The Wise Women

Chapter 13

'A Wise Woman's power comes from her heart,' the Burned One said. Nesta's heart beat louder at these words as if in agreement.

'Your heart is a reservoir of tremendous power. When you learn how to tap into that energy, you can use it to serve human and animal kind. It's our heart-energy we call upon when we heal. We send it through our palms into the sufferer. Nesta, you can use your heart-energy to resist other people's powerful emotions when they threaten to overwhelm you and cause you to morph. Theresa, you can use your heart-energy to control the Tiny Ones when they follow your lower impulses and act without your conscious consent.'

Theresa flinched when the Burned One said this and looked shamefacedly at the floor but she nodded vigorously. Nesta sensed her determination not to fail this time round.

'So, how do we access this energy?' the Burned One continued. 'First we must calm the mind and the emotions. Let's start with breathing. Close your eye, Theresa. Nesta, close both your eyes. Now focus on your breath. Try to breathe as slowly and quietly as possible. Inhale for one count, hold for four and exhale for two.'

They breathed together in this rhythmical way. I am the ocean, the thought drifted through Nesta's mind. My breath is the waves, coming in and going out.

'Now, as you breathe in, imagine you are breathing infinite peace into your body.' The Burned One's voice was soothing, almost mesmerising. 'Peace is entering with your breath and circulating, entering every limb, every organ, every part of your physical existence. And as you breathe out, let go of any restlessness within and sink into peace.' Relaxation washed through Nesta. Muscles she even didn't realise she'd been tensing in her jaw and shoulders released and became soft. Peace pervaded.

After a few minutes silence, the Burned one spoke again. 'Now open your eyes and allow your gaze to rest on this rose on the table. Observe it. Take in its beauty, its softness, its radiance. Imagine you can smell its fragrance.' She paused as they focused all their attention on the flower.

'And now close your eyes and imagine this same rose is growing inside your heart. Visualise it - its colour, it's shape, its fragrance - inside the centre of your chest.' The rose took form in Nesta's heart, surprising her with its clarity.

'Now imagine it is opening slowly, petal by petal, and as it opens, its fragrance permeates throughout your body. Every part of you is filled with the fragrance of the rose, from the soles of your feet to the crown of your head. You have become the beauty and fragrance of your heart-rose.' Nesta's imagined rose blossomed inside her heart, fragrance flooded her, filling her with a sensation unlike any she had experienced before. A sensation she could only describe as bliss. Pure transcendent bliss.

She drifted in that realm of perfect happiness, wanting nothing, untroubled by thoughts or worries, content just to be.

She could have stayed forever but all too soon the Burned One's voice called her back. 'Take another deep breath and then open your eyes and come back to the room.' Reluctantly she cracked open an eye. Her gaze fell on her friend's face, lit by the firelight. Theresa's ecstatic smile showed that they had both had the same experience.

'That's enough for today,' the Burned One said. 'You can go and rest now. After lunch you can go to the apothecary. Mildred will teach you about the herbal remedies we make and use for healing. Come here every morning after breakfast and we'll continue your training. May the Goddess protect you.'

The rest of the day passed in a delicious haze. Nesta fizzed with happiness. At the apothecary, every plant, every knife, every mortar and pestle she touched seemed to be full of joy as if she was seeing into the soul of everything and the soul of everything was smiling back at her.

After dinner they bathed in the river, changed into fresh clothes and joined the throng of Wise Women converging on the temple - the large hexagonal hut in the centre of the Village. The doors in each of its six sides were wide open as were the unglazed, shuttered windows. At the threshold, the women bent to unlace their boots, leaving them in neat rows beside the low stone steps that led up to each of the entrances. Nesta followed suit, and stepped inside, the stone cool beneath her stockinged feet. She blinked as she entered, momentarily dazzled. The floorboards, walls and ceiling were all painted brilliant white, torches hung in brackets from each of the walls and the room was completely empty except for one thing.

Right in the middle of the room stood a huge clear quartz crystal, about a head taller than Nesta and as wide as the span of her outstretched arms. The crystal's six straight sides rose up smooth and vertical then angled inwards to form a point - the temple mirrored its shape. It was clear in parts, opaque in others with irregular striations running through it. Torch-light reflected off its facets and threw orange patterns onto the white floor. Nesta had never seen anything like it. She gawped in astonishment.

Chatting casually in hushed voices, the Wise Women laid down the cushions they had brought and sat down on the floor around the crystal obelisk. Nesta folded up her cloak and lowered herself onto it. Leonia took the spot beside her and Nesta turned her amazed face towards her, eyebrows raised in a question.

Leonia leaned in. 'The crystal is a conduit,' she explained in a whisper. 'It enhances our heart-energy. 'When someone is very ill, we bring them in here and the crystal amplifies our healing powers.'

At that moment, the white- cloaked figure of the Burned One appeared in the east doorway and everyone fell silent. Perched on her shoulder was a glossy black raven. She lifted her arm in front of her, elbow crooked and the bird hopped to her wrist. 'Thank you, Ada,' she nodded at the bird. 'You can Shift back now.'

The raven cawed, then lowered its head, extended its wings and pushed off from the Burned One's wrist. It rose towards the ceiling before dropping downwards. As it descended, it transformed - black feathers gave way to pale skin, outspread wings reshaped themselves into arms, onyx black eyes enlarged and morphed into green human eyes. Skinny bird legs fleshed out and grew long and by the time her booted feet hit the ground with a thump, Ada was human again.

Her long blonde hair was dishevelled and she looked around with dazed, unfocused eyes. Elaine stepped forward and offered her an earthenware mug, 'Hawthorn tonic,' she laid her hand on Ada's shoulder. 'To revive you after your journey.' Ada drank deeply. Her cats had crept in unnoticed and wound themselves around her legs, purring loudly and rubbing their heads – one white, one ginger – against her calves.

'What can you tell us, sister?' the Burned One's voice was full of concern.

Ada turned and looked at her in surprise as if she'd forgotten she was there. The tension in the room prickled over Nesta's skin. The librarian shook her head as if to clear it and then spoke.

'I flew to Castle Stormont and perched on a high windowsill in the Throne Room. Empress Sapphira was meeting an envoy from King Otto of Frailing.

'He pleaded with her to let their two kingdoms continue to coexist in harmony, side by side as they have done for centuries. He begged her to give up her plans to annex Frailing. "His Majesty, King Otto, is a peace-loving man," the envoy said, "But if he is forced to, he will defend his territory. Our armies are powerful, as are yours, your Imperial Majesty. It would be a long and bitter war. Many innocent lives would be lost on both sides. Both our kingdoms would be decimated. The bloodshed would be untold."

'But Sapphira wouldn't listen. "Her Imperial Majesty will hear no more," she screamed. "If Otto wishes to avoid bloodshed he has only to surrender his crown to me voluntarily. But if he has not done so by the next full moon, then my armies will invade."'

Gasps sounded from the Wise Women and echoed around the temple.

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