Maleficent: Diaval's Story

Hear Much Evil See Much Evil or A Babe in the Woods - Chapter 12

The world is moving sideways, and up and down. I am floating. Am I dead? I smell trees. Perhaps I am in a nest in heaven. I open my eyes, a tree, a face, a tree warrior, Baldric, Balthazar's cousin. He is a border guard. He carries me in his hand. The giant thorn barrier parts for him. We are traveling through the forest. I close my eyes. I know nothing. I hear murmuring. I no longer smell trees. I smell cave. I hear Morella.

"'Tis a good thing Baldric found him, a few hours later and he'd be dead."

I hear Maleficent.

"What would cause such a wound?"

"An arrow, Maleficent. I can treat the wound, but he's lost so much blood. He could still die."

"Please, what can I do?"

"Humans are more resilient than birds. I've seen men come back from wounds far worse than this. He needs plenty of bed rest and broth. He needs be human too."

"Morella, please place him on my bed."

I am carried and then set on something firm but soft. It smells like wool. Maleficent speaks.

"Into a man."

My body grows. I can feel them rolling my body over and undressing me. I open my eyes to see Morella washing my wound, then wrapping my arm in a poultice of healing herbs. I am on my back covered in a blanket. The pain is gone, but I feel so weak and thirsty.

"Water," I croak.

"Welcome back from the River Styx," Morella says. Maleficent is just behind her. She is pouring water from a pitcher into a mug.

"River Styx, where is that?" I whisper.

Morella chuckles.

"The ancient Greeks believed that when you die, you travel to the underworld in a boat guided by the ferryman on the River Styx."

"No, no river. A ferryman?"

Morella and Maleficent both chuckle. Then my mistress hands me the mug of water.

"Here drink this."

I drain the mug and hold it out for more. Maleficent refills it. Then my stomach rumbles. Morella speaks.

"Me thinks our patient is in need of broth. I will fetch some from the fire."

It was then I took note of a small kettle suspended in the fireplace. I could smell the aroma of warm broth. My mouth watered. My mistress watched me, a small smile played on her lips. But the mood on her face changed. She looked confused and touched her forehead with her hand. She spoke.

"Morella, that medicine you gave me no longer works. I hear voices again."

Morella returned from the fireplace with a bowl of broth and a spoon.

"Diaval, you have only one good arm. Let me feed you."

She blew on the broth to cool it and spoon fed me. As she did so, she addressed Maleficent.

"Do you recognize any of these voices?"

Maleficent seemed to mull it over.

"Why yes, if I did not know better, it is King Stefan, the others, no."

"Male or female voices?"

"Male, they are talking about me."

"What are they saying?"

"They are planning to kill me. Morella, am I going mad?"

"Do you wish to discuss this in front of Diaval?"