Not Just a Family Heirloom (1)

A week later…

Amelia thought being ambushed by the direwolves in the woods and coming out alive that night would be the last of their woes. However, as soon as they returned to Calaren Town and retired for the night, Iris fell into a deep sleep and hadn't woken up since then.

She and Chrysanthe went to visit her friend, hoping they would be greeted by Iris's warm smile this time. Sadly, Iris was still lying prone and unmoving on her bed.

They found Luca and Junifer by Iris's bed, looking after her. Junifer was wiping a clean, wet washcloth over Iris's arm, her face filled with worry.

"She still hasn't woken up yet?" Chrysanthe asked the younger Scarborough sister.

When she noticed that Iris hadn't dropped by to see her the other day, she went to Amelia and found out that the three had a very close encounter with the direwolves in the woods. Amelia also told her how Iris's magic force ended up chasing the darklings away.

Junifer shook her head, unaware that her elder sister had been keeping a secret from her and their younger brother. She draped a thin blanket over Iris's sleeping form before closing the window next to her bed, so the chill wind won't come inside.

Men and women, along with children had started to leave their homes to enjoy the fine weather outside. After being trapped inside their houses for too long, it was obvious that everyone was thrilled to see the sun again.

Now that spring had arrived, the townsfolk had gotten rid of the extra layers of clothes and were celebrating, praising the old gods for finally answering their prayers. However, Amelia and Chrysanthe knew better.

It wasn't the old gods who spared everyone's life from the long harsh winter. It was Iris. The same woman who was now lying unresponsive on her bed, looking as if time had stopped with her. But Amelia and Chrysanthe would rather keep the truth to themselves than to place Iris in a dangerous situation.

"I don't understand. Iris has never fallen into a deep sleep as long as this before. A day or two is normal, but a week? Chrys, do you think my sister is sick again? Do you think she's cursed by a darkling?" She questioned her sister's best friend.

"I'm not sure how to answer that, Jun." Chrysanthe confessed. She was a daughter of a scholar and knew a lot of things, but the darklings were a whole different subject matter. She knew though that Iris wasn't cursed by a darkling and her deep sleep was caused by the amount of magic she used. The more magic Iris used, the longer her sleep would be.

However, she'd made a promise to Iris not to tell Junifer or Ren that she was a magus for their safety. If things turned to worse and Iris was revealed as a magus, there would still be a chance that her siblings might be spared.

"How did you manage to escape from the darklings anyway?" Junifer then questioned her lover. She had noticed that Luca had been quite evasive with his answers whenever she asked him about what transpired that night.

Luca looked uncomfortable in his seat. He glanced at Amelia before turning to look at Iris. He wasn't sure what happened after he passed out, but he could clearly remember Iris fighting with the direwolves to save him.

"Another pack of direwolves arrived and they engaged in a fight." He said, sticking to what Amelia told him as their alibi.

Luca knew that Amelia knew something, but he surmised that whatever it was, Amelia decided not to divulge it to keep them safe. There was nothing else he could do but stick to their story.

"Then you're lucky they didn't kill you." Junifer nodded, oblivious to the trauma Luca received from that night and how desperate her elder sister was to keep themselves alive, only for her to end up like this.

A knock on the door took everyone's attention and they found Iris and Junifer's mother standing at the doorway. She eyed Junifer and beckoned the young woman to come to her.

"Jun darling, would you mind getting these herbs for your sister? I still have some bronze coins left in the dresser that you can use to buy them. Don't forget to pick up Ren from the school on your way home." Her mother said.

"But Iris…"

Junifer hesitated to leave. She wanted to be here once her elder sister woke up. Iris was the pillar of support for their family.

"Iris will be awake soon. I'm sure of that. This is why you need to get those herbs so I can prepare a tonic she could take once she wakes up." Her mother insisted.

Luca rose from his seat and picked up his gray cloak. As he stood up, the room suddenly felt too cramped due to his towering height.

"Let me come with you." He told Junifer. "I'll make sure you and Ren are safely home before night comes." He said, urging Junifer to move as he sensed that her mother wanted a word with Amelia.

Junifer gave her sister a quick look before nodding and excusing herself to get her own cloak and the few bronze coins her mother mentioned.

"Thanks, Luca. Please give my regards to your mother. We really wouldn't know what to do with Iris if it wasn't for her."

Luca's mother was one of the few healers in their town. Although Elisa Scarborough was well aware of the reason behind her daughter's condition, people would find it suspicious if she didn't allow a healer to have a look at Iris.

"I'm sure Mother is more than happy to help you, Auntie. She's quite fond of Iris and she's been racking her mind, trying to figure out why Iris won't wake up." The young man said, assuring his future mother-in-law that everything was fine on his family's end.