Heart of the Forest (Arwn's Gift Book 1)

Heart of the Forest (Arwn's Gift Book 1) Read Free

Book: Heart of the Forest (Arwn's Gift Book 1) Read Free
Author: Christina Quinn
Tags: Fantasy
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Ynyr’s a good man, er…elf. He should be paid for his work.”
    “So what sort of name is Valentina? I haven’t heard it before…and your coloring…” I looked down at my hands for a moment, surveying my warm golden skin. I was born in the Kingdom of Vanotti, a land of gardens and sweet, warm winds. My father had been a merchant and, after receiving a patent to sell goods in Ersland, moved my entire family here when I was five. I didn’t look a thing like my sister, a blonde with bright emerald irises and an exotic accent. No, I looked like my mother: olive-skinned, with dark hair and a mouth perhaps too full for my face. In Vanotti, I would have been considered an exceptional beauty. Here, I was prized for my shapeliness and my unique lavender eyes, but aside from that, I wasn’t considered noteworthy.
    “I’m a Vanotta.” My accent slipped across my tongue like a long-lost lover’s kiss.
    “So the rumors are true then.”
    “What rumors?”
    “That Vanotti women are the most beautiful in the world. They possess in gold and jet what few have in milk and honey. I have never seen irises like that before.”
    “Everyone says that about somewhere. People say lots of stupid things to get between a woman’s thighs. In Vanotti, they say it about those pale Ersland girls whose cheeks blossom like roses when they blush. Come, we have to set his leg,” I said as I stepped past him and into the back room. I hated setting bones. “Did you ever assist your mother setting bones before?” I asked lifting the furs from around the unconscious elf’s wounded leg.
    “No, I’ve seen it done but never helped.”
    “Well, it’s simple enough. Once we have his leg laid on the splint, you just need to grab his ankle and gently pull it toward you until I tell you to let go. I’ll warn you, though, he will scream.” After imparting that bit of advice, I dashed off to grab the tiny bit of rolled leather for him to bite on, before tossing a small linen pouch of herbs into the teapot.
    Returning to the room, I carefully positioned the wounded elf’s leg on the splint and placed the bit between his teeth. Tracing my hand down his pale thigh to the swell of the break, I nodded to the hooded elf, who slowly pulled on the ankle as I commanded. The wounded elf screamed till he was hoarse as I slowly aligned the bone pieces together and then signaled to the hooded figure once more. He released the leg, and I started buckling the straps that would hold the leg in place. The wounded elf sobbed behind the bit when we were finished. Tears streamed down his cheeks, which glistened with sweat. His chest heaved rapidly. I almost didn’t want to use the spirit of hartshorn to wake him. Almost. He needed to drink the tea to bring the swelling down and ease the pain.
    After snatching the small glass bottle from the nearby shelf, I uncorked it. I then waved it under the wounded elf’s nose, and he blinked into consciousness with a gasp. His eyes were odd. One was a warm reddish-, almost copper-brown the shade of autumn leaves, and the other was a rich green. He gazed wildly around the room.
    “I’ll let you two speak while I ready the tea,” I said quickly before I left the room. I hadn’t even crossed the threshold when they started speaking in that soft, lilting tongue. The weight of their gazes on me made me move sluggishly as I poured the tea and grabbed a potion from the shelf.
    Upon returning to the room, I surveyed Aneurin’s face. It was clear he was in pain; his furrowed brow glistened with a sheen of sweat. He stared at me for a while, his bicolored gaze seeming to assess me as I placed the tea on the small table next to the bed.
    “Drink the tea, and then take this.” I held the small vial out to him. “But only take it after you’ve finished all the tea. The tea is for the swelling and pain; the potion will help you sleep and maybe help speed healing. It worked on the daughter of the elvish-smith when she had a similar

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