Chapter 3- A stew for the poor

Evening set the scenery on fire. Nerissa's students were fast to pack. A book, a quill -with its ink bottle- and a notebook each, were all the requirements for Nerissa's class. Before leaving, a couple of the older kids glanced at the teacher's direction. It seemed odd enough that no home practice or essay was administered.

A young girl, around the age of 14 approached the woman casually.

''Aren't you acting a bit off today?''

The previously stern woman was now absorbed, folding a map depicting the Ancient Commonwealth of the Plains, carefully. She folded the papyrus in the middle, then checked all sides to make sure their tips touched. Before folding it once more, she raised her head to look at her student. Her brown eyes were loosely set upon on the girl's form. She smiled kindly, but it was unsure whether she had heard the question. Her gaze was blurry, dreamy, as if she had immersed herself in some kind of trance. Still, she replied.

''Nike...'' She smiled again at the young girl, as she noticed her high, blond ponytail. She really liked it.

''I thought I'd let you off today.'' she went on, slowly turning her head to the rest of the class. ''If you insist though...'' the teacher shrugged lazily.

A small commotion of protests and arms waving in the air followed in the next five seconds.

''No'' the girl named Nike admitted ''I bet we're fine'' followed by nodding heads.

The teacher curled her lips, then shrugged once more.

''Okay...'' she replied, adding some accent to that k, half bored and half amused.

''Thank you, Nerissa'' Nike and her classmates hopped joyfully. As soon as the class had finished packing, all but the blond student vanished like thin air.

The skinny fourteen-year-old stayed back to aid her teacher with her packing. It wasn't that Nerissa really needed help. Nike enjoyed her company since Nerissa was probably the only person who was able to fully sate her curiosity.

She grabbed another map, one depicting a harsh, mountainous area, which she recognized as the Kingdom of the Deep Mountains.

Nike took a close look at the detailed map. The vast majority of the designs she could see were mountains and deep forests all the way to the North and South. A significant number of lakes, some smaller and others larger, looked like holy water droplets, randomly sprayed on the pious. At the far western border, mountainous waves blend with sea waves, fading along the thin coastline. Nike held out the map against the sunset.

''So, this is the Kingdom of the Deep Mountains?'' Nike abstractly asked while reading the map in detail. ''Somewhere on the Mountain Range of the Ox?''

''It's all on the Mountain Range,'' Nerissa folded the map in her hands one last time. ''All of this mountainous area is indeed the Mountain range of the Ox, not just the part our borders are located at. It begins somewhere North, northern than Perispar Lakes and ends South of Pelopis Land. They actually claim it gets submerged into the sea.''

She made sure to tuck away her map, then produce an arched motion, to show the true shape of the Mountain range of the Ox to Nike.

The girl scratched her head.

''So, is this where you come from?''

Nerissa couldn't help but laugh.

"If I came from the Deep Mountains, how would you be my cousin?" she asked abstractly, then zipped the map holders. "I simply studied there..."

"To become a Wise Woman." Nike completed Nerissa's sentence.

"Exactly." Nerissa nodded.

Nike wouldn't take her leave. Her thin ponytail waggled playfully in the afternoon breeze. "You see, I've been wondering." her next question was painted with doubt. "Ten years... Does it really take that long to become a Wise Person?"

Nerissa had heard the same question a thousand times. She really wanted to give a full explanation to young Nike who was trying to follow her steps, but she knew better than most the time wasn't ripe.

"If you want to be a clever one..." was her answer, implying a lot more than she intended.

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of an overloaded cart's wheels turning. Nerissa felt a large, strong hand caressing her hair tenderly. Nike smiled happily to the towering figure behind the already tall Nerissa.

"Welcome back." the woman smiled warmly to the man caressing her hair. Her eyes switched to the cart behind him. "Who are the guests?"

The man planted a kiss on her forehead, then motioned to the old man driving the cart to approach.

"Meet the healer you've been looking for" he exclaimed proudly "my wife, the Wise Woman Nerissa."

The old tobacco seller and his lady on the cart felt relieved. They walked to her, shook her hand vividly as a preliminary expression of gratitude.

Nerissa advised them to spend the night with them and rest. She first sent a let down Nike back to her parents, although she had her on her side for such visits lately. Before it got dark, she made sure their guest house had clean sheets on the wooden bed and its hay was fresh. She also checked whether their animal was fed and watered in their small stable before getting home for the night.

Inside the house, the guests were sitting on the dining table, waiting for her. Lados offered steaming stew to the couple and Nerissa, the nutritious work of the husband, as she called it. While the three were eating, Lados started working on his preparations for the coming day. He got down to filleting, chopping, dicing, drying, preparing the raw materials. It all emitted a bewitching scent, filled with essential oils from plants and local herbs. He also called for Nerissa's help a couple times. A little appraisal, one or two suggestions, listening to his plans, she was more than happy to support him with his job that he loved and enjoyed so much.

The old couple sipped the last drop of soup from their wooden bowls with a smile on their weary faces. They were in dire need of something warm, something to make them feel full, but also comfortable. "Our sincere gratitude healer." they expressed their feelings again. Nerissa shrugged smiling. "That wasn't my work, really." she pointed at Lados in the kitchen, to whom they owed their gratitude for the nutritious stew they had eaten. " My work begins now."

She accompanied the limping old couple to the guest house, where she helped the old lady lay on the bed. Then, she took a seat across the man and the woman, positioned in a way that she could both observe and study and worn couple. "So" she asked in a sweet voice "what was the problem again?"