Danica Pt. 06

"I-I never dared to hope. Are you sure? None can touch her while she is under the necklace's spell, and once I remove it she will be in great pain. I fear death will come to take her quickly."

"I can't be sure until I have looked here," she said covering her loins once more, "but I'm almost certain. Can you reactivate the magic if I'm wrong?"

"Yes, though it takes some time -- I fear too long. The clerics were preparing to offer final rites to her when I finished it last time. They said she had but hours to live, and it took nearly an hour to speak the necessary words."

"It will only take me a few seconds to examine her and see if I'm right. Before we go farther, I must tell you something. I'm not what I have told you. I was sent here to take that very necklace from you. I think I can save your wife, but I must have the necklace if my suspicions are correct and she has the sickness I told you about."

"If you have lied to me, how am I to trust you in this?"

"I'm here against my will. I have no choice. I have to get the necklace or be punished in ways you wouldn't want to think about. I had no idea how I was going to get it without sentencing your wife to death. Now I have the means. Let me save your wife and take the necklace so that I can avoid the terrible punishment that I will receive if I fail in this task. If I'm wrong, and the disease is not the one I know, you can reactivate the magic and I will take my punishment rather than cost your wife her life."

"Your words ring true. Very well, what do we need to do? Let us help each other."

"Is there anything you need to enact the ritual of the magic if I am wrong, other than the necklace?"

"No, it is simply a series of complicated phrases which must be read."

"Let me copy down the list of things I need to make the potions." Danica pulled out her purse of coin. "Use this to persuade the herbalist to leave his home at such a late hour. Bring a cleric if you can. We will need to have a tepid bath drawn, and we will need strong hands to hold her down until the potions take effect, and to carry her to the tub." Danica finished penning the ingredients she needed as she spoke. She handed it to Corydon and said, "Take this and show it to the herbalist, but bring me the book with the ritual first. If necessary, I will perform it. I'm skilled in magic and may be able to complete the ritual more quickly, making it less dangerous for your wife if I'm wrong. Bring some of your workers when you return. Four strong men, because she will be writhing in pain and delirium the moment we break the necklace's enchantment. Now go bring me the book and fetch what we need."

Corydon crossed the room, opened a drawer, and withdrew a book. He brought the volume to Danica, and then ran out of the room to follow her instructions after a final nod.

Danica looked over the book, finding the marked page recording the ritual. She understood why it had taken the man an hour to enact the ritual as soon as she saw the words. Written in the language of magic, it would have been very difficult for someone not schooled to read it. She was confident she could perform the ritual in a quarter of that time.

She hurried to the bath to heat water, and then went to the kitchen to do the same for the potions. While in the kitchen, she gathered up several glasses and took them to the sickroom. From there, she returned to the bathhouse to fill the tub and put on more water to boil, so they could keep the bath at the proper temperature.

Picking up a whistling kettle of hot water, Danica returned to the room where the woman lay. She heard the front door bang open, and heard many hurried footsteps approaching.

Corydon entered the room followed by four of his workers, a sleepy looking but handsome man in the hastily donned robes of a cleric, and a thin, mousey man carrying a large bag. "I have them, and he has the things you requested," Corydon breathlessly said, pointing to the man with the bag.

"If you know the means to break this sickness, I want to see it. I have seen and heard of far too many dying from it," the herbalist said while handing over the bag.

Danica quickly inventoried the contents of the bag, discovering enough of each of the herbs to make dozens of doses of the potions. "Pay close attention then," she said and went to arrange the herbs for the potions, measuring them carefully into the glasses.

The man not only paid attention, he took up pen and paper to take careful notes as Danica worked.

Danica finished measuring the herbs, and then poured the hot water into the glasses. She explained to the herbalist, "The first must be given to lessen the swelling of the tongue so that the second potion may be drunk. It takes a few moments for the first to take effect, and she will have to be held down," Danica said while looking at the four men, who nodded their understanding.

"The second will cool her fever for a while. It does enough to end the immediate danger, giving us time to fight the sickness. It will need to be administered every half an hour, which is why I made so many of this one." Danica dragged a finger across the tops of the glasses for the second potion.

"The third combats the poison in her blood, which is the real source of the sickness. It is the reason why even clerical spells fail many times to save the victims of this sickness. The poison is strong and increases rapidly in the blood every moment the fever is burning. This one works very quickly, and lasts for some time. It will only need to be administered every four or five hours. Once it has begun its work, we can get her into a tepid bath to lessen the fever more and you can work your prayers over her to aid in her recovery." She glanced at the cleric as she finished.

"Had I known of this when first Corydon called me to her sick bed, I would have begun with prayers to leech the poison from her blood. I will do so this time when called upon," the cleric said.

Danica nodded to him by way of agreement, and then continued with her instructions, "All of this may be for nothing if I'm wrong. When the spell over her is broken, you must hold her down while I examine her. If I'm wrong, you need to keep her held down while I enact the ritual that restores the magic. When I begin repeating this phrase -- Alumetara Nosticeadal -- you need to release her and have no part of you crossing the edge of the bed. If you are caught in the magic, there will be dire consequences to you, and perhaps to her. Her writhing should be lessened by the magic already by then. Now, I'm ready. If you four will come and be ready to grab her limbs, we can begin."

Danica handed the book to Corydon as the four men arranged themselves about the bed. "Whenever you're ready," Danica said while moving to stand at the foot of the bed.

Corydon took a deep breath and offered a quick prayer, drawing a nod of approval and a religious sign from the cleric. He then looked down at the book.

"Entari Rizzt Menzoundarken!" He intoned in a loud voice.

The nimbus of magic around the woman vanished, and she immediately started to writhe and moan. The four men grabbed her arms and legs to keep her still.

"Get her legs apart," Danica hastily ordered.

The men pulled and Danica leaned forward to part the woman's labia. She saw what she expected to see. She quickly turned and grabbed the first potion, hurrying past the struggling men toward the head of the bed. "Keep her head still."

One of the men holding an arm leaned over the woman's body to hold her chin in one hand and the top of her head in the other. Danica poured a splash of the potion into the woman's open mouth.

Danica turned and reached out behind her. "The second potion," she told the herbalist, and he handed it to her. The woman's moans turned to screams as the swelling of her tongue lessened. Danica forced the woman to drink, while being careful not to choke her. After the first few drops hit and Danica forced the woman to swallow, the patient managed to drink a mouthful on her own before Danica had to force more. Eventually, Danica sat down the empty glass.

The woman's struggles decreased. She screamed less often, though she gasped in obvious pain.

"The third potion," Danica requested to the herbalist, and took it from him when he held it out to her. She brought the glass to the woman's lips, and found she did not need to force the woman to swallow. The second potion was taking effect.

"Get her to the bathhouse. You help me carry some of the doses of the second potion," she told the herbalist.

Danica gathered up two of the glasses and hurried to the bathhouse as the men lifted the woman from the bed. The herbalist followed behind with two more glasses, while the cleric and Corydon brought up the rear.

Danica checked the water, and then poured a small amount of the boiling water from the kettle while circulating it with her hand. When she felt the temperature was correct, she nodded to the men to indicate they should put the now limp woman into the bath.

Danica checked the woman's pulse in her neck. Corydon said, "She is so still -- is everything all right?"

"She's fine. She's weak from struggling. Her heartbeat is strong. Your prayers please, good cleric," Danica requested.

They worked through the night, keeping the water from growing too cool and administering the potions when necessary. The four men kept the water boiling in the bathhouse and the kitchen, and brought food and water to everyone as they labored over Corydon's wife.

Through the morning and the afternoon, they fought the sickness. The cleric exhausted himself with his prayers, and one of the men had to catch him and take him to a bed. Everyone else fought exhaustion as hard as they battled the illness, and offered their prayers as well.

Danica smiled wide when she saw the woman's eyelids flutter and open for just a second. She felt the woman's forehead and sighed in relief. "Her fever has broken. The danger is past," she said with a smile.

The men in the room shook hands and slapped each other on the back upon hearing the news. Corydon wept unashamedly, reaching down and taking his wife's hand in his own.

Danica rubbed her weary eyes and shook her head to try to clear it. "Let's get her out of the bath. Someone go strip the bedding and replace it. We'll need to keep giving her the blood purifying potion."

"I'll go get my wife, we are all exhausted," the herbalist declared and made his way out of the room. One of the four workers went to change the bedding at the same time.

"The cleric's prayers have done much. I never expected the fever to break so quickly. I have a potion that should aid in his recovery as well. Get her dressed and into bed," Danica said, and then swooned as exhaustion threatened to overtake her.

One of the four workers steadied her as she wobbled on her feet. He had his hands on her breasts when he did so. He moved his hands quickly and muttered, "Uhmm -- sorry."

Danica laughed weakly. "It's alright. Thank you for the assistance, but I think I'm okay now."

The man smiled wide and remained nearby as Danica started walking, but relaxed when he saw she was doing fine.

Danica went to her room to get the potion for the cleric. She chuckled when she neared the room where he rested, because she could already hear him snoring at an incredible volume.

Danica got the potion from her things, and then made her way back to the cleric's room. She winced when she opened the door and felt as though she had wandered into a dragon's den from the volume of the snoring.

Walking up beside the bed, she gently tried to shake the man awake. He stopped snoring with a violent snort and sat bolt upright, his face coming to rest directly between Danica's breasts.

"I knew it, I've died of exhaustion and gone to heaven," he said in a muffled voice from between her breasts.

Danica rolled her eyes and gently pushed him away from her. "You haven't died, and I'm hardly an angel -- trust me."

"You could have fooled me," he said with a wink. It was only then that she noticed the cleric's medallion around his neck and remembered the name he had called out to in his prayers -- Heraklan. The priests and priestesses of Heraklan made the opposite of a vow of chastity when they entered service. Temples of Heraklan celebrated high holy days with enormous quantities of wine followed by an orgy.

"Ahem, I have a potion here that should help restore your strength. Your prayers were very helpful. Her fever has broken and she should fully recover in a while."

"Praise be unto Heraklan!" The cleric declared, and clapped. Danica handed him the potion and he drank it down. He made a face when he did. "You know -- if you mix these with a little wine they go down much easier."

Danica chuckled, and then felt her vision swimming. Once again, she wobbled on her feet and had to put her hands on the bed to keep from falling.

The Heraklan said, "You are exhausted. You should get out of those clothes and get some sleep." He moved over to the edge of the bed to offer her a place and patted the spot near her he had vacated.

Danica rolled her eyes again. "We need to get the lady of the house to her bed and make sure that someone will be administering the detoxifying potions. Then I will rest -- in my own bed."

"Ah well, if you change your mind..." He suggested with a wink.

"If I change my mind, you'll be the first to know. Thank you again for your prayers. Fighting this sickness is always a near thing, and surely the power of your god has had much to do with our success," she said and kissed him on the cheek.

He smiled broadly and puffed out his chest. "You're quite welcome," he said as she turned to leave the room.

Danica returned to the room where the woman had lain for so long. She rested in the bed once more, but this time her chest rose with regular, steady breaths and her skin had returned to its natural color. Danica felt the woman's forehead and her pulse, smiling in satisfaction.

"She's going to be fine," Danica informed Corydon. "It will take a couple of days for her to recover enough to regain full consciousness. She'll need the antitoxin for some time afterward for safety's sake, and the ingredients for the fever-breaking potion should be on hand at all times. The fever sometimes will return, but if it is headed off quickly with the potion it will not reach the point where it becomes dangerous."

Corydon laid a hand on Danica's shoulder and smiled. "Thank you so much, Andrea. I cannot begin to express my thanks to you for bringing my wife back to me."

"That too was a lie. My name is Danica."

"Danica..." Corydon repeated.

Danica's vision went double and she caught herself on the bed as she had before, but found she could not keep her balance. She felt strong arms wrap around her, and then she knew no more.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

When Danica awoke, she lay in the bed that had been hers as long as she had been here. It was dark outside, but other than that, she had no idea of the time.

Danica got up and slowly walked to the room where Corydon's wife lay. An older woman and the herbalist met her in the hall.

He nodded to her and revealed, "This is my wife. I only recently awakened myself. My wife has been tending to her while we slept. Corydon awakened a short while ago, and he said he can handle his wife's care from here."

The herbalist's wife added, "I managed to get the Heraklan back off to his temple. He came in just as I did, not long after you passed out. One of the men had kept you from falling, and the cleric said you were simply exhausted and not ill. He offered many times to take you to your bed, change your clothes, and make you comfortable. I know the Heraklans, so I had the worker carry you to the bed and sent the priest back off to his house of sin."

Danica laughed as the woman finished. "Thank you. I know them as well. He wouldn't have done anything while I was unconscious, but I'm sure his changing my clothes would have been a very slow process."

"The lady recovers quickly. She has opened her eyes a few times, and we've managed to get some broth in her. She spoke her husband's name once. She should come fully awake again either tomorrow or the next day, though she'll be weak for some time afterward," the herbalist's wife said.

The herbalist stepped forward then. "I'll pass the knowledge of this sickness I have learned from you to all who might use the knowledge. I have many friends in my trade, scattered over a wide area. I'll pass these secrets on to them, and they will likewise pass the secrets to others. Hopefully, in time, this sickness will no longer be the death warrant it has always been -- through my efforts and the chance which brought you here to teach me."

Danica's smile revealed how much she liked hearing this news. "I'm glad she'll be well, and that my knowledge will help others. Thank you for your help."

"Here," the merchant said, handing the pouch of coin Danica had given to Corydon back to her. "He would not take it back. This knowledge is worth far more than any coin. We are for home. We must re-open the shop tomorrow, and I fear I shall have a very long day."

Danica nodded and bid them good day as the couple made their way out of the house. She then continued to the woman's sickroom. Corydon sat next to his wife's bed. She had regained more of her natural color and she breathed easy. Corydon smiled wide when Danica entered.

"They say she will recover soon. She spoke to me shortly after I awakened. I do not know how to thank you, Danica."

Danica smiled. "You're welcome. The thanks don't all belong to me. The herbalist and the cleric did much, and their motives were pure."

The man waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Your motives were pure as well. Though you sought this," he said holding up the necklace, "you did a grand deed to acquire it instead of taking it by force. I know from the way you spoke the few words of the ritual that you know magic. Surely, you could have simply broken in here and taken it. Please, take it with all my gratitude." He handed her the necklace without even the slightest hesitation.

Danica took the necklace and placed it in a pocket. Her task complete, she could return to her prison -- though she was truly loathe to do so. "I'll have to leave. You should send men to settle accounts tomorrow. It will be a fine present for your wife when she awakens if the business is back on track when she goes to look at the accounts. Record any payments received and made on scrap paper. Let your wife record them in the books. She'll thank you for that as well, I think."

Corydon laughed heartily, the sound of it more pure than Danica had heard from him in the entire time she had been here. "I shall. I did make quite a mess of the books, didn't I?"

Danica nodded and laughed with him. "I fear that there might even be more coin owed you that I could not find. You at least had all your debts in one pile, the debtors were scattered everywhere. I must go."

"Go then, with my blessing and my thanks. You will be missed," Corydon said with a smile.

Danica nodded and took the man's hand, shaking it. She then went to her room and gathered her things. She took with her half a dozen fine pens. The man's wife had lain in a stock of them large enough to last for a decade, and they were of a much higher quality than Danica was accustomed to finding. She left the house with a sigh and made her way to Zoraster's outpost in the town.

Celes was sound asleep when Danica arrived, and Danica decided to let her sleep. Celes walked into the common room where Danica sat reading the next morning. "Och, Lass -- the madman was about to send me ta check up on ye despite the danger. His agents had skulked about and found ye were still in the merchant's house, but the madman was growin' impatient. Ye haven't checked in with me fer a week. Did ye complete yer task?"