“How may I help you young miss?” I stated as I still felt the air around her filled with the scent of blood. Though I saw no signs of whatever she might have been doing to cause that smell to be present.

“Duke Gaelin has requested your presence and have you entertain him and his wife while they have tea with some of the ladies of the royal family. Please come with me.” She was brisk in her tone. I kept a close eye on her as I heard her heart rate rise a little as she did her best to stay calm.

I stood and approached her with a smile as I subtly reinforced the muscles in my arms and legs. I keyed up my reflexes and senses as a sense of danger filled me. “Well, lead the way miss.” I motioned for her to walk in front of me.

I could feel a wave of killing intent from her and waited a pregnant moment before she turned and the feeling faded. The time she could have struck me with a hidden dagger had passed as she began to walk through the halls of the castle. As I stepped into the hallway I noticed a couple faces headed the other way. The bone structure of their faces did not reflect those that came from this region and their tan skin showed they hadn’t spent the winter locked up inside away from the snow.

The three I marked in my head stood out amongst everyone else as the woman expertly guided me through the castle. We entered a guest wing of the castle and was brought to a great parlor. I saw a dozen noblewomen all chatting with the Duke whose voice was still a little scratchy from the choking he had suffered from.

I scanned the room with a sweep of my eyes as more of the scent of blood hit my nose. I saw four more faces that didn’t belong. All of them had the tanned skin of outsiders and bone structure that stood out. Ten, the total number of strangers that were now in the castle. I felt a shiver run up my spine as the eyes of those people landed on me and a wave of death’s desire rolled over my skin.

I approached the Duke and bowed low. “You have summoned me great sir?”

“Oh my savior. You’ve saved two lives so quickly since you got here. I can’t believe we have a guardian angel amongst us nobility. Please have some wine with me and tell me a tale. I had heard your fantastic music before the unfortunate instance of my near demise.” He motioned to the chair right next to his right side as his wife sat on his left. His jovial chin waggled underneath his mouth.

I approached and happily took my seat smiling at him, “I am beyond honored by all the nobility to have been accepted so. I’m sure that anyone that had the luck to be in both places would have acted the same.” I took a cup of wine from the servant that walked up with a pitcher. He poured my cup to full and refilled Gaelin’s cup.

“A toast, to the health and recovery of the savior.” The man took a deep swig of his drink and I followed with mine. It was sweet and potent but I tasted no hints of poison that might have been put inside it. I could see several of the other nobles also drinking from the same pitchers of wine.

Doubting that whoever these strangers were would poison a whole group of nobles in order to just get to me I enjoyed the wine. Though, I wasn’t sure they were after me and how they integrated into the Gaelin house so easily. Though the forgetful and lazy nature of the man probably spoke volumes on how simple it would be to infiltrate his cadre.

“Well please, I am told that besides music you like to spin tales to others. Give us a short one and we will enjoy another minstrel I have brought with me.” The man clapped his hands and a young boy with a lute stepped out.

The boy came to the Duke and I with a bowed, “What can I play for you good sir?”

“Match the story boy, just be quiet enough so that everyone can hear him.” A tray of snacks was brought around and I noticed that Gaelin did not take one of the cookies that was offered to him.

I took a deep breath, “Have you heard the tale of Saint Bereif of Terus?”

The duke smiled and rolled his hand at me for me to continue.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

“Long ago a village of little import gave birth to a daughter. They named her Bereif Forgeborn. She was a sickly child whose cough echoed around her room all throughout the night. However with the love of her mother she survived the sickness that threatened her life.

Knowing that such illnesses would plague children throughout time the woman dedicated herself to trying and finding something that would help countless children throughout all of time. With a fervor she learned all about the herbs, mushrooms, and plants of the forests and fields for any that provided relief to the children that were taken by the deadly coughing fits.

One day in a field of flowers she was met by a farmer. He walked out of the forest with a scythe in his hand and a long wide brimmed straw hat. His presence was so shocking that she fell to her knees as she knew who it truly was. Terus had come to see her.

“Child,” He spoke with the voice of a thousand dead souls. “You have dedicated yourself from keeping me from harvesting those who are destined to die. Why do you do this?”

Tears flowed down her cheek as she stared at the master of death who had almost claimed her young soul. With a voice that shaked like a quake in the earth she spoke, “I find that I need to do this. I think that such young souls do not have a chance to fulfill their places in life. For they need to flourish like flowers in this field.”

The man looked at her with his dark eyes as he scanned the many flowers. Terus lowered his blade to her shoulder and held it there. “If I said I would not harvest the souls of children and force them to live through the illnesses that children suffer so they would not die. Would you give your life to me in exchange?”

There was no hesitation in her voice, “I would. Even for just one child I would do it.”

Terus paused as he took in her words and thought deeply about what this woman was offering. He pulled back his blade and set the handle down on the ground. He reached into the pouch at his side and pulled out a handful of seeds. He tossed them out across the ground and wherever they landed great flowering plants. “Honey made from these flowers will soothe any cough. No matter the age of the person it will save them from the whooping death. It is up to you to find a way to harvest the honey. I will come for your soul in five years. Whether you succeed or not will now be up to you.”

As the wind blew through the field the god of death faded like mist in the morning sun. Young Bereif looked around the field with awe at the flowers and her mind raced on how she could best harvest honey from these flowers. There was no time to dally.

She spent a year studying the bees that would make honey. Learned everything about them and feeling a thousand stings to pay the price for knowledge. She was racked with unbelievable pain as the year passed.

First she crafted a dress that would protect her from the bees. Then she built a new home for the bees. One that they would use and fill with the life saving nectar they would produce from the flowers.

With great care she took apart a dozen nests and transplanted the queens into their new homes near the field. She was gentle with such fragile creatures and did their best in saving them all. The bees followed their queens and seemed supernaturally drawn to the flowers from the god of death.

Three years passed before she had harvested honey from the bees. It took her that long to fill the field with more flowers so that the bees would have no choice but to make their honey from those flowers. As the winter set in and the flowers and bees went to sleep Bereif brought dozens of jars of honey to the village. It was just in time. The whooping death had come to the town.

She brewed great pots of tea with a dab of honey in each cup and spread it through the town. Every sip saved someone’s life as she tended all winter to the sick and dying. The gift of Terus used to the best it could be. A dozen children were saved, and nearly a hundred men. They cried her name to the gods and thanked them for guiding such a woman to save them.

Many believers of Terus came with her to the field of bees and flowers. She taught them for a year on how best to care for the bees, how to build them new homes and harvest the right amount of honey without starving their saviors. Told them of the story of Terus and his gifts. They spread the word of his mercy and how he had chosen a saint to walk on the earth for him.

A thousand lives had been saved by the honey of Terus and Bereif. However, the five years were over. She waited for him in the same field of flowers on a moonlit night. She looked up at the stars when she felt him arrive and stand next to her.

“Thank you oh mighty Terus. For your mercy and guidance has saved a thousand lives.” She whispered into the night.

“You have saved them, child. I knew nothing of bees and flowers and you nourished them to flourish so far from their homes. You will be remembered for a thousand years. However, it is time.” His hand reached up and gripped her shoulder. “Pray one last time to the gods.”

“My one prayer has already been answered. I am ready.” She stood stoically accepting her fate.

As Terus took her hand gently with his own he pulled the soul from her body and held her. Guiding her to the afterlife she had earned. Over the years she had found she was sick. A gnawing death that swelled and ate away at her insides. She wouldn’t have survived even without speaking to Terus. He had given her a chance to change the world before it took her.

This was found in her diaries. She spoke of the sickness. She detailed how she could not eat, could barely drink the last few months as she wasted away. The only reason she lasted so long was the honey. It had sustained her just long enough to meet with Terus on the moonlit night.

So let us praise Bereif anytime we feel the hint of whooping death to stave away what she fought. Let us praise Terus for giving her the tools she used to save thousands of souls. We thank you Saint Bereif. For our children will live.

The Duke had tears in his eyes as he looked at me finishing the tale. The room had become deathly silent as they listened. I knew that these nobles were far from religious but I hoped this would inspire some belief.

“Did that truly happen?” Questioned one of the many women.

“Have your children’s coughs ever been soothed by honey?” I asked in return and saw the light of recognition in their eyes.