Healers by Laurence Dahners Page B

Tarc untied the two riding horses from the wagon led them toward that man they’d been talking to. The caravan pulled out onto the road. Feeling agitated by Daussie’s absence, Kazy trotted up beside Eva and said, “Where’s Daussie going?!”
    Eva glanced back at them, “They’re going to treat that man. They’ll catch back up to us pretty soon. That’s why they took the horses.”
    “Can I go with them?” Kazy asked eagerly.
    Eva frowned as she watched Kazy nervously darting glances back at Daussie. “You don’t like to be away from Daussie for very long, do you?”
    “No!” Kazy said fidgeting as if she had to go to the bathroom and glancing back at Daussie again. “Can I go?”
    “You’ll have to ride back double with Daussie…”
    “Okay!” Kazy said turning and running back after Daussie without waiting for more permission.
    When Kazy arrived beside Daussie, Tarc’s brilliant blue eyes turned to focus on her curiously, but Daussie didn’t even seem to notice. She’d gotten used to her shadow. They had the man laid out on top of a big log. Tarc stood on the man’s right. He had rolled up a large leaf and was holding it against the man’s left thigh. Daussie stood on the man’s left. She bent closer to the leaf Tarc held, though her hands rested on the log beneath the man. Her eyes closed, she frowned as if in concentration. Kazy had the definite impression she was doing something , but of course she couldn’t know Daussie was teleporting small pieces of atherosclerotic plaque out of the man’s femoral artery and into the hollow inside the leaf.
    Daussie stayed bent over the man’s leg until the end of the caravan pulled out, moved down the road and was about to disappear around the first bend. Kazy began to feel nervous. If people were afraid to travel the road without the protection of the caravan, what were the three of them going to be doing on the road alone?
    Finally Daussie’s eyes opened and she looked around. To Tarc she said, “I did a couple of spots above and below the bad one.”
    Tarc turned to the patient. “Okay, we’re done. Hope it helps.”
    The man frowned up at them, then said, “This’s bullshit! You didn’t do nothin’!” He snorted, “I’m sure as hell glad I didn’t pay you con artists for bowin’ your heads and prayin’ over me!” He swung his legs off the log, stood and started walking back to town.
    Daussie reached up to rub her temples as if she had a headache.
    Tarc frowned at her, “Not feeling so good?”
    She shook her head, “A little headache. I think I tried to do it too fast.”
    Tarc dropped the leaf he’d been holding and said, “Kazy, why don’t you get up on the bay, then I’ll help Daussie up behind you. You can guide Daussie’s horse.”
    Kazy stared wide eyed at the big leaf. It had unrolled itself and the middle of it was smeared with what looked like bits of bloody fat.
    Seeing where her eyes were pointed, Tarc kicked some dirt over it, then said, “Can I help you mount?”
    Shuddering at the thought of a man touching her, Kazy shook her head and scrambled up onto the log. “Can you lead the horse over here? It’ll be easier for Daussie to mount off the log too.”
    A few minutes later they were riding after the caravan. Apprehensively, Kazy tried to watch both sides of the road ahead of them, expecting highwaymen to pop out and attack them at any moment. She felt somewhat comforted by Daussie’s arms which reached around Kazy to hold onto the saddle horn. Seeking further reassurance she said, “Aren’t you worried about robbers?”
    Daussie grunted and said, “Tarc’s here, he’ll protect us.”
    Kazy looked ahead at the handsome young man, but his presence didn’t make her feel safe.
    ***
    Kazy was riding the Hyllises’ older black horse beside Daussie on the bay. The caravan was approaching a forested area. She’d had little experience being on a horse prior to joining the caravan. She enjoyed being up on the big