Blazing Earth by Terri Brisbin Page B

down from her wrist and exposed her forearm where the bandage had fallen away.
    The red area had not responded to the salve she put on it. Indeed, it had grown larger and darker. When the sunlight touched it, it began to shift before her eyes. The redness swirled around and around until it was a circle, a disk-shaped mark there. It burned much like skin that had touched fire, but this did not blister. The area reached a certain size and shape and then continued to pulse as though alive.
    Thea pushed to her feet and stepped out of the light, into the shadows of the corner of the chamber, suspecting that the stronger light was causing her eyes to be false to her.
    Her skin yet glowed and the mark continued to shift and glimmer and burn as though the sun lived there on her arm. She touched it with her finger and she could feel no difference there. Thea wanted to observe it more, but a call came from outside, forcing her to forget the mark.
    â€œElethea!” a man called out loudly. “Elethea!” She pulled the door open to find Rolfe there, agitated and sweating. “I pray you, please come now. Linne is bleeding.”
    She paused only long enough to grab her basket and then followed the large man along the path to his cottage. His mother stood at the door, holding it open so she could enter.
    â€œWhat happened?” Thea asked as she ran to Linne’s side. The young woman’s body was shaking as tremors moved through her. “Linne!”
    She reached out and turned Linne’s face to her, but the woman was not conscious. Without delaying, Thea tugged Linne’s gown up and carefully felt between her legs. Blood, too much blood, poured out there.
    A sinking feeling took hold of Thea, making her throat burn as she realized the young mother would not survive such bleeding.
    â€œPlease, Elethea. Please save her,” Rolfe pleaded. He paced behind her, carrying the babe in his arms now. His mother stood ready to help.
    Trying to gain control over herself, she took in a deep breath and let it out. What could she do? Packing would not help stop such bleeding.
    â€œElethea! Do something!” Rolfe bellowed. His deep voice and distress woke up the babe, who cried loudly. At least the baby was strong. If she could not help Linne, at least the babe would live.
    Then, although Rolfe continued to beg her, the sounds all faded away. She waved him and his mother away and peered at Linne. Thea’s hand remained on the woman’s thighs, which, like the rest of her, were growing colder and colder as she bled her life away. She needed to keep her warm. Placing her other arm—the one with the new mark on it—on Linne’s belly, Thea thought about the sun’s heat.
    How her skin had heated as the sun touched it.
    How her skin had glowed with the sun’s light.
    Spreading her fingers over the still-extended womb, she thought about sharing that warmth. She thought about sending it deep within the woman to end the bleeding that would kill her soon. Thea thought about sending the life force of the sun into the dying woman to keep her alive.
    She did not remember closing her eyes, but when she opened them, Thea saw that Linne’s whole body glowed as Thea’s own skin had earlier. And the bleeding stopped flowing onto her hands under Linne’s gown. Thea remained still for several minutes, praying that the bleeding had truly ceased. Then she slid her hand out and wiped the blood off it.
    â€œElethea?” The whisper caught her by surprise, for Thea thought herself still caught up in the strange silence.
    â€œLinne, you are awake. How do you feel?” Thea slid closer and knelt by the woman’s side, taking her hand.
    â€œI feel warm,” she said softly. “I was cold, so cold that I could not stop shivering. But the sun came out and now I am warm again.” Glancing past Thea, Linne frowned at her husband. “What is wrong, Rolfe?”
    â€œI