"That wasn't punishment." She replied shaking her head in bemusement. "That was simply continued training."
*Dong* I felt as if I was inside of a huge rung bell at this revelation, before she then continued. "As I've said before, when out in the wilds, occasionally you will be actively suffering from the ailment, that you need to create a treatment or antidote for. Becoming incapacitated from that which ails you, when you are the only one around that can cure yourself, is a sure death sentence."
*Sigh* As always, when it comes to treatments and most other things, she made logical sense. And I couldn't argue for continuing my perceived grievance, as she was my teacher and because she made too much sense.
"Come on," She said. "Let's go have an early dinner and we can make some more plans for the upcoming days."
As usual, the meal was delicious, and the conversation stimulating as we planned out the upcoming activities to boost my learning as her apprentice. I retired to my room to read through the books she had provided for me, and continued to peruse the many topics available. Darkness began to fall and night had begun its approach.
I was about to lay down to sleep for the night when I heard a loud *Crash!!* Which I felt sounded from the apothecary store front. Bolting upright in bed, I rushed to open my bedroom door, before practically jumping down the stairs in my earnestness to witness and hopefully resolve whatever was happening.
To my great surprise, a great bonfire of flames licked the inside of the middle of the shop, but appeared to do little else than flare about occasionally. What topped that next, was the appearance of a fully decked out Tom in full metal armor and a wicked looking spear. He was accompanied by his four female teammates who each had their weapons drawn out, with blood lust and blood on their faces. I saw no trace of the halfling from earlier. Maybe he saw the light of not antagonizing Victoria.
"Come on out you Icy Bitch! It's time for me to return the favor you gifted me!" The Tom's voice echoed out into the shop and past my hidden vantage point. I honestly didn't know what to do in this situation, as such a line up, was far past my capability to contend with.
For the fire alone, I would have grabbed one of my blankets, doused it in the icy shower water and thrown it over whatever was that was causing it to burn. However, that group of angry ex-customers was on a whole other level.
"Wait till you see what I'm going to do to you, you little wastrel. You're going to be screaming my name soon enough, after you fix this devil's cursed itch you've given me. Then you'll be lucky if you can join in with my lovely ladies I have here. I'll allow you to put out the fires first if. . . ." His words were cut off as an icy wind greater than I had ever witnessed her wielding before rushed past me and doused the flames at the center of the store.
With a hitch in his throat at being cut off by the burst of icy wind, the Tom cat and his ladies grimly braced themselves for the oncoming fight that was about to break forth. The entire entry way of the store let off a haunting light blue glow as runes that appeared to be protecting the merchandise reflected their light off of the shining metal of the armor of our antagonists.
Victoria then made her appearance with great effect. Surrounded by a frosty blizzard, she floated into her shop, over the counter without even touching it, and landed with nary a sound on the ground in front of the bristling group. The aviary lady with her beautiful plumage raised in anger, drew her bow back to then release an arrow aimed at Victoria's midsection.
Gleaming with lethality, it rushed the short distance towards the still figure of my teacher, who stood appearing to not have a care in the world. A mere inch from her, it came to a sudden stop. Victoria gave the now frozen arrow a look of great contempt which then transferred to encompass the invading party. The Tom, who had watched with a predatory gaze as his women started the fight, became red in the face with anger at this display of their impotence. Jumping out to the front of the group, daring to face Victoria directly, he wielded his spear with expert grace and deadly cunning.
Victoria simply wielded the icy winds as she swung her arms about in guidance to the torrent that she commanded. It was like an intense battle of physical prowess and magical might that flashed about the interior of the shop. Very little sound rang out as if each forceful strike of his spear had impacted a thick pillow in the form of her ice. Victoria appeared to be getting rather bored of this confrontation as she even at one point mimed a yawn at his continued endeavors. This continued for a period of time with the Tom getting progressively more frustrated and angrier at his ineffectual attacks. "Join me in taking her down!" He screamed at his women that had stood a few mere paces from him in his vigorous battle.
Avian lady strung another arrow to her bow, feline lady wielded metal extended claws, serpent lady cracked a black whip, and elven lady raised her staff that was now glowing red.
Victoria's eye flashed with a dangerous light. Four additional streams of icy wind formed from her circling blizzard. Those icy tendrils didn't even play with the other women as they simply slammed each of the women to the ground with terrible force. The very breath was knocked out of each of them, and to be honest, I wasn't even sure that they had all survived.
Tom was still ineffectually swinging about his spear, seemingly unaware of the stilled chaos going on behind him. The tendril of icy wind weaving about him, began to lash out at his armor. Soon pieces of his previously sturdy and highly protective armor began falling to the ground around him. Finally, leaving him in his under clothes, the icy tendril, took on a more surgical effect. Small incisions began forming all over his body as blood welled up in their place, only to freeze before dripping.
Victoria appeared to be engrossed in inflicting the greatest amount of pain with the smallest of incisions. After several minutes of this entrancing and horrifying torture, she sent one last lash at his nether region, causing the Tom to shudder in agony after which a frozen chunk of hairy bulky cloth fell to the ground. I thought that was it and the battle was finished. However, just as Victoria could see the seething hatred in his eyes, despite the fear that engendered him, we both knew that to let him live would only spell further trouble. With that realization, a single long spike of ice slammed up into him from his now castrated nether region piercing up through his body and into his brain.
The furious light in his eyes died out in that moment as life left his still body. The four women still behind him, bound by the icy tendrils that Victoria had sent out, jointly convulsed at his death, as if they too had experienced a portion of it. Hatred, fear, and other emotions struggled for supremacy on their faces as they stared at their icy blooded captor.
"Andrew!" I jumped at hearing Victoria's voice after all this time. "Bring me some potions for swelling and bleeding!" She called out from her position. Rushing out from my hiding place, I dashed about the shop, now being decently familiar after the much assistance I had given as her apprentice. Pulling off several vials that could treat what she had asked for, I brought them all to her.
Victoria then surprised me at what she did next. Kneeling down beside the still trapped women, she opened one of the bottles and began gently applying the ointment to their faces.
My eyes widened at what I was seeing. Now up close, I could see the obvious signs of physical abuse that had been visited upon these four women. These were not the signs of icy cuts or of hypothermia. These were the signs of being punched and clawed at. My heart ached terribly even as tears threatened to fall as I stared at these literally and figuratively trapped women.
Each of them struggled to free themselves from their trapped positions, each resisting the treatment that Victoria gently provided. With great care yet firm restraint, my teacher tended to their various injuries. During her ministrations, their anger warred with their fear even as their wounds and bruises began to fade. Only once the last of them had been treated, did Victoria release her hold on their bodies.
Each of them, after making small movements as if to further test if there was anything further restraining them, then slowly rose up from the ground they had been laying on. They looked like they desired nothing more than to flee from Victoria's presence. None of their eyes shone with a hint of revenge, despite the restrained anger. Only the elven lady of the group appeared to have a show a hint of bewilderment to my benevolent teacher.
It was only then, that a short figure casting a small shadow, stepped out of the night, into the shop. It was the halfling from before. He too sported a black eye and swelling encompassing most of his face. He dragged behind him a crooked leg even as he used his small staff to support his uneven weight. Looking about at the chaos of the completed battle, his already present grimace worsened as he took it all in. Then with agonized movements, he made his way to the still upright standing body of the Tom, and after riffling through his fallen armor, pulled out the money bag that he had used earlier in the day to pay for their potions. Carefully, yet devoid of fear, as if unafraid of experiencing more than what he had already suffered, he stood before Victoria. Giving her a very deep bow, he held out the coin bag in supplication to her.
Receiving the offered bag, I watched as my master opened it to reveal the contents. At least a dozen gold coins glittered back at me from within the confines of the bag. In addition to that, there were several silver and copper as well. Amidst it all, there were even two coins that appeared more whitish than silver in appearance. I believed that to be a mithril. If my calculations were correct, that took 20 gold or a full 1000 silver to make a single mithril coin. And they had two of them! My eyes widened at the implications.
To my surprise, Victoria reached into her robes, causing the halfling to flinch a little, but he still bravely held his ground. She then withdrew her hand holding a deeper red potion, reminiscent of a high-quality healing potion. With it, she pulled out another bag, one that I was familiar with as we gave them out with any store purchases. She then gathered the partially filled potions and ointments that she had utilized in the treatment of the four women. Placing each of them in the bag, including the deep red potion which let off a mystical glow of its own, she then pulled out a total of six gold and 12 silver from the myriad of coins. Closing up the bag, she then deposited the remaining coin purse into the store bag in which held the used and new potions.
Holding it out to the now shivering halfling, she gently said. "I hold no grudge to those that sought me no ill." Then turning towards the women that still remained standing yet afraid, she spoke again a bit louder in order to be heard by them. "I also hold no ill will towards those that had not the strength to resist the wiles of the Tom. Go now and strengthen yourselves, so that you do not fall prey to such again in the future."
Pressing the bag into the clenched hands of the halfling she continued. "Take this, treat yourself, and take good care of them. They are injured in more than just body." The halfling gave another even deeper bow that was practically a prostration on the floor, before hazardously getting back up with the help of his staff. "Thank you." His lips quivered as he spoke and then decidedly turned away to depart.
I watched on as a beleaguered and weary group of five left the confines of the store. I could see droplets of clear liquid falling to the ground from the diminutive figure of the halfling as he stalwartly hobbled his way out. Only the elven lady looked back, with a flash of gratitude spilling out of her still confused countenance.
Turning back away . . . into the darkness of night which spawned them . . . did they return.