Josie was worried. They had ridden hard for three days and three nights,
and the girl's fever had returned.
:She is not truly Healed. I do not have the skill. I merely stopped the pain – but there are deeper hurts still.:
Josie concentrated. If she tried hard, she could make her thoughts to words...
~What have they done to her? Those nightmares make me scream...~
:I will try to help shield you from them, but emotions are more difficult than physical pain...she screams, inside, I can hear her.:
Josie set her jaw. ~How long?~
:We will reach Haven tonight. She will be safe there – the Realm's strongest Healer's and Mind-Healers will be there for her.:
~
Edeladry opened her eyes, then closed them quickly as pain seared through her head. She tried to concentrate, to remember where she was, and what had happened, but she couldn't focus.
Softly, she asked, "Sen ia?" [1]
"Û. Sen Valdemar." [2]
Her eyes flew open with shock and horror, then she winced again from the pain.
"Talath ned i curunír ned rhîw?" [3]
"Curunír ned rhîw? Raug canù?" [4]
"Raug im!" [5]
"Raugle canai?" [6]
"Gwaith nín... a lín." [7]
There was silence above her, and she a moment to register where she was. Her breath quickened and she leapt to the floor and backed away towards the wall.
The voice, which she know recognised as male, asked, "Neithaman?" [8]
She couldn't answer. She just covered her face with her hands and shook.
~
"Help to me, if you please!"
The Healer in charge looked up to the Herald's worried face and beckoned the nearest Mind-Healer to follow him.
They entered the room to see the young girl with her back to the wall, head in her hands, whispering to herself.
"Alhaust, im edonnalhaust..." [9]
"What is she saying?" demanded the Healer.
There was silence.
"Herald?" he asked, in a gentler tone of voice.
"She... she says 'Not the bed. Please, not the bed.'"
"Get out."
Both men turned to the young Mind-Healer next to them. She looked them straight in the eye and said, "It is better that a woman deal with this."
The Healer protested. "Ariana, you are not ready for-"
"Then send in a senior female Mind-Healer," she retorted. "Men cannot help in here."
"You don't even speak Karsite!" he protested.
"Then send for Myste... or better, her Companion... Now GET OUT! Can't you see you're just making it worse?"
~
An hour later, and she had calmed. She was in the gardens, curled up under a bush with her Companion, savouring the fresh air, but refusing to look anyone in the eye.
She looked up, to see the tall man in white who had come to see her in the room she had been in. Before she could shrink away, she heard Kiara inside her head.
:He won't hurt you. He will never hurt you. I would not let anyone near you who would.:
Edeladry looked into Kiara's eyes, then up to the man's face again. She thought a moment, then, somehow knowing Kiara would never lie to her, she said, "Havo." [10]
The man smiled and bent himself almost double to fit underneath the bush.
"Le estel enni?" [11]
"Pedo Kiara..." [12]
He frowned a moment, then asked, "Pedole Valdamaran?" [13]
"A little."
He smiled.
Encouraged, she continued, "'Border-Brats' they call us. A little of all."
"A good starting point, have you. Than I had, it is better."
Confused at this stream of unfamiliar words, she frowned. "Starting point?" she asked.
"Ecthel helthaherio," he translated. [14]
Her features cleared, then clouded again. "Si man bach?" [15]
~
[1] Is this hell? ((lit – this abyss?))
[2] No. This is Valdemar. ((lit-No. This Valdemar))
[3] The land of the white witches? ((lit- Land of the wizard[s] of white [I couldn't find a word for witches]))
[4] White witches? You do not call them demons? ((lit- wizards of white? Demons call not?))
[5] I am the demon! ((lit – Demon I!))
[6] Who calls you demon? ((lit- demon thee call who))
[7] My people... and yours. ((lit – people my... and thy))
[8] What's wrong? ((lit- wrong what?))
[9] Not the bed, please not the bed... ((Lit- not bed, I plead not bed))
[10] Sit.
[11] You trust me?
[12] Kiara said... ((lit – Say Kiara...))
[13] Do you speak Valdamaran? ((lit- speak you Valdamaran?))
[14] Starting point ((lit- point to begin))
[15] What happens now? ((lit- now what thing?))
:She is not truly Healed. I do not have the skill. I merely stopped the pain – but there are deeper hurts still.:
Josie concentrated. If she tried hard, she could make her thoughts to words...
~What have they done to her? Those nightmares make me scream...~
:I will try to help shield you from them, but emotions are more difficult than physical pain...she screams, inside, I can hear her.:
Josie set her jaw. ~How long?~
:We will reach Haven tonight. She will be safe there – the Realm's strongest Healer's and Mind-Healers will be there for her.:
~
Edeladry opened her eyes, then closed them quickly as pain seared through her head. She tried to concentrate, to remember where she was, and what had happened, but she couldn't focus.
Softly, she asked, "Sen ia?" [1]
"Û. Sen Valdemar." [2]
Her eyes flew open with shock and horror, then she winced again from the pain.
"Talath ned i curunír ned rhîw?" [3]
"Curunír ned rhîw? Raug canù?" [4]
"Raug im!" [5]
"Raugle canai?" [6]
"Gwaith nín... a lín." [7]
There was silence above her, and she a moment to register where she was. Her breath quickened and she leapt to the floor and backed away towards the wall.
The voice, which she know recognised as male, asked, "Neithaman?" [8]
She couldn't answer. She just covered her face with her hands and shook.
~
"Help to me, if you please!"
The Healer in charge looked up to the Herald's worried face and beckoned the nearest Mind-Healer to follow him.
They entered the room to see the young girl with her back to the wall, head in her hands, whispering to herself.
"Alhaust, im edonnalhaust..." [9]
"What is she saying?" demanded the Healer.
There was silence.
"Herald?" he asked, in a gentler tone of voice.
"She... she says 'Not the bed. Please, not the bed.'"
"Get out."
Both men turned to the young Mind-Healer next to them. She looked them straight in the eye and said, "It is better that a woman deal with this."
The Healer protested. "Ariana, you are not ready for-"
"Then send in a senior female Mind-Healer," she retorted. "Men cannot help in here."
"You don't even speak Karsite!" he protested.
"Then send for Myste... or better, her Companion... Now GET OUT! Can't you see you're just making it worse?"
~
An hour later, and she had calmed. She was in the gardens, curled up under a bush with her Companion, savouring the fresh air, but refusing to look anyone in the eye.
She looked up, to see the tall man in white who had come to see her in the room she had been in. Before she could shrink away, she heard Kiara inside her head.
:He won't hurt you. He will never hurt you. I would not let anyone near you who would.:
Edeladry looked into Kiara's eyes, then up to the man's face again. She thought a moment, then, somehow knowing Kiara would never lie to her, she said, "Havo." [10]
The man smiled and bent himself almost double to fit underneath the bush.
"Le estel enni?" [11]
"Pedo Kiara..." [12]
He frowned a moment, then asked, "Pedole Valdamaran?" [13]
"A little."
He smiled.
Encouraged, she continued, "'Border-Brats' they call us. A little of all."
"A good starting point, have you. Than I had, it is better."
Confused at this stream of unfamiliar words, she frowned. "Starting point?" she asked.
"Ecthel helthaherio," he translated. [14]
Her features cleared, then clouded again. "Si man bach?" [15]
~
[1] Is this hell? ((lit – this abyss?))
[2] No. This is Valdemar. ((lit-No. This Valdemar))
[3] The land of the white witches? ((lit- Land of the wizard[s] of white [I couldn't find a word for witches]))
[4] White witches? You do not call them demons? ((lit- wizards of white? Demons call not?))
[5] I am the demon! ((lit – Demon I!))
[6] Who calls you demon? ((lit- demon thee call who))
[7] My people... and yours. ((lit – people my... and thy))
[8] What's wrong? ((lit- wrong what?))
[9] Not the bed, please not the bed... ((Lit- not bed, I plead not bed))
[10] Sit.
[11] You trust me?
[12] Kiara said... ((lit – Say Kiara...))
[13] Do you speak Valdamaran? ((lit- speak you Valdamaran?))
[14] Starting point ((lit- point to begin))
[15] What happens now? ((lit- now what thing?))
