“Thank you for thinking about me as a person, instead of just as the protector,” he continued. “Friends would be fun to have around, but I can hardly take them into danger with me and make them put up with all the rigors of life in an army camp, can I?”
“Invite them to camp,” Armilla answered. “We’re going to be here a couple of days. Invite them to come visit, or even to ride with the army the first few days. They might decide to stick with you if they know what they’re getting into.”
“I’ll think about it,” Alec replied, thinking about companionship instead of loneliness. He considered the tantalizing possibility as they rode the rest of the way to the army camp and made themselves at home for the evening.
Chapter 28 – Healing in Goldenfields
The next morning Alec was up early and rode with Armilla back into town. “Let’s go to Henree’s to get some rolls and bread,” he suggested. He entered the familiar bakery shop and exchanged glad words of recognition with his former neighbor, catching up on neighborhood gossip before he rode away with a sack of pastries. He then led Armilla to Annalea’s home, only to be reminded that she and Rand had moved to a larger location due to the prosperity Rand’s shop was enjoying. With directions to follow, Alec and his escort again rode through town to the warehouse district, where they found the proper place.
“Thank you, Angel!” Annalea cried happily as she hugged Alec, accepted the bag of sweet rolls and invited Alec and Armilla into the parlor.
“Ohec, to think that you are the crown protector of the Dominion,” she said as they sat at the table, baby Leah sitting with them and chewing on a roll. “I shouldn’t let her have something sweet, but if her ruler has brought it, I have no choice, do I?”
“How is Rand doing?” Alec asked as he sipped his glass of juice.
“He still works too hard. We no more than moved into this new place than the wars slowed business down,” she said in a confidential tone. “He has kept his helpers employed so they can feed their families, but the budget is tight, and he won’t take help from anyone,” meaning Natha and Helen, Alec knew.
“And what adventures have you had?” Annalea asked. “Once in a while Papa would mention that you had popped up somewhere at an office and disappeared, but then when I heard you had saved the crown, I cried with joy. It’s so good of you to come visit like this. I didn’t think a royal person could just ride around a town like that.”
“He shouldn’t,” Armilla confirmed, “at least probably not after today, when his advisors will start to realize just what he’s been doing and more people in the city come to recognize him.”
They chatted a bit more, and Alec went to visit Rand in his shop, before leaving. “Take good care of him, Armilla,” Annalea told the escort as she hugged Alec tightly. “You look sadder, Angel. I hope you find more happiness.”
“Seeing you is the most happiness I could ever hope to have,” Alec told Annalea as he squeezed her hand and they departed.
“So is every woman you love already betrothed to someone else?” Armilla asked brazenly.
“I don’t love Annie, not in that way,” Alec told her, as he wondered if in fact he did only fall in love with women who were beyond his reach. He was contemplating that question when an unrelated connection occurred to him. “Let’s go to court. I want to see Yula again…and it’s not what you think!” he added quickly.
“Of course it’s not; she isn’t married or pledged, at least as far as you know,” Armilla snorted, and they laughed together as they rode to the Duke’s palace.
The late night hours of the ball had worn out the other members of Alec’s court, and they all were still sleeping when Alec and Armilla entered the suite of palace rooms reserved for him. As a result, Alec led Armilla down to the Guard armory, to practice sword work with the others on the practice squad. Alec’s eyes lit up when he saw Lewis and Inga practicing together. “May I have winner?” he asked loudly of the two intent guards.
“It would be my pleasure. I don’t think we’ve ever really fenced, have we?” Lewis replied as he concentrated on his wife’s thrust and parry.
“And you’re not going to try today either, since I’m going to beat you,” Inga interjected as she swiveled her body to avoid a winning strike by her spouse.
Alec and Armilla went to put on practice pads, and Armilla spent several minutes searching for the heaviest practice sword she could find. They returned to the fencing section, where Inga was awaiting Alec’s return. “I had to beat him so I could have the challenge of fighting a southpaw,” she explained, as Lewis made disgusted noises.
“So that’s the infamous scar?” she asked as she and Alec stood face-to-face in preliminary preparations. “And you’ve got another one too?”
Armilla and Lewis moved across the room to the other practice mat that was ready for use.
“That’s it. Imelda’s reminder to me,” he answered, no longer upset about the scar he had sustained; in fact he felt a slight fondness for the scar, an echo of the fondness he felt towards its creator. “That seems like something that happened so long ago, it was someone else.
“And the other one I picked up in Stronghold, not so long ago,” he finished explaining.
He began a half-hearted thrust that Inga fiercely parried. “Do it like you mean it,” she admonished. “We both know what results from not putting your whole heart into something.”
Alec focused his utmost effort and managed to penetrate Inga’s defenses to tap her briefly, scoring a point. “I’m sorry.” He paused in silence for several heartbeats. “I’m sorry we came to an end as friends. You did so much for me; I arrived here without a friend in the Palace and you took care of me, trained me, spent all your time with me like there was nothing else in the world more important. And I care for Lewis almost as much as I do for you. I should never have spent so much time thinking about you, or letting it show.”
Inga rallied and pressed Alec hard. “You’re much better than the last time we fenced.
“Alec, I told you once that we would always be friends, and it’s as true now as it was then,” she said after a pause and another extended silent engagement. “You saved my life. You were a boy who was lost in a place that was clearly foreign to him. And then you saved Lewis’s life. And he was gone for so long. I made a mistake by feeling so close to you, but we both know it was never anything that was wrong. And then I was wrong to run away like I did; thank goodness I ran to the right place, and Lewis was so wonderful.”
“I saw Elcome in Stronghold,” Alec told her. “He ran there when his plots here unraveled. He was with the woman who gave me this scar,” he pointed to his face. “He made an escape, and hasn’t been seen since. When he is found though, I’ll get revenge.”
They continued to fence, going hard at one another. “It’s really not fair that you’ve put on weight, grown taller, and become so good,” Inga complained, and then she tried a thrust that corkscrewed her blade right into Alec’s shoulder pad, causing him to fall back. Inga stepped back and waited for him to rise.
“Imelda told me that you could heal that scar anytime you wanted to. She thinks you keep it to taunt her,” Inga told him as they energetically re-engaged their contest for another long bout without words.< />
“Maybe that’s part of it,” Alec admitted. “But at first I kept it mostly to remind myself not to be a fool. And now I don’t even think about it; maybe I’ve become a fool?” He pressed hard against Inga’s defenses, but she didn’t back away. “And when I’m reminded of it, I remember Imelda,” he added as they fought on through the match.
“We’re all going to be fools, as you say, sometimes. It’s a part of being human,” Inga said as they stood toe to toe. “Lewis taught me that.”
“Are we done here?” she asked several minutes later.
Alec looked at the beads of sweat on her face, and realized how exhausted he felt. “We’re done with fencing, I’d say,” he agreed. He stepped back, pulled off a glove, and held
his hand out to Inga. She pulled her glove off too, but then thought twice and held out her other arm as well, leading them to embrace tightly.
When Alec stepped back he heard someone clear their throat. Both Inga and Alec turned to see that an audience was watching them. Lewis began to clap, followed by Armilla and Rander, then Colonel Ryder, Yula, and the rest joined in the applause. “That was a display well worth seeing,” Ryder said.
“Why is everyone here?” Alec asked.
“We seemed to have misplaced our protector again,” Rander said with a grin. “We thought we should try to find him.”
“There are a few things scheduled for this morning,” Ryder added. “But we’ve re-arranged matters.”
Alec and Inga walked over to the group. “How long have you been watching?”
“They saw the last half hour, but missed the first hour,” Armilla said.
“I haven’t ever seen a workout like that,” she added. “You’d almost be a challenge for me.”
The two tired combatants left to go to clean up. When Alec returned, several had left including Ryder, Lewis and Inga.
“What do we have planned for the morning?” he asked, keeping an eye on Yula, who stood slightly apart from the group. “I’d like to run on a mission that may take some time. Yula, if you’d be so kind, I’d like for you to ride with us on this little journey.”
The girl looked at Alec in surprise. “Where are you going?”
“I want to go visit a friend here in the city, someone who might appreciate your talents,” Alec answered cryptically. “Will you come along?”
“Armilla and Yula and I are going out on this errand, and should be back relatively soon. If you have any dispatches or briefings for me, I’ll be sure to give you all my attention when I return,” Alec told Rander, who bowed his acquiescence and left. In short order Alec and the two women were astride horses, and ridack to Rand and Annalea’s home.
“Annie?” Alec called as he stepped across the threshold. Amiel, her household servant arrived. “May I help you?” she asked, not recognizing Alec.
“Amiel, it’s me Alec, the healer,” he replied, startling her by taking her hand.
“Gracious me! But I’ve heard such things about you! They said you were…” her voice trailed off, not wanting to appear silly by calling the boy in the hall leader of the Dominion.
“Yes, they tell me I’m a leader, but I don’t believe it either,” he answered her. “We’re here to see your pretty young mistress.”
“The very young one, or just the young one?” Amiel asked with a sly smile, recovering from her embarrassment. “Goodness knows Leah believes she is mistress of me and everyone in this house! That girl is spoiled worse than her mother was!”
“I think it’s Annie we want to see,” Alec said.
They were led to a parlor and sat waiting for Annie to arrive. “Alec, why have you brought me here?” Yula asked, unable to remain patient any longer. “Who is this girl you want me to meet?”
“Annie was the first patient I healed here in Goldenfields,” Alec explained. “She had an unfortunate number of different things affect her at the same time, and the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong, or how to treat her. Because of my abilities I was able to diagnose the problem and heal her.”
“I remember when I woke up and saw him for the first time,” Annalea’s voice said from the hallway. “I thought I had passed to the other side, and that he was the angel waiting there for me.”
Armilla snorted loudly at the notion of Alec being an angel, causing all heads to turn for a moment.
“Have a seat, Annalea,” Alec said.
“Well,” he continued his story, “I was able to heal her obviously, but there was one injury I did not know how to cure.”
“Yula, this is where you may have a role,” Alec spoke more rapidly, growing nervous about his next proposal. “Since then I’ve learned and done more healing, especially using ingenaire powers. And after you and I talked last night on the dance floor about the possible similarity of our powers, I had a thought.”
Annalea was studying his face intently. “Annie, I think I may be able to heal what I couldn’t before, and I think Yula’s powers can help,” he told the young woman.
All three of the visitors watched the emotions race across Annie’s features, until she covered her face with her hands and started to cry. “Oh Alec,” she said in a sobbing voice. “I don’t know what to say. I never expected anything like that. Can you really?” she asked. He nodded affirmatively. “Will it be difficult?” she asked.
“Not at all, not for you,” Alec told her. “You will just need to lie down, and we’ll do all the work. Would you like for us to do it now?”
“Alec, may I see you for a moment outside?” Yula asked suddenly, breaking the tableau between the two friends. They stepped out in the hallway.
“What are you springing here? Don’t you think you should have asked me before proposing this? What’s my role? What’s it going to do to me?” she asked in an increasingly rapid parade of questions.
“This only requires you to use your energy the way you ordinarily would, but you’ll do it through me,” Alec explained in the slow rhythm of an adult speaking to a child.
“Stop speaking that way,” Yula interrupted. “Stop it or I’ll walk out of here right now. You could have told me what you had in mind before you brought me here and sprang this trap. I’ve got nothing against the girl, but I don’t think you should just pull people along in your path to do you bidding.”
Alec paused to consider the plant ingenaire’s words. Perhaps he was unfairly presuming that she would do what he wanted her to. “I’m sorry if this came across poorly. After my experiment last night on the dance floor, It occurred to me that we could combine our powers to do more than I can do on my own. Together I think we can heal Annalea. It’s just a chance to do something simple that will help a girl who deserves help more than anyone else I know.”
Yula looked Alec squarely in the eye for a long silent minute. “Alright, if you will promise that this will be simple and easy and that you won’t just spring a surprise on me like this again, I’ll do it. But you owe me a very, very large favor,” she added, without a smile on her face.
They re-entered the chamber. “We’re ready to start Annie,” Alec said simply. “If you would lie down, please,” he motioned to the sofa, then went and stood beside her as she took a recumbent position.
“Yula, put your hands on my shoulder, here,” Alec directed the blond girl. She did as instructed, and Alec placed his hand over Annalea’s midsection, then knelt quietly while he looked at her intently with his health sense, understanding what needed to be healed and how to do it.
“Yula, I’m going to start using my healing power on Annie, and I want you to release your powers into me, just like an ordinary activity for you,” he directed. “Let your powers flow into me, and I’ll take them and use them as we repair and regenerate Annie.”
“You’ll grow sleepy, Annie, from all the power we’ll ask your body to use to help in the healing. But that’s the worst that you’ll feel.”
“Yula, I may ask you to increase your power flows if I think we need more. Just listen to me and follow my lead. I’ll tell you to stop when it’s time,” he explained, sensitive to the long fingers that wrapped over his shoulder blade, slightly digging into his muscles.
Alec began to release his healing powers, starting the process of removing the damage. “Yula, let your power start,” he instructed the girl behind him. She seemed to tighten her grip slightly, then he felt her power tingle through him as he took hold of it and channeled it to join his healing power. It felt similar to his own abilities, much more so than other ingenairii’ powers had felt in the past.
He sensed the changes he was effecting within Annalea, who lay silently with her eyes closed. Yula’s powers were facile and strong, and Alec shut off his own powers, other than a small trickle that directed and shaped Yula’
s energy. He completed his first task, and began directing the growth of new tissue, the connections to surrounding flesh, and the restoration of blood flow to the revitalized womb. The steps followed each other closely as Annalea gave a small sigh. “Does that hurt?” Alec asked.
“No, it feels indescribable, but it’s not pain,” she said.
Alec sensed the finish of the last step. “You can stop now, Yula,” he directed, as he used his health vision to closely examine the newly healed body of the young woman with the curly dark hair.
Everything seemed in order, perhaps even better and more fertile than Annalea had been before she drank the unfortunate spring water to improve her chances of bearing a child. Alec began to stand up slowly, satisfied with the results he saw, and intrigued by how little of his own power he had expended.
“Yula, thank you for your help,” Alec said. Still partially crouched, he turned his head to look over his shoulder and brushed his cheek against Yula’s face as she bent in close and looked past him to the girl on the sofa.
“That was fascinating,” Yula said softly, in a husky voice. “I felt the way you took my power and changed it. It felt so similar to my own use of the energy, but there was a thing, almost like a texture that was different. It was like it felt fleshy instead of fruity like my own power,” she analyzed what had just occurred, unconsciously speaking her thoughts out loud.
“Annalea,” Alec said, looking down at his friend who had propped herself up on one elbow and was looking at him, “your body has been healed, thanks to the energy that Yula provided, and you will be able to bear children just as any other woman. Although,” he added with a smile, “I know that the children you bear will be smarter and prettier than any others.”
Tears welled up in Annie’s eyes, and she rose to hug Alec fiercely around the waist. “Oh Alec, this is like you’ve saved my life again! I didn’t realize how much it would mean to hear you say those words. I have to go see Rand to tell him!” she stood fully and ran from the room.
The Lifesaving Power: Goldenfields and Stronghold Page 28
