The Magi: Introducing Marnie (part 1)

[k_a_webb]

The matriarch of the Magi would never forgive anything she perceived to be morally wrong. That was why she would never be open to the possibility of helping the Carne, even in their hour of greatest need. They had once, long ago, kept them as slaves and, even though there was no longer anyone in either race who lived through those days, she would not forget that. So when a Carne male walked into the council hall one autumn afternoon, in the same way that someone from any other race would, everyone already knew what her answer to his plea for help would be. Her daughter Marnie knew better than anyone because she had been the one to listen, unwillingly, to the many diatribes her mother had gone on.

For a long moment there was silence when he walked in. He looked tired and pensive. Marnie didn’t believe anyone in the room, even her mother, thought that the Carne would ever ask the Magi for help. She thought it was a silly belief as they were healers so they should have known that the day would come when the Carne would need them, even if the Carne didn’t want to need them. The Carne did have their own healers but no one had the training that the Magi had.

“We need your help,” he said, his voice strong so it would reach to where the matriarch was sat at the end of the table, even though it was full of worry and fatigue. “There is an illness raging through my people that no one can control and many are dying. Our healers were the first to die.”

“A long time ago our people made a pact not to help yours,” she replied, no sympathy in her voice at all. “I will not go against my ancestors, who were kept as slaves for hundreds of years.”

Agreements were voiced all the way up the table but Marnie didn’t agree. “Isn’t it time we let go of past vendettas and began a new relationship?” she asked, looking over at the man who was standing at the end of the table before looking at her mother, trying not to let the disgust she felt show. “I’m sure there are many things that the Carne can offer us as every other race does.”

The council members all stared at her. It was the first time she had ever really spoken in the council hall and she had spoken against her mother, the well loved matriarch of the Magi. Her mother had the look on her face that she wore every time she was disappointed at her only daughter. Marnie was nothing like her mother so she disappointed her often. There was no way she would back down though. She truly believed it was time to let go of the past and move on.

“Marnie, you have studied our history. You know that your great-great-great-great grandmother fought against the Carne for our freedom. They made a pact never to help the Carne.”

“Actually Mother the pact was not to help the Carne until they had changed their views on slavery.” Once again she looked at the man at the end of the table. “Have the Carne changed their views on slavery?”

“Yes, two generations ago. We now have a law against slavery.” He smiled at her and she could see his pointed canines. “It’s much simpler to trade for the services we need by offering the things we have.”

She only just managed to keep a smile from touching her lips, knowing that she needed to be serious otherwise the other council members would never trust in her judgement. “What do you have?”

“Fruits that won’t grow in Magi land, meat products, and a couple of herbs that only grow in Carne land.”

“How many healers do you need?”

The smile disappeared. “I don’t know. There were hundreds of people who were ill when I left but that number could have grown since.”

“There will be no healers going into their country,” her mother interjected, her voice full of fury. “I will not allow it.”

“You are happy to be the reason that hundreds, maybe thousands, of people die?” Marnie asked calmly, looking over at her.

“The illness is the reason that people will die. It has nothing to do with me.”

“The illness may not have anything to do with you but you are happy to stop healers from going to help those who are suffering. We could help people get better and yet you are going to let them suffer because of something their ancestors did.”

“It’s the right thing to do for the Magi. We may lose healers if we send them into Carne land if this illness really is as virulent as he says it is.”

“That has never bothered you before.”

Marnie remembered a time when her mother had sent a group of Magi healers into Garcer territory and they had lost every one of them to the disease. That had been a devastating time for them all, but it had been especially hard for her because her younger brother Terrence had been one of the group. It had taken her a long time to forgive her mother for sending him into such a dangerous situation. They all knew how bad the illness could be.

“The Carne aren’t worth the loss of life.”

She found herself fighting not to lose her temper as she looked between the man who had entered the council chamber looking for help even though he was sure he wouldn’t get it and the woman who she couldn’t respect any more. Her belief in her mother’s judgement had been fading for a long time so this was the last straw. That was when she made the decision that she would help the Carne. Her belief was that anyone who needed help should get it, no matter what. When someone needed help she gave it to them because she had the ability to. It didn’t matter what they had or hadn’t done, or if they could pay or not; as she didn’t believe that she had the right to choose who to heal and who not to.

She looked around at the woman she had once respected. “Who are we to choose to let these people die? They made a mistake hundreds of years ago that we are still punishing them for without giving them a chance to make amends. You have all taken the oath. We pledged to help all those who needed it, not just those we have a good relationship with. It took this man courage to come here, knowing what our opinion was of his people, but you sit there judging him based on his ancestors. He is not his ancestors.” She shook her head. “We have no right to judge anyone.”

There was muttering all around the table but no one actually said anything in reply. “Give me five minutes to get my belongings together,” she said to the man at the end of the table, who she was getting fed up of calling ‘the man at the end of the table’ in her head. “I will help your people.”

She knew what her mother was going to say to that so she didn’t give her a chance. It was easier to just walk out of the council hall and straight to the cottage she shared with both her parents. Her father would be at work so she wouldn’t have to explain to him what was going on. There was no way she was going to make him choose between her mother and herself because he didn’t deserve that. He had always been the parent she looked up to.

Within a minute she had shoved some clothes into her bag, grabbed the two books she used the most, and gathered up her healing supplies. Each healer had their own healing supplies but that didn’t stop Marnie’s mother from using Marnie’s regularly because she kept them in better condition. She took her short cut to the cooking cottage, where the Magi still ate all their meals, where she could collect some travelling food. As the council session was still technically ongoing she knew no one would be there. The travelling food was all kept in one place, ready for whenever someone was needed to go to another country or one of the outlying Magi towns.

As she headed for the entrance to the town she hoped that the Carne visitor had managed to get out of the council room. If he hadn’t then she would still go but it would take a lot longer to convince his people that she really was there to help them. If things really were as bad as he described that extra time could lead to more deaths. Thankfully he was stood waiting for her, still smiling.

“Your mother might disown you,” he said conversationally as they started walking. “She was really angry that you had gone against your heritage.”

“Mother never really liked me so I’m surprised she didn’t do it sooner. Maybe she can make my older brother the leader the way she always wanted to.” She shrugged. “I’m Marnie.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Marnie. I’m Thomar.”

“What can you tell me about the illness?”

“I don’t know anything about it. When I left the capital city we were free of any contagion and I was told to avoid all towns so I didn’t come down with it before I got to the Magi. To be honest I thought it was a waste of time to even try to get one healer to come but I’m glad I was wrong.”

“Not everyone has the same beliefs as Mother. When I took my oath I meant it. We heal everyone without judging them for their past crimes. That is up to a law man, not a healer.”

“We did commit heinous crimes against your people.”

“It’s in the past. I believe that what you do now is important and not what your ancestors did then. We also committed crimes against your people in our effort to free ourselves so we’re not exactly free of blame.” She shrugged. “How long did it take you to get here?”

“Two days.”

“Do you think you’re capable of walking all night because we need to get back faster than you got here?”

“If I have to then I will do it.”

“Good.”

Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.