The Last Healer (A Witch's Tale)

Chapter 8: The Shack in the Middle of the Forest

Chapter 8

Valen is still stroking the horse's head when she felt someone is looking at her. She stopped stroking the horse and lifted her face. Her eyes widen at the sight of Edward in front of her. She then realizes that the horse belongs to the prince. She quickly takes a look at the horse, she now only notice that the horse has a saddle which means someone owns him. She tries to stay calm so as not to let the horse feel frightened. She takes a small step backward, putting some distance between her and the horse and then walks hurriedly back, crossing the stream to go far away from him.

"Wait!" Edward shouted. The lady continues to run away so he runs to follow her across the stream, leaving Spirit behind.

"Wait please...I mean no harm." Edward pleadingly shouted. "You have black hair; I just wanted to know who you are. I mean no harm I promise!"

The black-haired lady continues to run and is already a bit further away from Edward. Edward cannot seem to catch up as he already has some bruises and cuts due to the vines and twigs along the way. He then decided to stop chasing her as he also does not want to leave Spirit in the forest alone and it's already late in the afternoon and will very soon get dark.

Edward faces the other way, heading back to where Spirit is, to go home and he hopesthat he will be able to sleep properly that evening.

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Valen is panting so much that she's already short of breath. She was able to, once again, escape from Edward. She goes inside her house, places the two satchels and her bow and arrows on the table. She started preparing the fish to be cook in the small fireplace while she's deep in her thought; someone has seen her! Edward saw her as a black-straight haired lady! Definitely, he will try to search for her again; he being in the forest a while ago was also a mystery.

Few hours later, after eating dinner and after placing the ingredients and prepared medicines in the medicine cupboard, she lies down on her bed and still thinking of a way for her not to meet Edward again.

"Do I have to leave this house?" she asked herself aloud. However, she already knows the answer...she will not be able to leave just like that. Almost all of her belongings are already here. Once she leaves, she must not leave anything behind, which means she will have to carry all her belongings, medicines and ingredients all at once as she can no longer return because in no time, the shack will probably be found.

Valen was so confused of what to do; she was so tired and exhausted, she fell asleep.

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Edward's cuts and bruises were already treated upon his return in the mansion. He told his parents how he got those few bruises and what he found in the forest.

"Are you sure about that Edward? That the lady you saw has a black and straight hair?" Lord Thomas asked him.

"Yes, father, I am sure. I was not able to properly look at her face, but I am sure that her hair is a straight-black."

"Well, if that is the case, we must find her! There must be others who are still alive. We must arrange a search party and they should depart immediately!" His father was about to ask a servant to summon Sir Friedmore but Edward halted his father in doing further action.

"No father! You must not."

"Why Edward? Why should I not? All these years we have been thinking that there are no single soul survived from Yel. Give me a good reason. You know how much it saddened me that I was not able to help them." His father said with sadness in his eyes.