The nights grew darker. My time was running out.
After the incident of Schula and I sensing a presense, I rarely saw Mila. She and the other witches who had investigated were spending time to walk the entire valley. Sometimes I would see her at meals, but not always and not for long.
As the new moon drew near, my studies became less and the act of simply copying information for future review became more. Gilly had made me run through a number of techniques and made me run trough the motions for several of the more complicated ones. That took a few hours, and then it was off to Purda's.
Purda was little better. In her cramped cabin that was stuffed to the brim with medicines of every kind, I spent my times with her writing medicines in the second half of my book. Mixing medicines was much like brewing any other kind of potion, but in Purda's case she demanded I know the meaning of each ingredient that was used. Poppy for pain reduction. Witch hazel as an astringent. The list went on and on.
Twice while I was studying with her, someone came in for treatment. One an injury and the other an illness. Both times Purda had me observe her with the patient and take notes. I don't think I learned much either time. When I told Purda, she just told me that I was clever enough to put the ingredients to use as long as I knew what things would produce what results. It was frustrating, to say the least.
I sat and reflected as I mashed up Dularoot petals at Purda's table.
"When you add the oil to the mint, be sure not to add more than a drop of oil for every three mint leaves. Dularoot will cure a toothache, but in larger amounts it can cause hallucinations."
Purda wasn't even looking at me as she spoke. I sighed and leaned over to scratch a new note in my book.
"And write down that the petals aren't ready until the flower has turned completely yellow. No white left at all."
"Yes, Purda." I added to my note and resumed mashing petals into the pestle and mortar.
Most days with Purda were like this. She would prod me for information on ingredients, and anything I wasn't sufficiently familiar with would suddenly be needed right away. I would learn how to prepare it and Purda would give me notes to add about it in my book.
I yawned as the last of the oil released itself from the petals and I took the bowl to drip into the jars of mint leaves. Carefully I tilted it, making sure to count the drops carefully.
"Caw!" Puko cried from where he sat on an empty chair. I set the bowl down quickly and looked up as someone knocked on the door.
I stood to answer it but Purda waved me off. "I'm not dead yet. You sit and study."
"Yes, Purda." I grinned as she said it, but then my fact turned serious as I concentrated on who was at the door. Was it another patient, or someone else?
Purda shuffled to the door and opened it slowly. From where I sat I couldn't see who it was, but I could hear everything perfectly. They spoke softly, but I still heard them.
"Purda, another one was found near the south caves-"
"Shush," Purda snapped. "Not here. You know not to speak of it."
"But-"
Purda looked over to where I sat at the table, and I had to quickly act as though I was hard at work and not eavesdropping. She sighed and turned back to the stranger at the door.
"Come, we will talk outside." And Purda left, closing the door behind her.
Of course I immediately tiptoed to the door and pressed my ear against it. I turned back to hold a finger to my lips, warning Puko to be quiet. He looked at me with his good eye and nodded. I blinked, not fully expecting him to respond, but I'd take any cooperation he was willing to give me.
"We found Jana near the southern entrance to the wetlands," the strange voice murmured.
"Is it the same condition as the other girl?" Purda asked.
What other girl?
I looked back to Puko who was still watching me with his good eye.
"Yes, she seems fine but she won't wake up."
"Take her to the sick house with the other one," Purda said softly. "I'll be right there."
"They're already on their way with her," the voice said. "They may have arrived by now."
Purda sighed and her footsteps shuffled closer to the door.
I dashed back to my seat quickly and quietly, picking up the bowl to drip more oil in the jars of mint leaves just as Purda opened the door. I looked up curiously, hoping my face read as innocent.
"Finish those jars and set them where the moonlight will reach them tonight, then you can leave." Purda walked slowly to the shelf where she kept a basket of emergency medicines, putting it over her shoulder. "I'm going out for the night."
"Do you want me to come with you to observe?" I asked.
Purda put those eyes on me that seemed to look through my skin and into my mind. I shivered, but didn't break eye contact with her. She took her time in answering but she finally sighed and looked away.
"It's not the concern of a student witch. Go home and study your notes, I'll see you tomorrow." Purda left no room for discussion, and she walked out the door.
I frowned, that made me even more curious and honestly a bit concerned. The only witches walking around the edge of the valley right now were the witches keeping watch for anything suspicious after our unseen encounter.
I caught my bottom lip between my teeth. If this Jana was unconscious, and she wasn't the only one, then something had happened to her. And if something had happened to her within days of us sensing that presence, then the other witches were at risk. To me that meant Mila, and I wasn't about to let anything happen to Mila.
I waited a moment for Purda to leave and quickly tipped the remaining drops in the jars as quickly bur correctly as I could. I set them all in her windowsill and grabbed my book and charcoal. Puko quietly hopped onto my shoulder, a silent agreement to be a conspirator in all this as we left Purda's house and followed.
Purda hadn't gotten far, not that I thought she would with her aged and hobbled form. She was hanging on the arm of a younger witch who was keeping an eye on their footing in the setting sunlight.
I kept low and I kept to the edge of other structures like animal fences and other houses. Tall grass and large rocks when I had to. Puko stayed silent, holding onto my shoulder and keeping an eye on our surroundings.
After a bit, Purda and the other witch stopped at a long cabin lower in the belly of the valley. Lights were on inside and I could tell there were several people milling about in there. As Purda went to the front door, I crept around to the back to sit underneath a window.
"How is Jana?" Purda asked as she came through the door.
"Breathing," a new voice said. I recognized her as one of the witches that Mila was patrolling with.
Purda grunted. "And Mala?"
"Little change," a familiar voice said. My heart skipped a beat. It was Mila.
"That's not true," said one of the other witches. "She has begun to stir, but she still hasn't woken up."
"Spasms of the body," Mila brushed it off. "It does no good to mill up false hope, sister."
"But we can't ignore it either, sister," the witch replied, irritated.
"Hush," Purda said. "Let me see Jana and then I will observe Mala."
"You already stayed up last night with her," the voice that brought Purda here said. "You can't stay up two nights in a row, I'll watch her instead."
"I'm not dead yet, Nann," Purda snapped. "Let me see the patient."
"Take my seat, Purda," Mila said. "Tell me though, did you just come from lessons with Wren?"
I swallowed hard. Mila was my teacher for years. She knew me as a student like no other person would.
"I did," Purda replied, sitting with a grunt. "I sent her home."
"Mm-hm," Mila said.
I rose from my seat to a crouching position, it was time to go before I was caught.
But when the window above me slid open with a snap, I winced.
"Wren, daughter of Lark, child of Bryn, student of Mila. You get in here right now," Mila said.
I slowly turned my eyes up to see a tired Mila with an irritated look on her face.
"Yes, Mila," I said meekly.
I walked around to the front door, my shoulders sinking low and I hung my head a bit as Mila opened the door. Inside was a row of six beds, two were occupied by sleeping witches. Purda sat by one of the beds, Mila was at the door with me, and two witches I hadn't met properly yet were standing and staring at me.
"H-hello," I said.
Mila sighed and opened the door further. She rubbed her bad wrist, a habit she had when something annoyed her.
"Come in, child. You might as well get an explanation. Half truths only lead to whole problems." I'd heard that line from her enough times, I nearly said the words out loud with her. I'm glad I stopped myself, it would have probably annoyed her even more.
"Wren, this is Duala and Nann." Mila waved to the other standing witches. "Tell us what you've heard."
I swallowed and came the rest of the way in the door, shutting it behind me. Puko was still behaving, so he stayed on my shoulder.
"Something has put those two witches to sleep, I think." I waited for Mila to nod, then I went on. "You don't know what is wrong with them, and I'm guessing you don't want to stir up rumors so it's being kept quiet."
Mila nodded curtly. "That's right, child. Mala was found two days ago when she didn't come back from walking the eastern edge. She has been asleep since. Jana was found just this afternoon."
"We are hopeful that whatever it is will wear off soon," Duala said. "Mala has been stirring some today."
"But we are not relying on it," Mila said flatly.
"Wait," Purda said, and the room turned to her. "We can try something I read once, but I will need the use of your friends."
Purda turned to me, and the rest of the room followed.
"Schula and Nassir?" I asked.
"Purda," Nann warned. "If you're reading the old tomes again you're going to get in trouble."
"A forgotten tome is a lesson we will all have to re-learn the hard way," Purda answered. "It was silly and petty to forbid them in the first place, and if we were never meant to see them again, why not burn them?"
Nann opened her mouth to argue when Mila chimed in. "Purda is right. This is unknown to us, and if it is known to the sisters before us then we might be able to help Jana and Mala."
Nann presses her mouth into a thin line and crossed her arms. "Let it be known that I don't like it."
"Agreed," Purda said. "Wren, if there is no change tomorrow with Jana and Mala, can you bring the fae here?"
I nodded. "I can ask them. What would you have them do?"
Purda closed her eyes. "It was called a mind walk, and we used to be able to connect to the mind even when the body was at rest."
"I've never heard of such a thing," Duala said.
"The forbidden tones are forbidden, remember? You would not have seen them and Purda only has access as the Master Healer." Mila said. "Purda and I will stay the night with the patients. Nann, can you run in the morning if we need to summon Wren and her friends?"
"Of course," she said.
"Wren, you may talk to Schula and Nassir about this but I ask that you keep this between us. I will not have a panic on our hands," Mila said.
"You must tell the valley at some point," Duala argued.
Purda sighed and reached down to brush the hair from Jana's brow. "In three days, when the moon is new and the witches gather, we will tell them of it. Until then, I would like to try to have an answer for them and not just a concern."
Nann frowned but Duala nodded her head. "I can accept that."
Three days. My chest tightened. Was it already the new moon? My studies were far from over but I had been given a wealth of knowledge to take with me. A part of me wished I could stay, but I knew that would have to wait.
And this sleeping ailment, would I even be able to beg the information from the witches if they were preoccupied by this problem? I was the most junior among them. I might be delayed until the next new moon.
No, I wouldn't let that happen. I felt in my heart that my answered were in these forbidden tomes. They appeared to know about fae magic, and knowledge nearly lost from a long time ago. Surely one of these tomes mentioned the barriers.
But even without the Wyldes on my mind, the witches were in my heart. They had easily accepted that I was Larks daughter, and one of them. If I could help, I would.
"I will see what Schula and Nassir say," I offered. "We will help these witches."
Mila gave me a ghost of a smile. "Very good, child. Go to them, and I will see you in the morning."
"Right." I bowed my head to the witches in the room, and I left. I ran until I reached Mika's cabin.
We would help Jana and Mala.
And then I would find these tomes.