Love and Tenacity

Chapter 6

Quinn followed Ember closely through the woods. The witch held her hand and moved slowly so that Quinn could carefully place her feet as she walked. They had left Juvenis and an anxious Desiree back in the bungalow and were making for a place that Ember had told her was “sacred.”

“Do you think you will be able to give me back my sight completely?” Quinn asked as Ember tugged her along.

“That really depends on you,” answered Ember. “To understand how I heal someone, you need to understand magic itself. There is no mystery to it really, and there are no dark powers that I possess that no one else can feel or influence. Magic is simply energy that can be directed towards any aim, be it good or evil. Witches possess the power to use themselves as a channel for this energy to flow through. Even normal humans can feel it and direct it a bit, but witches can bend it and shape it to their will with relative ease. Because of this, I can feel things that you can’t. As we walk, I can feel the energy of the trees and grass and wind. I feel the rustle of every leaf, I feel the river running nearby, and I can feel the power of the earth under our feet. To heal you, I will take that power and channel it to your eyes.

For it to really work, though, you need to feel this energy as well. I can only channel it, you need to accept it and let it do its work. Here we are.”

She led Quinn out onto softer grass. Quinn could hear the sound of a river rushing past, and Ember led her closer and closer to the noise. Then she felt stone under her feet.

“There’s a large, flat boulder that sits right at the water’s edge,” explained Ember, leading her out onto it and sitting down across from her. “I’ve planted certain herbs around it that help with healing. Can you smell them?”

Quinn took a deep breath and tuned out the smell of the river.

“Lavender,” she said thoughtfully, “And sage. I think… is that rosemary?”

“Yes,” replied Ember, and Quinn could hear the smile in her voice. “Anything else? Focus your senses, separate each individual smell.”

“Lemon balm,” said Quinn deliberately. “And it’s a bit of a guess, but is there eyebright as well?”

“Excellent!” Ember cheered. “Now, before we do anything else, I need you to ground and center. Lay your hands flat on the ground and breathe deeply. Relax your muscles and think only of the sound of the river and the smell of those herbs.”

Quinn did as she was told, and after a few minutes, she felt herself begin to relax. Her mind felt fuzzy, and her body became loose and light. After a few moments more, she felt herself beginning to subtly rock back and forth. Under her fingers, she began to feel slight vibrations.

“Is someone near us walking?” she mumbled.

“No. You’re beginning to feel what every witch feels all the time. It’s the feeling of the earth pulsating under your fingers. I think of it as a heartbeat. You’re opening yourself up to the earth’s energy – that’s what’s making you rock back and forth. Now, I’m going to focus that energy on your eyes. Just relax and let it flow through you.”

Quinn felt Ember rest her fingertips lightly on her closed lids. The witch’s touch sent a cascade of shivers flowing down her neck and back. She felt like she could feel Ember’s soul brushing up against her; it was the feeling of being warmed by the sun. The smells surrounding her became much more pronounced, and she was suddenly able to hear the sounds of tree branches rubbing together and squirrels stepping on leaves in the forest around her. She wondered it that was what Ember felt like all the time.

Then she felt a strange tingling sensation in her eyes. Ember’s fingers were at once warm and cold, and Quinn could feel the bridge of magic between their bodies. She let herself relax, and that energy flowed through her head and down through her hands and legs into the stone below. It was as though her eyes had been covered with dirt and much and Ember was gently washing it away. Her head buzzed, and she felt vaguely dizzy.

The witch’s touch pulled her mind out of her body and let her expand her senses to the world around her. She couldn’t see the trees, and yet she knew just where every single one of them was. Everything had an aura around it; every plant, every animal, and even the river itself. As she turned her attention toward Ember’s presence, it felt as though she was looking up at a mountain. There was an impossible amount of energy filling her slim body; she was at once a single woman and a powerful army. Quinn detected the smell of mint and grass as her mind brushed with Ember’s, and the feeling of being warmed by the sun intensified. She could now picture herself lying alone in a grassy field as a sun ten times its normal size warmed her entire being. It was by far the most surreal thing she had ever experienced.

Eventually, the flow of energy ebbed and Ember pulled her hands away. The dizziness suddenly became much more pronounced.

“Lay back,” commanded Ember gently, and Quinn felt her push her shoulders back so that she was laying completely prone on the rock. Her braid dangled over the edge and she could feel it being lightly tugged by the water below. Slowly, she felt herself coming back to herself as her senses dimmed back to their normal state. She opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a pair of green eyes. They were even brighter and lighter than she had remembered. Slowly, the rest of the witch’s countenance came into focus and she could see the enormous grin that Ember wore. Her white hair was loose and flowing around her face, and her entire being seemed to be glowing.

Quinn pulled herself upright and stared around at her surroundings. It was difficult for her to focus, but she could see the green forest and tall, graceful trees. She turned around and saw the roaring river behind her, deep blue and so vivid to her long-deprived mind. The rock she was sitting on had been worn and weathered into an almost perfect circle, and it was indeed surrounded by the various plants that she had smelled earlier. Quinn, reeling in shock, looked back to Ember, who merely grinned even wider in return. Quinn decided then and there that there was no more beautiful a sight than a genuine smile from her white-haired savior.

***********

Back at the cottage, Juvenis was showing Desiree around the barn.

“We’ll need to see if we can get you and Quinn another horse,” said Juvenis as she pushed open the barn door. “Once she can see better, she won’t have to share a saddle with you anymore.”

Desiree pushed down the slight discomfort at the thought of not being needed and took a look around the barn. Like the cabin, it was small but very well built. There were six stalls, but only three were filled: one by Jack, and the two others by Ember and Juvenis’ horses. Juvenis walked over to a big bay mare and rubbed her nuzzle, murmuring softly for a moment. The horse gently tossed its head and nickered in response, and Juvenis smiled.

“This is Bree. She’s mine,” was all she said before turning to the third occupied stall. This one contained a massive mare, entirely pitch black except for a single white star between her eyes. “This is Knight. Ember raised her from when she was a filly.”

“A mare named Knight?” Desiree questioned, cautiously approaching the elegant but imposing beast.

“Ember’s a little bit unconventional,” Juvenis answered with a ghost of a smirk. It occurred to Desiree that Juvenis hadn’t relaxed her shoulders at all from the first moment she had emerged from the loft. Desiree wondered if she was uncomfortable with guests in general, or if she was more bothered by harboring fugitives than she let on. That being said, she didn’t let much on at all, so it was tough to make any assumptions. Those sharp features gave nothing away.

“What do you do here?” Desiree blurted out. She immediately resisted the urge to smack herself.

Juvenis quirked an eyebrow. “In the barn? Take care of the horses, mostly.”

Desiree figured that she had better just come out with it, rather than looking like a complete fool. “I mean, what are you doing here with Ember? You can’t be related to her – no offense, but I’ve never seen two people who look less alike. How did you wind up living with her?”

Juvenis considered this for a moment, stoic as always. “We met at low points in both of our lives, and found that dealing with those low points was easier when we had each other’s company. We have seen no reason to part ways since then.”

Desiree wasn’t sure whether her question had been answered or not.

“Come with me,” said Juvenis abruptly, and Desiree dumbly followed her to a door at the back of the barn. Juvenis opened it to reveal a room that seemed to serve as, from what Desiree could see, an armory. Swords and knives of all different lengths and types lined the walls, as well as different kinds of bows and arrows. Some bows were made like the traditional longbows that Desiree had seen archers in the Royal Guard work with, and others were the lesser used recurve bows. Juvenis reached up and took one of them down.

“The shorter length and extra curve gives them decent power while making them easy to carry and draw,” she demonstrating by grabbing an arrow from a quiver on the floor, nocking it, and drawing in a split second. Desiree was impressed. Juvenis replaced the arrow in the quiver and slung the recurve bow around her shoulder, walking over to the collection of hanging longbows.

“Longbows are good for distance,” she said fingering the string on one of them. “They’re harder to draw, but much more powerful. Good for when you want to hide and take people out from a distance.”

“How much time do you spend hiding and taking people out from a distance?” Desiree asked warily, but Juvenis ignored her. By this point, Desiree hadn’t expected any different. Juvenis turned and gestured to the collection of blades on the far wall.

“Ember makes all of our swords and knives herself,” she said, a hint of pride in her voice. “She’s teaching the blacksmith in town the skills that she learned from her father, but I don’t know if he’ll ever be as good as a full-blooded Whitaker. Ember is better with swords than I am, but we’re about equal with a throwing knife and hand-to-hand fighting.” Desiree noticed that Juvenis didn’t specify who was better with a bow. She wondered if it was because she didn’t want to admit that Ember equaled or bested her at everything, or if she just didn’t want to admit that Ember wasn’t as good at something.

Juvenis considered the stash of weapons for a moment, and then seemed to come to a decision. “We’ll start with the recurve bow.” She grabbed one in addition to the one she had around her own shoulder, a quiver full of arrows, and walked back outside, Desiree hurrying behind her.

“What exactly are we doing?” Desiree asked nervously, looking back toward the woods where she Ember had disappeared with Quinn. She wondered for a moment what exactly was being done to her best friend and why she had just let Quinn go along with it.

“I’m teaching you how to handle weapons,” Juvenis replied matter-of-factly.

“And why do I need to know how to do that?” asked Desiree, feeling vaguely insulted. Did she have any say in her own day-to-day activities? Who was Juvenis to order her around?

Juvenis turned to face her, a shadow falling across her face.

“Because you have devoted your life to protecting someone, but I know for a fact that you can’t even protect yourself. You watch over the princess like you’re her bodyguard, but you’d never be able to fight off any kind of attacker. You and Quinn are now on the run from the law, you need to be willing and able to physically defend that which is closest to you. If your princess dies because of your ineptitude, it’s on your shoulders, and your shoulders alone. Now, would you like to learn how to fire a recurve bow, Miss Brogan?”

Desiree stood in silence for a moment, fighting the urge to spit out an angry retort. Juvenis was right, and she knew it. She couldn’t let her pride interfere with the safety of her friend and charge. She silently took the bow from Juvenis’ outstretched hand. Juvenis smiled coldly.

“Welcome to real life,” she said as she shoved the other bow at Desiree. “It’s hell.”

Just then, Ember and Quinn appeared from behind the treeline. “Desiree!” Quinn called, and when Desiree realized that the formerly blind girl had recognized her presence without Ember pointing her out, she took off toward her friend demanding information. Juvenis approached Ember more slowly, noting Ember’s weary, if amused, demeanor.

“You alright?” she asked quietly, subtly taking Ember’s hand.

“Of course,” Ember immediately replied, squeezing Juvenis’ hand in reassurance. “You know me. I’ll be fine in a few hours.”

They were distracted by the appearance of a tiny blonde striding toward them purposefully from the path by the lake.

“Ladies!” Ember called, pulling Desiree and Quinn from their excited conversation.

“Ella’s back.”