Celina: Eden

A Memory Continued

The next day was unsettling for Priscilla and her family. Priscilla was able to become bandaged by some of the Itlah villagers; many mixed various remedies to nurse her back to health, but only to no avail.
"Let us send our prayers up to the goddess. Pray for the health of this child." The village elder said, placing a hand on her wounds.
One of the Itlah was nice enough to allow them to use their home. They were even nice enough to lend their bed filled with hay. Giant leaves covered the hay for comfort. Priscilla laid flat on her back with her eyes closed with robes being used to blanket her body.
Priscilla's mother hugged her father tightly, biting her lower lip. Some other kids that would play with Priscilla also visited her. They sadly watched Priscilla as her eyes remained closed.
"How long must she suffer like this? Is she going to make it?" She used the end of her robe to catch her flowing tears.
"Hopefully not long. The villagers are doing what they can. These are not your average villagers. These are some of the best apothecary we've travelled with." The elder turned to face her parents.
"And this is certain? Those cuts are grave. We want to be assured that Naenia is going to be fine." Priscilla's father said.
"And she will be. Just pray and keep faith in the goddess." The elder tapped his walking cane to he ground.
"Keep faith? You mean when we were attacked just now? By those...those accursed beasts? Where was the goddess then?"
"Please, you're hysterical because of your daughter. She is in good hands. Her fate is in the goddess' hands. All will be decided once we all pray. She'll make it." The elder calmly replied.
"That thing in the sky? Was that the goddess's doing? That--that hideous star?"
"I can't answer that. I'm sorry. Again, all we can do is pray..."
"I'm not praying until my Naenia can walk again! Can play again! Can run again!"
The elder was silent. Priscilla's mother gently held her husband.
"It's going to be okay. Let's just sit near, Naenia. We'll sit here and pray for her health. It's what she would want this very moment." She had taken her husband by the hand.
The sat next to her as Priscilla slept. The only movement was the up and down motion of her chest from breathing. Everyone left except the elder and the apothecary that worked on different herbal medicines. They chewed the herbal leaves to bits, and would removed them from their mouths, spreading them across her chest and shoulder where the cut rested.
Both mother and father prayed fervently over her body. At times, her breathing slowed down. Her mother opened her eyes and gripped her daughter's hand tightly.
"Please hold on Naenia. Please goddess, if you can hear us, save our daughter."
Hours seemed to pass by. Priscilla's mother still gripped her hand. She couldn't sleep. If she did, she felt her daughter would pass.
Priscilla's father sat at her bedside. Even when those hours transformed into two days, her parents stayed by her side.
Her mother couldn't fight back the tears. She kept her hands together in prayer. She felt the hand of her husband pat her back.
"Naenia will make it. Don't worry."
"Don't worry?" She stood to her feet, "our daughter is clinging to life on her death bed. We don't know if she'll make it!"
His hands fell upon his wife's shoulders. Her teeth were clenched.
"I'd willingly take Naenia's place. That's what I prayed to the goddess." Priscilla's father said, staring sternly into her eyes.
"What if she doesn't heal her in time?"
"It will. Trust in the goddess. I can feel her working in this room now." He reassured his wife.
She looked into his eyes, wondering if he was only telling her this to make her feel better about the situation at hand. Her eyes travelled down to the ground. She nodded her head. Eyes back into her husband's gaze, she gave in, "okay. You're right."
He gave her a weak smile.
"Good. Step outside for a moment and take a deep breath. I'll look over Naenia."
Her mother was hesitant, but she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Fine, if you wish. But if she awakens, you let me know, please."
"Yes. I will let you know." He nodded.
She slowly went to step outside. Before she left the small cabin, she looked back at her daughter's sleeping body. She stepped out into the beaming sun. She saw people gathered just a way off to her left, noticing they were chattering amongst each other. Probably about the demon wolves that attacked two days ago. She placed a hand to her head as it throbbed. The tears forced to exit from her eyes. Using her sleeve, she dried her eyes the best way she could. A sniff escaped from her nostrils.
"Hey! Hey! Psst! Hey you, miss!"
Her reddened eyes traveled in the direction of the voice. It was a man dressed in the same Itlah tribal robes. He like a younger man in his twenties. His long, blonde hair resided underneath his white hood in a ponytail.
"Hey, you okay?"
It was as if she were offended by his comment. She strictly replied, "my daughter's dying. No one can seem to help. Honestly, we send prayers up to the goddess. She spots on her throne idly and watches the madness take place."
He has taken in account everything she said. He answered with: "oh, that's your daughter in there? I'm sorry to hear."
"Yes, so unless you can help us, please leave us alone. Leave us alone as for no one can help us."
The young man walked closer to her, taping his finger against his chin.
"I have a word of advice."
"Word of advice?" She sniffed again.
"Yeah, it can help. The sacred tree. You can save her guaranteed with the tree."
"What?"
Now this young lad has gone mad. He's been in the desert too long. She thought.
"The tree sap is able to heal her back to perfect health. I've witnessed it with my own two eyes."
"Really? But, I thought we weren't allowed anywhere near the tree. It's forbidden. And even so, how do you know that's what it does?"
"Because I know," he said strictly," you want to save your daughter, right? D'you know if she'll even make it off of mere prayers and medicines?"
His words stung her in the heart. True, Priscilla was on her death bed, but the tree was forbidden. She wasn't allowed to go anywhere near it.
Now I'm going mad. She thought.
She tried to erase those thoughts from her mind like wind blowing imprints out of sand.
"I--I can't."
"But what if no man can save your daughter? I've seen countless apothecaries, men and women in and out of that hut, trying to nurse your daughter back to health. You just spoke of sending countless prayers to the goddess. And still, they fall on deaf ears. I'm telling you this is guaranteed to bring her to full health."
Her principles flew out into the wind as she thought about it. Then a sense of dread fell upon her. Just thinking about it worried her to death. What if she got caught?