Legends of Belariath

Naidra

Finding her way out of the Darkness

Naidra sat under the apple tree on the edge of the property where she was staying. The petals of the apple blossoms not only filled the air with their sweet fragrance, but also pillowed the forest floor around her with a blanket of white and pink. She smiled, probably the first smile she had felt on her lips in some time. Closing her eyes she relaxed back against the bark not even minding the pain that lanced through her tortured skin from the lash marks that still carved out a path on her creamy white back. She shifted slightly so that the sling that held her left arm in place didn't rub along her neck to badly.

Knowing Sierel would be out to check on her soon she relished this moment to herself. It had been some time since she could enjoy the feel of the sun heating her skin and the beauty in a simple flower without feeling that ache in her chest, one she carried so long she thought herself consumed by it. Closing her eyes she thought back to how she had gotten here, all the choices she made along the way and some she regretted now. With a soft sigh on her lips she heard the steps of the old tribes’ woman who had taken her in.

"I knew you would be out for me soon Mother Sierel." she said softly."I have to check on my kitten she might get herself hurt again." Sierel said gently "Come back inside I have made lunch and it is time to change your bandages again little one."

"Yes mother" Naidra purred

Sierel and she had grown very close since the tribeswoman had found her half dead in the forest. Her arm broken and hanging at an awkward angle. Her breathing labored as she tried to breath past the pain of five broken ribs. She had fallen many times in the night as she raced for her freedom though the woods looking for any safe harbor that she might find in the dead of the night. That night more than two months before had been one of the most horrifying in the kitten’s life. She remembered jumping at every sound and muffling her screams with her hand as the animals around had frightened her. She was well and truly broken when she had escaped but some flicker of life must have remained in her, some flicker of strength to help her make her way out of the stronghold she had been held.

She didn’t remember sleeping that night but she must have passed out for it was when she woke she found herself in the arms of Sierel. She was looking up at those deep brown eyes that promised safety. She had passed out many times on the trip back to Sierel's hut. When she finally woke for the first time, longer then a brief flash of consciousness, she found herself in a bed with her chest all the way to her waist bound tightly in bandages. She could tell that she had been given something for the pain for she tasted the bitter flavor on her tongue. She remembered the fear she had felt when she woke. Fear that gripped her heart so tightly like a vice not wanting to let go. Her brow was instantly coated in sweat but whether that was from the fever or her fear she still didn’t know. She remembered trying to move but the pain had brought a gasp to her lips, followed by tears of fear, of being found and from the pain. Sierel had come in then with a rag and a bowl of water. Wetting the kitten’s brow and cooing softly to her.

"Your sorely hurt little one but don't worry mother sierel will take care of you don’t you fret."

"WH...Wher..Where am I" Naidra stammered still held tightly in fears clenching grip.

"Your safe child I know not what you run from but here with mother sierel your safe" the woman said "Sleep little one I will watch over you have no fear sleep."

She offered Naidra a drink of a bitter brew that coated her tongue and throat as it slide down. Soon she did just as the woman said and drifted off to sleep. Tossing and turning in her nightmare and screaming out so much her throat was raw from it. Though her dreams were tormented she continued to sleep in that drugged slumber. Her body was fighting the infection that was trying to set in. Sierel had spent a fortnight fighting the infection that had ravaged Naidra's once curvy and beautiful form.

The woman that lay on the pallet looked nothing like the bard beauty she had once been. Her cheeks drawn in giving her a hollow look, the bruises that decorated almost every inch of her were darkest over her broken ribs, but it was her eyes that carried the most hurt of what had been done to her. Where once light shined so brightly now were empty and hollow but for the spark that had carried her through the woods and even that was fast fading as the fever wore on. Sierle worked hard on the kitten feeding her healing brews she made daily keeping her in the drugged sleep so her body could heal and even her mind could heal as well. The bone healed slowly in her arm and so did the lashes that covered her back but the fever soon faded and it was then that Sierel allowed Naidra to wake. She sat by the bed waiting for the kitten to open her eyes.

Naidra did wake and Sierel was the first one she saw when she woke."Mother?" She asked still a delirious from the effects of the fever."Yes little one mother Sierel is here no worries" the old woman said softly.

Sierel brought in a bowl of water and a rag helping Naidra to bathe. She was so gentle the cat girl couldn't help but feel safe in her arms. Sierel took her time with the kitten’s hair washing those long limp locks till they almost shined again. She smiled often then helped Naidra lay back against the pillows and offered her some food.

"I know it isn't much but you have to take it slow" the old woman cooed.

"Thank you" Naidra whispered her throat still raw "Thank you, you saved my life."

Naidra finished her soup, eating few vegetables, but drinking all the broth. She fell into a deep sleep then. Into a true sleep one that helped truly heal her body and her spirit. She awoke many hours later screaming out in the night only to have Sierel come running with her gentle words rocking her till the trembling faded and she drifted back off to sleep.

They spent many days like this but soon Naidra had regained enough strength to be moved from the bed Sierel had given her, and they started spending long hours on the porch talking and getting to know one another. Sierel had never asked about the night she had found the kitten in the woods and Naidra couldn't bring herself to tell her just yet.

They spent their time with Sierel teaching Naidra about the ways of the tribe people and their language. She showed the kitten how to properly clean a kill, and cook from all things she found in the earth. As Naidra grew stronger they started to take walks and Sierel would teach her about the different plants. How some could be used in healing and some for poison. In return Naidra taught Sierel those things she had grew up learning from her parents. They developed an instant bond one built of trust and understanding. Sierel was thrilled to learn that Naidra was raised to be a healer. Naidra entertained the woman and those of her tribe that would visit from time to time with songs she had learned on her travels.

On the day Sierel had found Naidra she had taken the kitten back to the hut to meet one of her tribes people, a great healer, Sierel had asked to come and help the kitten to heal not only the damage to her body but to remove the scars so maybe her mind could heal as well. The process was a painful one and it was then that Naidra learned she herself carried the magic within her to heal with a touch. As the woman cut the damaged flesh from the kittens body healing each spot so that it healed to perfection leaving not a blemish behind, Naidra had called out to her goddess while the pain was almost too much to bear. She fought against the binds that held her tossing her head back and screaming. Her whole body began to glow that healing glow that Sierel knew to be strong healing magic. The glow didn’t last though for Naidra passed out from the pain and awoke to discover she had been healed of all the damage done to her. Once more her skin was smooth and perfect the deep scaring lash marks gone, the burns that had covered her thighs gone as well. Even her arm was on the mend though it still hurt a bit to move. Slipping out of bed she pulled on her robe and went to find Sierel.

"Mother can you tell me what magic that was that healed me?" she asked as she kneeled at the old woman’s feet."Naidra, daughter of my heart, that is the healing magic of the gods and Mother Cryssia says you have it as well." she told the kneeling kitten moving her hand to caress her cheek.

"My child you have great magic in you and have been denying it for too long the gods have spoken and claimed you as one of theirs." She took a breath as she looked out over the grounds. "I watched your skin glow with it. So bright is your light my child don’t let it fade into the darkness others have filled you with"

"Mother" Naidra whispered tears in her deep blue eyes

"Daughter of my heart when the season changes I will send you to Cryssia she will train you for one season then send you back out in the world to find your own place. You don’t belong to my people beloved you are a free spirit and I know fear rules your heart now but you must overcome it and become the guiding light I know you can be."

They spent much of the day like that with sierel running her fingers through Naidra’s hair and Naidra keeping her head in Sierel's lap. She listened as the woman told her stories of her people stories of the gods, even stories of fantastic beasts that roamed the land. Naidra listened to it all and soaked everything in like a sponge. She knew her time with sierel was short and she feared she might never see the woman again once she left. Dreams still haunted the kitten but they grew less frequent and what was once screams of pure terror soon died down to whimpers and light struggles through the night.

On the night before sierel sent Naidra on her way with Cryssia, Naidra told her the tale of her captivity and what she had been made to suffer. She told the woman it all not leaving out anything. When she came to the part of how she escaped she hesitated afraid Sierel would think her a murderess. Naidra told her how when her capture had fallen asleep after covering her in burns with a hot poker once more and beating her for not screaming to his satisfaction. Though she had screamed herself hoarse with her efforts to please him, she had slipped from the bed and took the broken glass from the picture frame he had broken and slit his throat. She told her of how she had escaped out the window. Hiding from the guards till she was free and slipping into the woods. She recalled the shouts she had heard in the distance when her capture was discovered dead in his bed and her missing. Sierel held her while she told the tale stroking her hair and reassuring her she was safe.

"My child you did nothing wrong you only fought for your freedom one that was yours to begin with. The man that held you prisoner deserved what he got think not of it anymore my child your free and whole again."

"Yes mother" Naidra said softly though she had her doubts.

"Tomorrow Cyrssia's son will come get you and take you to Cyrssia. I will tell him to teach you to fight so never again will you worry." Sierel promised.

They went to sleep and in the morning Cyrssia's son Tregor was there ready to take Naidra to the next step in her training. Sierel took him to the side and talked with him while Naidra gathered her things. Tregor went to get the horses ready while Sierel and Naidra said their goodbyes.

"I will miss you mother Sierel how can I ever thank you for the kindness you have shown me?" she asked her tears welling in her eyes threatening to fall.

"Daughter of my heart you were a blessing to me a gift and I will treasure my time with you always. Now go my daughter go out in the world and share the gifts the gods have given you"

Sierel pulled Naidra into a tight hug placing in her hand a knife of carved bone "Keep it close to you my child and think of me always." She whispered, her own tears wetting Naidra's cheek. Naidra kissed her cheek and went to Tregor letting him help her into the saddle. They rode out of the clearing and that was the last time Naidra saw Sierel but she kept the bone carved knife close to her in the top of her boot knowing Sierel had not only given her a weapon but also given her a gift made by her own hand to remember her by.

In the Time Naidra spent with the tribe’s people she learned much. Not only their culture and language but also how to hunt, grow crops, how to heal with magic and somehow along the way she learned to live again. When her time came for her to leave she did so with many tears. Off she went back into the world back into the unknown. Little did Naidra know soon she would be meeting another man that would change her life forever but this time for the better though it wouldn’t look that way at first.

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