An Inquisitive Healer

"-at's him, huh? He looks like been through hell," an unfamiliar voice said. I assumed that was Louis.

"Yeah, he is. I'm even surprised he's alive. Though there's been some inconsistencies about my examination." Analise sighed. I felt my stomach knot up. I definitely didn't need to be identified.

"Like what Lise?"

"Well, for starters all those scars on him look like they weren't healed naturally."

"Like with magic?"

"Yeah, exactly. I'm at a loss for where he would have received treatment."

"Magic isn't exactly common, and healing magic is even more rare."

"The limited healing magic I know is way beyond healing his wounds. I'm lucky I can even cure common illnesses." She responded. My ears perked up at the news of her actually knowing magic. I didn't believe that she didn't know anything if she really was as famous as the peasant said she was.

"Well, enough chit chat, why'd you want me?" Louis said to her standing up from a chair.

"I need a few rare herbs from the forest and you're the only one good enough to track them down." She said, turning back to the table.

"Ah, I figured you needed something from the forest or else you wouldn't have called for me. Yeah, I'll help you, you know that, Lise. I'd do anything for you." Louis said getting closer to her.

"Thank you so much, I know he'll appreciate it too." She said, taking him in her arms. I heard them kiss and I cringed on the inside. I know that they believe me asleep but still, there was no need to kiss in the same room as a patient.

"Alright, I'll be off." He said taking a piece of paper off the table and turned towards the door. "I love you, Lise. I'll be back soon."

I heard the door open and close. Ana started humming again, finishing up the salve. "You can stop pretending to be asleep now. I know you've been awake for a little bit." I frowned and opened my eyes.

"H-how did-"

"I know? Easy, your breathing isn't as shallow when you're sleeping. You try not to hurt yourself when you breathe." She smiled at me," Now, I can apply this salve now or we can wait until Louis gets back with the herbs I need."

"I'll wait" This woman was good as a healer if she was able to hear my breathing change. "You know magic?"

"Okay, that works for me. Yes, I do. I know a few spells, but unfortunately your wounds are a bit too far outside my expertise. So traditional herbs and bandages will have to suffice." She said, grabbing the pot from the fire. "Let's get you cleaned up, you're covered in mud and you got some blood in places." She put the pot on the floor next to the bed and grabbed a rag. She dipped the rag in the pot and squeezed out the excess.

She brought the rag to my face and wiped away the dirt and dried blood. "You wanna explain a few things for me. If you feel well enough to talk if you don't mind."

I had to come up with some answers for her, just to protect my identity. "Okay, what would you like to know about me, Lise?"

"Well, first off what's your name? That's a good place to start."

"Justin, my name is Justin." The only name that came to mind was the name of my grandfather.

"Just Justin? You don't have a last name?" She asked as she kept cleaning me up.

"Thy-Thomas." I couldn't exactly use his last name though. That name was way too famous to use. It would cause too many problems if I use it carelessly.

"Justin Thomas?" She paused for a minute. I could only hope she believed me. I'd rather not be killed in my underwear in such a state. "Alright, It's nice to meet you Justin."

"It's nice to meet you too, Lise." I said. This peasant was getting on my nerves, she was going to ask me something that she really wouldn't like the answer to.

"So, how did you get this in bad shape?" She said moving on to my torso.

That definitely was a question I didn't want to answer, for two reasons. For one it was embarrassing that I got beaten up by a peasant. Secondly, I didn't want her to know my true identity. "I'm an adventurer and I had a run in with some nasty bunch of bandits."

"You expect me to believe bandits did this to you and that you're an adventurer with your outfit?" She motioned towards my ruined clothes in the corner of the room.

"Well, it's true." I retorted. Bandits? Really, that was the best I could come up with? Ugh, this was stupid. If I had my full strength then I could easily heal myself like I had done so many times before. I recalled my grandfather's tomes that I had inherited and inwardly scowled. They were tucked away in a safe spot, but I wanted them in my possession. I found one in his study when I was a child and it was about a spell called Fireball. I couldn't quite understand most of it but the parts I could understand made my fingertips tingle.

"Well, that doesn't explain all those scars." She pressed on.

"You sure ask a lot of questions."

"We don't normally get visitors like you that often. Usually all we get is tourists."

"Tourists? Why would you get tourists?"

"People far and wide want to see the town that was named after the famous adventurer that saved us all those years ago."

"Really? People come to this backwater town just to see what?"

"People come to this backwater town to see the Tavern he stayed at, the cave that he cleared out and the statue that we built to honor his life when he passed." Her tone got angry at my comment. I'm not surprised she got angry but I was surprised to let it slip. I'm surviving on the good graces of these peasants and I couldn't anger them too much. Besides, there was something I needed from this cesspit when I could walk.

"Sorry, I'm just used to slightly bigger towns and as famous as this town is, it still is a fair bit out of the way from the major cities." I quickly apologized to my chagrin.

"I'm just not used to people calling the place that I grew up in a 'Backwater' place. I heard the tales of the man who single handedly helped this town, not only by dealing with the surrounding monsters and bandits, but he also healed the sick and wounded. He's the reason why I chose to become a healer." She said wringing out the bloody cloth into the bucket. She dipped the rag into the pot and started on my legs.

"Thyme is the reason you became a healer?" I looked at her.

"Yeah, he healed my grandmother when he was in this town. He used such advanced magic to cure her. She had been sick all her life. I heard her father and mother thought she wasn't going to live past a certain age." Her eyes got dreamy when she started her story

"So, he waved his hands and she was healed?"

"Yeah, something like that. Though he also told her to take this liquid that tastes like cherries. I remember that my great-grandmother had to mix a batch for her every week. When she no longer coughed she didn't have to drink it anymore." She smiled as she finished wiping down my legs. She wrung out the rag and placed it into the pot. Louis walked in with a back in hand.

"You're telling the story of how your grandmother was saved by the 'Hero,' again?" Louis teased with a smile, he looked over at me. "I'm Louis. It's nice to meet you."

"Justin Thomas." I answered back, "I'd say it was nice to meet you but I'm laid up in a bed and about to die."

"Whoa, that's a bit aggressive, friend. I get that you're hurt but that's no way to talk to someone who's trying to help you." Louis said defensively.

"Forgive him, Louis. He's a bit worked up from all the poking and prodding I've done since he woke up." She covered for my transgression.

"It's fine. I brought the stuff you wanted, Lise" He said, putting the sack on the table.

"Thank you, so much Louis." She said getting up and kissing him.

"Well, I would stay and talk more, but I have to meet the boys at The Staggering Tankard for a drink." He said grinning at Ana.

"That's good, dear. Just try to be home at a decent hour this time." She said kissing him again, "Have fun. I love you."

"Love you, too." He said walking out the door, he turned to me, "I hope you get better soon." I wanted to vomit from the display of affection before me and it took all my strength not to grimace in disgust.

"Me too, so I can get out of your hair." I smiled attempting to make nice with him.

"Alright, now I can finish your salve and get you wrapped up." She smiled at me and then went back to the counter. "I'll continue the story when I'm done grinding everything up. You just rest, I need to concentrate on making sure I get the portions right." She said opening up the bag and pulling out several herbs I recognized; Elves Wood, Golden Root, and Amber Thyme. These were not common herbs, I was surprised to see them in a place such as this. They all had medicinal properties.

She started grinding the herbs up and started lulling me to sleep with her song. I was woken up by a searing pain in my torso. I inhaled sharply and held in a yelp.

"Sorry, but this needs to be done. This is gonna get worse before it gets better." She pursed her lips after she got done speaking.

"Admit it, you're enjoying this after the 'backwater' comment." I breathed heavily from the massive spike in pain.

"I might, but I'd much rather you be on your feet than in a ditch somewhere." She smiled, "So where was I? Oh right, the tonic that my grandmother had to drink. So, my great-grandmother actually kept the recipe after Grandma got better."

"So, there's a recipe for a Potion of Healing lying around this town. Interesting, even the alchemists in the city have trouble making one from the scraps they have collected." I said breathing through the pain.

"Potion of Healing? That's what my grandmother had to drink? That's amazing, I knew it was some type of potion, but an actual healing potion. I couldn't even dream of it." She sat back in her chair.

"So, do you know where the recipe is?" I asked, that recipe would net me a fortune. With that I could rebuild what I had lost against Mathios.

"No, I don't. My grandmother told me when he came back a few years later and during his visit he asked for it back after seeing the full recovery that she made." She frowned.

"That's a shame, really. You'd be able to help so many people with that." I said, it was the truth. Not the plan I had for the recipe for but I needed her to trust me.

"You're right, but my grandmother told me that Thyme was a real gentleman about the whole thing. He even treated her to dinner to celebrate."

"I bet he did, he was an old dog." I retorted. From all the stories my grandmother told me about him, he was very popular with the ladies. She gave me a questioning look, but I shrugged it off, "Stories I heard about him throughout my travels."

"That's a family secret though. The rumor throughout the town at the time was that he bedded her after. My grandfather got jealous and romanced her immediately afterwards, but my mother was born 9 months later." She smiled, "I guess those stories keep growing, huh?"

"I guess they do." I chuckled involuntarily.

"So, I need you to sit up so I can apply the salve to your back and then I can finish wrapping you up." She smiled at me. I nodded and with her help I was able to swing my legs off the bed and sat up. Everything exploded in pain as I moved my body. Mathios had done a real number on me this time. He really did plan on killing me. Analise applied the medicine, and I grunted in pain.

"I could go for some of that whiskey right now." I half joked. It would definitely help with the pain.

"Sure, right after I'm done wrapping you up." She chuckled at me as she finished up. She brought the bowl she was using to the table and grabbed a roll of bandages. She walked back and just as she turned around, she smirked and leaned back and grabbed the bottle. I held out my hand to grab it and soon I felt the burning liquid go down my throat.

"I thought I had to wait until you were done with the bandages?" I coughed and smiled at her.

"I took pity on you." She smiled, "Lift your arms and hold them out." I did as she said and it took everything I had to hold my arms in place. They were shaking from how heavy they felt. She started wrapping my chest and it was tight. I couldn't breathe at first. It was a good thing though, hopefully this will keep the ribs from moving too much.

"Alright, almost done." She said as she tied the bandage off. She sighed and leaned back. "Damn, hand that bottle over. You can also lay back down now."

I handed her the bottle from next to me and turned to lie down. I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was sleep. I heard her cough as I started closing my eyes.

"Sleep well Justin, I'll change your bandages tomorrow." Analise smiled at me and stood up. I grunted a response and heard the chair get put back to where it belonged. She started humming her song as she started cleaning up her work area. When I woke up tomorrow, I planned on using magic to heal my wounds so I could walk around town and search for my grandfather's stash.