Chapter 2: The Colours of Magic

Chapter 2

A young woman with short curly auburn hair and warm honey eyes was sitting in a rocking chair, singing her baby to sleep.  Outside the sky was grey and waves gently rocked the little houseboat.  Inside a fire warmed the room while the woman sang, rising and falling with her voice.  She was alone, just her and the her baby.

Abruptly a strong wind howled outside and the waves slapped against the side of the houseboat with a sudden urgency.  

The woman got up and carefully placed her baby in it’s crib.  Black smoke clouded the room.  When it cleared there was an older woman crumpled on the rug.

“Rhea!”  She muttered desperately before fainting.

Rhea gasped and knelt down beside the woman, “oh God,” she said.  Blood soaked the carpet.  Rhea tore the fabric away from the wound and wrapped a rag around the gash.  Once she was satisfied that the woman wouldn’t bleed to death on her rug Rhea put the kettle on and opened a cupboard.  Inside were all sorts of herbs and talismans.  Rhea chose an assortment of dried herbs, angelica, bay leaves, chamomile, mint, rosemary, and sage, and put them into a cup.  When the water was boiled she poured it over the herbs.  

“Ok Duana.  Wake up.”  Rhea gently shook Duana but she wouldn’t open her eyes.   “Really?” she sighed and put down the cup and went back to the cupboard.  This time she pulled a worn bag out of the very back.  From the bag she chose a ball of violet yarn, a packet of white dust, and four eagle feathers.  First she unrolled the ball of yarn in a circle around Duana.  Next she emptied the dust around the outside of the yarn circle.  The eagle feathers were placed inside the yarn circle at even distances from each other.  Rhea sat cross legged inside the circle, next to Duana and closed her eyes.  She put her hands on the opposite knees and started chanting in another language.  As she chanted russet light pulsed upwards along the edge of the circle.  With each pulse of light some colour returned to Duana’s chalky white skin.  

Rhea stopped chanting and opened her eyes.  She rolled up the yarn and put it in the bag with the eagle feathers, the dust lifted into the air and flowed back into it’s packet.  Once everything was in the bag Rhea carefully replaced it in the back of the cupboard.  Then she picked up the cup of tea and went back over to Duana.

“Wake up love,”  Rhea said gently.

Duanas eyes fluttered open and she let out a small moan.

Rhea held the cup to Duanas lips.  “Drink this, it’ll help.”  

Duana tried to take the cup but her arms were too weak and shaky.  She took a few sips then tried to sit up but was stopped by the pain in her chest.

“Here, let me help,”  Rhea set the cup down and helped her sit against the side of an armchair.

 “You need to drink a bit more.  I promise it’ll help,”  Rhea said kindly and handed Duana the cup.  This time she could hold it herself.  While Duana drank, Rhea looked through the cupboard and pulled things out, muttering to herself.  Then she started mixing things together and grinding herbs; lavender, white sage, verain, and tarragon to a fine powder.

Duana put down the empty cup and placed a hand to her chest.  She winced when she touched the wound.  Blood had already begun to seep through Rheas makeshift bandage.

“Just missed your heart,”  Rhea said without stopping her work “you’re quite lucky to be alive.  I had to do a healing to wake you up.”  

“Thank you,”  Duana said quietly.  

“Don’t thank me yet.”

Rhea added dried rose buds to the paste she’d been making and set it down.  Then she poured water into a bowl and started adding vials of different colours to it.  Instead of mixing, the different liquids wove around each other, a swirl of brown, gold, green, and pink.  Rhea held her hand over the bowl and russet light flowed from her fingers into the blend of colours.  Now the whole thing glowed with Rheas earthy magic.  She placed a long bandage into the mixture and made sure it soaked up every drop of liquid.  

Rhea untied the rag from Duanas chest.  “I need you to take off the dress,”  Rhea said.

Duana nodded and Rhea helped her pull it over her head.  Then Rhea smeared the paste she’d made over Duanas wound.  Once the paste was all used up and the wound was completely covered Rhea wrapped the bandage tightly around Duanas chest.  

“There, that should stop the bleeding and any infections.”  Rhea said, satisfied with her work.  “I’m just going to get you something to wear.”

Rhea said and disappeared into another room.  She reappeared with a beige shirt and loose black pants.  “These should fit you,” Rhea said and helped Duana put them on.  

“Now may I thank you?”  Duana asked wearily.

“You can tell me what happened.”  Rhea said sternly.

“Bit of a fight” Duana said cautiously.

“Oh?  This wouldn’t have anything to do with what I heard at port would it?”  Rhea asked casually.  

Duana paled, “what did you hear?”  she asked guardedly.

“Well, lets see;  the King is dead, Seraphina is the new Queen and you are charged with treason,” Rhea recited.  

“I was hoping you hadn’t heard,”  Duana said warily.

“I do go ashore every few months you know.  The last trip I made was two months ago.   It was all anyone would talk about,” Rhea said lightly.

“What you heard is true.  And that was the cause of the fight.  I killed the King, tried, and regrettably failed, to kill Seraphina, after that I spent just under two  months running from the Crown Guard before I was caught.  I killed a dozen soldiers and once again failed to kill Seraphina,” Duana said impassively.  

“You killed the King?”  Rhea exclaimed, “why?”  

“Why does anyone kill royalty?  Power of course.  And he wasn’t very likeable to begin with, he’s much better dead,” Duana said with the same lack of emotion.

“You were Queen, you already had power.”  Rhea reminded her.

“Well I wanted more,” Duana said indifferently.

“And your magic?”  Rhea demanded.

“What about my magic?”  Duana asked innocently.

“You know,” Rhea said severely.

“It changed,” Duana replied in the same tone.   

“I know that!  Why did it change?”  Rhe asked stubbornly.  

Duana shrugged, “people change.”

“Not like that,” Rhea argued.

Duana shrugged again.  It was obvious that she was done talking about it.  

Rheas baby chose that moment to wake up and start crying.  Rhea jumped up and hurried over to the crib.  She picked up the crying baby and rocked her gently.  The baby stopped crying.  

“Who’s that?”  Duana asked.

“This is Aya, she’s four months.”  Rhea replied.

“Where’s Jason?”  Duana asked, just then noticing who was missing.  

“The war,” Rhea said sadly.

Duana looked away uncomfortably, “I’m sorry.”  

“It’s not your fault,” Rhea said quietly.

Duana looked away and didn’t reply.