Page 76 of The Noldrin Witch

“It’s how it needs to be, Gwern,” Fabian replied. “Be thankful the potion is practically finished. Every team will have the opportunity to work out the final step and earn the glory of completing it.”

Gwern’s mouth twisted into a pout, and she immediately began gossiping with the fairy at her side. Elise did not remember the woman’s name, although she was certain she would learn it in the days to come.

Elise was ready to get her hands to work when something around her table appeared to catch Fabian’s attention. She thought he was coming to publicly lecture her and perhaps provide an opening for Gwern to deliver one of her customary jabs, but to her surprise, Fabian went straight to Emery.

“Are you planning to spend the night camped at this table again, hoping the potion will finish itself?”

Fantasies involving physical injury began to fill Elise’s mind as she watched Fabian sneer at Emery while Emery swallowed his pride.

Naturally, Fabian’s chief toady seized the opportunity to support him.

“It would be best if they cleaned the tables once we are done, Fabian,” Gwern chimed in, her high-pitched voice becoming increasingly intolerable to Elise’s altered senses.

“We will do just fine, if you’ll allow us to show you,” Elise said firmly in Fabian’s direction, pointedly ignoring Gwern’s comment.

But being unacquainted with the fine points of restraint, Gwern inserted herself into the exchange nonetheless.

“Who are you going to ask for help? The king or the duke?” Gwern chuckled, nudging the fairy beside her with her shoulder. “Or perhaps the Devil himself will come to lend a hand!”

Elise felt as though smoke was beginning to pour from her nose the longer the grating voice of the fairy continued. Bruno began to caw in protest, but she calmed him before he could fly at Gwern and retaliate. Elise was not yet certain what crimes a crow might commit when sufficiently offended.

“There’s no need for that. I have, in fact, prepared a few potions before,” Elise said, glad Morgaine had given her the chance to mix several brews in the Potion Room.

“So who is going to lead this table, then?” Fabian asked.

“You are looking at her, red leggings,” Elise said in a gruff voice that surprised even her.

Emery and Conrad startled at her side.

“What did you say?” Fabian muttered.

Gwern gasped, immediately finding something new to whisper about. Her entire table now seemed immersed in a brew of gossip.

“I said I would be leading this table,” Elise replied, clearing her throat.

Fabian took a deep, offended breath but held his tongue. He walked away slowly, busying himself with the inspection of the other tables, though he stole a few glances back at Elise’s.

“So what should we do now?” Conrad asked.

From what Elise had seen around the workshop, combined with Emery’s explanations and what she had read in the fairies’ manuscripts, the energy running through her blood was already stirring a few ideas. A spirit of competition quickly took hold of her.

“Bring me the ingredients the others are using.”

Conrad did as Elise ordered, and in no time the three of them were mixing ingredients and carrying their preparations to the cauldron area.

Neither Fabian nor Gwern bothered Elise’s team anymore, though from Gwern’s table she could feel a few curious gazes following her. Every so often, murmurs would rise along with one of Gwern’s pointed remarks.

It was shaping up to be a hell of a challenge, and harder still with so many watchful eyes upon her, but Elise felt a strange confidence that she would do just fine. The energy running inside her was urging her to start, to complete a few potions, to get the task done.

*****

“Wormwood, Spirits of Turpentine, Ratagam,” Elise whispered to herself as she walked to the herbarium. She was deep in thought about the Healing Potion. With the day passing so quickly, she was not sure her team would complete a successful brew in time. Fabian said that the potion required one final ingredient to be effective for every soldier, and the staff had already tried everything.

Fabian had also explained that a few drops of the right potion should be able to clear one of the many glass containers of green liquid that held traces of the illness.

That was how they had tested their famous Mushroom Dust, which according to the fairy had been a small wonder when it came to protecting people who came into contact with the sick. The incredible discovery, however, could only be produced in extremely small amounts, making it impossible to protect more than a few of the men in the king’s army.

In addition to being scarce, the dust proved largely ineffective when it came time to treat those who had already fallen ill.