Ponderosa put her writing kit away. She pulled out several coins for Grant and set them on the table. When they were done drinking the meal Grant had made for them, Ponderosa helped Iredys to her feet. She shouldered her bag, picked up the note and the roll before hooking her arm in Iredys’ and leaving the inn.

The young boy’s head shot up as they left the inn. A look of fear filled his eyes. He scurried to the other side of the barrels and peeked out. Ponderosa stepped out and helped Iredys step down to the street below. She closed the door then walked carefully to where the boy hid. He ducked back a little as they approached. Ponderosa held the roll out toward him. He looked at the roll, his mouth watering, as the smell of the freshly baked bread reached his nose. He was about to take it when he withdrew his hand and looked up at her.

She nodded her head and motioned with the roll for him to take it. He snatched the roll and took a large bite out of it. He curled up and held the roll closely to his chest when he realized the two of them hadn’t left yet. Ponderosa extended the note she had written then motioned to Grant’s Inn. The young boy shook his head. Ponderosa pointed to the roll in his hands then to her mouth. She then tapped the note in her hands and pointed to Grant’s Inn once more.

“I can’t read,” the boy said quietly, inching back a little.

Ponderosa nodded with a gentle smile. She tapped the note then motioned that she wanted the boy to give the paper to Grant before she pointed to the roll being crushed in his fingers.

“Is it a thank you note?”

She nodded.

“...Okay.” He took the note and lowered his head. “Can you stay close by while I give it to him?”

Ponderosa nodded.

She waited while the boy finished the roll and opened the note to see how many words were written there. A strange look filled his eyes. “That’s a pretty long thank you,” he muttered, “but whatever. You promise to stay right here?”

Ponderosa nodded.

The boy nodded back before steeling himself to approach the inn.

He marched up to the door and knocked hard. He was just about to knock again when the door opened. The boy jumped back and pulled his shoulders in and his head down. The note Ponderosa gave him crinkled in his hands. Grant’s lips twitched. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the boy’s reaction. He waited patiently as the young man shakily held out the piece of paper in his hands.

Grant accepted it with a gentle smile. He read it and his smile grew bigger. “If I give you food and a place to stay, will you work for me in exchange?” Grant asked.

“What?” the boy asked, the tension in his body relaxing some. “You would really do that?”

“Yes.”

Grant’s expression changed as the boy continued to look at him. “Hey, now,” he said, stepping out of the inn. “It’s okay. I….”

He stopped when the young boy hugged him tightly around the waist, sobbing.

Grant held him back and let him cry for a moment. He raised his head and waved a hand at Ponderosa. She waved back.

‘Thank you, Iredys,’ Ponderosa said as Grant took the boy inside.

‘Thanks goes to you, too, Ponderosa,’ Iredys replied.

She shook her head.

‘It does. I just pointed the boy out and helped with a little phrasing. You did the rest.’

Ponderosa nodded. She rubbed Iredys arm subconsciously then turned to head for Krissy’s cottage.

After spending an entire day and night with Krissy, Ponderosa was glad to be headed back to Pride Town. She could feel gratitude come from Iredys for her level-headed reaction when her body had become overstimulated by the visions. While she was holding Iredys’ jerking body, Krissy had been flustered and panicky, wondering what she should do. Her frantic response had not ceased until Iredys stopped convulsing. Even then it was hard to get her to leave Iredys alone long enough for her to rest and recover from the onslaught.

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She had anticipated being able to return to Pride Town once her convulsions had stopped, but Krissy was too worried over Iredys being sufficiently recovered to let them leave. Ponderosa was glad she had brought enough ground wheat to make their meals. It helped her and Iredys put more of Krissy’s worry to rest. In the meantime, Krissy taught Ponderosa more about the semi-precious stones she used.

Ponderosa learned much. The information was helpful, but not really useful for the patients she was working with. It didn’t help that she could only get herself to half listen while her unwritten thoughts remained a little irked by Krissy’s reaction. As much as she wanted to teach Krissy something in return, Ponderosa knew that once Krissy got talking about the stones she loved so much, trying to shift her focus to anything else was next to impossible.

Night descended early in Krissy’s house. The three of them slept well, but even after spending the night in Krissy’s home, it took a lot of reassurances from Ponderosa that they were okay to travel back to Pride Town. The long walk and crisp air went a long way in helping Ponderosa calm down. She was looking forward to a short rest before going out to gather firewood from the woodshed. However, when they reached the end of the street, Ponderosa froze. A handful of men were loitering outside her cottage. She couldn't help but wonder if Iredys’ secret had been exposed. Her heart rate kicked up at the thought.

‘The secret is still safe,’ Iredys said gently. ‘They are just here to get more clarification about what I said.’

Ponderosa blew out her breath, nodded then walked with her toward her cottage. All of them took their hats off their heads, wringing the cloth or the brim in nervousness. Ponderosa motioned for all of them to wait while she helped Iredys inside. She allowed Iredys to sit in the chair beside the window while she built a fire in the hearth to warm the cold space. She was surprised to find chopped wood stacked under her table again. When had…?

‘While we were stuck at Krissy’s,’ Iredys said, ‘I experimented to see how far my psychokinesis would reach.’

‘And how far did it reach?’ Ponderosa asked.

‘As far as you had gone into the woods after you rescued me.’

Ponderosa’s eyes grew wide for a moment. That was quite the distance. A loud cough outside her cottage brought her attention back to what she was doing. She prepared food for Iredys and herself. She agitated her herb jars, grateful that alcohol didn’t freeze and that something had kept the cottage warm enough to keep the oil from solidifying, while she drank her meal. She tidied up the place a little more before she opened the door to admit the man who had been waiting the longest.

While Iredys spoke with the man that came in, she remained by the door. She only heard what the men said and not what Iredys was clarifying for him. The man’s words meant little to her and she allowed her mind to wander a bit. Only when the men turned to leave, did she open her door to admit the next one.

Once the five men were gone, Iredys lay down to rest. She slept deep. Her body convulsed for a short while late afternoon before the furniture moved about the cottage again. Iredys seemed to wake a little when all was still, but after her eyelids fluttered and her eyes rolled around in their sockets for a minute, she relaxed further and returned to sleep.

For each day thereafter, Iredys would wake in the morning to take a walk with Ponderosa through the town. She often insisted on wearing the lighter shoes and cloak so Ponderosa could keep warm. While they made their rounds around town, Iredys would continue to speak to people. Each time they went out, Ponderosa counted how many people turned in their direction. More often than not, the number corresponded with the number of people who stopped by the house to give their thanks or ask for clarification about what she meant.

Every few days, Iredys would feel exhausted by the time they finished their walk. On these days, she would lay down to rest and not wake until late the following morning. Sometimes her nights were peaceful, sometimes they were not and Ponderosa would wake to the shifting of furniture or the shaking of the cot as she convulsed.

She didn’t mind the many visitors that came through her door, be they male or female. She had paid very little attention to the conversations until a few of the young men nervously asked for Iredys’ hand in marriage. Ponderosa watched as Iredys lowered her head. Whatever her response was when she brought her head back up, disappointed the young men. They apologized sincerely, paused after turning to leave then left with puzzled or surprised expressions on their faces.

Due to Iredys strange sleeping schedule, their morning walks became nightly walks if Iredys woke at all. The number of people talking about Iredys’ wisdom had spread, making it nearly impossible for them to walk around while the town was awake. So much so, that even those whom Iredys had not yet reached would show up for answers. On occasion, someone who was visiting from Shounto Village or Drength City, would stop by. More and more single men had come asking for her hand in marriage. Each time, Iredys would gently turn them away. Ponderosa caught a slight shift in Iredys’ lips each time she bowed her head before responding.

‘Has she been feeling what she had felt while Grant was around in Shounto Village?’

‘It is indeed the same feeling, Ponderosa,’ Iredys replied, between visits.

‘Is it the marriage proposal?’ she wondered.

‘No. It comes mostly when the men come. On occasion it comes with some of the women.’

‘Do you know what it means?’

Iredys tapped her chest where the Diamond resided. ‘Something to do with the Diamond, but when I try to seek out what, the answers refuse to come. All I know is that the feeling leaves once I reject the proposal or they leave the cottage.’

Ponderosa nodded.

She answered the knock that sounded on the door then stood quietly off to the side while Iredys continued to work.