Loyalty and War

by Devon Vesper

  Kastaan nodded. “That could just be the cold fucking with his lungs, child. Flushed skin could be from the cold, as well. Tiredness could be boredom. Let me look at ’im.”

  Valis snapped his pocket watch closed and moved out of the way, heading for the other side of the bedrolls. He watched while Kastaan felt along Tavros’s face and winced as he shook Tavros awake so he could check his eyes, nose, and throat. For fifteen minutes, Kastaan asked questions, checked Tavros’s pulse and other vitals, and hummed to himself as if everything Tavros said or did was interesting.

  When Kastaan finished, he sat back on his heels and rubbed his jaw. “It could go either way,” he said in heavily accented Arlvorian. “He could be coming down with something, and it hasn’t hit ’im yet, or it could just be a reaction to the cold. We will have to wait and see, unfortunately.”

  “Anything you can do?” Tavros asked. “Or is there anything I can do?”

  Kastaan shook his head. “We haven’t the herbs to treat you. All you can do is drink as much water as you can to try and flush whatever it is out. If we come upon a city, we can hit up an apothecary and see if they have the herbs necessary. By then, if you really are coming down with an illness, it will have presented itself, and we will be more able to treat it.”

  He pressed on Tavros’s shoulder when he tried to sit up. “No, child. Rest. Sleep more. Valis will wake you for dinner, and after, get to bed early. I want you to sleep as much as you can until we figure out if you are fighting something off, or it is just the cold messing with your body in bad ways.”

  “Yes, sir.” Tavros laid back down and groaned. “Cold.”

  Valis slung Tavros’s cloak over the bedroll’s cover and pulled out extra horse blankets to cover him with. He added a few clothes and their fall cloaks, as well. It was all he could do. The army already knew to set up a fire as close as safely possible to this tent, so this was as warm as he could get his husband.

  He still wished they were back home where Tavros could see the Master Healer, Firil. Only then would Valis feel confident in Tavros’s treatment.

  But that was a dream for another night. For now, it was time to scry after his papa and hopefully get some good news from home to assuage his weary heart.

  Chapter Twelve

  Two mornings later, Valis shot up from a sound sleep at the sound of Tavros’s barking cough. He turned and paled. Tavros’s coughing sounded much worse than it had even just yesterday. He rolled over onto his side and his whole body convulsed with the force of his cough. When he pulled his hand away, it came back shining with fresh blood in the dim mage lights that lit the tent.

  “Tav…”

  Tavros groaned and mumbled something incoherent. He turned over and looked up at Valis, and his forehead furrowed. “Valis…” He closed his eyes and shook his head, but that seemed to spur on another coughing fit that had him rolling back onto his side and curling up into a tight ball of visible agony.

  Valis tossed his covers over onto Tavros so he had double the covers and raced out of his tent. It was still dark out, pitch black. The moon was still high in the sky, but at least the wind had died down somewhat and the clouds had abated, leaving the sky clear and bright. He used the moon’s glow to search the tents, almost ready to start screaming.

  Where was Kastaan’s tent? Valis hadn’t been paying attention when the tents went up. He’d only been paying attention to Tavros and the way his face seemed warmer than it had just the day before.

  Fuck it. Valis filled his lungs and called out in his most authoritative voice, “Kastaan! To me. Now!”

  The sounds of more than half of the camp waking echoed around him. Shyvus stumbled out of his tent and shambled over, still half-asleep. “What’s wrong, lad?”

  “Tavros is coughing up blood.” Valis rubbed the cold from his arms. “He’s also in pain, and seems confused.”

  “Shit.” Shyvus stomped off. “I’ll get Kastaan. You get back to your boy.”

  Valis didn’t need any more prodding than that to go back to Tavros’s side. He jogged back to his tent and closed the flaps, pushing the ties to the outside so Kastaan could get in. He knelt next to Tavros and brushed his hair from his forehead, hissing as he made skin contact. “Shit, Tav. You’re burning up!”

  Tavros groaned and whined. “Hurts.” He let out a sound that broke Valis’s heart and murmured, “Valis… Want Valis.”

  “Love, I’m here. I promise. We’ll get you better.”

  “Valis…” Tavros let out a sobbing breath that turned into a hacking, barking cough that made Valis’s chest and throat ache in sympathy. “Valis…”

  “I’m here, my heart.” Valis petted Tavros’s head until Kastaan showed up. When the man entered the tent, he pulled his shirt-mask down and immediately pushed it back. “I can smell the fever. We need to get him to a city.”

  He knelt down next to Valis, closer to Tavros’s face and touched Tavros’s sweaty forehead. “Get snow. Wrap it in cloth and put it on his forehead and the back of his neck to bring down the fever. He needs more blankets. We need to get him warmer to sweat the fever out.”

  “He doesn’t seem to recognize me,” Valis said.

  Kastaan patted his shoulder. “He’s delirious from the fever. It is to be expected.”

  He turned his attention back to Tavros and patted his cheek. “Tavros. Wake up. Be with me.”

  Tavros groaned. “Who’re you?”

  “Your healer.” Kastaan tapped his chin. “Open your mouth and stick out your tongue. Say aaah.”

  He summoned a mage light and when Tavros obeyed the command, Kastaan sent that mage light to the back of Tavros’s throat and winced. “He’s coughed so hard he broke blood vessels in his throat. That’s where the blood is from, child. Thank the gods.”

  Once he dismissed the mage light, he tapped Tavros’s chin again. “You can close now.” He sent two mage lights into Tavros’s nostrils and tilted Tavros’s head back so he could look as far as possible.

  With a shake of his head, he sighed. “Everyone must keep their masks in place around him. You, too, Valis. Get a shirt around your face and do not let him breathe on you. Even when you sleep. Make him lay on his side facing away from you.”

  He swatted Valis’s chest. “Go on. Get that snow. We must get his fever down.”

  Valis snapped out of his stupor and went to rummage in his pack for a shirt to use. Once he had one, he bolted from the tent and returned once he’d filled it with snow. Kastaan showed him how to make compresses out of the sleeves to lay across Tavros’s forehead and at the back of his neck, and once they were in place, he sat back and washed his hands with the leftover snow.

  “You want to keep that snow fresh. Once it melts, get more until his fever abates. If it gets too high, it can kill ’im.”

  Valis’s stomach revolted. He belched and shuddered. “I’ll make sure to keep it up.”

  “We may need to stay here until his fever is down. I know you don’t want the delay, but it is better than risking his life.”

  “No, you’re right.” Valis sighed and glanced down at Tavros. “He’s more important right now.”

  “We need some herbs. So we need to head to the nearest city that might have a well-stocked apothecary.”

  Valis adjusted Tavros’s forehead compress. “I can have a runner head out.”

  “No, child.” Kastaan rose from his kneeling position and stooped so he wouldn’t hit his head on the support beam. “It’s best we all go. He needs to be warm while he recovers, and I can almost guarantee it will take more than ten days for his body to fight this off, even with medicine. We need to take him to a city. And to do that, we need to get his fever down so he can sit on a horse without risk of falling off.”

  Sagging, Valis nodded. “Very well. Could you let everyone else know we’re staying the day and to go back to sleep?”

  “I will. And if you need anything, send Shyvus. He knows where my tent is.”

  Once he left, Valis went to get a
shirt to create a mask for himself. The last thing anyone needed was for both the Grand Master Aesriphos to be sick. Though, he felt confident that Shyvus and the other reliquary guards would be able to handle things while getting Valis and Tavros to safety. Still, he didn’t want to get sick. He wanted to help Tavros get better.

  And part of that was making sure he got enough rest. So after checking Tavros’s compresses again, Valis laid down beside Tavros and snuck under the covers. They just barely covered him since he’d doubled up what he had on Tavros, but it was just enough to send him off for a nap.

  He forced himself awake, out of a light doze, every hour or so to change Tavros’s compresses. When dawn shone her light upon the world, Valis brightened the mage lights above him and pulled out his pocket watch and the map they used to chart their course.

  “Valis.”

  Valis got up and headed out of the tent. “What is it, Shyvus?”

  Shyvus frowned. “How bad is he?”

  “He’s pretty bad. His fever hasn’t broken yet. He’s delirious, and I’m letting him try to sleep it off. If anyone can spare any blankets to help him sweat the fever out, I’d greatly appreciate it. Just don’t make anyone uncomfortable. We don’t need anyone else getting sick because they ended up shivering at night.”

  “And those blankets would need to be washed before they got them back, so the sickness doesn’t spread,” Shyvus added. “This is bad, Valis.”

  “We need to head to the nearest city. The Kalutakeni don’t have the herbs to treat him, so I was about to try and plot a course to the nearest city that might have an apothecary.”

  “Smart move.” Shyvus grabbed both Valis’s shoulders and shook him gently. “He’ll be all right. You look like a man possessed. Calm down and get shit done.”

  Valis groaned. “The possessed bit is probably because after Kastaan left the tent, I was up every hour checking on Tavros and changing his compresses. I’m exhausted.”

  “Then get the course plotted, hand me the map, eat breakfast, and go back to bed. Phalin and I will keep up with Tavros’s compresses and fever checks. Tavros gets broth, only. We don’t want him puking up chunks if he gets sick.”

  “Thanks, Shyvus. I appreciate it.”

  Shyvus smiled at him and patted his shoulder. “Get on it, lad. You really do look like you’re either drunk or possessed.”

  When Valis entered his tent again, Tavros was awake and sitting up. He glanced up at Valis with glassy, bloodshot eyes and sagged. “Valis…”

  “Love, it’s me. What can I do for you?” Valis sat next to him and stroked his face. “You’re still so hot. You should lie back down.”

  “But I want Valis…”

  Valis sighed and pulled his mask off. “Love, I’m Valis.”

  “Oh. Where were you?”

  He spoke as he rewrapped his face. “I was outside talking to Shyvus. We need to plot a course to the nearest city. You’re too sick for us to keep after the anchor team.”

  “Yeah. I feel like death.” Tavros groaned and Valis helped him lie down again. “Why do I feel like death?”

  “Because when you broke your leg, you were cold for too long, and it seems to have settled into your lungs, love. We’ll get you sorted.” Valis leaned their foreheads together and stroked his husband’s cheek. “I’ll get you sorted. Sleep. I won’t be far.”

  “Sleep with me,” Tavros whined. “Please.”

  “Love, I have to plot the course and do some scrying. I’ll be right here until breakfast. Then I’ll sleep with you. I promise.”

  That seemed to work. Tavros huffed a wet sigh that turned into a wracking cough. When he could finally breathe again, he croaked, “Okay.”

  When he closed his eyes, Valis went out and filled the shirt with snow again and settled it on Tavros’s brow and behind his neck. Only when he was sure his husband slept did Valis pop open his pocket watch and settle in for a scrying session.

  He contacted Kerac first. When his papa’s face showed in the small golden disc, Valis almost lost his entire shit. His nose started running, and his eyes burned with unshed tears.

  “Valis? My son, what’s wrong?”

  Valis cleared his throat and rubbed at his eyes. “Tavros is very sick. We’re making a detour to the nearest city as soon as his fever breaks, but we’re having trouble getting it to break. I’m just… I needed to—”

  “You needed comfort,” Kerac intuited. “Oh, Valis.”

  Valis nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I did. And now I feel like bawling, and I hate it. Tavros… he’s so pitiful, Papa. I’ve never—in our entire time knowing each other—ever heard him whine. And he’s been whining every time he’s woken up. It’s breaking my heart.”

  “Are you able to keep him warm?”

  “That’s a struggle that we’re working on,” Valis said. “And… Papa, he was so delirious he didn’t recognize me. I’m worried.”

  “I know you are, my boy.” Kerac frowned and touched the disc he used to scry. “I am worried, too. But you have a great many people with you who will help you however they can. Rely on them. Let them help you.”

  “I wish you were here,” Valis whispered. “Gods, I wish we were back home.”

  “Don’t lose heart, Valis.” Kerac shifted on the bed to sit up more and brought the disc in close, so his face filled the entire pocket watch. “Remember your objective. You need to help that anchor team survive. Your friends are counting on you.”

  “But—”

  “Have you had any visions that have told you Tavros’s sickness will make you fail in that objective?”

  Valis shook his head. “No, sir.”

  “Then trust Phaerith that he will take care of things while you find a way to get your husband to the nearest city for treatment. Do not lose hope.”

  “I won’t, Papa.”

  Kerac sighed and settled back. “You look strange with that shirt over your face. It reminds me of the day we first brought you to the monastery. You were so cold and tired that you kept falling asleep over Chath’s neck. We had to keep shoving your backside back into the saddle.”

  Valis huffed a laugh. “I remember that. Gods… that journey seemed so hard back then. But it was nothing compared to this. The snow drifts are taller than our horses in some areas, and we’re in Ges. I didn’t think the snow would be this bad this far south. I was stupid enough to think we could outrun the blizzard.”

  Kerac laughed until he doubled over. “Oh, my son… Outrun a blizzard?”

  “Hey, it made sense at the time. I didn’t know the blizzard was going to be larger than two countries.”

  Kerac’s lips twitched until he gave up trying to suppress it and smiled. “I see. At any rate, you should contact Thyran about your news. I must head out to my physical therapy session with Firil. Be safe, Valis. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Papa.”

  When Kerac set his disc down, Valis changed his scry to find Thyran. When his mentor’s face appeared almost instantly, Valis almost dropped his pocket watch. “How do you answer so fast?”

  Thyran laughed. “Did you forget I have precognition?”

  Valis groaned and sagged where he sat. “Apparently, I did.”

  “You have more news for me?”

  Valis spent the next ten minutes detailing Tavros’s sickness, the need to plot a course to the nearest city, and what he learned of the Braywar anchor team. When he finished giving his report, Thyran gave a curt nod. “Trust your father in this instance. Take care of your lover. Perhaps send a pair of Aesriphos with a few scouts to try to catch up with the anchor team. Have their mission be to slow them down to give you more time.”

  Groaning, Valis scrubbed a hand over his face. “Why didn’t I think of that weeks ago?”

  “Because you are new to leading,” Thyran said. “It is not a mark against you. But the reliquary guards should have thought of such. I am rather disappointed with them.”

  “Yeah. We’ve been running our horses pretty hard and usin
g the pyre spell to melt the snow so we can travel fast as safely as possible. If we can slow the anchor team down or have them camp until we meet up, that will save us a ton of anxiety. Or, it will save me a ton of anxiety, at least.”

  Thyran raised a brow and grinned. “The pyre spell? Child, you are a genius. We should have thought of that ages ago.”

  Valis shrugged. “We had to change tactics a bit. We melted the snow down to the ground at first, but when we came to a lake, Tavros’s horse slipped on the ice and Tavros broke his leg in three places. Being down in that slush and being cold for so long while we fixed his leg is why he’s sick now. Since then, we’ve been leaving a foot or so of snow on the ground so if we come upon another lake or frozen river, we at least have some traction.”

  “That is a clever idea,” Thyran said. “I will make note of it and disseminate it down through the ranks of Aesriphos for further journeys if the need arises. Thank you for bringing this strategy to my attention.”

  “No problem.” Valis cleared his throat and checked on Tavros. “I just wish I had thought of that second part sooner. But the pyre spell has enabled my team to keep going at a gallop for most of the journey, only slowing down to give the horses a rest. It’s the reason we’re already two days into Ges.”

  “Two days? Already?”

  Valis nodded. “Yes, sir. So, the team I’ll send out should meet up with the anchor team in a relatively short time frame.”

  Thyran grinned. “Very well. Take care of your lover, Valis. I know you want to get back to him.”

  “I will. I’ll contact you again soon.”

  They said their goodbyes, and Valis took a few minutes to go over the map and scry out to where Venoz City was, using the free-floating scry to trace the path back to their camp. Venoz City was one of their destinations, anyway, so it made sense. When Valis had the course charted on the map, he did the same with the anchor teams, snapped his pocket watch closed, and headed out of his tent.