EPIC: Fourteen Books of Fantasy (49 page)

I froze. Two sets of footsteps thudded on grass, and knowing how bad Varago’s knees were, I hoped he wouldn’t injure himself.

‘You were supposed to wait for me and Varago at school!’ Jemely yelled.

When they caught up to me, they grabbed at my arms and tried to lead me away. I fought them.

‘Stop it. Be still,’ Jemely ordered.

‘Let me go, Jemely,’ I cried. But she had never given me orders so harshly before, and the jolt of it made me hesitate.

‘You have no right talking to this girl, golden whore. Who do you think you are?’ Varago placed a hand on my shoulder and pushed me behind him.

‘I am a Meligna Healer ambassador,’ she said in a clean, crisp tone. There was pride in her declaration that made me envy her a little.

‘Charging eighty gold for a healing, are you? That is nothing to be proud of. I’m a
real
doctor.’

‘Oh, a real doctor? Tell me,
Doctor
, how many lives have you saved this year?’

‘I don’t need filthy tricks or blackmail to help people. I don’t have to
screw
anyone.’ Varago turned to me. ‘She can’t heal you, Adenine. You’re a woman. She can only heal men.’

‘Why?’ I asked.

‘Ask your mother,’ he said and tried to lead me away.

The healer broke into laughter. ‘Poor child, they’ve really kept you in the dark, haven’t they? Literally, too, it seems. Are you her father?’

‘No. But I have cared for this girl since she was born.’

‘How convenient for you.’ The healer was accusing Varago of something, but I couldn’t work it out. I hated being dumb.

‘Go to, wench. Back to your witch city.’

Healer Euka moved away, the smell of her perfume fading with a breeze. I was so stunned that there was no room for anger at Varago’s hostility. According to him, the only crime Healer Euka committed was charging too high of a price for healing people. Still, it didn’t sit right with me. There was something else making Varago hostile at the healers, and I wanted to know what it was.

‘She didn’t do anything wrong,’ I said when back at home with Mother. ‘She just wanted to help.’

‘Nonsense. You don’t know what you’re talking about. They use their healing gifts to obtain political and moral power. There used to be harmony amongst the healers and the Senya province. But at the first chance, they turned their backs on us. They went to the corrupt Ruxdor people and stole a city that wasn’t theirs. They set themselves up as royalty, and now, they hoard their healing powers to use as they wish.’

Healer Euka seemed genuinely interested in helping me. Maybe they
could
heal women, and Varago was the one lying. She had smelled so beautiful and elegant. I couldn’t imagine a lady like that, so noble and well-spoken, being hateful. In fact, it seemed the only hateful person was Varago.

‘Varago, I’d like to speak to my daughter,’ Mother said.

‘Of course. Jemely, leave us,’ Varago ordered.

‘Alone,’ Mother said firmly, hinting that Varago should leave also.

When they were gone, Mother wheeled her chair over to me and held my hands. ‘You liked this Healer Euka, didn’t you?’

I nodded.

‘They are a fine people, aren’t they? As fine as the people of Bivinia. Money makes people seem rational and reasonable, but as fine as they are, the healer women harbour anger strengthened by time, injustice and the oppression of King Cevznik.’

‘The Wicked King,’ I said, remembering my lesson from school.

‘Yes, sweet one, the Wicked King. The healers are upset because he hurt them. So there is no consoling them or trusting them. They have turned away from goodness. They used to be pure and represented holiness and our faith. Put your confidence in those around you who only want to protect you.’

I was confused and upset. I thought the Healer would help my eyes. Being able to see the flowers on the trees, the vibrant colour of ripened fruit, but most of all, Mother’s face, her smile; to truly see her would be worth anything.

‘Why would she want to hurt me?’

‘She doesn’t want to hurt you. But remember when you were ill?’

I nodded.

‘I think Healer Euka suspects you of carrying the Death Plague. If she knew, she’d try to take you away.’

‘Why?’

Mother sighed. ‘Trust your mama. Just trust me. Stay away from her, please.’

‘Yes, Mama.’ But I was sad. She was holding something back from me, and I wanted to know. I
needed
to know.

‘Varago, Jemely, and I, we all love you and want to protect you.’

‘What would happen if Healer Euka knew that I was sick?’

‘Everything that I have always feared,’ she said and wheeled her chair towards the stairs to go back down to Mystoria.

Chapter XVI

W
E
WORKED
IN
SILENCE
THAT
afternoon. Jemely tried to make conversation, but with my lack of response, soon gave up.

As she was leaving to go back to Varago’s surgery, she said, ‘The dead and sick are better company than the miserable pair of yous.’

An hour before sundown, Mother decided to close early, stating there’d been enough money made and that she wanted to spend time with me. I knew she lied, but I said nothing and spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the grass outside our back door, playing with Butter. When the sun fell, I brought Butter back into the shop, and as we made our way to the stairs, someone knocked on the front door. No customers came that time of night, and I heard Mother scrambling about upstairs.

‘Adenine,’ she called. ‘Adenine, don’t you answer that door!’

There were more knocks, and as if pulled by an invisible force, I moved towards the rapping. The sound of rope rubbing against metal from behind me made me jump. Mother had used the newly installed stair-slide. She cursed as she struggled to get into her wheelchair, so I went to help her. The knock sounded again.

‘Stay here,’ Mother said and wheeled herself to the entrance of Mystoria. ‘Who is it?’

I heard the scrape of metal. Did Mother have a knife? She thought someone was there to attack us? Maybe it was more serious than she had let on. Maybe people wanted to kill us. Whatever secret Mother was keeping from me, it was a dangerous one.

‘It’s Klawdia. I’m here for Adenine and Butter,’ a woman with a strange accent said.

Mother waited, then unlocked the door.

Chapter XVII

‘G
OOD
EVENING
, M
ERCHANT
C
APACIA
,’ K
LAWDIA
said. Her peculiar speech caused her to roll her Rs and emphasise each E. Metal clanged as she stepped into the room. A cool night breeze blew in from outside, carrying the strong smell of leather, horse, campfire, and rotting foliage.

‘Welcome, Klawdia. Please leave your dagger and bow by the foot of the stairs inside.’ Mother seemed guarded, and I didn’t blame her. The woman had a presence that filled the room and demanded caution.

‘Thank you,’ Klawdia said. She walked past me, and I listened intently as she set her weapons against a nearby wall.

She must have travelled from afar, probably from the north. Long ago, Mother had told me that the Bivinia people to the south spoke as if they were making long strokes with their tongue, whereas Klawdia had short, sharp pronunciations.

‘I’m surprised to see you in town, Klawdia. You usually travel so often.’

‘I could say the same for you, Merchant Capacia. It is a shame you no longer distribute the work of other cultures here.’

‘That reason should be obvious,’ Mother said coolly.

I was full of curiosity then. Klawdia and Mother knew each other well, it seemed. Whenever I learned about the way Mother used to be, a fearless trader with youth in her step, it made me sad to think of how she had become.

‘Somewhat, your legs might be useless, but your mind is still intact, and we both know a merchant is not what he does, but what he thinks.’

There was a strange tension in the air. Klawdia had spoken bluntly; perhaps that had upset Mother.

‘You are as bold and wise as ever, Klawdia. Maybe you will settle for my excuse that I will not leave my blind niece alone in this house.’

‘She is not crippled,’ Klawdia said. ‘Take her with you.’

I was thrilled at the idea. I had suggested it before, and Mother had firmly said no, but maybe Klawdia would change Mother’s mind, and in the morning, we’d be off on an adventure.

‘No. She is… too young. Whether staying here without me or travelling with me, she would be in danger.’

‘So there is another reason you keep her inside. A certain stranger in town, perhaps?’

I became uncomfortable thinking about Mother’s reaction to Klawdia’s observation. Klawdia knew that Mother didn’t like Healer Euka. Did Klawdia know my secret?

‘Where is the canine that needs instruction?’

‘Butter,’ I called, and he pattered down the stairs and flopped beside my leg. His tail thumped against the floor.

‘Adenine, close the door and greet Klawdia properly,’ Mother instructed.

I stepped towards the woman. Her scent was overwhelming. She smelled of freedom, of a life lived properly, fully, and I breathed in, allowing it to fill me up. When I’d closed the door, I put my hand out for her to shake it. She yanked me forwards and grabbed my arm.

‘Let go,’ I cried.

‘Good. You don’t mind telling people how to treat you. Then you won’t mind telling Butter how to treat you, too.’ She let go of my arm and crouched down beside me. Butter gave a playful growl as Klawdia roughed him up. ‘A sturdy canine. Strong legs. Strong tail. An excellent hunter.’

‘Butter only requires the basics,’ Mother said.

‘But I thought he was going to be trained to guide me,’ I said.

‘That’s a good idea,’ Klawdia added. ‘I can help with that.’

‘No. I’ve changed my mind. Adenine need only learn how to control him. And he definitely doesn’t need to learn to hunt.’

‘Of course not. A merchant only need throw coin at farmers and butchers to live,’ Klawdia said.

‘A merchant struggles enough,’ Mother snapped.

‘Please,’ I said. ‘Butter could catch prey too. There are hard to catch pheasants in the forest, aren’t there?’ He would love sniffing out small animals and chasing after birds. He had lots of energy that was wasted inside the house.

‘That’s what market stalls are for, Adenine,’ Mother said, hanging an irritable note on my name.

Klawdia laughed. It was a loud laugh that I hadn’t expected. The timbre of it made me snort.

‘The girl is eager for her dog to kill. Maybe
she
is a hunter too?’

‘You Ruxdor people think everything is about hunting. You’ll teach my Adenine no such things. Your job is to train Butter. That’s all we require.’

So she
was
from Ruxdor. The Ruxdor people were hated, so why was she allowed to live in Borrelia?

‘Butter. A soft name for a soft dog,’ Klawdia said. ‘He’ll be spineless and useless, if not allowed to hunt, but if that is what you want...’

‘Good,’ Mother said curtly.

‘Let’s start now, if that is suitable for you, Merchant Capacia.’

‘Yes, outside though. Adenine, put on a coat. The day has turned to night.’ Mother wheeled herself towards the stairs.

‘Yes, Capacia,’ I said and found my coat. Why was Mother so upset? Why didn’t she want Butter to help me with my blindness? Did she want me to struggle to get around? Did she want me to keep suffering?

Mother groaned as she pulled herself up the stairs. The rope rubbed against metal, and the wood of her seat slid against another wooden beam. I’d heard the same sound when passing the carpenter’s shop.

‘How interesting,’ Klawdia said, obviously observing the spectacle.

‘Varago built it,’ I told her. ‘Well, Fara and Krejald built it, but Varago designed it. Isn’t it great?’ My enthusiasm for Mother’s mobility was boundless. I loved that she had her independence and was no longer confined to only one room or one floor of the house.

‘Yes. Maybe one day she will use that same determination to travel outside.’ Klawdia placed Butter in my arms and put a hand on my back to guide me outside. Klawdia rattled an old lamp that Mother had given her, then placed it on the dirt.

After a few times of getting Butter to sit and stay, she asked me to go inside and fetch some leftover meat scraps. Jemely was upstairs cooking and asked me what the meat was for.

When I told her, she almost squealed with excitement and raced down the stairs ahead of me. ‘I love Klawdia. She’s brilliant. Ruxdor blood is savage, and they know how to handle beasts. If I could do any job, it’d be a beast handler, it would.’

‘Wait,’ I said.

She stopped. ‘What?’

‘Is… is she wearing leather armour?’ I whispered.

Jemely laughed. ‘Yes, of course she is. She’s a Ruxdorian. They’re always ready for a fight.’

Back outside, Klawdia became the centre of attention… well, the centre of Jemely’s attention anyway.

‘You can be whatever you want if you work hard enough,’ Klawdia said at one point, managing to interrupt Jemely’s gibbering on about how she wanted to become a horse trainer and work for the royal stables in Juxon City. ‘Do not let naysayers dissuade you from your fate.’