Song of the Piper

::19:: Healing (Part 1)

Music is Wake Up, Ciri from The Witcher 3 OST. Play it!

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"Come, child. There is nothing we can do here." Lady Anya took my elbow, gently guiding me out of the tower.

I was still numb with shock. Everything that had just taken place still didn't seem real. For all I knew, this could be a hallucination. Perhaps I was still bound to Heidelberg, and I had never escaped Lord Himmel's clutches in the first place. Perhaps I was heading towards that cold, lifeless castle, where the poor children would never live a life of their own.

But everything soon focused. This was real. This wasn't a trick of the mind. I was here, living, breathing, walking in the Council headquarters.

I was free.

A bitter laugh escaped me. Was I truly free? I had entangled myself in this business, whether for good or bad, and now I was forced to see to the end of it. When could I ever be free? Lady Anya gave me a sideways look, but she didn't say anything. She probably assumed that I was in a mild hysteria. Which was partially true.

Once we entered the main hallway, Lady Anya bellowed for a few people to attend to us. I think I heard "Healers," somewhere in there too. But I couldn't be too sure. My ears were pounding with blood.

That was when a man, dressed in robes similar to Lady Anya's-save that it was more masculine in cut-approached us with an urgency to his footsteps. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, though there were already streaks of grey running through his dark hair. The line of his mouth was curved downwards. "I heard the commotion. What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"I'll explain everything later," she replied. "For now, this young lady here needs a good rest. She's in risk of overburning."

Now that she mentioned it, I felt slightly feverish. My insides were practically boiling, but I was shivering in spite of the fact that there was no wind.

The man looked me up and down, frowning, as though he were trying to decide if he should just throw me out of the headquarters. Maybe he should. Then I wouldn't have to be bothered with all of this. I emitted another high-pitched squeal. Funny. This was all so funny. How did these people manage to be so hilarious? I laughed and laughed till my stomach hurt and tears were pricking at the corners of my eyes.

The man suddenly seemed to come to a decision. He nodded at a young woman beside him. "Put her in the guest room."

"I'll come along," said Lady Anya. She cast me a baleful look. I supposed that she didn't trust me to behave without her supervision.

"Do as you please," said the man. "So this means that you will be out of commission for the time being?"

Lady Anya raised a brow at him.

He released a tired sigh. "Of course. I'll see to it that your work will be reassigned amongst us." He walked away, leaving me, Lady Anya and the young woman behind.

As if they had read each other's minds, they stood on either side of me and propped me up. Then they began to steer me down the hallway. "You feeling all right, miss?" asked the young woman. Freckles were splayed across her nose, and she had a warm, homely appearance.

"Lady," corrected Lady Anya. "She's a Magus, Heidi."

"Oh." Her cheeks burned when she realised her mistake, blending in with her fiery locks. "Excuse me, Your Grace."

"It doesn't matter," I said. I was still shivering; cold sweat beaded down my brow. What did titles matter when I was in this state? They didn't, that was it. I had only gained the title because I was promised to Lord Himmel. But I had given up the position. So what did that make me? "Nothing matters anymore. Nothing!"