Chapter Seven- Trials
Blythe was once again kneeling on the road leaning over her brother. "Damian, please, I love you." She felt vaguely familiar saying those words again. This time something was different. Blythe faintly heard someone calling her name. She turned and saw Aragorn standing behind her. "Aragorn! My brother, can you help him?" Aragorn walked towards her awkwardly. As he drew close he suddenly stopped and fell to his knees. The orc knelt behind him with a bloody sword in his horrible hands. "No!" She screamed with all her breath, "No, not him too!" She looked from her brother's pale face to Aragorn's with tears streaming down her face. "NO!"
"Blythe," someone called again. "Blythe."
"No." Blythe sat up quickly; she was drenched with sweat. "Who?" Blythe, startled by the man standing at her bed, filled herself with the calming warmth of her power. Drawing too much, she quickly released the excess. The man found himself on the floor crumpled against the wall. He looked quite flustered and very confused.
"Samuel, I am so sorry. You startled me."
"Are you alright miss? You do not look well."
Blythe looked in the mirror, she was pale, but her cheeks were flushed as if she had been running.
"No, I'll be fine. I just didn't sleep well." Suddenly, Blythe remembered she was still standing in her nearly transparent nightgown. She hastily moved for her saddlebags and pulled out a dress. She pulled it over her head before she realized he had said something else.
"My lady, we will be departing soon. I would suggest eating a good breakfast; the innkeeper has left you something in the kitchens." He lowered his head slightly and made his way out the door with an almost unseen limp.
Blythe alone at last took a deep breath. She grabbed her skirts tightly, noticing that her hands were shaking. Samuel had put her off guard and in doing so she had used more of the power than she had in a long time. Not knowing how she had thrown the man scared her most of all.
Blythe took one last look at the inn as they rode out of town. She was very glad to be leaving it. So much had happened in just one day. The strange note, the ghost like man in the yard, and the incident this morning with Samuel had her on edge. Lost in thought of the events since leaving Rivendell, Blythe almost walked her horse into the Ranger ahead of her. Gandalf rode back to her after speaking briefly with Samuel.
"We will be entering the village where the Rangers are staying in a few minutes. I will warn you ahead of time. There is a good chance that Aragorn will be here. Do not call him by this name. To these people he is only known as Strider. Also, they would not know of your meeting in Rivendell. I know how difficult it will be for the both of you, but you must avoid him." Gandalf said with difficulty. Seeing her face he softened some. "Blythe, relationships are complicated with these Rangers as you have found out already. I am just warning you to be cautious. Remember why we're here."
"I will. I can not promise, by any means, that I may not run into him if he is here. As hard as it will be, I will not let the others know of our previous circumstances."
Walking into the town, Blythe could immediately tell something was wrong. There were no children running about. There were only a few adults outside and they were mostly Rangers. "I had no idea it would be this bad." Blythe said quietly to Gandalf. He simply nodded and looked drearily around. Samuel dismounted and Gandalf and Blythe followed suit. A man came and took their horses as Samuel led them into the largest building in the square. It happened to be the town's inn which had been turned into a makeshift headquarters for the Rangers. It was overflowing with people and chaos.
Gandalf sat Blythe down at an empty table with instructions not to leave. Then, he followed Samuel down a hall and out of site. Blythe took to studying the people in the room. They were all male and the majority were all dressed similarly to Samuel. Many were deeply engaged in conversation. Others were bent over the books they were studying or writing on parchment. There was a group of men in the middle of the room mixing liquids and cutting bandages. Blythe figured it was for the sick.
Gandalf returned with Samuel and three others about lunchtime. The men sat down with her and discussed what they were going to do after they ate. Blythe and Gandalf were to go with the Rangers to the houses of the ones who had been sick the longest. They hoped that Blythe would be able to help. All the Rangers could to was delay a person's death. Usually the first week the person would turn ashy and would not be able to leave their beds. The second week they seemed fine and could move about. Two days later, they were usually dead. No one could explain what it was or how one was infected. It was unnerving for all.
When they finished, Blythe followed the men to a house across the town next to the woods. Inside the air was hot and stuffy. The house was dark when they walked in. One candle was lit as they walked into a woman's bedroom. She was lying in bed with only her head showing out of the covers. She was covered with sweat and her breathing came with much effort. Blythe felt cold and an icy shiver ran through her when she touched the women's cheek. The woman was as cold as ice.
"How long has she been this way?" Blythe asked.
"About two and a half weeks," Samuel answered.
"What is her name?"
"Ailani. She is on the town's council."
Blythe stood by the bed and looked into Ailani's eyes. "Ailani, can you hear me?" There was no reply, not even a shift of her eyes. Blythe reached toward the woman and laid both her hands on her head. She let herself be filled with the soothing warmth of her gift. Slowly she let it seep into the other woman. Through her talent she could sense the other woman and her body. Blythe could immediately feel the problem. Around the woman's heart there was what seemed to be a dark cloud. Every time Ailani's heart beat the haze would constrict making it impossible for her heart to function. Blythe used her gathered energy to probe the darkness. Even enveloped in the warmth of her gift, she was chilled. Every time she touched it she was forced to pull back. It was very tiring.
'There has to be a hole, someway to penetrate it.' Blythe thought. She forced herself to draw deeply on her power. She felt like she was going to exploded out of her skin. Carefully she felt the surface of the matter around the heart. It was smooth except for one ridge, almost like a seam. Blythe's head felt like it was going to explode. She began to pry at the seam. She hoped against hope that it would work. Gradually she felt the seam weaken. Just when she thought she would have to pull back, that she would have to try again later, the joint broke and the cloud disintegrated. Blythe instantly drew back and let go of the energy she had been drawing from.
"Ailani," Blythe forced out a hopeful whisper. She was answered by a glance from the woman. Both women smiled weakly with all the energy they had. "You're going to be okay." Blythe said as she looked back at the Rangers. She tried to take a step to the door but her knees buckled. Gandalf and Samuel grabbed her arms before she fell. She looked at them gratefully and leaned on their shoulders. The men carried her back to the inn and up to her room. They didn't bother to change her before putting her on her bed. Darkness crept into her vision as the men watched her body relax.
The man in the dark cloak watched from the woods near the house as two men carried Blythe from the house. He knew his spell had been broken even if it had almost killed the two women. It would all come together in time. Each trial made the girl stronger. Each healing made her more familiar with her power. He smiled as his dark cloak changed to a dark green one that faded into his surroundings. His handsome face changed into one more suited for a farmer as he stepped into the town. The man strolled down the road and straight into the inn where the Rangers had just carried Blythe. He shut the door and the street was empty. No one had seen him enter and no one would see him slip up the stairs to follow the girl.
Please leave a review. I hope you liked this chapter! Now that I'm out of school for a few weeks I hope to update more often. Thank you to Jess who encouraged me to keep writing the story I love.