Chapter 66
"Come meet my mother. She will give you food. Why have you come at this time?" He looks at her not as a child would but as an adult would.
"Truthfully I don't know. I was given something and was told to return it at another time. Now I am here and want to return it. "She looks at him if he is the grown medicine man from before why was she sent back to when he is a child. They come to stand in front of the teepee where his mother sits. Looking at her is like looking in a mirror. She looks like a younger version of her great gran. This must be her great great great grandmother. Sitting down with them she stares at her. Wondering if her a.s.sumption is correct and she is Onacona's mother as well. The woman only smiles at her and offers her food. Graciously taking what is offered she eats the fish and bread. Inola has come to find her when he sees a familiar face. The young girl beside Aisling is his great grandmother. Tears are forming in his eyes for the last time he saw her was when she was dying. That was when he was a young man. Enisi he wonders if this is his great gran then the boy is his uncle as well. That would mean that Aisling and Astila share an ancestor at some point. Coming over to sit beside Aisling Inola stares at the woman, not even noticing that Aisling is staring as well.
"Mother they are spirit people who came to give uncle a present. They both carry your blood. She carries mine and the man carries the blood of uncle." He says it as matter of fact. As if there is no denying it to be true.
"Waya don't be rude how do you know this. " she looks exasperated at her son wondering where he gets such ideas from.
"It's true
" if what he says is true then you cannot be who I thought you were." He says it very quietly hoping she doesn't hear the disappointment in his voice.
" oh who did you think I was? " looking at him curiously with a slight smirk.
" I thought you might have been my Enisi Woya. " her eyes grow wide at what he says. She quickly stands up and takes his hand and guides him to a nearby dwelling. There on a pile of hides is a young woman who looks just like this one. Aisling and Inola look at each other they now know why they were sent here. She is heavily pregnant and carrying a fever. Aisling goes quickly to the lake to fetch water to boil for a herbal tea from the herbs in her bag. Inola quickly makes the woman comfortable and listens to her chest. Aisling arrives back at the dwelling with the water to boil. Placing the peppermint,eucalyptus and fenugreek to let it boil. Sprinkling some eucalyptus leaves onto the fire as well letting the smoke fill the dwelling. Inola asks the woman for some rags. Looking at Aisling wondering if she knows a way to cool the rags to place on her feverish skin. Aisling turns to Inola
"Do you think that getting water from the deepest part of the lake will help? The water will be colder and with the sun gone now it will be cooling." He nods to her and leaves the dwelling. He runs into a solder on his way to find a pot to put water in.
" there is a sick pregnant woman. Do you have a iron pot that I can get water from the middle of the lake with?" The solder feeling bad for so many dying on the way here he gets a canoe and fetches the cold water for him.Aisling helps cool her down with the cold compresses until her fever breaks. Her breathing is labored,and she is very weak. Aisling rests her head on her chest to listen to her breathing.She begins to cough; the congestion is finally beginning to break up. Aisling makes some oregano tea for the infection, if they alternate between the two teas she should start to feel better. As she is moving the girl, to raise her some so she can breathe. The medicine man comes in.
"How is my wife doing? Will she be ok?" His voice is heavy with worry. Aisling knows he will not come completely in,since to them it is bad luck for a woman who is pregnant to be near a man. They believe that when a woman is menstruating or pregnant that they are dangerous to others. She stands to go outside to talk to him.
"She will be fine. When is she due to have the child?"She wants to know how far along she is. So that they can see how long they may have to get her stronger to deliver.
"Not for another moon. Will she be ok by then?" His anxiety over her is apparent; by his constant rubbing of his hands together. Aisling takes his hands and smiles warmly at him "
"She will be fine trust me. You will have a long line of healers. For many years to come. " Inola watches Aisling comfort his great grandfather. Smiling to himself at the compa.s.sionate woman she is. Walking over to them, he needs to remind them that they have some unfinished business.
"May we go back to his dwelling and finish our talk from yesterday? Also that way maybe you can rest. You have been up for two days already. You must be exhausted." He knows that it must be tiring for her to keep the glamour spell going as well as using most of her energy to care for the sick. She nods at him and they make their way back to the medicine mans dwelling.