Time to Heal Read online

  “He managed to crawl from the shadow of the forest and some of his clansmen saw him there,” the Old One said. “I remember for I was among them. The wounds he bore were terrible—not even a mighty warrior could have survived them. Though we did all we could to staunch the blood, he still died before his mate could see him.”

  “That’s terrible—so sad,” Emmeline murmured.

  Skahr nodded. “The whole Clan mourned him. I have heard that story all my life, but I did not know the only place to get Mother’s Milk was in the Bervoten Forest.”

  “I am afraid so.” The Old One nodded. “There used to be some growing in a less perilous place but a hard frost wiped it out a generation ago.” He sighed. “I only wish the journey to get it was not so fraught with danger.”

  Emmeline lifted her chin. “If you’re trying to convince me not to go, please don’t bother. I will find what I need to cure Jamie—I don’t care how dangerous it is.”

  The Old One gave her a startled look.

  “You think to go into the Bervoten Forest by yourself?”

  Emmeline nodded. “I do. I can be quiet when I need to. I’ll just slip right through the forest and get the herb and come out again.”

  “I fear that the Bervoten is vast—you cannot simply just ‘slip in and out’—especially not by yourself,” the Old One objected.

  “Of course not,” Skahr said firmly. “Which is why I am going instead.”

  The Old One shook his head.

  “I applaud your bravery, Skahr, but you cannot go in Emmeline’s place. Because she is from another world, the Mother’s Milk will not be effective unless she plucks it herself. Only her hand may touch it and only she may administer it to her child.”

  Emmeline looked up at the huge, scarred warrior.

  “You don’t have to—” she began.

  “Then I am going with her to guard her,” Skahr said, before she could even finish getting the words out. When she started to protest, he took her hands in his and looked down into her eyes.

  “Emmeline,” he rumbled, “Did I not swear an oath to help you heal your son or die trying?”

  She bit her lip. “You did. But I never thought you’d actually have to—”

  “We are going together.” Skahr squeezed her hands gently. “And as it is a journey of some days, we need to get ready. Come.”

  Numbly, Emmeline bid farewell to the Old One and allowed Skahr to lead her from the cave. It appeared that her quest to save Jamie was going to last more than a day or two after all but she knew that Mother Griffith would take good care of him.

  She just hoped she would be able to get the Mother’s Milk in time to get back to him and heal him before Skahr’s healing magic wore off.

  Ten

  “Your clothing is very beautiful but very strange,” the girl Skahr had introduced as Talli—his Mother’s daughter—said, wrinkling her nose at Emmeline’s dove gray afternoon dress. “Tell me, is your behind truly that large or is that hump in the back part of your garments?”

  “Oh—you mean my bustle?” Emmeline looked back at the “hump” in question, which filled out the back of her dove-gray afternoon dress perfectly. “It is just the latest fashion in my world,” she told the other girl.

  “Well, it will have to go,” Talli said, nodding decisively. “In fact, all this clothing must be exchanged for something else—something more practical.”

  “You mean you want me to take off my clothes?” Emmeline clutched at the high collar of her dress uncertainly.

  “You must,” Talli told her firmly. “Such long, trailing garments will be eagerly snagged in the branches of the tabak trees or the jaws of the vopors.”

  “Is the forest really that dangerous?” Emmeline couldn’t help asking.

  “I am afraid so. But don’t worry.” Talli smiled at her encouragingly. “You will have the son of my mother with you—Skahr will not let any harm befall you. Just stay close to him and do not stray off the path.”

  “The path?” Emmeline raised her eyebrows. “There’s a path? Who made it if the forest is so dangerous and impenetrable?”

  “Why the Ancient Ones of course,” Talli said as though it was common knowledge. “They came from the stars many eons ago to settle our world and from them all of the Clans are descended—though we, like the Ancient Ones before us—are all children of the Goddess. Most of their ways have been forgotten now, but the tales tell of a Mouth of Wisdom which lives on the top of the Hidden Hill where the Mother’s Milk grows. In the past, some warriors have gone there to seek knowledge from it—though I don’t know if it is still there.”

  Ancient Ones from the stars…a Mouth of Wisdom… Emmeline’s head was whirling. But she supposed she had to expect a little strangeness—this was, after all, a whole different world from her own. She decided to return to more practical matters.

  “If I cannot wear my own clothes, then what am I to wear?” she asked, eyeing Talli’s outfit which consisted of an abbreviated top and a short leather skirt, both apparently sewn from the skins of animals. She also wore fur boots which came up to her calves and looked considerably more comfortable than Emmeline’s own black leather ones.

  “Oh, I can loan you something,” Talli said easily. “Come.” She led Emmeline deeper into the long, low hide tent where she and her mother and her mother’s mate lived. The tent was surprisingly roomy and well-kept with a hide floor and even some colorful pieces of woven art hanging on its hide walls. It was separated into sections by flaps made of fur and was much bigger on the inside than it had looked from the outside, Emmeline thought.

  They came to a little room off the center of the tent with a low bed covered in furs on one side and a small fire pit in the middle. Here Talli lowered the fur flap and created instant privacy.

  “Here we are—this is my space,” she said to Emmeline. “Let me just get a little more light in here…” And reaching up, she opened a small flap in the ceiling which allowed a pool of brilliant sunlight to spill onto the hide-covered floor. “Now let me see,” she said and went to a wooden box at the foot of the bed and began digging through its contents. After a moment, she emerged triumphantly with a top and skirt which looked very like her own, as well as a pair of fur boots.

  “You want me to put these on?” Emmeline looked at the garments doubtfully. “Are they yours? Because you’re much thinner than I am, Talli.” And much taller too—but then, all the women she had seen here were at least a head taller than she was. It seemed that Skahr’s people were bigger than regular humans.

  “You do have lovely curves,” Talli admitted enviously, admiring her full-figured body. “And I’m skinny as a long bean. But not to worry—a pinch of magic dust will fix that.”

  Emmeline watched with great interest as the other girl found a little leather pouch in the box and sprinkled it over the clothing while muttering some strange words under her breath. After a moment, the fur and hide garments began to grow until they were big enough for Emmeline to wear.

  “How—how did you do that?” she exclaimed, picking up the newly re-sized leather skirt and turning it in her hands.

  “Why, with magic dust. Our Shaman makes it for us from the ashes of a holy fire,” Talli explained. “It’s good for healing and smaller tasks. But it’s really just for temporary solutions, so I hope your quest won’t take too long. Otherwise the clothing might revert to my size and well, if you were wearing it when that happened…” She made an apologetic face. “I’m afraid it wouldn’t be very good.”

  “That does sound bad,” Emmeline agreed distractedly. But it wasn’t shrinking clothing she was worried about—she was wondering if the magic dust Talli had used on the outfit was the same kind Skahr had used on Jamie. “How long would you say it lasts—the dust, I mean?” she asked Talli.

  The other girl shrugged. “Oh, two or three days usually. Sometimes more.” She brightened. “Of course, Skahr will have some with him as well. If you feel the clothing start to shrink on you, simply ask him