Fire
The next two days passed pretty much uneventfully. Thea made herself get out of bed early to eat and walk a little. Her eyes had yet to turn all the way white, so she new she had to wait about a day more until the healing would actually stay in her.
Thea saw little of the guest, because they where being entertained by the baron, with hunts and feasts. Gabi had managed to come see her once but Thea had to get to bed because her head felt as if it was going to explode.
On the third morning she was overjoyed to see that she could finally go to the healers. Her joy faded when she remembered that to get to the healer's house she would have to get out off bed and watch the world spin in many dizzying circles.
Thea managed to get up, dress and rebraid her hair before she felt like she was going to pass out. Barely she walked out the door onto the busy street (she had woken up around 10 again). Thea just kept walking, knowing the way to the village healers as if it were a second home. Which it is, Thea thought grumpily.
The healers building was a small wooden, well built house that the healers all had paid for. The four village healers used this building for their practices instead of their houses, which surrounded the much more, cared for house. Today the healers' building was empty of patients.
When she walked through the door, the head healer, Sasha, took one look at her and started to laugh "back again Thea, weren't you here already this month?"
Thea just stared at her, her eyes white and bloodshot. This cold was worse than usual, and she just wanted to feel normal again. A man that had been talking to Sasha turned to face Thea and let out a yelp. "You look horrible," he blurted out not even looking embarrassed. Sasha just laughed and Thea glared at the man's green eyes.
"Thea this is Sir Nealan of Queenscove, Nealan this is Thea, the girl forever ill, but I think it's a ploy and she just likes our company" Sasha said this with laughter in her gray eyes.
Thea nodded a greeting to the man, not daring a bow or curtsey. "Where's Daniel?" Daniel was the healer that usually healed Thea of her "nasty offing's," as he called them.
"He's out today, so you young lady are stuck with me." Sasha turned to Sir Nealan and said "I'll just be a moment"
"No problem"
"Follow me Thea"
She walked into a room with Sasha and laid down on the pallet, already starting to fall asleep. When the healer finished the healing, Thea felt her head deflate and fell asleep. She always slept right after a healing was done.
She was still sleeping at midday when Sasha was locking up to go out for midday. She decided to let her sleep, and the only other person in the house was the baby that had been abandoned on her doorstep about a year past, who was also asleep. Sasha decided the baby would be fine with Thea, who would wake up if the baby started to cry (Sasha new this because it had happened before).
Thea woke up about half way through the midday hour. She dimly heard a baby crying, and also smelled something strange. Thea came out of her sleepy state instantly after recognizing the smell. Smoke!
Thea ran over to the door and made sure it wasn't warm, then open it. The fire was on one side of the room; hastily making it's way through the fire warding spells so it can spread. It was blocking the front door. As she looked around she noticed it was already making its way through the kitchen (she new then that this fire had been set and was spelled so that it can get passed the fire wards) almost to the back door. Within moments she would have no escape.
She heard the baby cry again and remembered baby Bea, and ran to a room that was to near the flames for comfort. Thea picked up Bea and started toward the back door, but found it blocked. She swore and Bea started crying even more than she already had. By now the fire surrounded them. Thea sang to calm herself and the baby down. The baby quieted instantly and she had to make sure Bea was still breathing. The smoke was getting denser, and Thea could barley see her hand.
They found a clean pocket of air and Thea gulped in fresh air. Then she saw it, they only way to go, the only exit not covered with flames. Thea knew there was no other way out, only the one way she really didn't want to go, not with a baby in her arms.
Everyone in the town had seen the smoke and had come running only to find their healers house in flames and about to collapse. Guest to the town were also at the scene, including the King, Jason, Gabi, Lance and Dylan. They all heard a woman start to scream "Bea! Bea! Thea!" They looked over to see middle-aged woman being restrained by a man; she was trying to run toward the burning building.
Gabi walked over to the head healer Sasha, who was crying. Gabi knew Sasha well; she was the one who had healed Sasha the night she was attacked. "Sasha what is wrong" Gabi asked heartbroke to see the healer in such a bad way.
"The b-baby Bea is in their, a-a-and T-Thea t-to" she stuttered between gasps.
Gabi looked over at her friends with horror in her eyes then she looked over at the building that was engulfed in flames. Gabi knew she could do nothing to save her friend and the baby, no one could.
All of a sudden there was a loud crash and glass was shattered everywhere. People held up their hand to protect their faces from the sharp pieces. (There had been a large glass window in the front of the building, it had been expensive but the healer thought light was essential for healing to work completely.) At first the bystanders thought that the window had finally burst under pressure but then they saw something flying out of where the window had once been. Then the object fell to the ground, curled and rolled.
Thea sat up and checked on the baby, it seemed to bee fine, she had fell asleep when Thea had sang to her. Someone rushed at the sitting figure screaming. The baby woke up and started to scream too. Sasha fell to her knees next to Thea and took the baby, just before Thea started choking madly from the smoke.
"Thank you goddess, you are both alright" Sasha said through tears.
Thea finally stopped coughing and looked around everyone was looking at her with awe. Thea just shook her head and laid down on the grass. Sasha moved away and another face appeared over her.
"Hello Gabi" Thea said through a sore throat "How was your day?"
Gabi laughed and held her hand out to help her friend up. Thea took it gladly and stood up and drank big gulps of water that had been handed to her.
"I need to sit down" and she was about to do just that when she heard a familiar voice from behind her.
"I can't leave you alone for a week without you getting into some kind of trouble can I?"
A/N:
Thanks for the reviews! Oh ya I keep forgetting- I disclaim any Tamora Pierce characters.
The next two days passed pretty much uneventfully. Thea made herself get out of bed early to eat and walk a little. Her eyes had yet to turn all the way white, so she new she had to wait about a day more until the healing would actually stay in her.
Thea saw little of the guest, because they where being entertained by the baron, with hunts and feasts. Gabi had managed to come see her once but Thea had to get to bed because her head felt as if it was going to explode.
On the third morning she was overjoyed to see that she could finally go to the healers. Her joy faded when she remembered that to get to the healer's house she would have to get out off bed and watch the world spin in many dizzying circles.
Thea managed to get up, dress and rebraid her hair before she felt like she was going to pass out. Barely she walked out the door onto the busy street (she had woken up around 10 again). Thea just kept walking, knowing the way to the village healers as if it were a second home. Which it is, Thea thought grumpily.
The healers building was a small wooden, well built house that the healers all had paid for. The four village healers used this building for their practices instead of their houses, which surrounded the much more, cared for house. Today the healers' building was empty of patients.
When she walked through the door, the head healer, Sasha, took one look at her and started to laugh "back again Thea, weren't you here already this month?"
Thea just stared at her, her eyes white and bloodshot. This cold was worse than usual, and she just wanted to feel normal again. A man that had been talking to Sasha turned to face Thea and let out a yelp. "You look horrible," he blurted out not even looking embarrassed. Sasha just laughed and Thea glared at the man's green eyes.
"Thea this is Sir Nealan of Queenscove, Nealan this is Thea, the girl forever ill, but I think it's a ploy and she just likes our company" Sasha said this with laughter in her gray eyes.
Thea nodded a greeting to the man, not daring a bow or curtsey. "Where's Daniel?" Daniel was the healer that usually healed Thea of her "nasty offing's," as he called them.
"He's out today, so you young lady are stuck with me." Sasha turned to Sir Nealan and said "I'll just be a moment"
"No problem"
"Follow me Thea"
She walked into a room with Sasha and laid down on the pallet, already starting to fall asleep. When the healer finished the healing, Thea felt her head deflate and fell asleep. She always slept right after a healing was done.
She was still sleeping at midday when Sasha was locking up to go out for midday. She decided to let her sleep, and the only other person in the house was the baby that had been abandoned on her doorstep about a year past, who was also asleep. Sasha decided the baby would be fine with Thea, who would wake up if the baby started to cry (Sasha new this because it had happened before).
Thea woke up about half way through the midday hour. She dimly heard a baby crying, and also smelled something strange. Thea came out of her sleepy state instantly after recognizing the smell. Smoke!
Thea ran over to the door and made sure it wasn't warm, then open it. The fire was on one side of the room; hastily making it's way through the fire warding spells so it can spread. It was blocking the front door. As she looked around she noticed it was already making its way through the kitchen (she new then that this fire had been set and was spelled so that it can get passed the fire wards) almost to the back door. Within moments she would have no escape.
She heard the baby cry again and remembered baby Bea, and ran to a room that was to near the flames for comfort. Thea picked up Bea and started toward the back door, but found it blocked. She swore and Bea started crying even more than she already had. By now the fire surrounded them. Thea sang to calm herself and the baby down. The baby quieted instantly and she had to make sure Bea was still breathing. The smoke was getting denser, and Thea could barley see her hand.
They found a clean pocket of air and Thea gulped in fresh air. Then she saw it, they only way to go, the only exit not covered with flames. Thea knew there was no other way out, only the one way she really didn't want to go, not with a baby in her arms.
Everyone in the town had seen the smoke and had come running only to find their healers house in flames and about to collapse. Guest to the town were also at the scene, including the King, Jason, Gabi, Lance and Dylan. They all heard a woman start to scream "Bea! Bea! Thea!" They looked over to see middle-aged woman being restrained by a man; she was trying to run toward the burning building.
Gabi walked over to the head healer Sasha, who was crying. Gabi knew Sasha well; she was the one who had healed Sasha the night she was attacked. "Sasha what is wrong" Gabi asked heartbroke to see the healer in such a bad way.
"The b-baby Bea is in their, a-a-and T-Thea t-to" she stuttered between gasps.
Gabi looked over at her friends with horror in her eyes then she looked over at the building that was engulfed in flames. Gabi knew she could do nothing to save her friend and the baby, no one could.
All of a sudden there was a loud crash and glass was shattered everywhere. People held up their hand to protect their faces from the sharp pieces. (There had been a large glass window in the front of the building, it had been expensive but the healer thought light was essential for healing to work completely.) At first the bystanders thought that the window had finally burst under pressure but then they saw something flying out of where the window had once been. Then the object fell to the ground, curled and rolled.
Thea sat up and checked on the baby, it seemed to bee fine, she had fell asleep when Thea had sang to her. Someone rushed at the sitting figure screaming. The baby woke up and started to scream too. Sasha fell to her knees next to Thea and took the baby, just before Thea started choking madly from the smoke.
"Thank you goddess, you are both alright" Sasha said through tears.
Thea finally stopped coughing and looked around everyone was looking at her with awe. Thea just shook her head and laid down on the grass. Sasha moved away and another face appeared over her.
"Hello Gabi" Thea said through a sore throat "How was your day?"
Gabi laughed and held her hand out to help her friend up. Thea took it gladly and stood up and drank big gulps of water that had been handed to her.
"I need to sit down" and she was about to do just that when she heard a familiar voice from behind her.
"I can't leave you alone for a week without you getting into some kind of trouble can I?"
A/N:
Thanks for the reviews! Oh ya I keep forgetting- I disclaim any Tamora Pierce characters.