CHAPTER 4: The Challenge and The Vision
Pausing a moment to sweep a stray curl out of her face with the back of her hand, Allorah briefly scanned the hall. Most of the rectangular space was taken up with the rows of pallets on either side, nearly all of them occupied by injured men. It was the largest room in the village, originally built for the assembly of the Council of Elders and designed to hold a throng of spectators. At the moment, however, it served as a makeshift hospital. There had to be at least fifty men here, but Allorah felt a swell of pride knowing she had already checked on and treated more than half of them. Dannonae was busy caring for the other half, and soon they would be able to leave matters in the hands of one of the more medically skillful village women and go back home for some much-needed rest.
She was bone-weary, and frequently smothered yawns, irritably blinking away the moisture when her eyes watered in reaction. It seemed amazing to her that her eyes could still feel so grainy even with all the yawn-induced tears.
Bending back to her current patient, she finished wrapping the new dressing around his thigh and tied it off adeptly. Allorah let her eyes close for a moment and murmured a short prayer for his fast recovery. When she opened them again, the man was looking up at her, a grateful smile on his mouth.
"Thank you, Allorah. You are surely a blessing sent to us from the Gods."
Allorah made a gentle tsking noise but smiled down at him. "You're too kind, Kalo. I am merely doing my job."
His expression turned more serious. "Still, you do so much. Perhaps too much. You mustn't push yourself too hard."
"I won't." She told him. He didn't look convinced.
"Promise a poor, wounded man that you will take care of yourself?" He looked so pitiful that Allorah couldn't help but chuckle and nod her assent.
"I promise. I am nearly finished here, and then I will rest a while."
With a contented sigh, he relaxed back into his pillow and Allorah patted his wrist and rose to her feet. She was careful to conceal the dizzy wave that swept over her before moving to the next man needing her attention.
It was over an hour more before she was through. The torches had been lit to ward off the encroaching gloom of evening and the sounds of people readying the communal fire drifted up through the branches. Even with the constant danger from the invaders, the townsfolk had deemed fireside time so essential to maintaining and reinforcing their bonds as a community, that they risked it every night. The only change was the absence of those Hunters assigned as sentries at posts all around the village. If the foreigners attempted an attack, they would warn those around the fire in time to get them to safety.
Allorah stretched and rolled her shoulders. Her eyes roamed over the resting men until they alighted on Varyn. Dannonae had somehow managed to find him a set of clothes that mostly fit, though the knee-length shirt was a little tight over his broad shoulders, and the trousers just a hair too short. They had not managed to find any boots that would accommodate his large feet, so he went without, but he didn't seem to mind and it was close enough to work until they came up with something better. So garbed, he had opted to join the two of them as they went about their healing duties, though he made no move to help. Instead, he had occupied himself by talking quietly with those men who were alert enough to do so. Allorah had caught wisps of their conversations and it seemed he was questioning them closely about the martial abilities of the enemy. Since it seemed to bring a certain level of comfort to the men, she was glad he had found something to do other than watch her, because she was worried that his gaze would cause stray thoughts of their recent encounter to surface and distract her.
Her body still seemed to thrum with physical memory of it, though her demanding afternoon had buried the effect somewhat. But every time she looked in his direction, a faint pulse echoed from her core, reminding her. A soft throb came from her aching nether region just thinking about it. It made her want to reach down there and massage the ache out...
Allorah realized the direction of her thoughts with a start and hid her blush by turning away from the room to collect her personal healing items. She must be more tired than she'd thought to be thinking such things.
As she turned back to the room with renewed composure, Dannonae stood from what she was doing and made her way over. "We've both done enough for one day, I think. You are going home, then?"
"I thought I'd first stop by the fire and perhaps bring the Warrior with me." She replied. "Maybe his presence will bring people some hope."
Dannonae nodded. "Good idea. And if him being there doesn't reassure them, your presence certainly will." Allorah frowned slightly in question. Dannonae smiled. "It is the nature of being a Priestess, my dear. People see you as not only a spiritual leader, but a figure they can draw comfort from, and rally to, in times of distress. Your strength gives them strength in turn."
"I hear your words..." She said slowly. "But surely they don't yet see me that way?"
"Of course they do." Dannonae asserted. "They saw you as a Priestess from the first time you joined them at that fire at the age of fifteen. And that impression has only been strengthened over the years, especially by how you've served since the fighting began."
The old Priestess saw her expression of doubt and told her, "When you go down to the fire tonight, watch them. Notice how they treat you, how they watch you, subtly, yet attentively. And see what your observations tell you."
Allorah nodded. "Where are you going then? To bed I hope..." She trailed off, giving the older woman a stern look. Dannonae chuckled.
"Doubt yourself you may, but that expression is the mark of a genuine Priestess! Ah, I've taught you well..." They shared a grin before Dannonae sobered, patting her hand. "I will go to bed this night, I promise. But first I must pray. I fear with all the commotion over the invaders' newest, boldest move, I may not get another chance anytime close to the full moon."
"Oh. I understand, Mother."
Another pat on her hand, and Dannonae turned to go. "Gods be with you, Priestess." Allorah called gently. Dannonae looked over her shoulder, a small smile on her lips.
"And you... Priestess."
Shaking her head bemusedly, Allorah went the opposite way over to Varyn. He watched her approach then politely excused himself from his conversation with one of the patients. He nodded his agreement to join her at the communal fire and the two of them made their way out of the long building and down the ramps to the forest floor.
