yelled at her, she might have told him she was injured. Easily finding the herb, Joshuas carefully dug around several roots and pulled the plants from the ground. Wrapping them in cloth he carried especially for this delicate plant, he hurried back to the cave.
By the time he arrived, Queen Daina and Brenth were awake and finishing up their breakfast. Leilas had already saddled her horse and was standing guard by the door.
"Daina," Joshuas spoke to the queen as the friend she'd once been, rather than the queen she was today. "I need your help."
The queen looked up in surprise, but quickly came to the spot where Joshuas had led Leilas and forced her to sit down. "We have a slight problem here with Leilas' leg."
Queen Daina took one look at her daughter's leg, cast a knowing look at Joshuas and quickly went to work. "Brenth, I need water and a knife. Joshuas, I need some willowwick. Can you find some?"
"Already did," replied Joshuas, handing her the precious root wrapped in the silver-threaded cloth.
Sinking to her knees, the queen pushed aside the ruined material of Leilas' leggings. "This happened yesterday?" she asked her daughter as her fingers gently probed the sores.
Leilas nodded. "It happened when I was fighting with the wolves."
"You mean the dark crafters," her mother corrected her gently.
"Wolves, crafters, what's the difference?" Leilas leaned back against the rock Joshuas had told her to sit near and closed her eyes. "This is the first wound I've ever had that didn't heal quickly. It's rather a unique experience."
"One you'll have to avoid in the future," said Joshuas.
"I'll keep that in mind the next time an evil magik attacks me," retorted Leilas. "I'll just tell him I can't fight him because I'm supposed to avoid injury."
"This will hurt," the queen warned her daughter as she took the knife from her son.
"It couldn't hurt much worse than it already does," replied Leilas. Still, she closed her eyes and clenched her fists in anticipation. At the queen's silent bidding Joshuas moved behind Leilas ready to catch her if the need arose.
"Brenth," the queen turned to her son, "do you remember that chant I taught you? The one we use if dark magic is involved?"
Brenth's eyes widened as he realized what his mother was implying. His eyes darted to his sister and then back again. "I remember."
"Good. We're going to use it now. I'll need your help because these were very powerful magiks. Between us, maybe we can help relieve the discomfort until we reach Menas where there are stronger healers."
Leilas opened her eyes at her mother's words. "Why would I need a stronger healer? It's just a bite, nothing too serious."
"Didn't Gidron Frey teach you anything at that school?" The queen shook her head in disgust. "I should've paid more attention. Didn't he teach you that you could be killed by another crafter?"
"Of course he did. Only another crafter can kill a crafter. When you're in a fight with a crafter, you're vulnerable. That was one of the first things he taught me." Leilas shrugged. "This crafter didn't kill me, he only wounded me and not too seriously."
"Did he bother to mention that if a dark crafter took a different form and broke the skin, he would leave a poison behind, some manifestation of his darkness?" asked Joshuas.
Leilas hesitated, just a moment too long, and Joshuas had his answer before she gave him hers. "I'm sure he must have, I've just forgotten."
"Pretty important thing to just forget," retorted Joshuas. Joshuas was beginning to dislike Gidron Frey, more and more. He'd never really liked him in the first place. There was always something underneath the surface that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Now he'd put Leilas in a vulnerable, dangerous position by not teaching her the fundamentals of facing dark crafters. Why would he leave out such important teachings?
"How serious is this?" Leilas chose to ignore Joshuas and turned to her mother.
Brenth answered for his
By the time he arrived, Queen Daina and Brenth were awake and finishing up their breakfast. Leilas had already saddled her horse and was standing guard by the door.
"Daina," Joshuas spoke to the queen as the friend she'd once been, rather than the queen she was today. "I need your help."
The queen looked up in surprise, but quickly came to the spot where Joshuas had led Leilas and forced her to sit down. "We have a slight problem here with Leilas' leg."
Queen Daina took one look at her daughter's leg, cast a knowing look at Joshuas and quickly went to work. "Brenth, I need water and a knife. Joshuas, I need some willowwick. Can you find some?"
"Already did," replied Joshuas, handing her the precious root wrapped in the silver-threaded cloth.
Sinking to her knees, the queen pushed aside the ruined material of Leilas' leggings. "This happened yesterday?" she asked her daughter as her fingers gently probed the sores.
Leilas nodded. "It happened when I was fighting with the wolves."
"You mean the dark crafters," her mother corrected her gently.
"Wolves, crafters, what's the difference?" Leilas leaned back against the rock Joshuas had told her to sit near and closed her eyes. "This is the first wound I've ever had that didn't heal quickly. It's rather a unique experience."
"One you'll have to avoid in the future," said Joshuas.
"I'll keep that in mind the next time an evil magik attacks me," retorted Leilas. "I'll just tell him I can't fight him because I'm supposed to avoid injury."
"This will hurt," the queen warned her daughter as she took the knife from her son.
"It couldn't hurt much worse than it already does," replied Leilas. Still, she closed her eyes and clenched her fists in anticipation. At the queen's silent bidding Joshuas moved behind Leilas ready to catch her if the need arose.
"Brenth," the queen turned to her son, "do you remember that chant I taught you? The one we use if dark magic is involved?"
Brenth's eyes widened as he realized what his mother was implying. His eyes darted to his sister and then back again. "I remember."
"Good. We're going to use it now. I'll need your help because these were very powerful magiks. Between us, maybe we can help relieve the discomfort until we reach Menas where there are stronger healers."
Leilas opened her eyes at her mother's words. "Why would I need a stronger healer? It's just a bite, nothing too serious."
"Didn't Gidron Frey teach you anything at that school?" The queen shook her head in disgust. "I should've paid more attention. Didn't he teach you that you could be killed by another crafter?"
"Of course he did. Only another crafter can kill a crafter. When you're in a fight with a crafter, you're vulnerable. That was one of the first things he taught me." Leilas shrugged. "This crafter didn't kill me, he only wounded me and not too seriously."
"Did he bother to mention that if a dark crafter took a different form and broke the skin, he would leave a poison behind, some manifestation of his darkness?" asked Joshuas.
Leilas hesitated, just a moment too long, and Joshuas had his answer before she gave him hers. "I'm sure he must have, I've just forgotten."
"Pretty important thing to just forget," retorted Joshuas. Joshuas was beginning to dislike Gidron Frey, more and more. He'd never really liked him in the first place. There was always something underneath the surface that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Now he'd put Leilas in a vulnerable, dangerous position by not teaching her the fundamentals of facing dark crafters. Why would he leave out such important teachings?
"How serious is this?" Leilas chose to ignore Joshuas and turned to her mother.
Brenth answered for his
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