Wings Over Tremeirchson

Chapter 3: Vocation

Morning arrived clad in its usual gray mist. Neste dressed in her split skirt and tunic. Before she left the house, she stopped in to see her mother. It dismayed her to see Mum's face lined and pale this morning, with dark circles shadowing her eyes.

"Bore da, Mum. Rough night?"

She gave a tired smile. "Everything hurts, head, back, legs. Don't worry, though. I can nap all day. I'm not going anywhere."

After retiring from a long career as rider for a small barn, Mum had enjoyed six years in her flower garden. Soon after Neste's father died, it became too painful for her to kneel on the ground or grip a tool. When walking became difficult, she sat by the fire. Then her back ached and she took to her bed. After years of immobility, her muscles wilted. Today they probably wouldn't support her body even if her joints were able to straighten. Neste and her sister couldn't fix her, but they could try to keep her comfortable.

"Has Glynis brought your tea?"

Mum waved at the small table near the bed where a mug of tea steamed.

"You have to drink it for it to do any good," Neste said, trying to lighten her mother's mood.

"Nothing does any good."

"It smells like Tad's recipe. You like that."

Her father had been boyhood friends with the apothecary. Kenn always said Papa would have been wonderful with medicines, but he preferred to experiment. Research, he called it. He spent hours with Kenn at his shop in town and filled journal after journal with notes about reactions of certain plants with other plants.  He didn't live long enough to enjoy Neste's interest in herbs and healing, only long enough to betroth her to Hoel.

I'll drink it, you go on. I'll be fine."

"I know you will. I'll come see you later, Mum." Neste leaned over to kiss her forehead. Papa's painkilling tea had kept Mum strong for years. Now, with the pain so much greater, Neste suspected she drank it for the memories.

In the front room, Neste threw a cloak over her shoulders.

Glynis came in from the kitchen. "Will you be late today?" she asked.

Neste didn't like her sister's sharp tone. "It's the last practice before the Aerial Games opens. I must stay as long as Marc needs me to."

"I could use your help here. Mum is quite demanding lately, asking for her tea and to have her pillows straightened. Yesterday she dropped her embroidery needle four times and I had to come fetch it off the floor for her!"

"I know you work hard for Mum. I wish I could help more, I really do. After the Games are over, I can be home more. You could add more feverfew to the tea. It might help the pain."

Glynis retreated to the kitchen with a grunt.

Neste opened the door and walked past the broken gate. Anger pricked her, as it did every so often. Niall lived far away in Merioneth, but her other two brothers were here in town. Aidan rode for another barn, and Cadoc, the youngest, apprenticed to the blacksmith in town. They could certainly visit more often. Cadoc claimed the master blacksmith controlled every minute of his life. Neste didn't know much about apprenticeships, so she couldn't argue with him. Aidan had completed his first year as a rider, and she would have loved to compare experiences with him. This would be his first Aerial Games. Was he nervous or excited? Aidan kept to himself. She probably would never know.

The barn glowed softly from a handful of lanterns, and Neste pushed thoughts of her family to the back of her mind. Some grooms were already beginning their day. Riders were most likely still in bed or starting to think of breakfast. Determined to help Adam for the good of the team, she knew his success would be good for Hoel's temper, too. She wanted the rest of the barn to see the gentle side of her betrothed, the side he usually showed only to her.