We Are The Cure : The Plague Doctor's Tale.

Chapter 22

Both Rosalynn and Giovanni were surprised to end up dancing together but somehow they managed to cooperate.  In contrast to Arran, Giovanni wasn't clearly born to dance. His dancing moves were so rigid that Rosalynn could only sway with him from one side to another. Despite him avoiding eye contact, she could notice that he was a bit lost in this crowd of dancing people but as soon as another pair swap came and Giovanni danced with Jyne again, a gentle smile and his whole confidence came back. Now, Rosalynn was dancing with Malie's partner and Arran was dancing with Malie. Due to the bonfire light it was hard to notice that but Rosalynn managed to spot Malie blushing. She smiled and focused on dancing with her new dancing partner. 

After few other pair swaps Rosalynn joined Doctor who was patiently sitting under one of the candle decorated trees. As she sat next to him, he turned his head in her direction and had a closer look at her face.

"I hope you had a good time there." He spoke suddenly. At first, Rosalynn didn't notice that he even said something due to the loud lively music but then she heard him when he repeated himself louder.

"Oh, yes! It was such fun! I missed dancing so much!" Despite being tired she was very happy. Doctor noticed that her head scarf got loosened and was about to fall from the back of her head so he fixed it for her. 

"Didn't you have some festivals in Eyam?" He tilted his head to the left.

"Well, we did but it was so long ago. The last one I remember took place when I was seven I guess." She scratched her head trying to recall the memories from the past. "Anyway, today's festival was so interesting and I had a lot of fun with you and our friends!" She smiled again. Doctor couldn't name the emotion he felt at that moment but other person would call it a relief or happiness, or even both. 

"It is not the end of this festival yet." He corrected her. "The most important part will be performed soon. For now go and enjoy dancing. You will not have much opportunity to dance when we will set off to another place." Rosalynn nodded and stood up quickly. She was about to approach the crowd when she turned around and she offered Doctor a hand.

"Why don't you dance with me?" She knew he will reject his offer but still she had a very very small grain of hope that he will agree. Doctor looked at her hand confused and then at her face. For a while he was looking at her but suddenly he stood up from the grass, brushed his trousers down and lifted up his cane. He grabbed it horizontally with his two hands and offered it for her.

"Only on two conditions. First, you hold onto my cane with both your hands. And second, I prefer to do it here. We can still hear the music-" He barely finished the sentence when Rosalynn grabbed the cane and started dancing with Doctor. If it wasn't for his mask, she could see the blush on his cheeks and confusion on his face. 

At first he was trying to keep up with the music's and Rosalynn's pace of dancing but soon he managed to do so. He didn't admit that aloud but he also couldn't recall the last time he danced. Not to mention dancing in pairs. His mother used to arrange dancing classes for him but as soon as his father found out, Doctor was forbidden from any classes involving any other activity than studying medicine. 

To any other spectator, they would appear the most bizarre dancing pair of the entire Baltane but for Rosalynn it was the happiest day of her life. 

When the music stopped playing, all dancers and non-dancers gathered near the huge pile of wood. Everyone were waiting for the special moment of lighting the fire and when it happened,  all men started singing songs in Celtic, and young girls were throwing their freshly-made bouquets into the fire. Each maiden's intention was to find a true love or at least a wealthy bachelor. When the pile was already burning and all the wishes turned into ashes, most people stayed by the fire enjoying the moment. 

Arran, Malie, Jyne and Giovanni approached Rosalynn and Doctor and asked them about the wishes. 

"To be honest, I wished for more good times like that to happen more often." Said Rosalynn. 

"I wished for a man to fall in love with me." Spoke Malie shyly. 

"And I wished for fortune." Laughed Jyne.

"If I were to wish for something, it would definitely be a good-cooking wife." Arran glanced at Rosalynn but quickly looked in the other direction.

"And what would be your wish, Giovanni?" Asked Jyne.

"Hmmm. Probably to become one of the most memorable plague doctors of all times." He smiled looking at Doctor. "And yours, Sir?"

"There is no need for me answer this question." He said shortly and the conversation ended. 

Everyone were coming back home except for Rosalynn who was standing on the hill with her head up. To Doctor's surprise she wasn't looking at the Great Fire but at the sky and the stars above her. Initially he wanted to get closer but then he decided to let her enjoy the moment. He was well aware of the fact that a Plague Doctor doesn't have much spare time to appreciate the world around as their whole world becomes plague and its devastating consequences. Piles of corpses, stench of decayed bodies, fear and sometimes reluctance of the people. All that combined created the whole image of his world...

As soon as he thought she was done, Doctor approached her asking to come back home with him.

"Do we have to?" She asked back with a bit sad look on her face.

"Yes, we have to, my dear. Tomorrow we are setting off to the South. I have received a mysterious letter from Launceston. According to the message, strange... events happen there, including plague of course. Or else I would not even trouble myself travelling such long distance." Rosalynn came closer and then suddenly she pointed the stars.

"My mother told me that when she won't be with me anymore, I should look at the night sky and search for her star as each star is a human soul." There was a gladness and nostalgia in her voice. He followed her finger and looked at the stars as well. They were shining brightly that night. 

"Would you like to hear my true opinion on that matter or the one you would like to hear at the moment?" He asked her and Rosalynn laughed. 

"Then I want to hear the true one."

"According to my knowledge, human souls could not be stars as stars are something physical and human soul is not a physical being. Also there are some scholars claiming there is no soul in human body..." He looked at her to check her expression but she remained calm. "However, perhaps there are human souls among the stars." She smiled warmly at him and nodded. "Let's go, Rosalynn. We have to rest before our journey to Launceston." They both left the hill behind them and disappeared in the dim light of Edinburgh street lights.

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Author's note or rather announcement

My dear readers, I'm so glad to see you each week reading, commenting, and most of all enjoying my story. It just warms my heart so much <3

Unfortunately, due to Holidays and exam season at my university I have to do a shooort break from writing. This means that the chapter you've just read was the last one of this year. 

I know I know, many of you will be sad, some of you will be mad at me but the next chapter will more likely appear on the first Monday of February 2024 so please be patient.

I hope you won't be mad and will be waiting for the story's return <3 

Also I would like to wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Be safe and stay in good health <3

~ Line