Sparrow NaNoWriMo

Maps
All Maps Made With Inkarnate

The World of Asme

Continent of Forasme Reducio	Continent of Cerasme Reducio
Continent of Lasme Reducio	Continent of Sunasme Reducio
Continent of Morasme Reducio	Continent of Klenasme Reducio

Character + Pronoun Guide
★ - The Nameless
☆ - Lasme Doctors
- Royal Family

Main Characters

Reducio

• Sparrow, They/Them, Linsera (Relocated to Fornia) ★
• Princess Aster Rotalia, She/Her/Hers, Fornia
• Queen Draga Rotalia, She/Her/Hers, Fornia
• King Nelkin Rotalia, He/Him/His, Fornia
• Doctor Isoc Rantarra, He/Him/His, Lasbatia (Relocated to Fornia) ☆

Sunasme Reducio Madame Lark, She/Her/Hers, Dew Port Madames Alluv + Ocema, She/Her/Hers, Dew Port Cichlid, He/They, Faril Port ★	Forasme Reducio Theo, They/Them, Specialized Messenger, Fornia Deor, She/Her, Handmaiden, Fornia Arnia, She/Her, New Handmaiden, Fornia
Cerasme Reducio None Yet	Lasme Reducio None Yet
Morasme Reducio Ink, She/They, Linsera ★ Auburne Gulder, She/Her, Sparrow's Mom, Linsera Lotho Gulder, He/Him, Sparrow's Dad, Linsera Celentine Gulder, She/Her, Sparrow's Sister, Linsera Lothar Gulder, He/Him, Sparrow's Brother, Linsera	Klenasme Reducio None Yet

Chapter One

A simple knock on the door was how all of these interactions started. A good morning, afternoon, evening. A distribution of herbs, tonics, oils, specially made and curated. Sometimes house calls were more morbid. Doing someone’s last rites, making sure their last days were peaceful and painless. There was an honor entwined with the work of The Nameless. They were the healers of Asme going as far back as the creation of people themselves.

Sparrow particularly enjoyed the routine of it all. While there were mysteries to concocting the correct medicines, there were roads that had been carved by the healers before them. The job ended up as a sort of choose your own adventure to fixing someone’s ailments. To make their life better. People trusted Sparrow to help them, even after the doctors of Lasme had failed them.

There were many people all across Asme that had come to distrust any type of medicine after they had fallen into the hands of experimental doctors, even experimental practitioners that called themselves part of the Nameless. The doctors of Lasme were the newest healers that had begun carving their own influence across the lands. They considered themselves a more refined group, one that planned on slowly pushing out the need for Nameless healers to exist at all.

Today Sparrow was making pretty decent progress on some typical house calls that they had to do in Sunasme. It was one of their least favorite places to go. There were always waters to cross, traveling was inconvenient especially with how many people they saw across the islands.

Most of The Nameless had retired up in Sunasme, leaving only a couple of the practitioners to have more permanent setups. Many of those in the organization preferred to wander. Sparrow mainly worked within Sunasme, Forasme, and Morasme. Morasme was where their home setup used to be before they transferred over to Forasme when they were appointed to take care of the royal family there. Wandering was still in their nature, and the Rotalia’s knew that. They always kept them updated on where their travels would take them in case they needed to be called upon.

Saltwater winds swept crisply through the air, their cape far behind them as it billowed up in a greeting to the elements. Their dark red hair was pinned here and there, mainly to tame their bangs. But still stray strands of the thick wavy tresses happened to make their home in front of eyesight. Sparrow tried to blow them off every now and again but it wouldn’t be too long before a new strand made its way over. Even though this was their least favorite place to travel, the air couldn’t be beat here. The salt seemed to rejuvenate their lungs, it made everything seem clearer.

It was their last house call of the day. Even though it was only midday. Sparrow’s fox, Finch, was galloping at their side knowing she was about to be spoiled rotten with snacks at their next house. Gentle knuckles rapped across a wooden door that had seen better days, but was loyally holding strong.

“Madame Lark, its Sparrow.” In less than a blink of an emerald eye, the door was whipped open by a stockey old woman with rosy red cheeks and wrinkles that had bundled up to create a permanent expression of joy. One might believe Madame Lark had spent her days tending to children and subsequently grandchildren by the way she took in the children of Dew Port. But a single glance at rough weathered hands would suggest a history of tending to ropes and sails of a strong boat. Her hand was also tattooless, showing that she’s never been married.

They couldn’t help but smile whenever they saw her, she was a delight and had some of the best stories in all of the lands. Visiting Madame Lark gave Sparrow a dose of nostalgia for spending their childhood with their mom tending to more of the tame variety of the animals they trained. It was why usually Sparrow would spend a good few hours, or even half the day with her, when their house visits normally took no more than an hour.

“Sparrow, my dear, I was wondering when you were going to see me today. Come in, come in! I’ve just put on a pot of your favorite tea.” Finch ran circles and weaved in between her legs as she made her way into her house. Madame Lark’s bolstering laugh rang through her house at Finch’s excitement. Her voice seemed to creak like the wood in a sea-weathered boat. It was familiar and full of warmth. Dew Port loved her, she was one of the oldest members of the island. Sparrow ducked in and hung her cloak by the door. Madame Lark was a person Sparrow felt comfortable calling a part of their extended family at this point.

There was just one uncomfortable lie that lied snuggled between their interactions. Something Madame Lark was completely aware of about the person that frequented her home to help with her increasing pains and ailments. Sparrow hated her tea.

Sunasme was known for their fish exports, the only other place the various lands received food from besides Forasme. They also made sure the seas were safe and that an adequate number of ships were built. Especially as the lands continued to drift further and further apart from each other. But Madame Lark descended from a long line of fishermen, so fish was her specialty. Even… in her tea. Sparrow couldn’t help but admit internally that it was resourceful. Using boiled fish skins instead of throwing them out. She claimed that the tea is what kept her young and spritely even though she was well into her 80s, and despite the fact that she had a handful of treatments from Sparrow to assist. More than anything, they stomached it out of respect. Once they said they loved it once, there was no going back.

“Ah, fantastic. I was hoping you would have some ready for me. I was worried it would’ve gone cold. Apologies for coming so late in the day, I got held up with checking on Madames Alluv and Ocema. Have you seen their new baby? He is quite cute.” New baby calls were some of their favorites, the delivering of life was always an honor to be a part of, just as much as death rites were. They hadn’t been able to attend the actual delivery, but they were determined to see the baby through his first year of life.

“I have, I have, I have!” Madame Lark had quickly waddled her way to the kitchen and they could hear the clatter of ceramic mugs she always brought out for them. They were apparently made from a Master Craftswoman in Cerasme. Sparrow always felt like they were too important to break out for me, but she did nevertheless. Finch made her way over to where Madame Lark would inevitably sit. The perfect place to be fed. Sparrow began to place the refills of various salves and oils on her table. “He’s already growing up too fast in my opinion. They all do really. The baby stage, gone and here in an instant! He’s already taken his first trip out to sea. Can you believe it?”

"Mm yes, they told me about that today. Apparently he didn’t do that well. Seasick the whole time, that poor thing.” Once Madame Lark made her way to the table she placed two sickly gray steaming hot teas on the table. There was also a bowl rested in the crook of her elbow that she placed on the floor for Finch, full of various fish pieces that Sparrow wouldn’t have been able to name. She plopped herself down unceremoniously into the chair, taking a deep drag of the tea and sighed in relief, gesturing to Sparrow’s cup to drink. They very slowly raised the cup to their lips to sip at, stomach churning before the liquid even met their lips.

The main benefit of visiting her is this is where they obtained most of their town gossip. She knew what all of her medication was for, and if she needed anything new she would send word before they got here. She was truly one of the best patients Sparrow had.

“You know, I think that’s a sign that he’ll end up swimming off to another continent. You know how the young ones be now-a-days. Too good to stay in their homelands. We’re running out of strong fishermen. It's not glamorous enough for them.” She scoffed and took a long sip of her tea before continuing. “I’m sure Alluv and Ocema will raise him right. They’re another strong couple united by the sea. I attended their wedding myself!”

“They told me the sea was particularly rough the day they went out, I’m sure he’ll be fine. Especially if he has strong women around him to guide him through his path, no matter where that takes him.” The elder generation had grown increasingly irate with the amount of people that decided to leave their home continent and follow other trades. Sparrow was always a fan of letting the children guide their own destiny. Especially since those that were part of The Nameless didn’t get a choice in it. They were chosen by someone that had been practicing for at least ten years. Sparrow was getting to that age, and they were worried about taking on a mentee. Passing on everything they knew. Someday they would have to mark someone if they decided to take the healing path. Just the thought made the mark on their nose tingle.

Sparrow was lifting the cup to their lips once more, about to take a sip but there was a knock at the door. They turned to Madame Lark with a perched eyebrow, usually she had the afternoon cleared for me.

“Are you expecting anyone today?” The look on her face and ambivalent shrug told me she wasn’t as she rose with a groan to go answer the door. By how she held herself Sparrow could tell she had run out of her joint salve about a week ago. Luckily this time they made her extra, she had been using more and more over the years. They didn’t realize just how unkind time had been to her bones. But that’s what years of rough seas will do to you.

They remained idle at the table, gently swirling the putrid acid that was this tea. Rearranging the bottles around in height and size. They were just trying to keep themselves occupied so they didn’t end up nosing into whatever conversation she was having. Their voices were muffled around the corner before Madame Lark’s scratchy voice rang through the home.

“Sparrow, a gentleman is here for you.” They quickly rose, not making a sound as they sped their way over to the doorway. They were met with the sight of one of the palace messengers.They seemed… frazzled. Unkempt for someone that they had never seen look less than pristine. Their soft curls were frizzing out from travel and unrest, the bags under their eyes suggested that they hadn’t slept. It was only a few seconds of silence before Sparrow had gotten the message, something was wrong.

“Xer Theo, do I have a message from the Queen?” They were always the poor messenger that was sent galavanting off across the continents to come and find them. The darkness lurking at the edges of their eyes told me enough, I needed to take my leave immediately. “Madame Lark, you know I always appreciate your hospitality, but I must leave at once. I’ve left everything you need on the table. A shame I couldn’t enjoy your tea.”

“Oh don’t you worry dear, give me one moment I’ll pack you up some fish skins to go.” Their head nodded, almost absent mindedly while they thought of everything they had to wrap up in Sunasme. Their stomach swirled once more, but they couldn’t figure out if it was because of the mention of fish skins or the dread itching its way through their skin. Nevertheless, Finch would enjoy the fish skins.

“I have to pack up my things, I’ll be back in a second.” Theo nodded and took a few steps out from the house. They closed the door softly behind them, only to turn around to find Madame Lark bearing the fish skins wrapped up nicely and their cloak in her hand. Finch wasn’t far behind on her heels, looking full and happy.

“Tides alright then?” She gently wrapped Sparrow’s cloak around their shoulders, which they had to significantly lean down for her to be able to do. She didn’t have any kids, so she enjoyed taking care of the others in her town. Taking care of Sparrow. More often than not when they were in Dew Port they would spend the night in her little cottage.

“Tides alright for now.” It was a saying in Sunasme, a way of checking in on how someone was doing. Each land had their own sayings, it was one of the best parts of traveling. “I’ll be back soon, I promise. You know where to send messages should you need me.” They gave her a tight hug, something they didn’t normally do with their patients, and held her face. There was something about her that exuded a feeling of peace and calm, despite her many years out on tumultuous seas.

“Take care of yourself now Sparrow, and good winds will follow.”

“Good winds will find me.” They released her, a little sad to be going so soon but there was something tense in the air as soon as they walked out of the house. Theo and Sparrow held eye contact, Sparrow’s eyes inquisitive, Theo’s holding too many secrets to count. They began walking silently, side by side. Finch was able to get the signal of the mood and her paws crunched softly in the grass.

It took a few minutes of silent walking before Sparrow realized they had no idea where the two of them were going. They slowed the pace that they were taking that made them look like they were marching into battle.

“Theo?” They stopped a couple feet ahead of Sparrow, Finch stuck between the two of them. “What’s going on?” Sparrow’s shoulders were tense, their jaw locked in anticipation, their eyes trying to glean anything they could from the way Theo’s face changed. Except right now they were facing away from Sparrow. It took a few moments of silence for Theo to finally speak. Back still turned.

“We must leave on the first ship to Forasme out of Faril Port. I’ve charted a ship already for the two of us. It leaves when the sun has crested over the horizon.” The silence was heavier than which even Sparrow was used to. They knew Theo to be an incredibly serious person, one who would risk their life just to deliver a message on behalf of the queen. Even the wind seemed to stop for this moment. “I assumed you would have business to take care of before leaving, as you most often do.”

“This is correct. I’ll be going to Faril Port to see Cichlid, so it’s a convenient boat you’ve chosen.” Sparrow started to come around to Theo like an animal that had been frightened and could lash out at any second. Their hand came to rest gently on their shoulder. “Theo, what’s going on?” It felt like they had to turn on their patient mode for the depressed person that stood before them. Sparrow felt them take a sharp intake of breath as something broke within them. Theo looked up at Sparrow with a desperation floating in their brown eyes.

“Princess Aster is dying."

Chapter Two

Despite the chill of the wind that they could feel on their face, the air seemed to be sucked right out of Sparrow at the massive truth that Theo had laid between them. It was all the healer could do to make sure their feet stayed steady to the path they needed to go, rather than running and chartering a boat right that second. While death was not uncommon, for someone like Aster it was unexpected. She was the personification of health and happiness. She was only 24.

“I understand. I’ll meet you at the docks in the morning.” They wanted to interrogate them out of all of the information that they had been given, but they knew Theo had already broken a royal duty that had been placed upon them. They wouldn’t ask for more. Sparrow knew their place here, and right now there was a lot to do.

Theo’s resolve seemed to soften, they looked like they wanted to say something to ease Sparrow’s mind for the journey ahead. But instead their eyes steeled and they turned once more to head to the inn on the mainland of Sunpage on Sunasme. Sparrow had an old friend to visit on the island of Faril Port. It was only a half day’s trip from where they were, so their arrival would time out right around nightfall.

Sparrow took a moment to look out over the sea, eyes settling on the distant horizon with the sunlight glinting off of the gently moving ocean. There was some feeling of shame that they didn’t see this sickness coming. They always seemed to have a sense of illness, a sense that death was on the horizon. It was one of the reasons their mentor, Ink, had chosen them. In the history of their house calls there were more than a handful of times where they showed up on a grieving family’s doorstep before the notice letter had even reached them. Death and Sparrow seemed to be intertwined. It was always something that they had denied, especially since it was part of the natural order of things. But the natural inclination they had for its arrival had haunted them since they were a child.

Two small paws jumping up and pawing at Sparrow’s legs were what broke them out of the memories that were flooding their senses of all the times they had sensed death. For that Finch was rewarded with a fish skin, courtesy of Madame Lark. Each continent had its own special ritual for The Nameless that came from there. For Morasme, known for animal husbandry, they got the privilege of picking an animal familiar to help them through the years. Finch was just a kit when Sparrow came back to their parent’s home to pick one out. It only felt natural to choose one from their family’s pack.

Finch had just started learning how to forage for herself when they were pulled towards her, captivated by her lively spirit and care to feed her siblings before herself. Something not common in her breed of fox. Sparrow’s dad had suggested they choose one that was at least a year old, strong and developed, to guide them. But Finch was the one for Sparrow and they weren’t backing down. It was tradition to name the familiar to something related to the name The Nameless had chosen for themself. Ink’s familiar name was Quill. Thus the pair of birds, Sparrow and Finch, were born.

“Oh my little Finch. We’re in for quite the journey, hm?” Ever since they had spent their first day together, they had been inseparable. After a solidly good scratch session, the two of them were on their way to see an old friend.

The journey to Faril Port took slightly longer than usual. It was a con to traveling as one of The Nameless. As part of being one, they all had a distinct scar that arched over the bridge of their noses that was given to them when they turned eighteen and took their oath. Many tried to recreate it to fake being one, but only those who had been properly scarred had the flawless arch. This made it very easy for everyone to stop and ask the healers about their strange lumps, bumps, and illnesses going on with them. Usually Sparrow was generous and would stop and help, but this was one of the only times that they turned people down. It created a soft ache in their heart, but their Princess was ill. There was business to be taken care of.

Finch was understandably tired out by the time they reached their destination. Sparrow wasn’t even entirely sure that the person they were looking for would be home. Their hand felt laden with bricks as they lifted it to knock on the door. It felt like ages had passed before footsteps could be heard approaching the door.

“Cichlid.”

“Sparrow.”

They bowed our heads and pressed their foreheads together, their right hand coming up to gently grasp the back of the other person’s neck. It was a sacred greeting between healers. It symbolized a sharing of knowledge, of the burden of what they did. The two of them broke apart after exactly seven seconds. One second for each continent, and an extra one in acknowledgment of the large landmass they originated from, Asme. As soon as their eyes met, Cichlid ushered Sparrow inside.

“What do you need from me?” His eyebrows were knitted together in concern. They weren’t wrong to be worried, especially since Sparrow didn’t visit often unless there was business to be done. They took off their cloak and handed it off for him to hang. In every Nameless home there was a special place for their cloaks to be hung. He disappeared around a corner for a moment to put the cloak where it belonged.

“I know this is unexpected, and what I’m asking will be a lot.” There was a hefty pause as Sparrow made themselves comfortable in a home that was familiar enough for it to be considered a type of home for them. “You’re the only one in Sunasme I trust for you to take this on.”

Cichlid had only been practicing for just over a year now. He had just turned their nineteenth year and had already taken on a decent amount of patients from retiring healers in Sunasme. Especially since their mentor, Minnow, had retired a season after Cichlid took his oath. In the times that Sparrow had visited him and his mentor over the years, they had watched them grow up. They had always been an incredibly talented healer. Sparrow would never say that Cichlid was better than them, but certainly talented nonetheless.

“Sparrow, jump the net, what do you need?” He took Sparrow’s hands in his, shining blue eyes innocent and bright. He had really always been incredibly respectful of The Nameless that were older, consistently seeing them as wiser than they deserved to be considered as.

“I need you to finish my rounds for this season. Sunasme was my last stop, but I’ve been summoned back to the royal family. For… an undetermined amount of time. So I might need you to do next season’s as well.” Sparrow pulled their hands away as they made their way over to their practicing room. It was a place that they had always been allowed, especially as his elder, so they didn’t seek permission especially since they had so little time to arrange everything. “I’ll write everything out for you. Everything is already made. I’ll leave you the recipes if you need to make more.” The last statement left Cichlid stunned in the doorway.

“Your recipes? Sparrow, are you sure?” Recipes were not often freely shared between people of The Nameless organization unless it was from mentor to mentee. Sparrow always despised the rule and shared recipes with their patients and other healers freely. It had never resulted in patients being lost, or healers turning their back on Sparrow. To ask for help from another healer was usually a matter of desperation. Such as the one Sparrow was in.

“Yes I’m sure. You know I share my recipes freely. Just because other healers are stingy doesn’t mean you should project that onto me, hm?” Cichlid received a mild teasing side eye from Sparrow. In reality, they were protective about the perception of them feeling like the rest of The Nameless who were stuck in their ways. Even despite their new competition against the Lasme doctors. More than ever they needed to be an united front, rather than a solitary one. Sparrow gestured for Cichlid to come take a seat next to them. “Come now, we have too much to do for your anchor to be fouled.”

They spent the next few hours going through the rest of the patients that Sparrow was supposed to see. The list had extensive information; their quirks, if they were rude, what they needed, whether or not the food offered would be good. Practically everything Cichlid would need. The concoctions were spread out before him as Sparrow guided them through what needed to be explained to the people.

At some point Sparrow was left to their own devices to finish writing out the notes while Cichlid made them all dinner. Finch had been curled up by the fire but happily awoke when a fresh hot bowl of food had been placed before her. Sparrow was able to finish up their notes only a few moments after Cichlid called for them to eat.

They fell into a comfortable silence while they ate together. The home was close enough to the shore where the gentle lapping of waves could be heard through open windows. The smell of saltwater drifted through the warm and comfortable house. The fire crackled on, giving an atmosphere of safety and peace that was so important to cultivate in a healing house. Eventually Sparrow broke the silence.

“I know this is a lot. But you know I wouldn’t give you anything I didn’t think you could handle. Everything is written out for you, and most of all I trust the skills you’ve developed.” Sparrow’s gaze shifted to look out the windows where the sky had gone pitch black. They hadn’t even realized how late it had become. They wouldn’t get more than a few hours rest before they needed to be up to meet Xer Theo at the docks.

“I appreciate your trust in me, Sparrow.” While his words seemed to lift with the great honor he thought this was, their eyes glanced back to the practicing room every now and again where everything had been neatly laid out for him.

“I have one more thing to ask of you.” Sparrow’s gut churned at having to ask for so much help, especially knowing how solitary and self-sufficient they were supposed to be. Asking for a favor like this was rare in their community, especially as hefty as these were.

It was typical for people who served in royal families to become live-in healers. But Sparrow refused to give up their traveling practice. It felt like they would be abandoning all of their patients they had already spent years taking care of. As they family was largely healthy and had a Lasme doctor, Dr. Rantarra, on call in Morasme the Rotalia’s happily agreed to have Sparrow be on a traveling call basis. Sparrow did have to acknowledge how much harder it made situations like this to handle.

“I’ve already set up a place for you in the main room.” Cichlid grinned, he was one step ahead of Sparrow. They hadn’t even noticed the blankets and pillows laid out for them just a few feet away since they had been so focused on their work.

“I owe you one, truly.” Sparrow stood up and helped collect their dishes to the kitchen.

“I think you owe me more than one.” Cheekily he stuck his tongue out at Sparrow before they began cleaning. They couldn’t help but ruffle Cichlid’s fluffy mop of brown curls.

“Anything you want, it’s yours.” Sparrow bowed their head slowly to them, as a sign of gratitude. “Thank you, again. I’ll keep you as updated as I can if I need you next season. I will be gone before you rise.”

“Make sure to take something to eat along with you, the pastries on the counter are yours if you’d like.” Their face jerked towards a plate of golden brown delicious breakfast pastries. He was quite the chef. Cichlid’s face was kind, but laced with concern. Sparrow couldn’t tell him what exactly was so terrible, even though he asked while they were going through the patients. Cichlid was smart though, and Sparrow knew they would eventually fill in the blanks themself.

“You are an incredible blessing in my life, Cichlid. Good winds will follow.” Usually the host would give the beginning of the traditional goodbye of Sunasme, but in times like this the switching of order would show more gratitude than other words could ever hold.”

“Good winds will find me.”

Sparrow left the kitchen and curled up alongside Finch in front of the fire, nestled between plush pillows and underneath a heavy blanket. With everything going on inside Sparrow’s mind, they didn’t think that they would be able to sleep. There was an incredible amount of uncertainty going into tomorrow. Usually they knew what they were getting into, healing wise, they could formulate a basic plan of action. But this time they knew nothing. Sparrow was incredibly concerned, especially since the Princess was supposed to be getting the throne within the next two years.

More than that, Sparrow always connected with their patients. For a time they were working directly with the family for an entire season to learn what they needed and develop plans for them to help keep them in the shape they were. The Queen and King were wildly adored, and the Princess was one of the people. Incredibly charming and kind. While the people of Morasme were deeply pleased by the Queen, they couldn’t wait to see what Princess Aster brought to the throne. It seemed like the likelihood of that happening would fall onto themselves and Dr. Rantarra. They trusted that doctor just about as far as they could throw him, and Sparrow was not known for their strength.

Despite the unending swirling mind, the crackling fire and gentle rise and fall of Finch’s chest lulled Sparrow into a deep sleep.

Chapter Three

Sparrow had woken up before the sun had even begun peeking over the horizon. As they traveled with pretty much everything on their person, it was quite easy to pack up. The blankets that Cichlid had provided were folded up nicely, their cloak was retrieved from the working room, and a couple of pastries were snagged from the kitchen. One had already made its way into Sparrow’s mouth as they exited Cichlid’s home, Finch was hot on their heels. Cichlid had also been kind enough to make extra food for Finch since they didn’t have time to stop at the market to get anything.

It didn’t take long for the two of them to arrive at the docks where Theo seemed to be talking to whoever the captain and crew was. A couple of the crew had actually been treated by Sparrow at one point or another and they gave them a polite nod in greeting as they approached the captain and Theo.

“I assume you to be Sparrow?” The captain clocked them before they could say a word.

“Aye, and you are?”

“I’m known as Captain Crusty. Don’t ask.” Sparrow couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at Theo. Not that they didn’t trust whoever Theo had hired. But surely this was one of the oddest captain names.

“It’s because he doesn’t like crusts on his sandwich!” A sailor shouted across the boat before tucking tail and disappearing below deck. Theo was stifling a laugh and Sparrow’s eyes just widened before nudging Theo’s ribs to knock the laughs out of them.

“Oy!” Captain Crusty shook his head. “That one is always causing me trouble. He’s my nephew. He’ll be scrubbing the deck by himself later.” The punishment was more grumbled than anything as Crusty shook his head and walked over to the wheel. “We’ll be leaving shortly, with fair winds it’ll be a half day trip. Make yourselves comfortable, if you need anything, find my nephew and make him do your bidding.” He turned away from the two of them which was enough signal as any that they were dismissed.

“What were you two talking about?” Theo and Sparrow walked back down to the main deck together to set up for their voyage. Sparrow silently offered a pastry to Theo which they happily took.

“Ah, just making up some story about why we were so urgently needed.” Theo took a couple looks around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “If anyone asks, my husband is incredibly sick and you’re doing me a favor.” Sparrow glanced down at their hands since Theo was in fact, not married. They were wearing gloves to hide the fact that they didn’t have the proper marriage tattoos.

“Understood.” Finch looked up at Sparrow, obviously concerned about the circumstances they were traveling for. Sparrow patted their lap for Finch to join them for some sea cuddling.

Theo fell silent, pretending like they had some important reorganizing to do of their paltry pack that they had brought with them. The messenger had been working for the family just about as long as Sparrow had, they were hired specifically for tracking down various craftsmen that the royal family needed. The most difficult person to find was always Sparrow.

“So, now that it is just you and me and our dear old Captain all the way at the other end of the boat, what exactly is going on with the Princess?” Sparrow leaned back on their hands, making their way through an apple that one of their patients had given them for their services.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Theo had moved closer to Sparrow, to make sure their voices were low enough to not be heard by the captain. A sick royal family was not particularly worrying, at least for reasons some might assume. War, mutiny, the entire continent dissolving into absolute chaos. The last war was 1,684 years ago. When the lands began to divide and the people began to fight each other for rights to the land that was beginning to drift away. How each continent would handle their governments, when there had been just one overarching monarchy as long as they could remember.

Eventually the people settled on dividing the strongest families across the lands, creating the six kingdoms. Naming their continents after the initial land mass of Asme. The kingdoms then took the root of the continent and created their kingdom name. Towns were generally named by who settled in them initially. Over time trade routes were established based on what their lands naturally provided for them. Forasme was the place where pretty much all the food came from, besides fish. That was Sunasme’s specialty.

Due to the roots of how the lands were created the people just generally cared for each other on Asme as the dependence on each other to survive grew. So a royal family falling ill, especially one that was as well liked as the Rotalia’s, would just cause more worry than anything else.

There was a long moment of silence that came between Theo and Sparrow. The soft crunch of Sparrow’s apple, the waves lapping against the ship, the sweet whistle of the captain, Finch’s gentle snoring, it all created a symphony that lent itself to thought. For Sparrow, it led to a symphony of frustration building in the pit of their stomach. After their apple had been properly eaten, leaving no scraps, they gently rose from the seat they had taken on the ship. Carefully moving Finch’s head to rest on their bag. They joined Theo crossing their arms to gently rest on the bow as Theo’s white knuckle grip seemed to be unrelenting since they had taken their place here.

“Be careful, the wood might crack under all that pressure.” Sparrow glanced up at them, trying to see if there was anything that they could do for Theo. They were understandably stressed. Having to be an incredibly bearer of bad news was never fun.

“The boat will withstand, as will I.” Their eyes stayed fixed on where they were headed, there was a grim sadness slowly worming its way into their features as they got closer to Forasme.

“Will you? This boat is built to keep water out, to give us safe passage to our destination. Yours is made to keep me in the dark as the water level rises to eventually drown you. Wouldn’t it be easier to grab a bucket and start counteracting the damages? Plugging the holes with the knowledge that you have and I seek?” Sparrow moved their gaze to search for Forasme peeking over the horizon. They still had far to go before the land would be in sight.

“The fault in your vision is that I’m drowning, when I was made to take on water. You’ll wait until it is your time to hear the news.”

“As mighty as ever, Xer Theo.” Sparrow pulled themselves back away from the boat to give a comically deep bow, keeping their eyes downturned. A small jest between friends. “Keeping a healer from the information they need to heal. A mighty position you hold, indeed.”

“You know I would tell you if I could.” Theo’s teeth were nearly glued shut in anger at Sparrow’s accusation.

“Would you? Or are you just too weak to tell me yourself, hm?” Sparrow had turned to face them completely at this point, tone imitating a dagger trying to find the way through Theo’s armor. As much as they respected the position that Theo held, the responsibility they were trusted with. It was now more than ever that Sparrow needed them to bend the rules a little bit. They hated going in blind.

“Sparrow, I don’t appreciate how you’re speaking to me.”

“And I don’t appreciate you leaving me out of the harvest. I’m not even searching for a bounty, I’m grasping for a morsel. Anything to tell me what I’m walking into here.” Desperation stalked at the perimeter of their voice. Knowledge had never been hard to come by with Theo, they normally sang like the sweetest performers of Cerasme.

“You may have one, and I mean one morsel Sparrow. Nothing more. The most I feel comfortable saying is that Dr. Rantarra has been treating her for well over two weeks now, and her condition has only worsened. He was able to treat the Queen and King just fine, but Aster still ails.” As Theo spoke his grasp seemed to loosen slightly on the walls of the boat. But they still refused to meet Sparrow’s eye.

“The Queen and King were ill? Dr. Rantarra is unable to heal her? Why was I only called upon now, rather than a week ago. Curse the split. What took them so long?” Sparrow’s eyes flared with a red-bellied anger that spread through their body making them become rigid.

“Dr. Rantarra was sure that he could fix it. He said that he just needed time. But King Nelken was growing impatient, Queen Draga was becoming ill again just from worry. The King sent me before the Queen knew. Surely, she knows now. But, she didn’t before I left.” As Theo spoke, the circumstances only became worse.

Queen Draga was the one that called on Dr. Rantarra when she fell ill around three years ago, even though Sparrow was in the area of Fornia when it happened. It was when both Sparrow and Dr. Rantarra had been brought on as the Royal Healers. The King preferred those of The Nameless organization, but the Queen had always openly favored the Lasme doctors once they started getting adept at what they did. To know that their Queen didn’t even think about calling on Sparrow hurt more than they could admit.

“Fantastic. I’m walking into absolute madness.” Finch had finally awoken from the loud whispers being thrown between the two and had made her way over to look over the sea alongside them.

Another, more charged silence, fell between them. Sparrow almost missed what Theo said beside them.

“You’ll be able to save her, right?” When Sparrow looked over they saw what Theo had been hiding the entire time. An outright fear, dread, a will for Sparrow to tell them that they would.

“You know it's against my code to make promises I’m not sure I can keep.” They couldn’t keep their gaze locked with Theo’s as they delivered the words Theo knew they would be getting. “Potters cannot always save their clay. To expect healers to always save their people. It's an impossible ask.” A heavy hand came to rest on Theo’s shoulder. “I can promise that I will fight as hard as the hearts of her people would.” Theo nodded, but their energy was elsewhere, extending to the Princess as they made their voyage towards her. Sparrow’s hand fell ungracefully back to their side as they returned to their spot on the ship, unmoving for the rest of the voyage as Finch played fetch with the Captain.

Chapter Four

Sparrow had nodded off during the latter half of the boat ride thanks to the lack of sleep they had gotten the night before. They were awoken by the stirring of Finch on their lap. Their eyes opened slowly and they looked over the boat edge to see the docks just a mere jump away. The skeleton boat crew that had spent the morning underneath the docks had emerged to help Captain Crusty with docking duties. In searching for Theo, Sparrow couldn’t tell if they hadn’t moved since Sparrow had returned to their seat or if Theo had only returned to the bow of the ship for the docking process. All of Theo’s items were with them, so surely they had to leave at some point.

Finch slowly worked her way off of Sparrow’s lap, her legs stretching out as far as they could go and her toe beans flexing. Her snout spread wide in a huge yawn which Sparrow stared adoringly at.

“Oh big yawn little Finchy!” They gave her a couple of back scratches before strapping the pack Finch carried for Sparrow back on and collecting their own items. The two of them walked over to rest beside Theo until they could safely leave the boat.

“I’ll have to meet you in Fornia. I suspect that I’ll need just about as many of my materials as I can fit onto a horse. I shouldn’t be long. But I need to be prepared for anything. Will you let the Queen and King know I’ll be there before the sun dips past the horizon?”

“I’ll make them aware of it.” Theo finally broke his gaze from the land before them and gave Sparrow one last look of forlorn hope. “May your journey be fruitful.”

“And yours as well.” Theo broke off to finish up business with Captain Crusty who Sparrow raised their hand in a goodbye to. Luckily at most ports there were horses that could be borrowed. There were networks of them across the land so you could take them from one place and return them elsewhere. It was especially helpful in situations like these. Sparrow was able to snag a horse along with it’s tag to help keep track of where it goes and headed off to their home just outside of Fornia.

Finch had the time of her life running free next to the horse. Sparrow had the horse go a bit slower than the average person made them go so Finch could keep up and not wear out. Sparrow in the meantime was on autopilot directing the horse where she needed to go. They were too busy mentally drafting out what they should bring, what they might need. The things that would be best. They had a pretty good store developed in the Great Tree medical practicing room but this situation seemed like they might have to break out some rarer herbs and spices. It had to be a short trip. From Theo’s mood Sparrow was worried that Aster’s condition could morbidly shift at any moment.

Sparrow’s house was practically one large practicing room. They had a place to sleep, bathe, and cook. But otherwise they were only really home between seasons to prepare the next set of medicines that they needed to deliver. It was incredibly organized, and though usually covered in a layer of dust, clean. Food was sparse as they only restocked when they would be home for more than a week. But food would be provided at the castle so that wasn’t a worry. The horse was tied to a post in front of their house and they filled her troughs with food and water. It was pretty common to have a place to rest horses in front of one’s home. Especially in Morasme where Sparrow was from.

Finch followed Sparrow inside where they put out the last of the food that Cichlid had prepared for her, as well as a bowl of water. The animals always came first, their care even sometimes came above Sparrow’s own. They quickly set to work. It was a whirl of packing the bags that came with the horse chock full of any and all supplies that Sparrow might need. Their own pack was filled with clothes and an extra cloak. Worse comes to worst Sparrow could always return, but they preferred to be prepared. This is one of the pluses of having a mentee. Someone to run errands and get supplies. On the other hand, Sparrow didn’t want anyone touching their things and messing up their system that was a delicately organized chaos.

Even though Finch was done with her food the horse was still taking some recovery time so they sat at their doorstep with all of their bags prepared around them. The sun was high in the sky and Sparrow’s nerves were only increasing. Especially since they would have to see Dr. Rantarra. Usually they could avoid the man since they had different medicinal duties but this seemed like they would have to work together for once.

“What if he were to get into a fatal accident?” Finch’s ears perked up at Sparrow speaking out of nowhere. She laid her head down on Sparrow’s lap and looked up at them. “No, no you’re right. Part of my oath.” They leaned back on their hands and gently stroked Finch’s back.

Part of the curriculum of The Nameless was not only learning what herbs and concoctions were beneficial, but which were deadly. The children didn’t learn this until they could really comprehend death and what it meant to take a life. Sparrow didn’t learn until they had crossed their 15th year.

“Esmer, we have something very serious to talk about today.” A young Sparrow bouncy and full of wonder looked up at their mentor, Ink. It was before Sparrow had taken their oath, their nose unscarred, a name now unfamiliar spoken into the room. Sparrow’s bounce seemed to cease immediately, bright eyes narrowing in concern. Ink was a stern mentor, but let Sparrow exist as a kid at the same time. To be Nameless did not mean to have a childhood ripped out from under them. It just was a directed sort of childhood.

“This stuff looks new.” The two of them had arrived at Ink’s main working table, a myriad of new plants spread across the table with small bottles of mixtures above certain ones. Sparrow had the urge to reach out and touch an unfamiliar berry, but they knew better than that.

“It is. What do you think they might be?” It took Sparrow a few moments of examination and consideration before answering.

“Mm… maybe. Hm. Well these,” they pointed to some of the berries laid out that didn’t have jars above them, “these ones look like stuff that you can just eat by themselves. They don’t need a mixture. Maybe for quicker onset effects?” Their eyes didn’t move to Ink’s for approval, they just continued examining as their mentor slowly nodded. “These mixtures are really dark and thick.” They picked one up and slowly swirled it around to get an idea of the viscosity. “A paste to go on the skin maybe?”

“Almost, you’re incorrect there. You know how sometimes we put pastes in the thin flexible shavings of the boanob tree to make gross mixtures go down easier?” Sparrow nodded. “Most of these go in there, except for the berries of course.”

“So… what’s so serious about them?”

“I’m getting there Esmer.” Sparrow couldn’t help but shrink back a little at the mild chastise. They always tried to rush Ink to get to the point. “You know how sometimes animals in these lands get too old, too weak to do anything? The things they enjoy are no longer enjoyable.”

“On my last visit to my parents we had a very old bear, his name was Ranger. He wasn’t leaving his den anymore, didn’t even want to play. My parents gave him something… I can’t remember what the name of it was. Hard… hard something.” Ink reached out and handed Sparrow a bundle of dark purple flowers that had small berries hanging off of it.

“Hard bloom. The flowers are good ground up for sedation. But you know that a mixture of red brush and apple nettle is best for that. The berries however, are incredibly deadly. A handful of these would end up being enough to put down the bear.” Sparrow looked up with wide eyes.

“These are-?”

“Yes, Esmer. These are what can end life. Remind me of the oath we take.” Ink took the flowers out of Sparrow’s hands and returned them to the table. The oath had been long memorized, it was the foundation of their teaching.

“We must bear witness to the life cycle, from birth to death, with honor and reverence. In satchels we carry the power to soothe and heal. Never shall our knowledge be used to worsen the lives of the people that put an ancient trust in us. Never shall we take the lives of them.” Sparrow paused and glanced at the plants displayed in front of them. “I was chosen for a reason, to heal is a privilege. On Asme, I will do my duty as The Nameless and represent us well and true.”

“Go get your pages, you have many notes to take."

It had been almost ten years since Sparrow had learned of the power that they held in just knowing that those plants existed and in what manner they killed. To use them on another would get them outcast. Stripped of everything that they knew. Only one of the organization had ever used it to kill. Sparrow didn’t even know their name since it was forbidden to be spoken. Eventually the memory of who they were lost, their legacy had died long ago.

The horse had broken Sparrow out of their death train of thought by nudging them with their nose, indicating that she was ready to go. Sparrow got everything loaded and prepared and gave the horse an apple and Cichlid another fish skin before heading out towards the Great Tree where the Rotalia’s resided.

The sun had barely moved in the sky by the time that they arrived in Fornia. Sparrow turned the horse and tag into the stall closest to their destination and traded the extra fruit that they had accumulated in their travels to the worker in exchange for use of the horse. As well as an all-purpose pain relieving potion as a tip. Generally the Nameless were allowed to use services and buy goods for nothing since they were seen as one with Asme. There was no need to come prepared to the markets with anything to trade, what they traded was their service in healing across the lands. Sparrow always felt like they were robbing vendors when they did that, so they always happily shared recipes, pre-made potions, and food.

The packs of supplies were moved from the horse and straps were changed out and tightened for Finch to carry them the rest of the way. Having modular packs was important for Sparrow. A few years ago Sparrow had worked with a leather worker from Cerasme to create a set of travel packs that worked for them. It just so happened that the leather master’s child had been ill at the time so while he worked on the packs, Sparrow tended to the child morning and night. The packs were just as good as they were when Sparrow had first gotten them, and the leather worker came at a high recommendation from Sparrow.

Sparrow and Finch expertly wove their way through the crowded kingdom, especially since it was just after midday. Everyone was heading home or going to visit others. Fornia was a place where farmers met to exchange secrets, families would visit each other and let their children play around the kingdom. Some came for business with the royal family, to make offerings to them. During the four-day market at the beginning of every season it was nearly impossible to go anywhere, but it was a joyous occasion that everyone looked forward to. Especially the Split festival that occurred on the one day between Dewstorm and Crestfire that belonged to no season. It celebrated and remembered the day when the first land fully separated from the mainland of Asme.

Leafharvest was Sparrow’s favorite season as the greenery of Forasme shifted into oranges, browns, and golds. It was a time of root harvesting and setting out the last of the season’s fresh herbs to dry. A preparation for Icebreak in which the land would die and the markets shifted from fresh items to preserved food, warm blankets, woven cloth. The crafters were really the stars of the cold season.

They slipped easily into the Great Tree, the guards posted out front readily recognizing Sparrow and Finch.

“Queen Draga and King Nelken are expecting you in the throne room.”

“Thank you. Come talk to me later about your joints.” The guard nodded. Another part of being hired as taking care of the royal family, was also taking care of the staff. The guards in particular usually needed help with joint pain and back pain from standing guard for long hours of the day. Sometimes Sparrow would do a drive by entrance consultation, but there was no time today. As soon as they entered there were handmaidens to tend to Sparrow’s items. This was slightly irregular, but usually Sparrow had time to set up in the room that they normally stayed in. Packs were shrugged off, and someone tried to take Sparrow’s cloak but another handmaiden stepped in.

“Sorry, she’s new.” Sparrow couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, even as they were headed into a terrible dread.

“That’s quite alright. Please just set the packs on the end of my bed. I prefer to unpack myself. Finch will follow you up there, please get her adequate food and water.” She looked at the older, more recognizable handmaiden. “She’s had a lot of fish if we could balance that out. The chef should know what to give her as long as they have that information.”

“Of course Sparrow, right on you go. Dr. Rantarra is in there.” Sparrow’s lip curled up in disgust.

“I thought I might have some time before I had to see him. Thank you Deor.” Deor was someone that was highly trusted among staff, and over the couple of years had become the right hand woman to Sparrow when they were here. This also meant that Deor knew about Sparrow’s distaste for Dr. Rantarra extensively. “Your name is?” Sparrow moved to regard the young girl beside her.

“Arnia.” She started to give a small bow but Sparrow shook her head.

“No need, I’m no royal. At some point we’ll meet to discuss anything you might need. Deor I’m sure can tell you more.”

“Of course Sparrow, I’ll stave off the staff for a few days for you to settle in. Let me know when you can start seeing them. I know a few of the guards have run out of the salve you provide them.”

“Noted. Get me a list of who’s run out and I’ll work on it when I have time. They go through it like it’s butter on bread.” They rolled their eyes before making their way up to the throne room. “I’m sure I’ll see you two around.”

“Good luck Sparrow.” Sparrow didn’t have to turn around to know that the two had silently shuffled off to continue their duties.

Chapter Five

The internal structure of The Great Tree was a feat of work, a collaboration between Cerasme, Klenasme, and Lasme. Klenasme was a land rich with minerals, gems, the strongest stone in the land. Cerasme was a land of creators, whether in performance or in physical items. There was a small section of them that had branched out to create more sophisticated architecture alongside Lasme who did the most research and testing across Asme.

Between the three of them the Great Tree in Fornia was carved out and built back out. They used the wood from within the tree to build out grand staircases and most of the furniture in it. Klenasme provided the materials and manpower to build support systems to build separate floors. Forasme were experts in building treehouses, especially ones in the towns of Aster and Quill. The towns were filled with dense forest. Living between them on the ground didn’t make sense, so they moved upwards creating a network of houses through the treetops. They used that knowledge to create various rooms among the vast expanse of the treetop that the Great Tree had. Looking at it head on, no one could tell that many people lived and worked within it.

Sparrow went up a spiral staircase from the Grand Entry up to the throne room. Queen Draga and Queen Nelken were already on their thrones, Dr. Rantarra stood silent with his arms crossed behind his back in the middle of the room. All conversation, if there had been any, had ceased the moment that Sparrow entered the home. They took the spot next to Dr. Rantarra, bowing deeply.

“Your Majesties. Xer Theo told me that I’ve been summoned.”

“Rise, Sparrow.” The smooth warm voice of the Queen softly weaved its way through the room. Sparrow returned to a natural position for them, hands clasped in front of them as their intentionally curious eyes rested on the two on the throne. They tried their best to be a blank slate, to act as if they hadn’t heard of anything from Theo.

Sparrow truly never got tired of looking upon the Queen. There was a reason why her people were enraptured with her. She was the embodiment of a golden hour settling upon the green forest. Her brown skin seemed to glow with tints of golden sun rays hidden just beneath the surface. She was like a map with the freckles that had dappled their way onto her skin, a sign of how much time she spent in the sun. Her expression always seemed at rest. Sparrow had never seen the woman thrown off, surprised. The signature tattoos of her family line, leaves traveling up her arms, were vibrant. Everything about her was majestic, calm, breathtaking.

King Nelken almost paled in comparison next to his wife, if not for the strength he held in his shoulders. The arms that were made for embracing his family tightly. He had been a resident of Aspen, living amongst the trees, before the two met at one of the monthly markets. The story is that it was love at first sight, and they were wed only a month later. His eyes were filled with a kindness as he looked over the room, it was a quality that could be seen in his daughter. There was a worry fraying the edges of the emotions he wore on his sleeve.

His hair was starting to gray at the edges, contrasting with warm olive skin. He was a decent amount paler than the Queen and Princess. He preferred his time to be in the shade of the trees, rather than out in the sun. His jawline was tight, and what once were strong muscles had softened lines. A reminder of the honorable role of raising Princess Aster alongside Queen Draga. He didn’t do as much physical labor, but the emotional labor he put into his family was just as valuable.

“We truly didn’t want to pull you away from your duties, we were waiting until the last possible moment.” Sparrow’s ego that once stung from not being called on sooner softened from the respect of their duties. “The King and I have now been eight days recovered from a terrible sickness. It ripped through all three of us, but strangely not the staff. We haven’t been able to figure out why.” The Queen shared a glance with the King, eyes full of pain and worry.

“Princess Aster has yet to make a full recovery.” Sparrow’s attention lingered on the Queen’s rare expression of despair before moving on to the King who was speaking. “In fact, she’s only getting worse. Try as Dr. Rantarra might, we can't figure out how to cure her, to make her better. I’m sure Dr. Rantarra will give you the full rundown of his procedures later. But this is why you’ve been summoned. In addition to helping the Queen and I recover our lung and body strength that still has yet to return.”

“Of course, Your Majesties. You know I will do whatever it takes to get Princess Aster back to a picture of health. I’ve made arrangements for my duties this season, and have someone on standby for next season as well since it is already the 45th day of Crestfire. But I’m determined to have her well by the end of Crestfire.”

“Good luck with that Sparrow. I’ve been working at this since the 10th of Crestfire.” Dr. Rantarra’s voice dripped with something that Sparrow refused to believe was condescension about their healing abilities. The belief was more for the sake of the fact that it seemed like the two of them would be working closely together for the time being. Still, the tiny fire that had been doused upon their arrival had already flared again. They had waited 35 days before summoning Sparrow. Nearly half a season.

“Well, I’ll be gathering the supplies I brought then meeting you in the medical practice room. As long as that is all, my Queen?”

“That is all, I expect to see you by tomorrow’s end to meet with myself and King Nelken about our needs as well as any beginnings of a plan of action for our Aster.”

“Of course.”

“Sparrow, Dr. Rantarra, you are dismissed.” She looked at each of them with a piercing gaze of hope, but the look she gave Dr. Rantarra seemed softer somehow. Her preference for Lasme Doctors would never make sense to Sparrow. But there was no time to dwell. Of the two of them Sparrow was the first to take their leave up to their room to gather any medicinal supplies they had brought and bring them back down.

The two healer’s domains were up in the treetops, they always had a room in the Great Tree available to them. They were kept up well, evidenced by the fact that there was not a single speck of dust in Sparrow’s rooms. There were fresh sheets that still held the scent of being dried in the sun. Finch had already made herself comfortable in the soft bed, this was the most luxurious place that they stayed. As much as Sparrow hated to admit it, it was their favorite place to reside.

In what the handmaidens referred to as the “Healer Wing” there was a room for Dr. Rantarra and Sparrow to do work they needed to in private. As much as Sparrow had pushed to have separate practicing rooms, there simply wasn’t room to accommodate it. With a hefty sigh, Sparrow grabbed most of their bags that clattered as the glasses within shifted and made their way over a couple of bridges into the room. Normally Finch was by their side as they worked, but Dr. Rantarra forbade animals in the room. Sparrow had long given up trying to argue that Finch was more than an animal to them.

The man that consistently resided in the dark underbelly of Sparrow’s gut was already there leaning against one of his metal tables. His skin was pale and his gaze was constantly cold and calculating. His limbs seemed to stretch for ages compared to his body. There was always something slightly off about him. Straight brown hair was always pulled up into a loose ponytail. His pristine white coat shone in comparison to Sparrow’s dark as night cloak that was hung up on a hook on their side of the room.

Their rooms were just as night and day as the healer’s themselves. Sparrow’s had wooden fixtures. Shelves lined with hand labeled bottles of all shapes and sizes. Bowls of various woods from across the lands stored underneath their large practice table. It was made of a piece of the Great Tree, the rings smooth underneath Sparrow’s fingers. Despite being up in the air, they always felt close to the ground when they worked here. There were various stone mortar and pestles, a cauldron hung over an unlit fireplace. It was homey and warm, a place where healing exuded from everything they did. Despite Dr. Rantarra’s protests to it, there were dried herbs hung throughout their own space to keep the energy cleansed from the Doctor’s sterile, stifling energy.

His was a complete shift. Everything was made of sterile metal, cold to the touch, and vastly more expensive than Sparrow’s set up. His bottles of solutions and ingredients were uniform in size and look. Labels precisely written in an illustrious cursive. There were stacks and stacks of messy notebooks and folders. Notes of messy explanations slapped onto different concoctions that Sparrow couldn’t even begin to decipher. His table was constantly full of various different materials and working products. It reminded Sparrow of when they first started learning under Ink, when they didn’t have a system for how they liked to practice. It was pure chaos. To Sparrow it was an absolute eyesore. They started unpacking their bags and refilling various jars, or placing new ones among the vast array.

“What’s the situation, Isoc?” Sparrow didn’t spare the man a single glance as they worked.

“I’m doing well Sparrow, how are you doing?” They could feel Dr. Rantarra’s stare boring into the back of their head.

“I don’t care for your pleasantries, I only care about what you’ve done for the Queen and King, and what hasn’t worked for Princess Aster.”

“Is that any way to talk to a... superior doctor?” It was a record set for how quickly he insulted Sparrow’s abilities. Their reorganizing paused as they quelled the fury that was already sparked in their gut.

“I’ll speak to you however I please until you show any kind of respect to what I do. They called me for a reason.” Sparrow looked at him over their shoulder, “To finish what you couldn’t.” There was something that flitted across his eyes but was gone as fast as it came. They were already getting a rise out of him, also a new record.

“At this rate you’ll be lucky if I tell you what even cured the Queen and King. As if you would understand the medicine I use. I came into this with nothing, and now I’m expected to just hand over all of my hard research to you? So you can play the hero?” Sparrow turned around in a fury, hands calmly folding in front of them.

“Me? Playing hero? In saving a Princess that so far, you have been unsuccessful in? That’s not called being a hero, that’s called being a healer. Is this about winning, to you? As if who saves Princess Aster proves that they’re the special healer. That they deserve a trophy?” Sparrow took a few steps forward, their pace was slow, decisive, a challenge. “There’s a reason why we’re called The Nameless. We don’t gloat. We don’t brag. We simply do our work and move on. Something you all from Lasme could catch a breeze of. No one will know I healed her, and trust me when I say I will heal her. I am sure you will write yourself into a history document, Dr. Isoc Rantarra. I, for one, am happy to know that I don’t have to write myself into history, that the people I’ve healed will naturally remember me.” With a swift turn on their heel they returned to their working table. “Tell me or not, I will be successful any way.”

“I’ll await the letter inviting me to the funeral of our dear Princess.” Dr. Rantarra took his trusty journal that never left his side, snapping it closed before walking out. The door slammed behind him, and Sparrow flinched. They seemed to be frozen to the ground for a few moments before taking a deep breath and reminding themselves that they were inherently better than him.

It was appalling that he was so sure that Sparrow would fail. So determined to prove that they were a worse healer, that Princess Aster was sure to die under their watch. They had brought people back from the brink of death. Had worked countless hours by loved ones' sides to guide them through their last moments. They had seen death first hand and strived to prevent it for as long as possible. Sparrow would not be so easily discouraged. This was a Princess that was loved and valued by her family and people. To boil down her survival to a competition was not a low that they would fall victim to.

Sparrow had prepared to walk into this blind, even though Dr. Rantarra was here. What they had not prepared themselves for, was seeing the Princess. This was obviously part of their job, they knew they would have to see her eventually. But beyond her bedroom door lied a worry and fear that Sparrow would not be able to save her.

As it always started, Sparrow’s knuckles gently rapped on the Princess’ door, awaiting a signal that they may enter her chamber. After just a few moments of silence, they heard a quiet voice answer.

“You may enter.”

Chapter Six

Ink and Sparrow were packing up to perform last rites for a dear neighbor of Ink’s. Someone that had been pivotal to the Quolon town in Morasme. Sparrow had spent the past few nights barely sleeping, memorizing the rituals of last rites by candlelight into the late hours of the night.

On the day the ritual was to take place, Ink and Sparrow went out to collect what they would need. The moon was still high in the sky, but on its way to change places with the sun. They gathered moonlight soaked flowers from the Night Bush. Unlike other plants, this type of bush only bloomed at night. Herbalists couldn’t figure out why, but it seemed like they bloomed the brightest during full moons. It was only a half moon currently, so they weren’t as vibrant. Ink had some of the flowers that had bloomed under a full moon stored in a dark cupboard, but for last rites they needed the flowers under whatever phase of the moon it was. After the flowers had been carefully plucked and stored, they traveled by foot to the coast. They made it just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, reflecting its first beams of light on the surface of the water. The fading moon could be seen on the horizon line. Sparrow was tasked with filling a large wooden bowl with the water, settling a lid on top to protect it from midday sun.

The whole time, they worked in silence. It is why Sparrow had to study so intensely. There would be no assistance from Ink as they performed the ritual. There was a flow to it, a sacred rhythm that couldn’t be broken by the sound of The Nameless’ voices.

When they arrived at the home, the door was already slightly ajar so they wouldn’t have to announce themselves or request entry. The family knew they were coming, they had already prepared. Ink strode in confidently, with Sparrow a couple paces behind. They were only 14 at the time. Apprentices were only allowed to participate in death rites until after they had rounded their 13th year. This was the first opportunity they had to be a part of it. The family silently guided the two to the bedroom of Rya, the one who would be passing on soon.

As they entered the room, Sparrow almost dropped the bowl of water they had been so careful to carry. This person was young. They were expecting someone elderly, who had loved and lived for many years. This person couldn’t be older than Sparrow’s mother. Looking around the room, they spotted a young man with his arm around a young girl that looked to be about Sparrow’s age, possibly a couple years older. How could this be? Their eyes slowly drifted back to the woman. She was paler than Sparrow had ever seen anyone. There was barely any light left in her eyes. Every movement she did was agony, having to move slowly and with assistance.

Sparrow’s eyes met Ink’s who had an unspoken criticism on her tongue. They were supposed to be neutral, helping the person prepare for what lies Beyond. Sparrow had broken that, staring wide eyed at the woman laid out before them. They quickly dropped to their knees beside Ink, who had already laid out everything they needed. A towel was laid beneath the woman’s head as Ink propped her neck up on a pillow and placed the bowl of water underneath her head. Rya’s thinned out straight brown hair was moved into the bowl of water. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they watched the ritual take place. All that could be heard was the gentle sounds of the water being cupped and poured over her hair by Ink.

The ritual might be called serene if the heavy air of lingering death hadn’t been hanging over them. Sparrow got to work, adding to the instrumental song of death. The bottle of flowers from the Night Bush was uncorked with a satisfying pop. Two of them, now stuck in bloom despite it being midday, were placed over her eyes. The rest were ground up into a thick blue paste by the mortar and pestle that they brought. Sparrow took to spreading the paste over the palms of her hands and on the soles of her feet. A small dot of it was then placed on the joints of the body. The painting of the paste was thought to protect the body from separating from the soul as she phased into the beyond.

As the paste was being spread over her body, Sparrow could hear soft sniffles coming from the end of the bed. Out of the corner of her eye they saw the young girl trying her best not to break, but as her father squeezed her closer… she broke. Like the rush of the ocean that surged between the lands as they separated, it seemed like the whole room had split. Once that girl was gone, all of the relatives seemed to catch the storm of grieving. Sparrow could feel their hands shaking as they worked, leaving the dots messier than they should be. Ink’s hands were steady with years of absorbing the grief and pouring it into her work.

Sparrow handed the bowl of paste over to ink as she removed Rya’s hair from the water. Her hair was gently dried by Sparrow as Ink gathered the paste in her hands. She started distributing the Night Bush paste within Rya’s hair, making sure to thoroughly saturate every strand in it. Sparrow cleaned up beside her, placing all of the dishes they had used in a pile to be cleansed later. Their hands folded neatly in their lap as they watched Ink start to intricately braid Rya’s hair.

Through it all, Rya remained calm, at peace. Despite her entire family’s gut wrenching sobs pouring out around her, her breath was steady. Her body was still. She seemed more at peace than Sparrow could ever imagine being in the face of death.

As Sparrow entered Princess Aster’s room, they couldn’t help but be reminded of the first death rite they performed all those years ago. There was gentle sunlight filtering in through her thin drapes, dust particles catching in the sunlight that made the room almost seem like it was sparkling. The Princess was anything but. All the warmth in her was gone. Her normally dark amber toned skin with the flecks of gold inherited from her mother, the sunrise daughter born from sunshine incarnate, now looked cold. The gold burnt to ash under her skin. Her brilliant green eyes moved lazily to meet Sparrow’s gaze that remained a blank slate. They could not be as easily thrown as they could in their teenage years.

“Sparrow, you came.” The Princess had the faintest whisper of what could be called a smile on her face. Sparrow quickly strode to her side, a chair already beside her bed from the handmaidens or Dr. Rantarra attending to her.

“Of course, my Princess. Why wouldn’t I?” Sparrow gently took Aster’s hand in theirs, a sly move to check temperature and pulse while establishing a connection to her. Despite it being hot during the season of Crestfire her hands were practically ice. Their fingers pressed gently into her wrist to assess her heartbeat.

“I told father not to ask you to, I know you were busy in Sunasme.” She had to pause and breathe for a few moments to regain her ability to speak. “I’m sure it’s just some silly cold.” Her pulse was fairly normal, albeit a bit slow. Not a surprise with how much she was struggling to breathe while she spoke.

“Princess Aster, I think we can both agree that this is probably more than a cold.” Sparrow placed her hand back on the bed and moved to help Aster sit up so they could further assess her. “Princess, you’re drenched in sweat.”

“You know you don’t have to call me Princess every time. You’ve known me long enough.” Usually a picture of immaculate posture, Aster was slouched over. Her legs had slowly moved to cross in front of her so she could support herself sitting up. “Would you put my hair up for me?”

“Of course, Princess.” Aster shot Sparrow a look, it was the most energy output Sparrow had seen so far. “Aster, of course Aster. You know, your mother would have my head for calling you anything but.” Sparrow rose and gathered a brush and a particularly nice tie that was springy. It came from a secret process that those in Cerasme had come up with but refused to share with others.

“Well, I’m sick. So… what I say goes. Father has been doting on me.” Sparrow gently turned Aster so her back was to the chair. They supported her back with their knees, attempting to ease the burden of staying upright.

“He’s worried about you, they all are.” They gently brushed her brilliant lilac hair out, a terrible amount of knots needing to be coaxed out. Her roots had greatly grown in, if she couldn’t stay upright it made sense that she hadn’t been able to re-dye her hair in a while. “Can you tell me about how you’re feeling?”

“Tired, constantly, harder to breathe, headaches, low appetite.” Another pause as she leaned into Sparrow’s legs and worked to recover her breath. “Trapped, suffering. I haven’t been out since the beginning of Crestfire.” Sparrow started working her hair into a tight bun that would hopefully hold up for a couple days.

“They don’t want people to see you, I assume?” She responded with a nod. “Seems like it might do more harm than good. I’m sure people are talking about their missing Princess, you used to spend every day outside.”

“That’s what I said, but they don’t want the people to worry.”

“If only we had an owl.”

“What?”

“Oh, in Morasme that’s what would we say if we have multiple outcomes possible but don’t know which is worse. They say owls can see into the future because of how big their eyes are, and the fact that their head can pretty much see in all directions.”

“Oh, well, I wish I had an owl.” Sparrow couldn’t help but let out a small huff of a laugh as they finished the bun.

“Let’s get you laid back down.” The two of them moved in tandem slowly, working her back to be comfortable in bed at a pace she could handle. “I’m going to get the handmaidens to come and clean you up. Your body is incredibly cold, you’re struggling to breathe, your body is trying to fight it. So you’re sweating.”

“Will you make sure it’s just Deor? I know she’s training Arnia, but I just- don’t have the patience to be fumbled with.”

“Of course, I met Arnia this morning. Hopefully she can keep up with Deor. Have you been eating well?” There was already a list of possible illnesses that Sparrow had encountered that this could be, it was just a matter of whittling down the possibilities.

“It depends on the day. Dr. Rantarra has been working with the chef. It’s just… so much energy.” Sparrow moved some stray hair out of Aster’s face back into the bun and rose to grab a hand towel from her bathroom.

“I’ll talk to the chef then. There’s a particular mixture I know of that might help you regain warmth.” They returned to the bed and gently started dabbing away the sweat on her face and neck. “It is rancid, but just a couple drops a day should do it at the start.” Aster didn’t do anything but nod, her weariness just in having a conversation apparent in her eyes struggling to stay open. “I’ll leave you to rest. I’ll be back in the morning to get you started on some of my medicines.” As they stood, Aster took a hold of Sparrow’s hand.

“You’re not staying?” There was more than a hint of sadness in her voice, but Sparrow couldn’t identify what it was.

“I’m staying in the Great Tree until you make a full recovery. I’m not going anywhere besides the Healer’s Room.” She seemed satisfied with that and released the weak grip she had on Sparrow’s hand.

Sparrow took their leave, despite the day almost being at its end they had much work to do before they began resting.

Chapter Seven

It was late in the day, the stars already starting to paint the sky as the sun and moon continued their delicate dance in the sky. Sparrow was able to find Deor among the halls to update her about tending to the Princess in a couple of hours, she needed the rest after all. Just bringing up the Princess to the staff in the Tree seemed to summon furrowed brows and worried eyes. They all were looking at Sparrow, hoping, pleading.

Some considered The Nameless to be miracle workers, those that summoned feats of healing from the forces beyond that could not be seen. But really what the people lacked was knowledge, years of training. A childhood stripped away to become a healer of the people, rather than of themselves. Sparrow wouldn’t trade anything for the position they held now, but it left them longing to be closer to their family. The feelings always crept back up on them when they were among families. Healing children, seeing the parents worried over their bedside. Ink was a fantastic mentor, taking deep care to give Sparrow some semblance of a childhood.

What Ink couldn’t give them was memories with their two younger siblings, Celentine and Lothar. Sparrow had rounded their tenth year when Celentine was born, but had already been out of the house for three years at the point. They were 13 years apart from Lothar, who was born in 1670. From the letter Auburne and Lotho wrote to their eldest, the two got along wonderfully. They were joyous and close as ever, creating adventures to go on together, exhibiting traits of animal training from a young age. Sparrow was always allowed to take time off for celebrations of their birth every year, but at a certain point they stopped going.

Every time they went home it was painful and awkward. The three of them not knowing how to interact, their parents trying to forge a bridge that kept crashing into the tides that pushed them all apart. They felt ostracized by their own family, eventually they stopped treating them like a child but rather with the prestige that the rest of the Asme held for The Nameless. Once Sparrow gave up the family name of Esmer Gulder, the separation had become natural. Their family attended Sparrow’s scarring, taking the oath, choosing their new name. There was pride in their family’s eyes, but more in the fact that they got to take in this rare ritual to bear witness rather than to Sparrow’s achievement.

Over the years the letters had stopped. Last they had heard Celentine was well into her training of training the difficult animals their family was known for taming. Lothar had just begun his training, finally done with his year of traveling through the different continents to learn the different crafts. They would uphold the family traditions well, unlike Sparrow. The pain had drifted away, become more numb and distant as the years passed. The next time they would see either of their siblings would probably accompany a summons for Sparrow to perform The Nameless duties of the bonding ceremonies between two people. Utility was the value they held to their family now.

Somehow in the fog of grieving the family they never had, they had arrived to their room. Finch was curled up and keeping the bed warm, but her head perked up as soon as she heard Sparrow enter. Deor had informed them that Isoc had left the castle for the night. Since he wasn’t actively in charge of the family’s health he had been going to his home in Fornia to take care of whatever matters he needed to take care of. Sparrow didn’t particularly care. What this meant was that they now had full reign over the Healing Room and could do what they needed to do without the insufferable man standing over them. With a soft jerk of the head Finch was out of bed and walking beside Sparrow.

They pulled out the plush bed from behind one of their shelves that they hid for occasions like this. No one came this way except for Sparrow and Isoc, so if Finch heard the bridge connecting to the Healing Room creaking under footsteps she was trained to pull her bed and hide behind the same bookshelf. Sparrow had come up with some lie about how The Nameless had to position their shelves to Isoc, and he never cared enough about what they did to look behind them. It was a foolproof situation.

Sparrow got to work on making a large batch of the salve that was distributed to the guards and some of the handmaidens, it would have to take time to set-up and become solid so they could make it and just set it aside. They knew the formula like the back of their hand, it was the same one that Madame Lark had. It was a tried and true recipe that was improved from a recipe they had received from Ink. It was a combination of the soted herb, ice leaf, ground axili scales, and fat of an ox. The fat provided the base of the medicine of which the rest was mixed into. Sparrow filled several large jars before setting them on a shelf for the fat to solidify. Their medicine room smelled wonderfully like fruit thanks to the soted herb being a strong and pungent herb that covered the less than desirable smells of the other ingredients. No one wanted a salve that smelled like fish.

From there it was a matter of creating a mixture to help the Queen and King return to their full strength. There was nothing medicinally that they could do to help improve their lung strength beside providing exercises. People always wanted to recover quicker than their bodies naturally could. If they had only recently recovered and Dr. Rantarra was summoned on the 10th day, and it was now the 35th day of Crestfire; they had been sick for at least 20 days and were expecting to recover in a snap. It was Sparrow’s job to bend to that request. At least help relieve the parts of the illness they might still be feeling.

Finch’s eyes followed Sparrow as they paced in front of their shelves, picking up jars, putting some back, putting some on the table. There was a gentle clinking of the glass vials occasionally, soft footsteps accompanied by the quiet creaking of wood. There was a higher expectation from the Queen especially, with her preference for Isoc. They wanted to impress, to make her feel well recovered within a day. Now was not the time for them to get worked up, a feeling up impending failure bubbling up within their ego.

Their silvery gray fox rose from her resting place and nudged a wet black nose against their hand, sliding her head into their palm. She always had a knack for sensing when Sparrow was becoming overwhelmed, when her thoughts were racing so far ahead that they couldn’t begin to fathom trying to catch up to them. Sparrow pulled their hand away to reach for another vial, but Finch jumped up and gently bit their hand. Pulling them over to her bed. Sparrow knew not to protest her at this point.

“Fine, fine, for just a moment.” Sparrow sat beside Finch who fully climbed into her lap and curled up, laying her head on Sparrow’s arm. Sparrow allowed themself to wrap into Finch, relishing in the feeling of weight on their legs and the moment of distraction they got from running their fingers through the thick and soft fur of their fox. Their upper lip curled up and moved their gold septum ring back and forth. The racing thoughts started to slow down, moving silently across Sparrow’s consciousness. The screaming of overlapping possible solutions becoming easier to dissect.

“Possibly… a morning tea. To help them feel more awake?” Their eyes were already scanning the shelves again for what they might need. “The muscle salve from being bedridden. Stretches to recover their body.” Their heart rate was beginning to return to a normal pace. “A red brush tea, sweetened with apple peel. To help them sleep at night. I can’t imagine they’re sleeping well with their daughter like this.” Sparrow pulled Finch up onto their chest, her head resting nicely in the crook of their neck. “But what to do about Aster? There had to be something Isoc was missing. As if he told me anyway, but I wouldn’t be here if he had been able to figure it out.” A hefty sigh escaped their lungs. Releasing a feeling of heaviness on their chest that they hadn’t realized had been there since Theo’s grave eyes met theirs. “For now I’ll fight the symptoms. Wait until I can figure out how I can fix the rest.” Their head rested on Finch’s. “But just how much time do I have?”

Without needing a signal Finch climbed off of Sparrow’s lap for them to return to work. This was the reason why Sparrow insisted on having Finch with them when they were working, why they snuck her in. Without her Sparrow would suffer the same fits they did growing up alongside Ink. Being stuck in tests hyperventilating and overthinking. Staying up all night worrying over things they had worried about for years. It was one of the deep faults of their healing abilities, according to Ink. But Sparrow had grown to see it as a strength. It made them thorough, double checking their creations and effectiveness. As long as they had Finch, it would never get as bad as it had been when they were a child.

Their table had become a mess with all of the frantic pulling and placing they had done, and a messy table wouldn’t do anything for them. They entered back into their working chance, the clearer their table became so did their mind. In the past Sparrow would pass off the teas and items off to the required people, whether that be the chef or the handmaidens. But since they were staying in the Tree, they saw no reason than to hand deliver the teas and salve. The exercises they would be given directions for, Sparrow had too much to do in tending to Aster to sit with them for that.

Outside the window, the first rays of light in a day were beginning to peek through. They hadn’t realized they’d been working through the night until the sunlight glinted off one of the glasses into their eyes. Luckily they had mostly finished up with everything that they needed to get done. At least for the Queen and King. They were going to have another try and prying information out of Isoc about what he had done for Aster so far, and what he’s doing now. Sparrow also wanted to observe Aster and see if they could glean any more information about their current state. There were too many possibilities of what she could be sick with up in the air.

Finch dragged her bed behind the shelf as Sparrow cleaned up and packed up everything that they needed to see the Queen and King later on. The cloak was swung back onto their shoulders as they headed to their room to get a little bit of sleep before the healing storm of the next day.

Chapter Eight

The sun was just a bit higher than where it was when Sparrow fell asleep, but they didn’t feel tired. There was too much to do and they could always sleep later. The problem was how they had woken up. To a loud banging on their door.

“Sparrow! Sparrow it’s Deor.”

“Come in, please.” Sparrow sat up wearily, the bags weighing heavy underneath their eyes. Their fingers raked quickly through their messy waves, trying to have any semblance that they’ve slept more than a couple hours.

“It’s the Princess, she’s gotten worse.”

“I’ll be right there, I just need a moment to get changed. Please send Xer Theo to find Dr. Rantarra if he’s not already in the Great Tree.” With a nod and a gently closed door, Deor was gone.

It didn’t take more than a moment for Sparrow to be up and out of bed and fully dressed. The answer to the biggest question that Sparrow had seemed to be answering itself, there was less time than they thought.

They didn’t bother knocking on Princess Aster’s door, especially since it was already partially ajar. Arnia was standing a horse lengths away from the Princess, looking absolutely stunned. Surely, she knew how to be more useful than this.

“Please tend to Finch and get her breakfast.” Arnia was gone quicker than Sparrow could blink, that girl really wanted to be anywhere but in this room. Sparrow had seen people struggle in finding where they were meant to be, but never this hard.

Aster looked weaker than yesterday, any clinging color to her skin had vanished. Her breath was shallow, and the stench in the room was evidence that she had been throwing up. It seemed like either Deor or Arnia had already cleaned it up. Her pulse was slow and quiet, her skin was slick with sweat. This was all any Nameless healer would’ve needed to perform last rites, but that felt like giving up. They had just gotten here yesterday, they needed more time.

“What do you need?” Deor seemed to apparate at Sparrow’s side.

“How long has she been like this?”

“I’m not sure, I came in this morning to bathe her but she requested her breakfast first. I delivered it, fed her, and brought the dishes back down to the kitchen. By the time I returned she wouldn’t wake up.” The amount of mental math that Sparrow was doing, cycling through every illness that they knew of was ridiculous.

“Don’t leave her side. Get her into some fresh clothes if you can, put a warm cloth on her forehead, feet, and hands. She might be able to warm up if everything on the ends of her are warm first. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Dr. Rantarra is waiting for you in the room.”

“And good morning to you Deor.”

“What a lovely morning the breeze has brought for us.” They shared a short and bitter laugh before Sparrow left to meet Dr. Rantarra. If he refused to give answers now, then clearly he didn’t care about the Princess.

Arnia and Sparrow crossed paths on their way back to the Healer’s Wing. She looked frantic, dazed. They stopped and placed their hands on her shoulders.

“Right now, the Rotalia’s need you to keep it together. If you’re this worried, how worried are the Queen and King going to be when they see a frantic handmaiden fritzing about the castle. Come with me, I need some salve that should be set by now delivered to the guards. In that time, take some breaths, get it together.” By the end of their sentence Sparrow was already back on their path, speeding as quickly and as calmly as they could towards their destination. They could hear the soft footsteps of Arnia behind her. At least she could follow directions.

As they crossed into what most of the staff considered the “Healer’s Wing” they heard Arnia hesitate. They really didn’t have time for uncertainty.

“Come on now, I don’t have time for this.” Perhaps they were being a bit too harsh with her, but time was of the essence. With a mild skip in her step she quickly caught up with Sparrow, eyes downcast to the ground. They added cheekily, “I don’t bite, but Dr. Rantarra might.” The young girl looked absolutely horrified. “Just a joke dear.”

Dr. Rantarra was at his signature place leaning against his table, awaiting the arrival of Sparrow. His eyes quickly darted to Arnia who was at the threshold of the room.

“What is she doing here?”

“She’s just taking something to the guards for me, you’re one of the reasons no one visits us down here.” Sparrow picked up the large jar from one of their shelves and capped it, handing it off to Arnia.

“There’s a reason for that.” If eyerolls could be heard, Sparrow’s would be shaking the ground.

“They know what it is. Just leave it in their main room thing. I don’t know what it’s called.” The small girl took the jar as big as her torso and nodded, scurrying off without another word.

“You called for me?” There was a lilt in his voice that made Sparrow’s stomach churn. They wouldn’t have had to call for him had he given them the information they needed yesterday. But instead, they had to see his horrid face two days in a row.

“The Princess has gotten incredibly worse. So, now would be a great time to tell me what you were doing unless you’d like her to die.” Sparrow’s eyes narrowed, challenging the man that stood before them.

“I would never wish for such a thing, but how am I supposed to explain to you what I’ve been doing when my medicine is so much more… sophisticated than yours.” Sparrow’s hands curled up, fingernails digging into their palms.

“This isn’t the time for who is better, which medicine is more sophisticated. The fact of the matter is, you couldn’t heal her.” Sparrow’s voice was dripping with a venom that could rival the swivelback snake from Klenasme. “Let’s start with diet. She got worse after breakfast.” Sparrow turned their back to him and started pulling down ingredients they already knew would come in handy.

“She’s been on a bland diet. The girl can barely keep anything down. Oat porridge for breakfast, plain bread and eggs for lunch. For dinner, if she’s even awake, porridge again. I supervise the chef with all of her meals, make sure there’s nothing else going into them.” Sparrow paused and turned around slowly. Was he implying what they thought he was implying?

“You think she’s being poisoned?”

“No, I don’t. All of her food is as plain as can be. Otherwise the only people that see her are Deor and Arnia. The girl is new, but I don’t think she’d have the guts to do anything.”

“And Deor is loyal to a fault. I’m switching her to a liquid diet for now. I’ll specially prepare it.”

“You can’t do that.” His voice was mildly frantic, but Sparrow was too lost in their gathering of ingredients.

“Why can’t I? She’s not getting what she needs from her diet if all she’s eating is oats, eggs, and bread. Liquid is also going to be less strenuous for her body to break down.” Sparrow turned back to him, luckily he had time to get his facial expressions back to his normal sour pucker.

“She’s been on this diet for weeks, changing it suddenly will disrupt her system and probably cause more damage.” Sparrow didn’t entirely know if that was true, but didn’t want to give him cause to criticize their healing more.

“Mm, you’re probably right. I’ll keep her on the oats for now. But I’m switching her lunch to a bone broth. It’ll give her strength, especially if I get ox bones. For today, she’ll have to continue with her regular meals if she can even eat at all. I’ll have Deor go to the market for me.”

“Now you’re making sense. At the beginning of the sickness I just kept them on bedrest. Put them on diets that helped them keep food down. Once I was able to assess them, I put them on medicine that was developed by Lasme doctors that help cure most illnesses.” He picked up a jar of capsules made out of the same bark that Sparrow used, of the baonob tree. But they were perfectly spherical.

“What is it made out of?” Sparrow picked up the jar and shook the capsules around lightly, unable to see what was inside, they handed the jar back to him.

“It’s a mixture of items. Both natural and created by us.”

“So, impossible for me to recreate.”

“Exactly.”

“And this didn’t work on the Princess?” Sparrow was working on putting together a sedative pill for Aster, to just get her to sleep for now. Charred red brush branches and apple nettle leaves were being ground into a paste to be put into baonob tree shavings.

“At first it did, she seemed to recover like the rest of them. But then she got worse. I assumed that she was just having a second round of it, the infection fighting back. But when it was obvious that it wasn’t working, that’s when the King called upon you.” Isoc put the jar back and took his place leaning against the table again.

“I’m still amazed that you were stubborn enough to go so long without even seeking a second opinion from me.”

“Are you actually?” A hefty sigh released from Sparrow as they spread the paste along some shavings.

“No. But this is the Princess we’re talking about. The one who’s supposed to become Queen. You seem to be all too content to let her die.” Isoc approached Sparrow’s table. They subconsciously leaned away from him near their work station.

“I’m just as loyal to this family as you are. If you dare think that I’d let her perish like this, you despise me more than I thought.” Sparrow’s teeth ground together, their pride wanting to bite back at him, but knowing that he was right.

“The Great Tree is on edge. Every single member of it. Everyone seems to be holding their breath for one of us to cure her, or for both of us to fail her.”

“Well, Sparrow, let’s hope you can figure out the secret to her cure then.” Isoc started walking to the door of the room. “Anything else you need from me?”

“I hope not.” Sparrow didn’t dare look up at the man that would continue to spite their abilities until they were able to hopefully cure the Princess. Even if they cured her, they couldn’t be sure that Isoc wouldn’t take the credit for himself.

“Good luck little bird.” Sparrow had to suppress throwing up on the spot. They hated when people called them that. It felt wrong in their mouths, especially his. But no matter how much they protested the name, he refused to stop.

Sparrow packed up the couple of sedation pills they had made, as well as the teas for the Queen and King and the small batch of muscle salve. A quick visit to them to give an update, then to the Princess’ bedside. On their way to find them Sparrow picked up little Finchy. Instead of sending Deor, who Sparrow might need to help with the Princess, Finch had been trained to go on market missions for them.

With quick hands they secured a set of bags onto Finch’s back, with a note slipped into it for various vendors. It was a tried and true practice after living and working here for a couple years now. The market people would write what they would like in return for what Sparrow was asking for, and Finch would usually be sent out the next day with the requests. The market trade was a nice system. Usually people refused returns from The Nameless, believing that they had some special aura that meant just providing them with goods would provide them with good health. But Sparrow knew that wasn’t true and adamantly refused to give nothing in return. It broke the whole system of bartering. It was an unspoken agreement within the newer generations of healers that they had all stopped not offering something in return. Unless of course, it was someone that they treated seasons round. Then the return happened concurrently, and constantly.

With a kiss on the head, Finch was off and so was Sparrow.