by Ryder Bailey
Wildas rushed to the cot where Myri was bent over someone who could only be Coulta. His fighting leathers were tattered and covered in blood. Coulta's eyes opened when Wildas knelt beside him, and Shelton could clearly see that Wildas was trying to hold back tears.
The unicorn stepped close to the cot and looked over Myri's shoulder at Coulta. "We have healed your most serious injuries. You will fight again, but how well will still depend upon the skills of your healers. We intervened to save your life, but to heal you completely would be too much."
"Thank you," Coulta told him hoarsely.
"Yes, thank you," Wildas said quietly.
The stallion nodded his head, then turned away from the cot. Much to Shelton's amazement, he stopped in front of him and dipped his head. "He was saved because he defeated the cruel one who had enslaved members of my herd in the past. But we are also grateful to you. You saved those members of the herd last year. You ended their suffering and set them free. For that, we thank you." He lifted his head again, and breathed against Shelton's face.
The change was immediate. Aches and pains that had become so much a part of life that he no longer noticed them were suddenly gone, and other pains he had barely noted after his duel with Kemale vanished. He even felt some of his magic return, as if the replenishing process had been quickened.
"Thank you," Shelton whispered as the unicorn stepped back.
The stallion nodded to him, then turned and left the Hall with his head high. Even from inside, they all heard him call to his herdmates, followed by a thundering of hooves.
***
Myri could tell that Coulta had several broken bones from the way his limbs were angled as he lay on the cot. What else his injuries included she could only guess.
"Go, Wildas," she commanded. "I will take care of him. You have other things to attend to."
Wildas nodded reluctantly before giving Coulta's forehead a kiss and getting to his feet.
"I'm going to give you something to make you sleep," she said, turning her attention back to Coulta. "I'm not sure I have the strength to fully heal you now, so don't be surprised if you wake up in splints."
"As long as I wake up," Coulta replied weakly.
Myri gave him a faint smile as she went to get a sleeping potion for him. When she returned she held it to his lips and he drank it quickly, hardly complaining until he finished the drink and made a face of disgust. Myri just smiled and sat with him until he was asleep, then she lightly touched his hand to begin her examination.
Her magic flowed into him and she checked his heart first. She was hardly surprised to sense a recent healing there. Somehow she could sense that his heart had given out for a brief moment when the unicorns had started the healing. It must have been the final shock that his body could endure, until they healed that as well.
Several of his ribs showed recent healing and only one was still fractured. His lungs had also been recently repaired, having been punctured by the broken ribs.
She had been afraid of the tears in his armor and the blood soaked into the leather on his abdomen. The leather was burned, the thin chainmail melted, and she had seen the marks of recent healing on his skin. Inside she could see that her fears had not been unfounded. There was a significant amount of recently healed tissue and she could sense the power that had burned away all contamination from his previously torn bowels.
Moving her sense upward again she found three separate places where his spine had been broken and healed, including at his neck. Then she looked at his brain and found places where bleeding and swelling had been healed. His skull had also been thoroughly repaired in two places where it had fractured.
One last thing came to mind and she looked for any sign of a life-giving force, and found none still. He would be relieved to know that.
The sheer amount of damage that had been done to his body was overwhelming for her. As a healer, even with the power he had shared with her, she never would have been able to save him. There had been other times when they had come close to losing him, but never this close.
She came back to herself only to realize there were tears streaming down her face. She quickly wiped them away and went to get material for splints. She would use what magic she could spare to help the healing along, but he'd need to mend mostly on his own.
***
Outside, Wildas joined Shelton again and watched as several hundred Nairs approached from the gate of the castle yard. They wore glittering silver mail and all had their long black hair loose. Their skin was several shades darker than that of most people in Phelin and their hands, faces, necks, and ears sported silver marks. The number of marks and their locations seemed to vary by person and Wildas wondered what they meant. Were they marks of magic or symbols they placed on their own bodies themselves? Whatever the case, it wasn't his place to ask.
The only details to tell men from women were the beards on the men, and the colors of their eyes. The women all had silver eyes while the men had various colors among them. There were also twice as many women as men.
"Your land has been cleansed of the evil magic," the leader announced. She wore no weapon and no mark of rank that Wildas could understand, but she was their leader without question.
Wildas bowed his head. "Thank you. I'm not sure how we can honor this debt to you."
She smiled. "Simply allowing us to remain here for three days would be payment enough. I would like to speak to another honored guest of yours. I believe he is a king from Algoma, though not formally crowned."
Wildas nodded. "Of course."
"Forgive me, but how did you know to come to our aid?" Shelton asked.
"One of our ships saw their navy departing. We assembled to follow them. We had heard of what happened in Algoma, and we agreed we wouldn't let the necromancers grab for power again in such a way. We despise those foul creatures."
"We are sincerely grateful," Wildas assured her. "You are welcome here, as guests of the crown. Our hospitality may be lacking somewhat at the moment as we have much to take care of now, but I assure you we will meet any need you may have."
She dipped her head. "I thank you, but I believe we would be best accommodated by assisting you and your people in the task at hand. There is more residual magic to dispel outside the city as well as inside the castle."
Wildas couldn't say he was surprised by that. "Your help is greatly appreciated. Let's begin."
***
A servant brought word when the battle ended. She already had bloodstains on her grey uniform, and her voice was urgent when she said, "The battle has ended. The healers need anyone willing to help."
Anil handed Kylar carefully over to one of her nurses. "Please stay here. I'll make certain you all get news."
The nurse nodded. "Of course."
Several others left with Anil, servants and the wives and sisters of the court. The guards remained with the others.
As she walked quickly to the Great Hall where she knew the healers were working, all Anil could think about were Wildas and Coulta. Memories of the battle with Varin pressed against her thoughts. They had lost a Grand King then. Please gods, don't let them have lost another one now.
The Hall was filled with people. Wounded soldiers lay on cots and blankets on the floor. Most were bleeding, many were moaning in agony, and others were perfectly silent. Healers bustled about, deciding who needed what treatment first. Assistants and other helpers answered calls for bandages, water, blankets, and salves. The dead were moved aside to make room for the ones who could be helped. Soldiers carried in their comrades with urgency but laid them down with care. The ground was beginning to look slick with blood and filth.
Near the door a group of soldiers stood silently staring at the room around them. Nearby a smaller group stood, wearing the brown uniforms given to the guild members. One of them dropped to the floor, visibly weeping. Two of the others tried to give comfort, but it didn't seem to help. Anil's heart went out to them. Unlike the soldiers, the guil
d members had never been trained for war. They had only taken their places on the walls to defend their homes and livelihoods. None of them should have needed to give their lives.
Her eyes landed on Myri, who was washing the blood from someone's face. Anil knew it was Coulta from the marks on his shoulders, the only part of him she could see until Myri lifted the cloth from his face. His leather armor was in a tattered pile at the foot of his cot, and his arms were bound in splints from wrist to armpit.
Myri looked up at her when she approached. "He'll recover," she assured her quietly. "He's very lucky I can say that, but he will recover."
Anil knelt and caressed his cheek. "Wildas?"
"Uninjured the last time I saw him," Myri answered. "He's with Shelton now, dealing with the aftermath. Shelton will keep him uninjured."
Anil kissed Coulta's forehead, then stood and turned back to Myri. "What can I do?"
Myri looked around the room. "There are so many here who need peace. Can your magic do that?"
Anil nodded. "Of course."
She spent the rest of the afternoon and evening moving throughout the Hall, comforting those who had lost friends, family, and lovers that day, and soothing anguish of those waiting to be healed. By the end of the evening she had only a small amount of Coulta's magic left. At least he would live to give her more one day. She realized the thought was petty, but the knowledge that he would recover filled her with so much joy that such little things were to be appreciated as well.
20
Coulta was not fond of waking up in pain, no matter how many times he seemed to be doing so over the last year. He wasn't sure how he had slept while in such pain except that Wildas's soothing presence had been in his dreams all night. Surely that meant he was still alive.
That was the thought that finally brought him into full wakefulness. His room was filled with soft morning light and Anil was doing her embroidery, seated on a chair by his bedside. She looked up at him and set her work aside.
"I'm glad you're awake," she said with a smile. "Are you in pain?"
"Much," he replied, his voice dry and croaking.
Anil nodded and stood. "I'll go for Myri."
Coulta took the opportunity to determine where his pain was coming from, and easily decided it was from everywhere. His entire body ached, though his arms did seem to hurt the worst. A quick glance told him they were both splinted and resting above the blankets. He could move completely, though it only increased his pain.
Vaguely, he remembered the battle, his fight with Kemale, and Myri healing him. Everything else was foggy and confusing. Unicorns seemed to occupy some corner of his memory, but that didn't make sense to him.
He was distracted from his thoughts by Wildas rushing into the room. He braced himself for more pain, but Wildas slowed as he reached the bed and was careful not to jostle him when he leaned down and touched his forehead gently to Coulta's. Coulta could feel his husband's tears when Wildas turned to press his cheek against his forehead. Wildas's hand was shaking when he reached to gently cradle Coulta's head. All Coulta wanted was to reach up and hold Wildas, but the splints made that impossible.
"I'm not sure how many times I can take nearly losing you," Wildas whispered.
"I'm not sure how many times I can take waking up like this," Coulta replied. "And I'm sorry to frighten you. Is everyone all right?"
Wildas kissed his forehead and pulled away. He wiped his eyes and nodded. For the first time Coulta noted that his mark of magic was gone.
"Myri has been working with the healers constantly," Wildas explained. He pulled the chair closer and sat with one hand on the mattress. Coulta wished he could reach over and hold it.
"She will be here shortly with something for your pain," he went on. "She had just gone back to the healers and we sent Dala for her. Star and Ralix fought well and had minor injuries. Rohan nearly bled to death from a sword wound but he's going to be just fine. Yvona had a few minor injuries, as well, but she's taking Rohan's place until he can function without fainting. Anil used her magic to stop a disguised assassin from doing harm in the nursery, according to my brother. You'll need to hear the story from her. She believes Kylar had something to do with what she did, but I don't want to ruin her telling of it."
"I look forward to hearing about it," Coulta assured him. "Shelton?"
"He's well," Wildas replied, glancing away.
"You're upset with him."
Wildas glanced back up. "I... don't know."
"He followed my orders," Coulta told him. "If he had kept fighting he would have died without making a difference in Kemale's strength or power. I was only able to kill him by using both my magic and my blades, and I had to make an attack I knew would likely kill me to destroy him and save my family and my people. I needed you to have him with you. I didn't want him to die in vain." As he spoke, his voice became louder and more earnest, and the pain intensified.
"Shh," Wildas soothed, moving his hand to rest gently on Coulta's shoulder. "It was just difficult to not know if I would see you again, and to have believed that he would keep you safe. I wouldn't wanted him to die in vain either. I can't be upset with him knowing what you told me, I promise."
Coulta nodded. "What about our guests?"
"Fae has been with the healers helping as much as Myri has. Jaimathan spent the battle trying to keep the souls of the dead from adding strength to the powers of the necromancers. I believe he nearly exhausted himself, but will recover. Dragon was killed by the necromancers. He managed to destroy a ship full of them as he fell, but he changed back into human form at some point and his body hasn't been recovered. Most of the dead from the river simply washed down to sea. Dragon's son, Fae's brother, was given the title of ruler last night after the battle. They'll be leaving today."
"Did Kemale's death end the battle?" Coulta asked, keeping his pain from his mind as long as possible.
Wildas seemed thoughtful. "I believe they would have kept fighting without him, but they did seem less organized for a moment. With less organization we would have been able to take the victory. But at the same time Kemale fell, our other guests arrived. There is currently a small army of Asirim from Nairiume in residence, led by their queen. They finished our work for us where the necromancers were concerned."
Coulta wasn't certain how to process that information. "How?"
Myri and Anil entered the room then, and Wildas stood from the chair. "I'll explain it later. I want you to rest and heal."
Myri smiled at Coulta as she moved to help him sit up. "Yes, you need more rest than any other time. You had more broken bones than whole ones when you came to me yesterday. Thank the gods those unicorns chose to heal the worst of your injuries before moving you or you wouldn't have made it back to the castle."
At that, Wildas stepped away and hid his face.
"I don't understand that, either," Coulta admitted, wincing at the new pain.
"They saved you to thank you for freeing their herd members from Varin in the last battle," Myri explained as she set about making whatever concoction she was going to force him to drink this time. "That's also why they gave Shelton a healing as well. They healed your worst injuries, then left the rest to me and your magic to heal. I used what magic I could spare to heal the bones in your legs because I knew you'd want to be moving sooner than you should. Your arms I aligned and splinted, and your ribs I bound. You do have a large amount of deep bruising, which I'm sure will heal quickly but in the meantime will make you miserable."
"But I'm alive," Coulta declared, despite the pain.
"Thank the gods," he heard Wildas add.
***
Jaimathan was just about to leave his room to see the Shifters off when he heard a knock on his door. He answered it to find a young man in the uniform of the castle servants standing outside.
The servant bowed. "My lord, I was sent to bring you to the Grand King's office. There's someone who wishes to speak to you for a moment."
Curious
, Jaimathan thanked the servant and headed for Wildas's office. There he found not only Wildas and Shelton, but a strange woman and two men he had never seen before. The men wore pale blue shirts and black trousers. The woman wore a shimmering silver gown that made her deeply tanned skin look darker, but that matched the color of her eyes. The men had only thinly sculpted beards along their jawlines, and all three strangers had loose, long hair and silver tattoos. Unlike the woman, the men had blue eyes.
"Thank you for meeting with us," the woman said with a smile when he entered.
"I know your voice," he replied, surprised.
She nodded. "I am also an Asir, as you call us. I am Tahirah, the queen in Nairiume. When we observed all the harm the necromancers of Dyrai were causing, we chose to act against them. We rarely join others' wars, but we feared their powers had grown too strong. We were able to defeat them and rescue the souls they had enslaved."
Jaimathan bowed his head. "I thank you, Your Majesty. I could not have saved them all myself."
"We're happy to have helped," she replied. "There is more I wish to speak to you about." She motioned to a chair. "Please, sit with us."
Curious again, Jaimathan sat and waited.
"Several generations ago," Tahirah began, "we had a trading alliance with Algoma. Then one of your kings, Gilroy, took one of our consorts, Fiamain, hostage. The king tried forcing him to bring the ghost of his dead queen to visit him. When he admitted that he could not do this because he had no powers away from his home, the king continued to hold him captive and drugged him. While he was drugged, Gilroy's sister bedded him against his will and became pregnant. He was not released until the child was born and she conceived a second time. We had thought Fiamain and his ship's crew lost at sea, until they returned with horrible tales of captivity. Instead of starting a war, we vowed that our trade agreement remain severed until an Asir was finally born to the Algoman line. Now we will once again be a trading ally with you."
