Adremedian Prince - Chapter 24

It was a few hours before James heard Briar start to climb the tree they were in.

As he was climbing, Lilly startled James when she suddenly jerked in his arms.

She sat up and looked around. ‘What.What time is it?’

‘Around 3pm,’ Briar said.

‘Briar?What’s going on?’

‘We were hoping you could tell us that,’ he replied. ‘You’ve been unresponsive for a while.’

‘Did something happen while you were healing me?’ James asked, head lowered.

Lilly turned to look at him and groaned.

‘Lilly?’ Both men asked. Briar moved closer and James wrapped his arms around her to get her to lean on him.

‘Lilly, what’s wrong?’ James asked.

‘Tender energy lines.’ A few tears slipped into the grooves on her face and fell onto James’ hand.

‘May I?’ Briar asked.

Both of them nodded. Briar started his work on Lilly. He found something that made Lilly tense and cry out.

‘Briar don’t! Leave. Leave them there.’

‘They’re barely attached, Lilly!’

‘Need…to stay. Should’ve been repairedyears ago.’

‘But it’s hurting you.’

‘Not as much as they did when they first broke.’

‘Do you know how to repair them, Lilly?’ James asked.

‘I do, but it will put me out for a while.’

‘How long is a while?’

‘A month maybe longer.’

‘A month?! Nothing shorter than that?’

‘If I do one at a time I may be able to get it down to three weeks.’

‘Briar, is there anything you can do to help her?’ James asked.

‘Honestly, James, I can help make the connection more secure, but until they can connect themselves properly, all we can do is wait.’

‘Will recovery time be shorter if you do that?’

‘Shorter than a month, but not less than two weeks.’ Briar replied.

‘Lilly?’

‘Only if you will do one thing, James.’ she said.

‘What’s that?’

‘Once I’m asleep go with Briar.’

‘What if you need me?’ he asked.

‘The animals will know if I need help and come get you. Promise?’

‘Okay.’

Lilly nodded her consent and Briar made the connections more secure, but not without causing Lilly more pain. As he finished the last one, Lilly’s body relaxed in sleep. James held her close until Briar put a hand on his shoulder. Nodding, he laid her down gently. Briar helped him get down from the tree and, a little reluctantly, left. The walk back to where Briar worked took a few hours. Sapientiis and Patientiam were waiting for them.

‘Hi James,’ Patientiam greeted.

‘Hi.’

‘Why so down?’

‘Lilly’s recovering.’

‘From healing your eyes?’ Sapientiis asked.

‘Yes and no.’

‘Which is it?’

‘Both. You saw the knot in my eyes right?’

‘Yeah, butwhat does that have to do with Rosae Lilly?’

‘She had a knot inside herself that was coming undone while she was helping me. She seemed fine when I fell asleep, but she was unresponsive when I got up this morning. Her knot is gone and the energy lines are barely attached. Briar was able to help her a little, but now she will be sleeping for the next two weeks.’

‘T… wo…weeks?! Why so long?’

‘Lilly’s energy lines need to securely attach themselves and it takes time for them to grow,’ Briar explained.

Patientiam led James to a chair and checked on his eyes. They were healed all right. He kept his eyes closed until Patientiam started to lift his eye lids. James pulled away and closed his eyes.

‘What’s wrong, James?’

He hung his head and opened his eyes partway. ‘Sorry Patientiam, guess I was expecting them to hurt.’ His head came up and he opened his eyes. They were still a milky white.

‘Can you see?’ Sapientiis asked.

‘No. It’s all black.’

‘After all that work?’

‘It was a slim chance I would get it back at all. Lilly told me as much before she started to help me.’

‘That’s not fair! We did so much.’

‘Sapientiis,’ Briar said. ‘As healers there is only so much we can do. Not everyone heals like we expect them to, nor does everyone live.’

‘Then why be a healer at all?!’ He stomped off and slammed the door behind him.

‘I’m sorry,’ James said quietly. ‘I didn’t mean to upset him.’

‘He’s still learning, James; as are you. I’m sure you’ve noticed how different Lilly is as you have spent more time with her.’

‘She’s not that different, but it is still new compared to what I’m used to.’

‘Briar? Should I look for Sapientiis?’ Patientiam asked.

‘Let’s give him some time on his own. If he’s not back by morning we’ll go look for him.’

Briar then taught Patientiam more about healing and caring for the area that she would soon be over. James listened intently. There was so much that historians hadn’t recorded. Part of him wished he could see, just to be able to record more about the Adremedian people. After a few short lessons, they ate. James was allowed to bathe and then they all went to sleep. When morning came Sapientiis had not returned. Patientiam kept James company while Briar went out to look for him. He returned a short while later without him.

‘Briar? Where’s Sapientiis?’ Patientiam asked.

‘With Lilly.’

‘Is she awake?’

‘Only long enough to tell me where Sapientiis was. I’m sorry, James.’

‘No, it’s all right.’ He stood and felt for the door. Patientiam took his hand and led him outside. They walked all over the hills. Cows could be heard in the distance and occasionally a bird would fly by. James smiled sadly. ‘I miss the colors,’ he said, breaking the silence.

‘How long have you been blind?’ Patientiam asked.

‘About two months now, I think.’

‘What caused you to lose your sight?’

‘Poison.’

‘There is no poison in your system, so why hasn’t it come back?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe something more is going on.’

Then Patientiam changed the topic and described the different trees they passed and some of the animals. A few James held, others he just heard. When he started to get tired, they returned to the cabin. Briar had a salad prepared and they ate.

James woke sometime during the night. He sat up in bed and cried.

‘James, what’s wrong?’ Briar asked.

‘That dream again.’

‘Would you like to tell me?’

James didn’t move.

‘Is it about Lilly?’

James turned towards him, his blind eyes, just off. ‘Yes. Something happens to her, probably because of me, and spends the next thirty or so years recovering. She’s still recovering when I die.’ His shoulders shook as the tears fell faster.
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‘Have you told this to Lilly?’

He shook his head. ‘I couldn’t. I I’ve already made a mess of things.’

‘No, you haven’t James. Lilly needed for this to happen. I don’t know why these energy lines are important, but they are important enough that she wants to heal them. Is it possible that the dream comes from your fear for her?’

‘The dream represents all I fear and I hope that it is only a dream.’