CH 8 – Recovery
After some hefty debating, Marcellus had decided Savin should stay in the chamber of Alchemy and Physik. This way he could keep an eye on her while she recovered and tend to her wounds with his knowledge of Physik.
With some confidence, Marcellus started brewing the Tincture of Eternal Life, not quite having the patience to wait for Savin's help. He spent the next three days carefully following every ingredient measurement and instruction precisely while watching over the sleeping witch in the corner.
The candlelight was swirling in Savin's eyes as she slept, she groaned and rolled onto her left, "ah ouch!"
There was barely any light in the Alchemy chamber, a few candles no less that flickered with the shadows dancing behind them.
She jolted into a sitting position, it was coming back to her, 'the wolves..'
The witch's blue eyes searched the chamber only to find it dark and empty. She was lying on the floor with a (not so comfortable) pillow under her head and an itchy blanket thrown over her.
"Marcellus?" She called, scared that her memory was indeed failing her.
'I did not walk back.. Did I?' Savin looked down and pulled the rough blanket away from her, seeing a slightly bloody bandage covering her leg.
"I couldn't have" she sighed, a frantic and concerned Marcellus stumbled through the main entrance, "Ahh your finally awake."
He watched her as he slowly made his way down the steps and to her side, "how is your leg feeling?"
"Painful."
He chuckled, "indeed.."
Piles of books were arranged in the left corner of the chamber, accompanied by many bottles and boxes and one very small cauldron. Savin thought she could smell a burning frog (what a horrible smell that must be) radiating out of the messy pile.
"How long have I been out for?"
"About 3 days." Yes, the chamber did look different to when she was last here.
"Don't worry about your leg, the Physik has hurried the healing along. With any luck, you should be able to walk on it soon enough." The throbbing in Savin's calf quickened at the mention of her wound.
"Thank you.." Shyness had never been a major threat for Savin, though now she was starting to wonder.
"My pleasure Miss Juniper" Marcellus smiled, then after some difficulty turned to inspect the nasty smelling brew inside of the small cauldron.
"What is that horrible smell?"
"My apologies, I never expected the tincture to smell so rotten." Marcellus' nose wrinkled as a puff of the concoction's fumes burst into the air.
"You've already started it then?" With some disappointment she wrapped herself back up in the blanket. The big freeze was due in the next few weeks, Savin had quickly noticed the change in temperatures from the castle to the forest.
"Yes, I started the day after we returned from the forest" he slightly yawned.
"How did we get out of there?" Savin knew that Marcellus wouldn't have remembered the way out, every tree looked the same to someone who hasn't lived, survived and flourished in the forest. Savin had done so her whole life and even she had her moments of pure confusion.
Marcellus sighed, "that nasty Gringe fellow by the moat. Apparently he had been yelling at some kids keeping him awake during the night. I unmistakably heard him and by first light started to follow his voice through the woods. Loud, that man is.."
Savin couldn't help but laugh at Marcellus' tone towards the Gate keeper, even though he (accidentally) had saved their lives.
"Yes, his wife didn't want to
Let me into the castle the first time I arrived, said I looked 'fishy' and that she 'didn't like fish.'"
They chuckled at their luck for some moments before Marcellus interrupted "ill need to change your bandages again soon, you might want to get some rest beforehand."
This was no trouble at all, the tired Witch laid her head down on the lumpy pillow and quickly nodded off, dreaming of wolves with piercing yellow eyes.
After carefully adding the Forest Night Berries into the brew, Marcellus quickly studied the concoction and returned to Savin's side.