The Night Medicine by Jody A Kessler

Author:Jody A Kessler [Kessler, Jody A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical, action, adventure, time travel, fiction
Publisher: Jody A Kessler
Published: 2015-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Dean was unhappy about Kai’s plan to search for willow bark and fresh food by herself, but she assured him that she would be fine. They decided it wouldn’t be good to move Badger yet. Dean wasn’t moving so well, either. There hadn’t been any signs of humans all morning and Badger was in need of clean bandages and a poultice change. Dean finally relented and let her go because they needed water. Kai insisted it was best that the men stay together, guarding against wild animals or anything else unexpected.

From a small hilltop next to their camp, Kai looked to the treetops. A group of towering pines and spruce trees were not far to the southwest. Gigantic trees needed plenty of water, so she rode toward them, stopping periodically to listen for the trickle of a flowing river or creek. She hoped that finding a tributary coming down from the peaks wouldn’t be too difficult, or take too long.

Her instincts were correct, and she found a stream minutes later. She dismounted and let Mayberry and the packhorse drink their fill. She looked around at the mature trees, made mental notes of the different plants growing by the stream, and thought about bringing the other two horses here later so they could drink as well. All around her, the forest was alive in green splendor. Birds sang with cheerful exuberance, and the butterflies and gnats flittered around the summer blooms, catching sunrays with their wings. While the horses were content grazing on a patch of grass, she began searching in earnest for edible plants and willow.

As if Great Spirit took pity on her, there was a large balsam root plant with its spear shaped leaves and yellow flowers nearby. She squatted down to dig it up. There were so many different uses for the plant that she started dividing up its parts in her mind. The leaves were for eating, but the roots — another great source of food — would make an excellent immune stimulating tea. Badger could drink the tea to help him fight off infection. Kai glanced around for more, but didn’t see any. More Heal All would be useful if she could find it, but willow bark was what she really searched for. It would act like aspirin for Dean and Badger’s pain relief. Moving along, she picked some wild mint to add flavor to the teas.

A group of poplar trees shimmied under the morning sun. The trees were called Metoos by her people, and she longed for a healing salve made from the winter buds. Trevyn should learn the tree’s importance, she noted to herself. Then she was hit with the overwhelming fear of never seeing her son again. It slammed into her and ached inside the marrow of her bones. The need to hear his voice, and see his vivid smile, almost brought her to her knees. They were a team. There was no way to measure the depth of their connection. He was part of her.

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