Origins

Me part 1

Born in the year of our lord 1500, I was a priestess of the Suncult.

My duties as a priestess were to visit the sick, injured, or unwell and to heal them.

I was out one night to see a little girl who had little itchy bumps on her body. I had encountered this many times before, so I knew which herbs and medicines to bring.

Once I arrived at the home, I knocked on the door. A few voices squeaked from the house and little, fast footfalls sounded. The door creaked open and a young boy, probably around the age of 6 years, was standing in the threshold.

"Mama, a wady's heew!" His young voice rang through the house.

A woman in an apron with a child in her arms rushed around the corner to greet me.

"Thank you for coming priestess. Please, follow me."

I walked with her to a small room where a little girl with brown plaited hair lay on bed covered in red bumps. I greeted the girl with a warm smile and knelt by her bedside.

"How do you feel?"

"Itchy, I don't like it. It hurts." She said while ruthlessly scratching her arm.

I lightly took her hands in mine.

"Don't scratch it or they'll get worse." I told her kindly.

She nodded and I released her hands. I leaned over to the mother and asked her to get some hot water and a bowl for me. She nodded and left the room.

I set my messenger bag on the nearby table and get out a small vial of medicine, a cloth of green herbs, and a strawberry.

While I tended to the girl's arms, which she had scratched to the point of damaging the skin, a young child played with the silk of my dress.

The mother gave me a small bowl and the hot water soon after.

I poured a little bit of the hot water in the bowl and added some of the herb. I mixed it around and then added a drop of medicine. The mixture turned blue and smelled foul. I crushed up the berry and put it in the blue paste, and gave it to the girl.

She looked quizzically at it, then at me. I nodded for her to drink it, so she brought it to her mouth. The strawberry helped it taste better than it would have, so she was able to consume it all.

I grabbed a few bandages from my bag and washed off the girl's arms before applying them.

"This will help you from damaging them while they recover." I told her. She nodded and gave me a hug.

I rarely received this kind of gratitude from a child, and hesitated before hugging her back.

I packed up my things and slung my bag on my shoulder.

The mother came to me and gave me a silver coin.

"Madam, I don't require payment." I declined kindly.

"I insist." She pleaded with me to take the coin, and I thanked her. She shook my hands and turned back to her many children, softly shutting the door. I hurried back to the home where my fellow sisters lived.

I climbed the stairs to my small dorm and hung my bag on the bedpost. I ventured downstairs again to eat dinner and socialize.

"Giselle!" I greeted my closest friend. She ran to me and gave me a hug.

"How did the service go?" She asked.

"It went wonderfully. The family was so kind."

"That's great." We talked throughout the meal until we were tired, and went to bed.

I woke up to a loud noise. I sat up to investigate. Nothing seemed out of place.

I went downstairs and still, nothing was wrong. Giselle, seeming to have heard the noise too, found me downstairs.

"Was that you?" She asked.

"No, but I heard it too." We both looked out the window and saw a shadowy figure run into the woods.

"I'm going to go see what that was." Giselle announced.

"No! It could be a robber or something horrible." I told her.

She sighed, "Maybe, but what if it's not?"

"What do you have to gain by going out there?"

"Sated curiosity?" She tried.

"Well, I'm not going." I told her.

"I am." She hurried outside.

"Giselle!"

I quickly and quietly went to my dorm, grabbed a cloak, and ran after her into the neighboring woods.

I followed her footprints until the ground was covered in too many leaves and plants to tell where the tracks led.

I ran a little farther in the direction I thought she went.

I then realized how lost I had gotten myself.

"Giselle!" I called out and turned at the rustling of leaves.

"Giselle!" This time a little weaker.

"Hello, love." A cold hand gripped my arm.

I gasped and tried to pull away.

He didn't even budge.

"Let go of me!" I commanded.

He laughed and released my arm. I immediately ran away from him and in the direction I thought the house was. Suddenly he was in front of me and I ran right into him.

"How'd you do that?" I gasped. He studied me and let me go again.

This time I didn't run, I knew he would catch me.