The Raven & The Wolf

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Pain is flowing through me, standing out in a blanket of fatigue I feel over me. I’m hot and it feels as if I am burning from the inside out. I can tell I have been carried and laid somewhere. There are voices talking, but my mind is too foggy to understand what anyone is saying to me. I think I’m going to die this time. There is one bright side to this. Ari wasn’t the one to do it. On the downside, I was the one to do it this time.

There is a sharp pain in my wrist and my neck while someone shouts something. There is panic, that is clear. My blood begins to boil, causing me to scream out. My back arches, realizing something is holding my shoulders down.

My eyes snap open, and I see Stanya holding me down. She’s shouting something, covering my mouth as I scream. There is a ceiling, and I can smell hay. There is pure panic on her face as molten lava pulls through my veins. My eyes begin to lose their focus, and I swear I see Articus smirking at me.

“Nat, you have to be quiet,” Stanya begs, abruptly capturing my attention. I bite my lips, trying to contain the vocal proof of my agony. Horror is on her face as she looks down to see me, which is swiftly replaced in relief. “You can hear me. Gedric, keep going.”

Gedric? Stanya touches both sides of my face. It is then that I notice there is blood on the side of her face, and a black eye to go with it. “You’re an idiot Nat. You should have let him kill me.”

My face is clearly pained, but I give her a look that questions her sanity.

“I know you love me too much to do that.” She bends down and puts her forehead to mine. “You had me scared Natasha. Please, I just want you to be safe. I feel like I’m too weak to keep you protected from Ari, and even the Fates. I’m too weak to do anything.”

“That’s not true,” I croak, feeling some relief in my toes. I try to focus on that as I speak. “You’re the strongest Illusionist alive.”

“Not strong enough,” she mutters almost to herself.

“That’s bull and you know it.” I tell her.

“I’m not like you Nat. I can’t keep getting stronger.”

“You can learn how to use your powers better.” I tell her. “I can teach you how.”

“Brin told you no. You’ll go into overload again.”

“At this point, I don’t think there is a way to avoid it.” I say, my eyes beginning to flutter. The pain has vanished up to my hips.

“Natasha, no.”

“Stanya, yes.” I tell her. “I won’t have to use my magic. I can teach you without using it.”

“Since when?” She demands.

“Have you asked Gedric how he’s increased his earth magic?” I ask her patiently. I’m in too much pain to argue my technique with her right now.

I feel her stiffen. “I know he’s the one draining me right now, and filtering my magic.”

“How-how did you know?”

“Because I’ve been teaching him,” I tell her gently. “Every single night while you and Halthin slept, we would practice. We were working on separating the elements for the last week. The same method applies here.”

I lift my injured arm gently, careful not to use the one Gedric is currently draining, “Let me help you Sister.”

“You might die,” she tells me, her voice small.

“I might die tonight, or the next time I sneeze. I’ve always wanted to teach you.”

“Brin said no,”

“Brin’s words don’t apply to our situation, so let me handle his anger in the afterlife.”

“If you get that far,” Stanya says quietly.

“Let me worry about that. Besides, you heard the Fates, Second Guardian Stanya. We need to get you stronger if you’re going to help me kick Articus’s meddling ass.”

She laughs, relief spreading through her. “I can do that. After Ari.”

“After Ari,” I agree. “Now don’t get scared, but I’m going to pass out now.” I manage to get that out before my hand drops while my eyes fade out.

When I wake, I feel bruised and battered, and, mercifully, warm. I open my eyes to find a white knitted blanket put over me. There is fire in the wooden fireplace next to me. The room is small, but it’s nice and cozy. There is a water basin on a wooden table next to my head. A wet rag is hanging from it.

I grimace when I try to move my shoulder. I look over to find a scar and stitches. What did they do to me? It’s sore and almost unbearably painful to move. I blink several times as I try to sit up. When the blanket drops it reveals a thin silver silk tank top. What am I wearing?

“Lay right back down,” a voice says, coming from the corner of the room. I look to my right and see Gedric sitting on a small stuffed chair with a book in his hand.

“Where am I?” I ask Gedric, my mind is still pretty foggy.

“Frostula,” he tells me. His body is tense, and it looks like he’s almost angry.

“Why are we here? When did we get here?”

He sits up, concern spreading on his face. “Two days ago Nat. We’ve spoken a couple of times on the way here.”

“We did?” This is news to me.

“What do you remember?”

My brow furrows as I try really hard to remember what he’s talking about. “I remember teleporting Ari and his men, which is what triggered my overload. I remember hearing a loud bang in the steam room, and then hiding in the changing room when I heard Ari’s voice. I also remember him finding one of my magic stones, and using that to steal all the magic from all of my other stones. After that it’s a bit foggy, but I clearly remember hearing Stanya screaming. The rest is kind of scrambled. I remember being wet though, because I was trying to get away from Ari. I think I was trying to get to Macy.”

“Do you remember anything else?”

“Talking to Stanya while you drained my magic,” I tell him. I’m a little concerned by his facial expression. He looks like I just told him he stinks or something. “Is something wrong?”

“Just stay sitting, okay?” He tells me, getting up. “I’m going to get my dad.”

“Where is Stanya and Halthin?”

“Sleeping, and it’s the first time in days.” Gedric tells me moments before leaving the room.

I stretch a little, the best I can anyway. My back is so sore. My shoulder is just another thing entirely, and, frankly, I’m tired of it being this painful. I look around and notice a small thing of books next to the chair Gedric had been sitting in. I stand up and walk over to look at the book he had been reading. “Magical Healing,”

I purse my lips as I look through the book next to it. It’s a little romance novel. A small smile spreads on my lips. Who knew Gedric had a soft side?

“Natasha,” Gedric nearly yells when he enters the room again.

I turn, holding up the book; enjoying a blush that comes to his face when he sees it. “I didn’t know that you were a romantic.”

“Just sit down,” he tells me while I see a man with silver curls walk into the room. He has chocolate colored eyes and the warmest smile I have ever seen. The warmth he radiates instantly makes me like him. Gedric is about four inches taller than the man.

The man smiles at me and speaks with a silken voice, “My name is Healer Andrew, Elder Natasha. You may call me Drew. I’m glad to see you’re awake and walking. The overload your body just went through was pretty impressive; and would have rendered most, who had received that high of an overload level, into a catatonic state for quite some time.”

I shudder, “Painful is a more fitting term for that overload.”

He chuckles, “I don’t doubt that. Gedric did an excellent job draining the majority of your magic. I was able to drain some more of your magic, to lessen your chance of a future overload, when Gedric brought you here.”

I give him a confused look, “More?”

He nods and points to just under Gedric’s left breast. “This is where the overload begins. If the well there is deep enough, it won’t be properly drained by a routine removal. I got quite a bit from there. I honestly thought it wasn’t going to end. I removed enough for Gedric to create two necklaces with, and your little friend Stanya helped him to do it. It was unfortunate that the well was so deeply drained, but it was necessary; but this means your recovery will be approximately one month. The Council and villagers are already making arrangements for you to stay with us until you’re recovered. It’s what the Elder Sheiks have requested.”

Frustratedly embarrassed, I rub my face. “Who spoke with them?”

“I believe it was Elder Stanya and Halthin.”

“They make everything sound worse than what it is.” I internally sigh. This should be fun.

“No, you understate everything. Tell her how bad her shoulder was Dad.” Gedric says, walking towards me.

While Gedric leads me to the bed by touching the small of my back, Drew speaks. “Your shoulder blade was shattered, Elder Natasha. You also had a couple of torn tendons. I was able to place your bones back correctly, and secure them with salstine putty. Some hand stitches were required to repair your tendons.”

Drew pulls up a chair in front of me while Gedric has me sit on the edge of the bed. Drew starts touching my shoulder carefully. “It’s astonishing you were able to move it for so long, while dealing with that amount of pain.”

“It wasn’t easy,” I tell him, wincing as he prods along some of the sutures.

“That I believe.”

“How come none of the other Healers knew to drain the…storage well?” I ask, trying to distract my mind.

“Because they never had to physically study magical anatomy,” Drew says, a small smug smile on his face. “I learned about it through research from ancient texts. Since it was so rare that someone was so powerful for this abnormality to occur, it eventually became lost. I believe Master Articus was the last sheik that was recorded to have this happen.”

I groan, “Don’t tell me that.”

He smirks, “Why?”

“Because then I’d have something in common with that jerk.”

Gedric waves him off, not giving him a chance to ask. “Dad, I brought you in here because Nat is having trouble with her memory.”

Drew cocks his head as he thinks about it. “I’m not surprised. Her body did go through something traumatic. What has she forgotten?”

“Everything after I drained her, and…some events before she triggered her overload.” Gedric looks almost uncomfortable. Why?

“Like?”

“When I found her while she was running through the street wearing only a towel. She’s blanking on how she got out there as well. Well it’s “foggy.” Also all the conversations we had up until she woke up.”

“It’s probably caused by the traumatic events. She might slowly regain memory of it, or she might not. Don’t try to force it though. It might cause irreparable damage emotionally.”

Gedric nods. “That’s what I was thinking. Can you check her over to see if I missed anything?”

Drew nods, “I can do that. It was on my list of things to do in the morning. He really looks at my eyes for the first time, and stops in mid work after that. “Have we met before?”

I think back but can’t place his face. I’ve met a lot of people in my day. “Maybe.”

Gedric chuckles, amused by my confused expression. “Dad, do you remember that Sheik family we used to visit? The one whose property I liked to play on.”

Drew frowns and turns to look at his son to properly scold him. “Why are you bringing that up Gedric? It was a tragedy what happened, and it’s best left to rest.”

Gedric motions to me, “Dad, Natasha is their daughter.”

Drew’s eyes are wide when his head snaps back in my direction. “That’s why I think I know you. You look just like your mother, but you have your father’s hair.” He gasps and quickly covers his mouth. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for that to come out.”

I give him a gentle smile. “It was nice to hear those words Drew. The only time I hear about them, is when their names are discussed when Ari’s murder victims are brought up.”

His face turns uncomfortable. “I am sorry for what happened to them, Elder.” His eyes brighten. “Would you like to visit them? We laid them here to rest since they were very much loved by our community.”

My eyes widen while my heart nearly leaps out of my chest. “Yes, please! When?” My face reddens as I try to control my excitement.

Gedric has a genuine smile on his face while he straightens. “We can go now, if you like.”

“Please,” I say quickly, not even protesting when Gedric hands me a black sling. I never got to say goodbye to them, and this is something I have wished for since that day.