War's Ending

by A J Park

  “Sinnar’s men attacked them, just as I got Farak.”

  “But they cut you.” She touched his neck below the cut.

  “Don’t spend a moment worrying about that,” he said, almost angrily. “Not when he nearly killed you.”

  “How did you find me? I remember the river, but nothing after that.”

  “There was a place where the current slowed. I found you there. You… weren’t breathing.”

  Shalyrie took in a sharp breath. It must have been much closer than she realized. She didn’t remember any of it. That would explain why it felt hard to breathe, and why she was coughing fluid out of her lungs. But she was here, alive, safe for the moment. She felt Kalleck’s arms tighten around her.

  “I thought I was too late, that you were gone. I did everything I could to bring you back. I couldn’t stand to have you die and know it was my fault.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “You are too forgiving,” he whispered.

  So was he. He was all too willing to forgive her for being an outsider, for all the crimes her people had committed. He was willing to forgive her anything. But that didn’t mean that the rest of his people were. This whole situation proved that his people were not willing to receive her. How could she join his people if she was going to be constantly afraid for her life? There would be more of the Yalkur who felt as Farak did, she was sure of it. She couldn’t live always wondering who was going to try to kill her next.

  Eventually, she realized she was not alone with Kalleck. She heard voices, those of Sinnar and a few other men. She could see them sitting close together around the fire. Overhanging rocks and a large fallen tree made a roof over them, and behind them she saw trees and snowflakes falling.

  Sinnar was putting another piece of wood on the fire. He didn’t have his armor on, or any of his weapons, and that seemed strange to her. He picked up his jacket from where it was spread near the fire and put it on. He saw her watching him, and he took a flask out of his saddlebag and brought it to her.

  “Drink.” He held it out to her.

  She propped herself up on one elbow and pushed the flask back toward Sinnar. “I can’t,” she protested. “Farak tried to kill Kalleck because he saw us drink from the spring. I can’t—”

  “Farak is dead,” Sinnar said. “We want you to join our people.”

  “What about the others?” She looked around at the featureless black-masked faces. “Will they allow it? Will it make any of them angry?”

  Sinnar turned to the others. “Shalyrie wants to know if we will accept her as one of our own people, and if we truly wish her to share the Sacred Waters with us.”

  For a moment, they all stared silently at her. For the thousandth time, she wished she could see their faces. Sinnar looked at the man nearest him.

  “She is loyal to the First Guardian. Let her drink,” he said.

  One by one, each of them answered the same.

  Sinnar turned to the man standing guard at the edge of the rock. “Ren?”

  “She rode with us for three days with no rest,” Ren called back. “She saved Kalleck’s life. Let her drink.”

  Sinnar turned back to her and held out the flask again. “Drink, Shalyrie. Live and be strong.”

  Their acceptance warmed her. If only all of the Yalkur felt the same.

  Kalleck helped her sit up. Her hand trembled, but she reached for the flask and drank deeply. The water tasted new and fresh.

  “Thank you, Sinnar,” she said. The water filled her with new life and hope.

  Kalleck got to his feet and stretched. He was shirtless in the ice-cold morning, and his feet were bare. She had never seen so much of him before, even though he was still wearing his mask, of course. For the first time, she could see his hair, dark and wavy, hanging down around his invisible face. But what did he look like? She couldn’t deny that what she could see of him was very attractive to her. Her eyes followed the graceful muscular lines of his body. No one in her life had ever held her attention the way he could, and she truly enjoyed this stolen glimpse of him.

  But then her eyes were drawn to blood, dried on his skin. She could see the place on his neck where the spear had pierced him, and another cut on his side. For a moment, she remembered Farak and his men trying to kill Kalleck. She shuddered. Or maybe she shivered because of the cold. He must be cold too.

  “Where’s your shirt?” she asked, and then she felt her face redden as she realized she was wearing it. She pulled the blanket more closely around herself.

  Kalleck sat down again by the fire and put his boots on. He found his jacket and donned it too. He went to the end of the overhang and disappeared around the edge of the rocks.

  Sinnar handed her food, and she accepted it gratefully. She stared out at the falling snow. Not much was visible, except the nearest of the snow-covered trees. Thick white flakes were still coming down. She’d never seen anything like it before. She shivered and huddled closer to the fire. A few more fits of coughing came and went, and it became easier to breathe when they passed.

  “Sinnar?” she asked when she could speak again.

  He turned to look at her.

  “You saved him. They wanted to kill him. Thank you.”

  She couldn’t guess his expression behind the mask. “I stand by him,” Sinnar said.

  Kalleck came back and sat beside her. “How do you feel?”

  She wasn’t sure how to answer. She was so stiff and sore she wasn’t sure if she could stand up. She felt bruised and scraped everywhere. “I’m all right,” she said.

  “Will you allow me to put some of the water on your injuries?”

  “Yes,” she agreed.

  He took the flask and a clean cloth. She held out each of her arms in turn, and he gently cleaned the scrapes and bruises and bathed them in spring water. It felt cold, much too cold, but it helped the pain. Amazing. She pulled the blanket up to expose her legs. Her knees and shins were badly scraped.

  There was pain in his eyes as he looked at the injuries. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.

  “We’re all right, Kalleck. We’re alive.”

  She tried to ignore the gentle touch of his fingers on her skin. He was just being kind and helping her. It wasn’t like he wanted… She mentally shook herself hard. She couldn’t afford to think like that. The last two days had proved that.

  What was she going to do now?

  He bandaged the worst knee. “Any more?” he asked.

  She lowered her eyes and shook her head.

  “Shalyrie,” he said. “It will feel better if we treat it.”

  So she wrapped the blanket tightly around her waist and turned so he could pull the back of the shirt up to look at her. He cleaned and bandaged a place beside her spine. “More?”

  “No,” she said. “Thank you, Kalleck.”

  He sat down beside her. “I would have jumped in after you if it would have helped,” he said.

  He still felt bad—she could tell. He didn’t want her to be hurt, but she couldn’t deny that she wished he had meant more than that. She wished he felt more than that.

  “I’m all right,” she said. She was feeling better. If only it wasn’t so cold. She’d begun to shiver again. She huddled against Kalleck for warmth, and he put his arm around her. The snow was still falling, thicker than ever. She wondered how long the storm would last. How could they get back through the snow? But how could they stay here? How long would their food last?

  Sinnar was examining the wounded man’s side. “Will he be all right?” she asked Kalleck in a whisper.

  “I think so,” Kalleck said. “The water will help, and we will go to Kern as soon as we get back.”

  “How are we going to get back?” she asked, staring helplessly out at the snow.

  “When the snow stops, we can ride home,” he said
. He didn’t even sound worried. That made her feel a little better. Maybe they would be able to return alive. “How did you know that Sinnar would get to us in time?”

  “I knew he couldn’t be too far away from us yet,” Kalleck said. “But I didn’t expect to be attacked in the heart of our own lands. I would never have put you in danger if I had suspected. I failed you, and I’m sorry.”

  She looked up at him and took his hand. “We’re all right,” she said firmly. “Will you tell me what happened after… he pulled me in?”

  “Sinnar and the others took care of Farak’s men. I followed you. It’s almost impossible to swim in water that rough, but I was so afraid you would drown with your arms tied. How did you do it?”

  “With practice, you can learn to hold your breath for a long time. I may not know how to ride a horse very well, but I know how to swim.”

  The day passed slowly. The snow fell and the horses stood patiently as it piled on their backs. Ren and Sinnar each took a turn looking for firewood, returning with snow covering their heads and shoulders. They stacked the wet wood so the fire would gradually dry it.

  The rest of the group stayed inside their makeshift shelter and fed the fire. They ate dry trail food and watched the flames. Shalyrie sat as close to it as possible. It was so cold. She was shivering in spite of the fire and blankets. Kalleck was already beside her, but she didn’t dare ask him to get any closer.

  “It’s dying down a little,” Sinnar said, staring out at the storm. “I think we should ride soon.”

  Shalyrie didn’t see any difference. The snow was still falling, and everything was covered in white. Was he serious? He was suggesting they leave the shelter and the fire and go out into the frozen wilderness. The fire was the only thing keeping her alive right now.

  Sinnar gathered up the clothes spread out to dry. He tossed Shalyrie hers. Under the cover of the blankets, she put them on. She gave Kalleck back his shirt. “Thank you,” she said, trying to read the expression in his eyes.

  He nodded in acknowledgment, then pulled his jacket off and replaced his shirt.

  “We’re really going… out there?” she asked, looking out at the snow. The flakes were fewer now and the sky looked lighter, but everything was blanketed in white. Could they really ride in that?

  “It’s the only way to get back,” he said. “As the sky clears, the temperature will drop when night falls. It will be much colder than last night.”

  “Colder?” she asked, horrified. It was freezing now. “Isn’t it already too cold to ride?”

  He looked at her. “Will you ride with me? It will be warmer.”

  “I’m afraid I’ll die of cold if I leave the fire,” she confessed.

  “I won’t let that happen,” he said. “We’ll get back to the city as soon as we can.”

  The snow had stopped, but the clouds were still low and thick. She watched Kalleck go out into the snow and prepare the horses. Sinnar would lead Sea Mist. In a few short moments, they were ready to ride. They had helped the injured men onto their horses. Shalyrie tried not to cringe as Sinnar put out the fire. She took a deep breath and went out into the cold. She was scraped and bruised, but she could walk. Kalleck helped her onto his horse, and then got on behind her. He wrapped the blankets snuggly around her.

  “Keep your hands inside,” he advised.

  They rode off into the white landscape. The mountains were all around them, gray and white in the snow. She had never seen anything like it. Every tree branch had snow piled on it. The rocks were covered. The river water looked black down in the bottom of the canyon. The little group rode slowly, the horses picking their way through the rocks. They followed the canyon downward, gradually descending until they came out into the valley just as a gray afternoon was fading into night.

  The cold came in from all sides, and Shalyrie was shivering violently. The wind in her face chilled her, and her legs below the edges of the blankets were freezing. She began to feel drowsy as they rode.

  Gradually, it all faded and she dozed.

  “Shalyrie!” a voice said urgently.

  “Hmm?” She didn’t open her eyes.

  “Are you all right?” Kalleck asked.

  “Fine,” she said. “It’s not so cold anymore. Sleepy…”

  “You can’t sleep now,” he said. “Please, wake up.”

  “Can’t.”

  “Shalyrie, please,” he said. “You can sleep when we get home, but you have to wake up now.”

  She wrenched her eyelids open and saw snow in the darkness and clouds hanging low over the valley. Far away, she thought she saw a few twinkling lights. “It’s so far.”

  “No! It’s not far. We’ll be there soon. Talk to me while we ride. Tell me about your home.”

  She struggled a few moments to come up with an answer. Home seemed so distant right now, and sleep was calling to her. “We swim in the ocean every day. It’s warm there. Warm,” she murmured drowsily. She’d forgotten what that felt like. She couldn’t keep her eyes open.

  “Shalyrie,” Kalleck said. “Wake up.”

  His voice sound like it was coming from a long way away. She couldn’t find the energy to answer him.

  “Please, Shalyrie. We’ll be there soon. Wake up.”

  She felt the horse increase its pace, but the cold was still wrapping her in numbness. She couldn’t wake up. The cold and the dark surrounded her. It was quiet.

  CHAPTER 20

  Lady Shalyrie Almorin

  Eventually, a sound made her stir, not fully awake. It was the clatter of the horses’ hooves on stone. She tried to open her eyes, but she couldn’t. Hands lifted her down from the horse, and she felt the gentler motion of people’s footsteps. Were they carrying her?

  She heard voices—several people—and she felt someone pulling off her boots. They had set her on something soft, and she felt them covering her. The covers felt heavy, but there was warmth. At last.

  “Can you open your mouth?” Kalleck’s voice asked.

  She obeyed, and someone placed a spoonful of a warm rich broth in her mouth. It was wonderful. She swallowed gratefully, and the spoon returned with more. It began to warm her a little from the inside. She began to shiver violently. Very gradually, the shivering slowed. The air was warm here. The ice cold of the night was far away now.

  “Shalyrie,” Kalleck’s voice came to her, “Can you wake up?”

  She opened her eyes and saw that she was in bed in her room, and he was sitting beside her. Blankets were layered over her. For a long moment, she stared at him in confusion. Slowly, her frozen mind began to piece everything together. “We’re back?” she murmured.

  “We’re back,” he said.

  “What happened?”

  “We got you here as quickly as we could. Just rest. Don’t do anything but warm up.”

  Kellji was also there. She got up from before the fireplace and came to Shalyrie, holding something in her hands wrapped in a blanket.

  “It’s a rock, hot from the fire,” Kellji explained. She put it next to Shalyrie under the blankets. It radiated a wonderful warmth.

  “I love it,” Shalyrie exclaimed, warming her hands on it. “Are there more?”

  “Yes,” Kellji said. “But you already have twelve others stacked around you.”

  “Thank you,” Shalyrie said.

  Kalleck put another pillow behind her and offered her a cup.

  “Spice tea,” he explained.

  The cup felt wonderful in her cold hands. She sipped the tea, which had a strong but pleasant flavor and left her middle feeling warm.

  Kalleck leaned closer and looked at her. “I will understand if you never want to go riding with me again.” His eyes looked sad.

  She reached out to touch his face, and her fingers felt the mask. But he closed his eyes, as if he could feel her touch anyway.
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  Shalyrie wanted to join his people. That was why the whole thing had hurt so much. Farak had treated her as an abomination. And Kalleck had said, “Our people could never accept her.” He said he hadn’t meant it, but it didn’t really matter if Kalleck himself accepted her. She’d already experienced how protective the Yalkur were of their secrets, and she couldn’t afford to anger someone else like Farak. Next time, it might not be possible to rescue her before it was too late.

  When she had finished the tea, Kalleck offered her food from a tray. They ate together, mostly in silence. As they were finishing, Healer Kern knocked and came through the door. Kellji took the dinner tray and left.

  “How is Hirak?” Kalleck asked.

  “I’ve done what I can for him. He won’t be riding again for a long time, but he should recover. I will check on him again soon. And the other just needed a few stitches in his leg.” He looked at Shalyrie. “Don’t tell me you let something else happen to her.”

  “The cold,” Kalleck explained. “Farak pulled her into the river.”

  “When?”

  “Last night.”

  “Well, you must have taken care of her or she wouldn’t have survived the night out there. Couldn’t you have done this when the weather was better?” Kern demanded.

  Shalyrie fought back the urge to smile. She loved to hear the old man chastise Kalleck. It was such a contrast from the marked respect the rest of them treated him with. She kept her face impassive.

  “Next time, I’ll plan better!”

  But his words sent a thrill of fear through Shalyrie. They were only joking about controlling the weather. That wasn’t what bothered her.

  Next time.

  Next time someone decided to kill her. It seemed inevitable that something like this would happen again. Kalleck hadn’t even said, “if this happens again.” He’d said “next time.”

  “Shalyrie, what’s wrong?” Kalleck asked her, turning toward her.

  She settled a calm expression over her features. It was the face she used back home when everyone was watching her.