Battle Royal by Wallis Peel

Author:Wallis Peel [Peel, Wallis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781471321238
Publisher: AudioGO

NINE

Mona walked onwards thinking deeply, then her steps slowed and she halted Every nerve in her body twanged so she closed her eyes and let her instincts have full rein. She was still near to where she had stayed but, as always, she felt reluctant to back-track. Why then was something urging her to do just this?

Slowly she lowered herself to sit. She could not, dare not continue feeling like this, which was strangely unnerving for her. A new experience. Long ago, she had learned it was extremely foolish to ignore her instincts and right now they were jabbing at her like spear thrusts.

She reviewed the general situation. A violent war was on its way, and she knew that others of her kind would also have picked up her own reasoning. No direct word will be spread around, but all the famous healing women would gradually start to meander down to the area where their skills would be vital.

A word here, another there, vibrations in the air from human emotion, would all total to make a scenario that screamed for help. Warriors on all sides never stood in the way of the healers because it might be they who needed their assistance next. It was true. There were many battle injuries that might require the healers’ skills and instant death was always better than a lingering one. There were drugs which, when infused in a hot drink, released the suffering warrior’s misery. Of all the possible battle wounds, none were more dreaded than the stinking disease for which death was the only cure.

Mona had long debated this condition with others of her ilk. Exactly how or why it occurred was beyond them. What was known was that an open wound that let in certain types of dirt was sure to rot the flesh. The wound would smell, turn black, give excruciating pain and have a disgusting, feral odour.

Human emotions could be equally tricky to heal, and never more so than when love reared its young head. Reason would vanish into thin air. The most staid, responsible person could become outrageously impossible. Bracha was certainly in that category, and all of a sudden Mona felt dread for her. She continued with her duties but a spark had vanished. She moved automatically. Even her speech was listless, confined to mere basics, and in her eyes there was a cloud of worry. It was simple to work out why. What was Ralf going to say?

She felt pity for Elesa. She had watched her first ridiculous marriage, and then when she was able to marry her Ralf, Mona had awaited the pangs of jealousy. These had never come and, analysing herself, she realised that, deep down, she had known and accepted the futility of where her own heart lay. Instead, she had become a firm friend to Elesa and had watched with interest the growth of their one surviving child, Bracha.

Mona was an expert at recognising trouble before it actually came to hand, and she knew now she would return.

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