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The Healing Souls
The Healer
The Healer2195words
Update Time2024-11-01 09:40:33
[Carmen]On Wednesday, Rock and I left work early for my appointment with the healers. I was nervous about what we’d hear while we were there. It could be terrible news or wonderful news and I had no idea what was actually terrible and what was not. If we couldn’t have children, then it would suck, but I could talk to Rock about adopting. If we could then we’d just need to know if there were any risks. I didn’t think Rock would agree to have children if it could hurt me. He was very protective of me. The drive seemed to take forever. Once we parked, Rock helped me out of the truck. He wrapped my arm around his. “We’re going for a walk in the forest for a while. I don’t know how long it’ll take to get to the forest village, but we can’t drive there,” he told me. “The forest village?” I asked. “Where the other fae live. They’re protected by fae magic. Humans and those who intend them harm can’t find it. Even when the curse was keeping us from protecting the fae lands in the human town, the magic worked for the forest village. We found out it was because of the king of the forest fae. He worked with the witch who cast the spell,” Rock explained as we walked. “What? He worked with the witch to hurt your people? Why? How could he do that to the people he was supposed to protect?” “He believed that the fae shouldn’t live with humans. He wanted to take away our safety so we would need to live in the forest village. There were some people who couldn’t use their glamour at all and they had to leave the human fae lands.” I shook my head. He was a terrible king. Protecting his people meant all of them, no matter where they wanted to live. Trent was the sort to think of the greater good, but he wouldn’t do something like that to his people just to ‘protect’ them. “I’m sorry. So many people must have been hurt by that.” “They were. Families were broken up. Friendships ended. Jealousy ran rampant. Children grew up unable to choose whether or not to live in the world of humans. People started breaking into factions. It’s going to take years for everyone to heal,” he replied. I leaned against him. All of those people suffered and that king didn’t even care. He was selfish. I could hear Rock’s disdain for him clearly in his voice as he talked while we walked. After a while, Rock stopped me. “I see it in the distance. We’re getting close. The fae magic likes you. I heard the first time Sean came to the forest village, it took him hours to find it. The magic tested him even though he’d been changed. Sometimes, it will still test him if he tries to find the village alone.” It was hard to suppress the giggles. The idea of the magic playing with Sean was cute to me. In my head, I felt like the magic liked him and it only gave him a hard time because it wanted more time with him. Rock and I walked through the forest. He told me when there were places I needed to step up, a few times he told me about something I needed to step over, then said ‘never mind’. The things had removed themselves from my path. As we entered the forest village, I could hear signs of life other than animals. Men and women talked to each other, exchanging pleasantries and chatting about the day. Children ran around and played. The sound of wooden wheels making their way down a dirt road sounded. I could hear the rustling of the trees in the soft summer breezes, the birds singing and chittering, and the noise of playful creatures bounding around. It was almost magical in a way. “It sounds beautiful,” I murmured to Rock. “I have to take off my glamour. It’s considered rude to wear a glamour in the forest village.” “I like you with or without your glamour, but one of these days, you really have to let me and Blanche see what you look like with it on. If something happens to you, I need to be able to describe you in a way that humans will understand,” I told him. “Maybe when we’re done here and go home.” “Promise?” “I promise to show you my human glamour as soon as I can,” Rock said. “Great.” I smiled at him. It wasn’t hard to tell when Rock took his glamour off. I could hear people whispering about him. I didn’t like it, but managed not to growl and snarl in the direction of the whispers. We made our way through the village. Rock quietly described it to me as we went along. I wished I could walk with him as Blanche and see everything, but I’d have to wait until I didn’t need clothing. I heard a bunch of little feet running in our direction. Rock stopped moving and patted my hand. “Some children are coming. Trolls have to stop moving when children are underfoot,” he said softly. “Is that a law or something?” I asked.“Yes. Giants, trolls, ogres, and orcs are all too large and can’t always see where they’re going. Even though I’m only half-troll, I have to stop, too.” Rock held me still while the children ran around us and played their game. I didn’t hear them run off, but I heard their feet stop. Rock didn’t start moving, so I knew they were still nearby. “You’re not s’posed to wear a glamour, lady,” a boy’s voice scolded me. “I’m not wearing a glamour. I’m not fae. This is what I look like in my human form. In my other form, I’m a wolf,” I explained. “Sable has ‘nother form, too. Why are your ears round?” a little girl asked. “Because werewolves have round ears,” I answered. “A real life werewolf?” she gasped.“Yes.” “Is that troll your mate?” the girl asked. “Yes, he is. We just found each other a few weeks ago,” I replied. “Why would you want a troll mate?” “Because he loves me, and I love him. What your mate is doesn’t matter. The goddess picks the best mate for each of us. There’s no reason to question her. If we follow her plan, we will always find happiness.” “I wouldn’t ‘cept a troll mate,” she said. “They’re scary.” “Not if you get to know them. All of the trolls I know are very nice. Would you kids go play somewhere else? We have to get to an appointment. We promised to be there on time.” “Okay, wolf lady!” they replied and I heard them running off. “You were great with them. Most people would have tried silly answers because they’re kids, but fae children are different. You can’t treat them like human children,” Rock told me. “I preferred honest answers as a kid. That hasn’t changed. I like kids. That’s why I’m hoping the healer says we can have some….” “There are other options. Most trolls won’t adopt, but I’m fine with it. If you want kids, we’re having kids,” he assured me.We started moving further into the village. We went from a sunny path to a shaded one. Rock stopped me again. “There are three steps here. There’s a rail to your right.”I nodded and reached out for it. As soon as I touched it, something flashed in my mind and I knew exactly how tall the steps were. It was almost as if I could see them. I smiled and climbed the stairs. Rock knocked on the door and it opened, but I didn’t hear anyone inside. He led me into the building. Rock told me before that it was magical and made of trees. I could smell trees all around me, and not the scent of injured trees, it was as if they lived in this form and didn’t get hurt from it. He took me across the room and told me there was a couch to sit on. I sat and he took a seat next to me. Rock put his arm around me. I leaned into him, and let his arms calm and comfort me. Whatever happened here would dictate the rest of our lives. Would we have pups or have to adopt? Was the blindness something I might pass on to them? Was I healthy in all the ways I needed to be for my mate? What was Rhett concerned about?We didn’t have to wait long before another door opened. I heard someone come into the room. They had bare feet, so there was no clicking like dress shoes might make. “I’ll need only the patient on the couch, please,” a woman’s voice said. “Of course,” Rock replied. “Sorry, I haven’t been here in a very long time.” “Trolls rarely need healers and tend to go see troll healers if they do need them. I understand why you were brought, though. Half trolls are often brought to healers to see how their other half will affect them,” she told him. Rock got up and squeezed my shoulder lightly before moving away. I didn’t hear him sit again, so I assumed he was standing guard over me. I always felt safe when he was around. “Now, I’m going to need your hands so I can look you over while we talk. My name is Orella and I’m going to be helping you today.” I put out my hands. “I’m Carmen and that’s my mate, Rock.” “Yes, that was in the notes I received.” She caught my hands in her own and took a deep, slow breath. Another flash happened in my mind and I could see her for a moment. I’d never had this happen before. “Your magic recognizes mine. Well, little sister, it seems we have more in common than I’d ever thought I might with a werewolf.” She laughed. “What does that mean?” I asked. “You have a fae blessing on you. One that is woven into your very being. It must have been placed on someone else and transferred to you. Perhaps it didn’t affect them as it should have…. True sight, a blessing that is rarely given.” “What does it mean? Carmen’s blind,” Rock told her. “As am I and all of the healers here. We see with our magic, our spirits, and our hearts, not our eyes. So many things can lie to the eye. Nothing can lie to us.” “My father hates fae. I don’t think any would have given him a blessing. My mother doesn’t seem to be much better. They wanted me to reject my mate, but I wouldn’t. My first mate rejected me because I was blind. I wasn’t going to give up my second chance for something that wasn’t his fault. I love my troll mate,” I said. “No, not a second chance, a second mate. Fae with True Sight always have two, Carmen. You were meant to love them both and they were meant to care for you in the way only they could. Let me have a closer look at you. We’ll figure out how your blessing affects you otherwise. And…. You want to know about children. I can check that as well,” she replied. I could feel her magic delve into me. It almost took my breath away to feel it swim through me. It stopped at my mark and swirled around it, then started coursing through my body like electricity. The power of her magic was overwhelming. It vibrated through me and made me feel like I was going to burst. I started to list to the side, but she pulled me back up, Orella wouldn’t let me fall. It felt like she was probing me for hours. My body was exhausted, as if I had run that whole time. Rock shifted uncomfortably as I started panting from the exertion. When she finally stopped, she still held on to my hands. She was the only thing keeping me from falling over. I felt the couch move as Rock sat beside me and wrapped his arms around me again. “I’m sorry that was so tough on you. I wanted to dig into everything I could. You are quite a surprise. I can sense some troll tendencies in you as well as other fae gifts associated with the blessing you have. You are the most intriguing creature I have ever seen,” Orella said. “I have a question,” Rock told her. “If Carmen was meant to have two mates, does that mean she has a second chance somewhere else to replace the man who rejected her?” I gasped and grasped his shirt. I didn’t want a second mate. I only wanted Rock. He was mine, my perfect troll mate. Maybe I would have been open to a second mate when I was younger, but I’d been alone for so long and Rock was the first person to accept me for who and what I was.