The Lizard King

Part 2: The Healer

Kayla got to her house just as the sun was no longer touching the horizon. She opened the door and walked into the dirt-floor house. It wasn't much, just enough for two beds, a dining table and a little fire pit and a kettle for cooking food. There was no one home. Her mother was probably still in town, just now getting kicked out of Brenner's pub.

Kayla shoved her bow and quiver under the bed and rubbed her foot. The pain stabbed into her with every step on the way home and taking off her boot did nothing to make her feel better. The foot was bruised all over and the way it bent meant the ankle was broken. She was going to have to go into town and see the healer.

She shoved the bag with the rabbit in it under the bed, grabbed her stick, and went out the door on her way into town. Kayla was lucky her house was positioned right on the main road. The walk into town was usually only ten minutes. Today it was taking more than half an hour. It was clear that her injury was worse than she thought.

Even though the pain of the foot was horrible, she was smart to try and keep her wits about her. Even though the town was just a short while away it was pretty cut off from the rest of the kingdom thanks to the thick forest surrounding it. Wild animal attacks along the roads are common, especially at night and early morning.

Even more dangerous were the brigands. The new laws the King passed to put an end to them worked amazingly well near cities and towns closer to the capital but villages and towns further away were suffering. The brigands, knowing that villages further away would be less protected, simply moved their gangs further away. The threat of robbery along the roads and paths was all too common now and nobody wants to take any chances. Even the merchants traveling through the towns run heavily armed.

Kayla left her bow and quiver at home. She's injured and only has a small knife to protect herself. If a brigand catches her here she could be kidnapped or killed. Even as she came near the edge of the town, Kayla could feel as if she was being watched. The feeling cut through the air as if it were a steel blade until her curiosity was so great Kayla couldn't help but spin around.

A quick shifting of the leaves and then, nothing. What was it she saw there before it disappeared back into the woods? Was it a predator? Some malicious pair of eyes following her around? She didn't stick around long enough to find out.

Getting into town helped ease her distress somewhat. The main road led right to a row of buildings on either side where people could sell their goods. The market was open and all around people were already up and about trying to get the best deals for their products. The Carters family was advertising the milk their extra cow had produced. Brenner was trying to market off some mead he'd made himself. Even Old Myrna was trying to grab people's attention for her home-grown ginger root.

Kayla would usually trade with one or all of them to get ingredients for dinner for her and her mom. It'd been hard since her father died and left them with nothing. It was horrible for her mother. She didn't just love that man, he was her entire world. She's been self-medicating in that damn pub ever since. That distance and depression left Kayla to do the hard work of providing for the two of them. Not an easy task when you're dirt poor and your only source of income is determined by what the forest is generous enough to give you that day.

Today, however, the forest was anything but generous. Trade will be a bust today and Kayla hobbles by the traders as fast her makeshift crutch can carry her. Her only thoughts today are of getting to the healer. As Kayla got to the shop and opened the door, her sense of smell was assaulted with the scent of herbs and elixirs. She gagged a bit and coughed a couple of times after stepping inside.

"Oh quit your coughin child!" a harsh voice from behind the counter said, "You're a ripe over actor if I ever saw one!" A little, old woman came out from behind the counter and stared Kayla up and down. Her loose, raven dress and snowy hair down to her knees easily gave away her identity.

"Marlana, I'm in a bit of a tough spot." Kayla said.

"Of course you are," she spat, "Why else would you be here? Not to talk or play knucks with me, either you need something or you got herbs to sell."

"Sorry I haven't been around as much but winter's coming and it makes everything harder to find." Kayla kept trying to balance herself on the stick as she argued. She wasn't doing a very good job.

"Bah, that's no excuse!" Marlana said, "When I was your age I respected my elders, paid em visits all the time. You blasted young folks got all the time in the world."

"I think I'm kinda the exception."

Marlana walked right up to Kayla and looked her in the eye. "Working girls get time off too." She pulled away. "Ah Hell, can't stay mad at you. You're one of the few people in this godforsaken town I actually tolerate."

"Should I take that as a compliment?" Kayla asked.

"Interpret it anyway ya like. Well, ya gonna stand on that bummed foot all day or you gonna come to the back and lemme work on it? Come on, move it sister!"

Most healers were tender and caring in their approach. They hold your hand while you die and cheer you on when you get better. They treat you with every ounce of respect they can. But not Marlana.

Marlana was a crusty old bat with a knack for giving others Hell wherever she could. She was easily the most cynical person in the town, usually saying stuff like the only reason she's got hands is to hold pints of ale. No one dared talk back to Marlana. Being belittled by her was the verbal equivalent of being stripped down naked in front of your friends and family. A couple years ago, a rumor was even started that she was a practicing witch and she could make people disappear. The idea caught on and became so serious that the idea was brought to the Mayor. When the rumor finally reached Marlana's ears, she hiked up her dress and waltzed over to the pub with her cane. She went in and five minutes later a young man came running out with bruises and swellings all over his head and back. Marlana came out just after, yelling "And that's why ya don't go making stories!" And when the man came back to get his injuries treated, Marlana charged him double.

Despite all of this, Marlana was still an excellent healer. Any ailment you have, there's no question that she can fix it and in a shorter amount of time compared to other healers. Her methods are a bit unorthodox, though no one knew exactly what since they haven't dared question them. The results spoke for themselves, however, and that's all that mattered.

"Hmm..."

"What?" Kayla asked, "Is it good?"

"For you, yes." Marlana said. "Not broken, just dislocated."

Kayla breathed a sigh of relief. She could get back to hunting as soon as possible instead of waiting maybe a month.

"Alright I gotta pull, this is gonna hurt." Marlana grabbed onto Kayla's ankle. "I'll pull on three. One-"

And she pulled.
Kayla screamed in pain.

"Oh calm down!" Marlana yelled. "Whinier than a newborn pup pestering a bitch." Marlana opened up a cabinet and pulled out a small bag of tea leaves. "This tea will help with the bruises. Stay off your feet for a day or two so that can heal up."

"Thank you Marlana." Kayla said.

"Bah, ya wouldn't have needed me if you could tell the difference yourself." She said. "If ya wanna thank me, at least just buy me an ale and tell me what happened."