//------------------------------//
// The Healer 
// Story: She Kills Monsters 
// by chiko 
//------------------------------//

“Without the snow, you'd be a goner," the doctor said, slowly cleaning out the wound. She threw the old bandages to the side before applying a new layer. “It slowed the bleeding. Though, any longer on the ice, and it could have gotten worse.”

“Spare the details,” Lana said. “Maude’s squeamish.”

“I am,” said Maude, her expression unchanging.

“That should be it.” The doctor pushed up her glasses. “Be sure to swap out the bandages every few hours, but the wound should pose no problems.”

Piper sighed. “Thank goodness. I thought I lost my friend.”

Lana rolled her eyes. “You’ve known her for a day.”

“You can make friends in a day.”

The door crashed open, bringing in the encroaching blizzard. Lana cursed, rushed to the door, and slammed it shut as two figures stumbled inside.

“My friends!” Piper chirped.

“More strangers,” Maude noted.

“Woof,” Scott groaned, shedding a coat of snow-covered fur. “You do not wanna go out there.”

April kicked off her boots before rushing over to Renee’s side. “Hey there. We lost track of you in the wood.”

“Not your fault,” Renee groaned weakly. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“We got where we needed to in the end,” April assured. “The castle’s only a stone’s throw away.”

“We leave at dawn,” Scott added.

“Everyone best go to sleep,” Lana suggested. “Doc, unless you want to share the one bed with me and my sisters, I suggest you take the good chair. The brutes can take the floor.”





Renee woke up to searing pain on her wound. She opened her eyes, finding the doctor hovering over her. Scott and April lay on each other on the floor, snoring by the embers of the hearth.

“I apologize,” the doctor said clinically. “Come morning, you should be strong enough to heal yourself, but right now I need to change your bandages.”

“It’s alright, doctor.” Renee sat up, groaning in pain.

“You can call me Tara,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind the lack of formality, princess.”

“No, no I don’t.” Renee winced as Tara applied a bit of pressure.

“I pray you can end this blizzard." The doctor tied up the last bit of the bandage. "I’m no sorcerer, but I can sense when royal magic is involved. Your sister is quite the interesting individual.”

Renee sighed. “Yeah, she was.”

“What made you return to Belle Reve? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Renee thought about it for a moment. “She needed me, and I think I need her.”

Tara nodded. “That’s what family is for. I’ve been keeping my brother’s head on straight for years.”

“I agree,” said a quiet voice in the dark. The other two women jumped. A meek, sickly looking child stepped into the candlelight. She held a jar of water. “I don’t think this blizzard is evil.”

“Mabel, right?” Renee sat up, despite the pains.

The girl nodded subtly. “I feel the queen is misguided. She needs her sister to see what matters most.”