Ella finished putting the breakfast dishes away, she was worried too, both about her husband and her youngest child. Vanton and the boys were having a very rough time of planting this spring, but at least they were far enough from the river not to lose whole fields like some had. Her daughter however was showing the strain of worry, poor child was always so sensitive to others. she made a mental note to talk to her daughter as soon as the menfolk left and let her know things were not as bad as they seemed. They had a decent bit of money saved up thanks to three years of good harvests and the extra money Lyrissa's sewing had brought in. Thunder boomed overhead, shaking the small house with it's force, Ella sighed and dried her hands on an apron, seemed as if the weather had turned against them this spring. She hoped Vanton and the boys would be working in the barn today rather than out in the rain.
Lyrissa filled the blackened kettle and set it over the fire carefully, she curled the skein of hair in a small bowl as she waited for the water to heat. Boiling horse hair made it pliable enough to sew with and she hoped it would do the same for the Companion's hair, it was already finer than a horses, so there should be no problem she thought. More thunder rumbled through the house, followed by the odd sound of something rushing, then shouts, Lyrissa frowned and went to the front door, cracking it slightly. Men where running toward town and the river, an odd swirling brown mass in the streets. She felt her mother's hand on her shoulder and heard the sharp intake of breath as she realized what had happened the makeshift dikes had broken.
She turned back to the fire and grabbed the kettle from the flames, ignoring the burning sensation. Her mother banked the fire and the pair rushed out to help their neighbors with the impending disaster. Granny Tersa stood on her porch, knee deep in the muddy water, yelling at Tanner to catch her piglet before it swam away or drowned. Lyrissa promised to catch the errant animal as tanner lifted the elderly woman up to carry to safety before the water rose higher. She waded through the murky water to the back of granny Tersa's house where the pig was kept, the fence was toppled and the animal missing. Lyrissa called out for the animal, but couldn't see any sign of it. The water was rising as she struggled with the current, tripping over some hidden tangle once. listening for any sound that would give her a clue as to the animal's hiding place.
A thread of panic flew through her and she looked back toward the river, men including her father and brothers were frantically trying to shore up the dike. but it wasn't there that she felt the threat, looking a bit down river, closer to her she swore she saw the earth heave. Then cold water was rushing toward her, Lyrissa tried to get to one of the trees to steady herself against the onslaught, but her skirts slowed her down. The world seemed to move in slow motion as she struggled toward the trees, then it struck her, taking her feet from beneath her and lifting her up for a moment before slamming her into the one of the trees. Pain exploded through her mind and body and she clawed at the branches desperately, trying to pull herself to safety even as her water logged skirts tried to drag her down into the greedy maw of the flood. Strength born of fear allowed her to lunge upward into the fork of the ancient apple tree just before the pain took her into blackness.
Warmth was the next thing she noticed, gentle hands and a cup against her lips, the liquid cool and bitter, willow bark she thought as she coughed and tried to open her eyes, hazy pale green and a soothing voice told her to go back to sleep. Too tired to argue she closed her eyes and fell back into a fever haunted sleep, voices tangled in her dreams. She walked in a bright green field beside many people, ladies and lords, merchants and farmers, all with shining eyes and glowing white clothing she tried to speak to them, but they didn't hear her. She caught snippets of their conversations as she passed by.
"...look how well the little one is doing..."
"Do you think that they know what is coming?"
"...his chosen is doing better now."
"Soon the Queen's own will return."
"What of the princess?"
"Roland won't say anyth..."
"And the other one?"
" !...chosen? Is it time?" Surprise radiated on that voice, "Where are you?"
She was so hot and tired and scared now, why would no one answer her. Didn't they see her?
"Calm down young one I can hear you. We will figure out what has happened."
She saw one woman in a ancient Herald's outfit turn and look about in confusion. Lyrissa tried to call out again and go to her, but others kept getting in the way. Then she was back in the icy water, tumbled over and over, hands grabbing at her shaking her gently. She opened her eyes, gasping in fear of the nightmare, this time she could see more clearly.
"There now child, it's going to be okay, " Healer Devan said soothingly holding a mug of water for her to drink from. "Just a fever dream."
She gulped the water, welcoming the soothing coolness on her raw throat, Owlishly blinking at the Healer as he pushed a strand of hair from her forehead and felt her brow, "Fever is almost gone and your on the mend. Nothing to worry about little one, nothing at all."