by Hal Emerson
“Whoa!”
“What are you doing up and about boy?” She asked, channeling her surprise into an angry, suspicious glare that hit him so hard he was almost flung backwards into the tent.
“Boy?” he asked, looking her up and down, realizing she couldn’t be much older than him. “I’ve lived more lifetimes than you’ve lived years.”
“What?”
“Nothing,” he said, brushing past her.
Quick as a flash her hand snuck out and poked him in the shoulder. Immediately, pain raged up and down his side, and his vision momentarily doubled.
“Don’t do that again,” he hissed at the Healer. That was what they were called among the Kindred – all those who worked with Elder Keri, dressed in the baggy white shirts and pants with white boots and white hoods. This one was a head shorter than him, with strawberry-blonde hair and fierce hazel eyes that were looking at him with a huge amount of disapproval.
“You’re in no shape to be up and walking about,” she said fiercely. “You need another week in bed – ”
“I’ll be fine,” he said, the pain making him angry. He realized suddenly that he was still shirtless, and saw too that she was carrying a large pile of clothing … washed clothing. He looked closer at the pile and saw a heavy black tunic similar to the formal uniform Leah, Davydd and the other Eshendai wore when not on patrol. He pulled it out before she could stop him, though she made a sound halfway between a squawk and curse as he loosed it from the pile. Whatever the sound had been, it certainly seemed indignant.
He threw the shirt over his head and pulled it down gingerly. The motion pulled at his shoulder and chest, but not too bad. Whoever had worked on him had done an excellent job - he would heal quite quickly with this. He’d lost a lot of blood, but he didn’t feel light-headed or woozy.
He took a step forward, which caused his head spin, and he began to feel light-headed and woozy.
Ignore it – you’re fine. No need to sit in one place. Heal on the go.
“You’re going to tear those stitches,” the Healer warned darkly, watching him with a look that quite clearly hoped he would so she could watch him suffer. “Elder Keri saw to you herself, and if she finds out –”
“Do you happen to know where Tomaz is?” Raven asked, thinking it was highly unlikely, but worth a try. “Big man, black beard, usually with a girl named Leah?”
The girl gave him a look that could have torn down a wall of the Fortress, and then simply turned and entered the tent, mentioning, as she did, something impolite he could do to himself.
He turned and looked around. He was in the Kindred camp outside Roarke, and the sun was about halfway through its decline in the western sky. Had he been out for a few days? More? The tent didn’t even have guards, why had he been allowed to sleep so long?
“Shadows and fire – what are you doing out of bed?”
Raven turned to see Leah and Tomaz approaching the tent, the giant with a look of grave disapproval on his face.
“Tomaz!” He called out, looking the big man up and down quickly. He looked to be whole – was it possible he’d suffered no ill effect?
“Yes, me,” the giant rumbled menacingly. “Now why aren’t you in the tent?”
“I’m fine,” he said, smiling wide and big. The effect, while possibly charming, did not seem to fool Tomaz. His shoulder throbbed at him – it seemed to be agreeing with the giant.
Shut up – you’re fine.
“Get back in there and lie down before I make you,” the giant growled.
“I’m fine!” He insisted. “I didn’t have time to lie down anyway – I had to find you.”
“Why?” Tomaz asked, watching him closely.
“Because I wanted to make sure you were all right,” he said, looking the big man up and down and circling him. His side felt like it was on fire, but he didn’t want to let on. He would be damned if he got confined to a bed just because of a Death Watchmen attack. He wouldn’t let the Empire slow him down. Not now, not ever again. “I have no idea what happened back there with the sword and the Talismans. Have you felt any adverse effects since the event?”
“No,” Tomaz rumbled, looking surprised at Raven’s inspection.
“You certainly look like you’re feeling all right,” Leah said, watching him suspiciously. “And if you’re able to walk, I guess there’s really no excuse to keep you out of the meeting –”
“Not a chance,” Tomaz rumbled with an abrupt finality. “He’s staying in bed and resting.”
“What meeting?”
“We were told to make our report to the Elders,” Leah said slowly, still watching him, trying to decide if he was really feeling fine. “We were told to bring you if you were at all able to travel – they want to hear about the attack.”
“So it’s safe to assume they all know about what I can do,” he said quietly. He’d been hoping to keep that knowledge, or at least the specifics of it, to himself and his two friends.
“Crane told the others,” Leah said with a grimace. “I only know because Ishmael asked me about it when we all got into camp last night.”
“Last – last night? It’s only been a single night?”
“Indeed,” Leah confirmed, still watching him with that strange wariness, which now made perfect sense. Raven had assumed he’d been unconsciousness for a few days at least, maybe even a week. Maybe … maybe he really should still be in bed.
And sit around just waiting for the Death Watchmen or a Seeker to come around and finish the job? No. I have to be moving. I can’t let them catch me unprepared again. I will not be their prey, I will not let them chase me.
“Now I understand why you’re looking at me funny,” he said. He glanced down at his shoulder, lifting the neck of the shirt he was wearing to look beneath it. The bandages were still white – his stitches hadn’t ripped, there was no blood. The wound still hurt, and if he moved too quickly it burned like fire, but otherwise … he could deal with it.
“What happened in the mountains,” Tomaz rumbled slowly, “do you think it helped you heal faster?”
Raven thought back, and as he did a headache sprang up and began to pound against his temples.
“Somehow you gave me strength,” he said, ignoring the pain and trying to piece together what had happened. “You transferred the Talisman … no, not transferred really but shared it.”
He looked up and pointed at Leah.
“You told her what happened?” He asked.
They both nodded, still looking at him with wary looks.
“The Ox Talisman speeds healing,” Raven told them, doing his best to speak as if nothing were wrong. “It pulls strength from … I don’t know, from somewhere, and feeds it into the person who has it. When Tomaz gave me strength last night, when he was holding onto the Blade … some of it must have stayed with me. It must have helped me heal – that’s the only thing I can think of.”
They all were silent for a moment as they absorbed this thought.
“Well then it’s good I guess that we brought this along with us,” Tomaz said. “If it can do something like that, I’m eager to have it back in your hands.”
He unlimbered a bundle he’d been wearing over his shoulder. He passed it to Raven, who found inside Aemon’s Blade and his cloak, which had been washed.
“You were able to touch it again?” Raven asked quickly. Tomaz nodded.
“I decided not to try,” Leah said.
“Probably a good idea.”
Many Valerium blades were keyed to specific people through rituals of which Raven didn’t know the details. Plain metal could be bonded as well – Leah’s daggers were linked to her, making her a Spellblade, giving her supernatural control over the weapons, and burning anyone else who touched them. The bond was sometimes unpredictable though – Tomaz could touch Leah’s daggers, likely due to their close friendship. Perhaps that was the same reason Tomaz could touch the Blade?
Raven put the questions aside for another time. He threw the clo
ak around his shoulders and strapped the sword around his waist. As he did his wound burned, and his head began to pound harder.
Okay – lying down might soon be forced upon you.
He shook this thought away. Ever since he’d killed Ramael he’d been unable to stay in one place for very long. It was why he’d volunteered to patrol the mountains in the first place - the idea of resting, even here among the Kindred camp, made his skin crawl. He could be attacked at any time, the Death Watchmen had just proved that. Better to be awake. Better to be alert.
“All right – well I’m feeling fine,” he said to the others, even as his head gave another nasty throb. “And you said I had to be at this meeting, right?”
“No,” Tomaz rumbled, though he looked less sure now. “You need to go back inside and rest. I don’t care what kind of healing happened last night, I’m not going to be responsible for you falling on your face. Until you’re cleared by Elder Keri herself – ”
“Just to be fair,” Leah said, “she is going to be at the meeting. If she sends him away, then that solves our problem doesn’t it? Besides, Ishmael told us very explicitly to bring him if he was able to move. They want him there.”
“He’s just a boy,” grumbled Tomaz, “he shouldn’t be included.”
“Standing right here big man,” Raven reminded him.
“You’re injured, you don’t get to make decisions,” the big man retorted.
“Tomaz,” Leah said, “he’s able to walk. We’ll bring him right back after we’re done, and this way we’re sure he doesn’t get up to any more trouble around camp. You know he will, he always does.”
“Still right here,” Raven said.
“Fine,” Tomaz rumbled, “you come with us. But until Elder Keri clears you, I will personally hold you down in bed until you’re healed. Are we understood?”
“Understood,” Raven said, though inwardly he was formulating three different escape plans to keep himself from being confined to that sick tent. He was too familiar with the way the other Children worked – too aware how easily a camp like this could be infiltrated.
I won’t be caught unawares while we’re in Imperial territory. If I don’t sleep until we’re back in Vale, then that’s the way it has to be.
His side and shoulder gave a nasty twinge as if to tell him his body highly disapproved of this, but he ignored it. Which, of course only made his headache worse. He pushed both pains away, until they were only small things that existed somewhere in the back of his mind.
“Let’s go,” he said, smiling widely again. They both looked at him suspiciously, and he decided he should stop smiling. It apparently didn’t have the intended effect.
“Are you sure you’re ready to meet the Elders?” Leah asked him as they began walking. So far he’d avoided them like the plague, though he’d known all along the time would come for them to face each other.
They’re not your enemies anymore. Stop thinking of them like that.
“Yes, just remind me of their names again,” Raven said. He still felt strangely anxious in regard to the Elders. Odd, since he’d just survived an attack by the Death Watchmen. But then again that seemed to have become a habit now, whereas meeting with the leaders of the men and women he’d been taught to hate and fear all of his life was something of a novelty. Perhaps it was the knowledge that they could have him clapped in irons and tortured for information, which was what he would have advocated not half a year ago if their positions had been reversed.
“Sure – ready?”
“Yes,” said Raven, “strike me.”
“Hit me,” Leah corrected.
“Hit you?” He asked, worried by this response.
“Shadows and fire princeling –”
“Just tell them to him,” Tomaz rumbled, amused.
“Crane,” Leah said.
“Crane, wisdom, I know that one,” Raven said. Each of the Elders had their own specific title – Crane’s was the Wise Elder, or the Elder of Wisdom. There were twelve in all, and it was important that he know their names and titles, even if Leah insisted it wasn’t. These Exiles wouldn’t know decorum if it kicked them in the teeth.
“Ekman is the Elder of Truth, he ratifies contracts and other state documents as well as takes criminal confessions; Dawn is the Elder of Justice, she is the judge in any official Kindred dispute or trial – she lives at Aemon’s Stand when not required to be in Vale; Lymaugh is the Elder of Mercy, who runs the charities throughout the Kindred lands, and deals with housing of those wounded in wars; Ceres is the Elder of Agriculture, she lives in Chaym, where she grows the majority of the crops that feed the Kindred; Rose is Elder of the Arts, which is just what is sounds like; Keri is Elder of Health and the chief surgeon of the Vale Hospital; Warryn is Elder of State and it falls to him to lead the Kindred in a time of war; Stanton is Elder of Sciences, he has a workshop in Eldoras that produces all manner of new inventions and ideas; Pan is the Elder of Animals, he lives with the Kindred herds that migrate through our land; Spader is the Elder of Law, the man who both writes and exploits the laws of the Kindred; Ishmael is the Elder of Intelligence.”
Raven took a deep breath and repeated back verbatim what she’d just said.
“By the gods I wish I were as quick a study as you,” she said, with a strange kind of lust that made him slightly uncomfortable.
“Let’s go get your brother,” Tomaz rumbled to the girl.
They met Davydd outside his sizeable tent – as a Ranger captain he was an officer and therefore had need of covering in case he had to read messages or plan excursions in inclement weather – but when they arrived, Raven was surprised to find the Eshendai’s sardonic smile conspicuously missing.
“Hey,” he said, hailing them as they approached.
“Hello!” Roared Tomaz, waking up several of the common Kindred foot soldiers napping nearby. One or two looked around angrily, ready to give someone a tongue lashing, but when they saw Tomaz they simply rolled their eyes and curled up again.
“Shut it you great lump,” the red-eyed young man said, sulkily. “Just because I like you doesn’t mean I think it’s all right you’re coming to this meeting while Lorna can’t.”
“Was she a bit miffed?” Tomaz rumbled sympathetically, ignoring the barbed comment. Davydd growled low in his throat and nodded, his face a tight mask of frustration.
“Why isn’t she coming?” Raven asked, confused, as they began walking through the camp.
“She was requested personally by Autmaran for a job inside the walls,” Davydd said, motioning to Roarke. “I was supposed to go with her, but the Elders wanted me to make my report, and they just didn’t seemed to care Lorna wouldn’t be with me.”
“Ishmael cares,” Leah said. “You know he does.”
“Still! She’s the most loyal, compassionate, sensible person I’ve ever known,” he said softly, almost gently, surprising Raven with his tenderness. “I hate seeing her left out of things … everyone underestimates her.”
“We don’t,” said Leah, “and I know you hate being separated from her. I’m sorry.”
“Well at least I know you’d want her with us,” said Davydd, mollified. “Stupid Elders … all right, let’s get this thing over with. Reporting is so boring … I almost envy her the fact she got to skip it.”
“Shouldn’t be too boring this time,” Leah pointed out, “we’ve got a lot to say.”
“And so does our friend,” rumbled Tomaz, patting Raven on the back and throwing him into the side of a hitching post.
“Oh! Sorry … ”
“Shadows and light,” cursed Raven, unwrapping himself from around the hard wooden stake, wincing as the pain in his shoulder throbbed. “Just because you’re my friend doesn’t mean I can’t critique you right?”
Tomaz smiled, and shook his head. Raven was still learning the ins and outs of companionship, and as such had recently started asking the big man for specifics whenever he was uncertain.
“Right,” Rave
n said, relieved, “then even though we’re friends, I’m starting to think being around you is hazardous for my health; I’ve received more cumulative bruises from you than from all of the attempts on my life combined.”
Leah laughed, surprising Raven. Tomaz’s ears turned red as he laughed as well. Why had they found this funny? He’d been quite earnest, in his best non-offensive voice. Perhaps he was doing it wrong?
“Raven has a point,” Davydd said to Tomaz, also smiling, “you do seem to be rather mighty lately. Are you trying to remind us all how strong you are? I’ll take you on right now if that’ll help you prove yourself. And hey, it’ll be more interesting than going to this shadow-cursed meeting.”
