• Chapter One: Uncertainty

    Meron awoke to the sound of two voices he heard just outside his door. Looking around the room nervously he saw that he was in the hospital. Listening to these voices that were constrained, he heard their heated arguing through their tense whispers.

    “What did they say was the diagnosis again?” a woman asked.

    Meron recognized this voice it belonged to Katherine, the herbalist, who lived and worked across the road from his uncle’s shop. She had always been kind to Meron inviting him to lunch whenever she found time, she also knew about his abusive uncle and would heal Meron’s wounds continuously.

    The other voice answered, “They said, his shoulder was torn in three places, the bones were severely broken and he had lost a lot of blood, but I am not at all convinced that is all of Meron’s causalities.”

    This voice Meron didn’t recognise

    “What so you know more than the doctors?” Katherine protested.

    The other Woman who turned out to be called Welga spoke through gritted teeth to Katherine, “I didn’t say I knew more. I know how to recognize a concussion when I see one. I also know a concussion can induce a traumatic shock which is also not easily recognized among busy medical professionals."

    Katherine snapped back at Welga through pride “Well yes the hospital staff are indeed busy but I will wait until I see Meron for myself before I deduce whether he has sustained concussion let alone a traumatic shock, which can also produce brain trauma.”

    “What!?” Welga said anxiously, are you thinking that he may have brain damage?”

    “I don’t know Welga!” Katherine felt humiliated to not know. “All that I am saying is that I will wait to see him before I can agree with that diagnosis, from either the doctors or even you.”

    Welga’s anger welled up inside of her like a volcano ready to explode. She had an ongoing rivalry with Katherine because of her healing gifts that many including the doctors and Katherine had to go to school for years to learn. Welga’s healing gifts were passed down to her through the generations of her family. As long as she can remember her family were always the chief healers in this community, and with the birth of each new generation fulfilling their healing destiny as chief healer, added to her family’s healing gifts but also to the wealth of knowledge that they possessed. At times Welga was well respected and liked among her community. However with each new person, particularly of the health profession, that came into the town to live and to work at the hospital, trust and respect had to be earned. And that was not easy to achieve with Katherine and doctors that trusted in healing through academic qualifications and pursuits; more than the healing that comes through the Soul.

    Welga composed herself, “Katherine, what concerns me more is his uncle, he had his left arm and leg torn from his body and his head was severed, not only that, his body suffered third degree burns, inside and out of his whole body.”

    Katherine looked astonished and exclaimed “But that doesn’t explain it, how could he get his arm and leg decapitated from his body; even though he received what he deserved. How could this happen! And then the burns that were all over his body, there’s no reason to burn a body after tearing the limbs off Welga.”

    Meron realised who the other voice belonged to, 'Of coarse that’s Welga the chief healer.'

    Welga resided with regret to the fact that at times, healing and life could also be a mystery to her family and said, “I agree Katherine it doesn’t make sense, but what I’m confused by is the marks on his arm and leg, It’s like they where torn by a large animal. I only once saw marks like that when I was little, A man had stumbled into a cabin where I used to live with my mother. He had his skin completely pealed from his arm, the bone had been completely destroyed and on his leg were teeth marks that were 5 inches deep. We couldn’t save him that day nor did we ever find out how it happened.”

    Katherine looked bewildered standing alongside Welga, looking towards the door of Meron’s room. An unnerving silence passed between them as they resided deep within their own thoughts to leave what happened to Meron’s uncle a mystery at this time. Katherine gathered her composure, “We can‘t think about that for now, we need to think of Meron right now, his state of mind, his arm…..his healing and recovery.

    Meron stopped listening and settled down in his thoughts, then everything went black as Meron drifted into a deep sleep.

    ***********

    In the middle of town a little elf girl walked through the market stalls sighing she felt alone. Her thoughts pervaded through her loneliness…

    ‘well just like always nobody cares about me. It just doesn’t matter if I beg because they are just going to ignore me anyway.’

    She kept on walking through the crowd of stalls and her darkened thoughts kept on coming…

    ‘what am I going to do I can’t last another week like this. I didn’t want to be a burden to anyone, but I am so hungry. If I don’t get something to eat I shall truly die. I might as well go to Katherine’s house, I know she always has something extra to share with others. And I know she will have something that I can eat, but I don’t want to owe her anything. Still if I don’t get something to eat soon, then I will not be able to walk any further. What choice do I have?’

    The young elf girl walked past the bridge looking into the water. She gazed at the water shimmering back at her. The water looked inviting, how easy it would be just to end it all now, to hasten her death. No one would be burdened, and she would owe no one anything. A vision of herself sinking deep into the cold water falling to the bottom came to her mind…

    ‘oh if only I were the water I’d just float all my troubles down into the sea and I would be free.’

    Then she saw the darkness of the deep water surrounding her, caving in on her and she shivered. She looked up and saw the glimmer of light over the horizon and she shook her head at the heaviness of her mind.

    ‘since when have I ever given into cowardice and who would miss me anyway.’

    Tiredness pervaded her mind and she sat down on the side of the bridge. She hadn’t realized how tired she really was and how weak she really felt. She brought her knees up and hugged them. She lowered her head and brought it to rest upon her knees. There she started to cry and then sobbed wholeheartedly. She was in trouble and she knew it, she needed help, but who to go to, who could she trust. Katherine came to mind again, Katherine was not only her best choice, she was her only choice. She blew her nose on the hem of her dress and wiped her tears with the sleeve of her dress.

    The little elf girl sat there and looked at the water and gathered her strength to go and see Katherine. She knew what happened last time after she met Katherine, Katherine had been very kind to her and gave her the cloak she was wearing to help ward of the cold. It had been a blessing, but she wondered whether the good in Katherine would come to an end, if she continually made use of it. Still it was better to find out then wondering and much better than jumping off the bridge and sinking into the bottom of the river.

    The young girl stood up and looked towards the road ahead of her,

    “Katherine it is” She said.

    And there she started on the road towards Katherine’s shop.

    ********

    The sign above Katherine’s shop swung gently in the breeze above the top of the door. The little elf girl put her hand on the door when she suddenly noticed a letter on the door.

    (("I had to go to the hospital will be back tomorrow.

    Katherine

    P.S Windess if you stop by today please come to the hospital" wink )

    “I wonder why she had to go to the hospital ” Windess said to herself

    “Didn’t you know” rasped a man’s voice from behind her.

    Windess jumped, she turned around and there she saw Grimsy,

    “Oh hi Grimsy…heard what…did something happen in town?” Windess asked concerned.

    “Well everyone in town heard Meron get beat up by…”

    A cold dread came over Windess, “What do you mean Grimsy?”

    She tried to not let her voice betray her. Windess had loved Meron for as long as she could remember. But she prided herself on being able to hide her feelings.

    “Is he all right?” she stammered.

    “Who did it?” Windess demanded.

    “ It wasn’t his uncle was it?” Windess inquired and yet was embarrassed by her barrage of words, that flowed forth like a hurricane.

    “Well that’s what everyone says” replied Grimsy shaking his head.

    “Oh No! I have to see him…Sorry Grimsy but I’ll be going now, bye!” Windess said abruptly as she ran off towards the direction of the hospital and forgot her own weakness and need. Before she could hear his reply she was off.

    Grimsy shook his head and waved,

    “So long Windess!” Grimsy yelled after her.

    He smiled, her name suits her, Windess Hurricane, always in such a hurry. He chuckled and then looked at the note again and shook his head,

    “Bad business that” he sighed.

    Windess’ thoughts bombarded her awareness,

    ‘But why… Why… Why whould his uncle do such a cruel thing I don’t understand.
    We should have just runaway together to Rightinwel. Why didn’t you just tell me that things where getting worse Meron? You promised me that you whould tell me if it was getting worse with your uncle. Why didn’t you tell me'     she cried relentlessly through the hurricane of her thoughts.

    She ran towards the hospital, tears betraying her pent up emotions, rolling down her cheeks.

    *******
    A boy stood there staring at the charred ally where Meron had been found. Shaking his head, regret filled up his heart penetrating his mind.

    ‘I can still see those flames, if only I had arrived sooner Meron might have been alright…’

    And then a thought interrupted his awareness, 'what could I have done against his uncle. He gazed into the filth of the alley and shivered' hopelessness emancipated his guilt.

    “Hey Brandon! stop daydreaming or your not getting paid” yelled Grimsy.

    A tall, burly figure came towards him.

    “Huh?… oh sorry Grimsy I’ll get right to it” Brandon replied.

    Brandon, went back to work picking up the garbage bins that cats had tipped over. He grabbed a shovel and started to place the spilt garbage back into each bin. Grimsy was a kind man that he like immensely and had enormous respect for, despite what the town’s folk fought of their blacksmith‘s criminal past.

    “That’s more like it” Grimsy nodded “Are you worried about Meron?”

    “Yeah…” answered Brandon concerned but also relieved that his heavy thoughts were interrupted.

    “Well if your that worried you should go see him after you get this street cleared” said Grimsy

    Brandon looked at the alley and the ton of work that still was before him. He looked at the undone work; defeated. How was he going to be able to visit Meron when cleaning up the alleyway took precedence?

    Grimsy looked at the lad and asked “Need a hand?”

    Brandon’s appearance immediately lightened, “Thanks Grimsy, I don’t know how I was going to get this all done before I go see….”

    Grimsy interrupted Brandon, “well lets get this work done…. and put your back into it boy.”

    Grimsy smiled his usual cocky smile at Brandon. Relieved, Brandon’s strength increased as the defeat was washed away with Grimsy’s Charitable intentions. The two worked well together and as the hours washed away, the work had now been accomplished. Brandon took the shovels and put them away in the Store house. He returned to Grimsy awaiting his approval and to say he could go.

    Grimsy stroked his beard and looked at the work that was now done.

    “I suppose you would like to go and see Meron? ” asked Grimsy.

    “You bet” responded Brandon.

    Grimsy hesitated for a moment and was pretending to inspect the charred alley as a Military Officer inspects the barracks of an enlisted man.

    Brandon laughed and said, “Ok Grimsy” for confirmation.

    Grimsy delayed his words “O-k-a-y y-o-u c-a-n ….” and before the word go was out of his mouth, Brandon was off running towards the hospital.

    Brandon waved as he ran off, he stared to make the long trek up to the hospital. Grimsy laughed as the lad took off like a rabbit. Grimsy turned to go home and a vision came that took him by surprise. He could see Meron’s uncle and fear on his face. He saw menacing eyes in the darkness of the alley, but the figure remained unclear. He heard the words that Meron’s uncle screamed as he lifted his hands to protect the oncoming fire storm. The Vision stopped and Grimsy saw the alley again as Brandon and him left it.

    So there was another there? But where was Meron. He was reminded and saw the Uncle’s face before he lifted up his hands. Terror filled his eyes.

    Grimsy shook His head, what an awful way to die. © DSA