Fates Forgotten in Time

The Healer

Chapter 7

(Penance P.O.V.)

I did my best to stay conscious as the young warrior carried me to the healers place but I didn't succeed entirely. I know this because I had moments where it felt as though I had missed time. I would blink and suddenly we would be on a different spot on the path. Im not a healer but my loss of time couldn't be a good sign. I've been beaten before but I don't remember it ever being this bad. The pain in my ribs was making anything but short shallow breaths impossible. At least I was breathing right?

As I drifted in and out of consciousness I thought about the fact that I never got to fully tell Jasmine everything. I was gonna find the words to tell her I'd been sold and who to while we ate breakfast together under our favorite tree. Far enough away from everyone that hopefully we wouldn't be heard. She had to know why I was leaving, I couldn't let her believe I would just leave her behind without a good reason. Then as we approached the healers cottage towards the edge of the forest on the eastern side, I had a thought that made my blood run cold with dread and absolute fear.

What if Jasmine had been sold too? I mean I wasn't the only slave to be sold the Alpha said so. If she had been sold what if her new owner was someone horrible and cruel like mine was?

How could I possibly leave her behind if she could be facing a fate worse than death like I was? What if she hasn't, then she runs away with me only to get caught and killed in front of her mother because of me? Her mother can't run, she is too frail and sickly from so many years of hard labor, whippings and too little food. I didn't know what to do, my head,ribs and lungs hurt so bad making thinking harder than it should be. Plus my stomach was still cramping in hunger, since I still haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning.

We approached the healers wooden cottage with herb gardens growing on both sides of the cottage. Full of healing herbs and flowers that the healer used. The cottage itself was a bit odd. Splashes of color were seen everywhere, it was very eye-catching. As if the owner had trouble picking just one color scheme. Even the windows were made of multicolored glass. I've never met the pack healer but it was obvious she had loud tastes when it came to decorating.

Funny enough I actually kinda liked it, all the loud colors were beautiful and felt kinda freeing in a way.

The warrior walked up the small steps to the front porch and before he could figure out how he was gonna knock with me in his arms the door opened suddenly. In the doorway stood an older woman with tan weathered skin with laugh lines at the edges of her eyes. Which at this moment were crinkling in mirth at the warriors surprised face. She had managed to catch him off guard and that obviously tickled her pink. With a mischievous smirk she asked in kindly voice"What do we have here young wolf? Why have you brought me this young woman today? It's quite rare for me to be brought any of the lesser wolves. The Alpha sees it as a waste of resources and my precious time."

Though caught off guard the young warrior quickly collected himself as he stood straighter and said "The Alpha himself ordered me to bring her here, to have you heal her and to make sure she gets fed." As the healing woman looked at me quizzically, I took the time to really take a look at her. Her hair is white and despite being pulled back into a bun was still quite wild. As if even her hair refused to be tamed. She looked to be a shorter woman only coming to chest height on the young warrior holding me.

Which made it easy to get a look at the healers beautiful mossy green eyes which sparkled with intelligence and fierceness that her kindly nature hid well. The oddest thing about her though was her clothes which were as colorful and wild as her home. Her robe and dress was made of many different colors of cloth like a chaotic rainbow that was as untamed as her hair. Though her feet were as bare as my own I noticed.

I took all this in as she was obviously looking me over herself, pausing at my hair and eyes with a strange look on her face I couldn't quite decipher. Of course this all happened in the space of a couple breaths. "Well young buck get on in here then and put her on one of the cots over by the wall there." The healing woman said as she pointed to the cots on the right side of the cottage. The inside of the cottage was just as colorful as the outside and smelt of growing things. It felt very peaceful to be honest, I could feel that even through the pain.

Strangely enough my head felt a bit clearer the moment we stepped into the cottage.

The warrior followed orders and more gently than I thought he would, laid me down on the closest cot. He straightened and looked to the healing woman as if waiting for further instructions. As young as he looked he obviously took his job as a new warrior very seriously. "Why don't you go see what you can scrounge up for this young lady in the kitchens while I have a look at the injuries?" The healer said this as a question but it was most definitely an order. The young warrior nodded his head in agreement and said "yes ma'am I can do that. The Alpha did want her to eat something" Then out the door he went leaving me alone with the kindly but strange healing woman.

The healing woman closed her door behind him and turned to me with a smile. "We haven't been properly introduced my name is Olivia Thistle, and I am the packs healer. What pray tell is your name young one?" I looked at her as she approached the cot I was on and said in a weak breathless voice, "my name is Penance Black ma'am." Again a strange look flashed in her eyes but before I could decide what it was, it was gone. "Penance what a strange and beautiful name for a young she wolf. How old are you dear? You don't appear to have your wolf yet." As she asked this she started holding her hands over my ribs but not touching them. I couldn't tell what she was doing but I did feel a slight tingling pressure on my chest below her hands.

"Im not sure how old I am ma'am and no I don't have my wolf yet" My voice was so weak from the pain of trying to talk that I'm not sure she would of heard me if she didn't have the enhanced hearing that came from having ones wolf. "Please call me Olivia dear, it's to bad you don't have your wolf yet. Even in your weakened state it would make healing you much easier and faster. A couple of your ribs feel fractured and you have significant bruising. Both of which even with my help are gonna take at least a couple weeks to heal." My heart fell at her words, that was going to leave me with a very limited time frame to run before I'm sold to my new owner here in three weeks. Not that I had a plan yet but I knew having to wait to heal was surely going to slow things down. My chances of escape seemed to get slimmer and slimmer every moment.

Olivia gave me a sad look as if she could feel my sadness as her own. She might very well be able to. She obviously had powers that I didn't understand since she was able to tell what was wrong with me by just waving her hands over me. I had a sudden crazy urge to ask her for help and tell her everything. I didn't though, as kindly as she seemed she was still a part of this pack and loyal to her Alpha. I couldn't afford her telling the Alpha I was planning on running. So I just swallowed the feeling and kept my mouth shut.