The Magi: Lorna: Leaving the Magi

[k_a_webb]

The decision Lorna had to make was simple enough, but it meant walking away from her responsibilities. As the eldest daughter of the matriarch she was the heir to that position and under different circumstances she would have been happy to become the leader of the Magi. Her problem was how their ability was being granted to those who could afford it, instead of those who needed it most, which was the same thing many of her fellow healers had a problem with too. It appeared that there was beginning to be a difference between the Magi and the healers, and she was a healer. That was what her mentor had trained her to be, so that was what she was going to be.

Packing the last of her clothes, Lorna looked around the cottage she had been given during her coming of age ceremony and sighed. When she was young there had been so many things she had wanted to do, so many things she had believed she could do, but nothing was as simple as she thought it would be. Fixing the Magi wasn’t something she would be able to do, because there were too many of them who agreed with the philosophy that those who could pay should be healed. Leaving, allowing those who needed help to find her, was really her only option if she was going to be the healer she’d been trained to be.

“Lorna,” a recognisable voice said from the door, making her jump, “if you’re leaving I want to come with you.”

Shaking her head, Lorna turned to look at the boy who had become her shadow. “Callum…”

“Don’t say no. It’s really not your choice to make and you know I’ll just follow you any way.” Callum smiled at her, stepping further into the cottage. “You’ve taught me what it really means to be a healer. People out there need us, people who can’t afford the Magi’s prices, so I want to take my abilities to them.”

Running a hand through her hair Lorna tried her best not to smile. “Are you sure?” He nodded, but she held up a hand. “Living away from the Magi isn’t going to be easy. There are no comfortable cottages out there for us and you’re going to have to get used to the cold, because winter isn’t far off.”

“I know.” Callum’s smile hadn’t faded, the way Lorna had expected it to when he was confronted with the realities of what he was asking to do. “I’ve thought of everything, okay, because this is what I’m certain I want to do. No matter how cold it gets, no matter how hard things are, I’m happy that I’ve made the right choice.”

Lorna was almost certain he wouldn’t feel the same way when he’d had several meals of boiled roots during the coldest of the winter months, but she wasn’t going to stop him from going with her if that was what he really wanted to do. Finally allowing herself to smile she picked up her bag.

“Come on then,” she said.

Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.

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>> I’ll just follow you any way.” <<

That should say "anyway" above.

I really like the direction of this story and how it deals with the issue of affording health care in a fantasy setting. I'd like to explore that further.