Chapter 8:

We began heading to Vedem with Walden leading the way, and Lida behind us, guiding the tied-up bandits. With their feet bound, they could only manage slow and measured steps, making her job easier. Belferon walked beside Lida as well, and they seemed to be discussing something that brought smiles to their faces.

Why did they lead them to the village? Apparently, they had an agreement with the Morthrygan army. Once a month, a royal guard patrol would pass through Vedem and collect all of the prisoners that the village’s guards had managed to arrest. They would also pay the village handsomely for each highway criminal captured. This arrangement served the army well, as Vedem was on the route to the capital, and dealing with criminals in these areas was in their best interests too.

While on our way, I figured I should ask some questions to get acquainted with the place we were heading to, as Belferon had spoken about pretty much anything but Vedem during our journey. “How many villagers live in Vedem?”

“Not many.” Walden replied. “We have about thirty families here - One-hundred and forty-seven members. It’s not much, but we love it this way.”

“Yeah.” Lida nodded in agreement. “Not many people enjoy staying in a village, any village for that matter, these days. Everyone wants to move to the cities, so we end up with around the same number of members each year.”

“How close are we to the village?” I inquired.

“Just a few minutes away.” Lida said, an excited smile appearing on her face. “You’re going to love it here!”

Lady, if your healer is as good as everyone says she is, then I’ll be ecstatic.

“So, how did you meet Belferon, Jared?” Walden asked.

I shrugged. “By chance really. It’s a good thing we did, though.”

Lida and Walden exchanged knowing smiles, a silent tease which I assumed was aimed at Belferon.

Belferon grinned earnestly. “The chance was all mine, of course.”

“I hope Belfie here didn’t completely annoy you with his yapping along the way.” Lida said, teasing Belferon. It was kind of odd for her to call a man who could easily be her great-grandfather by such nicknames, but I decided not to dwell on it. Perhaps it was just part of their inner dynamic.

“Actually, some of the talks were quite interesting.” I lied, trying to sound friendlier. His ramblings were unstoppable and mostly unnecessary, but he’d helped us multiple times over the last five days, and I didn’t want to seem ungrateful.

Lida and Walden laughed. “You’re the first one to say that.” Lida said, still grinning.

Our friendly chat was cut short by the bandits’ leader, Jhad. “I don’t know where you’re taking us, but know this: once I get out of these restraints, I’m going to slice all your throats, you hear me?” he shouted angrily.

“Oh, yeah?” Walden asked, barely holding back a laugh. “And who are you exactly? Let’s hear your title.” He then turned to me, a grin on his face. “They always have some mighty title, the buffoons.”

Jhad stopped in his tracks, forcing the entire convoy of bandits behind him to halt as well. “You take me for a fool?” he asked, his voice laced with anger. “Trying to mock me here? In front of my men?”

“Your men look like they would sell you for a piece of bread.” Lida commented, her voice turning into a laugh.

“My men would never betray me.” Jhad replied, his voice full of confidence. But the murmurs from his men behind him, though not clear enough to decipher, suggested otherwise.

“Now, don’t you create more problems for yourself - keep walking.” Walden said, raising his tone slightly.

“Make me.” Jhad replied, his voice full of conviction.

Walden and Lida exchanged glances before rolling their eyes. “Lida, would you kindly?” Walden asked, and Lida nodded with a knowing grin on her face.

I glanced at Belferon to see if he knew what was about to happen, but he just gestured for me to watch Lida. The pink ring around her finger began glowing as she started speaking, addressing Jhad. “Being the leader is tough. You always need to stay strong to inspire your men, right?”

At first, it seemed like Jhad was going to disagree and shout back at her, but he swallowed his words and remained silent, allowing Lida to continue. “But judging by your looks, you all haven’t eaten properly in quite some time, am I right?”

“What of it?” Jhad asked, his tone much softer than what we had heard from him up until now.

“It’s true that we’re arresting you.” Lida continued. “But it’s also true that all of you will receive three meals a day in our jailhouse.”

I couldn’t see Jhad’s face behind the fabric bag, but his body language seemed thoughtful, as if he were considering whether going to jail for some food might be worth it. Was he serious? I couldn’t imagine anyone agreeing to go to jail for food, especially when the food in jails was usually horrendous and could barely even be called food. It had to be the ring’s doing. It was pink and a bit opaque. I wondered what mineral it was made of.

Jhad sighed, sounding slightly defeated. “Lead us on then.”

His men mumbled something that sounded like approval of their leader’s decision, and Lida smiled. “I’m glad you could see reason.” she said.

“What stone was it?” I asked her quietly as we resumed walking, but she just smiled and signaled me to remain silent. I looked at Belferon for answers, but he just looked back and nodded with a smile. So, I remained without a solid answer, but one thing was obvious: her ring’s magic ability was to influence people, or something of the sort. If that was the case, then depending on the extent of the ability, it could be a truly terrifying mineral.

I also wondered if Elandor secretly had one of those. I doubt it, but if he did, a lot of things would make sense. I can recall so many times he managed to convince me to act against my own better judgement.

We approached the village, and I could see that the quiet settlement was surrounded by fields. A green carpet of what looked like wheat shoots stretched across the land, their blades swaying gently in the wind. I realized this must be winter wheat, something I’d heard about but never seen before. The landscape looked peaceful, and even though the weather was cold and wintry, the village appeared vibrant and alive.

As we entered it, a sense of quaint charm enveloped me. The village felt small and cozy. The streets were paved with faded cobblestones while all the houses, and other structures, were made of red brick, with smoke spiralling from their chimneys. The smell of fresh bread from a nearby bakery had filled my nose, promising warmth. Friendly glances met us, and many villagers had approached to welcome us, especially Belferon, who was evidently a familiar face. He received warm greetings and even hugs. The villagers all seemed lively and full of energy, with bright eyes and easy smiles. Their friendly glances followed us even as we walked away.

As we continued, we reached the heart of the village, the main square, where a stone statue of Vitara caught my attention. It towered over the villagers, casting a benevolent gaze upon the surroundings. Made from rough-hewn stone, it stood at least four times the height of an average human. Her outstretched arms reached toward the heavens, a gesture that seemed to welcome both the gods and the villagers alike. Her face was frozen in an expression of gentle kindness, with her eyes closed as if in contemplation. The sculptor’s attention to detail was remarkable, capturing the folds of Vitara’s gown, the delicate contours of her face, and the strands of hair that cascaded down her shoulders. Most man-made depictions of Vitara usually portrayed her with hands clasped to her chest, so it was refreshing to see this sculpture, so different from those I was used seeing in Willox.

First Genehof, now Vedem. I hadn’t realized that the countryside people still worshipped the gods so devoutly. While the capital boasted the largest church in the kingdom, I would still say that most of its citizens were not truly devoted followers of the gods. They celebrated the holidays and followed some traditions, but for the most part, everyone was self-focused and self-centered.

The healer’s dwelling, adjacent to the statue, had a wooden sign hanging down from two metallic chains with the word ‘Infirmary’ inscribed on it.

“Well, here we are.” Walden said, pointing at the infirmary. “Vera is right inside.”

I nodded and thanked him. “Thank you. For leading us here and saving us earlier.”

“Don’t mention it.” Lida said, grinning. “I’ll come inside with you to introduce you.”

“Isn’t Belferon enough for that?” I asked. “I don’t want to waste your time.”

“Oh, you’re so cute!” She laughed, gently touching my shoulder, which flustered me. “Belferon is a guest here just like you. A bit more frequent, but still a guest nonetheless.”

Walden took the reins from Lida and began leading the bandits away. “I’m sure Vera would be able to help your sister, and I hope to see both of you at this evening’s gathering.”

A gathering? I wondered what kind…

“Oh, is it today?” Belferon suddenly asked, feigning surprise.

Walden laughed as he walked away from us. “I swear, your jokes never fail to make me laugh.”

Lida shook her head. “Of course it is. Today is the day.”

Belferon shrugged. “I know, I know. It’s a joke, Lida, sheesh...”

Not wanting to wait any longer, I rounded the cart and carefully lifted Ren into my arms.

“Right this way.” Lida said, noticing my hurried motions, and led the way inside the infirmary.

I stepped in, cradling Ren’s limp form in my arms.

The scent of herbs and oils wafted through the air, mingling with the soft murmurs of two young women moving about the room. Both wore simple, matching tunics that made it clear they worked here, likely as nurses. The space was well lit, with six neatly arranged beds, four of which were already occupied by seemingly asleep patients: a woman with long red hair, a man with a curvy build, and two young children - a boy and a girl. The walls, painted in a calming light blue, were lined with shelves holding various vials, jars, and bundles of dried herbs. While the floor, worn yet clean, bore rugs that had clearly been trodden by countless steps over the years. In the back of the room, I noticed a third woman, who I assumed to be the high-healer. She stood behind a sturdy wooden table that seemed to serve as the central hub. It was full of different tools - a pestle and mortar, neatly rolled bandages, and a collection of gleaming metallic instruments. While high-healers were known for their ability to treat most wounds and injuries using their healing magic, many procedures still required the use of more traditional medicine and operations.

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The high-healer, a woman in her forties with short, tousled blond hair, moved with measured steps once she noticed us, her gaze careful and discerning. She paused before us, her eyes locking onto Ren in my arms.

“Vera, this is – “ Lida attempted to introduce us, but the healer quickly cut her off and addressed me.

“Quickly, bring her here.” She said urgently, pointing to one of the vacant beds. Her commanding voice conveyed both knowledge and care, and I did as I was told and brought Ren to the bed she pointed to. I unfastened the sleeping bag and removed it, dropping it to the side of the bed.

The healer reached out, placing her hand on Ren’s forehead, and her expression quickly turned sour. “Dear Vitara, the girl is burning.”

Was she burning? I could’ve sworn that, aside from her comatose state and purple arm, she was fine. I was about to touch her as well, just the check if I’d truly missed something so obvious or if her state had suddenly worsened, but I hesitated and decided not to.

“Yena, bring me some willow bark and elderflower powder.” The healer commanded one of the nurses, who nodded and rushed to the shelves.

Meanwhile, she introduced herself. “My name is Vera, and yours?”

“I’m Jared.” I replied, keeping the lie going. “This is Eva.”

“Okay, Jared.” She said calmly. “I need you to tell me exactly what happened to her.”

While I contemplated whether to tell her the entire truth, half of it, or none at all, Vera carefully unfastened Ren’s coat, revealing her purple arm to everyone in the room. Belferon had already seen it on the day we met but hadn’t inquired about it, while Lida noticed it for the first time and looked genuinely spooked.

“Okay, I think I understand.” Vera said, her voice steady. “Which mineral did she attempt to use?”

I sighed. There was no point in fabricating more lies. “A hematite.”

She nodded before shouting to the nurse, who was almost back to us. “Bring me some arnica and turmeric as well.”

The nurse handed Vera the herbs she had previously requested, then hurried back to the shelves.

Belferon and Lida remained quiet behind me, seemingly engrossed in analyzing the ceiling.

“I’m not going to lie, Jared.” Vera said. “It doesn’t look too good, but I’m positive I’ll be able to heal her.”

I sighed with relief. “It’s great to hear! I was worried sick that I was already too late.”

Vera smiled. “You came just in time. A few more days and she would have been a goner. Who is she to you?”

Surprisingly, I caught myself just as I was about to tell her the truth. I quickly managed to regain composure. “My sister.”

Vera nodded slowly. “I see.”

Meanwhile, the nurse brought her all the herbs she had requested, and Vera placed them on the table before speaking. “Jared, I’m going to need you to leave the infirmary for now.” She said.

“Wait, what?” I was baffled by her request.

“I’m going to take care of your sister, but I need everyone except my nurses to leave. Those are the rules.” She explained. “The girl’s privacy should be kept.”

I understand why Belferon and Lida should leave, but why did I have to? As far as they know, I’m Ren’s only family. They can’t expect me to leave her here with people I just met and barely know. “But I’m her brother.” I insisted. “I can’t leave her here on her own.”

Vera shook her head. “I understand, but you’ll have to trust me. You can return in the evening. I believe she’ll be in a much better shape by then. Maybe she’ll even wake up and speak. Wouldn’t you like that to happen?”

I wanted to insist further, maybe even outright refuse her request, but I realized I couldn’t. What if she refuses to heal her if I stay? I can’t keep risking Ren’s life. She needs a high-healer, and here we are in the presence of one. I can’t let my paranoid thoughts get the better of me. The thought of Ren waking up this very evening was too tempting to resist.

Belferon put a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, lad. Vera is the best healer around. She will help Eva.”

His words comforted me, and I eventually nodded. “Okay. I trust you.”

Vera smiled. “Great. Your trust is well placed.”

“Will you be using a turquoise stone?” I asked, recalling my conversation with Axel Bane from last night.

She looked surprised by my question but nodded. “Yes. I assume it will be needed.”

“And what about payment?” I asked nervously. “How much would I owe you?”

I knew I had to get this question off my chest. If the price was high, I’d need to find a way to raise coin somehow - maybe even take on some odd jobs around the village.

Vera smiled. “Let’s worry about that later.”

Her answer didn’t sit well with me. I needed to know exactly what payment she was expecting. What if I couldn’t pay? Would they put us in jail as well? The army would greatly appreciate them for arresting the two thieves who just recently hijacked the kingdom’s treasury.

“No, you don’t understand.” I tried to explain. “I might not have the sum you want me to pay.”

She raised her hands in a calming gesture. “You don’t have to worry about that. We’ll figure something out.”

Her calm expression eased my worries, and I suddenly felt relieved.

“Let me show you around the village for now.” Lida offered.

“Great idea!” Belferon agreed with a laugh. “Oh lad, you just have to taste the bread from Broden’s bakery.”

I nodded hesitantly and followed them outside, but not before shooting one last glance at Ren and the healer standing by her side. Vera smiled and waved at me as I exited the door.

***

I followed Lida and Belferon through the village as they showed me around.

The bread from the bakery was indeed tasty, a welcome change from the vegetables and fruits I’d been eating for the past five days. The baker, Broden, didn’t charge me for the bread, saying it was a gift for me as a first-time visitor of Vedem. Belferon, having visited Vedem plenty of times, didn’t qualify for a discount, so I shared some of mine with him.

“How many times have you visited here already?” I asked him.

“Oof.” He hesitated as he took a bite from his piece. “A dozen, I think. Maybe less.”

“Way more than a dozen.” Lida chimed in. “I’m not sure how many times exactly, but most people here consider him a local.”

We reached Lida’s house, and she welcomed us in. Living alone, she mentioned she would be happy to have some company for a change. The house was small, with a single floor, and as we entered, she immediately approached the fireplace. Kneeling by it, she arranged the kindling, then struck a piece of flint against steel, sending sparks onto the dry twigs. After a moment, the kindling caught fire, and she carefully added small logs, using a bellows to coax the flames higher until the hearth was ablaze. She then turned to us, looking puzzled. “Why are you still standing there? Sit down at the kitchen table. I’ll brew us some tea.”

Belferon and I sat around the wooden table, as my gaze ran across the kitchen. It was simple, with little more than the table, the chairs around it, and some dusty cupboards in the corner, suggesting that Lida was either rarely at home or perhaps too lazy to clean. She placed a small metal kettle full of water on a tripod above the fire in the fireplace and then joined us at the table.

Despite my efforts to relax, I couldn’t shake the unease that surfaced each time I recalled Vera waving at me. But each time, I managed to calm myself down. Why was I so worried? Even Belferon vouched for her. Eventually, the question nagging in my mind slipped out. “How much does Vera usually charge for healing a comatose person?”

Lida smiled as she spoke. “You shouldn’t worry about it. This village is a community. If you don’t have the coin, she’ll probably just ask you to do some chores for one of the local businesses here. She is the mayor here, after all, so caring for the locals’ livelihood is her main priority.”

Chores? That didn’t seem too bad if that was the case. I was already thinking about picking up odd jobs to get the money. The fact that Vera was the mayor of Vedem was a bit surprising, considering I assumed she had her hands full as the healer - especially since most of the beds in the infirmary were occupied. “What about the other patients?” I inquired. “Are they locals? What’s wrong with them?”

“I don’t think I’ve seen them here before.” Belferon said thoughtfully.

“You haven’t.” Lida replied. “They’re travelers just like you. Their companions are somewhere around the village as well.”

“I guess Vera asked them to leave the infirmary too?” I asked, already suspecting the answer, and Lida nodded.

“And that gathering you mentioned? What’s that all about?” I asked a different question that was on my mind.

Lida’s eyes lit up with excitement at the question. “I’m glad you asked - ”

But before she could continue, Belferon interrupted with a mischievous smile on his face. “It’s a gathering to celebrate Vitara and ask for blessings.”

Lida rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. “So old, yet such a child. All at the same time.”

For the first time in what felt like ages, I allowed myself to chuckle.

“Now, I have some questions for you as well, Jared, if you don’t mind.” Lida said suddenly, her face expression serious, yet her voice carrying a note of compassion. It was soothing and calming, and as I kept looking at her, her smile and long dark hair suddenly reminded me of my mother. My beautiful mother, who died eight years ago. It felt like I hadn’t thought about her in years. Surviving on the streets of Willox was hard enough; I hadn’t even found a moment to recall her.

Had Lida always looked like her?

I nodded at her request, feeling a sense of relief at her soothing voice and the familiar image she evoked. “Sure.”

She spoke, a smile spreading across her face. “Belferon told me about how you two met. I believe you and Eva were escaping someone, am I correct?”

I wasn’t sure how to respond. Should I continue lying? And if so, what lie should I tell?

“We were.” I answered simply.

Her smile seemed to widen, and her eyes sparked as she continued with the next question. “Who from?”

I hesitated. Answering truthfully could only get me in trouble, because then I’d have to explain how we even got into this situation. All my instincts were telling me to keep lying - don’t tell her the truth. But as I looked at her, all I could see was my mother, and how could I lie to my loving mother? “From Morthryga’s champions: Axel Bane, Leon Valter, and Alaric Belton.” I answered truthfully.

Her smile changed into a surprised expression, and she exchanged glances with Belferon, who also looked taken aback. She cleared her throat. “Let me ask you something else. Before you met Belferon, where were you heading?”

I looked at my old companion, and he just smiled shyly at me. All he did along our short journey was smile and laugh, yet this particular smile of his felt different for some reason.

“To Kase.” I replied. “We have a house there waiting for us. A new life.”

She seemed worried. “But Kase is so far away, how were you planning on reaching there on your own?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Just like with everything else that’s happened in my life - I just planned on pushing through it.”

“I see.” She said, nodding. “It’s probably hard, right? To keep on going while constantly muting your feelings.”

“I’m kind of used to it by now.” I replied. “I’m not much of a talker. I usually keep my thoughts and feelings to myself.”

“But wouldn’t you agree that talking it out might make you feel better?”

I hesitated. “I guess.”

Her grin returned. “What bothers you the most right now?”

I thought for a few moments. So much has happened in such a short time, I wasn’t even sure where to start. But one thing did weigh on my heart more than the rest. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep my promise.” I admitted.

“What promise?”

“I promised him I’d get us to Kase, but I don’t think I can. I don’t believe I can possibly do it.” I said.

“Who did you promise it to?”

“Elandor.”

“And who is Elandor to you?”

Who was Elandor to me, really? Memories of the past three years washed over me like a wave. Was he just the leader of my crew? A friend? A mentor? My fondest memory of him came from my first year of knowing him. In my mind that memory defined him best. On that day, he seemed thoughtful and asked me to accompany him on a walk around Willox. It was still early afternoon, which meant the streets were busy and bustling with people, yet I found myself reluctantly agreeing. We walked around the city, seemingly aimlessly, for hours without saying a word to each other. Occasionally, he would just stop at certain spots and stare blankly at benches, trees, walls - sometimes even at the ground. Once the sun set and we headed back to our base, he stopped and put his hand on my shoulder. He thanked me for joining him on the walk, saying that he needed the company and was glad I was free, and that we should do it again. Which we did, multiple times over the years.

This memory may sound stupid and simplistic, and maybe it was, but for me, it was so much more. It was a warm memory. I knew he didn’t actually need the company. He did it for me. He was worried that, because of my quiet nature and reluctance to open up to others, I would feel alienated and eventually leave the crew. He wanted to make me feel needed, to remind me that I wasn’t alone anymore. After so many years on the streets, perhaps he thought I had lost touch with my humanity and wanted to show me that I now had people who wanted me around.

I will never forget his kindness - the thoughtfulness behind every one of his actions. Not just for me, but for everyone in our group. He made time for all of us. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of times we actually joined him on our heists. We always helped with the preparation work, but Elandor did the stealing on his own majority of the time, and we always had food on our table.

“He was family.” I eventually said, feeling my heart ache and tears form in my eyes. “I’ll forever be indebted to him, but right now I can’t even fulfill the only thing he ever asked me for.”

“I’m sure everything will work out in the end.” She smiled with a warm smile before her expression suddenly turned serious. “By the way, your name isn’t really Jared, is it?”

I wanted to shake my head, to ask her why she thought it wasn’t my name, but instead, I just nodded.

“What is your real name?” she asked.

I shouldn’t tell her, but on the other hand, why should I lie? I already told her so much. “It’s Luca.”

She smiled at the sound of my name. “Such a pretty name. Much nicer than Jared, don’t you think, Belfie?”

Belferon grinned and laughed.

“The girl – what’s her real name?” she asked.

“Her name is Renalla, but we call her Ren.” I again answered truthfully.

“Ren…” she echoed. “And who is she to you, really?”

“A dear friend.” I said. “We were in a thieving crew together.”

“Thieves, huh?” Belferon asked, surprised.

Lida laughed. “What was your role in the crew?”

“Lockpicker, mainly.” I replied.

She chuckled. “Cute. You promised this Elandor you would keep her safe, right?”

I nodded quickly.

“It is so, so cute…but I think he’s going to be disappointed.” she said, grinning.

What? Why would she say that? And why…can’t I move? Or speak my mind? It felt like I was trapped inside my own body. My eyes were only a window to the outside world while I was locked somewhere far away, with no control over it.

Mother smiled at me. “Just calm down, Luca. Calm down and sleep…”

I did as I was told. My eyelids slowly shut, and I fell asleep.