Hi everyone! I'm here with my latest, a piece of
work that I've becomed engrossed in, ignoring other
things like class, papers, finals, grades... Bad Patch!
This is set in the Silver Millenium and it's a multi-
parter and here's the funky thing, around this time
last year, I was completely engrossed in writing
Betrothed, my first Silver Millenium multi-parter.
A coincidence? Just thought I'd let everyone know
that useless, little fact ^_^
Well, enough of my blabbering, I do hope you
enjoy this one. Please let me know what you think.
Patch.


Healer
Prologue
Author: Patch
E-mails: patchkhan1@hotmail.com
	kittiekat90@yahoo.com
Rated: PG-13

Insert Standard Disclaimer Here

	"Call her! Call the Healer!" a low voice
whispered urgently.
	"Healer! Go get the Healer," another said
to his companion, frantically pushing him out the door.
	Little Katrina was sick, dangerously so.
She lay upon a low bed, a little wisp of a girl, not
more than nine years of age. Her eyes were closed, her
face pale, sweat beads on her forehead. Her oily and
dull brown hair formed a halo around her head as her
chest lifted and fell in uneven breaths.
	A woman sat beside her bed, hunched over,
her hands clasped together, her lips forming silent
prayers. Tears that had long ago dried stained her
cheeks and her face was sunken and sallow. She could
only hope that help would come in the form of a
miracle for her small daughter.
	Time passed but it was not long before a
commotion outside caused her head to lift up sharply
as her hopes began to rise.

	A crowd stood outside the small cottage of
Jonathan the farmer and they parted as a person passed
through.
	"The Healer!"
	"She has finally come."
	"A hope for Little Katrina."
	"A witch, she is, I tell you. It is unholy for a
person to have such powers as hers."
	"No, she a good person."
	"She heals, not hurts."
	The last words comforted the person, the
sincerity in the voice warming her heart. She was glad to
know they had faith in her, the Healer, as they called her.
	The young woman whom no one could see
because of the cape and hood that covered her smiled
softly at her title. She had never asked for such a thing,
but ever since the episode with Ferman the sheep tender,
the name had stuck and she had done nothing about it. She
preferred the name and title of Healer to that of her
*other* titles. Titles she sometimes wished she didn't
have.
	She walked through the throng of people and
made her way to the door. Upon entering the house, a
wave of heat hit her but she did not waste anytime in
removing her cloak or even lowering her hood, tasks she
didn't even normally do in the first place.
	A woman, stood to greet her, a shaky smile
gracing her bloodless lips.
	"You have come and I thank you," the woman
said gratefully, nearly sinking to a curtsy before the
Healer stopped her.
	"There is no need. Now, I must see to
Katrina."
	"She has been like this for three days and
there was nothing I could do before my husband finally
relented into calling for you," the woman said, shooting
her husband, who stood in a corner, an angry glare. "He
had not wanted to call you but when he even saw that
nothing could help our little baby he had no choice but
to send for you and again I thank you for coming."
	"It is of no problem," the Healer replied,
sitting on the bed next to the girl. The room fell silent as
the couple and a few of the other villagers watched her.
The Healer's left hand moved over the girl's body, and
finally came to a rest at her forehead.
	A small gasp left her mouth at the heat of the
girl's skin.
	"There is no hope, is there?" The woman
suddenly cried shrilly. She pointed a finger at her
husband who remained silent. "I told him to call for you
on the first day when she fell into a deep sleep. But he
said no! I cried and I begged but he would not listen!
It is his fault if anything happens to my baby!"
	"Hush."
	The one word echoed throughout the room
and the woman stopped her ranting.
	"There is hope," the Healer began silently.
"Never give up, the girl will be well soon." She
sighed at what she knew had to be done next. "I will
need your help to have Little Katrina drink a special
mixture. After that, I must ask you to leave the room
for what I have to do then."
	"We understand, Healer," the woman said.
She walked to the bed and helped the Healer as she
poured down a lime green down the girl's throat.
Lying the girl down again and getting up, she looked
towards her husband. "We must go Jonathan, the two
have to be left alone. Ingrid, Michael," she motioned
towards the other two occupants of the room,
"come."
	Jonathan straightened from his corner and
as he left, he turned his head to give the Healer a
loathing stare. "If you dare hurt my daughter, you will
regret it."
	The Healer straightened stiffly at such an
insult. She mentally told herself that she should be used
to it by now, but still the barbs hit deep. That people
could doubt her when all she wanted to do was help in
any way possible still hurt even after all this time.
	"I promise you nothing will happen that
*you* will regret," she informed him coldly and then
turned back to Katrina, effectively dismissing him.
	She heard the door close and her shoulders
bowed slightly. She prayed nothing unexpected would
happen. Her gaze strayed to the girl's face and her
shoulders instantly straightened. Nothing would
happen. This child would live and she would make
sure of it.

	Outside Jonathan and his wife, Liona stood
with several of the villagers, staring at the cottage
expectantly. Suddenly a small glow shined through the
four windows of the house and everyone collectively
held their breaths. The glow grew brighter and then
subsided until only the fire from the hearth inside
lighted the small house.
	Both husband and wife looked at each
other hesitantly and then rushed inside, many of the
others following them.
	They all came to a halt a few feet away
from the bed where Katrina was sitting straight,
smiling at the Healer, her cheeks already regaining
some of their lost color.
	When the girl saw her parents she ran to
their open arms and everyone else crowded around
them, talking loudly and gesturing, relieved smiles
on all of their faces.
	The Healer stared at the scene for a
moment before skirting her way around everyone.
She preferred not to stay for too long afterwards
because it was then that people always asked the
expected questions that she tried her best to avoid.
	As she walked away, she breathed the
cool night air deeply into her lungs, still not
removing the hood from her head. She was so tired,
so exhausted. Her feet protested with every step
she took even though she had not walked much. It
had been the dead of the night when she had
answered this call, rousing herself from sleep and
rushing here. And now she just wanted to slip back
into slumber.
	When she had reached the beginning of
the forest that would lead her home, she loosened
the reins of her tethered horse and climbed onto its
back.  She turned the horse around and it had not
taken a few steps before four figures suddenly
flanked its sides with their own horses.
	The Healer did not acknowledge them
as her body slowly lumped forward. The four
riders took this all in stride and nodded at each
other.
	"She used it this time."
	"The energy expenditure has exhausted
our Princess and she has fallen asleep."

*^*End*^*
Short? Yes. Very short? Probably so. *Cringes*
I'll tell you right now I'm not very good at cliffhangers.
Patch be a boring kinda author -_-0 But I'm an exciting
person in real life! I swear! *Grins cheesily and waits
for someone to whap her*
Until next time!
Patch:-)(-: