The Waystation rolled to a stop to a general cheering from the nearby warriors. It seemed that word of the healing on offer had spread. An area had apparently been cleared for them.

Bell parked somewhere else.

Partly because she didn’t trust them, and partly because fuck their plans.

Bell was an independent Pixie and went where the hell she wanted.

Not the kind of pixie to have been having dreams about her best friend and long-time partner, Bert.

Definitely not the kind of Pixie to dream about his eyes glinting against flames as he laughed with muscles rippling on his tanned….

“No!” Bell snarled. “None of that happened.”

“What?” Bert asked as he set up the Healer’s camp.

“Nothing, asshole!” Bell snapped. “I’ve been having nightmares, that’s all.”

“Try talking to Libby,” Bert offered, “I did, and I have to admit I slept better last night.”

Bell looked away quickly. She had heard all about his talk from Wendy and didn’t want to give anything away. “Take Wendy with you to the Healer’s Tents, will you?” Bell sighed. “She got your healing spell, apparently.”

“Really?” Bert sounded pleased. “She never said anything.”

“She never read the spell description,” Bell laughed. “She thought it was a spell to help her gain weight.”

“She doesn’t have Bo-” Bert started.

“No, we talked about it already,” Bell stopped him.

“Oh, great,” Bert said.

“Did you know she hasn’t got telekinesis?” Bell asked.

“No, but I hoped it was something like that,” Bert said absent-mindedly.

“What?” Bell asked.

“Why she spent so much time in human form.” Bert shrugged. “Who would be human all the time if they could fly around as a pixie.”

“Right?” Bell fought the flush of a blush down when he said that. He thought being a pixie was that great! “I thought maybe she just hated me.”

“Bell!” Bert looked shocked.

“What?” Bell said. “I was a massive bitch to her when she got here.”

“I think she is just a little in awe of you,” Bert said.

“Really?” Bell asked, surprised.

“She used to be a copy of you, remember? I think she thought you saw her as lesser now.” Bert said.

“Why?” Bell asked. “She got half of you; that’s not lesser.”

“See, I knew you liked me,” Bert laughed as he stood on the platform.

Bell narrowed her eyes, and the platform disappeared.

Bert plummeted down the tower.

“Fuck sake, Bell!” Bert’s voice echoed up the tower as she giggled.

She wasn’t flirting.

She wasn’t.

=====================

Bert found Wendy ready and waiting with nervous energy and a set of light blue scrubs on. She also, for some reason, was carrying an old-fashioned lamp. She explained his memories of healers, which she had inherited, had featured a rather iconic woman with a lamp.

He told her the story of Florence Nightingale as they made their way down to the Healer’s Tents. Libby was having a morning meeting.

It was decided that Wendy would work with Bert until she felt comfortable with the skill, at which point she could join the rotation independently if she wanted to.

Scruff and Dee came down the drawbridge a few minutes later, pushing a large wooden cart with rattling glass bottles. Each one was filled with a dark, reddish-brown liquid.

“What’s this?” Libby demanded.

“These are the first batch of healing potions!” Dee said excitedly. “I used to be an apothecary a long time ago.”

“They are made from the Blood Berries,” Scruff said before adding ‘mostly’ under her breath.

“Have they been tested?” Libby scowled at the pair.

“That is what we are here to do,” Dee grinned. “Someone is going to be impatient, and if anything goes wrong… the healers are right there.”

“Dee!” Libby warned.

“Oh, relax,” Dee waved her away, “I’m reasonably sure they won’t kill anyone.”

“Not exactly a ringing endorsement.” Libby sighed.

“But-” Scruff said.

“No untested potions!” Libby snapped.

“Wait,” Bert called. “Why don’t we just test them now?” He walked up to the cart and grabbed a potion. He stabbed one of the metal bolts from his crossbow supplies into his leg with his other hand. “Do I drink it or pour it on?” He asked.

“Either?” Scruff said excitedly.

Bert split the difference, pouring some on the wound and then downing the rest.

“Wow, that tastes amazing!” He said as they all watched the wound knit cleanly closed.

“Mister Hudson!” Libby snapped. “That is no way to test a potion!”

“Why not?” Bert asked. “I can heal myself from just about anything.”

Marcus and Leon had already stabbed each other and tried the potions before he had even finished speaking.

“That’s really nice,” Leon said. “Can we take some with us for the day?”

“Break the bottles, and you have to replace them!” Dee called as Libby put her head in her hands.

“If anyone wants to take one away, they have to pay for the bottle!” Scruff said quickly.

The sounds of horns broke up the meeting. The battle was beginning.

Wendy adapted well to using the spell, although Bert did have to stop her from accepting the severed limbs people brought after a while. There was something disquieting about her happy squeals as she was handed another body part.

She still managed to build up quite a collection by lunch.

They were a present for Scruff, who blushed when Wendy presented her with a bouquet of severed hands and fingers.

Bert insisted the rest were sent direct to the Farm by the Waystation; the two girls were starting to scare the soldiers.

There was a tense moment when Tim came rattling down the drawbridge with a new stack of potions in a box. One of the Warriors nearby apparently took offense.

When the shouting warrior strode towards little Tim, shouting about abominations, Bud put an arrow through each foot, nailing the man to the floor.

A couple of his friends had objected, and the orcs had closed ranks about little Tim, who was shouting foul-mouthed insults at the warrior.

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That was when the assembled warriors discovered that the smiling girl in blue scrubs had a temper control problem.

Bert had just sighed and started to push his way out of the tent when Wendy stormed past him.

“Oi! Fuck face!” She screamed, the man’s smile vanishing as Wendy’s snarling face sent shivers down his spine. “Want to be fertilizer?”

“I shall not allow an abomination to live!” The man snarled and swung a fist at Wendy.

She swayed aside, blurring as she slammed a fist into the side of his head. The man scrumpled, blood coming out of his ear. Wendy kicked him in the chest, the sound of ribs cracking echoing around the suddenly silent area.

She spat on the unconscious man and promptly went over to check on Tim.

Tim handed the box to an orc and jumped into her arms.

Wendy walked back to her place in the healing tent, holding Tim in one arm like an overgrown baby.

“Next!” She called brightly.

There were no further problems that day.

Only Bert saw as Wendy pulled the arm of her scrubs down a little, hiding the hardened bone knuckledusters beneath her scrubs.

“Who taught Tim to swear?” Bud yelled down from the Gatehouse as Scruff and Wendy both tried to look innocent.

===============

Later that night, long after they had finished healing the injured, three men crept towards the back of Trailer One.

“You’re sure they are back here?” The large man, Bjorn, asked his friend.

“Yes, the monk and the red-haired healer complained loudly about the two of them spending time back here.” His friend, Kristoff, answered.

“Good,” Bjorn smirked. “I will teach the girl to embarrass me!”

The third man rolled his eyes but remained silent.

Their grappling hooks were still in their backpacks when the vines curled around them, yanking them up and over the wall.

They found themselves suspended upside down, vines wrapping their arms and mouths.

“Don’t let them touch the floor, or Mum and Dad will know,” They heard the healer’s voice in the darkness as a torch approached.

“I know that, silly,” The other one, the farmer.

“Hello, boys,” Wendy said, casting a soft glow above her head. She smiled at the three men. “I won’t bother to ask your names because who gives a fuck!” She laughed.

Scruff chuckled behind her.

Kristoff struggled to speak while Bjorn flexed, trying to break the vines that trapped his arms.

“No blood,” Wendy reminded Scruff. “Dee would probably be able to smell that.”

“Wendy!” Scruff said, “I said I’d handle it.”

“Sorry!” Wendy said honestly. “I better get back and be seen at dinner. Will you be long?”

“No, it will only take a minute,” Scruff shrugged.

The two young women kissed and parted ways.

“You really shouldn't have tried to come in here,” Scruff sighed. “I’d be sorry about this, but you did come here to kill my girlfriend.”

The men found themselves passed from vine to vine as they neared a large Barn.

“Now, I’d say not to worry, but to be honest, this will be unbelievably painful.” Scruff said as the men found themselves lowered through the hay loft and into the tall barn. Lights pulsed around them as floating creatures detached from the walls and roof, glowing as they neared the men.

“But there won’t be a drop of blood!” Scruff said cheerfully as she closed the doors.

The men tried to scream as the glowing, shifting things pressed in around them, but the vines refused to let go. Their eyes opened wide as the delicate fibers dangling below the luminous forms wrapped around them. Their screams were silent as they were drained of every flicker of life they had.

The bodies were passed out of the barn and dropped into the back of the Express, the vines caressing the vehicle as it processed the bodies.

Bloodless body parts were collected by the vines and carried over to a pit, where they joined those collected that day.

Scruff was a few minutes late for dinner, but then… she so often was.

================

Bert joined the other healers for a few beers, enjoying the satisfaction of a hard day’s work. Wendy even joined them for a while before going to find Scruff.

“Got to love a day when the healing is done before the sun sets,” Seb was saying as he downed his drink.

“Might actually get some sleep tonight,” Felix agreed.

“To good food, good drink, and a good night’s sleep!” Libby toasted them all and drained another glass of the Blood Berry wine.

The other healers all raised their glasses. Bert was beginning to realize they would toast to just about anything that gave them an excuse to get another drink in them.

Well, most of them would.

“No more for me,” Anton said virtuously and loud enough that he could be sure everyone heard him. “I am a man of moderation.”

“That’s not what the noises from your tent say!” Seb laughed.

“Sabastian!” Maggy snapped. “I don’t know what you mean, but I insist you apologize.”

“Oh, come on, Maggy,” Felix chuckled. “There is nothing wrong with it.”

“I am a chaste man!” Anton protested loudly.

“And caught,” Seb hiccuped, “every night!”

Everyone laughed but Anton, who stormed out while Maggy glowered at the room.

“Mister Hudson!” She snapped, “Might I have a word?”

“Sure,” Bert shrugged and went over to her table.

“I have some delicate plant matter,” Maggy said stiffly. “I was hoping I might store them in the cold room of the Bear’s Fall.”

“No problem,” Bert said. “But if you like, I can put one in the tent for you.”

“Really?” Maggy asked suspiciously.

“No problem,” Bert said. “How much space do you need?”

“Not much, just enough for some leaves, petals, and flowers,” Maggy said.

Bert grabbed one of the small wooden boxes they used to store food and handed it to her. She looked at it, confused.

“How is it cold?” She turned it around a few times before noticing the tiny rune on the base. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yup,” Bert nodded. “Just make sure it is placed within the Waystation grounds, and it will stay cool.”

“Thank you!” She said, hurrying off.

Bert spent another few hours with the healers and then called it a night.

=============

The fighting started again before the sun rose, with the injured starting to trickle in almost immediately.

Bert headed out, having had only a single nightmare all night. It was a doozy, but it was better than his previous nonstop nightmares. He threw himself into the work, keeping busy.

Wendy and Scruff emerged just after sunrise, looking happy as they munched on sandwiches as they dragged the cart behind them.

Dee pulled him aside to meet with a representative of the locals, who seemed to be furious about something. Bert could only catch about one word in three; their accents were strong.

Luckily Bruno was nearby and called May over. She was apparently originally from the area and acted as the translator. Three local men had apparently gone missing. One of them had been involved in the altercation with Wendy the day before.

The local Headman of the nearby Village had been dragged here by the wife of one of the men. They wanted to know if there had been another incident.

“Why would there be?” Bert asked.

May listened to their reply and winced.

“Apparently, the men left the local ale house, having sworn revenge on Wendy,” May said as calmly as possible.

“They fucking WHAT?” Bert exploded.

The argument dragged on for a while, but it was clear the men had either changed their minds or passed out drunk.

Just in case, Bert told Bud to keep an eye out.

The last thing he needed was some random assholes hunting his daughter.

Dee promised to keep an eye out as well.

The difficult part was telling Bell, who immediately threatened to flatten the village in reprisal.

Bert had to admit he was not entirely opposed to the idea.

“If they turn up, we kill them,” Bert told her. “Messy and loud.”

“How loud?” Bell asked, eyes bright with excitement.

“As loud as possible.” Bert grinned.

“I’ll have Multi-Bells out all night,” Bell grinned. “If they come anywhere near here, I’ll make sure no one ever will again.”

They smiled at each other, and Bert went back to work.

“Everything okay, Dad?” Wendy asked when he got back.

“That asshole from yesterday is missing,” Bert sighed. “He and his friends swore vengeance or something.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “I promise you’re safe; if they come anywhere near here, they are dead.”

“I know that, Dad.” Wendy smiled at him. “I’m not scared, I promise.”

“Good,” Bert went back to work, completely missing her smiling to herself and the little wink she gave to Scruff.

The fighting continued for a few more days, and the injured came in at all times of the day and night. Dee worked out a schedule that kept everyone topped up. She also insisted that Bert and Wendy take regular rests. She said that just because they could keep going didn’t mean they should.

There was no sign of the three missing men, and rumors they had deserted the area in shame began to circulate.

As long as they never turned up, Bert didn’t care.

May and Bruno proved their usefulness over those days, acting as mediators and messengers, keeping him informed of what was going on.

It was not exactly pleasant work, but it certainly kept him from dwelling too much on his problems.

He used the time to adjust, letting the things he had talked about with Libby sink in, and he was starting to feel better by the time they were done there.

After a long shift with Anton, Maggie came by, looking tired, and asked if she could get a larger cold box with a stronger Rune.

Bert was happy to oblige but was a little mystified by Maggie. She and Anton were obviously an item.

Why was beyond Bert.

On her own, Maggie was a confident, skilled, and kind healer. The problem was that around Anton, she changed. She mirrored his arrogance and disdain for his patients while covering his weak healing with her own.

And that wasn’t the worst of it.

The two of them were at it every night. Sometimes the noise was loud enough that if the wind blew the right way, anyone on shift, while they were off, was left in no doubt what they were up to.

Yet, if anyone mentioned what was obviously going on, they both acted horrified and scandalized.

“She loves him,” Seb had said when Bert asked him about it.

“No one understands love,” Felix nodded in agreement.

When the battle was finally over, a man came by, telling them there was another battle already going on a few miles away and would they please come.

Bert grimaced, but the man said his wife was fighting in the battle.

They struck camp in just under two hours and headed off.

May caught his look and reassured him they were indeed heading towards the limits of the Houses’ combined lands.

Bert had his doubts but just smiled and nodded.

He never wanted to get involved in a bloody war, and yet here he was.