Try And Catch Me

Lia stared at the assortments of fresh herbs in front of her. She really ought to get some work done. Yolly told her that they were running low with the supplies at the shop, not to mention the orders from nearby towns and the requests from the newly-built infirmary. So much work to do yet her mind kept on coming back to that day. It had been exactly one week since Eldric and his men left their small town.

When Lia felt better, she started helping out in the establishment of the town infirmary. It had a small clinic for consultation with two beds. A physician from another town agreed to transfer to their town as the previous one was discovered to be in cahoots with the mayor in spreading the illegal alcohol. No wonder, none of the initial victims got better and instead, they all turned for the worst. The new physician was said to be a colleague of Jeremiah, a rather stern man who barely spoke a word and was all work. But that made him easier to work with for Lia as the two of them move in silence.

The town was starting to rebuild itself starting with its people, who got better one by one, and back to rehabilitating their place. While the mayor and all of his cronies involved in the case were to be put on trial in the capital, some of the key players managed to escape like the one who owned the hole-in-the-wall store.

With the news of Lia -- the daughter's witch -- helping out the sick with her medicine, the townsfolk started seeing her in a new light. They used to shove her away, but now they willingly opened their doors to let her in when the new doctor made his rounds with Lia. She accompanied him to walk him through every patient and what had been done to them.

But not everyone had been so welcoming. Others would send her a wary gaze, afraid that she might poison them, at the same time afraid that she might not heal their relatives.

Lia busied herself with more and more work that Eldric had to personally pluck her out of her laboratory. He worried and scolded her heavily when she took too much on her plate.

"You've just recovered yourself and now you're back to overworking!" Eldric was enraged.

"But that's the least of what I could do!"

Apparently, that was not the answer he was looking for. Knowing that Lia would not bend to his orders, Eldric contented himself in setting specific work hours for her as well as a nightly schedule to ensure that she had enough sleep every day.

With that, the days went by until it was finally time for goodbyes.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us to the capital?" Jeremiah asked the day before their departure.

Lia nodded. She wanted to stay in the town. She even asked Yolly to employ her and let her stay at their house. Once she had enough savings, maybe that was the time she could go around the country and find her own adventure. That was not a bad idea if she said so herself.

"Well, I respect your decision. Though the General would definitely be sad that you rejected his idea."

"It was Eldric's idea?"

"Yes, he came to me, asking about my opinion about the matter and I thought why not," Jeremiah said.

On the day of the departure, Lia stood by to watch as the rest of the men and women went to pack things into their carriage.

Eldric approached her.

"I was really hoping you could come. I don't want your talent to be wasted in this town. If you want, after studying, you can always go back here."

He tried to keep the hope in his eyes from showing, but it still leaked and Lia felt bad for refusing his offer, her refusal caught in her throat. She had already made up her mind and it would not be broken easily.

Instead, Lia smiled and said, "Be well."

Eldric looked up, and with a sigh, he took a step closer to encircle his arms around her, pressing his lips on her forehead. "Take care, Lia. I hope we meet again."