Smitt stood in the centre of the din, soaking in its strength. After a time, he patted his hands, and the villagers quieted.
âTender Michel,â he said, gesturing to the man, âhas opened the Holy House to the wounded, and Stefny and Darsy have volunteered to spend the night there tending them. Michel also offers the Creatorâs wards to all others who have nowhere else to go.â
Smitt raised a fist. âBut hard pews are not where heroes should lay their heads! Not when theyâre amongst family. My tavern can hold ten comfortably, and more if need be. Who else among us will share their wards and their beds to heroes?â
Everyone shouted again, this time louder, and Smitt broke into a wide smile. He patted his hands again. âThe Creator smiles on you all,â he said, âbut the hour grows late. Iâll assign â¦â
Elona stood up. She too had drunk a few mugs, and her words slurred. âErny and I will take in Gared and Steave,â she said, causing Erny to look sharply at her. âWeâve plenty of room, and with Gared and Leesha promised, theyâre practically family already.â
âThatâs very generous of you, Elona,â Smitt said, unable to hide his surprise. Rarely did Elona show generosity, and even then, there was usually a hidden price.
âAre you sure thatâs proper?â Stefny asked loudly, causing everyone to turn their eyes to her. When she wasnât working in her husbandâs tavern, Stefny was volunteering at the Holy House, or studying the Canon. She hated Elona â a mark in her favour in Leeshaâs mind â but she had also been the first to turn on Klarissa when her state became clear.
âTwo promised children living under one roof?â Stefny asked. but her eyes flicked to Steave, not Gared. âWho knows what improprieties might occur? Perhaps it would be best for you to take in others, and let Gared and Steave stay at the tavern.â
Elonaâs eyes narrowed. âI think three parents enough to chaperone two children, Stefny,â she said icily. She turned to Gared, squeezing his broad shoulders. âMy soon-to-be-son-in-law did the work of five men today,â she said. âAnd Steave,â she reached out and drunkenly poked the manâs burly chest, âdid the work of ten.â
She spun back towards Leesha, but stumbled a bit. Steave, laughing, caught her about the waist before she fell. His hand was huge on her slender midsection. âEven my,â she swallowed the word âuselessâ, but Leesha heard it anyway, âdaughter did great deeds today. Iâll not have my heroes bed down in some otherâs home.â
Stefny scowled, but the rest of the villagers took the matter as closed, and started offering up their own homes to the others in need.
Elona stumbled again, falling into Steaveâs lap with a laugh. âYou can sleep in Leeshaâs room,â she told him. âItâs right next to mine.â She dropped her voice at that last part, but she was drunk, and everyone heard. Gared blushed, Steave laughed, and Erny hung his head. Leesha felt a stab of sympathy for her father.
âI wish the corelings had taken her last night,â she muttered.
Her father looked up at her. âDonât ever say that,â he said. âNot about anyone.â He looked hard at Leesha until she nodded.
âBesides,â he added sadly, âtheyâd probably just give her right back.â
Accommodations had been made for all, and people were preparing to leave when there was a murmur, and the crowd parted. Through that gap limped Hag Bruna.
Child Jona held one of the womanâs arms as she walked. Leesha leapt to her feet to take her other. âBruna, you shouldnât be up,â she admonished. âYou should be resting!â
âItâs your own fault, girl,â Bruna snapped. âThereâs those sicker than I, and I need herbs from my hut to treat them. If your bodyguard,â she glared at Gared and he fell back in fright, âhad let Jona bring my message, I could have sent you with a list. But now itâs late, and Iâll have to go with you. We can stay behind my wards for the night, and come back in the morn.â
âWhy me?â Leesha asked.
âBecause none of the other lackwit girls in this town can read!â Bruna shrieked. âTheyâd mix up the labels on the bottles worseân that cow Darsy!â
âJona can read,â Leesha said.
âI offered to go,â the acolyte began, but Bruna slammed her stick down on his foot, cutting his words off in a yelp.
âHerb Gathering is womenâs work, girl,â Bruna said. âHoly Men are just there to pray while we do it.â
âI â¦â Leesha began, looking back at her parents for an escape.
âI think itâs a fine idea,â Elona said, finally extricating herself from Steaveâs lap. âSpend the night at Brunaâs.â She shoved Leesha forward. âMy daughter is glad to help,â she said with a broad smile.
âPerhaps Gared should go as well?â Steave suggested, kicking his son.
âYouâll need a strong back to carry your herbs and potions back in the morning,â Elona agreed, pulling Gared up.
The ancient Herb Gatherer glared at her, then at Steave, but nodded finally.
The trip to Brunaâs was slow, the hag setting a shuffling crawl of a pace. They made it to the hut just before sunset.
âCheck the wards, boy,â Bruna told Gared. While he complied, Leesha took her inside, setting the old woman down in a cushioned chair, and laying a quilt blanket over her. Bruna was breathing hard, and Leesha feared she would start coughing again any minute. She filled the kettle and laid wood and tinder in the hearth, casting her eyes about for flint and steel.
âThe box on the mantel,â Bruna said, and Leesha noticed the small wooden box. She opened it, but there was no flint or steel within, only short wooden sticks with some kind of clay at the ends. She picked up two and tried rubbing them together.
âNot like that, girl!â Bruna snapped. âHave you never seen a flamestick?â
Leesha shook her head. âDa keeps some in the shop where he mixes chemics,â Leesha said, âbut Iâm not to go in there.â
The old Herb Gatherer sighed and beckoned the girl over. She took one of the sticks and braced it against her gnarled, dry thumbnail. She flicked her thumb, and the end of the stick burst into flame. Leeshaâs eyes bulged.
âThereâs more to Herb Gathering than plants, girl,â Bruna said, touching the flame to a taper before the flamestick burned out. She lit a lamp, and handed the taper to Leesha. She held the lamp out, illuminating a dusty shelf filled with books in its flickering light.
âSweet day!â Leesha exclaimed. âYou have more books than Tender Michel!â
âThese arenât witless stories censored by the Holy Men, girl. Herb Gatherers are keepers of a bit of the knowledge of the old world, from back before the Return, when the demons burned the great libraries.â
âScience?â Leesha asked. âWas that not the hubris that brought on the Plague?â
âThatâs Michel talking,â Bruna said. âIf Iâd known that boy would grow into such a pompous ass, Iâd have left him between his motherâs legs. It was science, as much as magic, that drove the corelings off the first time. The sagas tell of great Herb Gatherers healing mortal wounds, and mixing herbs and minerals that killed demons by the score with fire and poison.â
Leesha was about to ask another question when Gared returned. Bruna waved her towards the hearth, and Leesha lit the fire and set the kettle over it. Soon the water was boiling, and Bruna reached into the many pockets of her robe, putting her special mixture of herbs in her cup, and tea in Leeshaâs and Garedâs. Her hands were quick, but Leesha still noticed the old woman throw something extra in Garedâs cup.
She poured the water, and they all sipped in an awkward silence. Gared drank his quickly, and soon began rubbing his face. A moment later, he slumped over, fast asleep.
âYou put something in his tea,â Leesha accused.
The old woman cackled. âTampweed resin and skyflower pollen,â she said. âEach with many uses alone, but together, a pinch can put a bull to sleep.â
âBut why?â Leesha asked.
Bruna smiled, but it was a frightening thing. âCall it chaperoning,â she said. âPromised or no, you canât trust a boy of fifteen summers alone with a young girl at night.â
âThen why let him come along?â Leesha asked.
Bruna shook her head. âI told your father not to marry that shrew, but she dangled her udders at him and left him dizzy,â she sighed. âDrunk as they are, Steave and your mum are going to have at it no matter whoâs in the house,â she said. âBut that donât mean Gared ought to hear it. Boys are bad enough at his age, as is.â
Leeshaâs eyes bulged. âMy mother would never â¦!â
âCareful finishing that sentence, girl,â Bruna cut her off. âThe Creator abhors a liar.â
Leesha deflated. She knew what Elona was like. âGaredâs not like that, though,â she said.