Short Stories

The Healer

She's the healer in her village. She does as much as she can to save her people. She was just starting her apprenticeship when her mentor was killed on a hunt to the Village Below. They were ruthless people. Cruel and vile. They hated her village. No one could ever figure out why. It had started when she had become the local healer, it's like the despised as a healer. No matter. They never let her heal any if their people.

Julia watched as a few children ran around the village, close to where her tent was set up. She frowned as one big child pushed a smaller one down. The little one started to cry as the others laughed at him. She stood up. Her clothes swishing from side to side gracefully. The children stopped laughing and all of them scattered, but not the bigger child. He stood still, frozen. As Julia came closer to the small one, his crying ceased to sniffles. Her sixth sense hit her. Broken bone in his left arm, where he had fallen to save himself.

"Oh, hun. You're hurt." She cooed sweetly. She placed a gentle hand on his arm and whispered her spell. The sniffles died and he beamed up at her. His little green eyes sparkled. He jumped up and ran off. Julia turned to the bigger child and narrowed her eyes. Her violet eyes growing darker with disappointment. "And, you, Michal, know better than to pick on other children in this village. You've been spoken to by many Elders, you know the punishment if you disobey them." She sighed. Michal looked down, regret covered his features. "You're almost sixteen, Michal. The punishment is if you hurt another child, you become a soldier. And you've told me multiple times you never want to become one."

"I'm sorry, wise one." The boy whispered. Julia waved her hand.

"I have to tell the council, you know that. We are a peaceful village, Michal." She countered. "Why do you fight that?"

He didn't answer. Julia shook her head. "Go and apologize to that little boy and his family. Maybe they'll find a new punishment." He nodded and took off.

Julia watched as he disappeared between a few tents before going in hers. Today will be a long day.
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The next few days were calm. She didn't use her spell almost all week since the little child. As the sun began to descend, Julia cleaned her tent as she sang soft songs to herself.

Hurried feet made her stop her work and open the flaps of her tent. Soldiers stood there, some being carried and some leaning on others. They were all injured. So many of them seriously injured. Julia composed herself, her heart pounding. They were a peaceful town, but not weak enough to go without a defense. She ordered the seriously injured to go in first. They slowly went inside the tent. The captain stood outside with a few others, the ones not seriously injured or helping the ones that are. His brown eyes looked dark enough to be black. Sorrow etched into the depths.

"Captain," she said, "follow me inside and explain to me what happened." He nodded and walked inside. The tent was full. All beds were packed by the soldiers. The room starting to smell like the metalic ting of blood. Julia wrinkled her nose and started her work on the more serious injuries.

Captain Moore stood by her, waiting for a gesture to go in with the story. Julia sighed and nodded her head in his direction. "We were by the lake, doing patrol when an arrow struck Stefan. He was dead before he hit the ground. We knew then we were under attack. We had brung swords and bows, but too many were coming at us. So we retreated. One man yelled out a message. A message for you, Healer," The Captain slowed to a stop when he realized, they were through with the serious of injuries.

"Captain, what's the message?" Julia persisted.

The Captain gulped, his blue eyes alight with a new fear, "He had yelled, 'Thou she is your healer, she is our devil.'"

Julia swayed, but managed to stay upright, "What does it mean, Captain?"

He paled. "I do not know, Healer," He looked around him, his men moaning in pain or unconscious, "but it doesn't sound good."
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Down in the Village Below, a scream tore the night. It was an unusually quiet night as the people progressed the information on the attack of the Village Above. Men were killed and many injured. A successful attack. The scream came again and another joined. Till too many were filling the village. Joshua rolled out of bed, grabbing his bow from the floor. He stalked to his kitchen to find his wife, Maki, on the ground by the table, clutching her face. Panic rose within him, not his wife. The devil couldn't get his wife. But the devil did. As his wife moved her hands away from his face, he saw the blood. He saw the eye punctured and he knew then that this was revenge for the attack of the Village Above.

"Their healer needs to pay." He growled. His wife stopped moving, her chest frozen. He kneeled down next to her, tears running down his cheeks. He kissed her dead cheek one last time. "I will get revenge for you."

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In the Village above, Julia finished helping the less serious injuries. The sun was just rising, and Julia's exhaustion wore out. Her eyes heavy, she made it back to the Captains tent and went inside. He was half naked, his back bare before her. Scars from fights stood out to her as they did every time she witnessed it.

"Come to bed, my little healer." The captain cooed playfully. Julia smiled despite how she felt. She settled into bed and watched her husband make supper.

Julia yawned and laid back. Too soon, she fell asleep before supper was finished.

The Captain watched her and then left the tent, making sure a guard was there to make sure she was safe. He made his way to the Superior tent. They had made an arrangement to talk about the threat to his wife.

He made it there and realized something quickly. The tent was too quiet. There should've been all the men in the ranks talking about what happened, but he heard nothing. He stepped back and turned. He tan straight to his tent, the guard gone. The Captain let out a breath, panic leading him. He opened his tent to see his wife hung. He sprung into action, pulling her down and taking the noose off of her. She took in a deep breath, her eyes focusing on him.

"The Village Below hates us because of me." She murmured before falling unconscious. At least she's still alive. He thought to himself. He carried her to the Healer tent and put her on a bed in the corner. He sat by her and waited for her to wake up.

Julia woke up and remembered everything. She reached up a hand and rubbed her neck. It was tender, but healing. She saw in the corner of her eye, her husband sleeping, waiting for her to wake up.

"Kalo," she murmured. He woke up and took her hand.

"Julia, my little healer, are you alright?" He asked, concern shining from his eyes.

She shook her head. "I caused them pain, Kalo. I killed so many people to save our people." She sobbed.

Kalo was confused. "How?"

She looked uo, her eyes bright with pain. "Every time I heal someone here, the injury goes to a person in the Village Below."