𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 (𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐁𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞)

xxiv.

The sounds of feet crunching old and dead leaves was heard through the quiet forest. Eleanor hummed softly to herself as she held hands with Gilbert, who was walking alongside her talking with Moody. 

"Isn't it beautiful out here?" Anne sighed as she spun around on her heels 

"It really is, I love the fall time." Eleanor smiled to her friend, the birds humming a soft tune in the tree's above. 

"Nature can be found all around us, even if we're not in the deep woods like we are now. It can be found in the books we read, the paper we use, and the animals that survive around the school house. Such as the birds and the bee's." Mrs Stacey went on as she touched a the trunk of a tree. 

"The birds and the bee's" Tilly giggled, making Eleanor roll her eyes with a giggle. 

"Bee's use pollen to grow flowers and pollenate the world around us." Mrs Stacey started with an eye roll, making the class groan in boredom. 

"I thought we were gonna learn about the real birds and the bee's." Josie mumbled. 

Mrs Stacey continued to talk about nature as Eleanor watched Moody jumping from rock to rock. But...his foot slipped and he scraped his thigh as he fell to the ground with a scream and a thump. 

"Oh ym goodness!" Mrs Stacey gasped as Moody gripped his leg and wailed in pain. 

Eleanor and Gilbert were quick to move beside Moody, Gilbert pulled up the boy's pant leg to see a large and open wound that was spewing out blood. 

Ruby let out a loud scream as she watched the blood ooze from Moody's leg. The group quickly looked up as they heard another scream erupt infront of them, two small Native American children were watching them with wide eyes. 

"Those are Ka'kwet's siblings!" Eleanor thought to herself as she watched them hurry off. 

"How does it look?" Mrs Stacey asked Gilbert as the boy knelt down. 

"It's to deep, it'll need stitching." Gilbert stated as Moody whined in pain. 

The girls were hurried around Ruby as she passed out on the forest floor, the shock of the situation getting to her. 

"The Native's village is just up the road from here, I'll go see if they can help." Anne stated before hurrying off. 

"What's wrong with Ruby?" Eleanor asked as the girl glanced over to the unconscious girl. 

"SHe's in shock, give her some of the honey Eleanor." Gilbert stated. 

She nodded before reaching into her satchel and pulling out a small jar of honey and a wooden spoon. 

"It'll help give her some energy, make sure she eats a little at a time." Eleanor stated as she handed the two items to Mrs Stacey. 

"This is the medicine woman, she can help Moody." Anne said as she emerged from the woods, an elder Native American woman emerged, along with the Ka'kwet's father. 

Ruby passed out yet again as she seen the Native's coming towards them. 

"Who died? My son said someone has died." the man asked. 

"No one is dead, a girl has passed out and a boy has cut his leg open." Eleanor explained. 

The elder woman spoke in a language that Eleanor knew not, but she understood the word "Scream" that Ka'kwet had taught her.

The man said something to the elder woman that made her roll her eyes and laugh, nudging him playfully on the shoulder before she bent forward and started to move a small piece of something tan colored towards Moody. Moody shook his head and sealed his lips shut. 

"It's from the Weeping Willow tree, grows by the water. It'll help with the pain." the man explained. Moody hesitantly obliged and ate it with a sour look on his face when Gilbert nodded. 

Eleanor was quick to pull out her notebook that she kept in her satchel and write down the plant that Moody was eating, she continued to listen when the elder woman explained that he would need stitching. 

"She said she's needs that honey." the man explained. 

Eleanor was quick to fumbler her notebook and honey jar before handing it to the lady, the lady smiled at her and nodded. 

"Honey is used for cleansing, no sickness can enter." the man explained. 

Eleanor wrote that down quickly as she knelt beside Moody, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

The Native woman pulled out a small sewing needle and some twine that looked to be made from thin bamboo, Eleanor wrote that down as she winced. 

Moody let out a hard scream as the woman started sewing him up, the honey dripping from his leg. 

Eleanor quickly shoved her handkerchief in Moody's mouth, he relaxed a little as he bit down onto it but continued to scream in pain. 

"She's almost done Moody, you're doing great." Eleanor explained as she and Gilbert both watched the lady stitch him up. 

Once she was finished, she tied a knot and wrapped the wound in a fresh piece of cloth she had brought with her. 

She spoke softly as the other man translated to Moody that he must be gentle and rest. 

The lady stood as Gilbert and the man helped her up, Gilbert thanked her and allowed her to keep the honey in the jar. Anne went off with the two as she spoke to Ka'kwet's father.

"You did amazing Moody, come on let's get you up." Eleanor smiled as she motioned for two of the boys in her class to come help Moody up. They hurried over and Moody threw an arm over each of them before trotting back to the schoolhouse. 

"That was something." Gilbert breathed out as he returned to Eleanor. 

"Yes I agree." she smiled and gently reached into her bag, pulling out a tiny sliver of soap and a small glass jar of water. 

Gilbert smiled appreciatively as he quickly washed his hands with the items and dried them on his pants. 

"I wrote down most of what she was saying, well...everything I could understand. I wrote down her sewing pattern and how she applied the honey. I'm pretty sure that Ka'kwet's father said the Weeping Willow was just a few yards down the road." Eleanor explained as they started back towards the schoolhouse. 

"Eleanor! You're amazing! Thank you!" Gilbert grinned from ear to ear as he read the notes she took. 

Eleanor blushed and playfully nudged his shoulder, he was so engrossed in the book that he almost stepped right into a mud hole, thankfully Eleanor moved him out of harms way. 

"Maybe we could go visit their village and ask the medicine woman more questions. We can bring her some more honey and a few left over cloth pieces I have from sewing." Eleanor stated. 

Gilbert nodded excitedly as he went on about the woman's amazing sewing work and how Moody already looked better. Eleanor smiled as she listened to him talk so enthusiastically about the way the medicine woman worked quickly and efficiently despite her age. 

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