Enchantment of the Bow

Chapter Twelve

I remember the way to the herb witches, as Lance had shown me, and I lead the other two there, as I listen to Syl croon to Jed about her new weapon.

I open the door and hold it a moment for a middle aged woman who is on her way out, before going in.

The spicy smell of different herbs seems to fill every inch of space in the small building, and I let my eyes wander to the two shelves lining the walls that are filled with dusty old books.

The floor boards creek as our weight presses down on them, our boots clicking softly on the wood.

The shop is empty, and I lean over to look around better, wondering if they had closed already. I am just about to call out a hello to see if anyone is here, when a tall, slim woman comes around the corner of another room, silent as a ghost.

"Can I help you?" She asks, her voice silk. She wears an olive green dress that accents her matching eyes, and she has dark brown, nearly black hair that hangs down to her waist.

I clear my throat, and pull down the sleeve of my father's white shirt, showing the bled through bandage. "I was wondering if you have anything to take away a risk of infection."

She tilts her head with interest, and walks over to me to look at it better.

As she stands in front of me, I see that she is a head taller than me. "Mmm. Does it pain you still?"

I shrug, pulling my shirt back up and re-adjusting my cloak to hide the blood stains. "When I have to use the arm." I answer.

She taps a long fingernail to her lip and smiles. "I think I may have what you need. Wait here while I fetch it from the back." I nod and watch as she disappears from view, ones again into the back room.

"She's a strange one." Syl mutters, admiring her dagger still.

Jed slaps her shoulder. "Hush. She might still be able to hear you ya sard."

She glowers up at him but says nothing.

Jed walks passed me to the shelves, his hands behind his back as he cranes his neck to look at all of the books.

I watch him, my head snapping up as the woman returns, several different herbs in her grasp. She sets them down on her wooden table and waves me over.

I obey, and come to a stop in front of her, studying the plants.

"This," She says, picking up a strange smelling herb. "Is Coriander. It's already dried so all you need to do is take a pinch of one of the leaves and sprinkle it onto to your wound. It'a an anti-inflammatory and protects against infection."

I nod and she takes my shirt sleeve, pulling me closer to her from the other side of the table and pulling down my sleeve to expose my shoulder.

"I believe I have fresh cloths for that as well, so you can change it every day or so." She takes a knife from her belt, and I stiffen as I hear a sword being pulled from a hilt and Jed steps at my side threateningly.

She laughs, a silvery sound. "I'm only going to change the bandage, not hurt him!"

I take a step back. "I'll change it myself." If she unravels it all the way to change it, it will expose my chest, which would not at all help me.

"I'll do it." Syl says, shocking me. "I have experience with things like that so I'll do it for him. Do you have the replacements?"

I look over at her, and she looks at me from the corner of her eye, a small smile playing her lips. Of course, she knows who I am, and it wouldn't matter if she saw me naked, she has all the same parts.

I smile at her gratefully as the herb witch goes again to the back room to retrieve them.

Jed flushes a little as he realizes what Syl had volunteered to do and see, and busies himself with putting his sword back into the scabbard on his back.

When the woman returns, she places the white cloth in Syl's hand and gestures to the room she came out of. "Here. You change it, and I'll treat It with the Coriander."

Syl shakes he head, somehow plastering a blush on her cheeks. "Um, actually if you wouldn't mind..."

The woman looks to me, then laughs loudly. "Alright, lovers I see. Fine, then you can go back there, but don't take too long, and don't make a mess of my floors or herbs in there!"

I find myself blushing at this assumption, but let Syl take my hand and lead me away.

"You so owe me." She whispers heatedly ones she pulls me around the corner.

I shrug. "Thanks." I mumble as I pull my shirt up, wincing at the strain. She sighs, as If I am a major pain in her rear, and helps pull it over my head.

She takes her knife that she bought and uses it to cut the bandage free, and yanks it the rest of the way off.

I cover my chest with one arm as I hold the other out for her to look at my shoulder.

She takes the old cloth and uses it to dab up the blood that dribbles down my arm before throwing it down to the floor.
"She said to sprinkle it on?" She clarifies, taking one of the leaves and crushing it in her palm with her fist.

I nod. "Yes." I find myself surprised that I don't feel terribly uncomfortable exposed around Syl, because I can feel that she isn't judging me.

My shoulder cools as soon as the crushed plant lands on it, and I sigh with relief.

Syl glances at me as she sprinkles the rest on, then starts on wrapping the clean cloth around my torso and over my shoulder, and I remove my hand ones my chest is covered ones more. She pulls the bandage into a tight knot behind the shoulder, making me wince a little.

But Lord, that feels so much better.

~~~~

A picture of Syl!

~A.