Twice Awakened

Chapter 28

In the morning, Vlad and I dressed Gracie warmly as we headed to the training grounds. Taking blankets and dolls that were given to us. We set up a little hutch that would block the wind, if any, and placed the blanket down and another around her with a tiny oil lamp. She seemed warm and content as trainees entered the grounds. Each one greeting us and then Gracie.

“Gracie, later we shall go see your mommy.” Vlad smiled at her. “Thanks to Auntie Anya, your mother is getting better.” Gracie’s face lighting up made my heart melt. She nodded excitedly and began playing with her dolls again. Vlad ruffled her hair a bit and stood up facing me.

“We need to find out who poisoned her. We don’t need any more little ones losing a parent.” I said concerned thinking of a the little ones in camp that had only one parent.

“It was the man, with the funny smelling herbs.” Gracie tugging my pants. “He gave mommy a flower, it was purple.” her little cherub face was serious. Looking at Vlad I became uneasy.

“Gracie, if you were to see the man, could you point him out?” Vlad inquired

“If he comes out of the trees again.” Gracie said determined to make Vlad happy. Anger swelled in my chest. He nodded

“You have helped so much Gracie, I am very proud of you.”With Vlad’s words she seemed so tickled. We tucked her back into the blankets and went on to the trainees.

As many sparred I would glance every so often in Gracie’s direction. We had told her to never leave our sight, if she needed to go somewhere to get one of us. About an hour or so, she seemed like she was getting bored. Looking at the water pail I had an idea.

“Watata Feom tiny dragon” A little dragon crawling out of the pail came to me. “Keep her safe, keep her near, go play.” the little dragon nodding and bounded over to her as I turned and focused on the trainees. A little squeal and giggle, Vlad whipped his head ready to save her. He saw the tiny dragon dancing around Gracie and shot me a look. I smiled as the concern washed away on his face. We trained hard, as we finished a little dragon of water lay at a sleeping Gracie’s blanket. Vlad caressed her face and gently her face. He gently picked her up as I sent the little dragon back to the water pale with a nod.

As we went threw town Gracie stirred a bit. Vlad fixing the blanket to shield her face from the wind. As we entered the infirmary, the tent had come down around Gracie’s mother. She was sitting up, looking guilty. As we came around, concern struck her face seeing Gracie.

“She is just sleeping.” Vlad had smiled. Natalie, from looking at her chart, sighed in relief. Vlad handed Gracie to her all bundled up. She smiled at the sleeping bundle. Caressing her face.

“Thank you, she adores you Anya, and you have done so much for her already.” she said with a wavering voice. “If it weren’t for you, she would have frozen to death or been orphaned.” Her words plucking my heart strings.

“She’s a smart girl, she stuck to us, and brought us to you.” I patted her leg. “Have you never been taught about wolfsbane? Nerium oleander?” She shook her head.

“Is it alright if she stays here with me for awhile? I have missed her greatly.” I nodded excitedly.

“You are her mother, I would never step in the way of a mother and her child.” Her eyes softened. “If you need one of us let tell a healer and we will come get Gracie for you to rest.” I nodded. “She is a wonderful little girl.” Natalie smiled looking at her bundle of joy with pride.

Vlad and I had left, something weighed heavy on my mind. How did she not know what the deadliest plants to us were? Had she never been taught? Vlad grabbed my hand. Squeezing it slightly to get my attention.

“I lost you for a minute there. What’s on your mind?”

“We need to set up classes for everyone. Training then class. How many don’t know what those deadly plants are? We need to educate our troops before someone else falls prey to them.” Vlad nodded in agreement. We headed to the command center sending the knights and knights in training, out to the leaders, to call for an emergency meeting. I sent Alex and Benni to the herbalists and mages for the meeting as well.

Every leader made it in haste, herbalists, and the head mages walked in. As we saw the knights return with their trainees we began the meeting.

“We have called the emergency meeting today as one of our own has been dangerously poisoned. Upon further inquiry, a gentleman had come from the woods, giving out flowers, and placed one of our members into the infirmary to fight for her life. She has been cured but we can’t bleed Anya dry to continue to cure members that fall prey to the deadly herbs.” Vlad’s voice boomed with seriousness and firmness. “We have called on you herbalists and mages as you know of these plants and other items, to teach our members of the dangerous items that are in this world.”

“Why should we take our members a force a class on them?” One snotty leader had questioned.

“Nerium oleander. Do YOU know what that is?” I fired back. He shook his head.

“The sweetly scented killer, it’s a beautiful flower of crimson, magenta, or white. It is extremely deadly. A slight touch can cause dire symptoms.” The younger mage had answered the question smoothly in my defense. The leader looking back at me.

“You have heard of Wolfsbane? Have you ever seen the beautiful purple flower?” I pressed on bringing to light his own ignorance. “Nightshade, hemlock, snakeroot?” hanging his head a bit. “She would have died if I didn’t find the combination, give my blood.”

“She’s just one member.”

“She’s a single mother, her three year old could have suffered and died.” This caused my anger to boil. “In this pack, NO MEMBER will be treated as if they are just a mere pawn. We are a family, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.” I glared.”If it were just you should I not call forth a meeting to prevent more deaths? Should I just let you fade away in excruciating pain?” He ducked his head in submission. “In this pack we live for one another and die for one another. We help one another no matter their pack role. I will be DAMNED if we turn our backs on our own. I don’t care if you are wolf, mage vampire, or any race. I DOES NOT matter in this pack. Everyone’s life matters here.” Slamming my fist to the table made a few jump and others look on in shock. A new found respect from the vampiric and mage leaders were found. I was a soon to be Luna who saw everybody as somebody. No one was a lesser for their race.

As I looked at each one a tug on my leg caught my attention. Startling me for a minute, a little cherub face stared up at me with hands outreached. Gracie was brought to me as the healer stood at the back. I picked her up, no one dare spoke.

“Look at this little girl,”I spoke softly, much more gentler. “does she deserve to lose her mother?” I looked out on all of the Gracie, sucking her thumb with her angelic eyes stared out to them. “Gracie,” I stood her up on the table. “how old are you?’ She turned and looked around turning to me a bit shy. “It’s ok you beat me up yesterday, you can take anyone of them on.” Vlad smiled at her nodding.

“I'm fwee.” she said proudly.

“Go over to Alex and give him a high five. Not to hard you could hurt him ok!” She teeters across the table as Alex steps forward, she smacks his hand waving it as if it hurt. Her giggles and laughter sounding out made them understand. “I would rather hear that every second of everyday, than see children scream, cry, and beg for help. Begging for ill parents, for lost parents. She would have froze to death if we didn’t step forward. Where is our unity?” I looked around saddened. “If we can teach EVERYONE what to look out for, we give our futures,” pointing at Gracie giving out her high fives to different members. “a better life, we show them that we can unit in horrible times, we may be different but we are all still someone.” Gracie had made her full circle and came to Vlad, jumping into his arms. I adored his smile and kindness to her, adored how he cared for her. Looking back out onto the leaders, I awaited answers.

“I agree with everything!” Garth spoke up. The others agreeing anomalously.

Vlad handed Gracie to me as he spoke. Afraid his voice may be to much with her in his arms. “We will do different times after training. Rotating the groups, while rotating teachers, as to not have anyone burn out.” Gracie giggling at his booming voice. I smirk a bit.

We continued the meeting setting up the first three groups with one mage and herbalist then another set of three and so on. Once everyone was covered we adjourned the meeting. Every leader going to their pack section and implementing the classes immediately.

We went to the mess hall for breakfast and Gracie had ate as if she had gone a bit without eating. Having to tell her a few times to slow afraid of her choking. She sat to my left and Vlad to my right when she wasn’t on my lap. When she thought Vlad wasn’t looking and was talking to the others, she sniped one of his sausage links, taking a bit. He made a shocked face, causing her to giggle. She offered him the half bitten sausage and he nibbled at her fingers causing a giggle.

“No no siwwy that’s my finners.” she giggled.

“But they are so tasty, I can’t have just a little nibble.” He grinned at her.

“I need my finners.” she giggled.

“Well..I guess this sausage will have to due,” he grabbed a link off his plate taking a small bite. “Are you sure, I can’t just have a small nibble.”

‘No no my finners.” He pretended to pout a bit. “Eat his finners.” She pointed to Alex.

“My fingers,” Alex put up his hand. “I don’t think he will like mine. They are all tough and dirty.” He smiled causing a giggle to release from Gracie.

A healer had came to my left ear, letting me know Natalie had awakened and wished to see Gracie. I nodded and made sure Natalie was well fed. Gracie took the healer’s hand and away she went tugging the healer to her mom. Every leader who passed her she gave a high five all the way out the mess hall. A smile across my face as I watched her. Vlad and the knights staring at me. As I turned I was a bit thrown off by the stares.

“What? Is there something on my face? Is there something in my hair?” The guys chuckled a bit at my reaction and went back to eating. I was confused but brushed it off.