Child of Mara

Fed

"Mar? Mar!"

Tae's anxious cries wake Mar up from where they'd fallen asleep on the pile of blankets Celesta left on the floor. The window is shut and the room dark. Mar stumbles up and grabs Tae's hand. "Tae!"

He groans. "You're okay. Good. That's good."

"Tae," Mar whispers quickly, "we're in a convent, I don't know what that means, but all these ladies keep trying to get me to eat apples."

"Convent?" Tae sits up with a groan. "Woah, room's spinning. Give me a second."

"Sister Helenis said to get her when you woke up. Should I?"

Tae shifts in the dark. "Yeah, you better. We need help and this is as good a place as any. Just leave the talking to me, alright?"

"No teeth," Mar repeats and Tae nods.

"No teeth."

Mar wobbles to the door and opens it. The hall is short and turns at both ends. "Sister Helenis! Sister Helenis!" Mar shouts and there's a high pitched 'oh!' followed by a ruffled looking Sister Helenis, hastily pulling her hood up and rubbing her eyes.

"What is it, dear?"

"Tae's awake."

Helenis fetches a lamp and bustles into Tae's room. "Why hello there! I'm Sister Helenis, you must be Tae."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you for well, this," Tae smiles gesturing at the room and Sister Helenis' face goes pink.

"Of course! How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good considering I thought I was dead. Mar said this was a convent?"

The sister's head bobs. "Solanus' Retreat. We help the communities along the Windy Peaks in Primus' name."

"I see. And what happens to people after you rescue them from the mountains?"

Helenis cocks her head. "Well that depends on what those people want. Bishop Celesta usually handles all of that, you can speak with her in the morning if you'd like. But first let me check that cut."

She sits down on the chair and removes Tae's forehead bandage. The spot is covered in green paste and Helenis hums, poking at it gently. "It's looking better. What happened?"

Tae chuckles. "I slipped on some ice. Silly thing for a Literan as you can imagine."

Helenis giggles, but then says seriously, "Well it was infected so we're going to keep an eye on it and no more ice tripping for at least a week."

Mar shifts from one food to another. "Tae," they whine. Their stomach feels like it's eating itself.

"This is going to sound like a very odd request, sister, but I promise I'll explain it all to the bishop tomorrow. Do you have any raw liver by any chance?"

Frowning, Helenis thinks. "Well, the hunter that brought you in left us with a lovely goat. But we put it in the ice box for tomorrow."

"Can you wait until tomorrow, Mar?"

Mar balks, feeling woozy. They haven't eaten in at least four days. The room spins a bit and Mar's knee hits the ground hard.

"Woah, Mar!" Tae stands up and Helenis frets. He helps Mar up and into the chair. "I'm sorry, Mar. I'll get you something. Just hang in there."

Mar tries to say something, but the words don't make it out.

"Sister, I know it's late, but do you mind letting me at that goat? It's important."

"I-I suppose, but we have other—"

"It's got to be this. Come on, Mar," Tae grunts and lifts Mar up. "Lead the way, sister."

"I don't understand, we gave Mar food to eat, honest, are they sick? We have medicine..." Helenis babbles fretfully while she leads Tae down the hall and into a cellar. Tae puts Mar down on a bench and heaves open the door to the goat carcass.

"I'm not a hunter, but I know how to butcher an animal, I can take it from here, sister. And tomorrow I'll make a thank you lunch for the whole convent," Tae says casually leaning against the wall.

Helenis looks back and forth between Tae and Mar. "It's the middle of the night!"

Since she doesn't seem likely to move, Tae sighs and goes ahead pulling the goat out from where it's been packed with snow. He stumbles to the thick stone counter and finds some knives. When he starts peeling back the goat's skin, Sister Helenis stares and then mutters, "It's the middle of the night," again before hurrying back up the stairs.

"Before anyone comes back," Tae grunts, hacking a piece of bloody thigh free with his knife, "here."

Mar takes the admittedly messy and half-frozen piece and gobbles it up with a sigh. Tae hands them another and then another until Mar's stomach is full and happy. Tae is panting, robes covered in blood. "I...might...have to get you that liver...tomorrow, Mar."

Eyelids drooping, Mar nods and stumbles over to some sacks of potatoes to lay down.

"Come on, Tae, finish what you started," Tae mutters to himself and Mar's eyes close.

"Stars sake! What in Primus's name are you doing?"

"Butchering this goat for you, bishop. Odd thing to do I know, but once you start, it's best to finish."

"Are you delirious? You can barely move. Put that down right now and get to bed!"

"But I—"

"No arguing! I'm a fairly reasonable woman, but I draw the line at my patients killing themselves over raw mutton! And where is...Stars above what are they doing sleeping on the potatoes!"

Somebody picks up Mar. It's not Tae, the scent to sweet and earthy. Mar mumbles and is placed on a soft bed to dream.