6 - Cerastes' Curse: The Cat's Eye Chronicles by T. L. Shreffler

Author:T. L. Shreffler [Shreffler, T. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Cat's Eye Chronicles#6
Publisher: The Runaway Pen
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Healer Olcinia was awake and dressed by the first light of dawn. She picked up her walking stick and tried to leave the inn room silently, but the Wanderer had sensitive ears, and the girl woke up when Olcinia turned the knob on the door.

“Healer?” the girl asked blearily, rolling over in bed. “Where are you going?”

“Just to collect some supplies from the herbalist,” Healer Olcinia said sweetly. “Don’t worry, dear. I’ll check on Sora before I leave. I’ll be back soon.”

“Alright,” the Wanderer grumbled, climbing out of bed. “I have to head out early anyway, if I’m going to meet with these farmers.”

“May the Goddess give you good luck,” the Healer said kindly. Then she left the room.

She padded down the hallway to Sora’s room first, where she deposited a fever draught at the girl’s bedside. Sora was sleeping heavily. Healer Olcinia gazed down at her face, her eyes traveling to the little green stone that hung innocently at her neck. All this trouble over a little useless rock, she thought.

She glanced around the room. For a moment, she felt like she was being watched, but she saw no one. With a small shiver, she picked up her walking stick and headed out the door.

Healer Olcinia left the inn and walked down the street. The town of Greenwall was just stirring. She passed by soldiers on patrol and several villagers who were resurrecting tents and stalls along the main street.

That’s right, today is the day of the festival, she thought. Silly human customs.

She reached a squat, unmarked building with a heavy stone facade. She had noticed the place yesterday. It had caught her attention because of the man standing outside, smoking a pipe. He had a lowbrow, greasy appearance, but what drew her attention was his shadow. It revealed something more than human. She guessed he was the owner. He looked like someone who would prove useful to her.

She maneuvered down the narrow stone steps and opened the door. A bell rang softly above her. The seedy little pub was far from an herbalist shop. Thin light fell through the yellow-tinted glass windows. The air reeked of old beer and stale straw. The floor was covered in dirt, and cobwebs clung to the ceiling. The taproom was completely empty this early in the day.

A man emerged from the back of the pub, a crate full of potatoes in his hands. She recognized his long, stringy hair from the day before. In a moment, she recognized his scent. Yes, she had guessed correctly. He was one of their own. The Shade had a presence in Greenwall. She was right to dump the coal over the side of the ship and force Lord Gracen to land around here.

The man looked surprised to see her standing in the middle of the grungy taproom. He glared when he saw her.

“What are you doing here, grandma?” he barked. “Get out. We’re not open until noon.”

Healer Olcinia approached the man with a vigorous step. She raised her cane and smashed it against his leg, toppling him to the ground.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.