This week's segment has a content warning. Gin & Chronic will never be scary, but some topics merit a little extra care.
Audio Read-Along:
Recap: The wizard Jerard and the herbalist Eloise have just discovered the body of the town's elder, Elsbeth. Before they can react, a guardsman stumbles onto the scene.
(Click here to read from the beginning.)
Segment 3: Abortion
"Who's there?" the man's deep voice cut through the night, laced with suspicion. Eloise shrank behind Jerard, pulling her dark hood over her face.
"Get over here, lad. This is no time to be shy. Help us," Jerard barked, his eyes narrowing.
The guard looked affronted, squaring his shoulders. "You ought to show more respect to the king's man. I've half a mind to subdue both of you."
Eloise, forgetting to be appropriately dainty and helpless, scoffed and blurted out, "The hell does that mean? We didn't do anything!"
"Shut up, both of you." Jerard cut in, though Eloise could see his mouth twitching, trying to avoid smiling. "Boy, get your ass over here. Girl, walk ahead of us and hold up the light." He uttered an incantation that lit his wand, then handed it to Eloise. She took it and stalked away, her back rigid. Jerard watched her go, a thoughtful expression on his old face.
The guard approached and helped Jerard respectfully drape Elsbeth with his cloak. Together, they lifted the body, and Eloise led them out of the forest, holding the lit wand high.
As they walked, the guard spoke again, his tone more measured. "I'm Caius. The king's man, as I said."
"Congratulations," Jerard mumbled tersely.
"I'm on patrol. The trees fell silent, which is unusual. I decided to investigate further. And then I found you two with a body," Caius replied, his eyes flicking between Eloise and Jerard. "I'm assuming I can take you two in good faith that you had nothing to do with this?"
"We already told you we didn't do anything," Eloise snapped, glancing over at Caius. Despite the tension, she couldn't help but notice how his eyes softened when he looked at her.
As they reached the village, a crowd began to form around them. Murmurs turned to gasps and then to shouts as they recognized Elsbeth's lifeless form.
Fearful of the crowd's scrutiny, Eloise slipped away, her heart pounding. She hurried through the narrow, winding streets until she reached her little yellow cottage on the edge of town. She came in, grabbed the kettle, and started to brew an elixir with the rue she had collected in the forest. She massaged her aching joints, grateful for this herb that helped manage her chronic pain. It was a devil to get a hold of. Suddenly, a frantic knock echoed through her door.
"Doctor!" a voice called out.
She opened the door to find one of the nobleman's servants, panic etched on her face. "Doctor? The lady... she's been poisoned. Please, come quickly!"
Eloise grabbed her herbalist bag and followed the servant to the nobleman's estate. Inside, chaos reigned. The nobleman's wife—or was it his mistress?—lay pale and sweating, clutching her curved stomach.
"What happened?"
"We—we don't know," said the young woman, fighting back tears, "I found her like this after dinner, ma'am. Bleeding."
Eloise snapped into action. She addressed the attendant at the lady's bedside. "Go and get your master. Then bring me boiled water and an iron pot that's been in your kitchen for at least five years." She turned and put a hand on the servant girl's shoulder. "It's alright. Try to pull yourself together. We need to stay calm so that she can stay calm."
The girl nodded and followed the attendant out of the room. When they returned, the nobleman had arrived and stood red-faced in the doorway. Eloise was sitting on the bed, murmuring softly to her.
Her hands twisted her herbs as she spoke, bruising the fragrant leaves. She steeped them in boiling water, and the lady drank it slowly. As she did, a healthy flush returned to her face. The room breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"I feel better," she croaked, sitting up. "But the baby— "
"You'll be all right," Eloise replied, clipping her bag shut, "you both will." The woman laughed in relief, leaning back with her hand on her heart. She reached out and embraced Eloise. She held the hug for a long time.
The nobleman watched them intently. "You seem well-versed in these matters, Doctor," he remarked, trying to sound casual but failing to mask his suspicion.
Eloise nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. "I've studied herbs for years. It's my profession."
He leaned in closer. "This herb... the one that saved her. What is it?"
Eloise hesitated. "It's a rare blend. Difficult to obtain."
His gaze grew more intense. "I heard whispers about a certain herb—rue. Poisonous in the wrong hands. Do you know anything about that?"
Eloise stiffened but kept her composure. "Rue can be dangerous, yes. But in small, controlled doses, it can heal."
The nobleman nodded slowly. "And who would have access to such a rare and powerful herb?"
Eloise met his gaze steadily. "Only those who know its secrets and respect its power." Her voice was calm, but there was fire in her eyes.
He looked at his now-recovered partner and then back at Eloise. "You were the last to see Elsbeth before she died, were you not?" The room fell silent as every head turned towards them.
A chill ran down Eloise's spine. "No. Jerard, the wizard, found me in the forest and asked me to help. We don't know who saw her last."
The nobleman's eyes hardened, and he stepped forward, pointing a sausage-like finger in her face. "Your family used to own this estate before it was rightfully claimed. You're the only one in town that uses that pagan weed. It's not a stretch to think you might have poisoned my family. After all," he sneered, "it runs in your blood."
The room fell silent as every head turned towards them, the weight of suspicion hanging heavily in the air. Eloise's heart pounded. "That's absurd! I would never—"
"You're coming with me, "he interrupted, grabbing her arm. "The town will decide what to do with you."
OMG poor old Eloise! That's the thanks she gets for helping and healing! Sounds like she has an interesting and rich family history, though - I can't wait to discover more about her!
The mention of rue was awesome! Burning rue seeds, called esfand in Persian, is an important folk tradition for Iranians! 🙂