“Good morning, all!” I said, slipping into the barn and holding my lamp up to see everyone.

The black kitty was up already, sitting upright on the table, watching me expectantly with his luminous green eyes. Unfortunately, they reminded me too much of the odd dream I’d had the night before, and I repressed a shudder.

Then, realizing how silly I was being, I shook my head and smiled at him, chirping, “Hello, Mr. Kitty!”

The lovely eyes blinked once.

“I gotta think of something to call you.” I told him as I went forward and set the lamp on the table a few feet away from him, then went about refilling his food and water bowls, and dealing with the sawdust box.

Once the cat was taken care of, I set about the usual chores of feeding the rest of the animals and making sure their enclosures were clean. When my parents were still alive, there had always been at least one milk cow to milk every morning and evening, but Daisy wasn't a milk cow. She helped pull my cart and plow the field.

There was a dairy farm nearby now, which made it easy and relatively inexpensive to just buy whatever milk I needed and keep it in my cold box. The dairy farm had opened within the last ten years, and I’d sold our milk cows after my parents died fourteen years before, so I’d just made do without milk for several years, up until the dairy opened.

Before long, everything was nice and neat. Or as neat as a barn could be.

“There we go!” I dusted my hands off, and surveyed my work.

The cat was licking his formerly injured paw languidly.

“Is that paw okay, buddy?” I asked, smiling at him.

He paused, glancing at me, then resuming his licking.

“Good.” I nodded, then headed to the door, and held it open. “Well, I won’t make you stay here. Do you want to go out? I can’t leave this door open, all the hot air would get out, but I can let you back in when I come back for the evening feeding, if you want.”

The cat put his paw down, and stared at me, but didn’t move.

I stood there a moment longer, just to be sure, then said. “Alright, then! I’ll ask you again tomorrow morning, but I’m not letting you out tonight. It’s going to be cold again, and I have a feeling we'll be getting more snow!"

The green eyes blinked once, very swiftly, as if in acknowledgement.

“Alright, handsome boy. See you later!” I laughed, then left, shutting the door behind me, and went back into the cottage.

With the outside chores done, I had to get to work inside. Since winter was there, and I didn't have gardens and trees to tend, I was able to actually make the bulk of the products I would take into town the next year to sell.

Whenever I wasn’t otherwise busy with the plants and such at my cottage, I would load up my cart early in the morning and drive into town with Daisy. We’d spend the day selling the wares on the town green, and I’d drop off some of the salves and such to a nearby business who sold them for me, with a small percent of the profits as thanks, when I was too busy to be there and sell them in person. It worked pretty well, because it meant I could collect the profits from the store whenever I went in, which was usually once every two weeks or so.

It was always enough money for what I needed, and enough that I could save up for anything special I might want as well, like the lovely heating stones.

Soon I was busy toiling away in the kitchen, and worked for many long hours. Finally, rows of glass jars covered the countertops and table, ready to have the burn salve I was making poured into them.

Just as I’d finished pouring the last jar, I heard a commotion outside. Frowning, I hurried to one of the windows that looked out over my porch, and saw some people slogging their way through the snow, towards my house.

I wiped some of the frost off the window, and realized I recognized at least one of the faces, so I went and threw the door open, “Jedda, what’s wrong?” I could see Jedda and his son were carrying his son-in-law between them, while Jedda’s daughter danced around them, fretting.

Jedda’s family were good people, and were indeed the same folks who’d bought the cows from me after my parents had passed.

“We had a fire in one of the barns! We got all the animals out, but Biren got trapped under some burning wood that fell from the roof!” Jedda cried.

“Oh no!” I gasped, “Hurry up and get inside!” I stepped aside and let them stumble in. “I’ll do what I can!” Any medical emergency in the surrounding area was always brought to me. At one point, my mother and aunt had taken on all of the medical things. They had taught me everything I needed to know about healing. But now, I was the only one left with the healing power, and I had to go it alone.

Well, not entirely alone.

Diana, sensing she was needed, appeared beside me while I gave directions to Jedda and his family.

“Put him on the floor here.” I really should make some kind of pallet, or get a cot for such times.

They did as I said, laying the poor man out on the warm stone floor.

“It’s good and warm in here.” Jedda said softly, sounding grateful.

“The heating stones are to thank. Dern does really good work. They're well-worth the investment.” I told them as I inspected the wounds closely. “These are pretty severe and will need treatment over time.” I paused, glancing over at them and murmuring apologetically, “I’m not nearly as strong as my mother and aunt were, even with Diana’s help.”

“Oh lass, we’re just grateful you can help at all.” Jedda assured me, smiling sadly, “It’s not your fault that blessings wane.”

“Well, I’ll certainly do my best to help him.” I said. “First, I need to get this cleaned, but I need to sit here and keep the pain down, so I’m going to need your help.” I told them, Diana was a great help when it came to healing, but she was cat-sized, and had the huge disadvantage of lacking thumbs. “There’s hot water on the stove from where I was working, please get it, Jedda. Bring it and some clean cloths from the drawer to the right of the sink.” Giving a specific person tasks was better, that way there was no hesitation regarding who I was talking to, and no assumptions that someone else would do a given task. “Ena,” I addressed Jedda’s daughter, “Please get the bandages from the closet over there.” I nodded in the direction of the medical supply closet, “There are some already torn, but you and Marda,” Jedda’s son, “might need to make some more. There will be plenty of fabric in there ready to be torn up, so get one of the extra sheets of them out and get to work on it."

As they all hurried to do as I asked, I took a deep breath, and reached out to take Biren’s uninjured hand. Pulling for my magic, I pushed a gentle magic that would ease the pain, and I heard his breathing deepen and slow.

“Diana, I’ll need your help with this.” I murmured, though I knew she was already aware.

The sweet cat maowed softly, and brushed reassuringly against me.

I smiled, “You’re right! It might just take longer than it would have for mom." Taking another deep breath, I reached out and put my free hand on Diana’s back. “Are you ready?”

She confirmed with another soft maow, and I closed my eyes, pulling for my magic.

I felt Diana’s familiar magic as well, pushing through me. She had far more magic than I ever would, but as she was a familiar, she couldn't focus or direct it. That’s what I was there for, as the conduit. Yes, I had my own magic, but I could also tap into her powerful well of magical energy and direct it as needed.

“It’s wonderful.” Marda breathed.

I smiled, opening my eyes, “Diana is always pretty, but she’s spectacular when she uses magic.” My only tell was the mark glowing weakly on the back of my hand, and the spark of my magic traveling across whatever I was doing. But Diana’s fur glowed with a heavenly light whenever she lent her magic, showing her status as a goddess-given familiar.

“She’s a lovely cat.” Ena murmured.

“She really is!” I giggled, then told them, “He’s going to be okay. There might be some scars, but beyond that, there’ll be no lasting effect, once I’m done here. It’ll be best if he stays here tonight, just in case, but you should be able to take him home tomorrow morning. That said, he should come back in a couple weeks so I can make sure it’s doing alright.”

“Thank you, Winna. I don’t know what we’d do without you. Your family has done so much good for the people of this area.” Ena told me earnestly.

“I’m glad to help. That’s why we have the gift, to help others.” I smiled, shrugging and letting the magic slowly ebb away. A sense of melancholy filled me, and I murmured, “You…you know I’ll probably be the last, right? My own gift is so weak that I can’t see any child I had carrying it on.” And that was even if I ever got married and had children, which I wasn’t even sure was something that I wanted.

“Aye, lass. I’ve often wondered. No offense to you, but when your brothers didn’t have it, and yours being less than your mother’s…I did wonder.” Jedda sighed, then smiled, “But that’ll be a long time from now.”

“Yes. Maybe we’ll be able to get some other magical folk in the area who can help out by then.” I smiled, nodding.

“Perhaps we will!” Jedda managed a quick bark of laughter.

After a break, Diana and I used more healing magic, and then I started to bandage Biren up, with a little help from Ena.

I glanced at the clock. “It’s about time for me to get outside and feed the animals again. Can you continue here while I do that?”

“Can you put up our horse in your barn for the night?”

“Of course. I’ll take care of it, you stay here.”

After shrugging into my coat, slipping into my boots and gloves, and grabbing my lantern, I went outside.

Going over to the small cart that they’d brought Biren to the cottage in, I quickly freed their horse, and walked her to the barn.

As I entered, I greeted the occupants. “Hello all! You have a guest that’s going to spend the night, so be nice, okay? I also can’t stay and talk today, I have a patient I need to get back to. But remember, I love each and every one of you!”

The black cat opened a green eye and watched me as I got the horse into a spare stall, made sure she had plenty of food and water, and then saw to the rest of the animals.

“Alright.” I picked up the lamp and went for the door. “I’ll see you all tomorrow!”

As I was shutting the door behind me, a fluffy shadow darted out, startling me.

“Oh!” I gasped, seeing the black cat scamper a few steps away before sitting. He paused and looked back at me. “Do you want to leave?” I’d be very sad to see the little fella go, but I’d also promised that I wouldn't keep him.

He continued to stare, but didn’t leave.

“It’s going to be cold out tonight!” I told him, frowning, and holding the barn door open. “I can’t leave the door open for you, you really should go back in!”

The cat looked away, then started off.

“Alright, I did say I wouldn't make you stay.” I sighed, then blinked as I realized he was making a beeline straight towards the cottage.

Indeed he was soon sitting on the porch, watching me expectantly as I picked my way back to the snow.

“Well!” I smiled, “Would you like me to make you a house out here? Or would you like to go in?”

His gorgeous eyes blinked once, but of course he didn’t reply.

“Let’s see if you’ll come inside.” I said, going up the steps and slipping past him. I went to the door, and stepped in, then held it open for him.

The cat turned and walked right up to the threshold, but paused, looking up at me, as if waiting.

“Well, come in if you’re going to come in!” I laughed a little.

As if that’s what he’d been waiting for, the black cat slunk inside, and I shut the door.