Royal Magic

Laura the healer

Trying to get my mind  off of morbid things  I decide to scan the village for other games I can play.  Doing this for a couple of seconds something red catches my eyes. In the crowd stumbling is a young Native girl scarcely five feet tall wearing a red tribal dress.

"Laura" I scream so excited to see my friend that I did not mind that people are gawking at me. Laura's gray eyes focuses on me as she breathes a sigh of relief as I approach her.

"Andy, it's good to see you but lets get out of the crowd. These people touches are getting really annoying." She complains as another person  bumps into her earning a glare from her unseeing eyes..

Nodding my understanding  at her irritation of being touch do to her blindness. Not having the ability to see Laura's sense of touch is very sensitive so she hates random people touches. Putting my hand over her shoulder, I guide her  over to the group. When we reach the others, Sarah practically tackles the smaller girl. "What are you doing here Laura, I thought you would miss the festival." She says squeezing Laura, whose head barely reached her chin.

"Father decided that we could leave early." Laura answers gazing at her friends with her sightless eyes.

"That's wonderful because we have much to tell you." Rachel replies hugging Laura who looks like a child standing next to her.

"I know you do Rachel,"  Laura hints with a playful smirk that I recognized. She knows something that the rest of us didn't. I was not the only one giving her a side look as Rachel joins me.

"Andy, who is your friend?" Jacob ask interrupting us making us realize we forgot about the men when Laura appeared.

Blushing, I start the introductions. "I am sorry for our rudeness, but we were so happy to see her. This is our friend Laura Blackbird of the Shawkees tribe." 

At hearing her name the men seemed to take a pause in shock and amazement making me smile. "Laura Blackbird is the name of the diplomat that created the Bulkans treaty." Travis finally speaking up asking the question that is probably going through the others minds.

"Yes, I am the same Laura."  Laura confirming her identity . With that discovery, the men gather around  my friend in admiration.. Laughing I can't blame them Laura is a hero and an idol for what she had accomplish as a diplomat. She single handily establish the first treaty with the Bulkans the most known non-diplomatic people around. The hero worship she's receiving is well deserved from the royals.  Although oddly King Louis stands quietly to the side only observing Laura from afar.

"It's an honor to meet you in person," Mark greets Laura shaking her hand. "Your work on the treaty was brilliant. My kingdom can trade without fear of the Bulkans stealing our supplies because of it."

Laura gives a tight smile and shrugs off the praise. "I am glad that the treaty is helping your people. However the original purpose was to aid the Natives allied to my father's tribe.". Nodding we knew the treaty was initially planned for an ally of Laura's father Nathaniel, who was having a problem with the Bulkans. The Bulkans, because of the war state are always finding themselves in trouble. They raid nearby people for anything they can sell for income. The tribe allied with Laura's father were fur traders. Which were a high commodity in the north?

For a year, the tribe was helpless and finally asked Nathaniel for help. He was a negotiator to many different nomadic people and was highly sought after. However he was also the chief of his tribe so getting away to aid allies was difficult.

Stepping in, Laura negotiated a contract that allowed the Bulkans to get a small share of the trade with the promise of not attacking. Both sides agreed, and the treaty worked so well other nations used it to settle matters with the Bulkans.  The Watermark Compromise made Laura well known for being the first person to work successfully with the war nation.