Morning all and welcome to the Fifteen Minute Novel. Here I take the start of a story idea and work on it for fifteen minutes a day. I started with an old writing prompt that interested me, cleaned it up a bit to fit the basic outline of the story I want to write and then set aside fifteen minutes each week day to see it grow. Each morning’s writing starts with the last sentence of the day before. And so now we have the story of Kasca…
Day :134 She tied it in place and picked up three vials from her collection.
She tied it in place and picked up three vials from her collection. She held one of the vials out to the clerk. “You are?” she asked.
“Darien,” he told her taking the vial.
“Darien,” she said. “If you have never had the contagion then this should keep you from contracting it. Drink all of it.” He nodded and quickly removed the cork stopper toosing the contents back. Kasca turned to the guards.
“You are?”
“Franac,” the blonde one said.
“Mardon,” the brunette replied. Both were studying the two vials she held.
Kasca held one out to each of them. “If you have contracted the disease once before, these should keep you from getting it again.” They took the vials as eagerly a Darien had and drank them down as fast. “I will still be cleansing the shop after any contaminated have visited, for as long as they come individually and there will be a more thorough cleansing at the end of the day. This will include the exterior of your clothing so you won’t risk carrying any contagion home with you to your families. Don’t leave until I’ve done the cleansing. I would like to avoid helping it to spread.”
All three men nodded and Kasca tried to ignore the relief on their faces. She knew it was because she appeared to have a plan when at the moment no one else did, but she tried not to let it bother her. ‘No other way,’ Kasca told herself. She couldn’t do anything to save her home but this was her home now and she couldn’t stand by when this time she knew she could help.
Kasca gave the guards quick instructions. At the moment thee was little to do wo it mostly involved lurking without scaring customers. As the customers started coming in, Kasca showed Darien how to deal with things. She knew that as he had no healer training of any sort there would be things she needed to attend to, but the sale of ready made items, once he located them on the shelves was fairly straightforward.
Once he had the general rhythm down, Kasca left him to it and went into the workroom. She propped the door open as she began to process the few items she brought with her. By the time she was nearly finished with that, her larger purchases began arriving. They were directed into place and Kasca got back to work.
Occasionally she was called to the front to consult about something. The Blood Death was still a concern but there were colds, sore throats and general fevers to deal with. Even when it was an every day sore throat, Kasca cleansed after the patient left. She didn’t need the others, now that they were here, to come down with a head cold that sent them to bed for several days either.
The day passed rather quietly and Kasca was relieved she managed to move forward in her efforts to create more of the potions she would need to combine later. The end of the day approached and Kasca heard the door at the front ring. She heard Darien’s steps and when she turned she saw the concern on his face. A woman carried a small child. The signs of the disease were clear.
“Is this is his first round with the Blood Death,” Kasca asked.
“Yes, we managed to keep him from it last year,” Kasca nodded. She went back into the workroom and picked up the appropriate vial. She passed it to the woman who lay the coins gratefully on the counter. She got the child to drink down the vial even as Kasca gave her the general every day instructions. The woman left, her features nearly sagging with relief.
