"A what?" The shocked response of Ma, Pa and Jerry makes the air in the house grim, even his little sister has stopped chewing while Jack is just staring with both of his brows raised.

Waving both his hands, James tried to reassure them that it is nothing too serious, but even he himself finding his vision being impaired with something blocking is a bad thing.

"Can you at least tell us how the thing looks?" Jerry shoots another question while James' face got pulled in by Ma as she wants to see the thing blocking her youngest son's vision.

"Itz a sky-," removing Ma's hands from his cheeks, "it is day sky color, the normal good weather kind and it is… this shape." Lacking the word to describe the shape, he uses both of his pointing fingers to gesture in the air something long on top, short on both sides and back to long at bottom. "A box," finally finding the proper term, "except it is flat and sky color, and it has my name James on it… and some other words on it…" feeling rather embarrassed about his lack of vocabulary in the problem, James quietens to hear what Jerry has to say.

"A long box, blue, with your name on it…" furrowing his brows that resulted in Ma and Pa's expression to crease as well, Jerry hurried to offer a solution lest the folks worry, "how about I bring James to go see the healers?"

"But it is at night, they might just ignore us." Worried Ma while Pa mumbles, expressing his dislike for the healers.

"Don't worry Ma, I am sure they are proper folks, after all we are having some trouble, surely they won't reject people in their time of need?"

"They sure did by jacking the price skyhigh…" grumbled Pa while rubbing the herb bag on his back.

"I'll be quick," and Jerry grabs James by the wrist and rushes out of their house to the healer twins' houses located nearer to the chief's, where the old merchant is currently resting in before leaving with Jerry again at dawnbreak  

Their house is closer to the fields and that puts them nearing the edge of the entire small village of 20 households, with the walk being long enough for a conversation, Jerry broke into one while James struggles to not trip on the road.

"So James, are you still brooding about Marcus and Cecilia?

"Now including Alex," chuckled at his bad joke as he almost lost his footing thanks to loose gravel. "He left last year Spring after choosing his path, and beating the shit out of Billy."

Frowning, Jerry seems to think for a moment, "did the fat boy go and disturb you everyday?"

Shrugging, James avoids the question but Jerry knows the answer.

The houses of the twin healers are in sight as the silent duo marches, adjusting his clothes, Jerry then taps twice at one of the houses' doors and waits with James in the cold late autumn night.

Opening the door is a woman who looks no older than her prime, with her dirty blond hair tied in a bun and green eyes quizzically staring at her guests.

"Oh hi Jerry and James. Is something a matter? Your father perhaps?" 

"Good evening Auntie Thea," James can only see from the edge of his view as Jerry places his right hand on his chest and bow courteously, "my father is fine, thank you for asking, I would like to apologise to disturb you on this cold evening, but my brother James here requires your help."

"Oh my, please have a seat inside and treat yourself at home."

As they usher into the house, they see the village teacher William is currently chatting with the healer's husband Don, their presence is recognised with William giving a raised hand while Don just nods. 

James gets settled down onto a chair as he notices how the interior really differs from his house, with more pelts and fruits around the place. Not surprising seeing how Thea and her sister Leah are well liked in this village, as they help with the injuries happening from time to time. The hunters often seek them for mild cuts and wounds that might impair their abilities and parents that have children with high fever and serious illnesses thank their work profusely all the time.

'And it is because we are poor that we can only seek Mama huh?' The mood darkens in James, unnoticeable by those surrounding him as Thea repeatedly questions Jerry while staring hard to see James' eyes.

"So you say that he is seeing things?"

"Yes, a long blue box with his name on it."

"Ok I will try to see if Heal works," chanting rather softly with James barely able to hear her voice, "O benevolent spirit of nature, please take away the harm done onto this child."

A lush green light blinds James, it is not painful, rather it feels like a gentle touch on his eyes, warming them to a comfortable sensation.

As the light fades, the box is still there, blocking his view.

"How is it James?" Jerry asks hopefully but James can only shake his head.

"Right," her tone with concern, "I'll now try something else, Don, please go get Leah."

"Don't overexert yourself," Don shifted his gaze to James for a moment, "I will go check on Clifford first."

As the burly man leaves the living area, the old teacher watches the process that failed immediately and starts some questions of his own.

"James, Jerry just said that your problem has some words on them, care to share?"

Looking at William from the edge of his view, "yes, it is my name James on top, then a bunch of words below."

"Do you recognise any of those words? The strokes and characters?"

"No sir, I have not been practising since I was young."

Pursing his lips, William then hands James a bowl of water and after the permissions of Thea, to write the words on the table.

As James tries to write with the water while his vision is still blocked, Jerry chats up with his old teacher.

"Oh, my joints hurt every now and then so I come here for my usual visit…" William stops when James gestures that he is done, the result of his efforts can be considered as chicken scratches.

James

부值: 10

"... what the…" while the trio remains confused, the texts change immediately and James can only trace the words as fast as he can.

James

Reichtum Väärtus: 10

:

:

:

Coin Cost: 10

The text changes for the last time and this time William is able to catch the words, "Coin Cost!" Clearing his throat to get rid of his embarrassment from being too eager, since James, his brother, the healer and the other healer who came in with Don just in time to witness the childlike behaviour.

"Coin cost. Yes, coin cost. The two words are coin cost, I have no idea about the two dots after the words but the two alphabets you wrote at the back are numbers, one (1) and zero (0)." Stroking his white beard in a teacher-like display, "do you know what that means, James?"

"No." 

The answer has made the old man sulk and the rest giggling, James looks at his older brother and he immediately offers the answer.

"Ten (10), as in the number, do you still remember what Teacher had been teaching since we were young?"

Before James gets to shake his head once more, William takes the bowl of water and starts his impromptu lesson.

"Right, this is none, zero, hence a circle with nothing inside," looking pleased at the almost perfect circle, not that James can look at it properly, William dips his finger into the bowl and draws a straight line from up to down right next to the round thing, "this is one, a single stick."

"Then two are two sticks?" 

"No James," Jerry replied tiredly yet eager, "you are right to think that way and yes, counting is easier. But it also makes writing work, so two (2) looks like this." And he writes the number down on the table as well.

"Right, skipping all numbers first, I believe you can count to ten (10), yes?" A firm nod from James has put down the weight in his heart, "right, ten means ten sticks, but like what Jerry said, too many sticks already! So what do we do?"

With the lack of reaction from all except for Thea who nodded, "we put them into one big box, now this big box will be one, so James, is there anything else outside of the box?"

With a shake from James, William continues on about the box and the numbers going beyond ten to 19, before back to the topic of the text box in front of James.

"So your name, then the words "coin cost" and then ten…" tapping his finger on the already dried table, William strokes his chin and eyes at James, who is looking at Jerry passing some coins from his pouch to the twin healers.

'Wait, pouch.' James starts to look for the gift from earlier and puts it on the table, emptying whatever is in. Clanks can be heard as five copper coins fall onto the table, gathering everyone's attention to his bizarre behaviour.

'Five?' Puzzlement contagiously spread from James to the rest, "there are five coins only… I thought it would be ten…"

"Wait, the wallet cost me five coppers," suddenly realising James' words, Jerry shouted out the answer and everyone's mood brightened.

Solving mysteries has always been something rewarding for human nature, as everyone is happily chatting up on clearing the air of the word issue, then they silenced themselves as James is looking at everyone in an awkward angle.

Stifling a cough, William himself is having a tough time and so are the rest, "have you tried to blink it off, shoo it with your hand, ask it to go away or anything?" 

Then James spent some time before he managed to shout out the proper word.

"Err, close!" The blue box disappears as soon as James shouts the word, "it's gone!"

It is late into the night, Leah, Thea's twin sister, has already gone back to her home while the couple is cuddling right next to the fire, heads raised as James screams in ecstasy.

As for William, the poor teacher got a rude wake up call and grumbles about his poor joints, Jerry is at his side massaging his sore spots.

"Right, close, why didn't we think about it at first?" Yawned Don, while Thea gives him a soft whack on the head, both Jerry and James apologise for the troubles they had caused.

"How about the word "open" then?" William clamped down as he notices the begrudged looks from the couple and the teacher and his previous students immediately exit the house to give the two the rest they solely need.

"I'm sorry brother, I have wasted your time. Not only that, those coins, are they for Pa?" Jerry shakes his head while William starts speaking. "Not to intrude but I am still around. James, can you try to get the box back with the word "open" ?'' 

After understanding the situation a beat late, he complied and got his view obstructed once more, "close!" 

"Fascinating, now go home and please practise on your words and numbers, and see if you can play with the blue box some more." William then walks away from the brothers and to his hut that is just three houses away from Thea's, shivering as the cold wind blows.

Jerry then looks at James as the duo stroll back, his eyes a hint of sadness, "I am not sad for whatever just happened, I am glad that you are fine my brother." A brief pause before he continued, voice quaking, "it is just that, Pa still won't look at me even after all this time, what have I ever done wrong?"

James opens his mouth but no word is forming, he knows what the issue is but cannot explain. Silence with a bit of chirping in the air was the only response James could give to his brother and Jerry seemed content after the outburst.

Ma was waiting at the door relieved as the two brothers finally reached home.