Nedris (NaNoWriMo)

The Healer

The Healers was a stone building nestled amongst others in the town. It had rows and rows of drying herbs hanging outside and a large covered canopy built onto the side with various tables filled with pots, bowls, jars and all sorts of healing paraphernalia. A matronly halfling was outside under the canopy crushing herbs in a large stone pot when she saw the cart roll up. She began to wipe her hands on her apron and walk over to greet them.
    "Morning morning, ah Ned, I didn't think we had an appointment?" She said cheerfully, then clocked her eyes on the frail young boy being carried over from the cart. "Oh, oh heavens who have we here?"
    "Morning, this is Evrard Landbeck, just pulled him from the wreck that floated in this morning." Ned replied, catching the older woman's shocked expression. The Healer composed herself soon after and placed a warm smile back on her face.
    "Well young man, let's have a look at you then," The Healing woman began to busy herself with her work. She was named Maria Tolville but Ned had always known her as The Healer, even since she was a youngling needing her scraped knees tended to.
    "There, let's get you settled and I'll go get you some food." Maria had worked her magic, cleaning the boy up, applying salve and bandages on some on the worst scrapes and giving him a clean nightshirt. She had tucked him up in one of the spare beds, set aside for patients and was busying herself away at the large fireplace on the other side of the room. Evra hadn't said much in the process, a quiet sombre look set on his small face. Ned had kept a watch on him at all times except to duck out and send message up to The Hall about the news, The Captain would certainly want to know.
    Once Evra had gone through two bowls of broth and three tacks he seemed to slow, nibbling at the corner of his fourth hardtack. "It happened at night, we were getting ready for bed," Evra began, Ned turned to face him, giving the boy her full attention. "Ma had just put my sister in her hammock when there was a crash and everything shook. I thought maybe we'd stuck on some rocks but then I heard Pa and my older sister yelling outside. Pa sounded so angry." Ned sat down at the foot of Evra's bed, taking in every word.
    "Can you continue? I know it's painful to think about but I need you to tell me everything that happened that night."
    "I then thought it might be raiders, coming to steal, but the barge kept rocking and shaking. I ran outside to help Pa but I couldn't see him, I just saw green. Green everywhere. Then my older sister was fighting at the green with fire. The boat was on fire. She pushed me back in, yelling at me to get in the hold. I couldn't see Ma anywhere, just a lot of smoke. My sister opened the hold and locked me in. I didn't see her after that and then after a while the shaking stopped and it was quiet." Evra gulped down the dry cracker, trying hard to swallow the emotion.
    "How long were you drifting do you think?" Ned probed, handing him a glass of water.
    "Maybe 3 days, I slept for a lot of it."
    "And the green thing, the thing your sister was fighting, can you tell me more about that?" Evra didn't reply, he clammed up. "Evra I need you to tell me more about it. If you can?" The boy didn't reply again, just turned his head away, resting on the head board. Ned knew when to give up so she left him to his thoughts and to rest.
     The young halfling woman followed the sound of pounding, finding Maria outside smashing dried herbs again. Ned rolled up the sleeves on her shirt and got to work next to The Healer, plucking the dried flowers from stalks.
    "Poor child, wonder if he's got any family in town, what was his last name? Landbeck?" Maria asked aloud, stopping her work to itch her chin as she thought. "I think I might know a woman with that last name, hopefully she'll be a relation."
    If anyone knew, it would be Maria Ned thought.
    "Has he said anything about what attacked the barge?" Maria asked Ned, handing the other halfling another bunch of brittle flowers.
    "Green, green everywhere. I saw it on the boat, the same algae as all the others that have rolled in on the current. The Pondscum." Maria cursed under her breath and glanced over to the house where Ned presumed a holy symbol would be.
    The two women continued to chat and work, Maria keeping Ned up to date with the Town gossip and Ned enlightening Maria with some Dockside whispers. A half hour had passed them by before Ned heard the gallop of pony hooves coming down the way, heading for The Healer's home. About time, Ned thought to herself.
    There were five ponies, four were fairly plain with standard guards riding on the back of them. The fifth was a dark brown, draped in fine riding gear and a finely dressed halfling man was riding on the back. He had the same dark hair and olive complexion as Ned did though his long curled locks and cropped beard were peppered with silver hairs.
    "Nedris!" The  fine dressed man dismounted his pony and strode over to the women quickly, the guards remained mounted. "I've just come from the docks, I had to see the wreckage myself." The man commented somberly.
    "Captain," Ned nodded towards the man. He was her Great Uncle Arnoul, on her father's side, brother to her Grandfather and The Captain to the whole town, essentially the Lord of this land.
    Ned filled The Captain in on what Evra had told her, trying her best to fill in any gaps the young boy might have left but she could tell by the furrow of The Captain's brow, he wasn't best pleased with everything.
    "Did you ask him where they were? Where they were going? Coming from? We need this information Ned!" The Captain snapped in a hushed tone.
    "He's a young boy who has just lost his world, we can question him in time," Ned pleaded, grabbing onto the sleeve of the thick leather coat of her Great Uncle.
    "No, no, I am sick to the back teeth with all this! It used to be maybe one boat a year would go missing or come back ruined but now it's two or three a month! Enough! He's the only survivor on record, he can damn well answer my questions!" The Captain ripped his arm away from Ned and began to storm into the house when Maria stepped in his way. "Out of my way Healer," he said gruffly.
    "You will not question my patient Arnoul, not while he's in my care." Maria hitched her chin up and squared her shoulders. The Captain clenched his fist, shaking with anger. He sighed and let his body relax a little but he was still filled with fury.
    "You have one hour to get the boy to The Hall," The Captain snapped as he turned to stalk back to the ponies. "That is an order Nedris," he snapped again as he saw Ned about to interject. "One hour or my men will drag the lad out if needs be."
    Ned watched as her Great Uncle galloped away on his pony and let out a huge, exasperated groan. She was related to that. Only on her father's side she reminded herself. She had got her thick, curled dark hair from her father's side and her warm, sunkissed olive skin from that side too but her calmer emotions came from her mother, and her sea blue eyes.
    "What will you do?" Maria asked, her arms crossed across her chest, eyes still trained on the road where the men had left, not looking at Ned.
    "What he's asked of me, he's my Captain." Ned replied with a heavy heart. She knew her Great Uncle well, he would do as he said and take the boy if need be. "He's under a lot of stress, like he said, so many boats are coming in-"
    "And families," Maria interrupted, her eyes narrowing on Ned. "Everyone always talks about the barges and the cargo, the profits lost but never a thought spared for the family." Ned felt that was an unfair comment but it stung with a hint of the truth. Maria was The Healer, she had to go to the boats and inspect any bodies, ascertain their injuries and causes of death. Anything to give a hint or a clue as to what was attacking them.
    Like The Captain had said, it was getting worse. He had tried diverting trade routes, blocking off well used journeys on the maps and had sent some of his best men out to explore the oceans and rivers but those that had returned had very little to report and those that didn't return were just another cross on the map of places not to venture.
    "If we're going to go up to The Hall," Marie started with a sigh. "Then I'll go fetch Bess and my cart. You pack a bag, I'll need willowbark, the catnip and elderflower. Also the poppy root too and clean bandages." The older woman began to walk round the side of the building muttering to herself all the way.
    Ned was glad of the busy work, grabbing the herbs and jars from Maria's vast collection. Evra was sound asleep in the bed, a small frown playing across his face as he slept.