Ceres shook her head as Waithe lifted a mug to his lips. "Ale with breakfast? That is so wrong."

He wiped the froth from his chin. "Long may the time be until I have another. I promise, though, that I shall have but only one pint this fine morning."

The innkeeper's wife, a rotund woman with grey tinged dark hair, placed a generous platter of breads, cheese, fruit, and soft-boiled eggs before them. Waithe licked his lips as he took a portion of it onto his plate.

He glanced about the room. About half the wooden tables were occupied in the dining room. The stools before a long plank table at one end of the room stood empty. Two ale barrels and a shelf of pottery mugs took up much of the space behind the bar. Apparently, this room became a tavern later in the day. Waithe had chosen a table in a far corner of the room and sat with his back to the wall. He requested that Ceres pull up her hood to preserve as much anonymity as possible. The others in the room seemed only to be engrossed in their food or quiet conversations.

The weathered wooden door creaked as two men entered, one young and the other older, perhaps a father and teenage son. Their rugged clothing and calloused hands indicated they were laborers of some kind, maybe miners. After a moment, the younger one fixed his eyes on Ceres. His eyes widened as he tugged on the older man's sleeve and pointed at her. Waithe's heart rate quickened as the two wound their way through the tables.

Waithe whispered to Ceres. "Those two men who come our way, do you know them?"

She glanced over her shoulder. "Nay."

Ceres stiffened as she watched Waithe pull a knife from his boot and slide it into his belt. The two men walked up to the table and stood with mouths open, each seemingly speechless. Waithe narrowed his eyes at them as Ceres slid down in her chair.

The older man pulled off his cap. "Forgive me, my Lady, but be you the one?"

Ceres tilted her head. "Sir?"

"The Lady of the Order that rid the curse from Eule?"

Ceres glanced at Waithe, who gave her a reluctant nod. All eyes in the room were now on her. She replied, "Aye, sir. It was the Darkness that afflicted that place."

Both men smiled and the younger one nudged the other. The older man bowed. "'T'was a great thing, my Lady. We be two of those you saved. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Ceres smiled as she pulled down her hood, revealing the mark of the Order on her neck. "Happy I am to have done so. That is my true purpose."

Waithe motioned to the two empty chairs at their table. "Please join us and tell of your tale."

The two men glanced at each other and sat down, the younger one plopping down in a chair backward, hugging the chair back.

The older man shook his head. "The Darkness you call it? Terrible it was. A dread..." He paused as words seemed to fail him. "No way be that to live. If I may ask, my Lady, from where did this Darkness come?"

Waithe answered for her. "Lord Scias' chief Shaman, Raste, he dabbles in the Dark Magic."

The younger man turned toward the older. "I knew it! Scias, Raste, and their men came to Eule three seasons ago. The curse started then. Lord Scias told us the other Lands threaten us and they had need of more ore from the mines to help defend Kust."

By this time many of the other patrons in the room had gathered around the table to listen.

Ceres replied. "I tell you truly, the other Lords have no hostile intent toward your land. I have spoken with Lord Eudus and Lord Gerald, themselves. We hear that Scias builds a large army, is this true?"

An old man among the small crowd raised a voice laced with anger. "It be true! They took my son and many other young men!"

An old woman with a scarf on his head pulled on the old man's arm and hissed at him. "Quiet, they may hear..."

He jerked his arm away. "And what of it? I fought in the Land Wars. Now Scias would drag us into another war?"

The group began to grumble among themselves. Not all held the same opinion, some supporting Lord Scias and some against.

Ceres stood and raised her hands, quieting the small crowd. "Please, good people, my purpose is not to bring strife, but to heal. And I pray that war will never come."

The innkeeper's wife inserted herself among the group, waving a dishcloth over her head. "Enough! Let these people eat their breakfast in peace. Off you go!" She shooed the onlookers away.

The others plodded back to their own tables. The two men rose with a bow and claimed another table. The woman cast a glare about the room lest any try to linger near. She sat down beside Ceres and bent forward, her expression became solemn.

Ceres addressed her. "My apologies. I did not mean to cause such a ruckus."

The woman spoke in almost a whisper as she lifted her eyes. "Be it true what you say? That you come to heal?"

"Aye."

"My daughter, a breathing sickness takes her. My Lady, would you..."

Ceres rose and grasped the woman's hand. "I would try. Show me to her."

Ceres sat down on the edge of the bed while Waithe stood behind her. A dark-haired teenage girl laid sleeping, partially covered by a frayed quilt, pulling in raspy wheezing breaths. Sweat beaded on her pale forehead and plastered a shirt much too big for her skinny body. The girl awoke as Ceres put a hand to her cheek. She smiled weakly and opened her mouth to speak, but only a spasm of hoarse coughs came out.

The innkeeper's wife took up one of the girl's hands. "Clarra, dear, this be a Lady of the Order. She would bring healing to you."

Ceres said, "Clarra is it?" The girl nodded with another cough. "My name is Ceres. How long have you had this sickness?"

The woman answered for her. "Over a month now. Worse it gets every day."

"Let us see what can be done for you. Do you know of the Spirits?"

The girl shook her head.

Ceres continued. "Through the Spirits do I access the Magic. I would call Myr, the Life Spirit of small life. She is best for curing diseases."

Ceres took hold of the girl's other hand and closed her eyes. An umber light appeared overhead, faint at first then sparkling brightly. Beside Myr a green light popped in to view, revolving around the other.

Ceres opened one eye and sighed. "And that be Phy, the Life Spirit of plants. She sometimes comes even when not called. Very well."

A cloud of sparkling white lights appeared over Clarra and streamed down around her, enclosing her in a translucent shimmer. Ceres mumbled, "A disease would take your lungs, and there is too much fluid there. Let us see about this..."

Clarra's eyes and mouth opened wide at the lights, but another string of coughs shook her. The shimmer distorted momentarily with the fit but then settled on her again. Her breath deepened as the Magic did its work and a smile came to her face. After several more moments, the shimmer faded away. Myr disappeared as well, but Phy remained.

Ceres opened her eyes while Waithe helped Clarra sit up. The girl took a deep clear breath, no cough came from it. Her face glowed and smile widened. Ceres turned and hugged the girl.

The innkeeper, a short balding man with a gut that rivaled his wife, burst into the room. "What be this?" His eyes took in Phy's green light then caught those of his smiling daughter. "Clarra?"

Clarra responded. "Aye, Father. I be better."

The innkeeper's wife ran over to him and grasped his hand. "One of our guests be of the Order of Medice. She came to heal Clarra! She be the same one from the tale of that village, Eule."

Ceres stood up and addressed the parents. "The disease is gone now, but she is still weak and dehydrated. Give her plenty to drink and food easy on the gut. I will leave you with a medicinal tonic that should help her regain her strength."

The innkeeper bowed to Ceres. "My lady, you have given us back our daughter and we be indebted to you beyond payment."

Ceres shook her head. "I ask for no payment other than that the Realm be all the better for Clarra's existence."

Waithe said, "I fear we must soon take our leave. Lady Ceres' presence now be known, and there are those who seek her capture."

The innkeeper frowned. "I know of this. Scias' men have offered a substantial reward for her." He turned toward Ceres. "Be your purpose to overthrow Scias?"

She shook her head. "Nay, sir. Although I would not mourn that. My purpose is to heal, to take away the Darkness from the Realm."

A grin came to the stout man. "Then, there be someone you should meet."