The Healer and the General

Part 13

Eric was yet again surprised by his mate when she asked for his help. Sure she needed more help than just him, but it made him happy. Promising Demi that'd he be right back, Eric went to get whoever he could find that was willing to help. He came back with six males and five men. Most were on dish duty and wanted an excuse to get out of it.

The women and females, along with the children, had already dragged out the now clean tent. It was fairly large, the only tent bigger was the mess halls. It took a while to get it up, even with the extra help. Once it was up, it looked like a giant beacon, especially in the morning sun. Demi then had the guys bring in the heavy furniture that had been scrubbed thoroughly so no more blood could be seen on it. After that, his mate dismissed everybody but Eric.

"I'm guessing you have a plan?" He asked. By the look in Demi's eyes, he knew it would be interesting.

"Yes, and I'm going to need your help with most of it," Demi answered as she put some jars filled with herbs on the shelves. She had placed her grimoire on the desk as well. Everything in the room was wooden, except for the cots that were brought in and the furnace to help heat the tent when it got cold. Demi had placed the clean animal skins all along the ground leaving no grass exposed.

Eric thought that it was starting to have a homey look to it, but still lacked something. "Follow me," Demi said as she left the tent. Eric followed and found that they were in the loot tent. "Am I allowed to use some stuff from here?" He doubted that she'd listen to him even if he said no.

"Sure. As long as it's reasonable." His answer seemed to amuse Demi. She quickly picked up a bunch of wooden pot looking things. They were rectangular and had a little hole on both sides. Eric couldn't imagine what she would use them for.

"Can you get some?" She nodded towards a large pile of the strange wooden pots. Eric took as many as he could carry back to the tent. It took multiple trips, but eventually, they got all the pots to the tent plus some glass jars.

"Alright, are you gonna tell me what these are?" He finally asked. He'd been questioning her every trip they took, but Demi only smiled and laughed at his suggestions.

"Fine, but only because you've been a very good helper." His mate could be quite cruel. "They're planters. I want to grow some of my own herbs, so in the winter I won't have trouble hunting them down." Oh. That made sense. And that was why she needed Eric's help because plants were his thing.

"Why couldn't you just say that earlier?" Eric said, slightly irritated.

"Where's the fun in that?" As she said it, Eric started shaking his head. They got to work. First, they had to find good soil for planting. The two of them went into the woods, and Eric noticed how at ease she was there. In camp her fingers were constantly tapping, and her eyes never stayed one place for too long, but out in the woods she was completely relaxed. After filling the planters and bringing them back to the tent, they went to search for the right plants. Demi was pretty good at knowing where they should be, but not as good as Eric.

He found the plants almost instantly, and eventually, they started a competition to see who could find the most. Eric won, of course, getting two more than she did. When they finished planting, there were a dozen different herbs. Using some of his magic, Eric made them take root and grow. He would make sure they flourished during the winter. Demi openly gaped as she saw him use his magic.

"It's incredible," she remarked. And boom there was the perfect opportunity to ask her about the shackles.

"So where are these going to go?" Ah. And there was that opportunity flying away. He could practically see it waving at him.

"We're going to hang them, of course."

Of course.

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Demi didn't want to admit it, but she'd had a good time with Eric. She liked his company. When Demi had seen his magic in use, she couldn't help but wonder about her own. She'd been quite little when they disappeared. Demi wondered if they were gone forever. Not that she cared. They would only mark her as a witch.

When Eric finished hanging the last of the herbs, making sure that she'd be able to reach them, the sun had begun its descent. Looking at their handy work, mostly Eric's, Demi felt accomplished and happy that she would work in a space that she liked. Plus, she had access to the herbs she'd need. Demi set out some others she had collected to dry. Once they dried out, she'd put them in the glass jars she'd gotten.

The two of them walked to dinner and ate. The music was so alluring, but Demi had never danced, at least not the way people do here, so she opted out. Eric must have noticed her longing looks towards the dancers because he stood up and asked her to dance.

Demi couldn't hide her surprise or joy, "I never learned how. Is that all right?" Lie. But it didn't really matter.

"Don't worry." Eric took her hand and half dragged her towards the other people dancing. He spun and twirled her until she was dizzy, and when everybody started dancing together, Demi joined in and so did Eric.

Demi couldn't remember the last time she was so happy. She was probably about nine, right before Ura had taken her and her mother. She pushed those thoughts away and focused on the people before her. That night Demi decided that she would no longer focus on the past, and start looking towards her future.

But her past would never leave her.