off to the side of the room, not looking very happy. He then quickly explained exactly what transpired before Aislin’s collapse.

“You don’t think that Seara didn’t tell you of Renn’s condition on purpose?” Aoife looked at the others in shock.

She understood many in the village didn’t have a use for someone who would never be more than a child but to think that they would allow her to die.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Macha spoke while holding Aislin hand.

“That’s enough, Macha,” Ina said. “I don’t know what went on, Aoife, but I assure you, I will be speaking with the village Elders in the morning. “

Turning, the Wisewoman motioned for the guards. “Seamus, be a good boy and pick up my grandchild. We will take her back to the cottage to sleep.”

“Aislin can sleep in my bed. I don’t feel sick anymore.” Renn happily moved over to make room for her friend.

“I’m sure she would like that Renn, but I think she needs to sleep in her own bed tonight.” Macha gave a small laugh.

--0--

Aislin had not moved even in her sleep, her body utterly exhausted. However, even in that state, a part of the young healer remained aware. She could feel a dark presence approaching, a presence that had taken a familiar form. At that moment, Aislin understood she was in terrible danger.

Crawling out of a deep sleep, she slowly opened her eyes to find a thin smoky haze filling the room. From outside the bedroom, she could hear shouts of anger and pain. Crawling out of bed, Aislin painfully stumbled forward to open the door to find a scene of utter confusion.

Villagers, she had known all her life stood in the center of the front room, screaming at one another. On the ground in front of her, lay one of the guards, Kirk, with an arrow sticking out of his throat. Another armsman, Seamus, grappled with four men right outside the front door.

With her mind befuddled with the lack of sleep, she failed to understand the danger she now faced. Only upon discovering her beloved Macha lying face down in a pool of blood, did Aislin become awake.

Ignoring the chaos around her, the King’s Healer ran forward to help her friend. However, so intent on helping Macha, she didn’t see the blow that connected with the side of her head, sending her once again into darkness.