Forgotten Soldiers

by Joshua P. Simon

  She had a point.

  CHAPTER 21

  Doing anything she could to continually show her appreciation, Dinah brought us a hot breakfast of porridge, sausages, and biscuits. Abigail carried the biscuits. Looking at the smile she wore, I’d have never known that just a few days ago, the little girl had been near death. Her current condition gave me some much-needed hope for Ava.

  Little Abigail came around a second time with the basket of biscuits and I made sure to snatch up my share before Ira hoarded them. Dinah hadn’t prepared anything complicated for us to eat as of yet, so I wasn’t sure how far her culinary skills extended. However, with another bite of biscuit, it was obvious she had a firm grasp on the basics.

  Seeing the relationship Abigail had with her mother and the way she enjoyed helping her, made me consider the life I might have had if not for the war. I imagined Myra and Lasha with that kind of bond, and my heart grew heavy. The image didn’t last long. Even my imagination couldn’t hold a picture of Myra being sweet and carefree when her sour demeanor was in my face.

  With everyone’s mouths and hands full of food, Boaz’s wife picked up the trays and headed for the door. Abigail surprised me by running over and giving me a hug, squeezing me with more strength than I would have given her credit for. Then she ran out of the room.

  Dinah smiled back at me. “She can’t stop talking about you, Tyrus. She calls you her protector and prays for you.” She looked at all the stuff people had given us lying around the sitting room. “Some people think you’re a god or one of their agents. But to Abigail, you’re just her hero.”

  She closed the door and left before I could find the words to respond to that. How could I have responded to someone calling me their hero?

  “Well, Ty. I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you that you’ve been my hero for as far back as I can remember,” said Ira. I could tell from the sound of his voice he was trying to hold back a chuckle. “Something about the way you eat your biscuits like you’re doing now where the crumbs park themselves on your lips, or how you look like you’ve been on a weeklong drinking session when you first wake up every morning. All of that and so much more give me the chills. I am in awe of you.”

  Dekar snorted between bites of sausage.

  I wanted to be angry, but couldn’t stop myself from chuckling. That was what friends were for. They brought me down from my perch before my head started to swell. I set my food down long enough to rub at the sleep in my eyes and remove said crumbs from my face.

  “Are you ready to start going through all this stuff?” asked Dekar.

  I eyed the stacks of crates, overflowing sacks, and random goods that didn’t fit into the numerous piles Ira had grouped the items in. Too much of it seemed worthless. “Not especially. There’s a lot of junk here.”

  “Junk?” Ira bent down and began rummaging through a sack. “Look here. We’ve got some winter blankets, a good hunting knife, some good wooden bowls.”

  I’d moved to one of the crates. “Yeah, and we have dress clothes none of us will ever use.” I held up a shirt with more ruffles than any man had business wearing. “And here’s an old, rusty saw, a hammer with a broken handle. . . . What are we going to do with those?”

  He shrugged. “They can’t all be winners. Some people might not have as good of stuff to give away as others do.”

  “Or some just used this chance to unload their garbage on us.”

  “It’s not all garbage,” Dekar said. I faced him, hearing a bit of rare excitement in his voice. He pulled out a carrying case used to hold the game pieces for Crests. He opened it and smiled. “I’ve never seen a complete set before.”

  “See,” began Ira, “even Dek sees the promise here. When’s the last time you saw him actually show some emotion?”

  He was right. Dekar was so busy examining the game pieces he didn’t even bother with giving Ira a response.

  “He can keep the game and we can keep some of this stuff if we need it, but I don’t want to accept anything more.”

  “Even if it’s coin?” asked Dekar.

  “Huh?”

  “I didn’t tell you but that mayor dropped by when you were out last night. Looked like it nearly killed him to muster up the strength to make it over here from the Soiled Dove.”

  I winced at the name. “What did he want?”

  “For you to finish healing him. He had a nice sized bag of money with him, but I turned him away.”

  “Why would you go and do something like that?” asked Ira.

  “Because Tyrus was still out. And considering the mayor had been one of the main people trying to kill us just a couple days ago, I didn’t want to make a decision on my own about whether it was all right to heal him.”

  “You could have just plopped the mayor down next to Ty while he slept.” Ira faced me. “You wouldn’t have been upset with some coin, right?” he asked.

  I was unwilling to entertain the question. I asked Dekar. “I thought the mayor was Jareb’s man.”

  “He is. Or at least was. He didn’t handle the sorcery as well as many others in Jareb’s camp. And the doctor hasn’t been able to speed up his recovery. Apparently one’s commitment wanes while suffering in pain and soiling oneself. I guess he finally had enough.”

  “But not enough to totally turn his back on Jareb?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you said he came while I slept which was in the middle of the night. When you told him no, I bet he went right back to Jareb.”

  Dekar shrugged.

  Loud gasps from Ava’s room cut off the conversation.

  Zadok’s voice quickly followed. “Pa! Come quick! Hurry!”

  I dropped the biscuit in my hand, hurdled a sack of oats, and dove into the bedroom awash in panic.

  Though I had been making plans internally for when Ava woke up, I hadn’t realized how little I actually believed that would happen. When I heard Zadok cry out, I just knew she was dead.

  Storming in, I found her eyes fluttering open.

  Zadok and Myra were out of their seats, grinning. I joined them quickly, gently pushing Zadok aside to get to Ava. I grabbed her hand.

  Red, weary eyes stared back at me. I couldn’t decide if confusion or surprise dominated her expression. She opened her mouth to speak, but only managed a rough cough.

  “Lift her up a bit and tilt her head back,” I said.

  I looked up and Myra had already grabbed a skin of water, holding it ready. She dribbled the water out like an expert. After a few gulps and a short rest, we allowed Ava to drink her fill. Even though we did our best to keep her hydrated while she was unconscious, I had no doubt she desperately needed water.

  I eased Ava back down. She took a couple deep breaths and swallowed again.

  “Better?” I asked.

  She nodded and started to try and push herself up. She stopped suddenly. “Why am I naked?”

  “Well, you’ve been out for three days. It was either that or have you lay in your own filth until you came around.”

  “Who stripped me?” She blinked. “Not you?”

  “Myra did most of it while I held you.”

  She gave Myra a glance. “I’m surprised he did even that.”

  “He was uncomfortable the entire time. He said that no man should see their sister without her clothes on.”

  Ava snorted. “I can’t believe you actually helped.”

  “Well, it was either I do it or let Ira and Dekar help.”

  She scowled, glaring over my shoulder to the sitting room where Ira and Dekar moved about. They were giving us privacy.

  “Don’t even joke like that. Three days. Gods, no wonder I feel so awful.” Recognition hit her suddenly and she squeezed my hand, while trying to pull me down to her. “Quick, tell me what happened. We might not have much time and—”

  She paused again as if confused. I could tell she was still feeling out of sorts. When healthy, Ava never lost her bearings.

  �
��I’m still close enough to Hol that I thought I’d die when they used the artifact. Why am I alive?” she asked in a hurried manner.

  “Slow down.” I shook my head. “I figured that whatever happened had been a result of the artifact. It just made too much sense.”

  “Again, why am I not dead?”

  “My resistance.” I nodded to the kids. “And theirs. They both have a talent for it as well. Between the three of us, we kept watch over you.”

  She eyed Myra and Zadok, then clicked her tongue. “Interesting. I should say thank you then.”

  “You should,” I said, grinning. Ava showed gratitude by how she acted toward you. Rarely did she actually say how she felt.

  She paused. “Well, thank you.”

  “That must have hurt.” It felt good to give her a hard time.

  “Not as much as you think it did.” Her eyes widened again. “I keep getting distracted. Hand me my clothes. We need to get on the road. The farther we get from Hol the better.”

  She started to sit up, but with a gentle push, I flattened her back against the bed. “You’re in no condition to go anywhere. Why don’t you try to eat something and then get some more rest? We can talk when you get up. Whatever that artifact did, it seems like it’s done. ”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think it is.” She took a slow breath. “Do you have any food? I feel so weak.”

  “Zadok. Go get the rest of the breakfast Boaz’s wife brought up.”

  “All right, Pa.”

  “I’ll bring in some more water,” said Myra.

  Zadok came back with a handful of biscuits and a bowl of porridge. “This is all that was left, Pa. Ira ate the last of the sausage.”

  “That figures. He’s always been as greedy as a pig,” Ava muttered.

  “I love you too,” Ira shouted from the other room.

  Ava tried to shout a curse back, but ended up coughing. Their bickering made it almost feel like old times. In a good way.

  Dekar peeked in. “I’ll go down and see what else is in the kitchen. Any requests, Ava?”

  “I don’t really care. Just make sure you grab some honey so I can coat my throat.”

  Dekar nodded. “I’ll be back shortly.”

  He ducked out.

  Myra returned with more water.

  “Just leave it on the nightstand,” said Ava.

  “I can help you drink it,” said Myra.

  “I’ll be all right. But if I need help, I’ll make your Pa do it. Might as well milk him having to wait on me, huh?” She winked.

  Zadok chuckled, but Myra’s face remained like a wall of stone.

  “How about you give us a little time alone?” Ava asked. “No offense, but me and your Pa have a lot of catching up to do in private.”

  I saw their disappointed faces. “It’ll just be for a little while,” I said. “Besides, you both look like you could use some more sleep.”

  “So do you,” said Myra.

  “I’ll get it eventually.”

  “Fine,” Myra huffed. “Let’s go Zadok.” She grabbed her brother by the arm and they left again, closing the door behind them.

  Ava grunted. “They turned out to be good-looking kids.”

  “Yep.”

  “A little on the skinny side though. Zadok has that worships-his-father look about him. I’m sure that makes you feel good. Myra though . . . she’s a cold one. Definitely inherited that look you liked to give to recruits when they were on your bad side.”

  “I’ve noticed. I think she pretty much hates me.”

  “Well, what girl doesn’t hate their Pa at that age? I remember getting into arguments with ours all the time.”

  “True. But your arguments were about staying out late or using sorcery as a way to pay back those who used to pick on you. They weren’t about blaming him for every bad thing that had happened to you over the last ten years. There’s a lot we missed,” I said, voice somber.

  “There’s a lot you missed in Hol too. Here, help me sit up and hand me that food. We’ve got a lot to talk about. You go first while I eat. Then when you’re done I’ll jump in. Maybe by then I’ll be able to think clearly enough for us to figure out what in the name of Ao to do next.”

  I pulled her up and adjusted her pillows as she used her free hand to hold the sheet over her chest. “So, where do I start?” I asked, handing her a biscuit.

  “How about with what happened to Lasha?”

  I opened my mouth, paused, and shook my head as something got caught in my throat. Images of what must have gone on in that room at the Soiled Dove flooded my thoughts.

  “Let’s start somewhere else. I’ll need to build up to that.”

  * * *

  Eventually, I built to what happened to Lasha, but only after telling her about everything else I could recall including all that Myra, Zadok, and I had gone through since my return to Denu Creek. I kept my focus on my hand still wrapped around Ava’s through most of it. I just couldn’t look her in the eye. I didn’t notice my sister’s sobs until she squeezed my hand tightly while I began the story of how Lasha had to work as a prostitute to make sure our children survived.

  I looked up at Ava’s tear-streaked face. My sister, tougher than every other woman I’d ever known, had not cried since she was probably six and had skinned her knee while out in the field. I remember giving her a hard time about it then, a requirement of all older brothers. However, she hadn’t so much as sniffled in sadness since then, even when our parents died.

  “You’re crying?”

  She punched my arm with her free hand. It was a weak effort, but the meaning was not lost on me. “Of course, I’m crying. I’m not a piece of granite.”

  “Sorry, I’m just surprised.”

  “I’m sorry, Tyrus. For everything.”

  “Forget about me. Think about Lasha.” I nodded toward the door. “And the kids.”

  She wiped her face. “I guess they had been fighting their own war while we were fighting ours. That explains why your daughter could probably freeze water with that look.”

  I bobbed my head in agreement.

  “How are you dealing with all this?” she asked.

  “Not well. But I don’t really have a choice. I’ve got two kids to look after.”

  “So you been keeping it in then?”

  “Well, I’m not about to talk to Zadok or Myra about what I’m feeling.”

  “What about Dekar? Or even Ira? Have you told them everything?”

  “A few things in passing, but not all the details. I’m sure they’ve been able to put the pieces together, especially if others in town have talked to them. They’ve been good enough to keep it to themselves.”

  “Big brother, when will you learn? You can’t keep this stuff to yourself.”

  “Look who’s talking.”

  “True, but I’d talk to you about something like this if the roles were reversed. Gods, I can tell you’re feeling better already. I know that’s not just from me coming around.”

  “I was worried about you.”

  “Still.”

  I sighed. “I’m not disagreeing with what you’re trying to say, but it’s not as easy as you think.” I thought of my dream with Jareb and Lasha. “Frankly, I don’t want to talk about the stuff going through my head, because its images of things no man should have of his wife, you know? I don’t want to share that with anyone because I want to forget it myself. Her enjoying . . .” I coughed, then started to laugh bitterly. “I keep thinking about our conversation over that last recruit you hurt when he hit that whore. You asked ‘What if that was Lasha?’ To think after all this time you had a talent for prophecy too.”

  She put her free hand over mine and I realized I had started to shake. “I never in a thousand years thought there’d be any truth to what I said. Otherwise, I never would have made the comment.”

  “I know.”

  “Big brother, promise me something.”

  “What?”

  “Not
to forget that regardless of how genuine those images seem, they aren’t real. Lasha worshipped the ground you walked on in a way I never understood. Still don’t. She loved you. Just like she loved those kids. I’m sure anything she did she treated like a job. Like you and I would have looked at digging ditches. I’m willing to bet it lacked all enjoyment and love. No way she would have given that part of herself to anyone but you.”

  “I know,” I whispered. “It’s just going to take time.”

  “Then let’s drop it. Pull yourself together so we can call in Ira and Dekar. They should be back by now. It will do them some good to hear what I have to say and I’d rather not repeat myself.”

  “Are you up for more talking?”

  “I’m feeling better after that food. Besides, after what you told me, the end of the world doesn’t seem half as bad as what’s happened already.”

  * * *

  Before I grabbed Ira and Dekar, I helped Ava put on an old shirt we’d borrowed from Dinah so she could sit up without someone helping her hold a sheet over her chest. She wasn’t keen on putting her leathers back on just yet. Dekar came in shortly afterward carrying more food—a bit of ham, cheese, fresh bread, a couple of apples, and honey. He took the lone chair in the room and began laying the goods out. Ava went right for the honey, attacking it with a spoon while Ira brought in another chair from the sitting room.

  Everyone got comfortable and waited. Ira, as usual, lacked any patience. “Well? What’s going on?” he asked Ava.

  She glared. “I’m thinking about where best to begin.”

  Having recovered from our earlier talk, I couldn’t miss the chance to poke at her. I gestured to the dresser. “How about that white robe? If I recall, you swore you’d never wear one.”

  Ira seized on the opening. “Yeah, how long did it take for you to cave in?”

  “I didn’t cave in, you idiot. It’s a disguise. I had never opened a transfer portal before and knew I needed to get to Tyrus. I figured he had made it back here, but without any experience, I knew I’d be taking a risk trying a portal that would cover that distance. So, I needed access to the Sky Tower. It’s this place in Hol where the High Mages perform their most complicated sorcery. The wards etched in the stone there make it easier to cast a spell. Only a High Mage can get past the guards, which I’m not. Therefore, I needed the robes so people wouldn’t ask questions.”