by Sam Dogra
Ryan took a breath, about to protest further, but I pinched his arm.
“Ryan, don’t bother,” I said quietly. “He won’t listen.”
“But we can’t just leave them here,” Ryan whispered back. “We have to…”
A sharp crackle of twigs echoed behind, and Ryan swore under his breath. He tugged at the reins and sent us further into the trees. Just in time, as moments later, two men carrying lanterns exited the gates. When they saw the boy and his mother, they came running.
“There you are!” one said. “Liam, we’ve told you, you can’t take your mother out by yourself.”
“I’m taking her home!” wailed the boy.
“Liam,” the other man said gently, “this is her home now. Come on, let’s go inside.”
“NO!” Liam shrieked. “I’m going home with Ma!”
I shut my eyes, covering my ears as Ryan urged Cielo into a trot. He kept a tight grip around me, but I was too numb to notice. All I knew was that I didn’t want to see this; didn’t want to be shown what might happen to me if I wasn’t careful.
Ryan rested his hand on my trembling fingers. He didn’t say anything, but from the way he was holding me, I could tell he was as shaken up as I was. I curled my arm around his, leaning back into his embrace. His breath ruffled my hair, and I sighed. The Binding could do whatever it wanted. We both needed a little comfort after what we’d just seen.
Cielo flicked his ears, and continued through the trees.
* * * * *
The silver moon was high by the time we returned to the South Road. My eyelids were weighed with tiredness, but I didn’t dare close them. The Binding had been quick to take advantage of my disquiet following our detour, and I’d been attacked from all sides. Now I was nestled against Ryan’s shoulder, locked between his arms and smothered with his scent. If it wasn’t for his collar stopping our cheeks from touching, I’d have kissed him senseless ages ago.
As we cleared the top of the road, Cielo snorted. Ryan eased back on the reins, but the horse remained agitated. He started to slow down, and eventually came to a complete standstill. His ears quivered.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Are the bandits still after us?”
Ryan looked over his shoulder. He stared for a long while, before he faced front again.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “It’s probably because we’re coming to the aqueduct.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Why should that bother Cielo?”
“At this hour only the workmen’s bridge is open, and Cielo hates cramped spaces,” Ryan explained. He stroked the horse’s flank. “I can coax him through. We’ll just have to go slowly. Once we’re through, we’ll find a place to rest.”
He leant forward, pressing me between his arms as he encouraged Cielo to walk again. I kept stock still, sharing his every breath, but it still made me dizzy when he grazed my shoulders. The Binding was loving this.
At last Cielo’s ears flopped back, and he resumed walking. Soon the dark aqueduct emerged. Very quickly I saw Ryan was right. The workmen’s bridge, sheltered by stone pillars, was barely wide enough to accommodate even a single horse. It would be a tight fit.
Ryan rested his chin on my shoulder, breathing softly against my ear. I swallowed back a gasp. My knuckles must have been white, the way I clung to the scarf. I screwed my eyes shut, trying to pick another sense to distract me. An icy breeze nipped my cheeks, and I seized onto it. It was a lot colder than in the Galgiza. This familiar bite to the air could only mean snow was coming. With only the sleeping bag and blanket between us, it was going to be a very chilly night.
Cielo hesitated when we arrived at the bridge, but Ryan began murmuring in gentle tones. Slowly, Cielo picked up his hooves, and we crossed the worn planks. It really was narrow. My knees brushed the pillars, even though I was huddled down as much as possible. I kept my left foot firmly pressed into Cielo’s flank, worried I might catch my ankle.
As we neared the exit, a harsh wind buffeted my face. My hood flapped open, and Ryan flinched. Cielo neighed, misreading the command, and tore off into a gallop. My knee scraped the last stone column and I cried out. Ryan latched his arm around me before I slid from the saddle.
“Whoa!” He regained his grip on the reins, but didn’t slow Cielo down. Instead he steered us off the road and into the fields. We cantered over the soil, mud and grit flying everywhere, and every thud of hooves sent pain lancing across my ankle. I clung to Cielo’s neck, burying myself in his mane. What was Ryan doing? If a breath of wind had him fleeing like this, I’d hate to see what a winter storm would do.
The field ended, and I hissed as icy water lashed my calves. We were crossing one of the streams that fed the aqueduct.
“Where are we going?” I yelled, but my words were snatched in the slipstream. Ryan’s response was to hold even tighter, so tight I could barely catch my breath. Whether that was because of the Binding or because of our speed I couldn’t tell.
The freezing water vanished, and we returned to solid ground. The terrain turned from impacted earth to uneven rock; we were at the border of the Earthfire Mountains. This was insane! Why was Ryan trying to get so far from the road again?
I managed to get my head up to check our position. We’d broken into a maze of rocky hills, surrounded by sheer canyon walls. Here at last Cielo slowed, winding his way around the boulders, before he stopped at a cave mouth. His breaths chugged out in steamy whispers, and he was drenched with sweat. Somehow I seemed to be puffing more than he was; partly because of the adrenaline rush, but mostly because Ryan was holding me as if I’d evaporate.
The moment I gave that thought prominence, my arms trembled. A deep hunger gnawed inside, and it was all I could do not to turn around and lock Ryan into an embrace. By the Goddess, I didn’t want to deal with this, not now!
Ryan wasn’t moving. His face was buried in my cloak hood, and his breaths came in short, ragged gasps. I frowned.
“Ryan?” I nudged him with my elbow. A pained croak answered me. “Ryan, say something!”
With difficulty I twisted round, not caring for the heat in my cheeks as my hair mixed with his. Ryan slumped on my shoulder, unable to keep himself upright. His strength had left him. What the heck? He’d been fine a minute ago.
“E…Eliza…” he rasped. Weakly he jabbed his thumb towards himself. “Shot.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Shot…did he say shot?
Freeing my bad foot from the stirrup, I flipped myself around, ignoring the twinge in my ankle. Ryan tried to remain sitting, bracing his arms against the saddle, but the moment I touched him, he fell forward, almost pushing us both off. With a groan, I grappled to keep us upright. Still the Binding tried to interfere, begging me to draw him close and give in to the taste of his lips.
I shook my head vigorously. No way I’d let that curse have its way when I needed to focus. Ryan was hurt, and I had to get us off Cielo so I could do something about it.
A cold blast of air whistled through the canyon, and I hissed. My nose and ears were turning raw. It wouldn’t be long before my teeth started chattering, too. I had to protect myself, else we’d both turn to icicles.
I fumbled on the saddle. Somehow my scarf remained entangled in my lap, so I pulled it free and with one hand wrapped it around my face. Just as well, for in that moment, something chilly and wet danced onto my forehead. I looked up. Another snowflake spiralled into my eye, and I blinked it away, but soon the air filled with shimmering speckles.
The first snow of winter had arrived.
Cursing, I dug my fingers into Ryan’s arms. Tingles raced towards my neck, and I snarled, crushing the sensation before it took hold. I didn’t have time to play with the spell.
“Ryan, stay awake,” I said. Ryan’s eyelids flickered, before he wearily looked at me. He seemed confused. “Listen to me. We’ve got to get off Cielo and back to the ground. I can’t do it unless you co-operate.” His eyes began to close again. “Ryan�
��RYAN!”
I pinched his eyebrow, and he flinched. Good, he wasn’t totally gone yet. Grateful for the hours I’d spent with Father taking care of his semi-conscious patients, I put one hand on Ryan’s shoulder and the other on his thigh.
“Lift this leg,” I said, my voice echoing. Ryan murmured, then began to move. He managed to raise his right leg and brought it over the saddle. Now came the tricky part; I had to do the same, whilst keeping him upright and taking care not to knock my ankle.
The saddle creaked as I bent my good leg to kneel, making it easier to keep my balance. With some clever manoeuvring, I got both my feet to the same side, and without tipping Ryan off, either. I anchored his arm over my shoulder, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.
“Ready?” I asked. Ryan managed a brief nod. “Okay, on three. One, two, three!”
Ryan pushed off the saddle, and we descended to the ground. He couldn’t stand, though, and he sagged onto me. His sandy locks brushed my cheek, and I wanted so much to run my hand through them…
I bit my lip so hard it almost drew blood. Cut it out! He was barely conscious. If I delayed much longer, he’d pass out, and there was no way I could carry him anywhere, even without a sprained ankle.
“Sorry,” Ryan whispered. “Cold…cave…” He was getting more drowsy.
“I hear you, stay with me,” I commanded. Grimacing, I stretched out my left foot. I was really going to feel this in the morning, but I’d wrapped my ankle tight, so even without my stick I could hobble along. Ryan tried his best to take his own steps, so I didn’t have to cope with his entire weight, but he dragged his feet, and I was afraid he might twist something as well. Not to mention a certain curse kept trying to put my hands in places definitely not appropriate when helping someone walk.
Why did the Goddess hate me so much?
Cielo followed us into the cavern. Its edges sloped upwards, forming a dome-like roof studded with stalactites. Pillars of rock flanked the entrance, protecting us from the blizzard. I breathed a sigh of relief. Neither the snow nor the wind would penetrate through, so we’d be spared the worst of it. Still, it wasn’t what I’d call toasty. Looking for firewood was out of the question, so I forced Ryan to walk as far away from the entrance as he could.
“Out…take it out…” Ryan started to shake. He dug his heels into the ground and gripped my shoulder. “Please…I can’t…”
“Take it easy,” I said. “We have to get out of the snow first. I promise I won’t let you go.”
My heart burned. He was so scared; as scared as I’d been when escaping the bear in the Galgiza. The Binding crept over me again, and my other arm wrapped around Ryan. Before it would tighten into an embrace, I pushed him against the wall. Ryan’s knees buckled and we both collapsed to the ground. He arched his back, trying to keep his left side away from the icy stone. I leant over to take a look, but it was too dark. I needed a light.
Propping him between a stalagmite and the wall, I limped back to Cielo, holding a hand against the stone to ease the stinging in my foot. When I was near enough, the horse nuzzled my shoulder, seeking reassurance.
“Don’t worry,” I said, stroking his mane. “I’ll look after Ryan. I promise.”
I felt along his neck towards the packs. The first thing I removed was my stick. If I had to put pressure on my ankle any longer, it would give way and I’d be worse than useless. With that sorted, I snatched the bags and dumped them by the cavern’s entrance. Fortunately, my night vision was at its keenest, so as I rummaged through I could see what I was doing. I found a small medicine pack, and took out the spare shirt. As I yanked out the fabric, a wax stump rolled against my knee.
A candle! Phew. A quick search in the other pack rewarded me with a pair of flints, and soon I had the light I wanted.
Picking up the water skin, I hobbled back to Ryan, my make-shift medical kit in tow. His breathing had deepened.
“Ryan?” No response. Frowning, I pressed my knuckle against his breastbone, the way Father did when he assessed someone unconscious. Ryan groaned, but didn’t waken. Sighing, I laid him onto his side, so his back faced me. A dark patch of blood stained his coat on the left side. I frowned. Whatever missile had hit him had fallen out. That would make identifying the toxin more difficult. No simple projectile would have turned him so stuperous so quickly.
I reached for his buttons, unable to stop my wry smile, but as my fingers neared I hesitated. I needed to see the wound, but that meant I’d have to remove his shirt. Just the thought of it made my heart rumble. A momentary glance and the Binding would drown me with its false desire. And I was exhausted. Even if Ryan was so out of it that he’d probably not remember anything, the curse wouldn’t be so lenient with my memory.
Maybe I could compromise…
My hands fumbled with Ryan’s coat, pulling his arms from the sleeves. I began to tremble as I loosened his shirt from his trousers. My gaze lingered on his belt for longer than I was comfortable with, before I turned to lift the fabric to his shoulders.
A bloody pinprick at the edge of his shoulder-blade marked the entry point into the skin, and a bluish-purple substance oozed from it. I wiped it with my finger, and the odd hot-cold sensation made my eyes widen.
He’d been hit with tranquilliser serum.
I exhaled slowly. I was expecting poison, or worse. This was simple enough—I’d dealt with it many times myself. Ryan’s own body would vanquish the toxin, and by morning he would be back to normal, save for this little inconvenience. Lucky for him, I was a healer’s daughter. But I still had to take this seriously.
First, I unbuckled the iasometer and strapped it around the front of his elbow, so the brass pin sat above the major artery. It clicked and whirred, and the dials began to flicker. Moments later, they settled on their final readings. His pulse was in the amber, but his blood pressure and temperature remained stable.
Relieved, I reached for the hunting knife in Ryan’s belt, making sure I didn’t look too closely. I grabbed the spare shirt and sliced off the collar and a sleeve. The former I folded into a square, while the latter I ripped the seams, making a long band of fabric. Hoisting up the bloody shirt, I tipped some water onto the wound. Ryan hissed at the cold, but didn’t otherwise move. Once I’d washed out most of the serum, I took the skin balm from the medical pack, and rubbed a generous amount over the cut. Then I placed the folded collar on it, before I bound it tight with the opened sleeves.
Once done, I pulled down his shirt, and checked the iasometer again. His pulse had settled into the green, and I wiped my brow. That had taken a lot out of me. I was shivering, too, and not just because of the Binding. We might’ve been out of the snow storm, but we may as well have been in an ice cavern. It wasn’t long before Ryan started trembling, too. I had to keep him warm.
I closed my eyes for a long while, gathering my strength, then unfastened the iasometer and tied it back to my forearm. He didn’t need to see that in the morning. Then I staggered to the packs. Cielo had retreated from the entrance as far as he would dare, sheltered between a pair of stalagmites. He was shaking, too. I groaned. I would have to clean the sweat off him, otherwise he’d freeze.
Night owl, indeed.
The saddle was my first priority, and once it was free I threw it to the ground. Next I emptied out the packs. I found a rough sackcloth, and wiped Cielo down. His blanket was also folded amongst the clothes and other assorted items, so I clipped it around him. Cielo brushed his head against my hand, and I stroked his nose. Another satisfied patient.
I yawned, but my work was far from done. Leaning heavily against my stick, I stuffed the items back into the packs, then dragged them back to Ryan. He’d curled up into a ball, holding himself tight as possible to keep out the cold.
Sighing, I snatched out the fur-lined sleeping bag and blanket. The thought of the night ahead filled me with dread, but I had no choice. I wasn’t so self-sacrificing I’d let myself freeze so Ryan could survive the night, and I wasn’t so callou
s to let him frost up for my sake, either. However, that did mean we had to share what little warmth I could dredge up.
I swear the Binding planned this.
Kneeling beside Ryan, I spread the blanket over the ground. That should keep the chill away from our backs. I took Ryan’s shoulder and rolled him onto it, so he was lying flat. His chest rose and fell with his even breathing, his shirt stretched taut over his muscled frame. My hand crept towards him, and I rested my fingertips against his breastbone. Still warm…
Ryan twitched, and I snatched my hand back. Fortunately he didn’t open his eyes. Frowning, I scooped up his coat and spread that over him, then slipped off my cloak. The intensity of the cold pierced me like an arrow, and I clamped my teeth together as I spread the cloak on him, too. Finally, I unbuttoned the sleeping bag and draped that across the top. I hoped it would be enough to get us through the night.
With a final glance to Cielo, I slipped under the layers and nestled myself against Ryan, pulling the cloak and sleeping bag around me. As I turned to blow the candle out, Ryan grumbled. I looked to him, and he turned, his nose but an inch from mine.
Goddess save me.
I couldn’t help but pick out the details of his face. The scar on his chin was the only imperfection on his pale skin. With a tan like that, he was definitely a Northerner, like me. His fair locks were tousled, caught between his ear and the blanket, but I knew how perfectly they framed his face. His mouth was slightly parted, letting gentle breaths flow against my eyelashes. Barely realising it, I reached out and caressed his cheek. He didn’t stir. White-blonde stubble tickled my palm, and a shiver caught me that wasn’t because of the cold.
My hand lingered at his chin, when I caught sight of the silver chain I’d glimpsed in the Galgiza. It bore a ruby pendant, shaped into a round crystal. I’d never had a good look at it, but here its beauty entranced me. There wasn’t a single blemish on the stone, and it reflected every beam of the dim candlelight. I ran a finger along it, feeling it move with Ryan’s breathing, as if it were a part of him.
