A Gift Freely Given (The Tahaerin Chronicles Book 1)

by J. Ellen Ross

  Andelko looked worried but did not question. They had no better plan. He looked out the storeroom door and motioned everyone into the narrow hallway. “Just ahead, there’s a door that opens up behind the keep.” One of the soldiers moved to scout ahead. The boy returned and sketched a rough description of what they faced.

  “We need to go out the door and to the right. There’s no one outside. Around the corner, I can see the side gate with two men guarding it. To the left of the gate, there’s a bonfire with several soldiers around it. There are at least two groups of two walking near the wall.”

  “All right, we move and kill along the way,” Andelko said. “If we stop, we give the others time to realize what’s going on and to join in. Can you all move quickly?” he asked, directing his look at the injured men.

  Heads nodded and he said, “All right, let’s go.”

  As they moved out the door and around the wall of the keep, Leisha saw the distance they needed to cover to reach the little gate. It looked insurmountable, perhaps a hundred yards or more. How could they possibly keep everyone together and alive? Despair and exhaustion rose up and threatened to break what resolve she had left. Then, hearing the jubilant mood of the mercenaries in the courtyard, her anger flared again. She would feed them all to the dogs when they were dead.

  Jan raised his arm to point out a pair of mercenaries on the wall, walking in their direction. They would see her band and raise an alarm. Without waiting, Leisha jumped to the first and he toppled over. As the second turned to check on his companion, she struck him as well. Blackness reared up and she found herself on the ground, on her knees.

  Andelko and the other soldiers looked from the wall and back to her. “Point out the ones you need me to kill,” she panted, her voice ragged. “I have a few more in me. Just keep me upright.”

  Zaraki looked grim as he helped her back to her feet. He wanted to tell her to stop, to let them handle it, but he saw the set of her jaw and the fierce look in her eyes. She was angry and would not be argued off this course. “Don’t ask. Just tell her. She’ll do it.” He hefted Fellnin’s blade.

  Andelko and three of the guards went first, with Leisha and Zaraki in the middle, then Jan and Eli with the other guards following close behind. Moving at a trot, they crossed perhaps a quarter of the distance to the wall before anyone caught sight.

  The mercenaries closest to them, five by the bonfire, turned and shouted. They would intersect their path halfway to the gate. Leisha reached out and stopped the heart of the nearest man. He dropped to the ground dead, then she reached for the next, but Andelko hacked him down. One more died as confusion reigned in the courtyard. No one expected resistance from within at this point.

  The one remaining soldier from the group by the fire raised a sword to strike at Jan. Leisha panicked, seeing the weapons racing for his head. Injured and exhausted, Jan did not react fast enough. She reached out and forced the mercenary’s sword hand open. He dropped his blade and Jan’s thrust took him in the gut. Cursing, she realized she should have thought of it sooner. The quick action took less of her remaining strength.

  With fifty yards to go, the rear guards beat back a few halfhearted charges. Their trek to the gate became much easier with Leisha just disarming their enemy instead of killing them. She found it so simple to jump into the mind of one, force him to drop his weapon and then jump to the next target while someone carved up her confused victim.

  Even so, all her soldiers carried wounds now. They bled for her and with all her gifts, she could not prevent it. With twenty-five yards to go, she heard Andelko call out. A mountain of a man lumbered toward them from the front of the keep, followed by three others. “My lady, if you will? The ugly one?”

  Dropping him, Leisha felt herself falling and she stumbled to the ground. Someone tried to haul her to her feet, several people shouted her name. Someone, Eli maybe, got her moving forward.

  Once she shook off the blackness and could see again, two men stood between them and freedom. Andelko and the other guard in front charged, knowing that stopping here meant death for all of them. If they did not get the gate opened, they would be trapped against the wall, with more men coming up from behind.

  Leisha had had enough. Enough blood from her people tonight. She grabbed at Eli’s arm as she continued to run and then struck both men at the gate, one after the other.

  A wave of blackness rolled over her, pulling her under. Time slowed to a crawl as she tried to find her way back to her body. Where was it? The tether, her lifeline back disappeared. The motes showing the minds of those around her wavered and swirled. Then, the shadows that had threatened all night took her.

  ***

  When Eli felt Leisha grab hold of him, he turned to look at her. Within seconds, the men at the gate lay dead, and she fell headlong into the dirt. One of the soldiers behind them scooped her up, barely missing a step. From the front of the keep, they could hear the sounds of the guard beginning to assault the gate.

  Andelko hit the side gate and with a huge shove, he and another soldier pushed the wooden beam barring the door out of its rest. The gate burst open and Eli saw Symon with his men running towards them.

  They formed a barrier around the little party and moved back. No one from within the keep emerged through the gate. Faced with the guard at the front gate and the loss of their hostages, most of the mercenaries would try to run now.

  After they had moved back a safe distance, Symon assessed everyone. Leisha appeared unconscious but unharmed, resting in the arms of one of Andelko’s men. Zaraki was a mess of cuts and bruises and looked like he would topple over at any moment. He stared at Leisha’s still form in horror. Jan and Eli did not look much better. Symon pointed to one soldier. “Can you carry her back to the castle? Yes? You two, help Zaraki. Jan, Eli? Do you need help? Andelko?”

  “We’re hurt, but I think everyone can make it up the hill.”

  “Good, move.” Symon sounded as though commanding soldiers in a crisis was something he did every day. As they started backing away from the wall and towards the center of town, he said, “Aniska, can you find us a safe route out of here?”

  “Of course,” she said, grinning and wiping her bloody blade off on the leg of her trousers.

  Recovering

  Chaos reigned in the castle yard as the little party stumbled under the portcullis. Andelko ordered it lowered and the gates closed. He began bellowing commands and disappeared into a throng of men. Servants waited on the steps with water and bandages for the wounded.

  With the great doors thrown open, light spilled out into the courtyard. As soon as they stepped inside, Symon pointed the soldier carrying Leisha up the stairs. “To her rooms now.” He put a hand on Zaraki’s shoulder when the younger man made to follow. “Her doctor is on the way and will see you here afterwards. Then we can get you settled upstairs with her.”

  Zaraki snarled and tried to push his hand away. “I’m not leaving her alone.”

  This time Symon lashed out, shoving the younger man, nearly toppling him. “You two are the closest thing I have to children, and I nearly lost you both tonight. You will sit down,” he bellowed.

  Shocked, Zaraki drew back. In six years, he had never seen Symon angry.

  “Wait for the doctor before climbing two flights of stairs. I’ll find someone who’s uninjured to help you up to your rooms.” All the fight went out of the old man now. “Please?” he begged, sounding weary and drained. “Please, let me make sure you’re all right.”

  Zaraki nodded and hobbled to a nearby chair. He ached all over, and the pain from his ribs stabbed at him when he moved or drew a breath.

  The doctor came and declared most of the wounds superficial. He washed them all in cheap wine and bound Zaraki’s ribs in clean bandages. “Tomorrow,” Jarden said, “I want to look again, but tonight you mostly need to bathe the filth off you. Can someone help?”

  Standing nearby, Symon assured him they would find a servant. “And you’ve seen
Leisha?”

  “Yes, she’s in her rooms, exhausted and asleep.”

  Zaraki knew it was not the entire truth and his eyes darted to Symon.

  “Let’s get you up the stairs,” the old man said, calling over two soldiers standing nearby.

  Each took a side and helped Zaraki to walk. By the time they reached the hall to the royal wing, everything hurt. He ached all over.

  And then he saw Leisha lying in their bed, bathed and dressed in a simple shift, her face and hands so pale against the blankets. She looked small and frail and he thought he might be sick when he saw the bruises blooming on her throat from Fellnin’s hands.

  Symon thanked the guards and sent them back downstairs. “Her doctor says she’s unharmed, but something happened and she is unconscious. He doesn’t know why,” he explained.

  “She saved us all. She can kill people just by thinking it, somehow. I should have stopped her,” Zaraki said, bereft.

  Pulling him towards the tub in the other room, Symon said. “Here, come. You need to wash off, then get into bed and rest with her.”

  When the maids finished washing off the blood and grime, they helped Zaraki into a change of clothes. Wincing, he lowered himself to the bed as Symon hovered. He could not remember hurting this much after any fight, but even with his body sore and exhausted, sleep eluded him. Laying curled against Leisha’s side, he tried to will her awake just as she had done to him. All night, he kept vigil as the castle rang with the sound of soldiers as the guard rounded up Staval’s men from the streets and drove them into the cells below.

  Symon arrived the next morning with Jarden and maids with breakfast in tow. When Zaraki wrinkled his nose at the food, the old man leaned over him. “Eat it or I’ll have you removed from these rooms.”

  Knowing he could not fight back, Zaraki nodded and ate while the doctor checked his wounds. “What if she never…” he started to ask and then trailed off.

  “Hush,” Symon said. “We don’t know what this is. Right now, we wait. Everything’s under control in town. Andelko and I’ll keep things running smoothly.”

  Jarden offered Zaraki something to help him sleep, but Symon knew the boy would not take it. “At least try and rest. I’ll be back to check on you both.” Closing the bedroom door, he sighed and headed out of the apartments. He intended to go check on Jan and Eli, but only made it as far as the receiving room before slumping into a chair.

  Exhausted, Symon let his head sink to his chest. He had stayed up all night managing the crisis. Their soldiers had surrounded the keep and most of those inside surrendered, hoping for leniency. Staval, he heard, put up a fight, but the Lord of the Tymek knew there would be no mercy for him.

  Putting on a brave face exhausted him as well. No one wanted to speculate on what caused Leisha’s condition though he suspected it might be related to her gifts. Of course, he had known she could read minds as a child. Everyone in Branik suspected it. He guessed Shola could as well, which might have accounted for some of her instability. But he had a hard time accepting anyone being able to kill with a thought.

  He wished he knew more. With that in mind, he pushed himself out of the chair and went to see the librarian. Perhaps in the piles of moldering books someone knew something which could help.

  ***

  After breakfast the next day, one of Leisha’s maids asked Zaraki if he would see Aniska. It surprised him to have her ask his permission. “Yes,” he stammered and swung his legs over the side of the bed. It hurt, perhaps worse than the first night. He wanted to pull on his trousers but realized he would never make it.

  Though he had never asked Leisha’s maids for anything and felt uncomfortable doing so, he sighed and looked up. Danica stood in the doorway watching him struggle, unsure if she should volunteer her assistance or not. “Can you help me, please?” Zaraki asked.

  “Of course, sir, of course.” The girl looked pleased. It took a couple of tries, but together they managed one leg and then the other.

  Collapsing back on the bed, he felt exhausted and angry at his condition. He wanted to get up and help rather than sitting here feeling useless.

  When Ani entered the room, she winced as she looked her friend over. She saw he had no shirt on and he had taken off the bandages that bound his ribs the day before. All across his skin, dark bruises blossomed. On the bed behind him, she saw Leisha, still except for the slow rise and fall of her breathing. “How are you and how is she?” she asked, falling into a chair with none of her usual grace.

  “I don’t know,” Zaraki admitted, running his hands over his face. “She’s still not awake and I hurt. Have you and Andelko found anything about this? This never should have happened.”

  “Don’t blame yourself,” Ani said shaking her head, knowing of course, he did blame himself for this. Just as she did. “We’re still trying figure out how Fellnin got so many men into the city without anyone noticing. I did find where he was staying and I’ve gone all over it. Zaraki, he’s been here for months, watching us, all of us. You, me, her. And I gather he’s been working for her uncle for years, maybe since you came here.”

  “It doesn’t excuse any of this.” All those years, Zaraki had protected Leisha and in one evening, it had all gone wrong.

  Ani reached out to touch his arm. “Think about it. He had all the advantages. He knew what we would do and how we thought. He knew places to avoid and which tavern to tell his men to stay out of so I never crossed paths with any of them. He knew your weakness. Fighting one of our own, especially our brother, put us at a huge disadvantage. Apparently he learned patience over the last six years.”

  The procession of sad, worried faces continued as the bedroom door opened again and Andelko stepped inside. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

  “Come sit with us,” Ani said. Hooking a chair with one foot, she pulled it close to hers.

  “Any change?” Andelko asked, looking at the far side of the bed.

  Ani shook her head. “No, but we were just discussing Fellnin.”

  “Ah yes. We found his body in the cell yesterday. Did Leisha kill him? They said he didn’t seem to have a mark on him.”

  Remembering what Fellnin had tried to do, Zaraki wished again he had been the one to end their brother’s life. “She did.”

  “I wish I could have seen it,” Ani said sounding disappointed. “It must have been glorious.”

  The door opened again and Symon stood there, a wide grin cutting across his face. In one hand, he carried a small book. “No change?” he asked, seeing the circle of hopeless expressions. “Well, I think I might have found something you’ll all want to see. It’s a book from the library. We should be thankful for her father’s obsessive collecting.”

  He showed them the spine and Zaraki read, On the Subject of Mind Readers.

  “I asked the librarian if he knew of any books on her condition. I spent all night reading this. This sleep is normal after exerting herself the way you said she did. Here,” Symon said, pointing out a passage. “Here it says she’ll sleep for several days. She can do amazing things,” he said, wonder filling his voice.

  ***

  On the fourth day, Leisha opened her eyes, starving and stiff. With consciousness came a rush of panic and fear, though. Memories passed her in a flurry of blood and death and pain. She started and Zaraki jerked awake. “You’re safe. It’s all right,” he said, taking her in his arms. He felt her trembling. “We’re back in the castle. Everyone is fine.”

  It took Leisha several moments to reorient herself and calm her breathing as she chased the nightmare visions away. Hands clenched into tight fists, her nails gouged furrows in her palms. When the haunted look vanished from her face, Zaraki lifted her chin with his hand and brushed his lips over hers. She responded ferociously, taking his face in her hands and pressing herself against him, then running her hands over him, making sure he was whole.

  He clung to her, whispering her name and stroking her hair. When he felt her breathing ch
ange to a hiccup, he drew back but she threw her arms around him and began sobbing.

  “I almost lost you. I thought you were going to die, and what would I do then?” she wept into his shoulder.

  Zaraki felt wave after wave of fury and fear and anxiety pass through him as she unleashed a storm of emotions. It raged until he felt himself swept up into it, unable to define where either of them began. Trapped in the vortex, he relived moments from that night, saw her defy her uncle, felt her panic and terror as she faced Fellnin and finally experienced her moment of triumph as she learned to kill. As she cried, he felt relief and release replacing the fear.

  When the tempest passed, and she felt in control of herself again, Leisha scrubbed at her nose. “You’re all right then?” She saw bandages and half-healed bruises.

  Wincing, he sat them back into the pillows, tucking her under his arm. “I’m hurt, but I’ll survive. You’re awake after three days.” He called Danica and asked her to send for Symon. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m sore and my throat hurts,” she said, still sniffling a bit. “But everything seems to be in order. I don’t remember getting back here.”

  “Symon and Aniska met us, just like you planned. They were waiting when we opened the side gate. Ani and the guards had killed most of Staval’s men in town already, so it wasn’t too difficult getting back to the castle. Someone carried you. Ani kept watch and killed a couple of stragglers. What you did there was amazing.”

  Leisha looked at her hands, remembering. “It frightened you.”

  “You saved us all and we all owe you our lives. No one is afraid of you.”

  When Symon arrived, he took charge, barking orders and fussing over them both. “Zaraki, go bathe. You look disreputable and smell worse. Leisha, lie back down. He won’t be gone long. Breakfast is on the way.”

  When Zaraki left the room, Symon sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ve never seen such despair. He was lost without you.”

  “As I would be without him,” she admitted with ease. “Symon, thank you for saving us. Thank you.”