Ized- the Ancestors

by Esther Barvar

  »I would be very grateful,« Lord Sors thanked, already again wholly concentrated on his activity.

  When the healers were about to leave the room, Adar turned to them again. »I thank you for your help, Lords. Please forgive my restlessness and impatience. I don’t understand my behavior at the moment«.

  They turned to him once more, bowed their heads, and left the room. As healers, they increasingly experienced the warriors‘ irritability and did not blame him for his behavior. The man here was worried about the woman’s life, and his impatient nature as a warrior made the matter exhausting.

  Adar and Sors held off the whole procedure of opening and closing once more. Wound for wound Sors coated with the healing ointment. The ointment closed the scars a little, so that blood would hardly escape if the shield no longer existed.

  »How long can you keep the shield up, Adar?« Sors asked him interested.

  »As I said, as long as I’m awake, it’s no problem. Only when I fall asleep will he gradually come loose. But even that will take some time,« he replied while he continued to observe and act according to the healer’s instructions.

  Sors raised an eyebrow in recognition. He had never seen anyone handle a shield in such a differentiated way before.

  After they had to treat all the wounds, they covered the battered body with a light yet warm blanket. Then they used the healing potions, which could only be infused into her mouth drop by drop. During the time, Adar walked restlessly up and down. He held the shield upright, but was otherwise doomed to inactivity, while Sors applied the tincture drop by drop with a pipette. Sors had to be careful. Too much at once would only flow out of her mouth, or prevent her from breathing.

  A short time later, Befen entered the room with a knock and brought the antipyretic juice. He was followed by two servants with covered trays, who placed them on the small table. The men immediately left the room. Befen meanwhile reminded the young magicians:

  »Lords, sit down. Your bodies need food. Now eat something. I’ll keep going for you for now.«

  Sors nodded, put the pipette to the side, and took a seat at the small table. Adar, however, grabbed the pipette and sat down where Sors had sat before. He wanted to instill the unknown with the potion.

  »Give me the pipette, Adar.« Befen stretched out his hand, demandingly. Adar looked at him, hesitated, and growled. Befen’s forehead frowned disapprovingly, and his body straightened up threateningly. »Now, Adar,« he whispered without hesitation at his friend and waved unmistakably with his fingers.

  Unwillingly Adar handed him the pipette. With great reluctance, he confronted Sors to strengthen himself as well. He saw it. He had to give his body food and rest urgently, but he feared for the welfare of the woman, although she was unknown to him. He felt attached to her. Her scent excited and calmed him at the same time. Adar’s senses concentrated only on the woman. A pleasant balance came over him as soon as he was near her. The constant urge to break out, to seek distance, was no longer felt. Such calming feelings, such as restraint, and serenity, were unknown to him until now. Because of these new impressions, he could not help himself. He had to seek her closeness.

  Befen dripped the various medicines into her mouth according to the instructions of the healer. After Sors and Adar had eaten, Adar immediately wanted to take his place at the woman’s side again.

  Sors was glad to have Lord Befen here to support him. As he would also stay the night, at least one danger was averted, for Befen knew how to deal better with the young warriors than he did. He had enough experience because he had trained the impetuous young magicians himself for years. His daily contact with them as a High Lord of Warriors also helped him, as did his ability to belong to this state himself.

  »Adar, don’t think about it,« Befen hissed at the young man, quite irritated. »Go next door into my room and lay down for a few hours so that you’ll be rested in the morning. You held her in your arms all the way back. We were on the road for a long time. Since you’ve been here, you’ve been highly concentrated all the time, holding up the shield. Now it’s time to be wise and give the body what it needs. And by that, I mean sleep! I now take over the shield to keep her wounds closed.« Befen’s tone of voice towards his friend had been energetic. His eyes sparkled resolutely. He knew what tone he could and had to strike to be able to reach his opponent at all and still not span the bow. Adar’s state of mind could only be described as critical.

  »I won’t leave the room, Befen,« Adar growled at him quietly but definitely.

  His eyes shimmered dark, and Befen immediately understood that he was the one who had to make compromises. So he roll with his eyes. He looked around the room searchingly, moving his hands towards each other and using magic to push two armchairs together. He looks at the young friend impatiently.

  »Then sleep over there. Sors gets him a warm blanket. If he doesn’t close his eyes and sleep within ten minutes, I’ll knock him out. Then at least his body will rest,« Befen broke up. »I take over the shield now,« he explained in the same harsh voice.

  Adar hesitated, wanted to reply something, but then he nodded once and left Befen to secure the wounds.

  He turned to the unconscious and continued to dribble the medication into the woman’s mouth. Now that Adar could no longer see it, a smile scurried over his lips but immediately disappeared, and he frowned. Befen know what’s going on here. Adar felt attracted to the woman. He wanted to protect her. Hopefully, she survived the terrible injuries. Otherwise, they soon had a big problem with a young warrior in bloodlust. Adar now raised both arms and let the armchairs float a little closer to the bed, also with the help of magic. He wanted to see her at all times. Only now did he settle in the temporary bed. In the meantime, Sors had found some blankets in one of the cupboards and handed Adar one of them. The warmth of the sheet and the efforts of the day caused Adar to fall asleep.

  With a worried look at the sleeping man, Befen quietly cleared his throat. »Sors, what do you think is the probability that she will survive?« he asked.

  The magician answered the Administrator with a gentle head shake. »I wonder about finding life in the maltreated body at all. I don’t know, Administrator. Really not! We can only hope. She is still alive. That’s all I can tell you.«

  »Then we hope for a miracle. I can guess what is with him, because since he saw this woman, he is fixated on her. He feels attracted to her. She is pretty, gorgeous, but, such aggression and doggedness? The warrior in him is awakened. He wants to protect her on the one hand because she is helpless, but on the other hand, he wants to conquer her. If she does not survive, we must reckon with a blood rush.« Befen shook his head in frustration. »You should now retire to your rooms and get some sleep, too, Sors. You urgently need rest. After all, you have already given several times much of your energy. I will watch over her during the night.«

  Lord Sors smiled enigmatically. »I’m sorry, Administrator. I have no intention of angering you. But I don’t want to upset Lord Adar any more than he already is. We must do everything we can to prevent him from drifting into a blood rush. He is only a trace away from it. I have assured him that I will help him and will not give her up as long as there is even a breath of life in her. A chair will also have to do for me tonight.«

  With it, he pushed two more armchairs together, took one of the blankets, and made himself comfortable.

  Befen shook his head resignedly but admired Sor’s sensitivity. The man was not wrong when he showed concern for Lord Adar. »Should I pay attention to something special with the liquids?« he asked.

  »If she got the drugs off the table there, her body needs water. Since she doesn’t swallow consciously, you have to take it with the pipette to her. Just as carefully as the medication. If she gets a fever, please wake me up immediately. Then I’ll make her a calf compress, and she’ll get the antipyretic you just brought with you.«

  Befen nodded understandingly and continued. In between, he checked the temperature again and again
.

  After a few hours, the fever came. Befen woke up Sors when he noticed the rising temperature. Sors wrapped her in a calf compress to keep the heat as low as possible. But it didn’t last long, and her body got fever cramps. Adar woke up by the movements and quiet noises in the room. He rose and watched the event with concern. The night was almost over. Befen stood up and stretched out tiredly.

  »But now you must go to sleep, Befen. Thank you for your help.«

  Befen’s corners of his mouth twitched amusedly. How stubborn Adar was. But to leave him here alone with Sors and the woman was not a good idea. »Then let’s change places, young friend.«

  »Don’t you want to retire to your room? It would be reasonable. You can rest much better there,« Adar remarked.

  »Have you been reasonable? No, so I’ll stay close to you to take care of you. Don’t complain, it’s your fault,« Befen growled at him amusedly.

  Adar blushed because he was quite aware of his unreasonable behavior. But he would not have been near her if he had gone into Befen’s room. He would not have been able to do that.

  Suddenly the men flinched and stared at the woman. She mumbled incomprehensibly. No one understood her, but all three were with her immediately. In fever madness, she spoke in a foreign language.

  »It’s a pity she doesn’t speak our language,« Sors whispered to them. Befen and Adar nodded.

  Adar hung on her lips. Her voice triggered something warmth inside him. »I now take over the shield again, Befen,« he whispered, and the administrator handed it over to him. Lord Befen lay down in the armchairs, covered himself with the blanket, and fall asleep immediately.

  Adar looked at Sors. Again it growled unwillingly inside him when the fear attacked him. »Lord Sors, how does it look, is she a little better, or is it hopeless? Tell me the truth. Will she live or die?«

  Sors gave him a friendly look and laid a hand on the shoulder of the young warrior. »She is still alive, Adar. I can’t tell you more at this time, but to be fair, I didn’t expect her to survive the night. She must have a durable nature because the blood loss was significant. She is far from out of danger, but she is alive. But now I have to go and make more of the healing potions. My colleagues will help me to get back quickly. Now her body needs water. Always with the pipette, and only a few drops. And one pipette of the antipyretic medication every hour. She just received a dose of it.«

  Adar nodded understandingly, got a cup of fresh water, and began to wet her lips. Sors watched him do it, nodded contentedly, and left to take care of the potions.

  He probably had to ask all the healers for the herbs he needed. Well, that was the smallest of his problems. He was more worried about the upcoming transport to Farsie. He shouldn’t underestimate the loss of blood. The woman was already freezing anyway. Then there were the low temperatures outside. Therefore the way would strain her weakened body even more.

  The men took turns, infusing her with medicine or water. Later in the day, the eyes of the beautiful stranger fluttered.

  Adar was immediately with her. He felt gripped by a wild excitement, wanted her to know that she had nothing to fear here with him. »Do you hear me, lady?« he whispered at her ear. »I will watch over you. You are safe with me. No one will harm you. I will protect you with my life«.

  Once again, her eyes flickered, and Adar thought he saws a golden shimmering into her eyes. Then she moaned and lost consciousness again.

  Sors examined the wounds. He asked Adar to remove the shield from some places so that he could apply the healing ointment again. Some of the smaller wounds already closed. Sors was delighted with it. But the more profound injuries were still bleeding, although the ointment otherwise stopped bleeding at the first application. Sors put a bandage over the small wounds. Befen regularly provided food and drinks. Sors brought another potion, which strengthened her body as she was currently unconscious and could not eat anything.

  The men were always busy, giving her the different fluids drop by drop.

  After the second night, which Befen had taken over again, Lord Sors breathed a sigh of relief. »It looks good. When I think of how she was when she arrived. I feared the worst. She’s doing well. She will live.« Sors looked over at Adar, who was staring. »Have you understood, Adar? She will live. But how do we get her to Farsie? You could transport her on one of the carts, but I’m afraid the shaking will rip her wounds open again.«

  Adar shook his head vigorously. »No, she won’t be lying in one of the carts. I will carry her just as I brought her here.«

  »Adar, the way back takes a whole day. Even your powers will tire at some point,« Befen warned him.

  Adar growled unwillingly. »I will make it, Befen. She hardly weighs anything.«

  »Do you have a second cape with you?« Befen now wanted to know. »You yourselves cannot possibly ride without a wrap. It has become icy cold.«

  Adar shook his head.

  »Then I will ask the other lords. Or we use one of these blankets for her. That will probably be the easiest. I still have to talk to the king anyway. I can ask him if it’s possible,« Lord Befen thought out loud.

  »I have enough laundry with me. So she can at least wear a pair of trousers and a shirt from me because her clothes are useless. It’s all quite big, but it’ll be all right for transport. A warm blanket would be good.«

  »Yes,« Lord Sors said. »She has lost so much blood that she will freeze despite the sheet. It is useful when your body warms her. When we get back to Farsie, she can recover in the hospital.«

  »No, I will not leave her in a hospital,« Adar protested again with glowing eyes. »She will not vegetate there. I take care of her! She will be able to recover better in my rooms.« He growled at the men wildly and irreconcilably.

  »Adar, calm down. I will see what I can do. Your objection is justified. You saw her first and therefore have the right to follow the law of hospitality. I will inform Lord Reito that you will take care of the woman and that you be released from duty for some time,« Befen intervened. He waived his own right to follow the law by emphasizing that Adar had seen her first, for the young man was really beside himself when it came to this woman. »And then I will talk to the king.«

  Befen settled the matter with the new High Lord of Warriors for his friend. Reito first protested that Adar had to do his duty like everyone else. He yielded when Befen announced that the law of hospitality applied to everyone, and Adar would act on his behalf. Every Izeder had to help a helpless human.

  Befen also spoke to Carbacan about the woman and explained the situation to him. The king personally visited Adar on the same evening to take a look at the unknown beauty and to exchange a few words with the warrior. He also officially entrusted the young man with the honorable task of hospitality while the woman was in her country.

  The retreat was planned for the early morning. Adar and Sors once again treated all wounds with the healing ointment. Now Adar clothed the woman with parts of his habits. Then he wrapped one of the blankets tightly around her body and put a shield around it.

  She still was feverish. During the ride back, however, no compress could be made. Sors would be near Adar on the way back. They had to use the breaks for medication. The healer had enough of it in his luggage.

  Adar carried her to the yard, handed her to Befen so that he could sit up. Then he took her over again.

  Befen took Adar’s luggage with him. »If you need a break, Adar, you can call for my help,« Befen emphasized again quietly.

  »I will make it,« Adar confirmed, but smiled at him gratefully. The ride would become an ordeal for her. Adar did not want to make any changes to her. Two longer breaks were planned before they finally reached Farsie in the evening.

  During the breaks, Adar instilled her with the medication. He didn’t let anyone get to her, didn’t calm down himself. Befen finally handed him the nutritious nut and fruit bread that Adar hastily gobbled down in silence.

  Arriving at Farsie, Befen took the woman fr
om Adar and prepared to carry her to the apartment building. Adar jumped from the horse and holding him back by his arm. He stared at his friend growling and snarling. Befen hesitated. Wordlessly he handed Adar the unconscious woman. He signaled for a servant to take over the luggage and followed the friend to his rooms. Sors hurried after them, too, with the rest of the medicine left. He would also bring freshly prepared extracts to Adar.

  The young warrior stormed almost to his rooms. He walked through the living room and carried her to the bedroom. There he carefully laid her down on the bed. She became overly feverish in the meantime. Sors pushed past him to put on a compress. Meanwhile, Adar walked restlessly up and down in front of the bed. The healer didn’t let himself be disturbed in his work and instilled her with the antipyretic. He also sent healing powers into her body once more. While Lord Sors attended the woman, Befen took the restless Adar by the arm and pulled him to the side. There he spoke insistently to him:

  »Adar, pull yourself together. Use the time when you can’t do anything and go to the bath. Clean and recover. You will have a long night.« Defending, he raised both hands when he noticed Adar stiffening. »I will not tolerate any contradiction, my friend. I stay here so long and take care of her. But if you want to take care of her for the next few days and not take her to a hospital, you have to stay healthy yourself. While you are in the bathroom, I will have a meal come for you.«

  Befen deliberately mentioned the subliminal threat to leave the woman to others for care, for he knew that only such a threat would make Adar give in now. He understood him only too well but hesitated. Finally, he realized that his friend was right. He grabbed Befen’s arm and pressed it. »I thank you for your help,« he said.

  Befen just nodded and turned to Sors. Further words were superfluous. Adar knew him well enough to know why he acted like that.