Healer (Brotherhood of the Throne Book 2) (11 page)

“I agree,” Laurel said. “I also think there’s more than one prophecy to consider. Why did Madelay call herself Trewen rather than use her real name? Even in Comack they’d know the name Kerrich.”

“I’ve given that a lot of thought since I met Brenna.” Yowan ran a hand over his gray hair. “I think she knew. Madelay didn’t have the true Sight but it’s in her blood same as it’s in all of yours. From what I know sometimes those without true Sight have visions.”

“It does happen,” Laurel said. “Although the visions usually aren’t clear.”

“But what if it was clear?” Yowan asked. “I know something was bothering her before she left but she never told me what it was. She just kept saying that her calling required her to journey. I think the name Trewen is part of that.”

“I don’t understand what significance my name has,” Brenna said.

“It’s an old story from long ago in the Kerrich family,” Laurel said. “For most of my family’s rule there has been a living Seer as well as a healer. These two women usually don’t become duchess as these roles are seen as far too important to allow the mundane tasks of ruling get in the way.” Laurel smiled at her mother. “But the legends have it that there will come one who is both Seer and healer - one who unites the Kerrich family gifts - the True One who will save Aruntun from despair and destruction.”

“You think Madelay is the True One?” Kane asked.

“No, but I think she may have had a vision about the True One,” Laurel’s gaze moved from him to rest on Brenna. “About the circumstances of her birth.”

“Oh no, you don’t think I’m the True One?” Brenna asked.

Laurel smiled sadly. “You are a Kerrich who is both healer and Seer and your name, Trewen sounds very much like True One. I don’t think Madelay’s naming was a mistake at all.”

Brenna sat back, stunned. Not again. “I hope you’re wrong,” she said to Laurel. “I’m tired of being part of prophesies.”

“Don’t worry too much,” Laurel said. “A key to the legend of the True One is that she will reunite Aruntun’s mortar and pestle with the family. Until that happens both you and the duchy are safe. Those items have not been seen for hundreds and hundreds of years. Kerrich women have spent their entire lifetimes looking for them.”

Brenna sunk further into her chair. Obviously none of them had looked in the wall of the library at the Collegium. She sighed. She
hated
this - first the Brotherhood, now the Kerrich’s. Was she destined to be manipulated by forces set in motion thousands of years before she was even born?  Even Kane was hers due to some magic or other. She looked at him and he took one of her hands as if to apologize. But he
was
hers and she wouldn’t have met him if it wasn’t for the Brotherhood’s prophecy - she wouldn’t change that. Maybe this new prophecy would have some benefits as well. She bent down and grabbed her pack and opened it up. Reaching inside the secret compartment she took the mortar and pestle out and placed them on the table.

“They found me,” Brenna said.

Avery and Laurel stared at the tabletop their faces pale.

“May I?” Laurel asked. She was already reaching across the table. When Brenna nodded Laurel gently picked up the two items. She closed her eyes and simply held them against her chest. “It
is
them - I can almost feel Aruntun in these.” She sent a wide-eyed gaze around the table. “How and where did you find them?”

“I was in the library at the Collegium in Kingsreach,” Brenna said. “I felt their presence.”

“They were in the library?” Laurel frowned. “I’m sure the library has been searched by Kerrich’s in the past.”

“Yes, well, they were hidden,” Brenna said.

“They were in a wall,” Kane interrupted. “We had to remove one of the stones to get them out.”

“You felt them from behind a stone wall?” Laurel looked at her, puzzled.

Brenna glanced at Kane, who nodded. She might as well tell them everything.

“I have a special affinity for the material they’re made of,” Brenna continued. “It’s old steel and it has magical properties that I can manipulate. Like this.” Brenna reached out and let the mortar and pestle glow slightly. Surprised, Laurel gently put the items down on the table.

“I can feel that magic.” Avery’s eyes were on the now bright mortar and pestle. “It’s the same magic I felt the night before we found you on the border.”

“Aruntun’s mortar and pestle aren’t the only things made of old steel.” Brenna placed her knife on the table and reached out and let it glow. “This knife is old steel – it was passed from Madelay to my mother, to me. As well, the Brotherhood has old steel weapons. I am connected to all of them.”

Brenna watched the boats bob up and down on the sea from her perch on a low stone wall. She and Kane had come down to the docks as soon as they’d awoken. Well, she smiled, as soon as they’d gotten out of bed. She stretched and yawned, sensing Kane close by, along with Yowan. It was the first day of the Spring Festival and the Aruntians were celebrating Ush. All over town the bounty of Ush was displayed - the first crops of the season - green stalks of asparagus and tender lettuces - were for sale on every street corner, and spring flowers were tied to every door handle, cart and fence post in town.

Even the small boats that raced each other in the harbor, white sails billowing in the wind, even they were decked with yellow and purple flowers.

Kane and Yowan were arranging a ship to take them far north into Comack. The ship’s owner was a Brother - he was the same man Kane had traveled with in the winter. He was also the one who had delivered the duchess to Smithin the day before, and poor as trade was, he was more than willing to forgo his usual trade route in order to take them north.

Brenna relaxed, letting the warmth of the sun warm her skin. She smiled, thinking that it was almost time to drag Kane back to their room. There was no guarantee they would have the luxury of a real bed and a separate room on the ship so she planned on making the most of it while they had one. She frowned - she’d need to visit another healer or an apothecary before they left and make sure her supply of wild carrot seeds was enough to take her through the next six months, at least until she could harvest some herself in the fall. She and Kane had enough to deal with without her being with child.

nine

Brenna wandered through the streets of Smithin. They were leaving tomorrow on the tide and Kane and Yowan were securing supplies for them and the four horses. It was a one way trip by sea - once on land they would travel to the mining town by horse. When they’d rescued Madelay they would escape over the mountains, eventually reaching Fallad.

Brenna had said her farewells to Laurel, Clift and their children. Duchess Avery had already left for Kingsreach – she didn’t dare let Thorold have unopposed control of the king’s council. She wasn’t sure she could do much, but she felt it her duty to try.

Brenna meandered through the market, buying a few healing supplies as well as some herbs and spices. Kane had warned that there could still be snow cover in the Godswall so they’d be living on their travel rations with the odd rabbit or grouse – but she saw no reason to resign herself to bland food.

Eventually she made her way back to the Red Anchor. She pulled open the heavy wooden front door but before she even took a step, Kevan, his head down, bumped into her.

“Hold on.” She grabbed the boy before he could careen off her and out the door. “What’s the rush?” He looked up at her with puffy eyes, tear tracks visible through the dirt on his face and caked blood under one nostril. “Kevan, what happened?” Brenna knelt down to check him over. Nothing more than a minor scrape.

“Nothin’ happened, nothin’” was the sullen reply. Kevan wiped a sleeve across his face, smearing the dirt.

“Come on.” Brenna stood up, one hand on his arm. “Let me get you cleaned up.” He stood his ground firmly when she tried to tug him towards the stairs. “I’ll talk Cook into giving you a sweet.”

“Why would she do that?” Kevan’s blue eyes narrowed.

“I fixed her burn, didn’t I?”

Blue eyes shifted from her to the door but finally Kevan shrugged and moved towards to stairs. “Cook’s made apple and current pies. D’you think I can have some of that?”

“I don’t see why not. Let’s get you cleaned up and we’ll go see.” Brenna checked for old steel before she opened the door to her and Kane’s room. He wasn’t there but he was close, perhaps out in the stables. She’d find him later and check on Sneath as well.

“Let’s see, Kevan.” She dipped a cloth in the water basin and touched it to the lad’s face. There likely wouldn’t even be a bruise but she would take this opportunity to clean his face. “Would you look at that,” she said.

“What? Will I have a scar?” Kevan’s voice was hopeful as he twisted in her arms, trying to see his reflection in the mirror over the washbasin.

“No, no scar this time.” Brenna grinned at the disappointed look on the boy’s face. “But plenty of freckles, now that your face is clean.” She wrung out the cloth in the water and left it on a hook to dry. “Now, do you want to tell me what happened or should we just see Cook?”

“You go see Cook,” Kevan mumbled. “I’ll stay outside the kitchen and you can bring me a piece of pie.”

“Kevan were you by any chance running from Cook when I saw you?” Brenna asked. “And was Cook mad at you for trying to steal a piece of pie? Apple and currant pie?”

Blue eyes glared at her angrily. “Does that mean you won’t ask her for some? You promised.”

“I did promise and I will ask, but I have to tell Cook that the pie is for you.”

Brenna went to ruffle Kevan’s red hair but he ducked under her arm and opened the door. She followed him down to the kitchen and she had to admit, the smell of apple and cinnamon would have been too much for her to resist when she was a child. She remembered the many treats she herself had stolen from Duke Thorold’s kitchen, shared afterward with Beldyn. Poor Kevan would get his pie but he would miss the thrill of having stolen it.

Cook wasn’t happy about feeding the young would-be thief, but she gave him a piece of pie because Brenna asked. Kevan scurried off to enjoy his treat and Brenna headed outside to look for Kane.

“Brenna, good, come here for a minute.” Kane and Yowan were facing each other across a patch of brown grass, each holding a wooden practice knife. Kane had his shirt off in the warm spring air, and Brenna caught her breath as she watched his muscles move beneath his skin. Yowan grinned at her and she shrugged and moved over to Kane.

“Yowan has been teaching me a slightly different style of knife fighting and I think you should learn it too,” Kane said. “Yowan, show that last move again, would you?” Brenna studied Yowan as he moved through a parry and thrust movement.

“See, the foot work is very different,” Kane said. “If you had no experience with this and came across it you might fall for one of the feints.” Kane handed her a wooden knife and Brenna squared up against Yowan.

“I’m ready,” she said, watching as the older man went through a slightly different variation of the footwork. He got past her guard easily the first time but by the third try she was able to deflect his wooden blade.

“Don’t go easy on me, Yowan,” she called when she felt him holding back. “It won’t help me in a real fight.”

“Don’t be silly, lass,” Yowan said. “Kane and I’ll be there. You won’t have to use your knife.” 

The next pass, Brenna knocked his blade from her hand. “Yowan, I’ll keep beating you until you go hard on me.”

“And she can,” Kane said from the sideline. “She’s very good. She outpaced my Uncle Feiren and he’d been Weapons Master for the Kingsguard before he was captain.”

Brenna smiled grimly at Yowan. A small crowd was starting to gather - Sneath, a few of the kitchen staff, as well as Kevan, licking crumbs off his fingers.

The next pass Yowan made at her was more focused but still she felt he was holding back. “Yowan, I’m a healer. If I get any cuts or scrapes I can take care of them,” she said. “Yours as well as mine.” She grinned and lunged.

He finally hit back in a flurry of stabs and cuts with the practice knife. Brenna watched his feet, trying to gauge his action from how he placed his feet and shifted his weight. As Kane said, it was almost counter to what she’d learned in Kingsreach, but soon enough she was copying some of Yowan’s moves. She started to tire before he did, despite his years. Finally, she yielded, panting.

“Thank you Yowan. It seems my lazy winter spent learning magic is catching up on me.”

Yowan came over to her, breathing heavily. “You did well, lass, I’m impressed. And it seems we’ve got a following.” He indicated the small group still encircling them. It looked like the whole inn had turned out for the show, customers and staff alike. Warrick Chennel called for a free round of ale and the group headed back inside.

“That was well done,” Kane said “Are you coming in now?”

Brenna shook her head and handed the practice knife back to Kane. “I need to see Sneath. I’ll be in later.”

“I’ll see you at supper, then,” Kane said. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

“Yes, I hear there’s a fine apple and currant pie,” she replied. Reluctantly she pulled away and watched Kane as he went inside the inn, his shirt thrown over one shoulder and the bare skin of his back rippling over his muscles. Sighing, Brenna went in search of the stable master. If she could find Sneath and treat him quickly, she might have time to get Kane alone for a few minutes before they ate.

Kane looked out at the dark stable again. Where was she? He caught sight of a shock of red hair.

“Kevan, do you know where she went?” he called.

The boy looked up guiltily - he’d been tossing one of the practice knives at the ground although Kane would swear he’d put both of them away inside.

“Brenna? She and Sneath went off to find the apothecary.” The boy sent him another guilty look. “Sorry, I was ‘sposed to let ye know but I got distracted.”

Kane sighed. It didn’t seem as though she was in danger. She was a grown woman, well able to look after herself, but since they’d started sharing a bed it didn’t take much to put him on edge. Another reminder that once she was queen and had to form a political alliance through marriage, he would struggle to step aside.

He was in the tavern when she finally found him. It was almost two hours later and he’d had more than the one ale, trying not to think of all the terrible things that could happen to her in an unknown town.

Brenna sighed and leaned her head on the table.

“Everything go all right?” he asked. She looked tired. He quickly signaled to Warrick to send over Brenna’s supper.

“Eventually.” She looked up at him. “The apothecary pulled some of Sneath’s teeth - the stable master will be fine in a few days.” She smiled and sat up when a serving girl set a platter in front of her and a second one in front of Kane. Brenna sniffed appreciatively.

“Cook was kind enough to set some dinner aside for us,” Kane said. “It might be a little tough by now, but she did her best. You were gone longer than I expected.” He tried to keep the accusation out of his voice - she was tired and didn’t need to hear him complaining. His job was to help her carry her burden, not add to it.

Warrick put two cold mugs of ale on the table.

“Please thank Cook for us,” she said to the innkeeper. “I know it can’t be easy, what with it being festival and all.”

“I’ll pass that along,” Warrick said. “But we’re more than happy to look after you, Brenna. You’ve helped most everyone here, it’s the least we can do. Besides,” he winked. “We’ve seen you with a knife and none of us want to cross you.”

Brenna waited outside the stable while Yowan and Kane saddled the horses. Their extra grain and travel rations had been sent ahead to the ship so all that was left were their personal belongings. As usual, Brenna had her own pack slung over her shoulder, the coronet and mortar and pestle tucked inside the secret pocket.

Yowan led Blaze out into the courtyard “I think I have all of your gear,” he said. He handed her the lead and went back into the barn. Kane came out, followed by Runner and Patches, the spare horse they were bringing for Madelay

“I thought now would be as good a time as any to try to See the trip,” Brenna said. Kane looked up at her sharply and she bit her lip nervously as he met her gaze. He nodded.

“That’s a good idea,” Kane said.

Yowan brought his own mount, Smoke, out into the courtyard.

“And better to do it here, where there’s no audience,” Yowan said. “Just tell me what you need us to do.”

Brenna handed Blaze’s lead to Kane and sat down on a damp bale of straw. “Wake me up if I take more than a few minutes.” She settled her mind and simply drifted, trying to remember Laurel’s lessons. She saw only snatches of things - a white sail billowing out, a sea bird flying after a boat, the sun bright upon the sea.

A few moments later she heard Kane’s voice calling her and she opened her eyes.

“I think it worked,” she said. “I saw signs of only good weather.”

Kane helped her up and she dusted her breeches off. She grabbed the lead for Blaze from him.

“Good,” Kane said. “Let’s go.”

The dock was busy when they arrived and Brenna had to calm Blaze as they wove through the crowds. The whole town had paused for the Spring Festival the day before but it looked as if they planned on making up for it today. Fishing boats were competing with trading ships for the limited dock space - men seemed to be shouting and shaking fists at each other everywhere she looked. Brenna followed Yowan’s lead and tied her horse beside Smoke and Patches.

“How are we supposed to get through this madness?” Kane asked.

Brenna shrugged her gaze darting from one chaotic scene to the next. “Didn’t you come this way before?” she asked.

“In the dead of winter,” Kane replied. “It was nothing like this.”

Yowan waved both arms at one of the larger ships. It was not yet docked and immediately a small boat was lowered. Four men rowed the boat across towards the dock closest to them.

“Here comes Captain Chaffer and some of his men,” Yowan said. “They’ll get us aboard.”

The small boat nudged its way to the dock, the men inside pushing the fishermen away in order to land their own boat. One of the men climbed out of the boat and headed towards them, leaving the other three to defend their place on the dock.

“Yowan Sellars,” the man called as he neared them. “I’m glad to see ye made it on time.”

He was a wiry man in his middle years with brown hair shorn close to his head and skin weathered brown from the sun and wind. His green eyes sparkled with humor when he turned to her.

“Seer,” he bowed low to Brenna. “Captain Rian Chaffer at your service. It’s an honor to have the Sea Sprite be your chosen vessel.”

“Thank you,” Brenna said. “I’m called Brenna Lightfingers, Captain. I appreciate that you agreed to transport us.” His rough calloused hands took one of hers before he moved past her.

“And Kane Rowse,” Captain Chaffer grasped Kane’s hands. “I see your last trip with me left you no worse for wear, despite your delicate stomach.” Captain Chaffer looked back at her. “I trust you’ll not suffer such ailments, Brenna Lightfingers.”

Brenna laughed at the sour look on Kane’s face. “No need to worry,” she patted her pack. “I’m a healer. I’ll be able to deal with most ills.”