Elena

 

Today was the day: I’d decided that we were going to visit the healer that the alchemist had told us about. 

Wynn and I made our way through the twists and turns of the back-alleys until we arrived at an exit near the district gates. They were guard posts that separated our poorer district of Lowtown from other, more wealthy ones. As I poked my head out of the shadows to get a better look at the area, I gestured for Wynn to wait behind me.

Over the past few days, I’d been seeing more and more of the Razor’s gang walking the streets, interrogating folks and making their presence known. It was making me anxious and Wynn had begun to notice, although I couldn’t tell her what had me so worried.

It looked like The Razor was stepping up his attempts at finding me which made getting around even harder than it had been. Thankfully, his lackeys weren’t all that good at their jobs and never seemed to notice me – even when I was wearing my mask.

That was something I’d had to stop doing, too. Despite feeling apprehensive about giving it up, I’d had to stop putting it on in public – they’d recognise me for sure if I were to wear it.

But today we had a more important job at hand. Even though the alchemist hadn’t wanted to buy my health potions, he had given us instructions on where to find someone that would. I was struggling to remember what he’d told us, but I did remember that they were in the Greenmarket District. Neither of us knew much about it, except that it was separated from Lowtown by a guard post to keep out the riff-raff and that meant us.

Even though I was excited to visit them, I’d insisted on waiting a few days before we made the trek, just in case it had been a trap. The last thing I wanted was to end up being captured again. If he caught me I had no doubt that he’d make my life a waking nightmare.

Besides, we finally had money to spend and what better way to use it than to buy some real food and an evening or three in an inn. Having proper beds to sleep was such a luxury for Wynn and it had made me miss my old room for a fraction of a moment.

We’d used up a good portion of the money that we’d made from the book, so selling the potions was becoming more important. Thankfully the one I had activated still glowed strongly, even after waiting for a few days. I’d spent a few hours of an evening, laying back on the soft feather mattress, staring into the entrancing light. The glow was soft and radiant, but not so bright that it was painful to look at.

I took my time to scan the area around the gate, but other than the slow-moving line of merchants and tradespeople nothing really stood out to me. There were some of the usual city guards – equipped with short swords and some heavy-looking armour – checking carts as they passed through, but it looked safe for us to sneak out of our hiding place for now.

“How’re we gonna get past? There’s no way we look like we belong outside of Lowtown,” Wynn whispered, slinking silently up alongside me.

“Just stay close and keep your hood down,” I whispered back, giving her a reassuring smile as I glanced in her direction.

“Down?” she asked, dubious.

I nodded but didn’t say anything in reply, instead I strode further into the street. Wynn muttered under her breath but kept close as I’d instructed. My aim was to look like we belonged there and folks with their hoods up were definitely up to no good.

I’d noticed a small group of women with empty woven baskets was waiting to pass through the gate and I slipped in just behind them. If I were to guess, they were going to restock some of the market stalls and might even have some coins on them that one could steal if they were so inclined – but that wasn’t what we were here for right now. Our sticky fingers would have to wait.

None of the young women in the group paid us much attention as we lingered nearby and the guards scarcely looked in our direction as we were waved through. I could feel Wynn’s apprehension as it seeped into me, making me feel nervous too, but we were able to pass through without being stopped or questioned.

I hardly dared breathe a sigh of relief until we were out of eyesight.

“Wow. I’ve heard so many stories of folks from Lowtown bein’ arrested for tryin’ to get through there. Some never turned up again after, either,” Wynn hissed to me as we moved away.

She hadn’t mentioned that to me before, but we were through now so no point in letting it get to me. I shrugged and grinned a cocky smile at her, “Nothin’ to it.”

 

Compared to Lowtown, the streets of Greenmarket were kept clean and in good repair. You didn’t have to worry about stepping into muddy puddles or turning your ankle on loose cobbles here, which was both nice and strange at the same time. All around us were unfamiliar sights. The most impressive thing about the district was the height of the buildings – they towered above and around us. Where the homes in Lowtown were squat, half-wooden little things, these were imposing stone giants.

As we followed the directions that we could remember, we had to experience the stares, scowls and situations where people crossed to the other side of the road to avoid us. Granted, Wynn’s clothing was a little more threadbare than mine and neither of us had washed in a few days, but they were acting like we were monsters that wanted to eat them.

I bet these rich folks never had to try to wash the only set of clothes that they owned in the middle of spring. What were you supposed to do? Stand around naked until your freshly washed tunic dried in the sun?

After the better part of an hour, we eventually passed a small, well-cared-for park and turned the corner onto the street that led to the healer’s shop. I immediately knew that we’d be standing out even more as we ventured along. The storefronts here boasted extravagant displays and neatly written signs, while the customers that moved between them wore richly tailored tunics, breeches and day gowns. I had never seen anything like it before in my life, and from the look on Wynn’s face, she hadn’t either.

The shoppers made sure to keep their distance. When a woman saw us both coming towards her, she grabbed the hands of her two children and dragged them into the nearest doorway so as not to have to come close. That had me rolling my eyes, but at the same time, it stung a little too. I didn’t have long to think about that, though, as Wynn pointed out something a little further along the street.

“Is that it?” she asked me, indicating a wooden sign that hung loosely against the side of a building. It had some writing that neither of us could read, but also a depiction of one of those fancy grinding bowls that people used.

“I guess?” I answered back, now turning my full attention to the building itself. The alchemist had been right – we would know it when we saw it.

Even though this was one of the wealthier districts in the city, the apothecary was an ordinary, red-brick building nestled snugly between two brightly-lit and gaudy tailors. While the neighbouring windows were filled with examples of finely stitched, brass-buttoned jackets and exquisitely embroidered gowns, the apothecary’s windows were dusty and dirty. It looked out-of-place on one of the more prosperous streets in the city and stood out purely because of how average it was.

The shop’s wooden door creaked on rusty hinges as I shoved it open and I was immediately assailed by the mixed scent of herbal medicine and the aroma of chicken soup. Both Wynn and I crept quietly inside, me leading the way. Wynn had kept watch behind us, making sure that no-one had followed us here, but she was paying too little attention to what was happening in front of her. She collided with a broom that had been left leaning against the wall, sending it clattering to the floor.

I jumped in surprise as the stillness was shattered and turned to glare at my friend in frustration. She was wide-eyed and apologetic and made sure to be extra careful not to slam the door closed behind us.

Sighing at our loud arrival, I turned back to see if I could spot the owner but there was no one.

For someone that could afford a shop in one of the most expensive parts of the city, the owner didn’t seem to care too much for keeping things clean. The shelves that lined the walls were in dire need of some dusting and half of them were completely bare.

Some faint sounds of movement were reaching us from the other side of the closed door in the back and I glanced at Wynn with a raised eyebrow.

“Didn’t we make enough noise comin’ in? Should we shout or somethin’?” I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, her eyes wandering about at the half-empty store, “S’not really much worth stealin’ is there?”

“Oh, c’mon. We’re not here for that,” I chided, pulling out a vial from my cloak pocket. “We’re here for these.”

Wynn turned back to face me and stuck out her bottom lip in a mock pout. I rolled my eyes and broke into a quiet laugh.

A faint squeak that sounded like a chair scraping against the floor escaped from behind the closed door that led to the back of the shop. We both immediately snapped our attention towards it and held our breath. Someone muttered loudly from the other side – a feminine voice from what I could make out – and a few moments later it opened to reveal the face of a middle-aged woman. Her eyes narrowed as she spied us loitering inside her store.

She had her hair tied up in a messy silvery-grey bun, with a pair of thick-rimmed spectacles raised to rest up against it. I also noticed that she was wearing a rumpled old robe once she emerged fully into the room.

“Oh. Good day to you… uh... young ladies,” she called out, stumbling into the door as she groped around for the handle. It took her a moment to find it and tug it closed behind her. She brushed her robes down, trying to regain her composure while she turned back to us.

“And how might I help you both?”

Wynn and I glanced at each other and I arched my eyebrow quizzically. Was this woman really the person we’d been sent to find? I’d imagined it to be a wizened old man with a beard that reached his waist, shelves packed with every kind of remedy and customers lined up at the door from the way that the alchemist was singing their praises.

“Well…” I answered, lifting the potion bottle up in front of me for the older woman to have a clear view.  “I have this and I was wonderin’ if you’d like to buy it from me.”

My friend was watching the old healer woman closely – she’d already proven that she was far better at bargaining and bartering than I was and she wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to be swindled.

“Hmm, that is an interesting elixir you have there,” the older lady uttered, searching through the pockets of her robes. “Now, where did I put my glasses?”

I blinked, my eyes turning back to where the old lady’s spectacles nestled up in the crown of her hair. Wynn also tried very hard to hold in a laugh, hiding her mouth behind her hand, but she eventually broke into a fit of giggles. The old woman squinted suspiciously towards us both, placing her hands to her hips.

“And just what is so amusing, young miss?” she demanded, nudging a display cabinet with her elbow as she attempted to step around it and approach us. The cabinet rattled but thankfully the few glass bottles and jars that were sitting inside remained upright and unbroken.

“They’re on your head!” Wynn laughed, while I gave the old healer an apologetic smile on behalf of my friend.

“Oh. Yes. So they are,” the woman said, reaching up and perching them gently on the end of her nose. “Now, let’s see here.”

She stretched out a hand to take the vial and I gave it up without much fuss. I doubted she’d try to steal it from me – she seemed far too disorganised for that.

“Oh my,” she uttered as she held it up in front of her face, scrutinizing its contents. She raised her glasses up again, allowing them to rest atop her head as before, and gave me a quick glance. “It would appear to be a high-quality potion of healing, although it has been quite some time since I have seen someone activate a potion in this manner. May I ask how you came to acquire it?”

That was an awkward question. Technically, it was something that I’d stolen from someone else who had probably stolen it from another person. That made it mine, right?

“I… suppose...” I answered back, nervously. I glanced at Wynn, shuffling my feet so that my over-large boots scuffed over the ground, “... I found it?”

“You found it,” she replied back, flatly. Clearly, she didn’t believe a word that I was saying.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t glowin’ when I found it. It was all dark and boring…”

“Yeah, and she did it. She made it glow!” Wynn interrupted, gesturing towards me and stepping forwards so that she could join in the conversation.

“Hmm?” the old lady asked, turning to peer at her. She’d been staring at the glowing liquid within the vial, her expression full of wonder and her eyes wide. Now, her eyes flicked to Wynn and then promptly back to me, her voice tinged with accusation as she asked, “You did this?”

“I… I guess,” I said. For some reason, her self-assured and stern demeanour was making me feel shy and aloof.

She said nothing further and instead lowered her glasses back down over her eyes. Wynn stepped aside when the old lady tapped her on the shoulder and gestured for her to move out of the way. This gave her the space to step forwards and inspect me closely. I wanted to wilt like a flower under the mid-summer sun as she scrutinised me from top to toe.

After what felt like an eternity she lifted her glasses once more and looked me in the eye, “What is your name, young lady?”

Even though I knew it was dangerous to give her my real name, I still felt compelled to answer her truthfully. I dropped my hands down to my sides in an attempt to look calm, but my fingers just began picking at the hem of my tunic anxiously.

“Ellie,” I finally answered, swallowing a lump in my throat as I spoke.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ellie,” she smiled, the laugh lines around her mouth and eyes deepening. I couldn’t help but feel more at ease as she mentioned my name, “You may call me Evelyn. Now, would you both like some soup?”

 

Wynn introduced herself to Evelyn as we were served a steaming bowl of some kind of meaty broth, and we all sat at a table in the back to eat. Evelyn must have been used to girls without table manners as she hardly batted an eyelid at Wynn slurping away as she ate her food. Between mouthfuls, she kept asking me about where I was from and who my parents were. 

I felt a pang in my chest as I admitted that I’d never known my parents since they’d died shortly after I was born. Lying was harder, but I did manage to convince her that I had been living on the streets ever since.

Wynn was eyeing me suspiciously as she hovered over her bowl, although she looked more curious than hostile. She clearly didn’t believe what I was saying which was a different problem for another day. Would she give me up to The Razor if she knew? I still wasn’t sure, which made me uneasy.

Eventually, the topic turned back to the potion. Evelyn had seemed genuinely surprised when she’d first looked at the vial and I was wondering what she’d seen.

“Did I do something wrong when I… uh… activated it?” I asked, trying to draw her into the line of conversation that I wanted.

“Oh, nothing is wrong with it, so to speak. This potion has been activated very swiftly, however. While that doesn’t make it worse, it can lead to rapid deactivation of the-”

She paused when she noticed both of our blank expressions and she cleared her throat.

“Well, what I meant to say was that this potion was activated by a powerful yet inexperienced mage,” she clarified.

Well, inexperienced made sense, but powerful?

“Oh, I didn’t know, I mean…” I began, but she cut in.

“Well no, of course not. How were you to know? But, the thing that truly amazes me is the powerful connection to the Facet of Healing that you must have...” She had begun staring at me with a dreamy, wistful gaze and I was feeling uncomfortable all over again.

She kept staring at me for longer than felt comfortable, so I turned her attention back to the vial in her hands with a gesture of my hand.

“So, are you interested in buyin’ it?” I offered hopefully.

That made her blink in surprise and she took several moments to realise what I was talking about, “OH! The potion. Yes yes. But how about something else, young Ellie?”

“Something else?” I questioned, my stomach dropping at the thought that we’d made our journey out here for nothing.

“Yes yes. I would like to offer you a position as my assistant!” She nodded eagerly and placed a hand to her hip, beaming across the table at me as if she was offering me a deal I couldn’t refuse.

“Uh… does that… would I get paid?” I asked, glancing at Wynn as I did. She was doing her best not to appear astonished.

“What? Oh, yes, of course,” Evelyn replied, dismissing my concerns with a wave of her hand. She smiled a lopsided smile as she looked between us, “Anything else?”

“Wynn gets a job, too.”

Evelyn sighed at that request, then looked about. The backroom wasn’t in a much better state than the storefront. Surfaces were dusty, piles of books had fallen into heaps on the floor and dirty dishes were scattered about the room, “Oh fine. I could use a shop assistant, too.”

I broke into a wide smile while Wynn was failing to contain her own growing excitement. She was practically beaming as she exclaimed, “Really? Thank you so much!”

I tried to hide my own growing smile so as not to appear too eager, but it was a losing battle. The prospect of finally being independent and living my life without the shadow of my past lingering above me was a dream come true. Something was bound to go wrong, but for now, I wanted to enjoy it.

“When can we start?” I asked, folding my hands in my lap.

“Well, if neither of you has anything else to do, how about right now?”