A Plague in Zeiderbruch by Paul J Bennett

Author:Paul J Bennett [Bennett, Paul J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Paul J Bennett

Part IX

The Healer

Bree looked down at where Naomi slept. The young girl was still for the moment, resting under the effects of numbleaf, but it was only a temporary respite.

"How long has she been like this?" the Elf asked.

"Since late this morning," said Brother Marcus, "but I fear the herbal remedy will soon wear off. I'm loathe to use too much of it."

"I understand your caution," said Cyric. "Numbleaf can be highly addictive, but in this case, the girl is near death. Is it not better to lessen her suffering than to worry about long-term effects?"

"Actually," said Bree, "the precaution works to our advantage. It will allow me to see the child when she is not under its effects." She turned to Cyric. "Can you show me the puncture wound you spoke of?"

"Certainly. It's here, on her arm. At first, I thought it merely an abrasion, but if you look closely, you'll see where it penetrated the skin."

Bree leaned in, taking a lantern from Brother Marcus to illuminate the wound. "Ah, yes. I see it now. My goodness, you must have been exceptionally observant to spot it. Even with my Elven eyesight, I can just barely make it out myself." She sat back, rummaging through her satchel. Moments later, she pulled forth a large crystal, smooth on two sides.

"What's that?" asked Brother Marcus.

"I call it my enlarger." She held it to the girl's arm, which loomed large before them when reflected through the crystal.

"Amazing," said Marcus. "Is it magical?"

"No, merely a polished crystal—magerite to be exact."

"Never heard of it," said Cyric.

"It's common amongst mages as you might suspect, based on its name. It has other uses, but this particular sample allows me to see things that are very small."

"And what do you see now?" asked Brother Marcus.

"Something quite interesting."

"Which is?" pressed Cyric.

"This puncture wound has a rough edge to it."

"Meaning?"

"Were the wound made by a needle, I would expect its edges to be smooth. This evidence to the contrary seems to indicate something altogether different."

"Such as?"

"I suspect whatever created this wound was a part of nature."

"Like a stinger?" offered Cyric.

"No, more like a spine."

Marcus chuckled. "Well, that's quite different from a jellyfish."

"Jellyfish?" said Bree.

"Yes. Cyric here was comparing the wound to a jellyfish sting."

The Temple Knight leaned in closer. "Can you get a better idea of what type of spine we're talking about?"

"Similar to something you might find on a fish."

"What kind of fish walks on land?" asked Brother Marcus.

"None that I know of," said Bree.

"Is it possible," asked Cyric, "that someone could have removed one of these spines and is using it like a weapon?"

"Yes, although it would be dangerous."

"Dangerous, how?"

"Well," said the Elf, "for one thing, the poison itself. If you were to carry around such a thing, you might accidentally poison yourself."

"Would there be a way for a person to protect oneself from such harm?"

"I suppose you could wear a thick pair of leather gloves, but I see no reason—"

"Reason doesn't enter into it," said Cyric. "I

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