Chapter 120

• Shaelan stood with her arms crossed, looking out the large bay window. From this viewpoint atop the ridge, she could see down into the whole village. This view alone should make the position of the village healer a coveted job. With the scenery and quiet space, who wouldn’t want this?
• The job wasn’t popular though, then again to live in this house and hold that position, you had to start training and learning early in life. From around eight years old, the lessons started. With the remote location of the settlement, you had to learn every plant, animal, and mineral, on the mountain then utilize all you could. Accessing modern medicines was virtually impossible. They had some brought up in the regular supply runs, but those took a week, sometimes two, depending on the season. Knowing how to deal with any situation using what was at hand was of the utmost importance.
• Shaelan had known this was for her, even when she was a child. While her friends were playing hide and seek, she was studying the plants on the ground. It felt like a calling, even then. She’d gone against her father’s wishes and climbed the hill to the medicine woman’s home and knocked on the door to ask for training. Since then, she hadn’t thought of anything but healing.