Turbinio

Don't Waste Your Skullcaps

You reluctantly accepted Diego's offer. After all, he was right in making sure that Cadichon no longer refused to pull the wagon again. You temporarily relaxed into a state of sated drowsiness, checking on the camellias on your shelf full of cat hair - that was hiding under the balcony again in the presence of a stranger, but you had the faint impression that Diego, too, was aware of the kitten's presence.

You didn't understand why Diego liked that camellia and bergamot tea so much. But you spent the next thirty minutes grinding and infusing the herbs, making the man a cup of tea when he finished training your mule. Of course, you kept an eye on him the whole time for fear he might hurt Cadichon or do something wrong. After all, Johnny and Gyro told you to stay away from Diego, but his presence seemed unavoidable.

It was tedious work, but it suited this kind of lazy afternoon. Inside the wagon, glass vials glistened in disarray, and messy piles of bandages and compresses lay in the cabinets beside them. Despite the mess, you always tried to keep your workspace clean, carefully storing your supply of dried leaves, roots, and mushrooms in cotton muslin bags. You inhaled deeply the sharp, spicy smells of his sanctuary and exhaled contentedly as you cover the cup of tea you had prepared and burned some sage leaves to ward off mosquitoes.

Cadichon had never been so obedient. She allowed Diego to stroke her flanks and kept her head lowered at one of his commands. You watch him silently. He loosened some ropes, corrected the mule's posture, and offered small rewards in the form of pieces of sugar to keep it obedient. Without realizing it, you pathetically watched him with your chin in your hands and your elbows resting uneasily on the balcony, although your gaze remained unyielding. He knew he was being watched.

''I suppose you haven't thought of that before, right, Miss (Y/N)?''

''Huh? What?''

''Take the bridle off the mouth and attach it to the muzzle. Your mule's teeth are wearing out because she has a habit of biting the brakes when you pull. ''

''Attach the bridle to the muzzle?'' You smile in disbelief. ''I'm sorry, but she's not an ordinary mule. I'll have to yell a lot until she feels the brake on the muzzle.''

''She'll feel it, I guarantee.''

He patted the mule's neck twice and walked over to you on the other side of the balcony. You immediately felt ashamed and unfaithful. How could you, after all, have been so naive in negotiating with this man? At least he didn't seem to be lying. You straightened your posture when he placed a hand on the table, rubbing your wet hands nervously on your clothes in a spasm of guilt. You should have refused or just run away - even though you knew how pointless and idiotic it would be to run away from a man on a horse with your wagon.

You stood there and offered a cup of tea to the man who had attacked you, Gyro, and Johnny last night. Your body shuddered as you looked him straight and noticed something was different about him.

The different glint in Diego's eyes became clear to you with a golden look. The right eye of the corpse. Even in your burst of vomiting, you could hear Johnny say that Diego had taken one of the parts. Gyro had the left eye and Diego had the right eye. No matter how hard you tried not to think about it or ignore it, it always came back to you. That excruciating feeling that the proximity of the corpse triggered in you.

You pretended not to notice and tried to take advantage of it to pretend you didn't even remember last night.

"Are you feeling okay, miss (Y/N)? You look pale.'' He said in a cynical tone and with a smile.

''Yes. I'm fine.'' You said belatedly. ''Here, get your tea and herbs.''

He did so promptly. This time, without being hopelessly blind. He drank his tea in a few quick sips, mumbling something you couldn't understand as he stared at you.

''Splendid.'' he said, setting the cup on the table and pocketing the herb packet.

''You said you learned Cadichon's habits...'' A doubt came to you. ''Besides chewing the bridle, what else does she do?''

''Your mule stamps the front leg on the ground, swings the neck to the left, and flattens the ears when a stranger approaches. When you talk, she pricks up her ears. I could observe this from afar.''

''Impressive.'' You said dryly. ''I'm not surprised you're one of the candidates to win the race.''

''Is that what the newspapers say? It's nothing more than a courtesy. Well, it's true, I'm very good with horses... and mules. But I wonder, truly, what would your skills be, Miss (Y/N)?''

You froze, watching him tap on his shoulder with a dirty sash. You didn't pay much attention, but you could see some difficulty in lifting his arm while he was training Cadichon. The urge to offer him a poultice of damiana and skullcap was contained in a single sentence.

''I don't know what you're talking about.''

''There is no need to lie, I've already said that I don't have any intention of harming you. After all, where else could I get such a good tea?''

No, you mustn't give in to his cynical pity. You still haven't forgotten the terrible night he put you through, even though he was under Doctor Ferdinand's control. Diego's words unconsciously calmed you and made your cheeks blush. He was now standing in front of you on the outside of the wagon looking at every single detail of your face in a purely curious way. You were only a few inches taller than him because of the height difference between the wagon and the ground. Diego was tall enough to make that difference insignificant, just like Gyro.

''(Y/N). '' He said your name as if he were talking to himself, this time with a much stronger accent. In that strange way from the British Isles that made your name his own. ''It's always a pleasure. I hope to see you again at the end of this stage.''

He smiled smugly and walked to his horse. You didn't say anything, nor did he bother to say goodbye with more than an exchange of glances. As soon as Diego disappeared behind the horizon, you sat down in the driver's seat of your wagon and put aside your hesitation.

As the jockey had assured, Cadichon didn't make another sudden stop. Thanks to Diego, you spent the whole afternoon traveling in peace and were able to camp for the night on the edge of a lake.