Midnight Moon

Chapter 30 - The Healer

Hallenfeld was a quiet town, a peaceful town. To Neyerith, it felt alien.

Tia scanned the buildings in the fading light, shifting behind the treeline at the verge of the road. Calu's gaze was on his feet, his hands fiddling with the bottom of his sleeve. Neyerith just stared straight down the road. His eyes ached with exhaustion, but he couldn't rest yet.

He broke the heavy silence. "We should go to the inn; our best bet is to get a room and ask about a healer. With any luck, there'll be one in the town."

"I'll go ahead," Calu volunteered quietly, the first time he had spoken since leaving the temple.

Neyerith raised his eyebrows "Are you sure?"

"I'm the least... conspicuous. I'm not wounded or armed, and Veanna needs protecting. I'll come and get you when I have a room."

Tia gave a nod of approval, which Neyerith echoed. He stepped out of the shadow of the forest and disappeared between buildings, his shoulders tight but his head held high.

"He's coming out of his shell," Neyerith said, the silence too heavy for him to bear.

Tia still skimmed her surroundings, looking as though she wouldn't reply until the moment she opened her mouth. "He would do better if he did not impose limits on himself."

Neyerith shifted his stance to balance Veanna's weight. His shoulder had been complaining for at least the last hour, though it was a whisper compared to the scream his wounded side gave at every movement. But he couldn't stop, not yet. "All he needs is a little encouragement."

Tia snorted, the angles of her face caught in the last rays of sunlight. He wasn't lying when he called her beautiful, but it was a lie to pretend that was the most remarkable thing about her.

"You give Veanna support when she needs it," he pointed out. Her eyes flickered towards him, towards the body he carried, but darted away without reaching the Princess' motionless form.

"Veanna is threatened by a homicidal cult, not her own self-doubt. And she reminds me of..." She stopped herself, abruptly pressing her lips together. Once more, her gaze drifted in the girl's direction but recoiled. She cleared her throat, and spoke in a quiet and strained voice, "Has she moved at all?"

"No." Neyerith sighed, glancing back out at Hallenfeld. He hadn't felt anything from Veanna, not even a twitch. He had barely felt her breathe, but couldn't bring himself to check. "They're still looking for an Outlander, you know."

"I remember." Tia turned fully to him, and for the first time, he could glimpse the turmoil in her dark eyes. "I will leave if I must."

"You shouldn't; Veanna will need you when she wakes up." And I don't want to be alone again. He looked away, relieved to spot Calu hurrying back through the streets.

"I've got us a room," the boy confirmed breathlessly, "And they sent for the healer."

Tia drew her hood around her face as they followed him back to the inn. She sheathed her sword at the door, but they were still hardly inconspicuous. Neyerith moved Veanna from his shoulders to his arms, his side protesting as he shielded her face against his chest.

The inn bustled with patrons, and their group weathered many curious looks as they moved past the crowd and upstairs. Normally, Neyerith basked in attention, but his skin itched as he sensed every suspicious stare thrown at him and the unconscious girl he held.

Their small room was at the back of the inn, with only two beds, an adjoining table, and a pair of rickety chairs for decoration. There was a single window, looking out over quiet streets and quaint houses to the forest beyond. Shadowed silhouettes of hills in the distance were almost indistinguishable from the clouds clustered above, backlit by the rising moon.