Synthetic Magic

On the run

When Tyro quickly grabbed my hand and yanked me past the tree line I realized my thoughts of freedom came a little too soon. I was still a criminal in the eyes of the council and now I had upgraded to a fugitive.

I felt a sting on my arm and rolled up my sleeve to reveal my arm covered in blood from where the glass cut me earlier.

"Uh Tyro a little help here," I said pointing to my arm.

Tyro immediately opened his bag and pulled out a small box of medical supplies. He grabbed bandages, a rag, and a bottle of water. We sat down on a large rock and Tyro gently pulled my arm towards him. I watched as he poured the water over my arm rinsing away most of the blood before taking the rag and scrubbing the last remnants of blood off my arm taking care to dab gently around my cut. Next, he took a dry rag and gently patted the area around my cut dry before dressing my arm with clean bandages.

"You're pretty good at this" I commented noticing how smooth and practiced his movements were as he cleaned my wound and tied the bandage around my arm.

He chuckled running a hand through his hair "Yah I'm pretty used to this, I've had to patch up so many friends on the battlefield I've lost count".

I nodded adding the fact that apparently, he was a soldier to my very limited knowledge of him.

"We'll get you stitched up when we get to the safe house," He said before packing up the medical supplies.

"I won't need stitches I just need to add some melroot to the cut, which shouldn't be too hard to find around here after that it should close up fairly quickly" I responded.

"How do you know that?" He asked sounding surprised at my knowledge.

"It pays to be a witch's apprentice," I said sarcastically, I've never thought of Stella as a witch even though her clients dubbed her "the witch of Darkling Forest" to me she was always more of a herbalist if anything.

Tyro's eyes widened in surprise at the fact that I was apprenticed to a witch but otherwise he said nothing.

"Look", I paused before continuing hoping he wouldn't overreact to what I was about to suggest "I appreciate everything you've done for me and I hate to complicate what is already a difficult situation but I need to see Stella before we go to this safe house of yours I have no idea if she knows what happened to me and she's probably worried sick"

Tyro raised an eyebrow at me. "You realize you're a fugitive now right, you can't just visit your family or whoever this woman is, the guards will be watching everyone you're associated with"

"We literally just escaped there's no way they're already posted at my house," I protested, "Please Tyro I need to see her even if it's for the last time"

"It won't be the last time Bella I promise," Tyro said gently looking into my eyes.

"You don't know that...please Tyro" I pleaded.

We stood there staring at one another me trying to gauge whether he'd consider my request and him trying to see if I would back down.

I wasn't even a little reassured by Tyro's promise,  with the council after me I'd either be killed or in hiding for the rest of my life. I refused to go through that without at least saying goodbye to Stella first. I'd knock him out and make a run for it if I had to.

"Fine," Tyro said with an exasperated sigh, "but we need to go right now, do you know how to get there"?

I nodded before grabbing my pack and striding confidently through the trees. I had explored every forest in Sadona looking for herbs and various plants for Stella and after a decade of experience, I knew each forest like I knew my own name.