Valiant Valerie (the Ballad of Valerie of Mor Book 1)

Chapter Seventeen

The horses held up their end of the bargain, though they were shaking and sweating, their sides heaving, when they stopped at the gate to Dravon.

Valerie jumped off Manon and banged on the door. An eye hole slid open and two watery blue eyes peered out.

"Yeees?" a nasally voice asked.

"Healer," Valerie panted. Her ribs ached, but she had no time to think about that now.

"You are a healer or you are looking for a healer?" the voice drawled.

"Need," Valerie said.

"Riiiight." The voice said. "Go back the way you came for a bit and you'll find a path to the left. Or, is it the right? Either way, there's a path. Take the path and you'll find the Dravon Monastic Sect. They have a very good healer. I think Brother Barry died last month, so now it's–"

"Thank you. I'm sure I'll find out when I get there." Valerie turned and mounted Manon again.

"Well, no need to be rude," the voice said and the eye hole slid closed again.

Valerie heard some 'tutting' behind it, but then she heard nothing over hoofbeats and the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.

She looked to Jonathan. He had passed out the night after they left Attilburgh and she had not been able to rouse him nor did she dare stop to check him. She knew very little about healing and Jonathan had seemed to think the monks would be able to fix him.

"There, Manon. Go right. Perry, keep up!" she urged.

They skidded onto the path and thundered along it. The path seemed to stretch forever and Valerie was just about to give up and turn around when she saw another high wall coming up out of the bushes. She yelled triumphantly and heard Manon and Perry give exhausted whinnies.

They galloped the last distance to the gate and skidded to a halt, Manon's nose just missing the wood of the gate.

Valerie did not bother getting down, instead she manoeuvred Manon so her side was exposed to the gate and banged on it.

"Hello? Hello!" she called. "I need help. My friend is gravely injured."

She waited a few moments to see if anyone would come. Eventually, she heard shuffling behind the gate. Whoever it was took their time and Valerie nearly knocked again, but the gate finally swung open. A small man stared up at her, somewhat short-sightedly and wearing a blue robe spattered with tiny stars.

"Yes?" he asked, his voice wavering though he did not look very old.

"My friend here is very ill and I was told I could find a healer here?"

The man looked past her and clearly saw the state Jonathan was in. The suspicion on his face dissolved into a hearty smile.

"Of course, miss. Lead your horses through. I'd hop down though, low ceilings." He pointed upwards and he shuffled to get out of the way.

Valerie got down from Manon and led the horses through the narrow passageway. They must have been traveling under the outer walls as the walls looked like they were made from a similar rock. Soon there was another gate, which the man pushed open and then closed once they were through.

"Just wait here a moment, I'll fetch some brothers to help you." He nodded and disappeared.

He had left Valerie in a wide courtyard with hitching posts and piles of hay. There were two horses and she could see a cart hidden behind a small structure that seemed to house chickens. Most of the chickens were fluttering around the yard, making strange little noises.