peppermint tea

prompt: Write a STORY or POEM about a smell/scent eliciting a memory. Describe the scent AND the memory it awakens.
word count: 722

***

She knew she was being carried because she could feel it, feel the weightlessness, feel the movement, feel the strong arms looped under her knees and shoulders.

But she could not see it.

Which is not to say she could not see, for she could. She saw their tents set up around their camp. She saw her own arm swinging uselessly at her side. If she could just turn her head, she would see the muscled chest of the man she knew to be carrying her, but try as she might to summon the energy, her own muscles failed her.

As she reached just outside of her tent, the ground suddenly became closer and she knew she was being lowered inside and laid on her stomach. She heard the sound of ripping and felt the air brush against her now bare back as the scraps of her ruined tunic were tossed away.

"The Fluerians tip their weapons with some type of poison that causes temporary paralysis, among other things. It will not kill you, but might make you sick enough to wish it did. It appears a significant dose has already entered your bloodstream, but I will try to clear out as much as I can," the man said.

She felt herself lift off her stomach into a sitting position, the only thing holding her upright being the arm of the man she could not see.

"Here, try to chew on this," the man said, pushing the leaf of a lush, green plant between her lips and teeth, "It will help with the pain."

The cool, familiar scent wafted up from her mouth to nose. Her head grew heavier and her surroundings became less and less clear. She attempted to bite on the plant and release more of the clean, earthy, spice smell, but her hold on her senses grew weaker and weaker. Warm lips on her shoulder followed by the sound of spitting were the only things drawing her to the present, but soon even they began to fade away.

"Katarina," a deep voice called from far away, "Katarina. Kat."

Then everything turned to darkness.

That crisp scent still lingered in the air. Katarina took another deep breath, letting the fresh smell tingle her nose. She reached out and grabbed the steaming cup offered in front of her and inhaled deeply, breathing in the comforting aroma. Her eyes slowly followed up the hands, arms, shoulders, and neck of the person in front of her until they reached her face.

"Mama?" she croaked out, slowly taking in her mother’s form sitting on the edge of her bed. Her eyes darted around further, finally noticing that she was back in the modest cabin she grew up in.

"Drink this, my love," her mother said softly, reaching out her hand to stroke her daughter's damp forehead as she drank, "and you will feel much better. That's my good girl."

"Mama!" she called out.

"You will be fine, my little volchonok. You just have a little cold from playing in the snow with your brothers," her mother said, pulling the covers up over Katarina's shoulders, "Just close your eyes and rest, my love." She patted her daughter's face affectionately and kissed her forehead.

Katarina struggled to keep her eyes open, her heavy eyelids betraying her. "No," she said shaking her head.

"Oh, my stubborn daughter," her mother said with a chuckle. "Just like your mother," she whispered with a wink.

Katarina could feel hot tears stinging her eyes as her mother began to fade away. She desperately fought her own closing lids.

"No! Please come back! Mama!" she screamed, her tears falling down in sobs. She could faintly hear the sweet sound of her mother's voice singing a lullaby.

Darkness once again threatened to obliterate her senses and her mother and childhood home drifted further away until there was nothing once more.

Her cries were muffled by the muscled chest of her real caretaker, who lay beneath her in her tent and had locked both arms around her tightly, rocking her gently and whispering soothing affirmations in her ear. Cool aloe and birch leaves secured by a clean cloth covered the wound in her shoulder. The movement in her face a neck had slowly begun to return.

"Daniel?" she mumbled.

He shushed her. "Rest Katarina."