Ashley thought being the only healer in the town was enough pressure, but staring at the dying child in her arms with no way to cure him...the world felt too loud and too quiet at the same time.
Her hands trembled not because she lacked skill but she knew every herb in her satchel and her little shop could not bring back a dying child. Her heart ached as she watched the life slowly drain out of the face of the little boy.
She had never felt so helpless and useless, the sound of the crying mother was like a reminder of her incapabilities, looking out the little window at the side of the bed where the little boy laid, she stared at the starless sky fixing her gaze at the moon silently praying for a miracle, hoping someone up there could hear her plea.
Shifting her gaze back to the child, she could feel his heartbeat become slow, his once bright eyes dimming with every second that passed. The night was still, the night creatures were quiet like they were already mourning the death of the little boy.
Something told her to give up, comfort the mother instead and pray for the child's peaceful rest but Ashley wasn't the type to give up, she wasn't about to loose to death, taking the hand of the little boy she held it close to her chest, closing her eyes like she was begging for one more chance.
She began whispering words she didn't know existed in a language she had never heard but it felt familiar like she had used it her whole life, lost in her prayer she didn't notice the faint glow between her hands holding the child. As soon as she whispered the last word, it felt like the world regained it's color. Opening her eyes she stared at the sleeping child no longer in pain, only calm like he wasn't just at the brink of death.
Her lips curling to a warm smile like she wasn't just about to give up. Turning to the sobbing mother, she touched her softly to get her attention "your child is fine, he is just asleep" she said, her words comforting, filled experience and wisdom from a thousand years.
Relief washed over the grieving mother, as she quickly moved to see her child. Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks seeing the color back to his face as he was sound asleep his breathing stable. She Turned to Ashley "thank you soo much for saving my son, may the gods bless you" she said sobbing with her knees on the floor.
Ashley smiled placing her hands on her shoulder "May my peace be with you" she replied, the woman was overcome with relief and happiness that she did not realize Ashley's brown eyes that used to shine with curiosity and stubbornness was silver and calm like the still lake under the stars.
The night passed peacefully, Birds chirped, the sun shone brightly in the sky and through Ashley's window hitting her face waking her up from her sleep.
Groaning Ashley sat up from her mattress, it could hardly be called a bed but she was lucky to have one, having a proper bed was luxury someone staying in a small town could hardly dream of.
Staring out the window, she smiled at the bright blue sky greeting the morning like it was her companion, getting up from her bed she quickly freshened up brushing her curly brown hair and tying it into a messy bun leaving some strands to fall at the side of her face.
Putting on a long brown black and brown gown that reached her ankle with a pair of black boots, she fastened her satchel to her waist and hurried out of her tiny room to the shop.
Opening her front door, she turned the closed sign at the back to the side the said open, walking back in she began tidying up the shop, humming the song her mom used to sing to her before she passed...they passed,both parents died since she was little but she wasn't alone, she had her elder brother Elias, her best friend Leora and a village that loved her.
The door opened ringing the bell hanging above it, to indicate someone entered the shop "good morning, how can I help you" Ashley said brightly still focused on dusting her shelves.
"I came to thank you again for last night, I wouldn't know what I would have done if I had lost my darling child" the voice of a familiar old woman spoke, Ashley paused for a mili second not enough for the old woman to notice confusion etched on her face.
It wasn't that she couldn't remember mrs Silther's dying son, she could not remember healing him or how she healed him.
All she could recall was hoping for a miracle with the child's hands between hers and it suddenly hit her...she had no memory of what happened after that last night.
Turning to Mrs Silther with a smile "you're welcome Mrs Silther, I hope he's doing better now" she said trying hard to conceal the tremble in her voice
Mrs Silther nodded with a bright smile placing a little brown sack on the counter between them "please take this, its not enough to show my gratitude but please have it"
"Oh no I couldn't, it's my job as a healer to make people feel better, you have paid me already Mrs Silther i can't accept this" Ashley pushed the sack towards Mrs Silther gently, she could never accept a reward for something she was sure wasn't her doing, but yet she couldn't tell her that cause it seemed like she was thoroughly convinced that she was the one that saved her son
"No I insist, my dear please take it" the old woman said, pressing the sack of money into Ashley's hand and quickly walking away so she won't have the chance to refuse
Ashley watched in defeat as the old woman left the shop, sighing she dropped the sack inside a drawer, leaning on the counter her brows furrowed trying to recall what happened last night, but she was left with darkness. Trying to focus more there must be something she could remember feeling a sharp burning pain on her chest bringing her back to reality.
Looking down at her chest, there was a mark she had never seen in her life there, she couldn't see it clearly but she knew this wasn't an injury neither was it a stain it looked like a tattoo of some kind, she rubbed it trying to find out if it could wipe out
"What are you doing" a voice said, making her almost jump out of her skin startled by the voice. She Looked up at the person in front of her, she pursed her lips frowning "Leora don't startle me like that" she said adjusting her clothes.
Leora chuckled "how am I supposed to know, you weren't paying attention to your surroundings, there's a literal door bell that rings when anyone walks in" she said point at the bell hanging above the door
Rolling her eyes Ashley retorted"what do you want Leora"
"stop talking like you aren't excited to see me, it's been almost two weeks since you saw your best friend, is that how you're going to welcome me?" Leora said placing her hands on chest like she was just hurt
"Its not like you went to war you wanderer" Ashley glaring at her playfully "but I did miss your little disturbance" Ashley said as her gaze softened
Leora chuckled "of course...so what were you looking at, where you surprised on how big you've grown?" She said sitting on the stool in front of the counter
"Hahaha... really funny, sometimes I question your sexuality, are you really into men?" Ashley replied as she brought out some herbs she planned to use, "you do know that if I were a man I would not hesitate to ask for your hand in marriage" Leora declared making her voice deeper and stretching her hands forward like a man proposing
"Yes yes...I've heard that enough, now please go and find a husband so I can have my own nieces and nephews" Ashley shot back, earning a laugh from Leora
Glancing at Leora, Ashley wandered why she was laughing, Leora was a beautiful young lady with blonde hair she always packed into a pony tail and emerald eyes, she had such striking distinct features that men came asking for her hand in marriage every week but she refuses every one of them, it's not like she was underage...she was twenty a year older than her.
"But really, why were you so lost in thought?" Leora asked again, this time with a serious look on her face, Ashley turned to her undoing a button of her top "did I ever have this mark on me?" She asked showing Leora the mark on her chest.
Leora shook her head, she has never seen that mark on Ashley before not since when they were kids, and it was really intricate like a tattoo "you didn't tell me you were looking to get a tattoo, Ash" Leora said half joking
"I wasn't, it just appeared there this morning" Ashley replied, "could you describe it to me" she asked
"It's a circle intersected by three thread like lines, I wonder what it means" Leora replied rubbing her chin as she thought.
Buttoning her top Ashley sighed, she wasn't sure how to feel about a mysterious symbol forming on her chest but it wasn't pleasant feeling at all "do you recall how you got that mark?" Leora asked,
Ashley shook her head, trying to think of anything that could link to it "I felt a burning pain on my chest when i noticed it" she replied
Leora was about to reply when a customer walked in, with his arm bleeding heavily...distracted by him Ashley rushed to the bleeding customer "oh my...what happened to you?" Ashley asked deeply concerned
Leora sighed, watching Ashley completely forget about herself when she saw someone else in need, shaking her head softly she was always like that helping someone else in need even at the expense of her own well being.
Getting up from the stool she said "I'll see if I can find anything about the mark in a bookstore"
"Alright, thank you" Ashley said not shifting her gaze from the injury, Leora walked out the door leaving Ashley to focus on her work.