The Heart of the Falcon: The Guardian Maidens Book 3

by Marilyn Foxworthy

  I went slowly, the lamp in one hand, and my sword in the other. It was dark. Any creatures beyond would have to be adapted to absolute darkness. I didn’t think of that at the time, but as I soon discovered, I should have. We stepped quietly through the doors, into a large room. Our lamps gave off enough light that we could see the walls, and another set of doors in the walls directly across from us. The room was about 20 feet across and littered with debris. We took a few steps inside, and then I thought I caught sight of a movement off to our right, near the floor. Shaheen was the first to react.

  She yelled, “Run! Don’t stop!”

  She grabbed the lamp from my hand and threw it in the direction of the movement that I had seen, and when it hit the floor, it broke open and the oil spread out and caught fire.

  She yelled, "Give me the other lamp! And start running!"

  Shaheen pushed me back toward the doors and the hallway, and then threw the second lamp which was, unfortunately, the only other one that we had lit.

  Again, she yelled, “For mercy’s sake, run! I mean it. Please, run!”

  She was behind us and we started up the stairs, Shaheen at the rear, urging us to go faster if we could. After the first turn in the stairs, it was pitch black, but Shaheen told us to put a hand against the wall and keep to going. And to go faster. It was only 50 feet upward, but at least a 150 back and forth. And in the darkness, and climbing stairs, it took us a few minutes to reach the surface.

  When we did, Shaheen said, “Far enough. Stop! We’re safe now.”

  We were all winded, and most of us doubled over to catch our breaths.

  Harmony said, “What happened? What was it?”

  We were still near the cave entrance, and I led us farther down the hill to the edge of the orchard.

  I said, “Shaheen, what is the danger now? Are we safe?”

  She said breathlessly, “It won’t come out into the air. The danger now is that I will lose the use of my hand, and possibly some of my feminine beauty.”

  Shaheen showed us her hand, which was exhibiting signs of having been burned.

  Val looked at it for just a split second and said, “Run to the pools.”

  Shaheen said, “The Pools! Yes!” and she took off running as fast as she could go.

  The rest of us were right behind her. Val was right, the pools weren’t too far away, and running like this we were there fairly quickly. As soon as they were in sight, Shaheen, still at the front, dropped her sword and her belt, without slowing down at all, and sprinting to the water, dove in without removing her boots, which was all she wore.

  At the side of the pool, Val and I hurried to strip our own clothes, and dove in after her. When we reached her, she was standing in shoulder deep water, grasping her right wrist with her left hand, and sobbing.

  She said, “I’m sorry, it hurts. And my feet. Help me!”

  I grabbed Shaheen and supported her while she raised one foot, and then the other, and Val pulled off her boots. Val frowned and showed me one of the boots, burned with acid, and small holes starting to appear.

  She grabbed Shaheen’s foot and said, “Ronin, hold her. This is going to hurt.”

  Val lifted the foot, and I held Shaheen, and Val scrubbed her foot, ankle, and calf roughly with the water from the pool. Then she did the same to the other one. We had thrown the boots onto the bank, and Shaheen was completely naked now. The injured woman grimaced and writhed as Val washed her vigorously, whimpering in pain at several points. She seemed to be in more pain than warranted by the look of the damage. Of course, her hand was burned, but her feet didn’t look that bad. I asked about it.

  Val said, “The injury to the feet isn’t bad, but the pain is extreme. The poison acts on the nerves. Even having simply washed her, the pain in my hands is becoming nearly unbearable. We need to get out of the water, quickly.”

  I carried Shaheen in my arms to the grass and lay her down, holding her in my lap.

  Val said, “Take Ronin’s shirt. Run to the spring and soak it with clean water. Not the pool, but the spring that feeds it. Hurry.”

  Harmony jumped to the task, and Val jumped to sit next to me. She grabbed Shaheen’s face and neck and pressed hard in several places, and Shaheen became calmer and passed out in my arms.

  Val said, “She’ll sleep for a while. We were stupid. Ronin, I didn’t even bring any medicines!”

  Dawn said, “I’ll run back for them! What do you need?”

  Val said, “Dawn, run to my mother’s house! Tell her we that need medicines for fire burns, acid poisoned skin, bandages, and potions for pain and calming. Hurry. I hope that she’s there.”

  Harmony ran back with my wet shirt and Val wrapped it around Shaheen’s hand tightly. Dawn was already on her way to the farm.

  Val said, “She won’t be able to walk until she is healed. How could we have been so stupid? We brought sandwiches, but nothing we really needed. I feel like a fool. A child playing games, running off to play in the forest!”

  She fumed for a moment, and then calmed down and sighed and said, “She will recover. She won’t lose her hand. She won’t even be scarred. She will have blisters, but no scars. Not if Dawn brings what I need. She’s going to be fine, but she won’t be comfortable for a day or so. What happened? What was it?”

  I said, “First, is everyone else OK? Check for injuries. And Val, are you saying that we should stay out of the water?”

  Val said, "Stay out of the pool that we bathed her in and any water downstream from it for at least a day. The amount of the poison was minute, but it is very strong. If I had known before we jumped in after her, I would have washed her with wet rags and kept us out of it."

  I said, “How are your hands?”

  She looked at her palms and said, “They’ll be fine. A slight tingling for a while, but the real pain is subsiding already. Not much of it touched me, but it was bad for a few seconds. We were lucky that there wasn’t more of it. What happened?”

  I said, “I don’t exactly know. There was a movement in the darkness, and Shaheen started yelling. She grabbed my lamp, by the side, not the handle, and she threw it at the thing. It burst open and started burning it and the floor around it. You saw her take the second lamp the same way. I don’t know what the thing was.”

  Harmony said, “It was certainly dangerous. To frighten Shaheen like that. If she hadn’t been with us, we might have been killed. All the same, I blame her. We didn’t prepare properly, and that’s my fault as well, but she wasn’t one of us. I won’t make that mistake again. She stays home unless she becomes one with us.”

  I said, “Harmony, I think I know what you mean. I was to blame. I saw the problems, and I let us go forward, anyway. Shaheen will be one with us next time. Thank you for being kind about this.”

  Harmony said, “I don’t feel kind, but I will be kind since you say to. I’ll be as kind as ever. She is one of us whether she knows it or not.”

  Val said, “I don’t understand. How was she not one of us today?”

  Harmony said, “She didn’t dance with us. She had her own music. She had her own games to play. She didn’t move as one, in her body, her mind, or her spirit. We rushed ahead, and it was all of us, but it was her that didn’t dance. Ronin at least checked our clothing and weapons. He loved us that way and didn’t forget. He was in a hurry, but he didn’t forget his role as the leader. Shaheen didn’t even know where she was supposed to be. And I fell into it with her. Ronin, I’m sorry.”

  I said, “It was my responsibility. I should have stopped us.”

  Val said, “I think that we can’t be hard on ourselves. We are actually novices after all. It’s not an excuse, but a fact. We will grow stronger. I agree that we need to show kindness for Shaheen as well. She has been alone for a long time. Perhaps longer than we know about. It sounds like she is saying that she was alone, in some respects, her whole life. She is one of us. We were all in need of Ronin, and of each other. Ronin, be as kind to yourself as you are t
o us.”

  Harmony said, “Yes. Val, you’re right. If I blame her, I need to blame Ronin. And I don’t. We are novices. And she is a novice in many things as well. But she has to learn to be naked. But we’ll talk about that later.”

  Val said, “She won’t stay asleep long. She needs medicine. I can only do so much with touch. The water and Ronin’s shirt will keep the air off of her burn, but that only helps with the pain a little.”

  Harmony said softly, “Ronin, should we get dressed?”

  I said, “If you want to. Of course you can.”

  Harmony said, “Do you want us to? It’s important to me. If you want me to or not.”

  I looked at Harmony and said, “Harmony, my beloved, I think that it would be a good idea for us to get dressed right now. Thank you for asking. Are you OK?”

  Harmony smiled sweetly and stood up and gathered up our clothes and handed them to Val and I.

  She said peacefully, “I feel better than ever. Every day, I learn more about who I am. Thank you. Ronin, do you love me?”

  I said, “I do. Harmony, don’t you know that I love you?”

  She smiled and said, “I know you loved me yesterday and this morning. I wanted to make sure that you love me right now. This me.”

  I said sincerely, “Harmony, I love this you more than anyone in the world. And Val, too.”

  Harmony said, “I know. I’m the most beautiful, most wonderful, most special woman in all the world. And Val is, too. And Ronin, Shaheen is too. She just doesn’t know it yet. I know just what to say to her. Is she really going to heal OK? And be able to walk and use her hand? And fight with me when she’s ready to learn?”

  Val said, “I’m pretty sure. I don’t think it’s as bad as the pain makes it seem. As long as we get medicine soon.”

  Harmony said, “Ronin, let me run after Dawn. I’m faster. When we meet, I can run back a little faster than Dawn can.”

  I said, “Sweetie, thank you. That would make me feel better.”

  Harmony said, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  I said, “Harmony, Dawn is almost at the farm house now.”

  Harmony smiled and said, “Thank you. I love you, Ronin. I’ll meet her on her way back here,” and she ran off in the direction that Dawn had taken a few minutes earlier.

  Val and I sat quietly with Shaheen cradled in my lap, and both Val and I stroking her hair. Shaheen began to shiver. She was probably going into shock, and we wrapped her cloak around her and tried to keep her warm until Harmony could come back with what we needed to comfort her more than we could now.

  Chapter 12 - Raven's Rest

  When Harmony rushed back with a bag of potions, ointments, and bandages, Val got to work.

  Harmony, fully out of breath, said, “Dawn, Jean, and Gerald are coming in a wagon. I could run faster. Ronin, I love you.”

  I said, “Sweetie, you keep saying that.”

  She said, “I have to. It doesn’t matter. How is she?”

  I said, “She’s going into shock.”

  Val said, “Harmony, you did great. Do you want to help me? Come here. Take a bandage and put some of this ointment on it. Press it against the acid burns on her legs and hold it. Count to ten and toss it to the side. Ten heart beats. Get another and do the same until you have done every spot on her leg. I’ll do the other. Her hand will wait. But don’t touch her skin with your hand. And don’t let the used bandages touch you either.”

  The two went to work, and after a minute Val said, “When you have done the whole area, do it again, but this time, count to 30 beats each time.

  The girls had Shaheen’s legs exposed, and I still held her in my lap.

  I said, “Girls, when Gerald gets here, be careful that Shaheen isn’t exposed. If it were critical, then of course I wouldn’t care, but it seems like we can keep her modest, so please do.”

  I thought that Harmony might tell me that there was no need, but Harmony surprised me by saying, “Yes, she needs to be kept safe. Gerald is family, but this is sacred. We will protect her. Ronin, I love you.”

  We heard the wagon approaching a few minutes later, and the girls, who were just finishing wrapping Shaheen’s legs and feet with bandages that would be left in place for a while, pulled the cloak around her and Val went to look at the burn on Shaheen’s hand.

  When the wagon stopped, Dawn, Val, and Gerald jumped out and came to see what they could do. Jean knelt with Val and Val explained the situation and the two of them continued applying the necessary aid.

  I gave the job of cradling the injured woman over to Dawn and Harmony and I stepped away to talk to Gerald a few feet away.

  Gerald immediately asked, “Ronin, who is this? Dawn said that there was an injury, but we didn’t discuss who it was. I was afraid it was one of your mates.”

  I said, “It is. Gerald, I told you that Shaheen was to be my mate as well.”

  Gerald said incredulously, “Shaheen! Her? No!”

  I said, “Yes. That is the village hag of Sturgil’s Mark.”

  Gerald stared at the woman in Dawn’s arms in disbelief.

  I said, “I warned you.”

  He said, “You did in deed. Well, how she is who she is isn’t important. What happened? And will she be OK?”

  I said, “Val says that she will. We went to the Kobold cave. When we went in, there was something there. I didn’t see what it was, but Shaheen saw it and it frightened her and she made us run. She got burned when she grabbed our lamps and threw them at the thing to set it on fire. And it got too close and sprayed her feet and calves with a poison that ate through her boots. Val says that it is very toxic and that she won’t walk for a while. Thank you for bringing the wagon. I would have carried her, but this will be faster.”

  Gerald put his arm around my shoulders and said, “Of course you would. To the end of the earth and back if you had to. Of course you would, my boy. We’ll take you back to the village. When Val says it’s time.”

  I said, “Gerald, will it be awkward? To see Lucy?”

  Gerald said, “You mean Stacy? No. It will be awkward for half a second, but I’m so happy for you. Like the man who had Anne in his house. You saw how grateful he was for things to be the way that they should be. It’s how I feel. This is how it should be. Can you imagine my life as a simple farmer with Lucy in my house? And besides, didn’t I send you to her the first day, when we came to the village, with the idea that she would fall in love with you? What a mistake we nearly made. But I didn’t know our little secret then, did I? No, I did not. And my own daughter, too. I have a hard time believing it. Ronin tell me, did you know that Dawn and Val were like you?”

  I said, “Gerald, the very truth is that when you met me, I didn’t know that I was like them. It was Stacy who told me and convinced us all. None of us knew.”

  Gerald said, “And it’s true? Do you have abilities or magick, and things like that?”

  I smiled and said, “A few little tricks. Here, Val is busy, but Harmony will play. She is about to ask you if you brought her a unicorn. Watch.”

  I sent Harmony a message and told her what to say and she raised her head and said, “Oh, Gerald, did you bring me a unicorn?”

  Gerald looked amazed and said, “No, dear, not yet. Soon.”

  Then to me he said, “Ronin, can you call to them at a distance like that? How far?”

  I said, “I don’t know how far, but yes.”

  He said gravely, “Then make sure that you can do it with Jean. If she has the ability. If you can. We would have been here twice as fast if you had called her instead of having Dawn run all this way. I won’t try to stop you Adventuring, but I want you to talk to Jean when you need us. We are family. There is purpose as we say. In my house is a woman who can hear you at a distance. We can’t waste that blessing. If someone were hurt or killed, we would be stupid to keep it a secret if it could have prevented a loss to us.”

  I agreed that I would, but that I would leave it between Jean and Sta
cy at first.

  Before too much longer, the women had done as much for Shaheen as they could, and I lifted her into the back of the wagon, and we all headed for home. Part of me wanted to go back to the cave and kill whatever had hurt Shaheen, but I knew that the best plan would be to wait and let her tell me what we were facing and how to deal with it, if she knew. But it was going to die soon. It must have wanted to. Otherwise it would have run from us instead of attacking one of my wives. It would die as soon as I knew what to do to kill it.

  I carried Shaheen into the house when we arrived, and Alice and Brenda rushed to help me get her into a big bed and to undress her, removing the cloak, and get her comfortable. We explained the situation quickly, and Brenda frantically whispered something to Alice and the two of them rushed away as if something were on fire.

  Val said that Shaheen would sleep a little longer and there was nothing to do at the moment, so we all went down to the front room, where Gerald and Harmony had stayed to wait for us. Brenda and Alice were still away somewhere, but Stacy joined us. She and Gerald exchanged a hug, and a few quiet words and another hug, and then it all seemed perfectly comfortable. I asked about she and April and was told that she was doing very well, and that April had stayed in bed all day, except for a few small meals.

  Brenda and Alice rushed back in to where we were standing and said, “Master, I have a special, um, a special drink, for Shaheen. Remember, she said that it would help. That it was healing! We should give it to her. And she said that you can put it on her wounds.”

  Jean said, “What kind of special drink?”

  Brenda looked frightened and handed me a large mug of something. I took it from her and looked at it and frowned at Brenda. Alice rushed to me and pulled me close and whispered, “Milk!”

  I looked at Brenda again and then I understood.

  I said quickly, “Oh Brenda! Thank you! Val, take Brenda upstairs and see if you think that Shaheen would benefit from what she has for her. It sounds like a good idea to me. In fact, step over here for just a moment.”

  I took Val aside and whispered, “Shaheen told us that the Honey’s Milk, that Brenda has, is good for healing. Internally and externally. Brenda has a cup of it for Shaheen. You might want to taste it yourself and see how it feels to you and put some on your hands where you absorbed some of the poison. If you think that it’s a good idea, use it to help Shaheen.”