Chapter 16

Marcie was getting sick of waking up confused as to where she was and in whose company, she was also sick of feeling weak and vulnerable. Her body felt heavy and she had trouble opening her eyes so she kept them closed and used her other senses to tell her what was going on.

First she smelled what seemed to be meat cooking, she presumed it was a dream until it made her stomach rumble, beyond the smell of food was the smell of wood and stone. She was home.

But how? A moment ago she had been in the cave with the two dragons, now she was here? It was not possible.

She sought through her confused memories, the last thing she remembered was the indescribable pain of her chest and the peculiar sensations that followed, she still felt a small bit of pain as though a knife point was being pushed into the skin over her heart. That was not all the pain she felt, her whole body ached like she had a fever but she did not feel hot or clammy, but almost as though she had been chopping wood for too long and then gone for a long walk, a deep ache as though her muscles had been overworked.

She became aware of hushed voices and paused her assessment of her condition to listen,

"Fever gone down, girly should be awakin soon"

"She'll be well?"

"Mayhap, jus gonna hav to see ain't ya"

"Can you take a guess"

A short laugh, "Hah, I ain't one for guessin...but I says she gonna live, too damn stubborn to die"

Marcie managed a smile, she knew that voice.

"Witch! She wakens!"

"Call me witch one more time boy an ill see yer unable t'use yer manhood for nothin but pissin!"

Marcie laughed, which came out as a rough and weak sound,

"You know she hates being called that Merrick" she whispered, finally opening her eyes.

Merrick's handsome face was the first she saw, he flushed with happiness at her revival, beyond him she saw Luce sitting heavily on a chair at the end of her bed her hands resting sportively on her large belly, and Dafne was at the hearth stirring a large cauldron of some kind of clear liquid while strips of meat hung roasting over it on a spit. She quickly dropped the ladle and bustled over to Marcie's side, knocking Merrick out the way she seized Marcie's jaw with one hand while the other carefully lifted her eyelids and checked her pupils,

"Damn girl" she said in a quite voice that told how serious Marcie's condition had been, "almost thought you gone for a bit"

"Goddess be praised so did we all" Luce breathed coming to stand beside Dafne, ignoring the glares the older woman gave her, her hand found Marcie's and she squeezed, Marcie squeezed back.

"How do you feel?" Merrick asked, careful to stay out of Dafne's way.

"Like shit" Marcie replied, her voice still horse, she coughed and raised her hand to her throat, a cup of water appeared and she sipped carefully from it, careful not to choke, Merrick put his hand under her head and lifted it to help her drink, she glared daggers at him,

He smiled looking relieved, "I think you are right w-Dafne, she shall be fine" he grinned at Marcie still carefully holding her head up.

When Marcie'd had enough she lay back down and cleared her throat,

"What happened?" she asked Dafne.

Who shook her head "You tell me girl, coz I ain't got a clue. Thee ole village was worried bout ya, nearly sent search party's out an all, you bin gone near a month"

"A month!" Marcie gasped, shocked, "That's not possible...I cant have been..." she frowned, unsure for a moment. After finding the cave again she seemed to have found herself unconscious for much of the time (not something she was proud of), was it possible she had been away that long? she had no way of being sure but Dafne was clearly not lying, why would she.

"Alright..." she said slowly, "I was gone for a month, then how did i get here?"

"You do not remember?" Merrick asked his brow wrinkling, "Your father found you here, you had collapsed with fever"

"Scared the drink right outta him as well" Dafne added with a wink.

"Really?" Marcie asked, "Hes stopped drinking?" she looked hopefully at Dafne for confirmation,

"So far so good" Luce said, she pursed her lips disapprovingly, "Hes been off his leg for several days, cause the strain got too much, The Wi-Dafne has been running between the two of you keeping both of you going"

"He aint had a drink since you gots yerself ill" Dafne confirmed,

"That's..good" Marcie said slumping back into the blankets, then she frowned, "Wait, you said since I got ill, how long has it been?"

"You bin out cold wit fever for a good four days girlie" Dafne said placing a wet cloth on her forehead and straightening the bed cloths, which Marcie just realised were not her own but Dafne's brilliant white ones.

"No wonder I feel so hungry" she said as her stomach rumbled again,

"Yep, right" Dafne said clapping her hands, "you two out" she commanded jerking her thumb at the door.

"No, no its OK, Luce can stay, she shouldn't be moving around to much" Marcie said

Luce smiled, "It is best I go child" she put a hand to her stomach, "I just wished to be here when you regained your health, you are in good hands now, and I had better be resting at home when the baby comes" She brushed a light kiss on Marcie's forehead and gave her hand a final squeeze, " I shall pray to the Goddess you recover your full strength child"

"Prayers would best be saved for yourself Luce, I shall be fine" Marcie replied, her heart swelling with love for the woman who was like a mother to her.

"Yer yer, prayers all round, now out with yer, ize got me work to do" Dafne said impatiently.

Merrick winked at Marcie and kissed her cheek, "You can kick my ass for looking after you when your feeling yourself again" he said with a little of the Glow coming back into his features,

"Of course" Marcie replied grinning. They left, Merrick helping his mother with his arm through hers.

Dafne watched them go with narrowed eyes before carefully closing the door. She poured some of the clear liquid from the cauldron into a bowl and put the meat on a plate, then propped Marcie's head up with a cushion and placed the bowl in front of her with a spoon,

"Drink this then eat" was all she said then she watched, her eyes fierce, to make sure Marcie did as she was told. The liquid tasted slightly coppery but she didn't really notice it, her stomach demanded it be filled, she drained the bowl then tore at the meat, forcing herself to chew carefully before swallowing. She didn't know whether it was the potion Dafne had given her or the food but she soon felt much better, her muscles no longer aching and her head clearer.

She turned to thank Dafne when she suddenly felt a worry and concern that was not her own fill her mind, the presence she had sensed when touching the baby Dragon was back or maybe it had never left, she sat bolt upright in the bed with a gasp. She was dimly aware of Dafne saying something, her bony hand on her shoulder shaking her, but she did not react. All her attention focused on that presence, those feelings that were not her own, as she focused on them the feelings lessened and instead she felt relief, she frowned, was the presence responding to her? She thought inside her head, 'What are you' but she only got confusion back. So it could not read her thoughts, instead she focused on her body, how it felt, all her aches and pains but also that she she was altogether feeling better and she felt the presence respond and a faint image appeared in her mind of a cave wall with crystals growing out of it. It was not a memory more so it was a though an image had been shown her behind her left eye, she could still see her home and all its furnishings but she could also see the cave wall, seeing two things at once shocked her so that she gasped and clutched her head, the image immediately disappeared and she felt a stab of pain at her temple.

She became aware of Dafne shaking her and yelling,

"Marcie, what is it? Are you hurt? Do you remember anything?" She gave her another shake for good measure,

"I am fine you old Witch, just stop shouting" Marcie rubbed at her temple trying to ease the ache that had settled there she turned to look at Dafne and winced when her head pounded "Sorry, I did not mean that Dafne"

"You are far from fine Marcie No ones Bride, an don't you say no different" Dafne said ignoring the apology, with surprising strength she pushed Marcie back down onto the bed and straightened the blankets again.

From one of the pockets of her apron she fished out a small root of some plant,

"Chew on this, it will help you sleep" she said breaking a bit off, then watched while Marcie chewed it and then swallowed, she stared hard at her patient with her piercing blue eyes, Marcie stared back at her but was the first to break the contact, this was not something she could discuss with Dafne, as much as she wished she could.

After a surprisingly short amount of time she began to feel drowsy, her eyelids heavy.

She fell asleep to the feel of Dafne's cold hands stroking her cheek with affection and her voice whispering a song in the old language, one of healing.

Dafne had a beautiful singing voice.