Chapter 20
Afiona gave her last patient a pat on the neck before she turned to the others. Stef had blocked the pain of the Companions as they worked so she wasn't as tired as she normally was and with Medren and Mia helping with the heavy work of holding limbs or holding instruments what normally took all day was finished in a couple of candlemarks.
"That's it, I hope." Mia said as she stretched. "I have to get going."
"That's it." Afiona confirmed. "Thanks for your help."
Medren jumped as Mia walked past on her way out the door. Afiona caught the mischievous glint in her eyes.
"See you later, 'Fiona." Mia called.
"See you." Afiona called back.
"Why did you need this afternoon free?" Medren asked, even though he didn't take his eyes from the empty doorway.
"Well, I want to locate some furniture for one; a table and chairs at least. I promised to meet with your grandmother for lunch as well." Afiona explained. "I have to get going as well unless I want to smell like horse for lunch."
Afiona vanished out into the hall leaving the men to make their own ways out of the stable.
"You are looking thoughtful for a change." Stefen commented.
"Did you see what she did?" Medren asked.
"Who did what?" Stefen asked.
"Mia, she just pinched me." Medren explained.
"No. Are you sure you weren't indulging you Bardic imagination?" Stefen asked.
"Women are the most confusing creatures created. You know that?" Medren complained.
Stefen laughed. "I have very little experience with them."
~ * ~
Afiona hurried to her room and quickly ordered a tub and hot water. As she waited for her water to arrive she gathered her bath oils and set out her towels and the gown she would don afterwards. She decided upon a pale blue gown, one of the ones Lady Treesa had given her, and draped it over her chair to keep it from gathering the fur that seemed to breed in her room. No matter how often she cleaned, black and white hair covered her blankets and gathered in the corners.
Demon watched her from the bed, his interest more in that it wasn't his bath that had been ordered. He never understood why she enjoyed bathing. To him it was a wet, undignified procedure.
"Relax, Demon." Afiona paused to scratch his ears. "This one is for me."
Demon wagged his tail. :Not wet is good.:
Afiona laughed and sat down next to him. "No more flea-baths. I promise."
Demon wagged his tail harder. :Very good.:
"I'm going to miss you." She admitted sadly. "You're a good friend."
Demon licked her hand reassuringly.
A knock on her door interrupted her. "Healer?" A servant called.
Afiona hurried to get the door. The tub was on a low, wheeled platform and already full of steaming water. "By the hearth please."
Three men pushed it into place and locked the wheels before leaving quickly. Afiona wasted no time and stripped off her dirty robes and piled them on the foot of her bed.
The water was the ideal temperature as she stepped into it.
No Companions in her room, no nosy friends at her door, no emergency… It was truly a rare treat.
Afiona felt the heat of the water leach the tension from her shoulders and neck and let her eyes drift closed.
A brisk knock on her door made her jump.
"Go away!" Afiona yelled.
Demon barked, echoing her sentiment.
Afiona had sat with her back to the door so she had to twist about to see if they had listened.
The door opened.
"Healer Afiona, I wish to speak with you." An older woman said as she stepped into the room.
Afiona lunged to pull the towel she had left on the hearth and dragged it over herself. "I said go away."
The woman stared at her for a long moment, no expression on her face. "I wish to speak with you and you are hard to track down. I wasn't about to let you escape. It isn't like I am a male or anything."
:Bite?: Demon asked as he lurched to his feet and bared his long white fangs.
"No, Demon, it's alright." Afiona soothed and held out her hand. Demon padded to her side and sat between the intruder and Afiona.
"Obedient dog. Mind if I have a seat?" The woman sat on the chair facing Afiona.
"Who in the Havens are you?" Afiona demanded. "Answer or I will let Demon bite you."
Demon bared his teeth and growled.
"I am Lance's mother, Herald Rissa." She said wryly. "I promised him I would talk to you."
Afiona drew back in surprise.
"He said you fought. He wanted you to know he was sorry." Rissa relayed. She forced herself to keep her eyes focused on the younger woman's face. As a weapon master she was very familiar with scars and what caused them so she knew Afiona's body was a testament to misery. On her back was a lattice of whip marks. On her arms were dozens of tiny scars in neat little rows. Even her upper left arm had a barely noticeable curve to it, most likely from a bad break. All the wounds she could see were old, decades old.
"We didn't fight." Afiona said softly as she sank further under the water, sensing Rissa's interest. "It was my fault anyways; he has nothing to apologize for."
"Oh, care to tell me what happened?" Rissa asked, not using the tone of voice that made grown men quake but the one that encouraged scared children to confide in her.
"Nothing happened." Afiona insisted. "If you'll excuse me, I have an appointment in less than a candlemark."
Rissa remained silent for a long moment. "He scared you." She said with brutal insight. "He raised his voice and that scared you."
Afiona's wide eyed, almost panicked reaction was all the response she needed.
:Mama-Afi!: Nico's high pitched mind voice made both women jump just as his tiny hooves struck the door.
"What in the Havens?" Rissa jumped to her feet.
:Afiona, what is going on? Nico insist you are in trouble.: Daric demanded.
"I-I-" Afiona glanced around, trying to get a grip on herself. Demon sensed her confusion and fear and reacted instinctively growling and barking at everything.
One blow from Daric's hooves knocked the door completely off its hinges. Nico immediately ran to her and positioned himself between Afiona and the startled Rissa.
:My Mama-Afi!: Nico stomped his small silver hoof and adopted the same stance his father often used.
Daric stood, framed in the doorway as cold air rushed into the room, obviously ready to attack.
Rissa stared at the three defenders. "What in the Havens?" She repeated.
The cold air brought Afiona to her senses. "No, everything is fine." She scrambled out of the tub, trying to keep the soaked towel around her as she knelt next to Nico. "See sweetie, we were just talking."
Nico turned his bright blue gaze on her; he was obviously worried and scared. :You not scared?:
"She just surprised me." Afiona looped an arm around his neck. "That is Lance's mother."
:Did I surprise you?: Nico asked worriedly.
"You are a good surprise, lovey, I like good surprises." Afiona assured him.
Over Nico's back she met Daric's gaze. :Everything is alright. We were just talking.:
:Then why didn't you answer?: Daric asked.
:She startled me. That's all.: Afiona pulled the towel tighter as she started to shiver.
Rissa stood to get her a blanket when the still upset Demon took offence. His deep throated growl grabbed Afiona's attention. Demon lunged for her arm, his long white teeth bared as Rissa jerked back reflexively, barely out of his reach.
:Demon, no. Do not bite her!: Afiona ordered.
Demon drew back slowly, still growling.
"What's going on?" A Herald called as he tried to squeeze around Daric who stubbornly refused to move. "Healer Afiona?"
"Everything is fine." Afiona said as she scrambled for her bed and grabbed a blanket to shroud herself in.
"There was a misunderstanding." Rissa called, not taking her eyes from Demon.
"Hey, Bardaric, could you back up a bit?" Another Herald called.
Afiona could see people moving around outside, most clad in white. How were they going to explain this?
"Could you call off your dog?" Rissa asked. "Unless you want to stitch me up."
Afiona nodded. :Demon, come here.:
Demon reluctantly padded over to Afiona. His thoughts still filled with rage at having his Afiona threatened.
:I can protect myself.: Afiona told him softly. :Thank you for your offer but I don't need it my old friend.:
Demon licked her hand as the hair on his back lowered. :No bite good. Taste not good.:
Two Heralds managed to get past the unmoving Daric and surveyed the still nervous colt, Afiona wrapped in a blanket, Demon casting suspicious glares at all the intruders, and Herald Rissa staring at Afiona with varying degrees of confusion.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to dress." Afiona said stiffly.
"Come on old man." One of the Heralds patted Daric's neck. "Back up so we can give the lady her privacy."
Daric reluctantly backed out of the doorway and the Heralds pushed her door back up, blocking most of the chill wind.
"You'll have to get that repaired." One commented as they used her chair to keep it in place.
"I have it seen to after lunch." Afiona agreed.
In moments she was alone in her room, except for Nico and Demon. A draft from the broken doorway made her shiver.
:You should cancel your lunch. Lady Treesa would understand.: Daric suggested.
:No. I have been putting her off for months.: Afiona responded firmly. :Give me a moment and I'll be fine.:
:What did she say to startle you?: Daric asked.
Afiona shed her damp blanket and soaked towel and pulled on her clothing slowly. :She knew Lance scared me.:
She could sense Daric's frustration but he remained silent. Nico followed her around, she could hear his thoughts which centred around not leaving his Mama-Afi in case someone surprised her again. Demon sat in the chair, his eyes never leaving her.
:Why are all the men in my life such mother hens?: Afiona asked Daric.
:Mother Hens!: Daric spluttered.
Afiona grinned. :What else would you call this hovering?:
Daric's mood lightened under Afiona's teasing. Nico relaxed as well as the mood of the room improved.
"Now then." Afiona said as she took final stock in her appearance. "I have to get going. Are you ready to go play with Papa, Nico?"
Nico hurried to the door leading to the hallway. Daric met them at a side door.
:You broke the door!: Nico informed his father as he pranced forward, his ears pricked and his tail high. :Mama-Afi got cold.:
Afiona rolled her eyes. "I'll see you two later." She placed a kiss on Nico's broad forehead. "You behave."
Nico promised obediently before following his father out into the field. Afiona watched them for a long moment.
:Get going before you're late.: Daric admonished. :And continue with your plans.:
:Yes oh great white one.: Afiona teased as she turned back inside. She knew Daric was well aware that her mood at the moment was all an act, like the past five years had been. Her strength had been nothing more than a carefully constructed façade that was crumbling under the slightest stress but it still gave her a measure of control that she desperately needed and allowed her to perform her duties.
~ * ~
Rissa found the other Heralds that had been drawn by Bardaric's assault on Afiona's door still in the garden trying to figure out what happened. They grew silent when she approached.
"Rissa, do you have any idea what happened? Our Companions won't give us any answers." One finally asked.
"I scared her." Rissa admitted. "I think Daric came to her rescue because he Chose her."
"What? A healer?" The Herald closest to her said in disbelief.
"Not an ordinary Healer." Another commented. "She only works on animals and Companions."
"If he has Chosen her why haven't they told anyone?"
Mia, a late arrival on the scene, cleared her throat. "Because a fully trained Healer is more needed in war than an untrained Herald."
"But a fully trained Herald and Healer will be of even more use." Rissa pointed out.
"Once she is on the Rolls as a trainee they will not send her to the front." Mia pointed out. "And we all know how close war is."
Rissa's husband nodded slowly. "Then we won't put her on the Rolls. I have a feeling she will seek out what training she can get without alerting anyone that she has been Chosen."
"So we should just let her come to us?" Mia looked doubtful.
"We wait for her to come to us." The dean confirmed. "And we don't tell anyone who is not a Herald know about this. So long as we don't acknowledge it, we can't record it."
Someone chuckled. "Deliberate ignorance?"
Rissa shook her head. "Love, I am not sure about this. That girl is in bad shape."
"How so?" One of the older Heralds demanded.
Mia glanced around. "I got some of the story from Stef who got it from Medren." All eyes were suddenly focused on her. "Her own family tortured and abused her. Considering what she has survived she is in wonderful shape."
"What has she been through?" Rissa asked. "I saw some of her scars."
Mia glanced at the ground. "I shouldn't have said that. She deserves her privacy."
"Scars?" The Dean asked, glancing between Rissa and Mia. "What kind of scars?"
"Knives, whips, burns, places where bones pierced the skin, and that is just her back." Rissa answered. It did not take an empath to sense the deadly mood of the gathered Heralds. "Most of them look like they were inflicted when she was a child."
"Oh gods. All that on a child." A horrified whisper reached everyone in the crowd.
"Who did it?" A cold voice asked. The speaker was a Herald that was better acquainted with shadows than circuits.
"They're dead." Mia answered before anyone started calling for blood. "We can't confront her, she would just run. We have to wait until she is ready to talk."
Slowly everyone agreed.
They could only wait.
~ * ~
A permanent sneer marred the handsome man's face as he strode down the side walk. People instinctively moved out of his way, as if sensing his malice. His dark eyes searched the faces of those who passed by him, causing no few of them to flinch.
They should cower before me, he thought, worthless scum.
The winding road finally brought him within sight of his goal. The great stone wall and the massive gate stood before him. Pausing he stared past the gate at the courtyard beyond. The brown clad clothing of the gardeners mixed with the rainbow of colours of the Nobles that had braved the chill weather in order to be seen in their expensive furs and the blues of the palace servants. A wave of hatred filled him. He should have been welcome within those walls. He should be among those bright courtiers as was his due. Wasn't his blood as blue as any of theirs?
The hatred coalesced and focused on one person. She had dared to succeed where he had failed. She who had been considered more valuable because she had Power. She who refused to die no matter how often he had wished it.
Afiona.
The bitch.
Now she was inside those walls, welcomed and happy.
He could see her features in his mind as he plunged the knife into her back. The shock before the pain set in. The way her golden eyes had widened in fear when she realised her friends would never be able to save her.
His heart raced as his fists clenched reflexively. He pictured the blood that had covered his hands.
The image changed to her laughing face as she sat in the tavern. No fear on her face. Confidence in her every gesture as she spoke with the man.
Not only had she survived she had thrived.
Since the night years earlier when he had fled before the fangs and swords of her defenders he had rarely thought of her. She had been a nothing. With the Family gone and her wits destroyed she had been even more worthless than he. When he had launched his bid to remove Tashir from power she had been only a means to an end, still a nothing. Now she was everything he was not.
He wanted nothing more than to destroy her. He needed to destroy her. Make her never exist.