Healer

Chapter 1: HEALER (Part 1)

Compared to the freezing weather outside, the stable was warm and streamy and alive with the sleepy murmurings of horses.

Adrian sul'Han pulled off his fleece-lined gloves and stuffed them into his pockets. He went first to see if his father's pony, the latest in a long line of Raggers, was still in his stall.

He was, poking his head over the stall door, looking for a handout as usual. So his father hadn't left the city. Not yet , anyway. Adrian needed to talk to him before he did.

He walked on down the line of stalls to look in on the piebald mare. She came forward to meet him, lipping hopefully at his hand. Adrian studied her critically. Her eyes were bright, ears pricked forward, and when he ran his hand over her shoulder, he could tell that the muscles of her withers were filling in.

Sliding his free hand under his coat, he gripped his amulet and sent a tendril of power into the mare, looking for trouble. To his relief, the white-hot focus of infection was nearly gone.

"You'll be all right," he murmured, stoking her head, proud that it was true.

He heard Mancy's step-and-drag footsteps behind him. "I thought that was you, boy," she said, coming up next to him. "Here to see my Priscilly? It's amazing, what you have done. I thought I had lost her, and now she's like a brand-new horse."

"Actually, I'm looking for my da, and I thought I'd look in on Priscilly while I'm here," Adrian said. "Have you seen him?"

She shook her head. "Not today, no." Worry flickered across her face. "You don't think the High Wizard will come here, do you? See, I'm moving slow this morning, and I only just got the front stalls mucked out. I need to-"

"Don't worry," Adrian said, raising both hands. "I just thought he might have stopped by."

Mancy was a soldier who'd been assigned to the stables while she recovered from a nasty leg wound courtesy of one of the kingdom of Arden's collared mages. Now her wound drew Adrian's attention like a poke in the eye. It wasn't healing properly, he could tell, and he wanted to know why.