Page 2 of Bound By Stardust
He had deep-set eyes, sharp cheekbones, a high forehead, and a trim beard covering his pointed chin. Thick, black hair trailed in a tangle to his waist.
I bent to study the side of his head, and sure enough, pointed ears confirmed he was no human. He must be one of the Masters, the beings who lived in the floating kingdom above. They came down to Terrin every year for the tithe, clothed in splendor that mirrored the stars. I’d seen them from afar, wearing masks, and wondered what their faces looked like beneath them. Now, I knew.
I stepped back quickly, almost bumping into my buckets. “What are you doing here?”
“Help me,” he murmured again.
One of the Masters was lying wounded at my feet. I could,should, help him, perhaps gain honor or some kind of blessing from the Masters for helping one of their kind. Why, then, did fear grip me?
Spinning on my heel, I dashed to the gate where I’d left the wheelbarrow. My stardust buckets were surprisingly heavy once full, and I needed to get them through the forest and back home. The man and the buckets would never fit, but at least I could take him home and return for the stardust. Healing him would be quick work; then, I’d send him on his way and request a favor, maybe some sort of blessing for my work. I had to think of what I wanted.
My humdrum life was fine, but not exciting. I’d long ago given up the idea of a husband and babies – I was too old. Once a woman neared thirty years, she was no longer considered young and fertile in Terrin.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have been such a recluse. Grandmother encouraged me to get out more, go to the gatherings and celebrations in Terrin, but instead, I’d wandered into the wood to forage or read. So of course, it was my fault I didn’t have friends. Sometimes, when I went to market, I heard the children whispering about the odd wild woman who lived in the forest, which was me now that Grandmother was dead.
My lifestyle used to suit me just fine, but more recently, a restlessness hummed beneath my skin. Talking to the birds that came for breadcrumbs and scolding the raccoons and possums who stole fruit and tiny trinkets was getting dull. I kept waiting for something to happen, to change, but each day arrived the same, with requests for healing potions or other demands on my time. Grandmother enjoyed the work, but I was beginning to begrudge it. The problem was, I didn’t know what I wanted. Maybe, when I healed the Master, he might give me an idea of what to wish for.
Trundling the wheelbarrow to the entrance, I paused. The wheels would get stuck between all the bones, so I needed the Master to gain enough strength to make it to the gate. I eyed his long body with a sigh. He was probably too heavy to push through the forest along the rutted path. I was strong, but notthatstrong.
He was sitting up when I returned, eyes closed, face lifted to the stardust falling upon him like a healing rain. He’d taken off his shirt, or the rags had fallen off him. His pants were in terrible shape too, but I’d seen plenty of naked bodies, and the idea of his nakedness did not intimidate me.
“I have a wheelbarrow,” I announced. “If you can make it to the gate, I’ll take you back to my cottage and heal your wounds.”
Golden eyes bored into me. “Thank you,” he croaked.
I should have brought water, but I’d forgotten to bring a water skin on my night of labor.
He groaned again, holding his side as he rose to his knees and reached for me.
I gave myself a little shake to keep my courage and prepared for the stink of him. Grandmother never talked much about it, but sick people had a distinct odor. Wounds smelled terrible, especially festering, rotting ones, like the ones I expected him to have.
He slung an arm around my shoulder and leaned rather heavily on me. Nothing but the scent of earth filled my nose. That, and something distinctly masculine.Strange.
“Do you recall what happened to you?” I asked as we stumbled across bones to the wheelbarrow.
“Aye,” he croaked. “Trouble.”
Vague. “Do you have a name?”
“Drazhan. You?”
“I’m called Asira. You’re lucky; I’m the Stardust Collector for Terrin, and a healer. You’ll be back on your feet in a day or so.”
“Asira. My savior.”
I grunted in response and helped him into the wheelbarrow. He spread across it with a sigh, arms and legs hanging out. I scowled at how difficult my return journey would be, then glanced back. I’d have to return for the stardust later, but I still snatched one bucket and put it in his lap. “Stardust will help you heal.”
Then, summoning all my inner strength, I started the slow journey back home.
* * *
My cottage satin a clearing in the wood, only an hour’s walk from the marketplace, but I preferred the appearance of being on the outskirts. I’d left a light in the window for my return, and I parked the wheelbarrow beside the door. I’d take it around back to the barn later.
“We’re here,” I announced.
Drazhan opened his eyes and groaned as I swung open the door to the cottage. The faint whisper of leaves fluttered along with the scent of lavender.
Embers glowed in the hearth, and I poked at them as I considered what kind of remedy to make for Drazhan. I’d have to examine him to see what injuries he had, but first, I filled a cup with water and returned to him in the wheelbarrow.
