Marcella, Blood Tight

Chapter 4

She woke up at her usual time in the morning; just before the first sun rose. She decided that today would be the day that she would go down to the little village and find the Healer. But before she went, she wanted to make sure that her own herbs were full enough. She got some of the herbs from a nearby field and arranged them for drying. She then packed some herbs and set off to the village.

She sat on the porch of the boarding house there and waited for the second sun to rise. She saw the lumbos, once again walking out to work and had a funny feeling about today for some reason.

The second sun rose on time and about an hour later she saw someone going into the boarding house. And stood and followed. She saw a lady and approached her and asked if she could give me directions to, the Healer.

It was a wee walk to the homestead. Finally I knocked on the door. "Hello, My name is Marcella. I am new to these parts and I am staying out there on the range. I have been out looking in the plain and found some herbs that I thought might be helpful to you. Would you like to see what I have here?"

"Hello Marcella, I'm Mary, the healer around these parts." She invited her into her home. Marcella put the herbs that she brought with her onto the kitchen table. Mary examined them very closely to work out whether they were of use to her. She determined that they were.

"Marcella, I would like all of these. Your drying style is very unique and has given a very high quality result. What would you like for payment for these herbs?"

Marcella licked her lips. There was something that she desperately needed. She needed to work. To have a job. It would be too much to hope for. But she tried.

"You might think that I am being very forward, but I need a job."

Mary frowns. There was very little work for even one person in this town. She would not be able to hire her. She folded her hands in front of her and looked Marcella in the face. "I am so sorry, dear, but there is not enough work here even for me most of the time.'

A second thought occurred to Marcella. "I thought it was going to be a little far reaching, but you understand that I had to ask. If I can make another suggestion. I need experience. Would you be my mentor?"

She smiled largely. "Only if you teach me how you dry your herbs." She laughed a soft, friendly laugh, "Yes, I think that we can help each other quite nicely."

From that point they feel into an easy friendship. Marcella spent the rest of the day playing with Mary's children and sharing stories.

A lumbo with an open wound knocked on the door asking for help. As it was a clean wound Mary dressed it and was about to see him out, until Marcella spoke up.

"Mary, I know a poultice that you can use on that wound. It will help to draw away infection? It's less fuss that the heavy duty poultices."

Mary smiled and nodded, watching Marcella closely. She had thought of using a poultice on the wound, but it looked so clean she hadn't bothered.

Marcella started sorting through the herbs. She used some different herbs than what Mary generally used, and it got Mary's interest up. As soon as Marcella put the poultice on the wound, his pain lessened a lot as did the tightness.

For the rest of the week Marcella and Mary spent a lot of time learning skills from each other. Marcella was teaching Mary about her drying style and her knowledge about herbs. Mary was teaching Marcella about medicine and everything Mary knew.

Mary introduced Marcella to her husband, Edmund. He was a tall gentle man, with a kind face with a receding carrot top of hair. He wore braces attached to his trousers and a checkered shirt rolled up to his elbows.