The Amulet - Book 1 of The Immortals Trilogy

Chapter 2 - Outskirts Of Town

Oriana reached up and retrieved a thick bunch of dried mulwort from the hook near her front door. Some of the brittle leaves crushed beneath her hands, and she breathed in the sweet woody fragrance, and smiled. As a healer, she knew mulwort was the best herb to treat flu symptoms. Last winter was harsh and many of the people in the Ikarian town of Kadis became sick, severely depleting her supplies.

The growing cycle for mulwort was short and she'd been out every day since the start of spring waiting for the first plants to mature, then collected as much as she could.

As she stood there, she became aware of the silence around Kadis. Her house was situated on the outskirts of town. From where she stood, she commanded a sweeping vista over the plain to the towering mountains behind to the east, and Stratia Woods to the west.

There was no movement anywhere. The windmills, used to pump water through the aqueducts meandering their way over the plains, stood still. It was as if the world held its breath in anticipation of an oncoming disaster. The sky was devoid of birds, and no animals hunted or played on the plain. Even the village dogs were oddly silent. Despite the heat, she shivered, and gooseflesh rose on her arms beneath her long-sleeved tunic. She rubbed her arms with calloused hands to try and warm herself.

Oriana was a tall, slim, long-limbed woman with a round, flat face, and large round citrine eyes. Her long thick mane of white hair flecked with black made her appear older than her twenty-four years.

When she first arrived in Kadis her unusual appearance caused a stir, but over the years most of the inhabitants learnt to look past it and gotten to know her as a person.

The church bells startled her when they cut through the silence. She turned and watched villagers file out into the street. Children ran out of the church and squealed with delight to be out of the oppressive heat inside. Oriana smiled at their antics as they played in the street while waiting for their parents.

The familiar flash of red from the underside of Captain Darian's cloak caught her attention. The crowd parted and she saw him talking to Landholder Karbian and his family.

Oriana grimaced. Karbian was a land hungry bigot who regularly dispatched troops from the garrison in Kadis, to war with the neighbouring landholders.

Fat pompous fool, she thought.

He'd already forced Landholder Fordiv to relinquish his lands to him which included the village of Aldor, famous for its beef and lamb, which people came from miles around to buy. Karbian knew this would be a lucrative gold earner and forced Fordiv to relinquish his lands to him by threatening his family. Karbian now he owned two of the largest gold earning trades in the area, making him wealthy, and it was beginning to show. Not only were the coffers swelling, but so was his stomach.

Darian informed her Karbian was now looking to acquire Landholder Hirst's lands, and the town of Altoria, the producers of the finest linens this side of the mountains. She'd come through Altoria when the flax plants, used to make the linen, were in full bloom. The fields of pale blue flowers were breath taking; however, she knew a man like Karbian would never appreciate their beauty unless it translated into gold.

She suspected the two men talked about ways to take Hirst's lands from him while they stood at the foot of the church steps. It was an inappropriate place for two god-fearing men to talk about war, in her mind.

Karbian bid Darian farewell and descended the steps to his wagon. After the wagon moved off and disappeared down the street, Darian headed in her direction.

Oriana cast another wary look over the plains, her nerves still on edge, before retreating inside.

She placed the mulwort on the large wooden, knife-scarred table in the centre of her single roomed house. She opened the cellar door nestled in the kitchen floor, and cool air washed over her, bring with it the smell of curing meats, cheeses, and dried herbs. She disappeared down the wooden stairs and returned moments later with a tray laden with food she prepared earlier in the morning.