The Brave Human Mate

17.

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Healer Rhea's POV

It wasn't anything in particular that had woken Rhea up, and not on purpose, either. There was much to take in all at once, the voices and commotion coming from outside that was a mixture between muffled and clear—The abrupt smell that seemed to assault her nose, danced around the room in waves.
First sour, then sweet, then an abrupt curse of burning—Followed by a sharp curse that had Rhea groan and turn to her side in damnation.

"Course, my cursing gets your attention...Come on you pretty thing, we have some work to do." Rhea's eyes felt heavy, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her as she peeked her attention to moving blur that continued its way towards her.

After a quick rub, she was introduced to a chipped cup.
One that looked awfully familiar, and she leaned forward with a bit of help to take hold of it entirely. "Gave Osmin a scare. But he doesn't know a thing about women, does he? Not from any species, human, witch, or wolf. Goddess, that male is hopeless." Rhea watched as the stranger had done nearly five things at once while ranting about the male that she remembered kissed her with love and intent.

"Hmm," Rhea said, still dazed by the area she was stationed in. The darkened layers that shield the tent from light confused her or did until the female came forward with a damp cloth and pressed it against her forehead.

"You're burning up a little..." She whispered, and Rhea's attention was fixated on something important, and she truly didn't mean to be so insensitive. But her distortion to the situation had made her blunt with her actions, and caused her hand to reach up to the scar running across the female's eyes.

"You're hurt."

"And you're sick...It happened when I was younger, nothing to get worked up about now."

"Are you blind?"
"Partially, but that hasn't stopped me from working. Not that the King would care." She's a witch! That's right!

"You're Lill—"

"Lillian, yes. You took a fall just as Osmin was leaving. Been out for nearly a day, and had to give your human males some words of relief when I said you were alright. Just exhausted and dehydrated. Now drink up, I need those well-working hands of yours. You're a Healer?" Rhea swallowed a few gulps, not prepared for a question as she nodded eagerly, but the witch had left her side to continue to catch a few stirs and add ingredients to.

"Y-yes. I'm a Healer.

"Perfect. We get a lot of humans to come in every day." Rhea nodded and placed down her empty mug beside her and tried to rise up to her feet. Only to catch a leather band on her ankle, and the tightness had caused her heartbeat to spike. "Rhea?"

"What's this?"

"Oh, it's Osmin's claim. Any Rogue bastard will be able to see that...Well, it also keeps you near the tent."

"Near the tent? Is this some of your magik coming into play?" Lillian eyed Rhea with the intention to speak as she stirred another bowl in her arms, but couldn't keep her level of disappointment contained.

Not with the amount of destruction featured in those eyes.

"I was forced to."
"To make the tailensmen?"
"The same way you faked a child? I love Osmin, but I swear he can be dumb as a damn pebble. Now get up and you can play that sob story later, right now we have to make inventory for the rest of the week. The males get worse by midday." Rhea didn't know what that had meant, necessarily, but it had become clear once the humans had started coming in the moment the sun had struck the center of the sky.