War's Ending

by A J Park

“Are there any more blankets?” Olthorin asked Kalleck.

  “No. I brought you here to keep her warm.”

  “Can you do anything else to help her? Do you have any medicine for the fever?”

  “Back at the city, I do. Not here. I can’t cross the pass in the dark. I will take her as soon as it gets light.”

  Olthorin lay down beside her and put his arms around her. “Sorry, Ree,” he said. “Lots of people are cold tonight.”

  She huddled against him. “That’s better.”

  Kalleck sat down near them with his back resting against the rock. He could hear her breathing slow and it became very quiet. He sat in silence, trying to clear his mind from the clamor of battle. Blood, death and suffering were hard to ignore or forget. He hadn’t chosen this. He would rather live in peace and go back to his home in the high valleys. No one would choose to see what he had seen. How many people had died today? At least six of his riders were dead. Good men. All of them his friends.

  The villagers belonged to the Farmer Clan, the most peaceful of all the Yalkur clans. They had few weapons and no training to fight. Sinnar had wanted to train every clan to fight and most of them had yielded to the impending danger of the sea-folk and sent their men to learn. But not the Farmers. Maybe now they would. Many of them had been killed trying to defend their families.

  The sea-folk had destroyed people who had little or no chance of defending themselves. But he’d seen this young woman, one of them, throw herself on the arm of a soldier to stop him from killing a Yalkur child. She had tried to stop them. Maybe the sea-folk weren’t all bad. She risked herself, when she was already badly hurt, to save one of his people.

  There was no comfort on the cold ground, but Kalleck had ridden far and fought hard. His body demanded rest. He tried to ignore his empty stomach growling and the pain of the wound in his side. And it was cold. He put his riding gloves back on. Tomorrow would be better.

  In spite of the turmoil in his mind, exhaustion set in, and Kalleck dozed.

  At the faintest hint of dawn behind the hills, he woke to find the girl huddled against his back. He could feel her shivering. And now she was muttering in her sleep. He took one glove off and touched her face. Her skin was burning hot, especially against his chilled fingers. Her brother was still beside her.

  Kalleck got up. Moving would warm him, and there was much to be done. He found Sinnar. “I have to get to the city, quickly,” Kalleck said. “Will you put Ren, or someone else we can trust, in charge of getting these people back to the city? I need you to take some men with you and warn the other villages. If they don’t get out today, the sea-folk may attack them too. We need everyone back within the valley.”

  “Why are you riding ahead?” Sinnar asked.

  “The girl needs a healer. She won’t last long without one.”

  “You’re doing this for her? When her lover is the man who leads the attacks on us? That’s disgusting,” Sinnar said. “We got the stone back from them. I should have left her to die on the bridge.”

  “And if we let her die, they’ll send every man they have to kill us. There are more of them than us.”

  “Let them come,” Sinnar said stubbornly. “We’ll teach them to fear the hills.”

  Kalleck took a deep breath. “We will speak of this later. For today, we need to get those who cannot fight to safety. And we can’t let the girl die. We’re not ready to fight them all. You know we’re not.”

  “I am,” Sinnar said.

  Kalleck looked at him sharply.

  “As you command, First Guardian,” Sinnar said loudly. Kalleck looked back at him. Finally, Sinnar sighed and looked away. “I’m sorry, Kalleck. I’m angry about what happened yesterday. I will get these people back to the city, and get the other villages emptied.”

  “Thank you, Sinnar.”

  Sinnar looked back at Kalleck. “It wasn’t your fault, Kalleck. You did everything you could. Maybe if I hadn’t attacked the bridge… None of this would have happened.”

  Kalleck shook his head. “We don’t know what would have happened. All we can do now is decide how to defend our people. I can’t help but think that if my father had been here—”

  “He would have done exactly as you did. Go back to the city. I won’t be far behind you.”

  Kalleck saddled his horse and two of Sinnar’s men got ready to go with him. The sea-folk were exactly where he had left them. The girl looked worse in the growing light. Her brother—Olthorin, she had called him—saw Kalleck coming. “She needs help,” he said desperately, getting to his feet to face Kalleck.

  “I will do everything I can for her,” Kalleck said. Would Olthorin object to Kalleck taking her? He had no reason to trust him. But it didn’t matter. He didn’t have a choice if he wanted his sister to live.

  “I want to stay with her. Take me with you too.”

  “I can’t,” Kalleck said as he bent to pick the girl up. Would her brother protest?

  He didn’t. He looked at Kalleck and said, “Please take care of her.” He didn’t try to fight as Sinnar’s men bound his hands and led him away.

  Kalleck and his men rode swiftly toward the pass. The light was growing brighter and the sun would be up soon. He saw no further sign of sea-folk, but still he stayed alert as he rode.

  He looked down at the girl. He could see her face as she slept. Would she mind that he was looking at her? When she’d been awake, she hadn’t seemed to mind, even though he could read each emotion as it crossed her bare face. It was strange that it didn’t bother her to have a stranger see her. But he knew that other people didn’t hide their faces as the Yalkur did. There was nothing in her expression now, except pain.

  “Hold on,” he said to her. “We’ll get help as soon as we can.”

  “Hurts,” she moaned.

  “I know. It will be better soon.”

  She opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her eyes were a strange pale color: blue-green, like the sun shining through seawater. There was no recognition in them. She didn’t know where she was. The fever was getting worse.

  They rode as fast as they could. The way was uphill and Kalleck’s horse was as tired as he was. At least, the horse could graze. His stomach growled. The others were hungry too. The provisions they had brought with them had been used to take care of the people from the village.

  They passed a clear spring and stopped to drink. The girl swallowed a little water, at least, and the men and horses drank. They didn’t stop for long. If they didn’t get back before dark, it would be another long, cold night out in the open.

  The sun wasn’t far from the western horizon when Kalleck came at last to the rim of the Akur valley. He could see the tall pinnacle of rock that stood just below the pass. A group of his men were camped in its shadow, guarding the way.

  “First Guardian,” they hailed him.

  He took an end of the blanket and covered the girl’s face with it. Then he raised a hand in greeting.

  “What happened?” they asked. “We saw the smoke yesterday.”

  “Battle,” Kalleck said grimly. “Keep close watch. The sea-folk have crossed the river. We are bringing in all our people from the lands outside. They destroyed one village already.”

  “As you command, First Guardian. Do you need help?” They were looking at the nearly lifeless form in his arms.

  “I need a healer, quickly,” he said. “There’s nothing more you can do here. Thank you. Guardian Sinnar and his men will be bringing more people through. Watch for them.”

  They rode on into the valley. Kalleck could see the evening sky reflected on the still face of the Sacred Lake and a few distant lights from the city. The land looked peaceful. His tired horse picked up the pace down the hill. He knew they were almost home.

  Kalleck followed the familiar road across the valley, through farmland and orchards and up
to the walls of the city. He left his horse with one of the stable boys and carried the girl up through the streets. The way felt longer than usual. He was tired and hungry, and the girl was very still. She wasn’t going to last much longer.

  He came to the door of the Hall of Guardians and the guards opened the door for him. “Find Healer Kern, now! And find Second Guardian Hannal.”

  A few of them went off at a run to do as he asked. He took the girl across the hall and up the stairs to one of the rooms used to house visiting clan chiefs and other guests.

  He carried her inside and set her down on the bed. After a moment, he heard footsteps in the hall and Healer Kern came through the door.

  Kern ran a hand through his white hair and rubbed his chin. He looked irritated. The old man was constantly grumpy, but was acknowledged as the best healer in the valley.

  “First Guardian? What is it?”

  Kalleck gestured to the bed. “I need you to save this girl’s life.” He pulled back the blanket to uncover her face.

  Kern took a step back, startled, then took a mask out of his pocket and hurriedly put it on. “Sea-folk? You didn’t let her see the city?”

  “Of course, not,” Kalleck said. “She’s unconscious. She hasn’t seen anything. She’ll be lucky if she sees anything ever again.”

  “What happened to her?”

  “An arrow. I took it out two days ago.”

  “Why did you shoot her if you wanted her to live?”

  Kalleck took a deep breath. “I will explain later. But believe me when I say that many Yalkur lives depend on her. What do you need?”

  “Where did the arrow strike her?”

  “The back of her shoulder.”

  “Help me turn her over, then.” They shifted her onto her stomach so that Kern could examine the wound.

  “What else do you need?” Kalleck asked, setting a lantern down on the table beside the bed.

  “I need another lantern and plenty of hot water. And find that cousin of yours. She’s the best help I’ve found in the whole valley. And hurry.” Kern was already taking things out of his bag and spreading them on the table.

  Kalleck hurried back with the hot water. He didn’t have to go looking for his cousin Kellji—she found him on his way back up the stairs.

  “Kalleck! You’re back. What happened?”

  “Later,” he said. “I need your help now.” Without questioning him further, she followed him to the room where he had left the girl. They found Kern examining the wound closely. Now that Kalleck could see it in the lantern light, it looked worse than he’d realized. The whole area around it was swollen and red.

  “Who is she?” Kellji asked, drawing her veil across her face.

  Kern ignored her question and said, “We have to let the infection out. Kellji, will you prepare bandages and…” the old man gave a whole list of instructions to Kellji. Kalleck had no idea what he was talking about, but his cousin went to work.

  Kalleck cleared his throat. “Maybe I should… go?”

  “No!” Kern said. “I need your help. Come over here and hold her down. This won’t take long. We’ll do it as quickly as we can.”

  Kalleck held the girl still and Kern went to work. She screamed and tried to struggle, but Kalleck held firm.

  “Almost done,” Kern said. “There’s still something in the wound. Kellji, the light.” Kern worked over her for a few more moments and then Kalleck saw him drop two fragments of the arrow onto the table. “I think that’s all,” Kern said, examining the wound with great care. “I’m ready for—” He turned to see Kellji offering him a stone basin. “She’s not one of our people,” he protested.

  “Just do it,” Kalleck ordered. “She won’t see it. She won’t know anything. We need her to live.”

  Kern did not protest further. He bathed the wound with water from the basin, then applied a healing salve and wrapped the wound well. Kern pointed to the bloodstains on the other side of her back. “Another wound here?”

  “No,” Kalleck said.

  Kern stared at him with his arms folded across his chest. “Well?” he demanded.

  “All right… It’s mine.”

  “Kalleck!” Kellji exclaimed in dismay.

  “It’s fine. It’s not bad. Sinnar already looked at it.”

  “And Sinnar knows everything about healing wounds? I thought he was only the expert at inflicting them.”

  Kalleck groaned. “Finish with her, and then you can look at it.” If Kern looked at it, he would want to stitch it. He always wanted to stitch it.

  “Where else is she hurt?”

  “The other side of her shoulder.”

  “Did the arrow go all the way through?

  “Nearly,” Kalleck said. Kern helped Kellji turn her onto her back.

  “This side needs to drain as well,” Kern said. “One more time, hold her still.” Kalleck obeyed. The girl opened her eyes and struggled again, but it wasn’t as bad as before and he was soon done.

  “What happened to her leg?” Kellji asked, pushing the long skirt away from it.

  “Nasty cut,” Kern observed. “What did you do to her?”

  Kalleck was exasperated. “I didn’t do anything to her. We were in battle. I don’t know everything that happened.”

  “There was a battle?” Kellji asked, worried. “Are your men all right? Sinnar wasn’t hurt?”

  “He’s fine,” Kalleck said. “But not everyone came back. I lost some men.”

  “I’m sorry, Kalleck,” Kellji said sadly. She was already cleaning the cut and Kern expertly stitched it. Then they wrapped it neatly.

  “I think it will be less painful for her to lie face-down, at least for tonight,” Kern said. “Help me turn her one more time. She needs to rest.”

  They turned the girl over, and Kellji removed her shoes and covered her with a warm blanket.

  Kern turned back to Kalleck. “Now let me see that cut,” he ordered.

  Reluctantly, Kalleck began stripping off his armor. “Do you need help?” Kellji asked kindly.

  “I’m fine,” he insisted, “but I’m so hungry. Will you please find me something to eat?”

  “Of course.” She hurried out.

  Kern was staring at him impatiently, so Kalleck pulled his shirt over his head. “Sit here next to the light,” Kern said briskly. Kalleck obeyed. Kern pulled back the bandages and looked at the wound. “When did this happen?”

  “Yesterday morning.”

  “It needs to be stitched,” Kern said.

  Of course, it did. “Get on with it then,” Kalleck growled.

  “And don’t eat anything until I’m done. Some people feel nauseated while I work.”

  Kern cleaned the cut and went to work stitching the edges together. Kalleck gritted his teeth and gripped the arms of the chair, hard.

  Sometime in the middle of the old man’s work, Second Guardian Hannal arrived. He looked at Kalleck and at Kern working over him, and said nothing at all. When he saw that they were masked and then saw the girl’s golden hair, he covered his own face. He waited silently until Kern had finished, then he brought the stone basin of sacred spring water to the old man so he could use it on the wound.

  Kalleck was breathing hard and could feel sweat on his face underneath the mask. Kern wrapped the wound and finally he was done. Kern and his stitches. But he did know what he was doing. Kalleck just hated being the one he was doing it to.

  Just as Kern finished, Kellji returned with a tray of food.

  Kern saw her and pointed to a cup on the table. Nodding toward the unconscious girl on the bed, he said, “She needs to drink this as soon as she is able. It will help the fever. Watch her and make her drink it.”

  “I will,” she promised.

  The old Healer turned to Kalleck. “Is there anything else?”
>
  “Sinnar is bringing more wounded. Please gather the help you need and prepare for them. They will be here tomorrow.”

  “As you command, First Guardian,” Kern said. “And we will watch over the girl. Now get some rest!” He replaced the last of his things in his bag and stalked out.

  “I will,” Kalleck said to Kern’s retreating back. “Thank you.” He picked up his shirt and the pieces of his armor. “You will stay with her?” he asked Kellji.

  “Yes,” she said. “I’ll tell you how she is first thing in the morning.”

  “Thank you,” Kalleck said, heading to the door.

  Hannal picked up the tray of food and followed Kalleck into the hall.

  Kalleck went two doors down the hall to his own room. He put the armor on its shelf and hung his weapons on their pegs on the wall. Hannal had put the food on the table and pulled up another chair. Kalleck pulled off his mask and hood, and sat down with a grateful sigh. The tray held roast beef, fresh baked bread and potatoes. Kalleck started eating.

  “What happened?” Hannal asked, removing his mask and watching Kalleck eat. “You had supplies when you rode out.”

  “The sea-folk attacked Thell,” Kalleck said with his mouth full. “We saved as many as we could, but we had to run. No time to gather supplies. Most of their things had been destroyed anyway. The people were hungry. I gave them what I had, and it was not enough. They’re still out there. Can you send a few men tonight? Men with sure-footed horses who can ride immediately? Those people are out there without food or warm bedding. We left them outside the rim early this morning. Even moving slowly, they will have crossed into the valley by now, but they need help. Sinnar is gathering the others, but you must send some fast riders to meet them. He will require more men to guard his retreat.”

  Hannal got to his feet. “I’ll send someone now,” he said. “I’ll be back shortly.”

  Kalleck was still eating when Hannal came back. “They’ll be on their way very soon.”

  “Thank you,” Kalleck said.

  “So the sea-folk have crossed the river? We’ve feared this for a long time. How many were there? Did you beat them back?”