Vaid Intro 4

--- The Wheel Turns ---
Vaid nodded at Riessa then studied his hands. Would this even work? It is amazing that such hands one moment ready to strike down a ruffian with a powerful club could a few moments later be used to heal. These hands can be used for both good or evil. At the thought of evil, he thought of Truneas, his boyhood friend. Truneas, running laughing through the forest as they hid from the other boys in the village. Truneas, poking fun at Vaid. Truneas friend of Melathor, turned victim of Vaid's wrath. Truneaus, Donovian, who else?

Vaid swallowed hard at the memories. Swallowed them back down into darkness, and then he looked up at Reissa. "What is it that ails her?"

"A burning fever, sir." Then she shook her head. "But from what, I know not. I was giving her a tea made from feversbane, but we ran out last week. Ma has been worsening ever since."

Vaid nodded. There wasn't any need to let her think he hadn't a clue what he was doing. If anyone caught on to what he was about to attempt, to what he really was... He hoped Riessa didn't know too much about herbs. Vaid himself knew nothing about them. But that didn't mean he couldn't try to fool the girl.

He remembered the kitchen. "Quickly girl, boil some water. Put in a pinch of salt and three leaves of basil. And vinegar? You do have vinegar, don't you? Good. Three drops of that. And make sure you crumble the leaves into the water, whole leaves won't do. Then three straws from the mattress. White straws only, not a fleck on them. Put those in too." The three straws seemed a bit much but at least it would keep her busy for a while and out of his way.

"And that's it?" She asked him dubiously.

"Yes. Now hurry!"

She shrugged and rushed into the kitchen, the pots and pans banged as she poured water into one and put it on the stove, and stoked up the fire. Vaid examined Riessa's mother.

The woman didn't seem any better. If anything she seemed to be worsening by the moment. The breathing was coming quick and shallow now. Vaid wasn't used to this. He had healed a young child who had broken its leg once. But, that was something he could see and mend. This... this was something completely different.

Vaid kept a tenuous hold on Saidin and wondered what he should do. It was difficult to just hold it there and not use it. It was tempting... oh so tempting to dive into the that scum, into that putrid film that covered the pure life and light that lay beneath and draw more and more into himself.

Riessa came into the room with the pot and a small ladle. She looked at him quizzically.

"Is it done? Good. Now give some to her. Not a lot, just a couple of sips."

"Is this going to work?" Riessa asked as she forced her mother to take a couple of gulps of the concoction.

"The light only knows, girl." Vaid told her truthfully. "Let's see if her fever goes down at all." He pulled up a chair beside the woman on the bed, and put one hand on her head. She did have a fever. A horrible burning fever. Vaid carefully took strands of the one power, strands of air, spirit, and water and wove them together into an intricate, delicate weave. It had taken him months to figure out this weave. Months of practice, months of trial and error. Then with the weave completed, he released it and sent it down into the woman.

Instantly her breath quickened and her eyes flickered open, latching onto Vaid. Her breath quickened further. Then her mouth opened wide in surprise, then into a rictus of fear and she shrank back. "No!" she shouted, pushing away from him, with a vigor born of desperation, clawing at his arms and face until Vaid drew back, shocked. Her nails had drawn blood from his arms. "Get away!" She started clawing at the wall itself until her finger's bled.

Vaid started forward to calm her, but she only grew more hysterical, trying to claw her way through the wall.

Riessa stood and watched, her face white with fear, tears running down her face.
"What--- what's happening! Oh ma! What is it? What's happening?"

"Oh light!" the woman sobbed, and her eyes rolled up into her head, but her gaze still fastened on Vaid, no matter which way he moved. He found that gaze...unnerving.

"Oh light save us!" she continued, sobbing with intermittent screams for mercy. "It cannot be! You are bound! Bound for all time, and we are sheltered in the shadow of the Creator's palm.... Light... no... Make ready! You are here... Here in the flesh! Darkness and death are your waistcoat! Madness and despair your cloak! You!" She pointed a finger at Vaid, accusingly. "You! You shall stand on the brink..." And then she started to cackle, spittle flecked with blood formed at her mouth and the cackling gave way to full-throated screams for several long moments until she started to chew on her fingers.