Sanctuary

Chapter 9

"I am sorry, I did not find any dogwood for you. And also no birch for me. I'll have to improvise a bit. And so will you, whatever you plan to do with your items."

"It is all right, Eben. I see you did not bring dogwood, but you brought elder. And it is a branch, so it is not for your medicine. That would have required either flowers or fruit. So the elder is for me I assume. And it will replace the dogwood better than you think."

"How come you did recognize the branch as coming from an elder tree? And what about your other assumptions about it, assumptions that are right in regards of not being of use as medicine?" Eben asked surprised.

"It is because I have used elder many times before. And so did Thomas. He was into healing, like you are". Emilia smiled, but Eben saw the sadness in her eyes. But could there also be a glimpse of hope in all that sadness? He wondered. He did not reply. He continued to arrange all ingredients on the small table and noticed a centipede hidden in one of the bark pieces he collected. He took the piece of bark, went outside and released it near a tree stump where it could find cover in the half decayed bark or under the leaf litter. When he returned, Emilia asked:

"Releasing one of nature's creatures again?" Eben remained still. She could not have seen what he just did. How come she knew it? She also seemed to know more about him that he was aware of. Emilia must have noticed his troubled expression and continued: "Come, seat here. We need to talk" she said, tapping on the bedside near her. Eben sat. Then Emilia asked about his trip in the woods and Eben related where and how he found the ingredients. And about the strange feeling he had while resting against the elder tree. His right hand was leaning on the bed. Emilia placed her palm over it and spoke:

"You have a gift Eben. A rare one. You have been drawn to nature your whole life, am I right? And the thoughts of healing others come naturally to you. And you do consider all life to be equal, else you would not have taken the time and effort to take care of whatever bug you just released back to nature. And nature has always responded to you in kind, even if you did not see it that way. Let us look back at what happened today. You touched the elder tree. And you thought of me and the need to heal, but also to protect me. You asked the tree for help, subconsciously. And it answered. What you felt and thought was the answer to your question: the tree wanted to help and gave you permission to harvest a branch, even if it hurt itself."

"But I cannot use the branch" Eben said disappointed. "I have no idea why I took it. The thought just would not let me rest, so I did take it eventually."

"The tree was sending you a positive vibration. Although it could not help you in healing me, it would help you in protecting me. Elder is known by almost everyone because of its flowers and what refreshing liquor you can make out of it. It is also known by less people for its medicinal uses against pain. People like Thomas. Like You, Eben. But elder has other uses too, known only to few, like myself: it has also power to protect. You will witness it, I promise you that. I also see you have a feather there. It is of no use in either medicine nor protection spells. So I can assume it is a charm. Tell me about how you got it."

Eben explained about the barn owl, how it landed on the branches above him. It was not that he did not hear it flying, owls are renowned for their noiseless flight, but it was strange to be active during daytime.

"That is most pleasant news", Emilia said without even trying to cover her enthusiasm.

"What is?" Eben asked curiously.

"Some of the naturalists that have a strong bond to nature in general, have also a strong bond to animals. And sometimes, very rare, animals like to aid those people. Animals also have souls, like everything living. And some also have magical powers. It seems this particular owl felt your noble intensions and your own powers, so it decided to bond with you. The feather it dropped was a gift to you, a sign. You picked it up, that means you accepted the gift. All you have to do now is call upon your soul-linked companion for help. Owls are known for their wisdom. It will amplify yours, helping you gain clarity, true sight. And it will help you in every possible way it can, should you request it."

Eben tried to suppress his laughter, but did not do a very good job at it.

"Look, I know this s all knew to you. The information part I mean. But else you just need to look inside yourself. The bond with nature has always been there, since you were born. Humor me please. Take the feather, get outside, close your eyes and summon your companion. If it shows up, you can start believing. If not, you can have your laugh at me."

Eben considered it for a short while. He clearly thought it would make him look foolish, but somehow he could not resist the urge to try it out. Almost as she had some powers over him, he just was not able to withstand. So he got up, took the feather, got outside, closed his eyes and concentrated his thoughts on the owl. He asked for guidance. Then he waited. Nothing happened. He smiled. Half of that smile however betrayed disappointment. He turned and wanted to enter the trailer again. Something brought him to a sudden halt. In the corner of his eye he saw a white shadow approach. As he turned his head in that directions he could see the owl flying towards him, circling once high over his head and going for the branches of the nearest oak. Eben's chin dropped. Two owls acting during daytime was a bit too much of a coincidence. And both seeking his presence, not bothered by it. The owl sat down and stared at him. Before he could stop himself, Eben thanked the owl in his thoughts. The owl screeched. Eben entered the trailer, not sure about what happened.

"I heard your little friend outside in the canopy. So I was right." Emilia said. "Damn, she likes it when she is right. Exactly like...." Eben's thought was interrupted by Emilia.

"You were going to make me some infusion for my pain. Please do so, I will need to get up again at dusk". She closed her eyes and remained silent..

So Eben started preparing it. He took a small tea kettle out of the drawer. He also took the small burner fueled by solid alcohol. His mother used to use it for making them tea when they were children and spent time here in fall. He lit the burner, filled the kettle with water, rinsed the willow bark and ginger, went outside and returned minutes later with some chamomile, cinnamon and lemon. About twenty minutes later, the brew was ready. He let it cool off a bit, filtered the tea and offered it to Emilia. He helped her raise her head and drink. Her scent filled his nostrils and lungs again. Damn, that scent was so familiar and calming....

"There is one more thing I need of you before resting again. And something I must tell you" Emilia broke the silence.

"Anything" Eben replied uncontrolled.

"Your tea will help with the pain, but I need you to take care of my wound, so I'll be able to walk around as soon as possible."

"But I took care of it a few hours ago. The paste is still required there, the bandages are still clean, no signs of bleeding anymore. There is nothing I can do right now, Emilia".

"There is. You just need to believe it. And more important, believe in yourself. Take the feather in your left hand. It is a powerful charm for you. Place the right hand over my wound and focus. Think of how much you want it to heal, think of me."

Eben did as asked. He took the feather, placed his right palm over her abdomen, closed his eyes and thought of her, her injury, of his wish to heal and make her comfortable. And of love? No, that was not possible, he had just met her... He felt warmth gathering throughout his body and then slowly amassing in his right hand, reaching for his open palm. His palm twitched. Emilia sensed it and placed her own hand over his, not allowing him to withdraw it. Seconds later, all warmth seemed to have dissipated. Emilia loosened her grip. Eben however did not move his hand.

"What just happened?" Eben asked worried.

"That was you, doing what you do best. Thank you. You will see it later and understand. I need to rest now, Eben."

"But there was something you wanted to tell me..."

"Not now, I need to heal. I will talk about it in the evening. I'll need your help walking around the camp. Then we can talk more. Leave me for now, please". Emilia closed her eyes and remained silent. Eben resisted the urge to push her. He just watched her closely for a short time, tucked her in ... and finally gave in. He kissed her forehead. "Rest well". He stood up, turned and left the trailer in hurry. He was ashamed. What had he done? Why has he done it? What would Emilia think of it? Was she still awake and aware of what he'd done? He will only find out when he'll enter the trailer again, later in the evening. He dismissed those thoughts. Everyone was gathered at the fireplace, Nina was creating a fuss about something. He needed to take care of this first.