Sorry I've been away so long. I had a serious case of writer's block. Chant in Latin, emotions shared, dreams shared, healing shared.
Rose watched from the corner as Mistress Yaga examined the girl. Her tools and herbs were laid out on the table next to the bed.
"Mistress Yaga why do you need your tools? I thought you were going to go into her mind," Rose asked.
"Sometimes, if they are too long in the dream world, the patient will die. Their spirits get lost and without a spirit a body can not live. These herbs, I have not taught you about them yet, they will help to keep the spirit bound to its body. You will learn after this," Mistress Yaga explained. Her tone was unusual. Usually it was brisk and direct. This time though she explained slowly. Rose began to panic.
"Mistress, if I do not know of these methods how will I aid you? If something goes wrong I can do nothing! You must teach me now!" she said in near delirium. Once again Mistress Yaga's tone was gentle and her words came slowly.
"Rose, I will handle the herbs. You will learn these things later. Your job has nothing to do with them today," she explained. She saw the look on Rose's face. The next part of her answer she delivered in the clearest way possible.
"Rose, you will find the girl. You will go into the dream world. It is I who will be keeping you alive," she explained, "Rose you are the Empath,".
Rose stood with her mouth open, staring at Mistress Yaga. Surely she couldn't be serious. Could she? After all Empaths were able to fell what others did. They could tap into the emotions of other people. Rose certainly couldn't do that. Movement caught her eye and snapped her out of her thoughts. It was Mistress Yaga coming at her with a vial in her hand.
"When I took you in, I knew you were special. It didn't take me long to divine your power. But you were too young, I didn't think you would ever have to… well I thought maybe it would be best to wait. So I bound your power. I blocked your access to your abilities. Drink this and you will be able to reach your power," Mistress Yaga explained. She could see that Rose was reluctant to touch the vial, much less drink what was in it.
"Rose you must. It is the only way to help this child. You must," she commanded but with sincere concern in her voice. Without saying anything Rose took the vial and downed the liquid. Mistress Yaga prepared herself. She couldn't let Rose get into her head. She had to block her feelings in order to make it easier for Rose to find the child.
For a moment after drinking the potion Rose didn't say anything. Her skin turned a sickly green and her eyes started to water. Her head was banging and her face was hot. Waves of sorrow and fear rushed over her. She knew that these were not her feelings.
"Oh my God," she whispered, "such fear. I must find her. What do I do? How do I enter the dream world?"
"Come lie next to her," Mistress Yaga instructed, "Then hold her hand. Concentrate on every feeling you get from her. You needn't worry about my feelings, I can block them. I spread a paste on your forehead and the girl's forehead. Then you will chant these words until you are in her dream 'sensus partis, somnium partis, curatio partis'".
Rose did as she was told. She squeezed Olga's hand as Mistress Yaga spread a thick minty smelling paste on her head.
"Now Child, the words," Mistress Yaga reminded. Rose closed her eyes and began chanting.
"Sensus partis, somnium partis, curatio partis. Sensus partis, somnium partis, curatio partis. Sensus partis, somnium partis, curatio partis…"she trailed off. Olga's emotions began to be more than just emotions. They began to form pictures. Still they weren't dreams. So she continued to chant. After a few more moments, she was no longer in the room. She was in a forest. Olga's emotions threatened to paralyze her. There was so much fear in the forest, and so much sadness. She had to force those feelings to the side. She filled her mind with happy thoughts. There was the first time she rode a horse. The birthday that Mistress Yaga bought her a bolt of silk cloth for a new dress. The smell and taste of honey cakes. Then one came unbidden, a memory of the King. The way she felt when he bumped into her. Suddenly the forest was a little brighter to her, and the sadness washed to the wayside. She could move again.
She began to walk down the path in front of her. She looked around at all the moss covered trees. There were no birds in them. As a matter of fact there didn't seem to be any animals anywhere. There was loneliness.
"Duchess Olga? Are you in here? My name is Rose and I'm here to help you. Please tell me where you are if you can," she yelled. There was no answer. She continued to walk. Though to be truthful she wasn't sure where she was going.
So she opened herself up again. She would use Olga's emotions to find her. Maybe she could focus the feelings and use them like a beacon that would lead her to Olga. She readied herself for the pain. She put the happy memories away. Slowly she tried to feel which direction they were coming from. She didn't think. She just walked.
Soon her feet led her to a giant oak. It was the tallest tree she'd ever seen. It was taller than most of the buildings she'd seen. Moss and vines crept up the sides. Rose looked up. This was where the emotions were coming from. But it was impossible for Olga to be in the tree. The lowest branch had to be 20 feet up. How would she get up there?
"This is a dream world Rose.," she thought, "Anything can be done,". So she dreamed herself taller. Then taller. She dreamed herself 20 feet tall. She searched the lower branches.
"Olga, please let me know where you are. I want to help you," she sighed. She could tell that Olga would not speak up. She was too afraid.
"Olga, I know you're afraid. I don't know what of, but if you tell me then maybe I can help. But you have to listen to me, you're very sick. Your parents sent me here to help you," she said in desperation. When only silence answered she let herself shrink back down to her normal size. She sat at the base of the tree, unsure of what to do next. A small sniffle interrupted her reverie.
"Olga?" she asked as her head swiveled around looking for the source of the sound. Though she couldn't see the little girl, she heard her voice.
"Mama and Papa sent you? Are they mad at me?" the voice asked timidly.
"Oh no your Grace. They are just worried," Rose answered to someplace vaguely above her, "Your body is very sick. They say you are lost here in the dream world,".
"They sent you to help me go home?" she asked.
"Yes, that is right," Rose answered.
"Will I get to go home or will I have to stay and marry the king? I don't want to marry the king. I don't want to live in the 4th kingdom," she sobbed.
Rose was surprised. They were going to force this little girl to marry the king? No wonder the girl was scared. Should she lie to the girl and say that she wouldn't have to get married? She didn't know anything about wedding arrangements.
"Your parents did not say anything about a marriage. They just want you to be healthy and happy. They are worried," Rose answered. It was the best she could come up with.
"I will wait for you while you think about it," Rose said. She left it up to Olga.