by Billy Wong
Rose took heart as Adam seemed to fear for his wounded mentor, and grew less and less cautious in his attacks. As he charged simultaneously with Jacob in hopes of finishing her off, Rose grabbed his extended knife hand and threw him into the knight. She felt his wrist break. He narrowly missed being skewered on his own ally's spear, and fell to the ground as Jacob went stumbling away.
Rose raised her sword to knock out the fallen Adam, but Jacob recovered faster than expected and threw his heavy spear. The blade sank deep into her chest, just below her left breast, and scraped against her spine. She stared at the shaft jutting out between her ribs; then her knees buckled, and her mouth filled with a flood of coppery blood.
#
Finn saw the spear fly into Rose's body and came to a quick decision. As Elaine jabbed at him again, he slapped at her rapier with his hand. He felt himself being cut, but his aim at the flat of the blade was not totally off, and the wound not deep. Stepping in, he grabbed her by the hair. He cut short her cry for help as a punch like a falling boulder rendered her limp in his grasp. He might have killed her, but he didn't stop to check. All he cared about right now was saving Rose.
#
Elaine's allies did not notice her defeat, too focused on their intended execution of the wounded Rose. She had dropped to her knees, and leaned against a wall like she would fall on her side without it. Her head drooped on her chest, and her eyes were half closed. With each gasping breath she took, blood dripped from her mouth. She had dropped her sword, and her hands hung limp at her sides as if too weak even to grab at the spearshaft protruding from her wound. Jacob drew a dagger and reached down.
Incredible pain engulfed her body, but Rose had fought with grievous wounds before and now was not much different. Jacob bent to pull her head back and expose her throat, and through anguished eyes she saw an opportunity to strike. She snatched up her sword and thrust it upward, through the underside of his chin and deep into his skull.
She wrenched it free one-handed with ease, as if it had only been stuck in a loaf of bread and not a man's head. Dammit! She really hadn't wanted to kill the great knight, but she'd been too badly hurt, and he too skilled, to hold back anymore... A wide-eyed Adam took a step back as Jacob slumped to the ground, dead before he started falling.
Rose looked up at Adam, and their eyes met. He glanced at the dagger he had drawn with his one good hand, then at her focused expression and steady sword arm. He turned and ran, towards the stairs which led to the upper floors and exit. If he got away, Rose knew, he would try to find Clarities elsewhere to implement his grand vision.
She put her free hand on the wall and pulled herself to her feet, tears of pain blurring her vision. She drew a dagger and threw at Adam's leg, but her aim was ruined by agony and she hit him squarely in the buttocks. It did at least slow his run. Groaning, she limped after him. But then she slipped in her own blood, and would have had a very painful landing on the stone had Finn not been behind her to catch her.
#
Finn's mouth felt dry as old jerky, and he couldn't help a nearly overwhelming terror at the sight of Rose's white, sweat-covered face, the bloody mist of her breath, and the pole sticking out of her chest. He knew she had survived being hurt as badly before, but feared her luck might have run out and looked to her for the usual reassurance—a smile, a joke, some light-hearted banter.
Instead of giving it, Rose spat a gout of blood and looked at him with grim eyes. "He can't get away. You've got to stop him now, before"—she coughed—"he escapes the ruins. If he does, he'll..." Wet, choking coughs issued from her throat, and Finn felt unbearably helpless. He held her, stroking her hair as to comfort her.
He was afraid to even talk to her. "I know, Rose. How are you?"
"I'm cold," she whispered, to leave his heart trying to jump out his chest. She forced a weak smile, which somehow slowed the pounding against his ribs. "I'm only cold because I don't have the fur and blubber you do, you lucky bear of a man. Think there's time to cuddle and warm me up a bit before you go?"
Finn hugged her as close as the spear in her chest would permit, kissed her cheek, and stood. He looked back at her, and she turned her gaze towards the stairs in a gesture that clearly meant go.
Without bothering to search him out, Finn yelled to Derrick, "Take good care of her, boy, or you'll be sorry when I get back!" Then he ran, knowing the sooner he caught Adam, the sooner he could return to his wounded Rose's side.
#
He had met defeat today, but still held hope for a bright future as long as he escaped. Adam was saddened by his mentor's death and feared the same had befallen Elaine, but brushed his feelings aside. There would be time for mourning later. Right now he, the last active bearer of Clarity, had to think only of survival.
With his butt wound, he could not outrun either Finn or Derrick, though he thought his chances of defeating the latter still good even with one working hand. He only knew of one exit, but there was more than one route to get there. While whoever chased after him would surely use the same route they had all entered by, he would surprise them by taking a different one.
He might get lost or run into some unforeseen difficulty, but trusted in his advanced mind to see him through. If someone was at the exit when he got there, he would hide nearby until they grew tired of waiting, and one of them (or the only one, if Rose was still alive and being tended by the other) went back into the ruins to search for him. Then, if Finn or Derrick remained, he felt he could take either with the element of surprise. So assured of his plan, he limped along.
#
Rose sat propped against the wall as she cut up Jacob's shirt. Damn, it was cold in here! If she hadn't been using it for bandages, she would've put it on on top of her own. She couldn't do much for her worst wound without subjecting herself to great pain and blood loss she wanted to put off for now, but could save some blood by binding her other cuts. What annoyed her was having to do it herself, as Derrick was nowhere to be found. She had assumed him to have hidden away from the fighting to wrap his arm, but he'd been gone way too long. He should have finished by now, unless...
Her anger turned to concern. What if he had passed out? He'd taken a fairly bad cut, and she didn't know how he would handle it. If he didn't appear soon, she would have to go looking for him, much as it hurt just thinking about it. It would be rough getting up, but while she might not in the best shape herself, she wasn't about to let a friend die if she could do anything about it.
#
Derrick looked around, wishing he could remember where he was in relation to his previous location. The smooth gray walls seemed the same here as in every other room. He felt a bit guilty over leaving Rose and Finn to fend for themselves, but had been bleeding badly and would be no good to anyone passed out. So he had wandered into a nearby hall, hoping to hide while bandaging himself. But then the noise of battle had seemed to grow closer, prompting him to retreat further. Later, he had thought the sounds to again increase in volume, and moved once more.
Now he was most certainly lost, though he had finally gotten his wound wrapped as well as he could. He considered calling out, but the sounds of fighting had stopped, and if any of the Clarities survived, they might be closer than his friends. He certainly didn't want to alert them to his location. So he tried to find his own way back, passing through a handful of rooms only to find himself staring fearfully at a bloody Adam.
#
The two men regarded one another, both wounded, both holding their weapons in their off hands. Adam was surprised to realize how nervous he felt, even though he should have been confident in his ability to defeat the boy. He decided to test Derrick by making as if to step forward.
The scholar backed up a full two steps, and Adam's confidence returned. Once he took care of this one, his escape would be nearly assured. Adam still would have preferred not to kill Derrick, who he thought fairly harmless though possessed of good potential. But it might be hard to subdue him with a broken hand and o
nly a dagger for a weapon, and he steeled himself for the distasteful murder.
It might have been easiest to simply throw the dagger, but Adam did not want to risk being weaponless if he failed to kill Derrick outright. So he advanced on the young man, who predictably backpedaled with his sword raised in defense before him. Derrick's longer blade did give him a reach advantage, but he seemed too scared to use it. Adam slashed at him, and the way he flinched as he parried was encouraging. But the next thing he did made Adam's heart skip a beat.
"Rose! Finn! Help!"
Adam's advance faltered for a moment, and to his surprise Derrick took the opportunity to swing at him. He dodged easily, but was now forced to keep his distance as he sought an opening. Realizing he could soon be outnumbered, he tried to intimidate his opponent into ending the fight.
"You can't possibly win," Adam said with a sneer. "I already killed your friends, though they fought well. They took my own comrades with them, and I have seen enough bloodshed for the day. It is still not too late to give up and save your own life."
The tactic's effect proved the opposite of what Adam had intended. Derrick's defense grew stronger, his rapid slashes managing to hold Adam at the edge of his reach. Adam wondered why he was rallying, then marveled as Derrick grinned at him!
Derrick taunted him, relief in his voice. "Lying isn't something that thing in your head makes you better at, is it? If you killed my friends, why are you running around with only a dagger to fight with? Didn't you have a second to pick up somebody's sword? And why didn't you brag about it when you first saw me? They're chasing you right now, I bet. That's why you're trying to finish me off quickly!"
Smart. "So I lied, though Rose should be dead by now, but just because your friends may be alive doesn't give you a chance against me. Yield!"
Derrick met his eyes, stance unchanged. "It's not likely I'll beat you alone. But now that I know I only have to keep you busy until help arrives, I see no reason to quit." The thump of heavy footsteps on the stone reached their ears, and as Adam glanced towards the sound, he saw Derrick smile.
Adam knew he had to kill Derrick now and get his sword; even he wouldn't be able to take the scholar and Finn with only a dagger. He turned back to his foe and threw.
#
Derrick thought Adam might try such an attack, but avoiding it was another matter. He threw himself to the right, but while the weapon missed its intended target in his heart, it grazed his side. As he fell painfully to the ground, his now unarmed opponent attempted to wrestle his sword away.
Flailing desperately, he landed a knee to Adam's ribs which sent him staggering away. As he rose, however, he saw the noble snatch his dagger off the floor. They were back to where they started, only the already weak Derrick had been wounded again. Then, he breathed a sigh of relief. Not quite, he realized as Rose limped into the room.
Both men stared at the indomitable though wounded warrior, bent with pain in the doorway Adam had entered. Crudely bandaged in several places, she had about a handspan's worth of broken spear sticking out of her chest, and blood oozed from her mouth. More oddly, Derrick noticed some cloths—rags?—draped over her shoulders and tied around her midsection. Rose lurched towards Adam with sword idle on her back, seemingly still determined not to kill him.
She glanced at Derrick and said nonchalantly, "Help me grab him, will you? I'm not as fast right now as I usually am."
#
Even under the effects of the Clarity, the grievously wounded woman's dedication to saving Adam moved him. In spite of that, a cruel thought passed through his mind. He could still kill them. The girl's foolish compassion would be her death. But deep inside Adam was appalled at this loathsome idea, and he fought for the willpower to banish the Clarity's influence if even for an instance.
"I've lost," he said calmly, turning his back to her. "Do what you must." Even as the Clarity tried to reassert itself, to force him to turn and fight, Rose's mighty fist slammed into the back of their head and put them both to sleep.
#
Rose fell-sat by Adam's unconscious body and said softly, "I hope he'll forgive me for killing his mentor, when he's cured. It was all our fault he died." More loudly, "We better tie him up. No telling if he'll wake up wanting to kill us. You got any rope, chains, manacles handy?"
"I thought that was what those rags were for?" Derrick asked.
She hugged herself and frowned. "These? No way! They're to keep me warm—it's cold in here."
As Derrick began to strip Adam, he looked Rose's well-covered form over and grinned. "And I thought this cold didn't even register with you two brutes."
She giggled, despite her pain and nagging guilt. "You better not be confusing me with Finn. I'm a lady, not some big hairy bear of a man." With a wink, she added, "I'll even wrestle you to prove it. Just not right now."
#
Some time later, Finn arrived on the scene. He had forgotten the path to the storage chamber, and gotten lost looking for Adam. Upon seeing him tied up with his own clothes, he smiled at Rose. "I see you really did manage to take him alive. He must have gone kicking and screaming, huh?"
Rose returned his smile, but with sadness in her eyes. "Not really. In the end, he knew what was right, and allowed me to help him. I only wish Jacob could have done the same."
She tried to stand then, and Finn remembered just how badly she was hurt. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Will you let me carry you? Walking can't feel good right now."
Rose gently brushed his hand away. "For once, I'm not declining out of pride. Somebody's got to carry Adam, and I don't think Derrick is up to it." The young man sat on the floor looking terribly fatigued, and Rose dragged herself over to check on his wounds. "Go and take care of the dormant Clarities, Finn. I'll watch over Derrick here."
Finn found his way back to the storage chamber and broke all of the Clarity vessels from a distance, and the ancient magic died, dissipating without any hosts in range. A tiresome task, for there were hundreds of pots. He found himself playing games with himself, trying to see how many pots he could destroy at once and from how far away. All the while, he could not stop worrying about Rose.
Many minutes later, he finally finished. Only as he left the storage chamber did he notice Elaine's body lying naked where he had defeated her, her limbs bound together by a strip apparently cut from her shirt. When he found she still breathed, he scooped her up and brought her back to the others.
Finn laughed as he realized the rags his friend had draped herself with were Elaine's clothes. "You took her clothes, Rose? Why? She's half your size!"
"I was cold. I told you as much, and you could have given me your bear pelt or something to keep me warm, but you just left after embracing me." She paused. "Although... thanks for that gesture."
Finn frowned with exasperation. "You're welcome, but how was I supposed to know you actually wanted something to warm yourself with? Usually whenever you complain you're cold, or hurt or scared or whatever, you just tough it out like you have something to prove!"
This brought a small smile from her, as she forced herself to her feet and headed for the exit. "I think I just might be done proving myself. I guess wisdom does come with age. Then again, we'll see when another challenge comes my way." She walked over to Derrick and nudged him with her foot. "Finn isn't going to have to carry you as well, is he?"
"Damn, you're crazy. That wound looks downright fatal, and here you are helping me up. Doesn't that spear hurt?"
Rose nodded. "Yeah, it's quite uncomfortable, and heavy too. But as for the wound... I'm a freak, you know." Derrick took her hand and stood as Finn hefted Elaine and Adam on one shoulder apiece, and they supported each other to begin the long trip back to Bifford.
#
Rose was sleeping, having just had the spear removed from her body, but Derrick didn't worry too much about whether she'd wake up. She had remained alert, if cheerless and too quiet, all the way to town. Upon arriving in Bifford, they had dropped the two
prisoners off in jail, where they were to be held until medical supervision could be gotten for their treatment. Then they had gone to the local surgeon, who had been amazed by Rose's survival, and surprising vigor, considering the severity of her wound.
Now Finn and Derrick talked of the future, leaving Rose to rest in her room. But while it seemed she would be all right physically, she was clearly wracked with guilt at Jacob's death, and they wished there was something they could do to help. Still, they were glad this whole thing was over and celebrated with drink. They toasted to many things, among them Rose's recovery, a Clarity-free future, and what Finn called Derrick's "coming of age," eliciting a groan from the latter.
But Derrick felt too tired to stay for long, and soon stood to leave for his room. Before he could go, Finn grabbed his arm and asked him quietly, almost pleadingly, to stay and talk. Derrick wondered what grave matter he meant to discuss.
"What am I supposed to do?" Finn began, his composure continuing to disintegrate. "Remember when you asked me, when we first met, if me and Rose were together? Back there in the ruins, when I saw her take that spear, I was so scared, I thought I'd die if anything... happened to her. I can't remember ever being scared like that, not even when I was looking death in the eye. I couldn't even shake my terror when it looked like she was okay, I thought about her all the way here, and I'm still worrying now! What if she doesn't wake up? Gods, I'm more scared for her, than she is for her!
"I think I realized, when I was wandering around lost in the ruins, that I am in love with her, and have been for a while. For a long time now, I've taken every excuse to be around her as much as possible, been unable to take my eyes off her, had my spirits lifted by her voice, felt my heart pounding whenever she was in even the slightest danger, and laughed at her every joke, even those that shouldn't have been funny!
"I thought it was just friendship, and at first I think it was, but now, it just seems so much stronger than any friendship I've had, and I've certainly had some good ones, but nothing close to what I feel for her. Even now, though it sounds stupid, and she'd probably say it is, I would rather be at her bedside, though she's sleeping, than here with a good friend!"
