A Healer's Touch

Chapter 3

As the bitter winter months crawled by, Anneth was swarmed with the yearly victims of snow fever.

"Edric! I need you to take this to Miriam, Garyan's wife!" She ordered the young Rider, who hurried out the door with her remedy. The scent of honey and elderberry was thick in the small house, and was only made worse by the fire in the corner. "Maddlyn, can you continue for me? I need to step outside and rid myself of this headache." Maddlyn, a servant from Meduseld and volunteer for Anneth when she needed extra hands, was Anneth's saving grace in times like these.

The biting winter air stung Anneth's exposed face, but it brought welcome relief to her head. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, massaging her temples. If only the people would follow my instructions as well as those two. Then Edoras wouldn't even need a healer!

Suddenly, a thud came from above her head as a snowball slammed into the wall, raining ice all over her hair. She flicked her eyes up to find the culprit, and when she did her eyes narrowed.

"Well, someone is in a good mood today," Theodred said cheerfully, walking up and brushing the snow off her hair and shoulders.

Anneth huffed and slapped his hands away, doing the job herself. "I have a headache because the people will not simply do as I tell them when they get sick, and they end up causing others to get sick as well. Nearly half the city has come to me for aid, and I'm almost out of honey."

"Perhaps I'll be able to get you some when I set out," he replied, and Anneth realized he was dressed to ride out.

"You're leaving today!? Why didn't you tell me?" She exclaimed.

"I only found out this morning. Apparently one of Grima's scouts saw a band of orcs camped near the Fords of Isen, so he's sending my eored to take care of them."

Anneth's heart grew cold at the mention of orcs, and Theodred pulled her into a hug. "When do you leave?" She asked in a small voice.

Theodred's arms tightened around her. "Right now. But before I leave, Anneth, I'd like for you to pay off your debt to me from our chess game now," he said, a gleam in his eye.

Anneth stepped out of his embrace, suddenly wary. "And what would you require me to do?" The price for losing a game had varied from swiping a loaf of bread from the kitchens to waking Eomer with a cold bucket of water - at the loser's own risk. What he would have her do now was anyone's guess.

"I do not ask for much, but for a kiss from a fair maiden before I depart, as a token of her favor," he said gallantly, and Anneth's cheeks, already pink from the cold, turned red as the poppies hanging from her ceiling. Of all the things to ask for!

"Theo!" She exclaimed, but he simply stood there expectantly, a smirk on his face. "Only because you ride off to battle," she relented, and before he could move she stood up on her toes to give him a peck on the cheek.

The look on his face clearly showed he had a different sort of kiss in mind, but Anneth couldn't bring herself to do that just yet. "Perhaps, when you return, you'll get a proper kiss," she said, and a wide smile broke out across his face.

"Then I will do my utmost to return to you, my fair lady," he said with a bow, and with one last long look, he turned and went to the stables to depart.

"You had better come back," she whispered, though she knew he couldn't hear it. He always came back to her, and she believed this time would be no different. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she went back into the healing house to continue her work.