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The Witch and the Alchemist (closed)

Rudolph Quin

Rudolph Quin

Mistaken for some sort of scoundrel
Withdrawn
Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Location
here
Alright, the other site we had this on went bust on us, but we wanted to continue the role-play from where we left off. Here's the whole thing saved in 5 parts on my Livejournal account: http://padanfain21.livejournal.com/#post-padanfain21-671

Our characters thus far:
Dorelia/Dorelia/young Dorelia
Landon Cane/Lan(shaved)
Abigail
The Mayor, Peter Medloch
Father Justin
The judge
Susy
Paitr
Isendre
Baba
Cain
young Alexander Quartette
Joey / Joey haircut

Minor mentions:
Markus
Jeneanne
McGregor
Jed


My last post to get this back and started:
"I implore you, good people of Altara," Father Justin continued. "To take a look at the woman before you. If I were to ask you what you see, what would you tell me? Do you see a lovely, vulnerable young woman? Or do you see what I see, brothers and sisters?" He had everyone's rapt attention on him, everyone hanging on his every word. "I see a young woman, fair of face but with deceit running through every detail. Her hair is short and unkempt. Why? you might ask. Can the woman not care well for herself? Is she so unclean of body and spirit that her hair had to be gotten rid of?" The room was silent, but there were nods and stern looks as if he were getting through to them. "And how was it cut, brothers and sisters? Do you know? I will tell you, I have seen the woman up close and there are burnt ends. What does this tell us? I know what it says to me. It says she was in a fire of course. Possibly in someone else's town, they tried to bring her to the Lord's justice and she escaped from her fate at the stake!" He bellowed the sentence and the crowd responded with angry cheers. He waited for them to fall silent again before going on.

"When she arrived to this town, brothers and sisters," he began in sober tones. "She had on her person some significant items of interest. A staff. A book. And a pointed hat. I have inspected these items very carefully and I have found them to be of a Satanic and occult nature. The book is full of demonic tongues and writings, ancient and terrible. The staff is engraved with symbols and demonic images. And her hat...well, we all know what kind of hats, witches wear." He smiled knowingly and the crowd roared in affirmation. Yes, they knew exactly what kind of hats witches wore. ...Or at least they assumed they did.

"And finally, my brothers and sisters," he said folding his hands in front of himself in a reverent manner. "The last piece of evidence I bring to bear on your thoughts, is that she came here alone. These are hard times for a woman to be traveling without companions for protection. Unless she was under the protection of the powers of evil and the bride of Satan. You must ask yourselves some deep thoughtful questions, brothers and sisters. Let your minds not wander or be strayed away from the facts. Be diligent as you consider, these things and make your decision wisely." And with that he bowed his head humbly and stepped back to sit in a seat in the front of the room on the other side of the Mayor.

There was an awestruck silence as the priest seated himself, the people's gazes hard and thoughtful. The way he spoke, many of the people felt like he was only addressing them, like they were the only person in the room. That was the effect the priest had on these people and Lan could see it. But he wouldn't give up. Reason and logic could still win. Blowing out a heavy breath from his lips, Lan stood and straightened his jacket as he walked into the middle of the room.

"I won't lie to you, my friends and my neighbors," he began. His voice was strong and confident, taking on the professional tone he always used. It wasn't as strong or have the same effect as the priest's, but it did have it's own power and strength to it. "When Father Justin presents cold hard facts, he does so thoroughly. And from the sounds of things, it's pretty damning proof." He pressed a hand to his chest and nodded his head almost as if he were agreeing with the points the priest has made. "But could it be, that he's possibly biased by his station? Possibly he missed something. I admit that when I look at this woman I see some of the same things he sees and possibly you see. But dare we look deeper?" He looked at the girl and pointed his hand indicating her for the crowd. The people hung on his every word as well and were fixated on him as he strode the hall talking.

"Sure, it's unusual for a woman to have short hair and the burnt ends is suspicious. But let me ask you, could it have been an accident? She may be guilty of being clumsy, but that doesn't make her a witch. And what of the items she brought with her? The book I looked through myself, and indeed there were strange writings within that I've never seen before. But in my travels afar I have seen many different writings that I do not understand that were written in different languages. Even I write in a way that many of you would not comprehend though you can read. It's called Math. Am I a witch because I write equations and theories? I have also gotten a look at her staff and her hat. Frankly, the hat is just a hat and the images engraved in the staff are nothing more than doodles by someone who likes to whittle wood." He had his hands in his pockets and started a little when he felt the journal entry crinkle but he went on without missing a beat. "As for her traveling alone. I've got nothing to say to that except that being alone doesn't mean you're married to the Devil. It means you're alone. That's it. So she doesn't have anybody with her to take care of her. Let's not punish her more after being abandoned by anyone who would lend a hand."

The crowd was murmuring and nodding to his words. He was getting them to think and use their heads and not jump to conclusions based on emotions. With that he sat down in his seat and the judge turned to the girl. "At this time, we'll hear from the accused as she tries to defend herself." He nodded at her with a scowl. "You may speak."
 
She listened carefully and quietly to the priests accusations. He was a smart man. He figured it out and he even figured out lots of evidence against her. She was lucky that she only had to make people doubt him enough to spare her life and not have to totally discredit the man. As far as Landon's testimony went she could not help but smile. He was a good man and there was not a word that he spoke that was a lie, well, not to him at least. He could not lie if what he said was believed to be the truth. when it was finally her turn she nodded to the judge in a serious fashion and she stood form her seat and she turned to address the people that sat behind her since it seems that they were her jury.

"Father Justin is a good man," she began her speech to the people. They liked this man and by claiming not to be a witch she was almost calling him a liar. She wanted to make sure that her claiming innocence and calling him a liar remained two very separate and different things. "He is more then a good man, he is a great man. This man brought the word of god to this town, this man has held your hands and this man has opened your eyes to the words of god!" she emphasized, knowing religion played a big part in this, â??But this man, this good man, is still just a man.â? The she paused to let him think. â??Men are not perfect, not without mistakes. The only man that ever walked this earth that be without fault would be Christ himself. We cannot fault Father Justin for his mistake.â? She said, then she walked up to the salt and looked up at the people. â??But it is a mistake.â? And with that she crossed the line.

This was a simply task for her but she heard the gasps from the people. â??Father Justin is a smart and well learned man. That salt circle is meant to hold a witch, and it would probably hold a witch if there was a witch in this room to hold. It would have held me if I was a witch but it did not.â? She spoke to the people, her tone was confident, as if she was convinced that she was not a witch but she could not hide the pain from her face with her steps.

â??He has made many good points, my staff, book, hair and clothing must seem strange for a woman to be carrying alone, they are but I simply could not leave them.â? She admitted. â??My hair... well... I am ashamed to admit, especially in front of so many people but...â? she looked down, not looking at the people as she said this. â??I am a horribly cook.â? Then she looked at the people with a sad smile. â??I burn so much and the last time I tried to make bread my hair got caught in the flames. By the will of god I managed to survive unmarked but my hair was lost.â? Then she straightened herself. â??While he says that it is a point of escaping someoneâ??s justice that my hair was burned I must ask something,â? and with that she turned to one of the men that brought her here. â??You, Sir I am sorry I do not know your name, but please answer me this, how is it that you burn a witch?â?

The man looked confused for a second then he straightened up, realizing he was asked something important. â??Well Miss, first you have to catch the witch.â? He said, acting as though he was an expert.

â??Oh, and I imagine that must be very difficult with the devil assisting her.â?

â??It sure would be difficult!â? The man said with a strong nod.

â??Yet you caught me rather easy?â? She asked him.

He man laughed, â??Miss it was too easy. You were sound asleep when we grabbed ya. Then all we had to do was drag you here.â?

She wanted to get mad but she held her temper and kept it from her face, â??And what did I do when I was dragged here?â?

The man looked as if he was in thought. â??Well, you sure yelled and screamed a lot. You struggled too.â?

â??Really?â?

â??Yup, we nearly lost hold of you but we kept it. Ainâ??t no girl getting away form us easy.â?

â??But a witch might, right?â?

The man responded quickly without thinking. â??Some of the guys were thinking we shouldâ??a covered your mouth so you couldnâ??t caste a spell on us while we was dragging you.â?

â??So you think a witch would curse you if she was being dragged form her bed?â?

The man laughed, â??Well of course! Being evil and all she would have cursed us into toads or something, called her broom and flew away on it.â? The man said as if he was so sure of it.

â??Did I do anything of that?â?

The man paused and looked very confused. â??Well.... no..... You just yelled and struggled. Ainâ??t curses or toads or broomsticks â??bout it...â?

â??Well, lets get back to what I asked. Supposing you catch a witch how do you take care of her?â?

â??First you gotta tie her up so she canâ??t escape, then you gotta tie her to a big wooden stake. Then you put lots of fire wood at her feet and set the stake up in the middle of town so everyone can watch. The you gotta light the fire at her feet and sheâ??ll burn up.â? He seemed pleased with his explanation.

â??So, you light the fire at her feet, right?â? she asked, sounding unsure.

â??Yup, then the fire goes up.â?

â??So the whole witch is burned? Right?â?

â??Thatâ??s right miss. Youâ??re left with a nice crispy witch.â?

Then she paused to let the people think. â??So, if I was burned there my body would be burned pretty badly right?â?

â??Yes it would miss.â?

â??My face and hands would be burned to right?â?

â??Right along with the rest of your body.â?

â??Well do they look burned to you?â? she asked him.

The man stopped and she held up her hands, he looked over her hands and face since they were appropriate to look at. â??Well.... no... No they donâ??t...â?

â??So would you say I was burned at a stake?â?

â??Well... No.... None of you looks burned at all, just your hair.â?

â??Thank you very much kind sir.â? She said with a smile before turning back to the people. She was sure that might have them but she couldnâ??t take a single chance so she went on.

â??My staff is a family heirloom, it once belonged to my great grand father, he used it to save the live of my great grand mother and because of that staff I am here. The book, like your doctor so well put, simply has many different languages in it. I can barely read it but it was very special to my grand mother and she was special to me so I could not bring my part to part with it. As far as the hat...â? she paused and looked down, taking a deep breath as if this was difficult for her to bring herself to say. â??The hat was there when I awoke.â? Then she whipped her eyes as if they had begun to get teary and snuffled slightly.

â??Father Justin may be wrong about me. I am not a witch. But he was certainly right about one thing.... These are dangerous times for a woman to be traveling alone in....â? with that tears began to fall from her eyes but she tried to wipe them away. â??I was traveling to a new town... In my old town no one wished to take me as their bride. I could not cook or care for a house. I was hoping to go somewhere no one knew me and learn from a good wife how to be one but...â? She sniffled again and turned her bloody back to the people, allowing them to see all the blood and know she was hurt. â??Something happened... These men.... they stopped me... a-and they took me...â? she began to cry. â??What they did.... it was horrible... so horrible....â? she sobbed the words.

â??I donâ??t remember it all... But my body is covered in bruises... my back is covered in wounds made by a whip... and my body....â? she sobbed, Abigail came to comfort her but she held up her hand and forced herself to see it. Her eyes were sad and raining tars as they looked out at the people. â??Abigail has examined me... She believes I was raped...â? she heard the gasps ring up in the audience. â??I donâ??t remember what happened, I wish I did...â? She wiped her eyes and tried to regain composure. â??I donâ??t remember exactly what happened. But I woke up in those strange cloths... with that strange hat... I was in a wagon in the middle of the desert and I was abandoned there with no food or water.â? She looked out at all of the people then at the sky. â??Out of all of the directions I could have walked I walked this way. Sure God must have decided to help me and guided me towards this town.â?

She then looked at the judge. â??Your Honor,â? she addressed him in the formal manor, â??Would The Lord help me find this town if I was a witch. Surely he would have pointed me to nowhere and I would have died in the desert. If I was burned at the stake my body would be covered in burns. Had I the magic to defend myself I would have not been caught by those men, I would have not been tortured or raped.â? She stopped to breathe and try and calm herself, saying it was difficult but she needed to in order to save her life. â??And even so,â? she pointed at the circle of salt, â??If I was a witch I would not have been able to cross that salt circle.â?

Then she looked at the father while she addressed the people. â??Father Justin is a good man, but he is a man and men make mistakes, as do women and children and anyone but the lord our savior. I am just a girl whoâ??s had some bad luck and wished for a new start.â? And with that she sat down, hoping that what she said was enough to save her life.
 
Landon smiled and nodded his head as he watched her speak in front of the townspeople. He felt a little bad that he hadn't said more, but his waking had been abrupt and he'd rushed here basically unprepared. He'd just figured all he'd have to say was "She's not a witch" and the girl would cry in front of everybody and they'd accept it. But as she brought her case before them, even thoroughly interrogating Dag Coplin--one of Father Justin's most devout disciples who knew everything there was to know about witches and all the other fairytales he preached about--whom everyone knew to be nothing but a ne'er-do-well who liked to cause trouble, he felt a bit surprised at how complete her dissertation was. She put everything out just perfectly, using common knowledge to discredit the claims while still keeping everyone liking her by not bad mouthing Father Justin. With how extensive her argument was, there was no way they could deny the pure logic in front of their eyes.

Then as she brought up what had been done to her, Landon knew they had won the case. She didn't over do it and there was just enough tears. He figured they were real, after all, she'd found out a lot about what had happened to her during her blackout since the last time she'd put on the waterworks and he got a sober expression on his face at that. Glancing over at Father Justin, he watched as the man's expression darkened from confidence to loathing and then outrage at her tears. He faltered when she mentioned being raped and his eyes looked at Abigail quickly before going back to the girl in the middle of the room. But the sympathy in the priest's eyes was only momentary. Lan shook his head as he looked away from Father Justin. Sometimes, persistence got to the point where it was just prideful stupidity.

The judge's sour expression had changed during her course of speaking as well, one might have said it softened a bit, even if it was only a minuscule change. But when he spoke, at first it seemed like his opinion of her hadn't changed at all. "Young lady," he began in his gravelly voice after she'd taken her seat again. "Despite what you say about all men making mistakes, it is an insult to Father Justin's station to so boldly imply that he made such a grievous error." His expression was hard as he glared down at her, but his eyes lightened a bit at his next words. "But, hearing your explanations, I am inclined to agree--"

"Your honor!" Father Justin exclaimed angrily as he stood up from his seat, but the judge talked over him cutting off whatever he'd been going to say.

"Sit down, man!" he said, shifting that old withered gaze at the priest. "You may be a man of God, but in my courtroom, I am the highest authority. I will not have you speaking out of turn."

Father Justin's face smoothed and he folded his hands in front of himself. But he did not take his seat and instead spoke in calm, humble tones. "Your honor, I must object. It is obvious to me, the witch has placed a bewitchment on the court and clouded the judgment of the people with her lies--"

The judge swung his eyes back at the priest, the beady orbs boring into the man fiercely. "Are you suggesting that my judgment is not sound? Do you not think I have enough sense to make this decision? You bring me here, in the middle of the night last night to try this case for you and you have the nerve to suggest my mind is clouded and seek to usurp my authority here? You are out of line, Father! Sit down and shut your mouth or I will find you in contempt of court!" Father Justin's lips pursed and he deliberately did not look at the faces of those watching, as he turned and took his seat quietly. Landon almost broke out laughing, seeing the man so thoroughly cowed. He only wished he could have been the one to do it.

Nodding curtly when the priest obeyed, the judge turned his gaze back to Dorelia, his eyes gaining that softness as they landed on her. "As I was saying," he said with a small smile, as if implying 'before I was interrupted', practically nodding at silly Father Justin, as if he were sharing a private joke with her, laughing at the priest's expense. "I'm inclined to agree. The charges brought against you seem to be seeped in error and misconception. From the words of the alchemist and the woman charged, the evidence presented against her does not hold up to harsh scrutiny. But, as this court was left open to the public, the people of this town have the last word. We will hold a vote of raised hands. All who say 'Aye' she is a witch, lift up your hands now." Landon was surprised with the way things were going. He wasn't sure but he didn't think this was how things were normally decided. But after Father Justin's claims had been so severely poked through with holes, the judge was probably too tired to go the more formal route. The man was probably eager to have this over and done with so everyone would be happy and he could get home to his own town.

For the vote of her being a witch, the three men who had brought her here, Dag Coplin and his cousins, sat there smiling and raised their arms, stupidly confident. Out of the whole courtroom, they were the only ones to vote that way. Father Justin glared as the next vote was called and a small hissing noise filled the room briefly from people all lifting their arms at the same time. As soon as the judge brought the gavel down and declared a "not guilty" verdict, the priest got up from his seat and strode out of the hall, not saying a word to anyone and stalking away like a wounded man. After that, the hall erupted in noise as people got up from their seats and discussed the goings on or bustled about to leave. It was over. Just like that. She wasn't a witch and everybody now knew it without a doubt.

As the Mayor stood and shook his hand, going on and on about how grateful he was he could make it, Lan looked around the courtroom wonderingly. This was a great victory for this town today and he felt closer to these people than he ever had before. There was hope in their future. He got distracted momentarily watching Maggie Coplin confront her son and nephews who'd all voted "Aye" and even smacked Dag on the back of the head angrily, while the man looked sore and like he didn't understand what he'd done wrong. But he shook his head and smiled, excusing himself from the Mayor and walked over to the table where Dorelia was. Now there were important matters to tend to and he'd gotten glimpses of her back during the trial.

Men and women came by the front of the room to utter words of support to the woman they'd all been so sure was a witch merely an hour before, and Lan interrupted a few, drawing Dorelia and Abigail's attention to him. He helped the woman stand and looked at her back seeing the blood staining her nightgown and quickly took off his jacket and draped it over her. "Quick, Abby," he said in a professional tone, fully entering doctor mode. "We need to get her over to the hospital now and patch these up." And with that, he led the way through the crowd, with Abigail supporting the girl as she walked and went straight to the medical wings of the hospital.
 
Dorelia was terrified. There was no other way to put it. The witch was simply scared almost out of her mind. That feeling was buried though, if she let it through then it would have affected her ability to speak and her life depended on her speaking ability. Her heart pounded fast in her chest as the judge began to speak. She was ready to apologies for saying what she had about Father Justin, it seemed like he still thought that she was offending the man by saying that he had been wrong about her. There was no winning this, either he was wrong and she was hated or he was right and she was killed. She wasnâ??t strong enough to use her magic to get away yet so she had to play by their rules.

Her eyes widened in shock and delight when he said that he agreed. She was so happy she could have kissed the judge but of course that would have been too scandalous and would have likely gotten her into more trouble. Father Justin would say something ridiculous like they were romantically involved and that swayed his decision. Even without her doing anything the father was still insisting that she had done something. She looked at him slightly offended. As if I needed an enchantment to win against you. She thought to herself, when really she thought that she should have if she had more time.

However she tried to hold it a small chuckle escaped her when the priest was thoroughly spanked at his attempts to go over the judgeâ??s head or accuse him of not thinking clearly. She noticed the softness in his gaze when the judge looked at her and she decided that if he lived here then she would bake him cookies... well... when she got good enough at baking not to burn them. The vote however brought back all of her fears. Even if she had swayed one man she needed to sway a whole town. She turned to the people when the vote was called, her fear now clear.

Yet when she saw the way the vote went her fear vanished into the form of a smile. She watched the Priest skate away without a word, she had been hoping to sway him but it seems like that would be impossible. He was no doubt the reason these people were so superstitious. But everyone was getting up to leave and she could not help but smile. She was safe. For now she would actually be safe. She could hardly believe that for once she could actually be safe.

She watched the people of the town come forwards to give their support. She thought that the fact that she had been raped meant that people would want her even less but it seemed to gain their support. She was almost thankful to the men that did this to her. It seems that the rape managed to save her life. When Landon got her attention she smiled weakly, her weariness taking over. She let him help her stand, smiling the whole time. â??I did it.â? She told him quietly.

She let Abigail help her walk and was happy for the coat to cover the blood and the nightgown from the eyes of the people. Despite the pain that she felt from her wounds and the guilt from staining the night gown that she had been given, (though the blood was fresh and a talented woman might be able to clean it,) she could not help but smile. She looked from one to the other and then she smiled at Landon. â??I did it.â? She said happily, though her voice was quiet from weakness. â??Iâ??m safe..... Iâ??m free...â? then she even let out a small laugh, â??Iâ??m alive.... I got through the trial alive...â? she said happily, though her happiness was short lived.

All of the activity was bad for her already bleeding back, not to mention her heart pounding and the fact that she had been supporting herself the entire time. All of this was too much. When she crossed the threshold of the hospital she passed out form blood loss. If Landon didnâ??t act fast then she might not wake up.
 
Landon's mind worked furiously as they walked through the crowd and out of the meeting hall. He was thinking of all the things he'd need to do to fix her back and he was analyzing the step by step process. Well, of course, first he'd have to take a look at it to find out the exact problem, but he thought he had an idea of what had happened. Even as he worked through it he noticed Dorelia was talking and her tone of voice made him look at her sharply. She was very weak and tired; they needed to hurry. But he smiled at her and nodded reassuringly.

"We're almost there," he said to her in an encouraging tone. "Just hang on, alright?" Abigail gave him a worried look as she supported the girl's weight while they walked, but he ignored it. They were going to make it. Couldn't she just trust him for once?

He let out a breath of relief as they entered the hospital doors but Abigail let out an exclamation of surprise as the girl fell in her arms. Lan was instantly there, swooping her up, cradling her in his arms as he rushed to the medical wings. "Abigail!" he shouted to the woman hurrying along beside him. "Get me some bandages, the blood tubes, and some oil of Thyme and hurry!" She faltered a bit at that, but ran off to do his bidding. This was no time to argue or pussy foot around his decisions. In the room with all the beds, Lan set her down on a pallet, gently putting her over on her front. He ripped open the back of the dress, the blood soaking the fabric dripping down his hands as he gripped it tightly and the light dress tearing easily in his hands. Most of the whip marks on her back had all opened and her skin was covered in blood, the wounds still oozing forth red liquid.

Quickly, methodically, he undressed her torso, leaving her skirt over her lower half but taking her arms out of the dress so he'd have room to work. His feet carried him across the room lightning fast to the nurses station where the bucket of water still was. Behind the small counter there, he got some rags and brought all of it over to the bed where the girl lay. Then he proceeded to clean her back of the blood as Abigail came running up with the supplies he'd asked for. Directing her about to help him, Lan used the Thyme oil to spread into the wounds, as an antiseptic and then had her apply the bandages with him. He had Dorelia in a semi sitting position as Abigail wrapped strips of cloth around her torso to keep the bandages in place. It wasn't much, but it would stop the bleeding. He cursed aloud as he took the long plastic tube from the bedside chair where she'd set it. He had to work fast, and he'd already took enough time as it is. She'd lost a lot of blood.

Abigail frowned at his use of language and what he was doing as he started to roll up the sleeve of his blood stained shirt. "Don't look at me like that," he said to her as he pushed the clothing up his arm as far as it would go. "She needs this." With the tube in hand, and using the crude needle on either end of it, he hooked himself up to the girl's arm and began to give her his blood. Now all they could do was wait and Lan took a seat in the chair next to the bed, watching the girl intently.

Abigail looked on with trepidation in her eyes. He'd tried the tubes before but something had been wrong with the blood he'd given and the person had died. She watched Lan with sad eyes, knowing that if there was another way, he'd have done it, but still she worried that the same thing as before would happen. He glanced at her and saw the look on her face and looked away. He remembered what had happened too.

Sighing heavily, Abigail moved forward to tuck the girl into the blankets on the bed. They'd have to worry about redressing her later as it was too risky to move her right now. As it was, the strips of cloth that wrapped around her covered her breasts, but her shoulders and arms were completely bare. Abigail pulled the blanket up around the girl's chin to cover her, all except for the arm that Lan had the tube attached to. Then she nodded and said, "I'm going to go get a new gown for her." And she bustled away from the room unhurried.

As he sat next to the bed, Lan's eyes took on a weary cast and he ran a hand through his hair, cradling his head in worry. Please, let her live. Please, let the blood work. he thought desperately. After all that hard work just to lose her, it would weigh heavily on his heart to say the least.
 
The time crept by at a painfully slow pace. Every second felt like a minute, every minute was an hour and every hour feel like another day went by. Her breathing was slow and shallow. Her skin looked pale and he face didnâ??t have much color to it. The room smelt like blood and there was an uneasy stillness in the air. Not a sound was made and everything seemed all two quiet.

Dorelia felt herself slipping. She couldnâ??t move but deep inside she felt herself drifting and was frightened. She clung to her life bit it was like a rope slipping through her fingertips.No! she cried, I canâ??t die! I canâ??t die! she screamed those words as she clung to her life force but felt it slipping away. Something was wrong, horribly wrong. She had lost too much blood, spent too much energy. Perhaps the abuse finally took itâ??s told on her body but she couldnâ??t let go now.

Everything was so dark, and she was getting so cold. Her body felt light and heavy at the same time and she realized why. Her spirit would leave but her body would stay. She couldnâ??t let that happen! No! No please! I donâ??t want to die! God please! I donâ??t want to die! Then a strange sound hit her ears. She looked around the darkness but she couldnâ??t see where it was coming from but she knew that she heard it. There was a baby, somewhere there was a baby and it was crying.

The only sounds in the room were the sounds of their breathing, but it would not be long before the little sounds that were there would be reduced by half. Her chest rose, and it fell, and it rose, and it fell, and it rose, and it fell.... but it did not rise again. The room took on an uncomfortable silence.

Suddenly she saw herself, truly seeing herself lying on the bed. She was being pulled away but she struggled against it. She saw Landon next to her, she saw the tube and realized what he was doing. He was giving his blood to try and save her. His kind actions shocked her but they seemed to be in vain. She was dead. Finally, if not by fire, Father Justin had managed to kill her. She looked up towards the sky, seeing a bright light but then something happened. She heard the baby crying again.

She looked around but couldnâ??t see where the noise was coming from. It felt so personal and suddenly she found her resolve. She forced her spirit back down and held onto the tube that connected both her corpse and the living Landon. His blood was still flowing into her and she still had a chance. She looked back and saw a man standing in the light, he was smiling at her and she smiled back. Iâ??m sorry father, I canâ??t go now. Iâ??ll see you again. She promised and the man nodded, Thatâ??s my girl. You better make sure that you donâ??t end up here any time soon. You have too much to live for now. he told her.

She didnâ??t have time to think of what he meant but knew that she would find out later. She clung to the tube and began to utter her spell, praying that it would be enough to save her life.
 
--Meanwhile--

Father Justin rearranged the candles on the altar and breathed in and out trying to calm the tension in his body. Outwardly it appeared to be working, but inside he was coiled tighter than a spring and ready to burst. Not even the holy presence in his church could ease his turmoil. How could she have won? How could that witch have convinced so many people? He knew how, and it was so painfully obvious that it ground him deep inside that he was the only one to see it. Witchcraft of course! She must have cast a spell at some point to bewitch the townspeople and the judge against him. Either that or the people of this town really weren't that bright to begin with. "Those sheep!" he muttered contemptuously with a twist of his mouth. "Following whichever way the wind blows! Even into the den of wolves!"

There was so much he couldn't deny, like the circle of salt--how had she crossed it?--or her hair being the only thing on her burned--witches were often given miraculous healing abilities by the devil--and her tears! Everyone knew witches couldn't cry, but she had expelled liquid from her eyes, in plain view where everyone could see and it wasn't a trick. But it HAD to be. Everything in his gut told him that she was a witch and he was never wrong when influenced by the holy spirit to see evil in others. He had to show the people in some way, get her to reveal her true form to them.

The priest stood in front of the altar, grasping it with both hands and his shoulders hunched as he thought furiously. He didn't hear the double doors open or the footsteps of the man who entered. He didn't realize he wasn't alone until the man spoke. "I had to do it," the gravelly voice intoned as the man came to stand a few feet behind him. "You do see that, don't you? The people were already swayed by their sympathy. There was no way I'd have gotten away with telling them she was guilty."

"You let a Darkfiend take residence in this town," the priest said without turning around, his face a mask of composure as he stood up straight. "To make things difficult for me and now, you let one of the brides of Satan walk because it wouldn't do to tarnish your public image." The priest turned to the judge standing behind him, the heavy jowled man regarding him stoically. "We are in a spiritual war ground here. Do you not understand what I am up against, every day fighting for these people's souls?"

The judge was not a man to be intimidated. "You didn't have enough evidence to convince even the most impressionable mind in that courtroom today. They would not have let you execute her without there being a fuss! I did it to save you some face and if you want to continue to garner their respect you'll drop it and leave her alone." He said the last in a warning tone. Somehow he'd sensed how much this meant to the priest and knew if he didn't say something the man would not likely give up chasing this girl until he'd put himself in the mud with her.

Father Justin sighed, folding his hands in front of him and looked at the judge calmly. "Is that all, Marvin?" he asked, using the man's first name deliberately. They were no longer in the courtroom; this was Father Justin's territory now and he made sure the man knew it, even if his demeanor was placid contentment.

The judge took a deep breath, hearing him loud and clear and not liking the way he was being brushed aside. "I'm leaving now. Please, heed my advice, Father. She'll cause you nothing but trouble if you continue to pursue this." But the priest's expression was closed and stony and he knew he wasn't going to listen anymore. So he nodded grimly and left the church, the double doors banging shut behind him and echoing hollowly in the cavernous room.

--------------------------------------------

Lan sat in the chair silently, holding his head in his hand and brooding worriedly. Despite his best efforts to not think about it, the memory of before came to mind. He'd tried the blood tubes only once before, on a small girl who'd come in after being run over by a cart. The wheels had broken her legs and split her skin open. Lan had performed surgery, stitching her up and putting a brace on, but she'd lost a lot of blood in the time it had taken to transport her and then close the wound. The blood tubes were something new he'd devised after seeing other doctors and alchemists use something similar and at the last minute he'd decided to use them on the child. It had been a hurried situation and he'd needed to act fast. There had been no time for questions and doubts and he'd hooked himself up to the girl, just as he was now. But something had gone wrong and the girl's body rejected his blood and she'd died. Nobody blamed him for what had happened but he would always feel sorrow over losing that patient. Especially when he was so uncertain of what had gone wrong.

Glancing at Dorelia, he sighed heavily. He didn't even like her that much, but the fact that she was so close to death now made him ache inside. He wouldn't let her die--he COULDN'T let her! He didn't want another lost life on his conscience, but more deeply than that...he really wanted her to live. The feelings were complex as they roiled around inside him, and he sighed and shook his head. No time to get bogged down by emotions. It was then that he noticed he didn't hear anything coming from her. He looked at her with furrowed brow and put a hand to her neck. There was nothing there, not a beat at all. Licking his lips and his eyes wide with panic he quickly took a small glass mirror from his pocket and held it up to her mouth and nose. There was no breath leaving her.

He tossed it aside frantically and cursed loudly. Then doctor mode took over his body and he automatically leaned down and breathed into her mouth. Then he started to compress her chest, counting to 30 for each time and then stopping to blow in her mouth again. Outside the emotionless void he surrounded himself in when he was in doctor mode, his mind screamed frantically for her to start breathing, for her to live! Inside his mind he threatened her and he pleaded and begged her. He even prayed a bit as he continued to work her chest and breathe into her.
 
Dorelia saw his struggle, she watching him fighting for her life and she tried as hard as she could, screaming the words of her spell and putting as much energy into them as she possibly could. But something was missing. She looked around, there was the blood and the struggle. She could feel his efforts. She could feel the pull back towards her body but she knew that it would not be enough to bring her back. What was the matter? What was missing.

She thought about it and thought hard. She knew that time was running out. This was a special spell that Baba had taught her and she seemed to have everything that she needed for it. A dead person that done not was to die, that was her... The blood of a living person in her veins, Landon did that. The wish for her to come back to life, from his actions she knew that he had that covered. What else did she need? Tears! She thought, Landon you have to cry! You have to cry for me! Cry for me! Cry for me you perverted thieving bastard! She yelled at him, knowing that he couldnâ??t hear a word but wishing he could.

She heard the childâ??s cries growing weaker and she knew she was running out of time. Please Landon! She yelled at him. You can save me! You can save me! You just have to cry! she screamed into his ear. He wouldnâ??t be able to hear her but he just might. His blood was not only in her but her blood was in him and with her witches blood he might be able to hear her yelling at him. She clung to the tube as she watched him, yelling at him and praying that this would work. Then she saw it. She saw the tears trickling down his eyes.

There was a brief window now. He thought he lost her but he had yet to give up. The moment he gave up she was a goner. She used his tears and caste her spell. The babyâ??s cries got loud then they vanished and suddenly she felt very heavy and she was being.... beaten up? She opened her eyes and she grabbed Landonâ??s hands. He would feel the strength drain form his body, probably fall to his knees if not all the way to the floor. She gasped for breath as it refilled her previously empty lungs. She felt her heart thumping in her chest and she could not help but smile.

â??Landon...â? she said happily, â??You did it.â? She said with a small laugh. She clung tightly to his hands. Her own hands warming as the blood flowed through her again. She looked at his arm and hers. â??You.... you gave me your blood.â? She smiled up at him. â??Landon thatâ??s the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me.â? She said with a smile. Now that he was on his knees she leaned over and whispered into his ear. â??Iâ??m sorry, youâ??ll feel better in about a half an hour. Itâ??s a side effect of the spell.â? She whispered. Then she laid back and released his hands.

â??Oh Landon, I was really dead... I saw you... trying to save me... I saw my dad.... He was there... but he said that I couldnâ??t go yet.â? She shook her head. â??It was so confusing.... I kept hearing this baby crying but I couldnâ??t see where it was coming from...â? she admitted as she looked up at him. Then she looked at the tube. â??Lets take this tube out. You donâ??t want to be sharing any more blood with me then you did.â? She told him with a smile. She was so tired but she was so happy just to be here, just to be breathing. She lid back in the pillow and closed her eyes. â??I know youâ??re tired too. You should rest. I should be fine now.â? She assured him, pleased with herself.
 
Of course he didn't consciously hear her, but a part deep inside of him did and was moved to act on her words. On the outside though, Lan was just growing exhausted in his efforts and starting to lose hope. Several times he stopped to lay his head on her chest to hear if her heart had started again, only to continue on with the chest compressions when his ear was met with silence.

"Don't die on me!" he muttered in between heavy breaths as he pressed upon her chest repeatedly. "Don't you fucking die on me! I won't lose you again!" That was when he realized he was crying and that somehow in his mind, he wasn't with Dorelia anymore but with the little girl he'd failed to save. He faltered in confusion, not used to his mind playing tricks like that on him, but then her eyes popped open and she grabbed his hands. Suddenly, despite being relieved to see her awake, he sank to his knees uncontrollably kneeling beside the bed. It felt like something was pulling from inside him, like a sapping of his energy and his limbs felt heavy and weak, like they couldn't support him.

The sudden exhaustion puzzled him but when she leaned down to whisper in his ear he jerked away at the word 'spell.' Immediately his mind went to work figuring out what it could have been. Alright 1. it was a late night last night, didn't get to sleep until 4 in the morning and then woke up suddenly at 6 or 7 and was running around worrying about being late. Then 2. had to appear in court and come up with a plausible argument for people not to kill her, then 3. had emergency with her passing out and then stopped breathing. And 4. I didn't have breakfast at all. His expression changed from one of frantic concentration to one of satisfaction. Yes, that's all it was. No silly "spells" or "magic" involved. You silly, silly girl, he thought airily, his head light and having trouble focusing.

Coughing abruptly and taking in a deep breath, he stood up beside the bed, and groaned with the effort but trying to keep a straight face, straightening his clothes and trying not to sway on his feet. He barely listened to her talk about dying, mostly because he was having trouble concentrating and also because he didn't care. He felt like he was about to fall over any minute. At her suggestion, he remembered the tube connecting them and would have immediately held that up as reason number 5 of why he was so exhausted if he'd had the energy to think things through logically right now. Instead, he pulled the needle on the end of the tube out of her arm and held a piece of gauze there to stop the bleeding. "Put pressure on it," he murmured, his voice full of fatigue that he would not let his face show. He did not offer himself the same when he pulled the other end of the tube from his own arm, and althought the hole it made wasn't too big, it still bled a bit on his shirt sleeve.

He tried to keep up appearances and even tried to murmur encouraging words to her when she said she was fine now, but all that came out was mumbled words and he tilted slightly on his feet. He caught himself with a hand on the wall and shook his head to clear it of this fog weighing down on him. He refused to pass out in front of her.

When Abigail entered the room, she'd had a worried look on her face and brightened when she saw Dorelia's eyes open. But when she looked at Lan the worry was instantly back, but with a bit of impatience in her eyes as well. "You look dead on your feet, man!" she said, with hands on her hips and a new white gown draped over one shoulder. "Go on now and sit down before you hurt yourself." She motioned at the chair by the bed side. He shook his head and started to talk, but she came over and grabbed his arm. All refusals were swallowed by his tongue as her small amount of strength shoved him down into the chair. He didn't try to say anything else, but just let himself sit and enjoy being still for awhile.

Having settled that, Abigail turned to Dorelia. "It's good to see you awake, dear. You had us all very worried," she said warmly, actually having worried the whole time she'd been gone on whether Lan would kill her with the blood tube contraption. She was so relieved and so happy to see he had not and that the girl was doing better now. She didn't think much of Lan's exhausted state, knowing that the man often worked himself past his limits and that it was about time he showed a little weakness. He was only a man afterall.
 
Dorelia nodded and put pressure on the wound. She saw the man trying to limp away and pretend that he wasnâ??t tired but she knew that he truly was. She felt slightly guilty but she knew that if she had died then things would be even worse then they were now. She tried to get him to relax there but he seemed to be very persistent on getting out of the room and in her current state there was nothing that she could do about it. But there was someone who could.

Abigail brought the man back into the room. She forced him back into the chair and she smiled, wondering if he would pass out in it. She smiled at the womanâ??s words and looked up at her happily. â??Iâ??m not just awake.â? She managed to say weakly, â??Iâ??m alive... I died.... then Landon saved me.â? She said with a smile as she looked over at him. If it was not for him he would not have been able to caste her spell to bring herself back. Because of him she was alive there now.

She turned back to Abigail, smiling. â??I saw my father.... He was happy to see me... but he said... he said I couldnâ??t go yet. That now I had too much to live for....â? she told the woman. â??I donâ??t know whatâ??s so special about now... but its what he told me. He was standing in the light too. It was so warm..... So beautiful...â? she could not help but smile as she spoke. â??It was perfect but I just couldnâ??t go...â? then the look of confusion returned to her features. â??It was so strange.... I wanted to go with him... but there was a baby.... they baby was crying.... Hearing the baby cry I felt like I couldnâ??t give up. It was like I had to come back.â? She said, and then she looked up at the woman. â??I donâ??t know why I heard a baby crying. I never had any siblings so it couldnâ??t have been that....â?

The girl seemed very confused but there was something obvious to anyone open to the idea. Dorelia had been raped and while she was dead she heard a child crying. It wasnâ??t just any child. It was her child. The child that she did not even know was growing inside of her stomach. Dorelia was pregnant but there was no way she would let herself even consider the possibility without some very hard proof.
 
Abigail's eyes widened at what the girl had said. What had happened while she'd been gone? It had only been a few minutes! She didn't doubt the seriousness of what the girl had gone through and now realized the reason for Landon's exhaustion. She glanced at him where he sat in the chair she'd forced him into, his head tipped back slightly and his eyes closed. He'd looked haggard enough this morning in court, obviously a sign of having fallen asleep at his work table again, but now he looked absolutely beat. Sometimes the man had no sense. What good was it saving people's lives if he collapsed on top of them while tending to them? He needed to take care of himself before he tried to do so for anyone else and she intended to have a talk with him about it later.

As Dorelia continued to speak, Abigail turned to her again and smiled reassuringly. The old woman was not the most pious in observing religious ceremonies, but she did have faith and respect for the spiritual world. And that included, much to Lan's chagrin, a belief in the near-death experiences some people had when brought back from dying. She smiled with a wondering and openly curious look on her face as Dorelia recounted what she'd been through. Her smile hovered on her face at mention of the baby's crying that the woman had heard. Dorelia may not have known what it meant, but Abigail had a pretty good idea. Even as she looked at the girl, she could see that familiar glow that pregnant women tended to get, and with how much she believed in Dorelia's experience, she knew that also meant the young woman was pregnant. But then, it was one of those things, that it might not be the best time to tell her yet. After all she'd learned about the time of her memory lapse, it would be difficult to swallow just one more thing. Besides, she had no proof to offer other than her own intuition and experience of being around and dealing with pregnant women.

"I am surprised to hear you've been through so much," she began, regaining the strength back in her smile. "I was only gone for a few minutes..." There was an unasked question as she glanced at Lan again, but he didn't seem to be paying attention. When she turned back to Dorelia, she sat on the edge of the bed next to her and spoke in low, yet excited tones to her. "I have heard of many people having experiences like yours. And almost always in people's tellings, there are loved ones who've passed on waiting for us, to guide us back and to comfort us. It always reconfirms my faith that our spirits live on after death and that where we go to after is a wonderful, comforting place. Another plane of existence where our souls live on forever. It makes me feel better to know that death isn't the end."

Lan was slowly coming back to himself and heard snippets of the conversation the women were having. Finally hearing the last few sentences Abigail said, he opened his eyes and looked at her, a small disgruntled frown on his face. When she stopped talking, he coughed derisively and looked away. Of course, he'd only interrupted her but she did not like his attitude towards her faith recently.

"If you've got nothing worthwhile to add, Lan," she said not looking at him, but frowning as she fiddled with the blankets on the bed. "Then maybe it's best if you just stay quiet." She looked at him and the little frown he gave her meant he intended to take up her challenge and say something, but she took advantage of his still somewhat weakened state and jumped in before he could utter even a word. "We all already know you're mad at God. No need to repeat yourself or cough snootily when others express their faith." By her tone, she was angry and it was the first time there had been any open hostility between them in a long time. There was tensio9n in the air as they stared at each other, Abigail frowning tight-lipped and Lan looking a bit wide-eyed like he couldn't believe she'd talked to him like that. Suddenly, the urge to be away from her overwhelmed him and although somewhat still weak, he was able to stand. Without looking at either of the women he stalked out of the room.

Abigail flushed and rolled her eyes after he'd gone, feeling somewhat bad at treating him so harshly, but she knew if she didn't he'd see it as an opening to argue points with her. And she wasn't in the mood. They'd had plenty of discussions about religion before and he was always right no matter what and if she believed in the slightest thing that couldn't be proven then he asserted she was being silly and ignorant. She knew he was having trouble with Father Justin lately and struggling with his own faith, but it was no reason to take it out on her. She cleared her throat and tried to smile at Dorelia, but saw the question in her eyes.

"I've not met many men in the medical profession," she said after a long pause, choosing her words carefully. "But from what I can tell, dealing with the sick and the dying over a long period of time does something to a man. All of the doctors I've known have been in a crises of faith because of what they had to do on a day-to-day basis." She ended it there, not wishing to get more specific and hoping that it explained what was wrong with Lan. She smiled again, trying to change topics smoothly. "What do you say we get you in these clean clothes I brought you?" And she took the gown draped over her shoulder and started to unfold it.
 
Doreliaâ??s eyes drifted back over to where the man was sitting. She could not help but smile. He was just on the verge of sleep but he didnâ??t want to go there. She watching him, he looked almost peaceful, it was fitting of him. Being so close to a peaceful rest but fighting it every step of the way because he thought there was something else he had to do. He was a very stubborn man but she did enjoy his company. She realized that the three of them together, well, it was the closest thing that she got to a real family in a long time and she really liked it.

The woman just smiled at her and let her speak, actually listening, unlike Landon who had been too tired to hear her let alone actually care about her words. She heard what the woman said and she was surprised. â??A few minutes? It felt like so much more!â? she exclaimed, hardly able to believe that so much happened in such a short amount of time. She listened to what the woman said next and she smiled. She was happy to see that this woman had a spiritual side to her and that she was not all science like Landon seemed to be.

However, Landon didnâ??t seem to be as close to sleep as she thought. It seemed that man had just enough energy left in him to put down Abigailâ??s beliefs as foolish and silly. This time he didnâ??t even need his words to do it. A scorn coated cough escaped his lips as he sat otherwise quietly in the chair next to the bed. Then Abigail leapt into action.

She heard the woman go at him and it was pretty brutal. She took advantage of his weakened state and that made Dorelia feel even worse. She watched him as he forced himself to his feet and left the two of them to the room alone and she was worried about him. â??Make sure he finds a warm bed. Please?â? she asked the woman, hoping that she would at least make sure he was sleeping somewhere warm so he would not get sick. The last thing that the people of this town needed was for their doctor to get sick and if it was bad the people might consider it a sign of punishment for defending a witch. She really didnâ??t want to take that chance.

She listened to what the woman said and she nodded. â??It seems to be that way... but.... what did you mean when you said that he was mad at God?â? she asked the woman curiously, wondering what could have possibly happened to make him so angry at the lord himself. The cloths were mentioned and she nodded happily. â??I will need to apologize to whom ever lent me that night gown.â? She said, then she checked under her covers and looked at its tattered remains, â??It seems like they wonâ??t be getting it back any time soon. I donâ??t know how you managed to secure another one.â? She told the woman, smiling at her as she let her put the nightgown on her.

Her movements were slow and careful. She did everything she could to avoid moving her back. The last thing she needed was to open the wounds again and go through another near death experience. She wasnâ??t sure she would have the energy to save herself this time and without the right ingredients she wouldnâ??t have what she needed for the spell either.
 
The old woman sighed and looked at the doorway where the weary alchemist had left and nodded her head somewhat sadly. If she knew Landon as well as she thought she did, the man never showed weakness in front of others. That he appeared so completely fatigued must mean that he was barely able to stand and about ready to lose consciousness. Abigail felt her mothering instinct kick in and a desire to look after him. She knew the girl was right of course and she did feel badly about being so angry with him and especially hitting him where she knew he was most sensitive. And despite knowing she'd had good reason to, it didn't make her feel any less remorseful for saying it. Making up her mind to go help him she was momentarily distracted by Dorelia's questions.

She sighed and thought for a moment on how to best phrase things, so the girl would understand but not judge the young man. "Landon has had a hard time dealing with his faith, in regards to the profession he's chosen," she said calmly. "He likes to convince himself that all his little equations and medical diagrams can explain every little thing. If he knows why the body does a certain thing, then he expects it to always respond in the same way. There's always an answer, a solution to the problem. But, sometimes, people die."

Her eyes looked down sadly, remembering times she'd been by his side in this very room in emergency situations. "Otherwise normal, healthy people die despite all he does to find the problem and fix it. When it's a person's time to go, then they leave the body. Lan has trouble coming to terms with the fact that the Lord decides when a person's time is up, not him with all his sciences and medicines. He struggles against the urge to even give God credit and takes it upon his own shoulders when lives end under his watch. And then there's that whole thing with Father Justin..." she shook her head and rolled her eyes at the priest's name. "He won't admit to being angry with God, but with the way he rejects displays of faith, I know he is."

She gave the girl a small smile and stood and helped her get dressed. "The first gown was an old one I owned." She paused in speaking while putting the dress over Dorelia's head. "It belonged to my niece." She then gave the girl a smile and straightened out the newly put on dress, while helping her take off the remains of the other one. "When I left earlier, one of the women was walking by with her laundry and offered me this one. After the trial today, I don't think you'll need to worry about people's support anymore." She patted Dorelia on the shoulder and started to fold up the tattered cloth in her hands. "I'll bring by some breakfast, after I tend to Lan." And with that she hurried from the room.

When Lan walked through the room and out, he'd stalked at a pretty brisk pace, letting his hurt pride and anger propel him forward. But it used up a great deal of the reserves of energy he'd gathered from sitting down for those few minutes, and as soon as he entered the hallways, where no one could see, he slowed drastically. He leaned heavily on the wall as he inched along, his feet feeling like they had weights attached and his shoulders feeling like he was carrying something that weighed twice his own body weight. His head felt full of cotton and his temples pounded with exhaustion.

It was several minutes before he made it to the door to the hospital and when he got there he slumped against the door frame, aching at the prospect of walking home on his own steam or what was left of it. He knew he wouldn't make it, even though his house was just beside the laboratory and merely 100 feet from where he was standing, the way he felt now from just walking down the hallway, he knew it was too great a distance.

That's where Abigail found him, leaning against the doorway, with a look on his face like he was trying to think through concrete. Before, she'd been ready to apologize, but seeing him again, she was still somewhat angry. But she was willing to help and stepped forward to do so. He turned his head and looked startled to see her, and there was no anger or hurt in his eyes; merely a "Help me" expression on his face. Sighing as she lifted one of his arms over her shoulders and held him up, she carried him home supporting his weight while he walked.
 
She listened carefully to what the woman said and she understood why the man had such trouble keeping his faith with a being that would take people form this world despite his best efforts to save them. She understood the manâ??s thinking if only for a moment. If everything was easy, if there was a mathematical equation that explained everything then nothing would be impossible. People wouldnâ??t need magic to do great things. All they would need was to use their brain and they could do anything.

But that was not the case. Things such as magic, god and religion stood in the way of his idea of a perfect world. It would only make sense for him to denounce all of them. Well, the fact that Father Justin was the man that pushed god and religion didnâ??t make it any easier to want to believe in either. She was once more thankful that both Landon and Abigail had minds of their own or else they might be likely to turn her in for witchcraft despite her actions at the trial.

She thought back to the trial and being dragged from her home and all of the blood that she spilt and felt weak all over again. She lifted her arms to help the woman dress her, feeling like a small child for possibly the tenth time since she arrived. Abigail had that effect on her. She smiled knowing that this woman would have made a wonderful mother. It was a shame that this woman didnâ??t seem to have any children or a husband, she wondered why but didnâ??t feel it to be her place to ask. She heard what the woman said and wondered about this niece, she never said what happened to her...

She was comforted to hear that she had plenty of support in the town and she nodded, her stomach growled, looking forward to whatever the woman had in mind for her breakfast. She watched her leave and wished that Landon would get better soon, she got the feeling that she would be needed him again sometime soon. She didnâ??t realize how right she was.

She passed out possibly just ten minuets after Abigail left her side and she was so out of it that she barely woke up when Abigail brought her breakfast. She kept dropping her silverware, even missing her mouth until the woman decided she was too tired. At least the woman knew well enough that she needed to eat if she wanted to get better and stronger so she feed Dorelia, keeping her just awake enough to swallow the food when it was placed into her mouth.

Sleep should have been peaceful, it should have been easy but her dreams were rimmed with nightmarish visions of torture and screams.

There was pain. Everywhere. There was pain where no woman should have to hurt. There was pain on her back and her legs. It clung to her arms like a child and wrapped around her neck like a scarf. A full jacket of pain and more rained down upon her as the whip bit into her back.

Inside she was screaming. She was crying, struggling, kicking and cursing that man. There was so much frustration and hate, so much pain from the torture that she endured... there was just to much of it all. But as time passed these feelings faded, they slowly became less and less until all that remained were her silent screams and tears.

The whip continued to bite her skin, eating her piece my piece, crack by crack it took a little more of herself with it until she wished that it would simply be over. Death was more merciful then this man and he knew she would run to it before he was through with her so he took precautions against it. Her mouth was gagged with something that tasted utterly vial. Tied so she could not move, hanging by her arms while he legs were weighted down.

There was so much pain. Just too much pain. She wanted it over. She wanted him to end it. He took away her power to end it. Keeping her bound and gagged. He kept her so weak even a simply spell could have been enough to end her. She tried. She tried so many times with so many spells but with the gag they never came out clear enough. With her bound in this state she could never get the movements. There was not a simply spell she could caste like this. He took away her suicides.

And he laughed while he did it.

He taunted her.

His voice was cold and sharper then any blade he used on her tender flesh. His hands were rough, not only his touch but his hands. There were worn from work. What kinds she had no clue, she never got enough light to see him clearly. When he took off her blindfold he always had it dark. The something cold would be pressed under her eyes as she cried. She didnâ??t understand what he was doing or why he hated her so. She didnâ??t know what she did to him but it must have been something horrible for him to go to so far to make her suffer so badly that she wished her own end.

But it wasnâ??t.

She did nothing to him.

Nothing but exist, and for that he hated her.

â??Witch,â? he laughed, â??powerful as you are ugly. Where is your power now witch?â? then he would just laugh and laugh as the whip devoured the skin on her back.

He took care to keep her alive, feeding her and giving her water but drugging her first so that she could not gather enough wits to put together a spell to end one of the two of them or free her.

He was clever...

Far too clever.

He knew things, things no mortal man should know about witches yet he taunted her with superstitions.

â??They say a sat circle makes witches weak. Iâ??m not sure I believe that, do you?â? then he would throw salt on her wounds and laugh as she struggled vainly in pain.

To call him cruel was an understatement. He was perversely twisted and sick. To call him an animal would be an insult to anything with fur. He was a monster to the fullest extent to the word and more. But she never got his name. To her that was it. Monster.

Monster would leave occasionally and that was the only rest she got. Her shoulders still screaming form holding up her body or finally numb to the pain. There was no â??sleep,â?? there was unconsciousness but not sleep. Sleep was a peaceful thing that one may drift into and out of at will. When he was done with her for a day or just an hour she would close her eyes and simply be gone. There were not even dreams to escape to.

But her escape would come.

Someone shook her awake, she whimpered, thinking that it was Monster. She would have started to cry had she left any tears.

â??Shh,â? someone whispered and in and instant she knew it was not monster.

When he took off her blind fold she got to see her rescuer. It was a boy. He look no older then twelve and his clothing was poor and his face was dirty. A beggar? An orphan? An urchin? She wondered but just dimly. What ever he was did not change that fact that he was about to save her.

â??Iâ??m sorry miss.... youâ??re hurt... terribly... Iâ??m no doctor and I canâ??t take you to any but I can take you from here.â? The boy said. From his voice she could tell he had not yet his puberty.

She smiled. God, she had forgotten what it felt like to smile. His kindness felt so strange now, after so long she had almost forgotten that kindness even existed in this world. For so long the only kindness she could think of was being annoyed to die.... But a chance at life?

The boy untied the weights form her legs then her arms, grunting as she fell on top of him and falling under her weight. She cried out in pain and realized he had not removed her gag.

â??Iâ??m sorry miss, Iâ??ll get you out of here but for now please keep that gag in your mouth. You are hurt and if you cry out in pain I worry you will wake the man sleeping in the hay.â?

The boy was innocent enough. Her mind groaned as it tired to work properly and think of what man this boy could be talking about. How could there be a man here? How could that man have not let her down? Then she realized who it was. For so long she had thought of him as Monster that she had forgotten he was just a man. She couldnâ??t believe that it was just a man but it seemed that was true, according to this boy at least. In her state she would have believed anything he said. She wouldnâ??t have thought twice if he called himself the tooth fairy.

He set her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She vaguely realized that this was not out of rudeness. He had tried other ways be he could not support her weight any other way. But she was not mad at him for this. She could not stop whispering muffling â??thank youâ??s to the boy as he carried her from the building.

She did not get to see Monster. She passed out once more on his shoulder. The last thing that came to her mind was thanking the night for itâ??s cool breeze and wondering why it seemed so much colder then she remembered.

The visions came to her in bits and pieces as she woke up and fell back into her tortured sleep. She was never awake for more then a few minutes at a time and was unaware of the time passing or what was going on. Days were passing. The manâ??s mistreatment of her caused her wounds to become infected, despite Landonâ??s and Abigailâ??s best efforts. But they fought with her to overcome it.

She remembered waking up to find Landon worriedly leaning over her. There was pressure on her forehead... he pulled his hand off it and then he yelled to Abigail. She remembered the worry on his face and the woman running form the room. Had he said something mean? Why did he have to be mean to her? She was such a nice woman... He looked down at her as he spoke. His words were too mixed up to hear. She could not make heads or tails of a thing she was saying but she asked him why he yelled at Abigail.

Abigail came back carrying something and then her forehead was cold. She didnâ??t like it and struggled but Landon held her down. She scolded him like a bad child, but it was so weak it barely came out other then the words â??bad Landonâ?? and â??lemme go.â?? Her words were still slurred with fever form infection. And then she was out again.

Next she remembered soup. It was warm and tasty. Magically finding its way to her mouth though she knew she was not moving. Abigail was there. She was speaking kindly, saying kind things that Dorelia didnâ??t understand. But the soup was not the only thing that was hot. She wondered if they had left her in the sun and was curious as to why she was all wet. She asked Abigail who got her all wet and the woman just smiled and said something, then she was unconscious once more.

When she awoke next someone was undressing her. She was to out of it to see who it was and feared the worst. â??Noos.... no shtop... pleaâ??...â? she begged as she struggled. Then she realized there were two of them. Believing the worst had come to pass she thought Monster came back with help. â??Nos.... leaâ??me â??lone Monshter.... leaâ??me â??lone...â? her words were slurred and quiet. She was too weak to speak loudly. She struggled with them until she was gone.

This went on for five days. Her fever spiked and fell and Landon and Abigail kept a close watch over her. Pieces of what happened to her would come back and she would mistake them for Monster when she woman up while they changed her soaking nightgown or touch her in any way. Sometimes Abigail would feed her and she would mistake her for her mother and began to cry.

â??Mommy,â? she would whimper weakly, her eyes only half open or just fully closed. â??Iâ??m sorry... Iâ??m sorry mommy.... Iâ??m sorry. I love you mommy.... why do you hate me? Why do you hate me?â? her sobs would shake her and her pillow would be wet with tears before she fell back into nightmarish sleep.

Dreams of her mother would come. They would be happy dreams. Her mother playing with her, holding her, kissing her. Memories of her motherâ??s earliest teachings. Always stir the soup so it doesnâ??t burn and make sure dinner is ready before daddy comes home. Her mother would speak these words so kindly to her and she would give her mother and exaggerated nod then stand on the chair that her mother pulled towards the stove so she could reach the soup and stir it.

Then there would be unhappy ones. Dreams where her mother was still alive, dreams where she hated her daughter. Sometimes she would even see her motherâ??s face ass Monsterâ??s.

â??Why mommy?â? she would ask as Abigail feed her soup, â??Why do you hate me? Why do you hurt me?â? and then she would pass back into her uneasy sleep.

When her fever finally broke and was covered in sweat and longed for a bath. Her limbs were still weak and she was wearing a nightgown that she did not recognize. She noticed a bucket in Landonâ??s arms and a horrible taste in her mouth. Had she gotten ill? She hoped not. Her nightgown was like a second skin, soaked to transparency with sweat. Abigail came in holding a wet rag and she realized there was a warm one on her forehead.

She as sat up and felt slightly heavier, she had to guess that they had been feeding her sell and seceded that she might need to go on a diet. She tried to use the warm one to wash the sweat form her face and then she looked at the two of them. They both looked exhausted and she wondered why. She didnâ??t know how much time had passed but she felt like it had been a while. She wondered why Landon had not been sleeping and wondered if it had been his experiments or her spell that made him look so tired. How ever long it had been he should have had enough time to recover. She didnâ??t take that much energy form him had she?

She thought through many things as she looked at the two of them .They seemed completely speechless and she looked at the two of them confused. When neither one spoke she decided to be the one to break the silence.

â??Okay, I clearly missed something.â? She said as she looked down at herself, realizing her nightgown was transparent and blushing deeply as she pulled up the covers to hide her body form him. â??Why am I covered in sweat and why do you have a bucket.... You both look so tired... havenâ??t you been sleeping?â? she asked the two of them then she just shook her head. â??Never mind those questions.â? She said then she smiled at the two of them. â??Abigail,â? she asked the woman, â??where can I bathe?â?

To her nothing had happened. Surely the memories would return later but right now the last thing she could actively recall was Abigail going to get breakfast and help Landon to get some sleep. The rest would come later and rather easy if she tried to remember it but right now the only thing she cared for was a good bath.
 
Letting out a relieved breath when she sat up and started talking, Landon felt himself relax a bit. She was finally coming back to herself. After 5 long days of infection induced fever and delirium, she was lucid and the fever was gone, her wounds closed up and starting to heal properly. It had been a hectic past few days as he and Abigail had tended to the girl. Both were tired and a little on edge.

After he'd left that afternoon 5 days ago, he'd gone home to his bed gladly and slept for four hours straight--the body can only take so many nights sleeping sitting up. Having escorted him home, Abigail had gone and made the girl up some breakfast and had attempted to feed her, despite Dorelia's fatigue. It wasn't until Lan came back in the afternoon, in fresh clothes and feeling much better than before, that they'd discovered anything was wrong. He remembered clearly how it had been when he'd walked into the room cheerful and coming to check up on her only to find the girl pased out and sweating heavily. Abigail had been with him when he'd hurried to her bedside and pressed a hand to her forehead almost recoiling right away from how hot she was.

"Abigail!" he'd said turning to the older woman frantically. "Go get some rags and a large bucket of ice cold water and hurry!" He had to get the girl's fever down or else she might die. As Abigail rushed off, he turned back to the girl and saw she was looking at him. "You've got an intense fever, Dorelia. I think it might be the wounds on your back. Don't worry, we'll bring it down." And she merely asked him in a weary voice why he'd yelled at the head nurse, obviously not having heard a word he'd said. More quietly, and caressing the side of her face, he said, "I'm going to take care of you. Just hold on."

Then Abigail was back with bundles of clean rags and carrying a nice sized bucket full of water and with a haphazardly cut block of ice in it--probably from someone's cellar, where ice was normally stored. Then she quickly set it down and dunked a rag into it before wringing it and handing it to him. The rag, still dripping with cold water, he placed on Dorelia's forehead and the girl struggled against it forcing him to restrain her as Abigail stepped forward and held the rag in place. The tone of voice she used as she fought him, berating him like a child, she almost sounded like a child herself and normally he would have found such endearing. But it only made him worry more with how fast she was slipping.

The fever stayed with them for the week, the infection continuing it's assault on her body. Both Abigail and Landon watched over her, day and night, feeding her and giving her water to drink, switching out the rags on her forehead for freshly dipped ones and putting clean bandages on her back.

Abigail was the one who mostly fed her, because whenever she wasn't by the bedside she was out gathering supplies. After the trial that first afternoon lots of the women were eager to see the girl and Abigail had told them about her condition. There was an overflowing of sympathy and fear for Dorelia and the women provided her with all they could to help the poor girl. Then that night when they went home, they told their husbands and the men talked to each other and provided things as well.

The evening of the first day, Abigail sat by the bedside, feeding the girl soup and talking to her cheerfully. "This was made by Jeneane," she said putting a warm spoonful into the girl's mouth. "The crapenter's wife. She made it especially for you. There has been such a flood of love and support for you in this town. I wish you could see it. They're all acting like concerned parents and as if you were their daughter." She got a fond look in her eyes as she gave her another spoonful. It really warmed her heart to see the people turn so completely around after the trial. It was like they'd become completely different people. But she remembered how things had been before Father Justin and it was like they were returning to their old selves before the priest had come.

When Father Justin heard about her sickness, he preached in morning Mass every day about how this was a sign of the girl's evil. "The Lord is trying to exact justice upon her, because earthly justice failed!" But really, he didn't convince anyone with his words, just made them all uncomfortable. There had been a trial and the decision was made. He was basically beating a dead horse. When he realized that he was losing people from one morning to the next, he quickly quieted about the "evil" and started preaching that they should pray for Dorelia to get better.

Sometimes, Dorelia said things in her delirium that confused both Lan and Abigail. They'd had to change her clothes once, because they'd been so drenched with sweat and it would have been poor, hygienically to leave them on her. And as they'd undressed her together, the girl had struggled and voiced denials. At first it sounded like she might be reliving the rape and torture, but then she said something about a "Monster". When Abigail looked at Lan, concerned, he merely shook his head. "She's just hallucinating. It's alright." It was enough to set his mind at ease about it but still Abigail worried about it.

And Abigail's concern for her only grew, especially when the girl mentioned her mother. It broke her heart to hear her talk like that and she wondered about what an awful experience it must be to have a mother like that. someone so cruel and driven by paranoia and superstition to try and kill their own child. she could not imagine it, especially when she felt like a mother herself towards Dorelia. When the girl whimpered to her, lost in waking dreams about her mother, Abigail just wanted to scoop her up into her arms and take that hurt and pain away. "You are loved," she would say at those times, even though the girl could probably not hear her.

While bigail took care of feeding the girl and running errands, Lan spent most of his time by the girl's side, constantly fussing over her and making sure she was okay. A few times, he'd even fallen asleep in the chair by the bed and had to be shooed home by Abigail. But every chnce he got, he was there, watching over her. He'd tried a few times to find solice in his lab, but he just couldn't concentrate and had finally given up. They could wait, at least until the girl was better.

One thing that happened that caused a bit of concern was Abigail's growing concern over the baby the girl might be carrying. When she told Lan of her suspicions, he'd of course been skeptical but had done some tests anyways. It would be important for her and for them to know if she was with child. It was still pretty early but the results howed that she was indeed pregnant. As soon as that came out, there had been a slight increase in distress over her current condition.

But now, she was awake and talking, back to normal. It was time to tell her and both he and Abigail were hesitant to do so. But Landon knew she needed to know. But instead of saying that, he said, "It's good to see you're finally back with us." He glanced at bigail and they hared a look. Not yet is what it said. Abigail stepped forward with a small smile. "Alright, a bath most definitely." She looked at Lan pointedly and he started to leave to go fetch what they'd need.
 
Dorelia was happy to see the two of them there with her. She had come to think of the two of them as a sort of family. Abigail was always a sort of mother figure but Landon did not have the same constant. Sometimes he played the part of protective older brother, sometimes he was an annoying younger one. Occasionally he even played and almost fatherly figure but there were times when she was not quite sure what exactly he was to her so she didnâ??t really dwell on it. She listened to the things that they said but something he said confused her.

â??Good to see that Iâ??m finally back with you?â? She questioned the two of them, looking form one face to the other. â??What do you mean?â? she asked the two of them confused, â??Where did I go?â? Now she was really confused. â??I didnâ??t go anywhere.... you were supposed to go home to rest and Abigail went back to help you then to make breakfast, then I was tired so I fell asleep.... then...â? and she stopped, trying to think of what else had happened.

The memories came back to her like a slap to the face.

She remembered laying there as Abigail fed her. She remembered other times where there was someone feeding her and she thought It was her mother. She remembered talking to her mother and her mother would tell her that she loved her... But it had not been her mother, it had been Abigail... Had Abigail been saying that she loved her? She could not be sure. She remembered when Landon felt her forehead and how his words had sounded so muffled that she couldnâ??t make out a single thing that he said. Abigail might not have even said anything to her. It could have all just been a hallucination.

She remembered other hallucinations. Things like thinking that Monster had come back with help whenever they changed her nightgown. Then she remembered the nightmares. She remembered the nightmares of Monster and her mother, and then she remembered the memory. The memory made her shutter visibly and she wrapped her arms around herself to hold herself. It was just a few and she did not even want to remember the rest.

She looked up at Abigail, a weak smile clinging to her face as she did so. â??I hate memory lapses... They seem to be getting quite common with me... I really hope it doesnâ??t continue.â? She told the woman. Dorelia still kept her arms wrapped around herself. She shuttered once more as she looked down. â??I wanted to tell the two of you.... While I was being dragged off to trial I had a sort of flash back... I was being dragged away... I didnâ??t have my shoes, I remember the mud being cold... It must have rained recently before I was taken...â? she told the two of them. She turned her head to look out the window.

â??There were three of them... All men. They were ageing when I awoke but despite being awake I couldnâ??t move... I think... I think they drugged me...â? she paused as she thought about it some more. â??Two of them were brothers... The one with the younger voice... he was having second thoughts... The brothers were the oneâ??s dragging me. The master mind of it must have been walking a head.... One of the brothers was having second thoughts and he didnâ??t want to do this any more. He said.... that he thought.... that he was doing a good thing... ridding the world of a witch... but that I didnâ??t look like one...â? she paused, her face twisted in thought as she tried to remember more.

â??But... he used that manâ??s name... so he slit the manâ??s throat....â? she shuttered once more, â??I heard him joking and his brother was so shocked... the man said that he broke one of his rules but the other one wouldnâ??t listen to him anymore...â? she looked at the two of them, shock and confusion on her face and in her eyes. â??So he killed the other one... then he tossed me over his shoulder and took me away...â? her eyes widened at something else form the memory but she couldnâ??t say it in front of Abigail. She would talk about it when she spoke to Landon alone. There was still more that she had to tell them.

â??Then.... while I was sick I remembered more... things that monster did to me...â? she shuttered, clinging to herself tighter. â??He did so many..... Just bad... horrible things... he even threw salt in my wounds... I wouldnâ??t be the least bit shocked if he did more...â? she looked away form the two of them, remembering her desperation. She remembered wanted to die, wanting to do anything to just end her life so it could all be over. She didnâ??t remember the point where the desire to escape turned into a desire to die but it had to be somewhere. She looked at the two of them then she looked back down. She couldnâ??t even make herself say all of the things that he did to her.

â??Then... there was a boy... he said he stumbled upon the place... that there was a man passed out in the hay... the boy was so young... his voice had yet to deepen or break, he couldnâ??t have been older the twelve. I remember his dirty face...â? she smiled, â??He said that he couldnâ??t take me to a doctor... but he could take me away from there...â? she shook her head at the boyâ??s innocence and rayed that he was okay. â??He struggled to carry me... I hope he is okay...â? she said as she looked down.

After that she turned herself and she looked back up at the two of them. Landon had already brought a large metal tub, a bucket with a wash cloth and some soap. She smiled at the two of them but she didnâ??t begin to undress just yet. She had forgotten how transparent the nightgown was. She just waited to hear their responses to her memories and then when Landon left she could bathe.
 
Landon stopped from leaving as she asked her questions. "You had a fever," he said, professionally. "It was caused by infection and you were delirious for five days." Then he fell silent and listened to what the girl said about the memories she had retrieved, his brows furrowing in concentration as he listened. Abigail got a concerned look as she listened, her heart going out to the girl for the trauma she'd been through. She promised herself that if she ever saw the man who did this, she would kill him herself, damn the consequences! Landon's thoughts weren't much far behind, but he was thinking more in lines of trial and hanging or beheading the man, with himself holding the axe or pulling the noose tight.

When she called the man a "monster" recognition bloomed on Lan's face, understanding now what she'd meant while they'd had to change her nightgown those several times during her fever. The old woman's heart ached and she got a bit teary eyed at the things Dorelia recounted, especially what the girl didn't/couldn't say had happened. Lan wondered furiously as he left to get things for a bath, bringing a wash basin full of hot water that they'd had heating over someone's fire. When he came back into the room, carrying the things, with a brick of soap and some washcloths, he set them down at the foot of the bed. He took his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves and looked over at the two women who were staring at him.

He shrugged it off, still in doctor mode, and gestured at Dorelia. "Help her out of bed, Abby, if you'd please," and he scratched his nose as if there wasn't anything wrong with what he was planning on doing.

Abigail stood looking at him like he was crazy, glancing at Dorelia before responding. "What are you doing?" she asked, incredulously.

"I'm going to help her take a bath," he said, as if it was obvious and like he didn't understand why she was being difficult.

Abigail immediately started shaking her head in denial. "I understand you want to help but--"

"Abby, please!" he said, frustrated. He did not want to frigging argue about EVERYTHING with her! Sometimes she just had to shut her mouth and accept that HE was the doctor. But he knew she wouldn't settle for that, so he sighed and explained it to her. "Look, she's still very weak and it'll take two of us to help her, alright? So please, lets get this over with. Help her out of bed and bring her over here please."

"No, Lan," Abigail said, folding her arms and looking at him like she was putting her foot down. "It's not appropriate."

He stared at her levelly for the longest time before pointing at his jacket draped over the end of the bed. "DOCTOR!" he said indignantly. "I'm the doctor!"

Abigail opened her mouth to insist again, but all of a sudden he gave her such a look that she knew he was digging in his heels. He was so protective! And stubborn! Always wanting to do everything himself because nobody could do it as well as he could! Glaring at him, Abigail finally just threw up her hands with an aggravated groan, before turning to Dorelia with a sigh.
 
Dorelia looked at the man confused. What did he think he was doing? He loved that Jacket, why was he taking it off? And rolling up he sleeves... he didnâ??t think... He did...

She heard their argument and her cheeks went from the recovering shade of pale that they were to a bright red.

â??Lan.... you canâ??t possibly...â? she began and then she shook her head. â??Youâ??re not serious!â? she yelled at him, now she wasnâ??t only mad but she was highly embarrassed as well.

She was beginning to understand something about Landon. Whenever he got into a fight with Abigail about decency he would simply claim that being a doctor excused him for it. He seemed to think that being a doctor excused him form just about everything that people might consider to be indecent. She didnâ??t understand his looks like Abigail did, she didnâ??t understand why the woman stopped insisting that he needed to go away but she was shocked by it all the same.

â??Landon can you come here a second?â? she asked him kindly enough. Then, once he came into reach he received a swift slap across the face. â??Being a doctor doesnâ??t give you the right to do this!â? By now he cheeks were deep, deep red. â??I already let you look over my naked body so that you could figure out what had been done to me. That is the only reason!â? she yelled at him, angry he would consider this, â??Now you want to bathe me?â? her face deepened in its shade of red. â??I let you look at my naked body already, that doesnâ??t mean Iâ??m going to let your touch it!â?

She crossed her arms over her chest and she looked away form him. She searched her mind as she tried to think. When she finally got an idea she turned back to Landon, however, when she noticed his sleeved rolled up again and looked down before speaking.

â??Abigail keeps saying that there is lots of support. She is a fine nurse herself and if she needs help then surely one of the women form the village would be happy to help.â? With that she glared at Landon one last time and repeated her previous statement but much more quietly. â??Landon, doctor or not, you have already seen my naked to examine me, no doubt other times when you helped Abigail change my nightgown, however, the only man that should run hands over my naked body would be a husband.â? Her gaze hardened on him. â??You are my doctor, not my husband. Unless you intend to marry me I suggest that we find someone else to help.â?

And with that she was quite sure that she has made her case; however that still didnâ??t clear the blush form her cheeks or lift her embarrassment. She was just hoping that he would accept that and leave it be so she wouldnâ??t have to have him bathe her with Abigail.
 
Landon sighed and slumped his shoulders a bit when Dorelia joined the protesting of his helping with the bath. What was wrong with women? Why did they always get like this about the silliest things? It was just a BATH! He'd seen her naked a bunch of times, what did one more matter? And he was the doctor, so they must know that his motives were not lewd in any way. They just wanted to act fussy about things. When Dorelia called him over he walked near to the one side of the bed, smoothing his mustache as he went. Standing at the bedside, he sighed again and looked at her and was completely caught off guard when her hand made contact with his face, his head whipping off to the side. His eyes were wide and he stood there stunned for a moment, his cheek stinging from the blow as she started speaking again. At first, he couldn't figure out what had happened, but as soon as he did, he couldn't believe it and he turned his head slowly to look at her. How dare she? After all he'd done...

As she spoke, he got indignant and angry. "Um, pardon me, but being a doctor DOES excuse me from normal indecency rules! I'M not trying to get into your bed or take advantage of you! And the fact that you would suggest I am not just doing my job is really insulting! Who do you think I am that I would manipulate my position to prey upon people? Father Justin???" His face was red now too, and he was breathing hard from yelling at the girl.

Then his face went a different shade of red, from embarrassment at what she said next and he stood back a bit, caught off guard. He looked away from her and looked at Abigail, then let his eyes fall to the floor, grinding his teeth before he answered in quiet tones. "I would never," he said, clearing his throat momentarily. "I would never take a woman so untrusting of me and my motives and so anxiously prudish--when all I want to do is help--as my wife. Especially not you." He still did not look at her, but haughtily kept his gaze elsewhere.

"Landon Cane!" Abigail said, incensed and appalled at how he insulted Dorelia when the girl was absolutely right. "That is completely uncall--"

"I'm going to go find someone else to help you," he said interrupting Abigail, rubbing each side of his mustache as he started to walk away, obviously mad and still not looking at Dorelia at all.
 
The look on his face when she slapped him was a bad sign but she didnâ??t pay any attention to it as she went on about things. Youâ??d think that the boy had never been slapped before from that look. However it wasnâ??t the look on his face that was concerning her at the moment, it was the words coming form his mouth.

â??Landon I know you are not trying to take advantage of me...â? she began, trying to calm him. She didnâ??t mean to enrage him so and she wished that there was some way she could figure out exactly what set him off. She could not help but stifle a laugh when he mentioned Father Justin in the way that he did. Had the father heard him say that, he would have been furious. The look on his face would have been absolutely priceless. But that didnâ??t happen; instead things took a worse turn.

What he said next caught her far off guard. She was frozen for a moment, as if she could not believe that was said and was trying to see if it was untrue... it wasnâ??t. To these words she had no reply, she was stunned to silence. His words may as well have been a dagger to her. They were sharp and sliced through her as if she was made of butter. She didnâ??t say anything as he left but she did look down, deeply hurt by his words.

â??I-I wasnâ??t trying.... to insult him... I just wanted to make my point...â? Then she looked up at Abigail, the hurt all too clear in her eyes and displayed all over her face. She was hurt and upset and wished that she could fix this. â??Abigail.... he knows I trust him.... right?â? she asked the woman. She was just so unsure now. Landon was the one that he been there when she woke up... even of she had thought him to be a thieving pervert at the time... He had defended her in trial and he saved her life. He went up and beyond what any man had ever done for her. If he was holding the rope to the guillotineâ??s blade she would trust him to find some way to get her out of there without releasing it.

She looked down at herself. His blood still ran through her veins, her blood was in his. She trusted him. A witch would never let anyone carry their blood unless they trusted them. â??I-I know heâ??s a good man... He would never try and take advantage of me. If he wanted to he already had plenty of chances and he didnâ??t...I-I just could sit here and let him bathe me too...â? her voice held the hurt she felt in her heart.

She kept her eyes down, looking at the floor. She felt wounded, like a beaten dog unable to understand what it had done so wrong. His words just played again and again in her mind. What was so wrong with her as a bride? Maybe not his bride, diffidently not his bride according to him, but someoneâ??s surely... right? She was beginning to wonder if she would ever see the day when she got to wear a beautiful white dress and walk down the isle to a man the would love her for who she was. It seemed, for some reason now more then ever, that the day may never come. It seemed like she would never get to be a bride.

She kept her eyes on the ground, suddenly feeling as though she was going to cry. Her eyes burned for tears but she willed them back. She didnâ??t want to start crying over this, no matter how deeply his words cut her. She turned her gaze up to the woman, her gaze was more then sad and hurt, it was also doubtful. â??I...I did the right thing....right?â? she asked the woman, now wondering if she should have just let him bathe her to have avoided this.
 
The older woman just stood there ringing her hands as Lan stormed off, and she looked at Dorelia with sadness in her eyes. She understood where he was coming from but it was still wrong. He didn't have the right, despite his good intentions, it was just not appropriate. Sometimes, she wondered where he had learned his manners and social customs. It seemed he had little regard for a person's personal space when he was in doctor mode, and little to no tact when it came to speaking with people. But in all her years of working with Lan, she'd never seen him act this way with anyone. Of course, she'd never seen anyone slap Lan before, either. Usually people listened to whatever he told them to do. If he ordered them to undress for an examination, then they did, with only minor hesitation. Most people took his position as doctor almost as seriously as he did. But she'd never seen him so flustered and angry towards a patient before. Something about this girl must be setting him off.

Abigail listened to what the girl said and saw the tears being held back in her eyes. "I'm sure he does, sweetheart," she said, about Lan knowing she trusted him. But she wasn't so certain herself. He could be very finicky about things, and often saw people questioning him as an attack on him personally. But no need to have Dorelia worrying about Lan right now.

"No, no, dear," she said rushing to the bedside trying to reassure the girl. "You were perfectly in the right with everything you said. He's just like a foolish child sometimes. Throwing temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. I'm sure he didn't mean what he said..." She patted Dorelia's arm giving her a small smile, sympathizing with the girl. "I'll talk to him, alright? I'm sure he'll find some women in town willing to help with the bath. I'll be back shortly." And with that she started walking from the room as well, only pausing to pick up Lan's jacket that he'd left draped over the end of the bed.

As Landon walked out of the hospital, he was fuming, unrolling his sleeves and rebuttoning his cuffs as he walked. Insolent...witch! he thought to himself. In truth, it was a silly thing to get worked up about--it was just a bath afterall, and women were silly, it was a well known fact. But then again, that's exactly what bothered him most about it: It was JUST a bath and women were SILLY! Out of all the things she had to question him about...

He shook his head and straightened his shirt with a groan. He approached the laundry watering hole where there were some women gathered, and coughed to excuse himself into the conversation.

"Ladies," he said with a respectful nod, hiding the anger still boiling within behind a mask of professionalism. "Dorelia's fever has broken," he paused to let the women clamor in and utter their words of relief and joy at the news, before continuing. "And now she desires to take a bath. Abigail cannot do it on her own, and I would like to ask that two of you go and give her your assistance, please." He frowned slightly when none of them batted an eye or made mention of 'why don't you just help her, doctor?', but shrugged it off as two women immediately stepped forward. "Great, thank you, so much for your time." He gave them all a reserved smile, and nodded his head, as the two women hurried off.

They were stopped momentarily by Abigail who came walking up, and told them to go ahead and start helping the girl, that she would be back momentarily.

Hearing her voice, Landon turned from the other gathered women and started walking away, ignoring her. He was NOT in the mood right now to be lectured by her. Abigail saw his behavior and with a grim look on her face, hurried after him.

"You've got some nerve, you know that?" she said walking along beside him, trying to talk to him despite his brisk pace.

Lan glanced at her then, his eyes wide and shaking his head in denial. "I've got a lot of nerve?" he asked incredulously. "What about you?"

"Me?" she asked, in affronted tones. "What about me? I'm not the one treating Dorelia like an enemy to be wrestled to the ground and subdued every chance I get. I'm not the one losing my temper and hurting people!"

Landon looked away from her with a shake of his head. "No, but you fight me about everything!" he said angrily, trudging along as she tried to keep up. "It's why she doesn't respect me and why she doesn't trust me! Because you keep disrespecting me and making me look like an idiot in front of her! No wonder she thinks I'm incompetent."

Abigail stared stunned, understanding filling her eyes. But she was no less angry. She grabbed his arm and made him stop, taking him off to the side, so they weren't standing in the middle of the street while they talked. "Did it not occur to you, that it has nothing to do with respect or disrespect?" she asked, her tone calm, yet intense. He stood, looking around, like he didn't want to hear this, but she knew he was listening. "She's been--" Abigail glanced around and leaned in close. "She's been raped and tortured, Lan. I'm sorry to say but her trauma and not wanting to be touched and seen naked by a man right now--albeit a DOCTOR--has absolutely NOTHING to do with you. She's a foreigner in this land and besides that, she's told me things about her family that it's no wonder she has trouble letting down the wall around herself." Lan, actually looked like he was softening a bit. Yes, he knew about her family too, probably more than Abigail did.

"The fact of the matter is," Abigail said, her own tone softening as she saw him start to realize things. "She DOES respect you and trust you. She was very upset by how angry you got about it and she has no reason to be. She did nothing wrong. You can't go around bullying people to get them to do what you want and then throw temper tantrums when people say 'no'."

That made him angry again and his face hardened as he looked away. She was doing it again! Basically saying he was acting like a child, when he was doing no such thing! "I do not bully people and I do not throw tantrums!" he said with a scowl at her, and then was stomping off towards his house, leaving Abigail to groan and shake her head.
 
The whole washing area was buzzing with gossip form all of the town. This was where the women got to get together and talk about problems and feelings, get relationship advice and even announce special news, such as a baby or an engagement. When one of the girls noticed the doctor approaching they were all curious. None of them had really seen him going anywhere outside of the hospital other then to his home looking like he had not slept in days.

â??When he isnâ??t working he is sleeping and when he isnâ??t sleeping heâ??s working. I have no doubt that if that man didnâ??t have Abigail there to care for him he would end up accidently starving himself by forgetting to eat.â? Catherine whispered to the group as the man got closer. The other girls agreed, some of the younger oneâ??s giggled.

Catherine was always like this. In this town she was the gossip queen. Whether the stories were true or not there was hardly any gossip that wasnâ??t born of that womanâ??s mouth. There were even unspoken rumors that when a husband was cheating on his wife he would have to pay Catherine off not to spread rumors about it. She was the girl that knew everything in this town and she was not a force to be reckoned with.

Catherine looked like your average girl, she didnâ??t have the long blonde hair or beautiful blue eyes that people look for when they think of a beautiful woman but there was some sort of toxic beauty about her, much like one feels when looking into the eyes of a snake. Catherine was married to a traveling busyness man who was out of town a lot so she had plenty of time to do as she wished. She had long brown hair and brown eyes, average colored skin and average style but the presence that she had was anything but average. She came off as the kind of person that would do well in charge of things, the kind of person that could be in control, and she was. Catherine earned quickly that while there is not much a woman can do, gossip could be a deadly weapon.

When people were turned against each other with the right words it was a beautiful thing to watch. At least she thought so, that was why she had a slight crush on Father Justin. He managed to practically turn the whole town upside down with word of this all knowing imaginary god. She had never seen people worked up in to such a fuss over such little things. Simply saying that someone worked on Sunday was enough to create scornful looks in their direction, true or untrue it didnâ??t matter, it implanted the seeds of doubt.

She loved to watch those seeds grow.

Now seemed to be her chance to plant some more. The doctor needed someone to help wash the girl that had recently been brought into town and Catherine quickly volunteered herself. Gossip in this town had not been this hot since the father first arrived here. This town rarely had anyone come through it, let alone a strange girl traveling on her own, covered in wounds, raped and the perfect replica of a witch. It was the best gossip that this town had ever had, though speculation of her being a witch practically died after the trial curiosity over what had happened to her had not.

That was why this was so wonderful. This was her chance to get a look at the girl that no one else could. Well, Jeneane volunteered herself as well, the woman probably wanted to ask about the soup that she sent the girl. That woman prided herself on her great soups, no doubt that was why she had come but she wouldnâ??t let that get in her way. Jeneane was not the gossip queen, Catherine was.

When she noticed Abigail stop Landon she slowed from her hurry to a casual strolling pace and she listened in. So there had been a fight between the two of them... But tortured? Oh this was only getting better. She thought over what she heard as she went to the hospitals to see the very source of all the gossip. She remembered when the woman collapsed on the edge of town, thinking of how she acted at the trial before getting sick and she smiled, wondering if she had changed much since then.

The moment of truth came when the two of them got into Abigailâ??s hospital room. The girl looked a mess. Her nightgown was almost see through and her body was wet with sweat. It seems that she really had been down with fever, had it been something else that would have been better for gossip but this worked just fine.

â??Who are you?â? The girl asked the two of them, Catherine smiled at her unsureness. When the other one was unsure she was always able to grasp control of the situation.

â??My name is Catherine and this is Jeneane,â? the woman told the girl.

She smiled at the two of them, â??My name is Dorelia. Nice to meet you.â? She said kindly.

Catherine laughed, â??Girl there is not a person in this town that does not know your name by now.â? She watched the girl blush and looked away, making mental notes of everything that happened in this interaction. She didnâ??t like to hear it but didnâ??t seem upset... she doesnâ??t want to be known around here but does not want to be rude. Why so secretive? Iâ??ll bet she has something to hide.

â??You are one of the woman that made soup for me when I was sick right?â? she asked the woman.

Jeneaneâ??s face lit up, â??Yes, I did! Did you like it? I made it just for you with hopes that you would be getting better very soon.â?

â??It was wonderful, I hope to have some when Iâ??m not sick though, I canâ??t remember much form when I was ill over these past few days.â? She admitted.

Catherine quickly saw that this was going no where and she changed the subject. â??SO, I heard that you and the doctor got into a fight.â? She said and from the look on Doreliaâ??s face she knew it to be true.

â??Catherine!â? Jeneane scolded the younger woman. Catherine was young enough, just seventeen, but if her husband was around then he would have already made her a mother.

â??What? Iâ??m just curious.â?

â??You shouldnâ??t ask the poor girl things like that!â?

â??There is not harm in asking her.â?

â??She might not want to talk about it!â?

â??What if she does?â?

â??She is right here.â? Dorelia cut the two of them off before things went on any longer. â??And if you two donâ??t mind, I donâ??t like sitting here like this. Can we just move on with the bath?â?

So the two of them went to work. Catherine instructed the woman to take off Doreliaâ??s night gown while she checked the water and poured a small bit into the tub so it wouldnâ??t be freezing when she sat in it. Catherine was smart, she had a reason for doing this, she took the chance to look over Doreliaâ??s body. She didnâ??t like what she was seeing. Flat and straight as a board made priceless gossip and teasing but this girl seemed to have everything right.

Her breasts were of good size and she had just enough curves to make her hand an hourglass figure even without a corset. When they went to washing Catherine quickly took of the girlâ??s back to get a better look at the wounds. They were mostly healed but she was shocked by the marks. This girl really had been tortured. There were whip marks on her back and while she did feel bad for the girl she was excited by the gossip that this would generate. They had seen the blood but only Catherine got to see the wounds.

However it was not the whip marks that interested her most, it was the cross on her back side. She didnâ??t get a good look at it but she was sure that was what it was, someone had burned the cross into her skin. This was especially gossip worthy, even the priest might be interested in this gossip. But this didnâ??t get to last long. Catherine let Jeneane take the girlâ??s from and her legs so she could get the chance to wash her hair. The tips were burned! With some special care they could be cur off but right now she was happy that they really hadnâ??t been cut yet.

Sadly this chance to gather information on the girl was over far too soon. Dorelia had not felt like talking while they bathed her and Jeneane had kept Catherine from asking any more prying questions. Before long they were finished with her. They dried and dressed her then they had to leave her when Abigail returned to her side, but Catherine didnâ??t mind, she needed to figure out what to spill and what to hold back, she wondered if the priest would listen to her now. Even though she was married it was not to a man that she loved, she could care less for him so it suited her just fine if he never came back.

When the two of them were gone Dorelia turned to Abigail, looking at her hopefully, â??So? What did he say?â? she asked, hoping that Abigail had been able to convince him not to be mad at her anymore and wondering where he was so she could go talk to him herself.
 
Landon left Abigail and stormed to his house, slamming the door shut behind him when he got there. He paced in the room for a while, thinking angrily over things. He didn't bully people! And he did NOT throw temper tantrums! How dare she say something like that? He was a professional doctor for crying out loud! Not a baby! The fact was, he knew what he was doing and she should stop trying to be his mother because...well...because he didn't NEED one, that's why! He was a grown man and intelligent. He didn't need to be reprimanded or corrected constantly.

Why was Abby being this way? Sure, she had this effect on him always, but why did she feel the need to get on his case about everything he did with this girl? What was her problem?

As he thought though, his pacing slowed and his thoughts wandered back to Dorelia. He did feel kind of bad for always snapping at her, especially after all that she'd been through. He tried to reason it out as that she was important to keeping the sanity of the town, but that really didn't fly too well, especially now that the trial was done and passed. There was always the risk that things might go wrong and Father Justin might find something else about her to preach as 'evil', but the people were a lot less likely to listen now unless it was something REALLY big and right in front of their faces.

So why did he get so mad at her? Why did she get under his skin? His introspection eventually led him to images of her popping up in his head--her smile, that fire-like intensity in her eyes when she got mad, the way she spoke so grandly and intelligently at the trial...her naked body... He blushed, standing still in the middle of the room and toed the ground with his shoe. Even though he was a doctor, didn't mean he was completely blind. But he'd never thought about anyone else who was his patient, like this before.

The truth was, he actually really liked her. At first he'd been able to shrug it off as a brother/sister thing, but now he knew, he'd been attracted to her from the very beginning. And suddenly, he knew why he was so mad at her all the time, especially when Abigail argued with him in front of the girl and made him look bad--he was trying to impress her and felt like he was failing miserably. He thought if he looked important and intelligent all the time, she would possibly like him more.

Then that got him to wondering about other women he'd tried being with. In all ten years since he'd come to Altara, he'd only had a relationship with 2 women and both had not worked out. There was always something missing after the initial attraction and he'd just pushed everyone else away, not willing to let his heart be open. Love was such an uncontrollable emotion and it was probably the one thing that Lan feared besides the power of Death. And because of this he would probably always be neglectful emotionally a stubborn jerk. It was better if he just didn't let anyone get too close, because then he wouldn't be hurting anyone and he wouldn't be so scared all the time of feeling something. If there was no one there to share it with, then the feelings just didn't happen, right? Right?

But so, he was attracted to her. Great. And he couldn't let her know. super. But he now knew what his problem was so he had to stop being mean and angry to her but he couldn't be too nice or risk them getting close... Fantastic... In light of this new information, he blushed when he thought, it would probably not be a good idea to put himself in situations where he'd see her naked again, if he could help it. In regards to what he now knew, it would most definitely be inappropriate.

He sighed heavily and massaged his neck with one hand, then looked around the room. What the--? Why was he here? There was nothing here for him except sleep, and fat chance he was going to do that right now. So Lan let out a small growl and turned towards the door, leaving his house once again. Thinking about heading to his lab, made him want to put his hands in his pockets and he realized...he'd forgotten his jacket...AGAIN.

------------

Abigail smiled as the two women left the room and turned to Dorelia with a small sigh and a smile. Being with the girl and looking after her was very calming and made her feel fulfilled to have someone to love. In answer to the girl's question, she took a deep breath. "Well," she began biting her lips. "You know men are foolish right? I mean you're old enough to have seen...? Well, young men are especially foolish and hard headed...and stubborn and conceited and they have absolutely no brains at all!" She paused and took another deep breath, smiling and trying to calm herself. "It is up to us women to make them see sense. But sometimes you don't do it by forcing them. Sometimes a more humble approach is needed..."

She sighed again and gave Dorelia a sympathetic look. "He knows you trust him and all of that and he knows what he said was wrong--I could see it. He just needs his wounded pride to be assuaged. I know you didn't do anything wrong and you had every right to slap him and tell him what was what, but he won't admit it so long as his defenses are up. If you apologized," Abigail rolled her eyes in emphasis, showing how foolish she knew it was; why couldn't men just be reasonable? "I'm sure he will too."

"When we parted ways," she said, smoothing out her skirts with her hands. "He was headed towards home, but I don't think he'll stay there. You'll most likely find him in his lab, down the hall." Goodness! These young people and all their drama were going to make her have a stroke!
 
Dorelia was sitting back on the bed as she waited and wondered what the woman would say. She was caught off guard by the womanâ??s approach to her question and she found herself blushing. She did not expect to find herself being lectured on men. She tried to make sense of this but it just seemed to confuse her. Baba had been her teacher ever since her father brought her to him, but when she was with Baba the subject of men oddly enough never came up. Back with Baba they lived secluded and there was so much to learn about magic that normal things like men didnâ??t seem to interest her all that much but now she was wishing that had. Maybe then she wouldnâ??t feel so lost.

However, after Abigailâ??s little speech on men, she was happy to hear that he knew that she trusted him. He didnâ??t seem to understand how much she trusted him but she was happy that he at least knew that he had her trust. She found herself looking at her arm. The wound was healed by now but that did not change the fact that she had his blood in her veins. To a normal person that might not be much but to a witch that was just about everything. The blood was the life energy, an ingredient needed in almost every spell. Often times biting the inside of the cheek would be enough but sometimes it required a slit wrist, or, for vilely evil spells, a slit throat of a sacrifice.

He gave his blood to save her life, his blood and tears and desires where enough to caste the spell to bring her back form the dead. Landon not only gave his blood but his tears as well and in doing so he managed to save her life. Abigail mentioned apologizing and she had no problem with that. She got to her feet, wavering a moment, giving Abigail quite a scare thinking that the poor girl was going to fall over, before she stood steady on her feet. She was dressed to go somewhere and that was what she wanted to do.

She turned to Abigail and took the womanâ??s handâ??s up in her own. â??Iâ??ll do just that... but first I think I need to go shopping...â? with that she released the womanâ??s hands and picked up the cross that was next to the bed. She put it over her neck then she went to the woman and took her hand, almost pulling the woman behind her as she walked form the hospital. â??I think there may have been some money hidden in that hat... I would like to keep the hat and outfit, maybe it will jog some memories...â? she told the woman and she pulled the woman behind her.

She saw some people outside but she paid them no mind. She was on her way back to Abigailâ??s house to see if she had something she could sell or some money inside of her hat. â??I really will need to find some kind of job here... I will figure that out later... if I donâ??t have any money I surely have something to sell.â? She told the woman, it wasnâ??t until they got back to Abigailâ??s home that she noticed the confused look on the womanâ??s face.

â??Oh... um... it must not be the same here...â? she blushed in embarrassment as she looked down. â??Well, see... Abigail... where Iâ??m form, after people fight they go to make up but they bring a gift as a sort of peace offering...â? she smiled at the woman, â??Like, â??donâ??t be mad at me, I brought you some soup,â?? only I canâ??t cook a thing so I canâ??t bring him soup...â? she looked down, â??I just need a bowl with some fresh water in it and a few tea leaves. Preferred a wooden bowl, not to big, not to deep...â? she realized how strange this would sound and she smiled, â??My father gave something like this to a man who was mad at him once and the two of them became good friends.â?

Then she looked back down, â??Abigail, I will need a job soon, I canâ??t keep depending on other people to care for me and I donâ??t know what I can do other then be a maid or an aid to one of the others here but I canâ??t exactly do either since I donâ??t know how.â? After that she looked back up at her, â??Is there some kind of market here that I can get the things I need form or do I need to buy them form someone?â? she asked Abigail, sure that this would work if only she could get what she needed. Then surely Landon couldnâ??t be mad at her anymore.
 
Abigail's heart jumped in her chest when the girl stood from the bed and almost fell over. She let out a heavy breath to see the girl was fine and put a hand to her breast for a moment, before Dorelia had both of her hands in her own. Shopping? the woman thought, confused and still momentarily speechless, with her heart pounding rapidly. And it didn't calm as Dorelia pulled her along after putting the cross around her neck. Abigail was pulled along, listening to the girl speak and becoming confused from time to time by what she said. She wanted to get a job? She wanted to sell something? What did she need money for? People were providing her with enough charity that Abigail really didn't understand why the girl suddenly felt the need to provide for herself.

At her home, finally Abigail was able to catch her breath and when the girl explained about the gift understanding filled her eyes. "Oh, I think that is a splendid idea!" she said smiling and clasping her hands in front of her. "We have lots of things in the marketplace that would make wonderful gifts." She was also just about to suggest that Dorelia need not pay for it, that she herself had money and would provide, but thought better of it. She didn't quite understand how the custom went and if it would mean less if the person giving the gift didn't make it or buy it all on their own. And also, she realized how independent the girl wanted to be and although it ached in her heart, she couldn't continue to baby her. So she stayed quiet about her thoughts and listened with a proud smile on her face as Dorelia kept talking. It almost sounded like a rocky romance with the way these two were acting, and it made her blush and smile more at that thought. But then it wavered a bit when she thought of Landon's history with women, either ignoring their advances or chasing them away. That dope better not screw this up! she thought to herself, a sudden protectiveness over Dorelia filling her.

Hearing the girl discuss getting a job also made Abigail's heart ache with a mixture of clingy sadness and pride. She was of course a grown up but Abigail couldn't help but pine for a time when she was completely dependent on her. It had been a good week, since she'd met the girl, taking care of her so much and looking after her. But now she was better and looking to stand on her own two feet. It was very admirable and Abigail would do all she could to support her in her goals.

"Well," she began, thinking as she spoke. "It all depends on what skills you possess. There are many things you could do. You could help in the bakery, as an assistant to Maggie. She bakes the most excellent breads and sweet cakes. And she could teach you how to use the oven and how to make things with it. If you're good with children, maybe you could help out at the school. You could work with the seamster, Beatrice. She mends almost all of the fabrics in town and people pay her good money for it. But she's getting on in years and her hands tend to bother her. She could teach you sewing as well." She smiled reassuringly. "You could have any job you wanted to have here, even if you don't have the skills necessary, they can always be taught."

Abigail thought to herself before she answered the next question. "If you wanted to do the bowl of water with the tea leaves," she said, her eyes looking slightly upward in thought. "I'm sure one or two of the women in town would be willing to trade for something. But if you wanted to get a different gift, there are some shops, like a bookstore I know Lan likes and an herbalist he gets ingredients from. I think several things were broken in his lab that first day and I do not think he's had a chance to replace any of them. So, you could have the glass blower make him some new beakers, although that'll probably take some time and be more expensive than anything else you might give him." She hoped she had been helpful with the information she'd provided.
 
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