“It appears that sorcery is indeed at play,” she said, smoothing the wrinkles from her kirtle.
“Aye,” Darra agreed. “The lass has described much corruption that cannot be explained by mere happenstance.”
A wave of relief washed over Adrina. She had expected them to reject her story, but they believed her. Now she understood that it wasn’t the MacGregons that would help her, but these two women.
“How long has your clan been cursed?” Venora asked.
“For many months,” Adrina said, “As I mentioned, everyone is frequently ill and act oddly.” In fact they had suddenly become cool and uncaring toward Adrina, but this wasn’t something that she wanted to confide to these outsiders.
“I have a potion that will break the hex on your people.”
Adrina clasped her hands to her chest, her heart bursting with hope. “Och, bless ye for your help, milady!”
Venora gave her a brief smile before nodding to her daughter. “I will prepare the anecdote,” she said. “After dinner, take an escort and bring fresh nettle and angelica roots to me.”
CHAPTER 2
If it was possible, the great hall seemed busier than ever. The guests were starting to make their way out of the great hall while the servants hustled to clean up after the morning repast.
“Would you like to come with me to find roots, milady?” Darra asked, as they got up from their seats.
“I would like that,” Adrina said, glad for the opportunity to leave the stifling chamber. Since she wasn’t to leave Tancraig Castle until Venora finished preparing the tonic, she needed something to occupy her time and help stem her worries.
In short time, Darra secured an armed escort, and they made their way outside of the castle walls. They traveled through a worn path in the forest until they entered into the moorlands.
Several dolerite boulders scattered in the open space, while the bright morning sun reflected off the rocks. At this time of year the moor was a blanket of color, with golden splashes of tormentil, the distinctive mass of pink and green of sphagnum, and purple and gray heather. A slight westerly wind blew down, bending the long, bleached grass, and causing the heather to stir.
“We will stop here,” she said, dismounting before the guard could offer her assistance. She pulled off the basket that hung at the side of the horse, and moved out into the field. There was nothing for Adrina to do but to follow the woman.
Their protector took the horses to graze, and sat on a boulder that was nearby. He leaned back on the rock, watching them with a bored expression on his face. A few minutes later, he pulled out his claymore, and began to polish it with a section of his plaid. But Darra was peering into the horizon, searching for her roots, and paying no heed to her companions.
She moved to stand next to Darra. “How do ye ken what tae search for?” she asked, curious. While Adrina had trekked through the woodlands, and played in the moors when she was younger, she had never paid any attention to the plants on the ground. If she was honest with herself, all vegetation resembled coarse weeds that clumped abundantly together in the heath.
Darra looked at her briefly and smiled. “When you are the daughter of a renowned healer, ‘tis impossible not to know the difference between plant, roots and anything else that you come across in nature.” As if to prove her point, she picked up an acorn that had fallen from the large oak tree that grew beside them. “Do you see this? This humble nut is good for drawing luck to you, and to keep you in good health. However in order to reap the benefits, you must carry it with you at all times.” She handed Adrina the acorn before her slender hand moved to the trunk of the tree. A thick layer of lichen and moss grew on one side of the trunk. Touching the bark, she ran her palm along the rough surface almost with affection. “The bark of the oak tree, however, can be pounded to a fine powder, and used for tooth pain and gum sores. ‘Tis too many people who suffer from these ailments.” She then let out a laugh that sounded pleasant and musical. “Forgive me, milady. You did not accompany me so you could hear me lecture on the benefits of the oak tree. When I go out to gather my supplies, I often become sidetracked.” She pushed herself away from the tree. “Mother will be waiting for me to bring her back the fresh nettle and angelica roots,” she said. “Although it might prove to be a bit of a challenge at this time.” She frowned as she scanned the ground. She was right. Most of the vegetation had either shriveled up or turned into a brown, unidentifiable mass on the ground. Then Darra’s eyes alighted when she saw a mess of bramble and greenery. She moved closer to a spread of flowering plants that grew to about two feet high. Long clusters of green flowers were visible from the axils of the leaves.
“Here are some nettles,” she said with satisfaction. She set her basket on the ground.
Adrina moved to help her, but the other woman put out her arm to block her passage. “The leaves of the nettle are full of bristling hairs.” She picked up a stick and poked at the heart-shaped blades. Flipping it over, she exposed the tiny hairs that grew on the underside of the serrated leaves. “If you touch them, blisters will form on your hands. Since ‘tis not the blades that we need, we can beat the plant down in order to get to the rootstock.”
She pressed the stick on the plants, and using her booted foot, she stomped them to the ground. Then quickly withdrawing the dagger from her belt, she cut at the stems. In short time, and using the stick as a tool, she cleared the area.
Adrina unsheathed her own dagger, and started to help her dig into the soft ground. With two people working, they were able to pull out three large-sized nettle roots.
“This should be enough,” Darra said, leaning back on her heels and grinning at her. She placed the yellow roots into her basket. “’Tis unfortunate that you will be gone from here soon. I think with some training you could learn much about recognizing plants.”
“I can only recognize trees,” Adrina said, letting out a small laugh. “Anything else is just a green heap tae me. However with your guidance, I can certainly help with root gathering.”
She smiled graciously. “I would like that, however I expect that you will be leaving us by tomorrow.”
Adrina looked at her, stunned. “Tomorrow?”
“That is correct. It takes several hours to brew the concoction. Once my mother is finished, she will need to steep it overnight to increase its potency. You will need to inform your escorts about the wait.”
“’Tis all right. I didnae bring any escorts with me when I traveled here.” Adrina twisted her mouth into a smile, trying her best to tamp down her disappointment. She wished to leave as soon as possible. However, it was too much to hope that her troubles could be quickly and easily resolved. She wiped her dagger on the brown moss that grew at the base of the oak tree, and slipped it back into its sheath. When she looked up, she found the other woman staring at her.
“I cannot believe that you traveled here by yourself,” Darra said, her forehead wrinkled with concern.
“I did,” she said, regretting her slip. Any man wouldn’t have allowed his daughter to travel alone. There were too many hazards that lurked in the roads, and she might have even come across the Black Donald. However if she had paid heed to those risks, she might have stayed in Dunnvie Castle, and be of no use to her people. Lifting her shoulders in a shrug, she continued, “But nay harm came tae me. Through the grace of God, I managed tae arrive at Tancraig Castle without encountering a single Broken Man, nor have I seen the Black Donald.”
