Astrid's Vain Struggle

I don't know how long I've been here. It feels like it's been days. Maybe more. Maybe less. I can't really tell.

I remember being taken from my home and forced to ride in a carriage with the old woman for what felt like an eternity. I was still weak from the sickness that had assailed me, but that didn't make it any easier to bear. My captor, however, paid no mind to my tears or weakness. Instead, she sat upright and stared at me with her piercing eyes as if challenging me to say one word against her.

I could barely speak after we'd arrived at the home of the wise-woman, Lahabrea. The place was a small cottage surrounded by trees and grasses that swayed gently in the wind. It was so different than my home--a large house with a stone fence that kept people away from us as if we were some sort of royalty in our village.

The wise-woman had taken me inside where she bathed me and dressed me in clothes that were strange to me: a white robe with no sleeves or skirt--just covering my body from neck to toe. She then led me out into her garden where she silently watched me sway back and forth as I tried to control my fidgeting body by standing in one place for more than a few seconds.

"You're not very good at this, are you?" Her voice had startled me and I jumped back before quickly recovering myself and staring her down. The wise-woman let out a small laugh before continuing on, "I suppose it is understandable since you haven't been properly trained." She then motioned for me to follow her around the garden as she hummed some strange song or another while occasionally plucking up herbs or flowers and handing them to me.

"What are these for?" I'd asked her after she'd handed over what seemed like at least a dozen different plants and flowers she'd collected while walking around the yard. She smiled at me before replying cryptically, "To use them."

I could tell that it wasn't going to be easy getting answers out of this woman, but I didn't care anymore anyways. I was tired of being treated like some sort of burden on my family; they couldn't even look at me anymore without growing pale with fear--so much so that my father had taken to locking himself away in his study whenever he got the chance and refusing any visitors, including those who came from neighboring villages seeking his counsel on matters related to trade or politics concerning our kingdom, which he used to handle so adeptly before he met my mother....

"Are you afraid?" The young girl asked her mentor as they stood side by side in Lahabrea's garden, their hands touching lightly while they both focused their minds onto gathering strength from each other's spirit through physical contact. The older woman smirked before responding quietly, "No...not afraid...just cautious."