19 Cold gears

Wendy moved away from the door and moved to the wall of the room staring at the ducts in the walls carrying steam that kept the rooms warm. She then caught sight of the timepiece on the wall. One of the many relics left by the church you only had to pull on the weights to wind it once every few days. Her jaw dropped in shock again at the moving gears in the clock. Nowhere near complex as a human body but functioning on its own all the same, thanks to the slowly loosening spring inside the clock.

Wendy memorized every gear and cog and started to dream up other ways it could work. Moving to The night stand, she picked up the fan laying there, and assembled a clockwork device with a weight and pulley. Once it was set in motion it faithfully moved the paper fan up and down, fanning the bed. Tired from her learning and uses of power again, she layed down in front of the clockwork fan, and again fell asleep.

The next time she woke it was from a knock on the door and two soldiers came in.

Hemet the middle aged balding fellow in charge of the mortars and Nashu the soldier guarding her on the wall yesterday who's arm she had... She sat up in bed and called out to Nashu.

"Nashu! how is your arm??" Wendy was a mirror of the concern on their faces.

Hemet sighed, "Ah so the goddess is okay. We were frightfully worried when you collapsed like that."

Nashu joined in. "You fixed my shoulder so I'm fine. But what about you? why did you collapse like that?"

Wendy smiled in relief and blinked her glowing green eyes.

"I powered up!" she said excitedly, "And then immediately used up all my power."

both of them still looked concerned but also curious.

Nashu asked, "So you are more powerful? or can do something you couldn't before?"

"Yes!" Wendy answered. "What I did to your shoulder was what I learned." Wendy got out of the bed and reached out to his shoulder. frowning Wendy made a few more adjustments.

"Who Is Nana Pine?" Wendy asked distractedly.

Hemet answered "Nana is the Angel of the battle field, she was our goddess during the wars against king Timothy."

"No matter how serious the injury if the injured one hasn't lost too much blood or been injured in the head. She could cause their bodies to heal." Hemet said in admiration.

Nashu moved his shirt to look at the site that had been injured yesterday. "Now even the scar is gone... " Nashu whispered.

Wendy looked at Hemet and shook her head. "That's not what I do.... She must have a different skill. I simply rebuild." " ..... Hemet.?."

Wendy stared at Hemet a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Come here." she motioned for him to stand closer.

Hemet moved over with out thinking as he was an obedient soldier.

"May I... touch your head?"

Hemet seemed puzzled but also felt honored. "S..sure you can.. If you want to..?"

Wendy reached out and caressed his bald head with her soft hand. A few moments later he felt a tingling then something he'd not felt in years. Hemet reached up, and his hand met soft strong hair, about an inch long. His eyes raised to look into Wendy's green eyes and tears fell from his cheeks.

Wendy immediately looked remorseful. "I'm sorry! Was that bad? should I reverse it?"

"NO! no! I'm.. I'm just so moved." Hemet said still touching his head like he couldn't believe it was real.

Nashu stared at his superior almost not recognizing him. "Nana could never do that... She only heals injuries.

Wendy looked confused at Nashu. "But the skin was a little bit dead there..."

She turned back to Hemet. "In fact there are other things..." she said running her hands over his chest."

Hemet's face turned bright red, And Nashu sputtered. "Lady Wendy please consider our positions!"

Wendy stopped and looked at Nashu confused, completely missing his meaning.

Hemet leaped away as if he'd been burned by Nashu's comment.

"Oh yes, yes... We've been asked to bring you to Eagle Face if you were awake!"

Nodding she straightened her robes. "Ok lets go now then."

The two of them quickly rushed ahead of her, escorted her to Eagle's office one floor down from the barracks and bedrooms. The single guard at the door nodded to them and knocked, then opened the door to them.

Eagle looked up from a pile of paperwork a serious look on his face. When he saw Wendy he sighed in relief. But then his gaze was focused on Hemet, sharp and concentrated as his namesake.

".........Hemet??" Eagle said.

"Yes sir! Reporting with lady Wendy as ordered!" Hemet quickly answered.

"Do you... feel alright?" Eagle asked approaching the subject in a round a bout way.

"Never been better sir! I feel like I could run 6 laps around the armory."

Hemet said.

Eagle finally looked at Wendy. "Did ... you?"

"Yes its part of my new improved powers." Wendy said enthusiastically.

Eagle sighed. "Yesterday you collapsed on the wall but... also somehow managed to shoot Nashu here, and heal him." He stared accusingly.

Wendy bowed her head and spoke full of remorse. "Yes.. but that was because I learned something and my power increased."

Eagle shook his head, "We were all very worried about you. I may not allow you to go onto the wall anymore." Wendy's head shot back up and she looked at Eagle desperately.

"NO! NO! PLEASE I MUST GO! she shouted making Eagle wince. " I mean.. I learned so much! and the men were warm right?" She looked at Nashu as if asking for his confirmation.

Nashu looked a bit guilty but nodded.

"How about this!" Wendy said grasping at straws. "What if I make your weapons stronger? Or bigger! Or even make new weapons!?" she said in a rush.

Eagle simple stared at her trying to look stern.

"How about armor! your armor Is weak I could make it better!?"

Eagle could no longer hold his poker face as his eyes widened,

"I.. I don't doubt you could do all of that... but I can't risk losing you to the weather or to some demonic hybrid."

"What would Lady Isabella say if I lost you on the wall?

Eagle said.

Wendy's shoulders slumped and her head drooped.

"If you insist..."

"Maybe if nothing happens in a few days we can consider letting you up there but for now consider yourself on probation." Eagle said still struggling to keep a stern face.

"Thank you sir." Wendy said.

Hemet caught Eagles dismissing glance and gently nudged Wendy to follow him from the room.

Nashu stayed behind and they waited for the door to close before eagle leaned forward to Nashu.

"What did she do? Hemet has always been bald..."

"Yes Sir. Its as you've seen she fixed his bald head, she says she doesn't heal she fixes things, and she made a machine at her bedside that looks like a clock but it fans her in the bed."

************

Hemet took Wendy to the stock area of the armory where she had been replenishing bullets before and she quickly refilled all the chains that had been emptied the last few days.

"Hemet, how often do the demonic beasts attack?"

Hemet looked up from packing brass into a chain, "Its been mostly a constant stream, with very few quiet times lately."

"Why do they attack?" she asked.

"erm.. uh.. well Lord Roland says that they attack because of the demons, they control them or something to soften up our defenses."

"Hemet? I've killed two demons down in the Old city.... The real things."

Hemet looked stunned almost dropping the chain he was working on.

"But .. how did they get down there?" He asked

Wendy replied "They flew riding on demonic hybrids."

Hemet looked worried. "I better remind the guards to keep an eye on the sky then."