10 The Salve

CHAPTER 10

The Salve Early the next morning Lucas crept down the stairs to the larder while the rest of the castle slept. He helped himself to the last two baskets of enderberries. Then the prince slipped quietly out the kitchen door. Clara met him at the bottom of the steps. They each carried a basket. The blue moon still shone in the sky as they walked across the empty field. Clara spied a swirl of smoke streaming above the trees at the edge of the woods. Grace had built a fire and had set a kettle over the flame. The children placed the baskets of enderberries in front of Grace. She looked at them gratefully.

"Good morning," she said as she stirred the mixture. "Good morning, Grace," Clara said. "What are you cooking?" "It's called a salve," said Grace. "This will be a special potion to heal the pegasus."

Grace motioned to the enderberries. "Those are the most important part," she said, removing her spoon. Grace added both baskets of enderberries into the kettle. The mixture bubbled, and the berries began to melt and pop in the hot liquid. Grace kneeled and stirred in all the berries. Then she let the mixture cook for an hour. "The salve has to cool before we apply it," Grace said, removing the kettle from the fire.

Ruskin and the pegasus, who had just woken up, joined the group. They yawned and watched Grace tend to the other kettle. "What are you making in that one?" asked Lucas.

"Breakfast," Grace said cheerfully. Breakfast sounded very good after a late night and a very early morning. The children got bowls and wooden spoons from the cabin. Grace heaped the bowls full of porridge. As they ate, the sun climbed higher into the sky. "It is almost time," she said, keeping her eye on the sun. "When the sun peeks over the mountains, the castle will be revealed. That will be the pegasus's only chance to get home."