Pyreia felt confident in her choices. She was always consistent in her treatments. She trusted her instinct without second thought. But tonight? She felt she’d made a bad decision. The moment her three companions entered the gates of this haven she’d been accepted into a sinking feeling hit the pit of her stomach. This had not been right, she had misused this place and it was starting to seep through her blood like she’d betrayed something larger than herself. It was hard to wrap herself around the choice she made, and when time seemed to speed around her Aedric had to yank her along when the whole party began to progress. She could hear him grumbling something to her in a low tone that unfortunately reminded her of their father and that disapproving way he criticized. The words were blurred still but she was sure he’d repeat himself sooner or later. She watched one of her so called companions not-so-subtly bark commands. Haleon was he? His aggressive nature made her uneasy.
The Inn was dimly lit, with two lit torches greeting them at the door when they approached. Aedric had been eager to find this healer and continue their quest so when one of their new party members took charge he had to admit he was glad. There was even part of him which agreed with Haleons immediate action, so when the man instructed the knight to cover the only other possible exit he felt the need to agree with the swordsman. The dismissive comments about his companion though? That made the knight skeptical of the mans intentions. Aedric very much doubted that this Haleon served their King out of love, but rather for greed or glory? Or maybe even fear? The swordsman swiftly made his escape to the second floor of the Inn before the rest of the party could react.
”Despite his unorthodox way of handling it, I have to agree. I will position myself outside to ensure the healer can’t get away before we acquire the information we need. “
The less prickly of their new members tried to sooth over the aggression of his companion trying to prove to the Inn worker behind the counter that they were not here to harm him. The poor man gave what information he could to the group and Aedric was interested to hear how spot on Haleons instructions might be. At the next opportunity, the knight navigated his way back across the dimly lit Inn and hastened his pace through the main door, it slid closed behind him with a creak and a solid thump as it settled back in place.
Pyreia studied the worker behind the counter for a moment before her gaze rested on Caspian. The man had responded well to the situation keeping a cool head while Haleon overreacted. She felt stunned standing there watching this altercation. How could she have let them in so easily?
At this point Pyreia felt that Caspian could be trusted more than this Haleon fellow. He tried to defuse the situation before it could escalate and she was thankful for that at least. The Inn worker told them with a shaky voice where the healer would most likely be, which made her feel even less confident with Haleons storm of the upstairs floor. The mage kept some distance between her and Caspian as she walked over to the Inns small fireplace, taking the kettle off the fire. She brought it to a nearby table where she took a teacup and poured the hot liquid into it. She tugged at a small leather satchel on her side and retrieved a twisted bundle of herbs. Her eyes met the Inn worker, and she offered him a warm full faced smile as she twisted the bundle in her fingers. Dropping it into the cup it swirled and the smell of deep earth and citrus nearly filled the entire room. It was clear of its calming properties, something she hoped would put the young worker at ease while he had to be inconvenienced for the rest of their unfortunate encounter. She turned on her heels to the worker and offered the cup to him.
His face instantly turned to terror- distrust covering his face. She felt her stomach turn in an involuntary response.
So this is what they had come to? Pyreia suddenly felt as if she was fraying at the seams, slowly disintegrating and revealing a completely different landscape that she had no idea how to navigate. She inhaled deeply feeling the air fill her belly and the steam begin to work its magic. She lifted the cup to her lips, inhaled again, and let the warm liquid touch her lips. She took a long sip from the cup and tried to smile again at him. Putting the cup back down she pushed it across the counter
“We are not here to harm. ” She said softly, taking a step back from the counter.
” We will also be responsible for anything that might be harmed. I assure you none of your patrons will have injuries. “ She felt the urge to show the man the mark on her arm, so she did.
When she pushed back her teal robe you could see the mans shoulders physically relax at the sight of it. Pyreia tried again ”If you could point us in the direction of the man we are seeking, I would be very grateful.”
Standing up just a little taller, the worker tried to give his voice firmness as he responded. It was obvious to see in his actions he was willing to at least help them. And that was good enough for her at the moment. He pulled the warm cup into both his hands as he spoke
”The exit is through the kitchen. I did inform the man of the path between our two neighbors. ” He gestured with his right hand ”It cannot be seen from the outside- only behind the ivy adjacent to the kitchen door. You must push the vegetation to the side. “
The Inn worker explained it used to be the only way they were able to receive deliveries until the building behind them burned to the ground. This is how they now had a courtyard in the back filled with the Inns vegetable garden and a pathed walkway for guest to enjoy. The mage felt and overwhelming feeling of joy that the man had opening up to them. She also couldn't help but be happy that Haleon would not find the healer before they did.
”We truly appreciate this…you really have done your kingdom a great service.
Pyreia reached for Caspian, her hand grasping onto his upper arm. She pulled as she began to move through the Inn. If they hurried they could get out and find the healer before Haleon or even Aedric could storm in and make things worse. She mad a brief prayer in her head to any god that wished to grant them the speed, cunning, or even at this point- the luck they needed to get this healer and actually make some progress. The blonde mage kept her grasp on Caspians arm until they were at the adjacent part of the garden the Inn Worker had explained. Just as he said the two stood in front of a long draping wall of Ivy that easily looked like part of the fence around the entire back area of the Inn. The mage reached in front of her and pushed the draping lush ivy to the side to reveal the old passageway. Small but secure, it was built with coarse grey stone. The narrow winding path could barley be made out by the lights of the streets behind it. The feint glow allowed for some visibility, but from where she stood she could not see the healer in the cramped space.
She noticed him now, really noticed the man. He’d tucked himself into a cloak and his motions were less wobbly and drunken than they had been at the tavern. When he realized they were pursing him he started off again. Stumbling out of the narrow pathway his head turned in haste to check how close they were to him. In an attempt to flee Pyreia watched his legs twist in the cloak and the man fell to the ground with a hard thud. He struggled to push the large cloak off him to try and stand and she saw him again. He seemed paler than before, and in the feint street light, he almost looked like a ghost.
Pyreia rushed forward, practically falling to her knees beside him. The healer flinched away, falling back to his hands trying to scramble away from her.
“Please” She pleaded, her arm extended out to him “I assure you, we simply want to speak with you.”
The healer stared back towards them, his eyes falling to the mark. Again, this thing seemed to be the key to those in this haven responding in a positive way. Her thoughts raced, what did those marks actually mean? Did others in this place have different markings? She’d seen the drunken healers marks earlier and they were different than hers…surely that was not a coincidence…
”We are simply looking for your teacher. We were told your instructor was a healer beyond the likes of anyone in this kingdom. ”
The man seemed tense still, but eased slightly. He sat up now- examining her mark that she still had on display for him to see.
”I seek a cure for something that no one can explain- She rested her palm on her chest, trying to keep her face relaxed and her voice almost sing-song like. It was the way she spoke with children patients who were very ill.
”You will never be bothered again from us, by the old gods and the new- it had been a horrible misunderstanding”
The man did not speak, but reached to his side, his eyes did not move from Caspian or Pyreia as he did so. He retrieved something from his pocket, and he leaned forward towards her. With his empty hand he extending his arm with his palm out to her, nodding slightly for her own hand. She obliged- resting her palm open to the sky. Her arm tingled slightly when the man spoke a few words- a chant she didn’t understand, something she’d never heard. But when he pushed her fingers closed into a fist- she suddenly felt something heavy and thick in her hand. It felt like a…key? Leaning even closer his hooded face nearly became one with hers as he spoke softly in her ear. As he did, she felt the weight of the key disappear yet…not really? The chant he spoke into her ear seemed to make the key lay flat into her palm again. She resisted the urge to pull back when he whispered something else in her ear. When he was satisfied with his odd exchange he glanced to Caspian- nodded once, and rose to his feet.
Pyreia tightened her empty hand on her lap, she clenched and unclenched it several times watching her fingers curl in and out with nothing but her palm to see. She glanced at the man, her eyes seeking more than what she could say.
All she could manage to blurt out in a squeaked tone was ”T-Thank you. ”
The healer adjusted his hood, curling himself into the large cloak like an entirely different person than the garish overly boisterous man they’d encountered in the Tavern earlier. Pyreia could feel her lips part to try and ask more but the man was already glancing side to side to check if the road was clear for crossing. He was gone before she could even speak. She bit her lip, what on earth were they getting into? Sitting on the ground she became increasingly aware of her surrounding again. The sun could just barely be made out in the distance alerting them to a quick approach of sunrise. They needed to get back to the Inn and collect Haleon and her brother before anything else could go wrong.
But when she tried to push herself off the ground- it seemed she could not move. Her legs felt heavy beneath her and refused to react to her beckoning. A fear pulsed through her as she wondered what the healer had done. Perhaps the man had not been as genuine as she’d thought? Perhaps he had harmed her in some way. Her attention quickly set on Caspian. She tried to stay relaxed but she was sure her whole face read the panic she was feeling inside. She could feel a growing awkward tension between them as she sat on the ground, unmoving.
”Ah- Well…you see, I’m having a bit of a hard time. Would you mind um…” She chewed on the words a moment, trying one last time to move. Her breath hitched. ”I can’t seem to stand you see…” She announced in disbelief.
She felt like a nuisance when her new companion reached to help her to her feet.
It took several pulls up just to get her wobbling legs to stand. When her legs beneath her stabled she padded Caspian on the arm mumbling several thank you's as she stood upright. The moment she took a step forward her legs shook and gave out all over again. Hitting the ground for about the third time she tried to keep her cursing under her breath, but she was pretty sure she'd been much louder than she'd tried to be. It took about four times for her legs to finally stabilize themselves underneath her and each time before that she took a few steps forward before tumbling forward. Each time she would fall forward she was surprised how easily Caspian helped brace her back up again. It felt like she was learning to walk all over again. What on earth had that man done? She could sense her energy was depleted after their encounter, but this? It took a few more stumbles to finally shake off whatever had drained her so completely. She felt slightly disoriented as she manged to move about without wobbling, almost expecting to fall over each time she took a step. Trying to ignore the whole odd side effect of the encounter, Pyreia suggested
”We should probably get back, we have what we need.”
Back at the Inn, Aedric had easily made his way outside, but was quickly greeted by a very large obstacle.
“Piss.” The knight moaned, his head tilting to the side in irritation.
Before him stood a tall wooden fence tucked up against the Inn he’d just exited. Boxes and barrels nested themselves tightly against the stone structure. It was an obvious attempt to keep the back of the Inn enclosed for its guests. This represented a major problem thanks to his standard issued knights armor which just happened to weigh practically as much as himself. He would need to discard it to be able to scale the wall in time to reach the other side. There was no way to tell how far these buildings connected and they did not have the time to waste. So Aedric began. The taxing process started with his shoulders, untying various strings and hooks that allowed the bulk of his metals to hit the ground with a clank. He would have to remember to come back for it later and he hoped when he did it still sat in the dark messy corner. He watched the last hook of his chainmail pull itself down by its weight and slide to the ground giving him enough mobility to reach the top of the wooden fence.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. ” His voice was strained but clear as he scanned the empty garden of the Inn. He grumbled, his face twisted into a frown.
He was not equip for climbing and he’d just scaled a damn fence for absolutely nothing. He noticed a gate that led to whatever main or back road it sat on, but there was no sign of the healer. If he had been back here in the time the Inn worker had explained there was no way he would have been able to get out of the back and the iron gate without some sort of trail. The gate itself would have still left some clue of even being altered. As he stared at it, he could see at least three different contraptions that needed to be slid, twisted and pulled to open the hefty contraption. Aedric gritted his teeth.
When he entered the Inn his attention went straight to the Inn worker who seemed to be sipping on some incredibly fragrant drink. It also seemed that both his new companion and his sister had left this space wide open for the healer to easily slip out of. He tried to hide his anger as he rested his elbow on the podium the Inn worker was behind.
The Knight bared his teeth in the mockery of a smile “You do understand lying to a Knight is a crime, don’t you sir?”
The workers face flushed. Aedric felt his free hand rest on the dagger still at his side. The urge to drive it into the wooden table was very hard for the knight to fight right now. This was incredibly important and these people seemed to just…ugh. He pushed the hatred he was feeling right now down, down, down to his toes. He was better than that. He was a Knight. He was not just that- he was a Knight who worked under the famed Commander Eryth in the capital city. He was better than that prejudice he was feeling at this moment. For all he knew this man didn’t even possess an ounce of magic…he knew nothing of him. So he could not simply assume things like that. Even so, Aedric had to tighten his grip on his daggers hilt a few times before extending his fingers out as far as they’d go. Resting his arm at his side, he waited for the Inn worker to respond
”I assure you, I did not lie to a Knight. The man went out the back”
“Then why did I see absolutely no traces of him leaving that way?”
The two fell into a silence that was, perhaps, about as comfortable as he could manage at the moment. Years of training and enduring for the pride of serving their King and this whole mission felt like they were being tun around in circles. He yearned for a resolution and for some reason it was prickling on his last nerve. The knight shifted to assess the room a bit better, his arm leaving the podium and his whole body standing upright. He observed nothing of change- no major movements- no objects aside from the tea cup- being moved…like the healer had vanished. Aedric turned his attention back to the Inn worker and just as he was about to ask more questions about the location he heard a familiar voice
”We’ve spoke to the healer! ” When he turned, he could see both Caspian and his sister enter through the front door of the Inn.
“And you didn’t bring him back?”
”Why would I have done that when he told me where to go? ”
“I’m sure the man had more information we could have found useful Pyreia. It was not your call to let him just wander off.” His face tightened this time.
What was she thinking?
”He was simply a healer Aedric.” She spat at him, without explaining she grabbed Caspians arm again, dragging him towards the entrance of the Inn ”Go and retrieve Haleon and we will see if we can catch the man again before he gets too far.”
Aedric nodded as his sister and Caspian disappeared out of the Inn again. From where he stood, he simply looked at the stairs and shouted, “They’ve done it Haleon! Lets get out of this place! ”
Outside the Inn, Pyreia dropped Caspian's arm. She turned to look up at him, her eyes searching for something she could read in his face. She wanted to trust the man..but…a strange knot was forming in her stomach again. She clasped both of her palms together at her chest her focus unwavering
”Please don’t say anything about the healer...just agree to say he was still drunk and he boasted it to us in a drunken stupor?”
She didn’t know what exactly the healer had told her, she truly needed to figure out what it was before she shared it. She would be able to share the information of the Teacher called Zhelaris, who would be able to help them with their cure…but the other things.
”I will keep you informed as I understand it, I just know it is not the right time to speak of. My brother will just want to seek the healer out again- and the man does not deserve that.”
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