“You will need chamomile and dandelion root, peppermint leaves, raspberry leaf as well. There are so many things to remember,” said Alisz, filling Lilli’s arms with jars of dried herbs. “Some elderberry—infections are to be anticipated sooner or later; aches and pains as well. It is difficult to say what will be growing in this new land you are off to. I will pack plenty of seeds as well. In time, you may need to plant your own garden. Your work is important. Others will come to depend upon you. The work must be continued regardless of where you are. Remember that, Lilli. You are a born healer. I saw it in the stars the night you were born.” Setting the jars out on the table, Alisz hurried to the shelves for more.
The apprehension in the air buzzed about the stillroom like a tormented bee. If only Alisz would slow down, perhaps they could talk. Lilli longed for some of Alisz’s silly talk to lighten the mood. All morning she scuttled about the stillroom like a water beetle, her face marked in serious contemplation.
These past few weeks had been heartbreaking for Lilli, watching Vater sell off the remnants of their life in Württemberg. The livestock were to be sold tomorrow, all but the oxen that would take them, and what meagre belongings they had left, to the Rhine. Arrangements had been made for someone to buy the oxen and the wagon once they made it to the river. She had overheard Vater one evening telling Mutter. From there, they would travel down the river by raft to Rotterdam—or so was Vater’s plan. But Lilli would not allow herself to worry about their belongings. Once Vater called the trip off, they could buy more supplies with the money he had saved for the voyage. Everything would be fine.
Tomorrow night she would perform the incantation. The moon was near full; the book said it was the best time. The waiting this past while had been excruciatingly difficult. She had been preparing herself for weeks: thinking and planning about the best time and place. Worry begged for her friendship, following her like a hungry fox, but she refused to offer any morsels. Each time, she pushed it away, using all the strength she could summon. At night she gave her prayers over to the Goddess, asking that the incantation work. Envisioning a positive outcome in her mind, sleep would eventually carry her away. She would get only one chance to change the course of her life.
Time was spinning at an uncontrollable speed, the stars aligning in a most unusual pattern in the night sky, and it filled Lilli with hope. She told Mutter, but she had only looked at Lilli and said, “You are dreaming, Lilli. The stars are the same as they have been for centuries.”
Alisz’s mind was also spinning too fast. Why would she not slow down? It was not like her to be so anxious.
“The crossing will be the most difficult. There is sure to be sickness on the ship, but I will make sure you are well prepared. Now, willow bark is most important. You know that, right, Lilli?” Lilli nodded. Willow bark would fight fever and was one of the simplest and best remedies she knew. Lilli glanced over at Alisz’s herb book. It was filled with mystery and knowledge and more remedies than could be counted. Would she even remember what to do with the herbs once she arrived in the New World without the book to guide her? But no, there would be nothing to worry about, she reminded herself again. The incantation would take care of it all. It had to.
“But of course you know all that. You did not spend these past eight years with your head in the clouds. You were a willing student from the very start, so eager to learn. I knew you were the one who was to carry on the work. I made a good choice. You have not disappointed me.”
“But I have not left yet,” said Lilli, smiling. “Perhaps there is still time for fate to change its course.”
“That may be so, but in the meantime you must prepare for what is before you now, Lilli. You cannot ignore the path you are on, no matter how you might wish for another. Hope is important, but so is keeping one’s head about them,” said Alisz, hurrying once again to the shelves.
“Alisz…please…what is the matter?” Lilli finally asked. Alisz stopped as if surprised by her question.
“It is difficult to centre my thoughts. That is all. So much is about to happen. So many things to remember before you leave,” she said, bringing her hands to her temple. “Feverfew! I almost forgot.” Pointing toward the bouquet of dried herbs lying on the table, Alisz smiled and motioned for Lilli to start removing the dried leaves.
“Hurry now. I want to give these to your mother to take with her. She will soon be here. We must bag them for your journey. Difficult to say what will be growing in this new land you are off to. You need to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.” Opening several small cloth bags, Alisz filled them with the dried herbs.
“I will miss you terribly once you are gone,” she continued. “It has brought me great comfort to have you and, yes, even Friedrich about. Your mother is fortunate to have had children. I regret not having raised a child of my own.”
Alisz and her worldly laws, how could she stand back and do nothing? In a flash, the sadness Alisz was fighting hard to disguise crossed her face again. She was trying to be brave, but Lilli knew better. This whole situation was preposterous. Vater was being unreasonable, not even allowing Lilli to express her feelings about the move. If only she could explain to him how she felt…but he cut her off every time she tried to talk about it. And Mutter’s attempts to discuss the matter with him had amounted to nothing. Two nights ago, Lilli heard Mutter and Vater talking late at night. Mutter was begging Vater to reconsider.
“It is for the best, Marta,” Lilli heard him say. “Once we are settled in the New World, you will see.”
The door to the stillroom suddenly opened then, and Mutter and Friedrich stepped in.
“Look what we found,” said Mutter, pulling some parsley out of her basket. Friedrich sent Alisz a mischievous smile. Playfully tossing a sprig of the green herb in her direction, he darted across the room, his blond curls bobbing like a duck on a windy pond. Mutter held out her arm, warning him to slow down, but before she could get the words out, he bumped into the table. Several of the jars crashed to the floor. Friedrich hopped out of the way like a startled hare.
“Friedrich! You are like a bull, bumping into everything you see. Oh, look at the mess you have made,” Mutter cried. Setting her basket aside, she grabbed the broom and began cleaning up the mess. Friedrich flashed Alisz a frightened look, but the moment he saw the amused look on her face he smiled back.
“It was just an accident,” said Alisz, clasping her hands together. “If I had your energy, dear Friedrich, I could surely set the world on fire.” He threw his arms around Alisz’s waist and held tight. Lilli’s heart lurched at the sight of them, and she could not bear to watch.
As the sun lowered itself behind the trees near Alisz’s home, Lilli felt a stirring in the pit of her stomach. One more sunset and it would be time for the incantation, to stop this new future that Vater had planned for them all.
“Come now,” said Mutter, looking up at the afternoon sky. The sun winked at them from behind the tree branches. “We must go. It is getting late.”
Alisz gathered the bags of herbs and put them in Mutter’s basket. A torrent of unspoken words passed between them as they looked at one another. Lilli swallowed the lump in her throat. None of this could really be happening. Surely she was caught up in another bad dream. But where there is life there is hope, she had heard Alisz say so many times. Once the incantation worked, Vater would wake the next morning and declare that they would be staying.
Lilli was suddenly excited for tomorrow to come, for the moon to rise, and for the incantation to be completed. This was her one last hope, the only chance she had to change the future for all of them.