The Vanaheim Chronicles: The Forest Healer

By Katrina Norman

On another world in another time, a war has been raging for a thousand years. Deep in the sacred Nylack Forest lives someone who knows the hidden and forgotten truth of how it all began. Enter into a world of magic, mystical creatures, and mystery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365138904

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The Vanaheim Chronicles: The Forest Healer

The Vanaheim Chronicles:

The Forest Healer

By Katrina Norman

Text copyright © 2016 by Katrina Kay Norman

All rights reserved.  Published by Lulu.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the author.

Chapter 1

Lightning crackled through the black sky above the treetops as thunder shook the forest.  The howl of the wind cut through the branches. The mood in the camp was just as turbulent as the weather which surrounded them; weather which they had created.  Holding tight to the reigns of his mount, the rider could barely see nor hear through the storm.  Squawking a disagreeing complaint, the griffon attempted to buck his rider.  Come on you stupid beast. The soldier spurred its side, causing the creature to rear up, shaking its head in anger.  The sooner we get up there, the sooner we get back. The soldier’s voice was drowned out to nearly a whisper. 

His mount was a young griffon, with bright colors and a spirited attitude.  With a yellow-orange, razor sharp beak on his rather thick head of iridescent feathers.  Each feather an array of hues; glimmering pinks, violets, blues, and greens; depending on which way the light hit them.  Here in this dark hour, however, his feathers all matted and wet, they looked like a dull pea-green.  The feathers trailed his neckline, where they met on the shoulder with a rich, thick, golden brown fur.  The front claws of the beast were that of a great bird.  The rear of his body took the form of an oversized lion comparable to a small horse.  Its tail started out as that of any large cat, ending with an oar of feathers where the hair tuft would have been.

Snapping the reigns once more, the rider leaned his head up closer to the griffon’s feather covered ear, I said fly! He squeezed into the sides of his saddle as the griffon’s wings extended as it jerked forward in a somewhat awkward run.  Its enormous wingspan reached out over twice the length of its body on either side.  Slowly they flapped with force.  With a few lunging jumps, they finally lifted into the air.

The immense whoosh of the wings only added to the noise of the restless evening.  Booming claps of thunder accompanied by blinding cracks of lightning; even the rain its self was loud.  The rider loosened his grip slightly off the reigns, allowing the griffon the needed control of his head movement.

High King Borr Burison had offended many of his subjects when he had ordered the rain.  The Nylack Forest was ancient and sacred.  The risk he was willing to take with the delicate balance of its wellbeing left a sour taste in the mouths of his people.  Some of the trees were as old as the Vanaheim itself!  Reaching heights of up to 300 feet, they loomed over the rest of the trees as if they were mere shrubs.  Nylack trees only grew in the Nylack Forest.  Destruction of the forest would mean losing the roots of their very beginning.   Priests were in an uproar.  Mobs of otherwise faithful subjects had turned to boycotting the king’s sellers and traders; which meant less funding for the war.

On the east side of the camp was a vast open field of long grass and wild flowers.  The rider and his mount circled it a number of times before gaining enough altitude to safely fly over the forest.  The rider shifted in his seat; the wet leather of the saddle steadily becoming more uncomfortable.  The griffon was jumpy due to the storm he was being directed into.  This is so stupid, grumbled the soldier as they soared just over the trees.  He had not counted on his services being so unpleasant when he enlisted.  He had pictured it more glamorous somehow, with more swordplay.  Instead, he had been sitting in a tent near a tree-line for weeks, taking nightly trips over it to come back with little or nothing to report, soaked to the bone and frozen.

There had been rumors of a dark elf platoon spotted entering the Nylack Forest from the western side.  King Borr was convinced they were attempting to smuggle entire battalions in through the sacred forest, in order to launch an assault on the capital.

The rider was about to turn the griffon around to head back when he saw something in the distance.  Before he had a chance to discern what he thought he saw, a streak of lightning shot past, nearly touching them.  The griffon shrieked in alarm, twisting in the air to avoid the threat.  Taken by surprise, the rider lost his grip.  He could feel himself sliding out of the saddle in what seemed to be in slow motion.  The reigns were lost, his frantic grip failed.  He felt himself falling.

The branches scratched and clawed as he raced by them with incredible speed.  He felt a sharp pain as a loud crunch informed him that his right leg had been broken striking a rather large branch.  On he fell.  Another sharp pain struck his left side.  This one was deeper and lasted far beyond the pain of the initial impact.  A loud crack and sharp sting from his left arm, a loud thud, pressure all around him; then nothing.

Bel’s eyes popped open as she sat straight up; the lingering pain in her arm, leg, and side still throbbing.  She tossed her covers aside quickly as she jumped out of bed.  Bel wasted no time.  She flew down the stairs, grabbed her cloak and headed out the door into the relentless storm.

While it wasn’t unusual for her to have visions of injured folk that needed her help, none before could compare to the crystal clear realness of the one she had just experienced.  The pain, the fear, the environment, had all been so real.  It was as if she had actually been the soldier.  Bel knew she had very little time to find him.  A fall from that height should have killed him.  Her mind raced with the thought of how extensive his injuries would be when she found him. Trying to block them out, Bel’s feet flew across the forest floor.  It was almost as if she was being pulled to him by some unknown force.

The night was black as pitch.  At least she had inherited some of her father’s night vision.  While it was still difficult for her to see, she could at least make out the general shapes of objects in her path.  Her feet and legs covered in a mixture of mud and blood as the sticks, sharp rocks, and other obstructions in her path tore at her.  There had been no time to stop and put on shoes, nor could she afford the time and energy it would take to place a protection spell upon herself.  Bel blocked out the stinging of the cuts and scrapes.  She knew they could not compare to what she would find when she reached her destination.  Soaked to the bone, past the point of shivering, she raced through the icy downpour.

Had she not heard bits and pieces of what was happening in the world outside her forest from her friends, Bel would have surely believed that the All Mother had been angered in some great way.  The sun had not shone down on the forest in weeks.  It seemed more like a giant waterfall had been placed over the forest, rather than a storm cloud.  Water had begun to gather.  The ground so soaked that it could not drink anymore in.

Bel could feel the heart of her target fading as hers raced faster.  The air in her lungs burned.  Never had she felt such an urgency to save a life.  Why? she wondered to herself.  Her entire life had been spent healing and helping others.  What was so different about the stranger she now raced to save?  He was a soldier in an army that wished to destroy the home of herself and all her friends; a soldier that had orders to kill her; her or anyone like her at first sight.  Yet, she found herself determined as never before to find him and save him.

Her feet barely had time to stop as she dropped to her knees.  Her hands shook as she held them just above his body.  As slowly as she could in her rush, she waved her hands over him from head to toe.  His damage was indeed great.  There was so much that needed to be done before he could even be moved, yet the cold of the ongoing rain and the settled water in which he rested, risked his health even further as it sucked the heat from him.

Bel covered him with herself as gently as she could, holding tightly as she attempted to do something she knew would be his only chance of survival.  Slowing her breathing, forcing herself to focus, she concentrated on sending an astral projection of herself home in front of the fireplace.

She had teleported fish many times from the river to the holding tank under her sink.  It was a fairly simple thing to do; she had just never tried to move herself in such a manner, or a critically injured patient for that matter.  Closing her eyes she focused first on the receiving end.  Bel’s astral self formed a large energy sphere between her out stretched arms.  The soft white-blue, transparent ball hovered just over the large, griffon feather rug in front of the fireplace.  Bel turned her attention to creating a twin sphere around herself and the dying stranger.  Once the energy ball had engulfed them completely, Bel transferred the energy from her physical self to her astral self.  With a loud cracking sound and flash of light, they were safely teleported onto the rug in front of the fire.

The trip was disorienting.  It took Bel a moment to regain her stability.  The spell had taken a much larger amount of energy than when she performed it on the fish.  For a moment she feared she had used too much of her power.  Magical energy was just like any other form of energy; it needed to be fueled or replaced in order to be able to use more.  In the case of magical energy, Bel had realized that the best way to put back lost nutrients was to call upon the elements.  Her home was made from wood, there was stone along the hearth, a fire burned brightly within the fireplace, and air was all around her; it stood to reason that the only thing she needed was water.  Bel called a bucket of water to her.  Telekinesis was one of the easier abilities to use, at least in her mind.

Bel reached a hand toward the fire and placed the other on the hearth stone.  She plunked one of her sore, aching feet into the bucket of water while leaving the other firmly planted on the wooden floor.  She closed her eyes and breathed in deep the air around her.  In her mind’s eye she could see and feel the energies of these elements soaking into her, replenishing her spirit and strength.  In no time she felt reenergized, which was a good thing considering time was of the essence.

By the glow of the firelight she could see just how terrible he looked.  There was no time to lose. Bel began calling things to her that she would need to properly care for this patient.  Bottles, jars, bowls, and buckets all zoomed through the air, resting beside her.  The first task at hand would be to close up the enormous gash on his side which was gushing blood and puss, soaking through his clothing and making a noticeable puddle beside him.

She tore open his shirt, reached for a washcloth and water bucket; washing the area quickly of the mud and filth in and around it.  Pinching the sides together as best as she could; Bel followed the jagged line with her forefinger.  There was a soft crackling sound, smoke, and the stench of burning flesh as she cauterized the wound.  There was no time for delicate reconstitution at this point.  He was losing far too much blood.  She could go back later and smooth the area out, once he was in a more stable condition.

Next, she scanned his body, as before, with a wave of her hand, locating all of the internal bleeding sources.  With the impact of hitting the ground at such an immense speed, there were many veins and arteries in need of repair, not to mention all of the fractured bones.  She wove them back together as she would a broken tree branch, only on a smaller scale.  It was fortunate for her patient that he was unconscious for the process.  It was a long, painful procedure.  If he had been awake, he would have surely passed out from the pain of the healing.

His brain was beginning to swell from bruising, the pressure against his skull yet another immediate threat.  With skill, Bel made a precise incision where his neck and head met.  The excess fluids oozed out onto the floor.  She scanned his head, concentrating.  Bel allowed a small sigh of relief to escape her as the pressure diminished enough to move on to the next task at hand.

His heartbeat was weak, his breathing shallow.  Bel could feel his life-force fading.  All she had done was still not enough to ensure he would last through the night, or the healing session.  She had never tried to save someone so far gone before.  Just as the elements gave her strength, they would do the same for him; if only he was strong enough to call them to him.  She would have to do it for him.  Like a blood transfusion, only this was an energy transfusion, to keep his spirit with him and give him the strength to endure the healing.

She placed one hand on his chest, over his heart.  With the other she called forth the energies of the air and water, sending them through her, into him.  Being that his kind was governed by the wind and water elements, she focused strictly on drawing from those two, rather than all of them as she had done for herself.  It was a strange sensation, feeling the currents of energy flow through her like a conductor.  His spirit was getting a little stronger, she could feel it.  Bel opened up the channel to her own energy, hoping that since she had already absorbed and converted what the other elements had given her, he would be able to take them in.  She could feel herself being drained slightly.  His heartbeat got even stronger.  Soon it felt as if he wasn’t just accepting the energy, he was sucking it from her!  Bel broke the connection.  He was taking in too much from her personal energy rather, than the air and water energy she had originally been trying to give him.  She braced herself as a dizzy spell overtook her.

Once she regained herself, she continued working on the rest of the injuries, healing broken bones, closing cuts, and weaving torn muscles back together.  It had worked, he was stable.  Bel had done all she could do for him, the rest was up to him.  His body would need to start taking over to finish the repairs.

Had the rain not been falling, it would have been time for the sun to shine through her east window before she had finished the last of her work.  Exhausted, drained, and in an incredible amount of pain herself, Bel had to rest.  She called a cup of hot Thornberry tea to herself along with two pillows and a blanket.

During her early training, Bel had learned the wonderful soothing effects of Thornberry.  Particularly in the magic areas; after one sip she could already feel its regenerative properties.  It felt like the soothing of over-worked muscles.  She placed a pillow carefully under the man’s head, laying the other one next to it.  Covering herself and her patient with the blanket, she laid down next to him.

While he was in more stable condition, she didn’t want to risk leaving his side.  She felt connected to him somehow, in a way she couldn’t explain.  She questioned whether or not he had a higher purpose and had crossed her path by the design of the fates.  Perhaps it was her destiny to save him; it was all so strange, so unclear.  All she knew was that this man needed to live.  Looking over at him one last time before closing her eyes, immediately drifting off to sleep.

A blue-grey mist covered the ground as Bel found herself in an unfamiliar garden.  She couldn’t tell if it was just before dawn or just after sunset.  Cobblestone walk paths lined with rows of beautiful flowerbeds wove themselves into an intricate maze of beauty joining together in the center to form a circle around a large fountain.  Benches were placed throughout the garden maze so that one could sit and enjoy the tranquility it provided.  Bel walked slowly, cautiously forward looking to see if anyone else was around.  In the distance she could see a man sitting on one of the benches near the fountain and white roses.

Bel fought the panic welling up inside her.  She couldn’t be discovered.  Quickly she ducked behind a tree near the edge of the garden; where the garden met with a forest.  This was not her forest.  The trees were much too short.  The mist grew thicker here.  It was more of a dense fog, blocking out all but the very edge where she stood.  It was then she realized that she was in a dream.  It wasn’t her dream though, it was someone else’s.  It has to be the soldier’s, she thought to herself.  Armed with the knowledge that she could now change into anyone or anything else to protect herself from being discovered, Bella transformed herself into a deer.

Slowly she peered out from behind the tree.  He hadn’t seen her.  He just sat there, looking at the fountain in the dim light.  She cautiously walked toward him, sticking her nose into the flowers from time to time to make it appear as if she were looking for something tasty to munch on.  This caught his attention.  Instantly a sack appeared by his side.  He picked it up, tossing handfuls of dried corn in her direction.  Bel breathed a silent sigh of relief that he hadn’t created a weapon with which to hunt her.

As she approached him, enjoying the treats he was offering, he reached out his hand to pet her.  Bel allowed him to do so, yet acted as if she were a little unsure.  He dumped a small pile of corn near his feet, leaning back to watch her eat it.  Once she had finished the pile Bel began sniffing him, acting as if she were searching for more treats.  He let out a small laugh.  I’m sorry, that’s all I had. He stroked her neck. 

Bel looked up at his face.  It was only then that she realized just what a handsome creature he truly was.  Even in the dim light, she was taken aback by his perfectly etched features.  She dropped her gaze, fearing that he might sense her thoughts. 

He continued to pet her, making small comments now and again about how he wished he had more treats for her or how much he loved the garden.  He called it his garden.  Once, he even mentioned that he was grateful for the company.  Bel didn’t find out any useful information which would tell her who he was or where he was from.  She didn’t really expect him to pour his heart out to an animal though.  It was enough that her identity was kept safe and she hadn’t violated her strict code of not reading other’s thoughts without their permission.  She hadn’t tried to dream-share with him.  It just happened.  Bel wondered if it was because they were laying so near to one another.

Dream sharing was difficult, it took the willing intent and consent of both parties in order for it to happen.  The only other time she had experienced dream sharing was with her parents.  They would show her memories of places outside of the forest.  It was how she was able to see places she otherwise would have never been able to go while awake.

When consciousness found her once more, she felt a strange new feeling.  It was hard for her to identify.  It was almost the way she felt when her parents were still alive, warm, safe, whole.  She almost smiled.  Bel hadn’t felt a more positive energy for longer than she cared to admit.  Then the realization hit her.  She remembered all that had transpired before she laid her head to rest.  She felt the floor beneath her and the stranger beside her.  Bel quickly sat up, straightened her hair and dress as if someone could walk through the door at any moment and catch her in some indecent act.

From the strength of his heartbeat she knew he was mending well.  He would pull through.  Bel forced herself up onto her feet.  There was still more work to be done.  Bel noticed that her connection to him felt even stronger than it had before.  She wondered if it had anything to do with the energy transfer she had given him.  Maybe she had done it wrong, maybe when she gave him some of her energy, part of herself was now with him and she could feel it calling for her.  Perhaps that was how she ended up in his dream.  Whatever the reason; Bel wasn’t sure if she liked feeling so attached to an enemy, patient or not.

The first order of business was to clean herself up.  After running through the forest, dropping down into the mud, and spending hours working on a bleeding patient, Bel looked horribly worse for the wear.  A quick soak in the tub and change of clothes was just what she needed. 

Rejuvenated, Bel got right to work; properly cleaning her patient and getting him into the sick bed was top priority.  She couldn’t have him taking up the main room floor for weeks on end.  Bel walked to the bathroom to draw a hot bath for him. 

As she did so, her mind began to wander to less comfortable thoughts.  Such as how in all her many years of healing, she had never seen a male patient of elven blood fully sky clad before.  Her face flushed at the thought of it.  Surely he is wearing braies, she told herself.  I’ll simply leave those on while I bathe him.

Bel was wise beyond her years in many ways.  She knew details of plants, animals, stones, herbs, and anatomy; enough to write an entire library about.  It hadn’t taken long for her to surpass the knowledge of her teachers and begin showing them things that they hadn’t thought of before.  She could speak every native language in the forest and beyond.  Yet with all of this, Bel was still naive.  Her entire life sheltered by those who loved her and cared for her.  Sleeping next to the soldier on the floor had been the first time she had slept next to anyone since she was a child and had crawled into her parent’s bed after having a scary dream. 

Once the bath was prepared, she went to retrieve her patient.  Pulling her hands up into the air, she levitated him off the floor to the height of her waist.  She then pushed him with the same invisible force into the bathing room.  Holding him in a hovering position, magically removing the rest of his clothing that had been left intact the night before, leaving only his braies.  Then, she gently lowered him into the hot water.

Bel had many items not typically found in a healer’s possession; at least according to her friends she did.  As she worked with all of the folk dwelling in the forest, Bel felt it only right to gift them with the ability to take some control over their own wellbeing.  Since not everyone she healed had magical abilities, Bel had learned to look to the forest around her.  Many plants, rocks, and minerals had healing properties.  By making salves, potions, teas, and other remedies she gave her patients the power to enhance and speed up their