Chapter 3.3: Warm Springwater

Elaine found her night and early morning troubled after the woman left. She twisted and turned under the heavy quilts the apprentices wrapped her in with a foul expression. Her hands gripped the blankets tightly as she tried to digest everything. In this world, she had a father out there. And from the way her aunt spoke of him, he must be a good person. But she had trouble thinking of any parent, male or female, as being good when they never visited their child.

Lucille had raised her alone until her injury and centered her life around the girl. The man had never raised a hand to help the witch and that infuriated the teenager. Her eyes squinted as she rubbed at them harshly. Of course, there were other explanations for his absence besides being a deadbeat. He could be a traveler who felt the itch to explore the fantasy land he lived in. Or, he was a warrior who met Lucille many years before and is unaware of her ever being pregnant.

Her chest hurt as she sighed under the blankets. She wanted to ask the witch herself what exactly happened concerning her birth but her body stopped her. One hand drifted up to her throat and hesitantly touched it. Elaine flinched and silently cursed herself for the hundredth time. Her voice was weak from her injury and she felt pain when her vocal cords failed to work. Plus, she doubted the woman would be able to understand her signature toddler babble.

'I just have to wait for later,' Elaine knew her talk with the owner of the clinic would give her some answers. The woman looked like she was holding back when speaking to her the day before. 'I wonder if she and Lucille are close.'

The two women looked like they were two sides of the same coin. Her aunt had apprentices who sang her many praises during Elaine's stay. She had the reputation of a powerful healer and the teenager could only guess as a strong beauty.

Like Lucille, her gaze was full of love but unlike her, they were calculated. Elaine could feel how powerful she was. This made her understand why so many women worked under her so loyally. Lucille, in contrast, was pure joy to the teenager.

She had a glow to her that matched her glamorous fashion and soft personality. The witch made her feel comforted whenever she came near. The motherly nature Elaine had always remarked was only seen in movies that existed within her soul. It made her feel mixed emotions as she pushed the blankets down to her lap.

She was someone who lived a life in the shadows and rejected affection. In her original world, her family was put behind a firm wall ever since her childhood. But with Lucille, that wall had been chipped away until nothing but dust remained. Any boundaries she had before didn't matter when the woman was present.

'God,' Elaine bit her lip as she heard a commotion outside her door. The apprentices were up and probably preparing to see her. 'That woman has wormed her way into my heart so easily.'

Her eyebrow twitched as a putrid smell hit her nose. They were brewing a potion for her to drink. While it looked like tea it tasted like cough syrup. She turned green as she heard a cup being poured. It took all her willpower not to vomit. Soft murmurs in a foreign language could be heard. From what she could decipher it was two people.

The language they spoke was the one she heard the day she arrived. Their voices were quiet as they chit-chatted and finished their task. One of the two spoke sharply suddenly, the tray shaking as if they hit it. A cabinet was shut with one of the two let out a sigh. After this, the house became silent like before and she heard a door close.

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"Little one, are you awake?" The apprentice from the first day was behind the door. Her voice was smooth like honey as she started to knock.

Elaine grumbled, she knew there was no point in avoiding the inevitable. "Yes." She winced and rubbed at her throat some more.

Thankfully her croak was loud enough for the apprentice to hear. The doorknob twisted with a squeak and she came in. Steam was coming out of the lone tea cup that waited for her. A rag was wrapped around the cup before she drank it.

This kept her hands from burning as it was brought under her nose. She balked at the smell, wanting to throw it on the floor. But the apprentice was watching her like a hawk. With no other choice, Elaine pushed the cup closer to her lips and drank.

Even though it looked like any other tea it felt like sludge. The thickness of the liquid made it harder to swallow and her stomach recoiled. The apprentice wiped under her mouth as some spilled back out. It was a fight not to throw it up as she finished.

Elaine coughed from the aftertaste it left on her tongue. She cursed whoever decided potions should be so awful. This world could have magic but its medicine was behind in ways that astounded her.

"It's alright," The rag was replaced by a lemon drop which Elaine accepted. "You won't have to take another till the evening."

"Thanks," Elaine looked away from her quickly. She still felt anxious about what Lucille had said to her that day. "Miss?"

The teenager knew the woman didn't want an apology from her. And that she probably felt some way about her due to Lucille. But she wanted to say something to show she felt bad. Because she felt extremely awful remembering that day. While annoyed with the apprentice for overcharging Lucille, she hated what happened. It made her uncomfortable just thinking about it.

"Yes, little one? Are you alright?" The apprentice stared with concern and bent down to her level.

Elaine took a moment to calm her nerves. "Sorry."

That's all she could say without freezing up. The woman was just staring at her. She was hard to read and the teen feared she'd get cursed at her. All the apprentices kept her at arm's length and it hurt. The woman kept their heads down but she knew what those glances meant. From one conversation they disliked her presence and treated her as if she weren't even there.

Her hands gripped tightly at the blankets as she spoke to break the silence. "I'm sorry."

'Shit,' Her eyes watered and she could feel a tightness in her chest. 'Now I'm crying in front of her. Jesus Elaine, hold it together.'

A hand touched her leg and squeezed it. The squeeze was so tight she felt sharp nails digging into her skin. Elaine jumped as a wave of pain went down her injured leg. The hand moved as Elaine tried not to cry any more than she already was. When she looked back at the apprentice her hand was clutched at her chest. She had a red blush dusting her skin as she hurried away.

"I apologize little one! I only meant to comfort you!" The apprentice cried out and hung her head in shame.

The poor woman was shaking, making Elaine's chest feel even tighter. "It's okay." She sniffled.

A sigh of relief left the woman and she nodded. She moved to grab the now empty cup from the girl. It was obvious she was surprised by her response. Elaine wondered if the apprentices assumed she was stuck up. Or worse, they figured she was a cruel girl who refused to speak. She watched the woman's hands shake with a somber feeling.

Nothing had changed, the woman still had a negative view of her. She felt like a bad person knowing someone feared her. They all did. Elaine wished that she could voice everything she wanted. She wished so badly that she could walk up to the apprentices and speak her mind. They just didn't understand who Lucille was and how she acted behind closed doors.