Her Healing Touch.

Prologue

Prologue.

Her Healing Touch. Written by: Megan Cutter.

Clan Baldie, a Two-day journey away from the port of North Leith, Scotland..., 1692.

Bella.

I was in the back of my cottage collecting the new batch of herbs that I would need to have on hand before winter came when I heard the 'snap' of a branch behind me.

Turning around in fear, I looked over my shoulder to see where the noise came from. I really hoped that it wasn't, Angus trying to sneak up on me from behind. Her brother Rickard and his friends, always played like that ever since I was young.

 No one wanted to be chased and humiliated repeatedly when you were growing up, especially when you did no harm to anyone and just minded your own business. But alas, both Fergus, Angus, and Rickard made sure that my childhood became a living nightmare.

As the years flew by, I was able to learn to defend myself from their tricks. This led me to making sure that I set up traps that Granny taught me were the most effective against boys and bullies. Granny Skye was the elderly lady that took me in after Rickard drove me away from the keep a few years after I turned thirteen. Granny Skye was a healer, and she taught me her craft after she saw me heal a wounded bird soon after I arrived. 

Eventually, my childhood bullies ceased bothering me when an incident occurred with Granny; This took place after my seventeenth birthday. Granny Skye tried to save the Laird from a bout of sickness, that she concluded was brought on by poison. Unfortunately, she was too late and the Laird died. The priest of the village immediately claimed Granny to be a Witch because she refused to use the things the church allowed when in healing the sick. Granny Skye was more knowledgeable in the use of herbs and poultices, which the priest claimed was the knowledge derived from the Devil.

The priest was so prejudiced to Granny Skye that he riled up the villagers so much that they took her into custody and burned her on a stake in the center of the village. Fortunately, at the time I was away delivering a bairn and when I returned to her village and learned about the death of my Granny, I grieved deeply and desisted venturing further into the village.

Soon after her tragic death, that nasty priest and his merry band of prejudiced flock soon targeted me as well. Some people accepted my help, whereas others shunned me. But thanks to 'my' wicked reputation of being claimed to be a Witch, Angus and Fergus and my conniving and evil brother, stayed far away from me, because they feared that if they ventured too close to me that I would curse them by placing hexes on their lives and families.

Even though I wasn't bothered by them, I still looked over my shoulders every time I heard noises coming out of the silence of the forest. The sound of the branch being snapped brought Bella out of her thoughts, and hesitating from gathering her herbs, she turned around slowly and peered into the distance and tried to see if anyone was coming towards her.

From within the darkness of the forest, Bella swore she heard her name being called, but since she couldn't see anything, I shrugged my shoulders and made my way back to the front of my cottage.

I was just starting to grind the herbs when there came to be a loud pounding on her door.

" Who is it?" I asked. When no answer came back, I resumed grinding the herbs again. As I was just about to add another herb to the mixture, my door crashed open, and in its threshold stood a large injured man. When the man stepped through the threshold and collapsed on the floor.

I shrieked. I ran over to the man's side and began examining him, to see what caused him to render him still and immovable. When I saw the long gash that traveled from the base of his neck to the bottom of his hip, I was rendered speechless. Who could have done such a despicable act of cowardice? Hopefully, my skills could aid him, and not cause him to perish.

Praying for the strength that I would need in saving his life, I closed my eyes and prayed to my Granny in heaven for her guidance in guiding my hand to patch up his wounds. "Stay with me, warrior, I'll have you patched up and mended in no time."