"Please, please be fast enough," Heila whispered as she released her whip and pulled a vial of concentrated willow bark tea from a loop on her war hat. There wasn't enough here to serve as more than emergency medicine for a single person or to dull pain for half a dozen people with minor injuries, but she didn't intend to force the dark, bitter liquid down her opponent's throat. She only needed it to serve as a guide for what would come next.
"With power stored in willow's veins,
Where nature's mercy soothes all pains,
Let every branch pour forth its heart,
Till gentle cures tear flesh apart,
Let healing's flood rise swift and strong,
Till peace becomes death's endless song."
Despite the dire nature of her current circumstances and the deadly threat posed by Ropati and his men, moisture gathered in Heila's eyes as she used magic that she'd told Amahle she hated learning.
