Bound in Spirals Ch. 04

"What happed to em?" The woman asked. "You get got by lempens er sumthin?"

Sam didn't answer at first, still trying to breath. "Hah? Uh, no. W-Well it's a long story..." He said, not feeling like explaining how they'd gotten to Eltinn from the misty plains in just over a day.

"Well, ya got plenty a time to tell it while the Mother works on yer friend there." She said, pointing to Theodore. Sam sighed and looked at the woman. Her eyes were excited and curious. He just looked away, shaking his head.

'Read the atmosphere lady. This isn't the time!' He thought exasperatedly. He wished he could just lie down and rest on the street. 'I'm running on fumes... No, I gotta make sure Theodore's taken care of before anything.' Slapping himself to keep his head clear, he jogged to catch up to the two men.

A few minutes later, the men turned and walked through an opened door. Sam stopped and looked at the small building. It was 2 stories tall, and he saw assorted herbs hanging along the dark wooded outer walls. The roof was steeply slanted, what he guessed was a round chimney of gray stone jutted awkwardly out at a diagonal, white smoke billowing out. He blinked when he saw what looked like a witches cauldron sat in the dirt below the window.

"Go on in, boy. Why ya standing round for?" The woman said as she walked up beside him. She slapped his back, and he walked slowly into the building. He glanced back and saw her looking at him with dark brown eyes, gesturing for him to go on but not following.

As he entered, the men were heading out with a hurried stride and a fearful look in their eyes. Sam frowned at that, but disregarded it as him seeing things. He glanced about the small front room, which seem to be a sort of waiting area. A few small wooden chairs were spread about the room, and a short bench lined the wall to his right. The stone floor was covered by a coarse carpet, made of weaved brown straw.

Sam stepped toward the door that led out of the front room, to his left. He grasped the handle and opened it, peeking inside. His eyes widened as he took in the large room that must have taken up the rest of the first floor. It was lined with about fifteen narrow beds, mostly empty aside from two of them. One was occupied by a young boy, who seemed to be sleeping. His face was gaunt and his skin was pale.

The other was where Theodore lay. Sam's makeshift bandages had been removed, and fresh blood poured from the areas where scab had been torn away. The wounds oozed clear yellowy pus, and the skin surrounding the area was puffy and red. Sam cringed, he knew the first signs of infection when he saw them. 'Damn.'

He turned his head when he heard clinking glass, and saw who he assumed was Mother Ranlenn. She was surprisingly young, around mid twenties he thought, considering she was called Mother. Her curly auburn hair bounced as she darted from shelf to shelf, collecting a group of small vials. She unstoppered and poured a few of them into a boiling pot of water in the fireplace, then put the rest into a small wooden bowl.

She was grinding them with a pestle as she turned and saw Sam standing in the doorway. "You're the one who brought him in?" She asked, gesturing to Theodore while still grinding the herbs. Her accent smooth, unlike the grating voice of the woman who had shown him to the place.

"Uh, yeah." Sam said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, and Sam flinched back slightly.

"Sit over here," she said, indicating a stool near Theodore's bed. "Explain to me how this happened."

Sam walked over hesitantly, and dragged the stool a bit closer to the bed. She pulled up another stool, nearly identical to Sam's only it was cushioned. He tried to come up with a logical lie to say that wouldn't raise her suspicion, but when he caught her hard eyes looking at him he threw that thought away. He didn't think he could come up with a good enough lie in his state of fatigue anyways.

He sighed and rubbed his temples, then began to speak. "We got caught in a slime." He said bluntly, and looked to her caramel colored eyes for a reaction.

"They were killed off 50 years ago, and it is four days travel from the misty plains by foot. His wounds are not that old. You got any better lies?" She said, gaze blank and her tone unfriendly.

"I'm not lying, I swear. I was able to get out of it by taking my boots off." Sam explained, raising his feet to show his dirt covered socks. "Theodore wasn't so lucky. I barely got him out and when I did, it had eaten into his flesh. Down to the bone in some areas."

Her eyes were still narrowed, but she didn't seem to be as disbelieving as before. "That doesn't explain how you got here so quickly. And, what happened to the rest of his legs?" She asked.

"I amputated them. There was still some of the slime stuck in the deepest parts, and I couldn't pull it out." Sam showed the reddened skin on the tips of his fingers, and looked downward. "I didn't really know what else to do..."

Mother Ranlenn stood up. "Hold this," she said and handed the mortar and pestle to Sam. Her hands touched his own as he took it. Sam gasped, staggering back. In that brief moment, he'd glimpsed erratic black patterns. His eyes were as wide as they could go, and he stared openly at the woman in front of him.

He felt like running, getting out of the house, away from the woman. He glanced at Theodore, and knew he could not. He couldn't abandon him, not now. He stumbled backward, tripping over the stool he'd just been sat in. His eyes caught hers, and he saw surprise there too. Then, she opened her mouth to speak, but no words left it.

He rose to his feet carefully, still holding her eyes. He looked at his friend again, not knowing what to do. 'I'm overreacting, she hasn't even done anything to me and I'm already ready to run away...' He thought. 'Should I say something maybe? Apologize?'

Mother Ranlenn finally spoke. "Wh-Who are you...?" She asked softly, her wariness plain in her eyes. It took Sam a moment to realize she had asked a question.

"Uh, I'm Sam." He said eventually, and she looked at him as if expecting more. He rubbed the back of his head, trying to figure out what she wanted him to say. "I'm from a... distant land, I suppose you could say."

Sam saw her eyes dart to his sword for only a fraction of a second, but he recognized that she feared him. "I, um... I'm sorry for startling you, I didn't really expect you to be a mage or something." He said with a nervous laugh. Slowly, he picked up the stool and sat back down, holding the bowl with both hands now.

Mother Ranlenn shook her head. "I... We can talk after I have helped your friend. I will believe what you have said for now." She said, but her mind was clearly shifting gears back to Theodore. "Cutting away his legs was the right choice, do not fret over it. If left, the slime would have continued to eat away at him and grown larger. I will have to remove this infected tissue first. I do not think it will be necessary, but if he starts bleeding too much it would be helpful if you brought it back into him."

"Alright." Sam replied, glad that he didn't need to explain more. She placed both her hands gingerly around Theodore's left leg, and Sam saw her forms appear. The shadowy, purplish black lines shifted down her uncovered forearms, moving mechanically. The sharp turns and erratic movements held his gaze.

Suddenly, Sam saw small shavings of flesh come off Theodore's stumps. He watched with amazement as the infected flesh began to peel away with precision unmatched by normal tools. Mother Ranlenn's brow furrowed in extreme concentration. Small trickles of crimson fell from Theodore's reopened wounds. A minute passed, and she was still severing away at the small bits of infection that remained. Lastly, she rounded away the jagged edges of bone.

She sighed and relaxed her face. Sam saw her magic retreat, and she leaned in close to inspect her work. Sam was surprised to notice that very little blood came out, despite all that had been removed. She dabbed at the area with a clean white cloth, and turned to Sam holding out her hand for the bowl he held. He handed it over, careful not to touch her, and continued to observe as she gently coated the area with the gray-green paste. She turned and grabbed a long bandage from one of the wooden shelves and began to wrap his leg.

"Wow." Sam said. "I didn't know it could be used so precisely like that."

Mother Ranlenn looked at him and smiled lightly before going to Theodore's right side. Sam continued to watch in morbid fascination as she repeated the process on his right leg. Finally, she spoke again as she turned to pull the boiling kettle from the fireplace.

"So, would you like to tell me how you managed to get here from the misty plains in such a short time?" She asked as she poured the steaming brew into a thick clay cup. Placing the cup down on the shelf, near Theodore's bed, she turned to Sam.

Sam looked into her eyes for a moment, then turned his head down in thought. 'Well, I might as well. I need her to help Letta too, so I don't have much of a choice I guess.'

"Er, yeah I suppose I'll tell you, but can I have some water or something first? I haven't had anything to drink in like 2 days." Sam said at last.

"Sure." She said and grabbed another clay cup. She dipped it into a bucket of water that Sam hadn't noticed before. Handing the dripping cup to Sam, she sat herself back on the stool in front of him after removing her apron. She waited expectantly.

Sam took a sip of the water at first, then gulped down the rest in one go. He held out the cup again and asked for more. He drank another cup full before speaking. "Alright. Ah, how to explain..." He started, rubbing the back of his head. "Um, what do you call an animal that's like, bound to you? I'm not sure what to call it."

"A familiar?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Is that why you're so hesitant? Familiars aren't so abnormal."

"Yeah, it's my familiar that carried us. But, I wasn't really hesitating because of that." He said, and paused. "It's because she's, well, she's an argwolf."

Mother Ranlenn's eyes looked like they were about to pop from her skull. "Y-You... I. Wait... You mean you managed to bind an argwolf? My word... How? How did you manage such a feat?"

He smiled sheepishly. "It's hard to explain that and well, frankly, I'd rather not."

"Who are you again? And how did you end coming to Eltinn of all places?" She asked, her eyes searching him up and down, glancing at his sword again. "You must be a lord, at least. Wait, you didn't come from the battlefront, did you?"

"I, uh, well we did come from the battlefront, but I wasn't fighting there. I'm a... traveler I guess. Oh, and no, I'm not a lord or anything, not even close," Sam answered with a laugh. He smiled uncertainly. "We had to flee the army's camp when they were overwhelmed, and we sorta ended up heading this way. I'm at a loss for what to do next though."

"I see... Wait, you mean to say that Crestell's armies have broken through?! I-I must go warn everyone... We must get a messenger to the capital!" Mother Ranlenn said, suddenly frantic. She jumped up from the stool and ran for the door. Sam watched impassively as she dashed away, holding her dark green dress up with both hands.

He scratched his head and yawned. 'Crestell, huh? I wonder why they're fighting each other... Man, I'm tired. Mother Ranlenn wouldn't mind if I slept on one of these beds, would she?' He thought, and stood slowly. He placed the clay cup down on the shelf, next to the group of matching dish-ware. As soon as he had curled up on the bed next to Theodore's, his eyelids began to close...

———

Hennel knocked on the solid wooden door before him for the third time that day. The first two times Dettella had not answered, and he had begun to worry. 'Perhaps her calm yesterday was an act after all...' He thought with a frown. He jumped when the door swung open suddenly.

Dettella stood there in an elegant, light blue gown. "Ah, brother, I apologize for not answering earlier, if that was you. I needed time to think. Please, come in." She said, sounding as unruffled as usual. Hennel quirked a smile and stepped past her and into her chambers.

She led him through the foyer and onto the balcony perpendicular to her living quarters. As they walked the short distance, neither spoke. Hennel admired the humble, unmatched furnishings that decorated the space. Simple wooden coffee tables, steel lamps, unadorned couches. He knew most of them well, as Dettella had explained each to him enthusiastically when she returned from her wanderings among the lower city.

The balcony itself was decorated in much the same fashion. The sturdy metal chairs had been made by a blacksmith in the lower eastern district, and the polished eddenwood table had been crafted in the same district, only a short walk from the blacksmith. This he remembered clearly, as he'd been with Dettella on the occasion she'd purchased them.

He sat down in the chair opposite her and clasped his hands in his lap. The chair's cushions were thin but comfortable enough, if not nearly as luxurious as most in the palace. Others might have complained, but Hennel appreciated the sentiment behind them. He smiled thoughtfully as he glanced at the light wooded tabletop.

He reveled in the cool night air tickling his bare forearms, he was glad to be out of the stiff, formal coat. Looking out over the upper city, he saw the glowing light of lamps through windows, and the small shadowy forms of people walking about in the streets.

"I do love the view of the city at night, I think I will miss this." Dettella said, lips curved in a closemouthed smile. Hennel frowned and turned to her.

"What do you mean you will 'miss it'?" Hennel asked. "Are you leaving?"

Dettella faced him with grim look in her emerald eyes. "Yes, I must leave the city. Tenall will have me killed if I stay. I underestimated her, I did not think even she would do something so vile to take the seat." She said. "I will not make the same mistake twice."

"What do you mean? Why would she kill you now? Tenall already has the seat, she has no reason to kill you." Hennel asked perplexedly.

"I do not believe Tenall needs a reason to want to kill me, I have the feeling that she would do it for pleasure even, or perhaps she thinks I will get in the way of her plans somehow. I do not know for certain." She said, her eyes narrowed as she seemed to be thinking.

"Are you sure? I know she does not like either of us, but would she really try to have us killed?"

"After figuring out what I have now, I have the feeling she is very capable of doing it." Dettella said, raising her eyes to his. Hennel saw certainty in that gaze, despite her words.

"What exactly have you figured out? What vile thing did she do?" He asked, not sure he wanted the answer.

"Do you remember the priest that supposedly committed suicide a week ago?" When he nodded she continued, "he was dead before he hit the ground. There was bruising on his neck that was not caused by the fall."

Hennel's eyes widened at that. "But, how is Tenall involved in this? What makes you think she did it?"

"I have no proof, but I do not believe that he fell from his own balcony. I think that he fell from Tenall's previous chambers which happen to be in the same tower as his own, thirty floors above." She said.

"Okay, but why would she have reason to do that?" Hennel cut in.

"I was getting to that. She killed him because he made a concoction of sorts for her. One that if word had gotten out of, she would be dethroned, perhaps even hanged for. One that would increase her magical power."

Hennel gaped openly, his mind racing as he tried to recall any such potion. "How... Wait, does such a potion exist? I've never even heard a whisper of it, how do you know of it?"

"I learned of it from one of the books in the recesses of the palace library, one calledThe Life of a Crystal Mage.It is a collection of discoveries made by a woman called Endrell Hipenn, who spent much of her life researching the connections between magic and crystals. The discovery that is relevant to Tenall, is one that was only mentioned briefly toward the end of the book." Dettella said, pausing to look back over the city. "She describes a strange reaction from a rare crystal called a fluerenn, found somewhere in the eastern jungles.

"When she poured some of her magic into it, it liquified in her hands, becoming a viscous mass that was similarly hued to her power. She performed several experiments on it, but the most interesting result she found was that when she drank a small amount, she could feel power flowing back into her. Do you understand where I am going with this?" Dettella said.

"I-I think I do," Hennel answered. "Tenall had the priest somehow force a mage to imbue these fluerenn with their magic, and killed the man to keep him silent."

"Yes, and that is why her power increased so drastically. At this point, if she were to attack me with a complex enough severing, I would likely be unable to reverse it. But, I doubt she would kill me personally. Poison would be my first guess, but I will not stay long enough to find out. I will be out of Cresting by morning." She said, still looking over the gradually dimming glow of the city. Her expression seeming pensive.

"Then, I must come with you, to protect you." Hennel said immediately, beginning to rise. "I will go prepare, I can be ready to leave in the hour."

"No, you must stay Hennel. I already have excuses for my departure in place, if you came with me it would raise suspicion. Besides, I would like for you to keep an eye on Tenall in my stead. It should not prove too difficult considering your position." She finished.

Hennel felt like arguing, but he already saw that his joining her would do more to damage than protect. "Very well, sister, I will do as you wish. Will you at least tell me where you will go?"

Dettella seemed to be thinking for a moment before answering. "I have yet to decide, but my first thought is to visit the forest elves. I would like to learn more of their magic, books cannot replace firsthand experience." She said, taking on a familiar look. Hennel smiled as he watched her eyes glitter with curiosity.

Hennel stood, and rounded the table as she turned to him. She got up as well, and he embraced her, giving her a tight hug. As they separated he said, "promise me you will return eventually, it will be rather dreary here without you."

"I will, and I expect to find some nieces or nephews waiting for me, as well." She said.

He laughed. "Fare thee well in your journeys, Dettella." He bowed and said with mock formality. He left her smiling widely on that balcony.

—————

Thus ends Chapter 4. I hope you've enjoyed reading it so far! Any constructive criticism is welcome. Compliments or suggestions are also greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, related to the story or not, I'm happy to answer.

P.S. I post progress updates in my bio incase anyone is curious.

P.P.S. I'm looking for an editor to help me out with my errors, I tend to miss them when I look for them myself. If you're interested shoot me an email, I would really appreciate the help!

~ DS