The Forgotten Memory--part 2

After being on her feet for about a quarter of an hour Fern grew tired.

“Will you set me down?” her voice was even softer than usual with exhaustion. “But please, in a chair. I want to stay out of that bed for as long as possible.”

We placed her in the high backed chair at the desk and went about preparing the evening meal.

Mistress Chervil...who ended up looking considerably

 

 

 

younger than I had intended.

“Now that you're up, Val will have to lend you one of her dresses as well as the nightgown of hers you are already wearing.” Mistress Chervil chatted to her.

“I am wearing your night gown?” Her brow puckered. “Forgive me. I did not know.”

“Oh, that is alright!” I was chopping up some potatoes for soup. “I have another one. But I am afraid none of my dresses will fit you very well. You are rather taller than I.”

“I hate to wear your clothes Valerian. I mean,” she bit her lip and looked at the floor. “no offense. I just do not like having to borrow things you might need.”

“No worries.” I dumped the diced tubers into the kettle over the hearth. “I have three.”

“Thank you.” she turned quietly away and rested her arms on the top of the desk.

After Fern had been up for several days, Mistress Chervil suggested moving her into my bedroom so that the patient bed, which resided in the common room, would once again be available in case of emergency.

“I will have Master Conifer fashion you a bed.” my mistress offered.

“I thank you. I am sorry to cost you. Perhaps I can help with some of Valerian's responsibilities in exchange?”

“Nonsense.” Mistress Chervil chided. “You are not strong enough yet. Besides that a bed will cost me nothing. Conifer owes me for birthing his wife a month ago.”

Besides being the Darag Village carpenter Master Conifer was also the town gossip. Less than an hour after the last nail had been pounded into Fern's bed and Master Conifer had left a visitor came puffing up the hill.

Elder Maple, a white haired lady who was grandmother to half of the village tapped on the door frame. “I heard the girl was up and came to pay my respects.” she nodded to Mistress Chervil.

Fern was still in my room, admiring her bed and thus out of hearing.

“Is it true?” Elder Maple sidled close to Mistress Chervil and lowered her voice. “She can't remember a thing?”

“It is true I am afraid.” my mistress nodded.

“And that she is pale? And blue eyed?” Elder Maple glanced pensively towards my bedroom door.

“Yes.”

“So strange. She is not from here!” Elder Maple pursed her lips.

“Fern, there is someone here who would like to meet you.” I could tell by Mistress Chervil's face that she did not like the direction the conversation was going.

I heard a few slow steps before Fern appeared in the door. She was wearing a faded blue dress of mine, that swished startlingly high up her calf. Her long hair hung loosely down her back or flooded over her shoulders and her eyes, always a watery blue, seemed even more unearthly today.

“Ma'm.” Fern rested a hand against the wall and made a small curtsy.

Elder Maple looked her up and down fully three times before speaking. “I am pleased to see you are healing well.”

“Yes, I thank you.” her quiet voice was even quieter in the presence of a stranger.

Elder Maple looked Fern hard in the face but I noticed our she avoided her eyes. “Well, I think that I had best go now. Good day to you ladies.” And with a small bow she strode out the door.

Mistress Chervil returned from a bargaining trip in Darag the next day with her brows down low. I knew from experience that she was mad.

“Elder Maple told had the whole place, including the three other Elders, convinced that she is strange.” she told me as we unpacked her basket in the store room.

We had turned down Fern's offer of help so she had gone to sit on the porch. There was no fear of her overhearing.

“Strange?” I wrapped a fresh chunk of cheese in a cloth and laid it on the appropriate shelf.

“Not bad per say, but something to be watched. Elder Maple said that she was so white and tall she can not be a normal person.”

“I noticed she did not seem to be able to look Fern in the eyes.” I carefully placed a newly sharpened knife on the cutting block.

Mistress Chervil nodded. “That is the worst part. She has reported that her eyes were so clear and blue that she must see things differently than we do. Elder Maple has implied that she might even be able to see thoughts.”

I snorted. As a young girl I had been taught to respect the Elders but honestly, I did not believe anyone except God could read minds.

“Plain ridiculous!” my mistress plunked down the last bundle and hung up her village basket.

There was something unusual about Fern, I had to admit that, but she could not read thoughts. I tromped out of the store room and through the common room then out the front door.

Fern was seated on the bottom step of the porch stairs running her left fingers through the dust.

“Do you want to do a lesson?” I called down to her.

She flinched as if I had slapped her and in a blink her foot had scuffed up the dust.

“I am sorry, did I startle you?”

She stood up, brushing her dress. “Yes, a little. And thank you, I would enjoy a lesson.”

She managed to read several small words that afternoon. I smiled, delighted to see how my pupil was finally coming along.

“Fern.” I opened the desk drawer and removed a sheet of paper. Placing it on the desk I dipped a handy quill in the ink and held it out to her. “It is time you learned to write.”

She hesitated a moment and then took the pen. “How?”

“Sit and I'll guide your hand.”

She sat and I wrapped my hand around hers. Together we wrote the letters F-E-R-N. She smiled and looked up at me.

“That says Fern doesn't it?”

I nodded and smiled back.

“Mistress Chervil!” a man's voice squeaked through the air. “Mistress Chervil!”

I ran to the door and looked out. Coming up the slope were two men, one supporting the other.

“Mistress!” I called and dashed for the bucket.

I tied my knot too hurriedly and lost the bucket down the well. Then I frantically had to search through the shed and house before finding another. The result was that I missed something.

Mistress Chervil had hurried out of her bedroom when she heard my call. Fern was already rising from her chair, opening the door wide and motioning the men towards the bed.

“He was bit,” Verde the goat keeper slowly eased Cleft his father onto the bed. “by a snake.”

Mistress looked for me and seeing only Fern ordered her, “Go to the store room and get me Costmary.”

Fern blinked and then vanished. Returning she held out some leaves of a freshly cut herb. Mistress Chervil took them from her and began pressing them over the mark on Cleft's leg.

“Fern.” she pulled back. “These are not costmary.”

Fern looked at the mistress, her face miserable.

“It is alright. The costmary--” Mistress Chervil began giving directions.

“Use it.” Fern's voice sounded strangled.

Mistress Chervil opened her mouth.

“Hurry,” Fern swallowed hard but rushed on. “It is Lion's Ear. It will help.”

“Fern--”

“I read it!”

Mistress Chervil looked at her hard.

“Alright, I will hold it on here but go fetch me the costmary as well.”

Fern vanished again. When she returned Mistress Chervil lifted the leaves and gasped. The two angry red marks from the snakes fangs hand nearly vanished and there was absolutely no swelling.

After she sent the father and son back home and I returned to the house with the belated water she turned to Fern.

“What did you say that was called?”

“Lion's Ear.” Fern cowered a little, obviously worried that my mistress would be upset.

“Where did you find it?”

“It grows about half way down the hill near the big rock.”

Mistress Chervil cocked her head. “I've never heard of it. Maybe I should reread some of those books Val is teaching you from.”

Later Mistress Chervil took me outside with her to feed the chickens. It was totally unnecessary do so I knew she had something she wished to speak to me about.

“You know she said that was Lion's Ear?”

I nodded and scattered a handful of grain.

“There is not a mention of any such thing in that book.”

I looked up. “Was she just making a wild guess?”

Mistress Chervil shook her head. “No, she knew. That was too lucky of a guess.”

Any new predictions? Whose your favorite character so far? Valerian?Mistress Chervil? Fern? Master Conifer? Elder Maple?

Kelpie