Embers Rise

CHAPTER 20: The Healer's Gift

"Healing wasn't just about mending wounds. Sometimes it was about finding the strength to save someone—and realizing you were saving yourself too."

The healing shelter was quieter than usual.

I found Eira there, her small hands pressed to the chest of a young wolf named Callum. He'd been caught in a trap—an old iron snare left by hunters near the border. His leg was a mess—torn flesh, exposed bone, blood seeping through his fur in dark, steady pulses.

I could see Eira's hands trembling as she pressed them to his wound. She hesitated, her light flickering like a candle in the wind. Then she took a breath, her jaw setting with determination, and pushed deeper.

"Stay with me," she whispered, her voice soft but firm. "I'm not going to let you go."

I stayed in the shadows, watching. She didn't know I was there.

She worked quickly, her golden light weaving through Callum's wounds, knitting flesh and bone. I watched her light flicker, almost fading. She pressed her eyes closed, whispering something I couldn't hear—a prayer, maybe, or a plea to her father's spirit.

Then her light surged—brighter than before. She'd found something inside herself. Something she didn't know she had.

His breathing steadied. His color returned.

When she pulled back, he was whole.

Callum's eyes fluttered open, and he looked at her with wonder. "You... saved me."

Eira smiled—a genuine, radiant smile that lit up her face. "I did. I saved you."

Callum reached for her hand, his grip weak but warm. "I owe you my life, healer. I'll never forget what you did for me."

Eira's eyes glistened with tears. "You don't owe me anything. Just... get better. That's all I want."

I stepped forward, my voice soft. "Eira. That was incredible."

She turned, startled, but when she saw me, her smile widened. "Luna. I didn't—I didn't know you were watching."

"I know." I walked to her side, placing my hand on her shoulder. "I wanted to see you work. And I'm so proud of you."

She blushed, ducking her head. "I was so scared. I thought I'd fail. But I just—I just did it. I didn't think."

"Sometimes that's when we're strongest." I squeezed her shoulder. "When we stop thinking and just act."

I felt Ember stir in my chest, and I heard Eira's thoughts.

...I did it... I actually did it... I thought I couldn't, but I could... he's going to live... I saved him...

The thoughts were warm, bright, filled with pride. Eira was blooming.

I sat beside Eira later that evening, watching the fire crackle.

"Your father would be so proud of you," I said softly.

She looked at me, her eyes glistening with tears. "Do you think so?"

"I know so." I met her gaze. "He taught you to heal because he believed in you. And now you've proven him right."

She was quiet for a long moment. Then she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I used to think that if I became a healer, I'd be like him. And if I was like him... I'd be killed too."

I felt my heart crack. "Eira—"

"I remembered the day they killed him," she said, her voice trembling. "I was seven. They dragged him into the square, accused him of being weak. I cried for him to run. He didn't. He just smiled at me. And then they—"

She stopped, unable to continue. I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close.

"But I'm not him." She met my gaze, her eyes fierce. "I'm me. And I'm not going to be afraid of being strong."

I felt tears prick at my eyes. She was growing. Changing. Becoming someone she'd never thought she could be.

"You're amazing," I whispered.

She smiled, the warmth of it reaching her eyes. "So are you, Luna."

Eira worked through the night, healing the pack's wounded.

One by one, she brought them back—mending broken bones, sealing torn flesh, easing the pain of the sick. She moved with new confidence, her light steady and sure.

By dawn, she'd healed five wolves. Her hands were trembling, her face pale. She swayed on her feet, and I caught her arm.

"Rest," I said. "You've done enough."

She shook her head, her voice weak but determined. "There's one more. I can—"

"You can rest." I guided her to a pile of furs. "The others can wait. You've given everything tonight. Now let yourself heal too."

She looked at me, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. Then she nodded, her body sinking into the furs. "Thank you, Luna."

I tucked a blanket around her shoulders. "Sleep, Eira. You've earned it."

I watched her from the edge of the healing shelter, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. She'd come so far—from a girl who couldn't heal a bird to a healer who could save wolves.

I thought about my own growth—from wolf-less outcast to Luna. From broken girl to leader. Eira was proof that healing was possible. That we could all rise from the ashes of our past. And I felt a surge of hope.

She's growing, Ember said softly. And so are you.

I smiled. "We're all growing."

Finn found me at dawn, his eyes dark with exhaustion.

"Kaelen returned," he said. "He's resting. He didn't find much—the rogues are keeping their distance. But he's alive."

I felt the tension in my shoulders ease. "Thank the Moon Goddess."

Finn studied me for a moment. "You've been up all night."

"I couldn't sleep."

He didn't press. He just nodded, his voice soft. "You're doing well, Raven. You know that, right?"

I looked at him, something shifting in my chest. "I don't always feel it."

"You don't have to feel it." He squeezed my arm. "You just have to keep going. And you are."

As the sun rose, a scout returned—her face pale, her voice trembling.

"Luna. The rogues are planning a major attack. I saw them gathering at the edge of our territory. They'll attack at nightfall."

I felt my blood run cold. Tonight. I'd known this was coming, but hearing it—knowing it was real—made my heart stop. I pressed my hand to my chest, steadying myself.

You're ready, Ember said softly. You've always been ready.

I took a breath, feeling the fear drain away, replaced by something colder, sharper. Resolve. Tonight, I would lead them. Tonight, I would fight.

I thought of Eira's courage, Finn's steadiness, Kael's promise. I thought of the pack of their trust, their hope, their fight.

I wasn't afraid. Not anymore.

"Call a meeting," I said. "All pack members. Now."