The Lifting of Curses

---

Leek has always been a morning person. It comes with being raised in a temple to the Morninglord. Each morning she would wake up at dawn and say her thank you prayers to the sun on its rising axis. Mornings are good; Mornings are the start of a new day, new beginnings, and new life.

That morning at the Youngmeadow Farm was less than ideal, and even with Leek’s internal clock automatically waking her up with the rising of the sun, she was groggy and sore. The wound where she had been bitten throbbed, and her prayers were distracted, if not more earnest than the usual, more casual greeting of the morning.

Sheryl and Leek had a lot to do today, and saw their companions off in the morning while they waited behind for Emily Youngmeadow. The small woman kept a casual watchful eye on the goliath as she wasn’t sure if Leek was grumpy because of her lack of sleep or if it was the effects of the curse already starting. Being aware of the giant woman’s mood meant she was careful to not make any loud noises.

Eventually, as the two of them were waiting outside, Sheryl’s mind wandered to her thoughts from the previous night about the Lady. Unconsciously, she started singing softly to herself as she watched the sun’s rays reach down past the tops of the trees, their bows gently swaying in the breeze.

        The first word was 'dream' heard while I slept
        Whispering beyond the forest
        Beautiful and sad was the voice, calling
        Leading me through the darkness

Sheryl’s voice catches on the breeze and shakes Leek out of her thoughts. She looks down at the halfling with a gentle smile. Her thoughts had been uncharacteristically dark, twinged with worry. She hadn’t meant to drift into a corner like that, and the fact that she had worried her even more. Music would do them good.

Both of them, Leek thinks, glancing over her shoulder at Emily speaking in a hushed voice to her brother, clutching his hands in hers.

“Is that your own song?”

“Yes,” Sheryl says, smiling sadly. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently.”

“It’s real nice, I wouldn’t mind hearing the rest of it. Best if we keep Emily comfortable and all on the way.”

Sheryl turns back and sees Antonio hug Emily. The young woman looks uncomfortable for half a moment, but then relaxes into the embrace.

“I have no doubt we will be able to get the curse lifted from the both of you, Leek. There is so much magic in the realms, anything is possible.” Sheryl smiles up at the tall woman and places a hand on her forearm. “I believe it.”

Leek smiles back down at Sheryl, and nods. “Thank you for this, it means a lot.”

They both turn at the sounds of Antonio and Emily approaching.

“Ready?” Sheryl asks Emily, all warmth and smiles.

The woman doesn’t say anything, just nods.

“We will have you back with your family before you know it,” Sheryl gives a look to Antonio. “Promise.”

The man nods and tries to smile for his sister as he says, “I’ll be waiting for you Emily.”

Emily opens her mouth, looking like she wants to say something, but then closes it, nods again. Then she joins Sheryl and Leek and the three of them start to make their way back to Daring Heights.

---

During the walk back Leek offers a spot on her shoulder for Sheryl to sit on for the journey, with her stride much longer than that of a halfling. From her Goliath perch, Sheryl keeps a constant stream of music playing on her harp. Some of the songs are just light plucking notes, others turn into ballads about two young lovers, another is of a man who loves his horse so much he brings it everything it could ever want for, including a castle full of hay. No matter which turn she plays, Leek and Emily feel a calming magic laced through every note, like chamomile tea for the soul.

Leek knows calming magic when she feels it, and she welcomes its effect wholeheartedly. She had never been the quickest learner but magic like that, the sort that soothes and heals, had always felt more intuitive than anything else. She knows it like she knows her rituals, like she knows her home, and for Sheryl’s music she is grateful.

As they walk and as Sheryl sings, Leek asks her questions about the stories. Do the lovers find happiness in the end? Did the horse bring anything good back to the man? She asks with the eagerness of someone who loves stories, who in turn tells Sheryl all about her favourite tales, the ones in the books she had back home that she read over and over again until the pages fell out. None of them were complex, no tomes for advanced readers, but their tales were warm, and filled with happy endings.

Talking about the good things was a welcome distraction from the job at hand, and Leek does her very best to include Emily in the conversation. She had been trying since the night before to make sure that Emily knew she was safe and she was not about to stop that now. At first the young woman is quiet, walking as if Leek and Sheryl were taking her to jail rather than to healers. But with the combined effort of Sheryl’s music and Leek’s sunny personality Emily eventually opens up as well, shoulders relaxing and even a smile touching her eyes.

---

The three women stand in front of the temple of Selune looking up at it’s face. Emily’s hands are clenched in fists at her side. Sheryl gazes at the female eyes surrounded by seven silver stars quizzically, head tilted in thought. Leek catches the eyes of Selune as well and her bright, exuberant smile shifts into something softer, more comfortable, less instinctual. Selune may not be her God, but a child of Lathander knows Selune well. For being so far from home, from living this new life of an adventurer, being within the presence of a familiar God, on the grounds of a temple is grounding and warm. Wanting to go right in, but not wanting to push her new companions, Leek shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot.

“Well uh, if Selune’s who we’re gonna be asking for help then I’m not seein’ how this can go bad at all. Should we go on in then?” Leek asks the group.

“Yes, let’s,” replies Sheryl.

The three of them climb the steps and walk past the threshold. The moment they step under the archway all three of them blink, eyes adjusting. It’s not that it’s dark inside the temple, but rather a curtain of night drapes across their eyes, though they see perfectly fine.

Sheryl looks around and spots a young girl with neck-length dark hair and vibrant green eyes walking down one of the aisles near the far wall, hastedly making her way to greet the newcomers.

“Hello! Excuse me, can you help us?” she calls over to the girl. “My friends, Leek and Emily,” Sheryl turns back and gestures, and Leek waves back, her bright smile back on her face, “they need a curse lifted from them.”

The young girl looks over Sheryl in a confused way, glances over at Leek and Emily, who has trailed behind the goliath a little ways. The young woman raises an eyebrow as her eyes fall upon the symbol emblazoned on Leek’s chest.

“You follow another deity, do you not?” she asks her.

“Yes, I do, but I’ve always had lots of respect for y’all here under Selune, she seems just lovely,” she replies, all earnest enthusiasm.

“And what is this curse that is affecting you?”

Leek falters slightly, when asked that question, and instinctually rubs at the side of her neck. Hand right on the bite, she winces, sheepish. “I got bit by a werewolf last night, and I don’t think Lathander would like it if I kept this Lycanthropy situation on me.”

“Oh, that sounds very serious but you’re in luck, Master Rholor is in today - dealing with some council business from the temple.” she says. Looking past Leek to Emily she asks, “And you?”

Emily looks at the young woman but then casts her eyes down and says softly. “The werewolf curse. I… I was the one that bit her.”

The woman’s eyebrows shoot up in odd curiosity. “Really now. Interesting. How long have you been a werewolf?”

There’s a long pause before she answers. “Six weeks.”

“Wow.” She turns to Sheryl as they approach a closed door at the end of a corridor that smells faintly of incense. “Uhm... wait here. I’ll explain the situation to him.”

Minutes later, a man that can’t be past his thirties but with a disturbingly wise gaze in his eyes, with wavy brown hair, tied in a bun and expertly trimmed beard steps out of the room with the young girl closely following behind.

He turns to the three newcomers with a tired smile. “Ah, a pleasure to meet you. Melissa here told me of your predicament, worry not I can safely remove the curse, for both of them.” Emily’s head snaps up, hope shining in her eyes. “But there are certain materials I need to use, you will have to pay for those and I’m afraid they’re not cheap.” At the mention of money Emily starts to look worried but Sheryl doesn’t miss a beat.

“I will cover the costs, do not worry about that. All that matters is that they are free of it. Free to return home.” Sheryl turns to her new friend Leek and young Emily and smiles.

The man nods. “Good. I will get the ingredients prepared. Please, wait here, I will fetch you individually when I am ready.” He turns and goes back through the door, into what now can clearly be identified as a library of sorts, leaving the visitors with Melissa once more.

Once Master Rholor is gone, Leek releases a deep breath, and relaxes the respectful posture she had been holding. “I’m so glad you brought me to this place Sheryl, and I don’t know how I’m gonna pay you back for the costs but I will, I promise you.”

“You don’t have to worry about paying me back Leek. I’m happy I can help my friends.”

Emily lets out a little sob and sits down on a bench by a base of a statue. Sheryl and Leek go over to her.

“Emily what’s wrong?” Sheryl asks worriedly, and one of Leek’s big hands held onto Emily’s shoulder, rubbing gently.

“I didn’t- I thought I would be- stuck- like this- forever,” she sobs. Sheryl and Leek share a look and then look back at the young woman.

“We wouldn’t leave you to suffer, not if there’s a way to get it fixed. I promised you we’d find a way to fix this and I meant it. I don’t go back on no promises.” says Leek.

“You’ll be back home with your family soon. I promised you didn’t I?” says Sheryl, taking her hands. Emily squeezes them tightly.

“I’m ready,” says a male voice from inside the room. The three of them turn to see Rholor stepping out of the library, wearing white robes with silver thread embroidery that clearly exudes some kind of magical aura. “Come,” and he gestures for Emily to follow.

She stands up and Sheryl moves to step away but Emily doesn’t let go of her hands. An idea comes to the bard’s mind.

“Do you think it would be possible for me to be in the room with you?” Sheryl asks. Rholor turns around and his piercing blue eyes look at her inquisitively. “I know a little of the arcane magics but this is something I’d like to learn more about.”

He thinks for a moment and then says, “Yes, yes, that should be fine. Come then, follow me.”

Emily and Sheryl follow him into a side room and the oak door softly closes behind them, leaving Leek to wait for her turn to have the curse lifted. She sat in the spot Emily had been, twiddling her thumbs and looking around the temple. So different from the Spires of the Morning, but more like home than anything else she’d seen in Kantas so far. She started humming, as she waited, and the moment she spotted anyone walking through the temple she waved them over, and started to talk.

---

“I cannot thank you enough,” Emily said yet again to the cleric. “Thank you.”

“Please, it is unnecessary, I am here to help and I am glad to have done so. Please feel free to visit again, and don’t forget to leave a donation on your way out,” says Rholor, gesturing to a small wooden box by the main doors. “Now, if you do not mind, I have pressing city council business I wish to return to. You would think things would be quieter after the elections but no! More work than ever!” He says, partially joking, bowing his head and then turning and heading back to the temple’s library.

Sheryl turns to Leek. “Feeling better?”

Leek cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders, rubbing where the bite mark was but no longer stung quite so badly. “I feel great. Thank you again Sheryl, at least let me treat ya to a pint or two alright?” She says as Melissa escorts them back to the main praying area where moonlight starts to faintly creep through the stained glass dome above the main dais, bringing a sense of calmness to the room. Ten gold pieces drop into the donation box from Leek’s purse, as they leave without a curse to be found.