The Lost Mark

chapter 8: The oracle

those who are looking

may not find 

what it is anymore

sometimes its better to stop checking

"The royal family is coming to visit." the woman exclaimed in the town square.

"I wonder why?" another asked.

" Because lady Normandy was the eldest princess fiance." Gregory's ex-wife explained.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and continued to sew. The thing I like about this village is that all the women come together once a week to sew together. I got invited by a kind lady named Eleanor.

"I wonder why she ran away?"Eleanor asked.

"Maybe she was kidnapped?" a young girl asked.

"Elizabeth!" the ex-wife scolded.

"What? It could have happened."

Nee nodded her head."that is very likely."

"Why would a lady leave?" Rina said. "they have everything they would want."

The women started to nod.

"Is it true that you are working girls?" Elizabeth inquired.

I stopped sewing. "We help with research."

"Is it fun?"

"Elizabeth!" her mother repeated.

She rolled her eyes, which made me smile.

"I enjoy it, but just because I do does not mean you would. You would probably find it boring like Nee does."

Nee started to blush. " reading is hard. It hurts my head."

The women nodded in agreement. Elizabeth looked a bit dismayed and her mother sent us a grateful look. She doesn't want Elizabeth to be like her father.

"So should we clean extra carefully?" the first woman questioned.

"Of course." another answered.

" I think this is his answer," Rina whispered.

I looked at her and nodded. Nee fainted.

" Go get Alex," I told Rina as she ran off.

Alex made the decision to pretend to be a man while we lived here, since everyone already thought that she was one. How much more stupid could the people here get? I cradled Nee's head as the women fret about.

"Is she okay?" The ex-wife asked. "I know Gregory knows a bit about illnesses. You should have him look at her."

I smiled at her concern. "She's fine. It has been happening a lot recently. I think it has to do with becoming a woman."

They nodded.

"It can be Hard," Eleanor stated.

Soon Rina came back with Gregory and Alex. Alex lifted her up as Gregory checked her pulse.

"She just fell asleep. Alex should bring her home. She has been overdoing herself lately."

I nodded and grabbed my sewing supplies.

"I'm so sorry," I told the worried women.

They waved me off and invited us to go watch the royal family come to town.

Alex laid Nee on the bed. "It's because she is the oracle, right?"

Gregory nodded. "I believe so. Her ability saps her energy. The best thing for her is to learn to channel the Oracle and learn to block her out at the same time."