I’d been petitioning Master Fera, the guild master, for the right to join the guild, and he’d been showing signs of being swayed to my side—before the blasted war had come to an end.
Now, faced with the return of all the men who had gone off to war, he was growing reluctant to grant me a place in the guild.
Master Fera had told me his concerns last week, but it hadn’t made hearing it any easier.
What would the men say if they sawwomenin the guilds?Master Fera had frowned, and shaken his head as he had continued, warming to his theme.
Oh, it was fine for the tradesmen’s wives, they were just ‘looking after’ their husbands’ businesses while the men were at war, but an unmarried young woman like me? Why, I was practically stealing food from the mouth of a deserving young man who could join the guild in my place. Dulec and Vidal, who had joined the army as healers, would be back soon and they would need a way to feed their families.
To the old men on the guild, it was obvious that the men needed the guild’s help more than I did.
After all,everyoneknew that a young woman like me would marry soon, and then why would I need to work as a healer? Myhusbandwould take care of me, of course.
I thought of Master Fera’s words from our last meeting. I’d begged, then, pleading my case with all the passion I could muster. He’d listened with the air of a man indulging a child who didn’t understand how the world worked.
“Seranni,” he’d said, leaning forward with a sigh, his hands clasped together in mock earnestness. “The guild is no place for a young woman. A healer’s work requires strength, resilience—”
I’d wanted to shout at him that I had both. That the hands that bound wounds and brewed remedies were no weaker than any man’s. But his face had been closed off, his words final.
Still, I’d convinced him to meet with me once more. Today was my last chance.
I pulled out a bottle of pain reliever pills from my cache. I wouldn’t be able to get through the meeting with the guild master without it. My sleep deprivation, coupled with the fearand frustration these same old thoughts always brought me, had caused my head to start to pound.
With a sigh, I called upon my magic and imbued the pain remedy with my power, making it more potent.
I swallowed the pill with the last of my tea and stood, brushing off my skirts. The morning bells rang in the distance, which meant that it would be time for my meeting with the guild master soon. I would need to hurry if I didn’t want to be late.
Master Fera was a stickler for rules. I’d seen him deny an applicant because the man had gotten the schoolmaster to fill out his form for him instead of filling it out himself. The man had begged and pleaded, but the guild master had been firm that the man would have to wait until six months later, when the guild would be accepting applications again.
I shivered. I had to make sure I was well prepared.
With a quick swipe over my mouth to catch any stray crumbs, I patted my hair into place. It was prone to standing on end, especially in the winters when it became dry. It wouldn’t do to look harried today. I had to be presentable.
And then, it was time to leave.
Shutting the door behind me, I walked through the snowy, slushy streets to the guild house. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the doors and walked inside.
The interior of the guildhouse was warm, the air thick with the scent of parchment and wood polish. I could hear the low murmur of voices as I approached the main hall, my boots squeaking faintly against the polished floorboards.
Master Fera was already seated at the head of the long table, his expression unreadable as he sorted through a stack of papers. Around him sat the other guild members, each of them older,their faces marked by age and the arrogance of experience, making small talk and shuffling paper around as they waited to start their business.
Fighting my nerves, I walked to the front of the room. I paused, my heart pounding as I smoothed my skirts and straightened my shawl.
Master Fera looked up as I walked up to him, narrowing his eyes at me. Taking a quick breath, I fixed a demure smile on my face.
“Master Fera, thank you for agreeing to meet with me today.” He nodded, unimpressed, and I hurried to continue.
This conversation would determine my future, my dreams of joining the guild hanging delicately in the balance. I couldn’t fail. Iwouldn’t.
“I have come to formally request entry into the Healer’s Guild,” I stated, my voice steady despite the pounding of my heart.
Master Fera’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise, his eyes flashing with annoyance as his paternalistic gaze scrutinized me. “Seranni, my dear girl,” he began, his tone condescending yet seemingly gentle, “we have already spoken about this.” He looked around at the other members of the guild. “While I commend your ambition, the Healer’s Guild has always been an institution for men. It is not a place for young women like yourself.”
“I have spent years studying—"
“You’ve spent years brewing teas and poultices,” he interrupted, his voice heavy with disdain. “You have no formal training, no apprenticeship under a recognized master. What makes you think you belong here?”
I squared my shoulders, refusing to be deterred. “Master Fera, I possess the skills and knowledge necessary to be a valuablemember of the guild. I am more than capable of contributing to our community’s well-being.”
