Falling on my butt as I slid to the ground off of Arion’s back, I was thankful to have such a well-padded derriere. Isobeau had sheathed her dagger and picked up a nearby bucket as if it were just another day. She headed for the stream to the side of the clearing where Arion was drinking great gulps of water. Patting the horse’s neck, my hand came away wet and muddy.
“What were those things? Will they come back?” I asked her.
“I have heard of them but I have not encountered such until this morning. I was not sure the incant would hold but it looks like they have left us alone. For now.”
She brought the pail up and slowly poured it over Arion’s back. She took another pail of water and poured once again. She motioned for me to rub Arion’s flanks while she poured water over her backside, neck, and head. Arion continued to drink water. As I worked my way around her, the cold stream tingled my feet and ankles, making me realize how thirsty I was. I bent to the stream, cupped my hands and took a drink, enjoying the sensation of cold water in my mouth, down my throat and into my stomach. Ahhh. I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation of it.
When I opened them again, everything looked… everything looked... amazing. Where the sun reflected off the water, it popped up into the air, like little mayflies I’ve seen on rivers in the heat of summer back home. But these were bright lights dancing everywhere. When I reached out my hand to touch one, it moved back and then zipped toward my eyes. It was so bright, I couldn’t make out any features, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t a mayfly.
Wow. That is something. Wow. I wonder what she is. Wow. Hey, I think I’m high.
“I feel high,” I said to Isobeau, “like really high.” Am I smiling? Because I should be. This feeling is so delicious.
“Hmm. We are the same height, you are not higher than I,” responded Isobeau as she massaged Arion’s shoulder.
“Ha ha! No, not that. There are like these little lights dancing all around, like here and here,” I said as I pointed to the bright mayflies-not mayflies. Looking around us, the dust curtain shimmered. “I can see colors and the circle around us. It’s beeeauuuuutifullllll. It’s all rainbowy and stuff.”
Isobeau chuckled. “Had a drink of the water, did you?”
“Yeah. Oh, it’s. so. good,” I said. I bent to have another drink.
Isobeau put her hand on my arm, stopping me.
“Oh, you like it now, but in a little while you will not feel so good. And up will come anything you have put in your stomach. Then you’ll want to sleep. Which is good. Then you will feel better. And hungry.”
“I’m going to puke?” I asked her, watching lights flicker around her, landing in her hair, on her shoulders.
“I don’t know what that means, but if it means you will spill your stomach, then yes, you will puke.”
“Oh that’s nice,” I said. I patted her arm. Isobeau’s skin, though dark, had a glow to it, as had everything around me. A glow that did not touch her skin but surrounded her. I held my hand up to my face and saw my own glow.
“Ok, I won’t drink any more.” I want another drink.
Arion, too, had this glow except for her left hind foot. There, I could see a break in the glow. The horse subtly picked up her leg not wanting to put weight on it. Even though I am not a horse person, I could tell that Arion was hurt. The missing glow around that part of her, added to my confidence that she had somehow gotten hurt on our escape.
“Hey. Arion is hurt. See her left hind foot? See how she’s holding it up? Maybe she stepped on something when we were going through the woods.”
“Arion, are you hurt?” Isobeau asked as she leaned against Arion’s hindquarters, patting her leg. Arion leaned against her and allowed Isobeau to inspect the hoof. There was something lodged in the soft underside and Isobeau pulled at it. Arion whinnied, looking back at Isobeau. Once it was out, Isobeau encouraged the horse to stand with all four hooves in the water. Looking down into the water, I could see the bright lights or mayflies or whatever they were, gathering around Arion’s injured hoof. The glow became bright, making me squint and finally look away.
“They’ll work on her for awhile. They seem to be busy at work already. In the meantime, let us settle into the cabin,” Isobeau said, “now that we are protected, the villagers will not find us, nor will the shadows.”
They? Who’s they?
“Who will work on Arion?” I asked, “Is there somebody in the cabin?”
“The diamond water sprites of course. The ones you drank?” Isobeau said, as if reminding me of something I should already know.
I drank somebody?
“Uh. I don’t feel so good,” bending over. I knew this feeling, this was the feeling right before puking.
Damn. Maybe if I took another drink.
“Oh no. No, do not take another drink. You are just prolonging the inevitable,” Isobeau said.
After vomiting for what seemed like months, I felt my arms and legs too heavy to move. My head felt like it weighed ninety pounds, my neck unable to support it. Isobeau helped me over to the bed in the cabin and I flopped down into a soft whisper of ferns and leaves. The smell was spicy and of cool mud after a rainstorm.
“Have a good rest, witch. I’ll watch over you,” is the last thing I heard Isobeau or anyone say.