Darkness in Eloria

Alive

 Pain shoots through Mallory’s head as she slams into the ground. Confused, she opens her eyes. She’s in a forest. The trees are like gigantic pine trees, but twisty and swirled like wild topiary.

I was in bed? She thinks to herself, confused and disoriented.

She lays on the ground, barefooted in an Ophelia-esque nightgown taking stock of her injuries. Pounding head, possible concussion, a few broken ribs, and everything hurts.

Is this heaven? Why do I still feel pain?

She struggles to stand, leaning heavily on a nearby tree. The pain is persistent and intensifies with each and every movement. Breathing heavily she manages to stand.

I’m supposed to be dead.

Exhaustion sweeps over her in waves, she realizes she not going to get anywhere like this.

Where am I?

She lays back down in a heap, surrendering to sleep.

“Hello, hello” the hunter whispers loudly, gently nudging the woman. She’s quite beautiful, even though she roughed up and her red hair is in tangles.

“Ma’am, you need to get out of here, ma’am” he continues. He’s actually quite handsome. He has brown curly hair and green eyes. He’s clad in brown breeches with nice leather knee high boots, a dark green doublet, brown undershirt, and dark brown cloak.

“No, I’m dead, I can’t wake up.” She mumbles

“Ah…no. You’re alive, and should probably move before the night is over. The Duke doesn’t take kindly to trespassing.” He responds, slightly confused and showing a hint of worry.

Mallory opens her eyes for the second time since her death.

How is this happening? She thinks.

“Everything hurts, I can’t move.” She whimpers.

Who is this person?

“I know a healer, if you’ll allow me, I’ll bring you to her. You don’t have to move, I’ll carry you.” He whispers, anxiously looking into her golden eyes. He is obviously trying to get both of them out of the forest as soon as possible.

“I’m dead, it doesn’t matter to me.” Mallory mumbles.

“If you say so.” He grunts as he lifts her onto his shoulders. She moans in pain, now positive she broke some ribs.

Mallory falls back asleep as the hunter walks onto a small path and out of the forest to a meadow. The hunter continues on the same path that lead from the forest, through a meadow and some farmland into a mid-sized village.

The hunter keeps on the same path into the village. It’s called Morah, the village was built around the time of the duke’s manor. Many of the servants live in the village with their families. The people of Morah consider themselves extremely lucky to have not only a midwife, but also a healer and a priest. It’s nearly unheard of to have all three in a village this size. A small boy runs up to the hunter and tugs on his pant leg.

“Aiden, Aiden, you’re late, you’re late. And you have a lady in her nighties. Aiden, why are you late and carrying a lady in her nighties?” the boy inquires.

“Well, I was on the trip for your Mam when I found this poor woman lying in the forest, I’m takin’ her to your Mam, now, go run and tell her we’re coming.” The hunter replies tiredly.

“Yessir!” the boy cries as he runs off.

Not long after the hunter reaches a goodly sized house, two stories with plant in every window. He knocks on the door twice, pauses, then knocks twice again. A plump woman in her mid-thirties opens the door, her hair is tied up under a white cap, and her apron is stained with what could be berries or blood.

“Aiden, you’re late, it’s dark, bring her in. What happened? Were you able to get what I needed?” She says, ushering him in the door.

“I did, I was on my way back when I found this poor soul.” He replies, then in a whisper, “The poor thing keeps on sayin’ she’s dead. I figured she may have run into some trouble, do you think you can help?” Aiden puts Malloy onto the cot set up to the left of a large table in the center of the room. It’s a cozy room, functioning as the work room for the healer who abides here. The table is littered with herbs and books, pestle and mortar, and several bowls and cups with unknown liquids and pastes. The ceiling has strings of herbs hung from the rafters, drying for later use. To the right of the table there is a door and floor to ceiling bookcases lining the wall everywhere the door isn’t. The cot is to the left of the table, sitting on hardwood floor, and in front of the lit fireplace. The young boy sits in the lap of a teenaged girl in the corner as close to the fire as they can get without disturbing their mother’s work area around the cot.

The woman leans over Mallory, placing a hand on her forehead, and one on her heart. She closes her eyes and chants rhythmically.

“Aiden, where did you find her, tell me everything!” She gasps as she opens her eyes with a sense of urgency.

“She was in the duke’s forest, laying on the ground. She was asleep or unconscious and as you can see she looks out of place, and beaten up. I tried to wake her up, so she wouldn’t be found there, and she kept mumbling about bein’ dead, and how everything hurts. I was already coming here, so I figured you would be able to help.” He said quickly, bewildered at the urgency in her voice. “Koren, what is wrong?”

“This girl is severely injured, but I sense something else. When I was in the university, they taught us that there were other worlds. We visited a few of them, quietly of course, some haven’t yet figured out about the rest of the worlds, yet. Each one has a feel to it, a resonance they call it. Now, this girl is from one of those world, but it can’t be. I’ve been there, they call it Earth and they use science, not magic. You remember me telling you about science, yes? Well, the thing is, most of the magic users there are gone, and for a long time, too. But somehow, this girl not only has magic, but she managed to travel here, which is difficult. Very difficult.” She explains, trying to make sure that Aiden understands what she is trying to say.

“Is this a bad thing? Maybe there are still a few who practice magic, and they taught her and she decided to come here, where magic is accepted and used on a regular basis.” Aiden replies.

“My mother is trying to say that this girl can’t possibly be here, because the magic in that world has dwindled so much that it is nearly non-existent. There isn’t enough magic in the whole of the world to come together and make the requisite amount for this lady to travel here. It just isn’t possible.” The teenaged girl pipes up.

“Moira is right. I’ve healed her injuries, but she will sleep for a good while, I suppose we’ll just have to figure this out when she wakes up. Until then we can only speculate, and speculation leads to panic and unwise decisions. If you won’t mind, I’ll take the herbs from you and we can eat. Moira keep an eye on her while I make supper. Leon, go wash up and set the table.” Koren says as she stands and heads to the door on the right side of the room.