by Rain Trueax
Elke was at his side using her hands to close the gash the monster had opened on his shoulder. “I don’t know if I can close this,” she moaned, even as he felt her healing energy entering the wound. “It went deep,” she whispered, sucking in breaths of air as she continued working over the bleeding cut.
The pain surged through his body. He rose, started to walk, and stumbled. Something was draining him. He sank to his knees. She put her mouth to the bleeding tear, and he felt her blowing energy into it. Her hands did not let go of holding the edges together. He’d been poisoned. Whatever was entering his body would kill him. Better him than her.
“Don’t you dare give up on me,” she snapped as she put even more energy into trying to heal the wound. Her face had paled.
“Go get Granddad, Adolph, and the horses.”
“I can’t leave you.”
“You have to get them because I can’t walk out of here. You sure as hell… can’t carry me.” He felt darkness coming over him, knew when she lowered him to the sandy beach and then he was alone—unless these two Rugarus weren’t the only ones. He looked up at the canyon walls, heard the sound of the river moving past. Not a bad place to die.
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Elke rematerialized in the canyon and saw by the worried expression on Adolph’s face that he understood it wasn’t good. “We have to get back to him,” she said, quickly saddling the horses. She left their supplies where they were. Mitch could send Joe back for them. She looked up then and saw Nantan. “You must save him,” she said as she mounted Pepper and led the other two.
“He will have to save himself,” Nantan said. “It was always about him.” With that, he was gone.
She wanted to scream but that wasn’t going to help anyone. Fear surged through her. Maybe there’d been more than two. She had not expected the second one. Without Mitch’s quick action, she’d have been the one on the beach maybe dying. He had saved her but at what cost. She put out energy waves to her mother as she headed Pepper down the canyon, with Adolph loping ahead, scenting out the way.
‘What is wrong?’ her mother sent back.
‘Mitch has been hurt. A Rugaru got him with its claws before he killed it. It ripped a gash in his shoulder and… something more.’
‘Poison?’
‘That’s what it acted like.’
‘Give me all the details you can.’
She described the way he had slumped to the ground, how she had closed the wound, but left out that she had been the target. She’d tell her that later. ‘We need magick.’ She heard her mother’s hesitation. ‘You have to help him,’ she argued.
‘I will talk to my mother. She will know. Do what you can for now.’
‘I am.’ With that, she turned all her energy to getting back to Mitch and then him to the ranch. Could a doctor help with something like this? She had no idea what it might even be. Something more than a simple wound. Grandma Jess might be the only one to figure out what could counteract the poison.
When she got to Mitch, she was relieved he was still conscious and trying to hold the licking Adolph from getting at his face. She dropped to the beach to assess his condition.
“Ranger isn’t spooking,” he said as he raised himself to his elbows and watched the gelding who seemed perfectly calm. Given what had happened there, that was amazing.
“Can you get on Traveler?” she asked wondering if she could levitate him up.
“Sure.” It took a little doing, but he made it into the saddle. He pointed to the rope. “Better tie me on just in case.”
She gritted her teeth but by standing on a boulder, she managed it. Neither of them had any idea if this would get worse or if he had already experienced the worst of it. As they started to ride down the streambed, she said, “Mom is looking for antidotes.”
“Good, I had no idea this could happen. Lucky in Mexico, I guess that… it ran off.”
“They have mates,” she said with her own shock. “So they reproduce.”
He didn’t respond to that, and she realized it was taking all the energy he had to stay on Traveler. She was proud of how Ranger was acting as he stayed with them, didn’t tug on the lead line nor let Adolph running alongside frighten him. She kept looking over at Mitch, seeing how he slumped in the saddle, but he was still conscious. What could have been used on him? How would a Rugaru use such a thing? It had to have had help. Had it also had help in breeding? Cloning? Her mind went in useless circles as they climbed out of the canyon.
Once they got away from the water, the heat of the day was draining. She stopped Mitch’s mount at intervals for him to drink, to make sure Adolph and the horses got water, and for herself. She didn’t know how long it took. It seemed an eternity before she saw the ranch buildings.
When Joe Kuruk saw how they came riding up, he met them, helped to free Mitch from the ropes, and lowered him to the ground where he lay as though dead. Only his chest rising and falling told her he wasn’t.
“What happened to him?” he asked looking up worriedly at her. His own face had paled.
“His shoulder was gouged,” she said, wondering how much of Mitch’s truth, his cousin knew. “It seems the animal’s claws had been… poisoned.”
Joe looked at the wound that although not bleeding still looked ugly. “Like no animal I seen…” He looked back up at her. “Heard of some though.” His gaze was unwavering.
“Maybe that then… It’s dead though.” At least those two. Again, she decided to wait and let Mitch tell his cousin what he wanted him to know. She was surprised when Joe bent and picked up his cousin to carry him to the house. He hadn’t seemed big enough to carry a man Mitch’s size, but it appeared size wasn’t everything. Adolph stayed at his heels.
At the door, Buck came out. “He doesn’t look good,” he said stating the obvious in Elke’s mind.
“You take care of the horses,” Joe told him and took Mitch up to his bedroom, laying him on the bed. “We need to get him cleaned up and assess this.” He looked toward Sofia. “Call the doctor.”
“No doctor,” Mitch said with more strength to his voice than she’d expected. Apparently, concern of bringing in a doctor had roused him. After that though, he lay without more protest and let Joe undress, wash him, and finally put him under covers. Adolph settled himself at the foot of the bed.
"So what we going to put on that wound?” Joe asked as he stepped back.
“I had a call into my mother, who knows about wounds,” she said. “I’ll check on what she’s found.” She went into her room and dug into her bag for her cell phone. Fortunately, it had held a charge.
“What did you find out?” she asked as soon as her mother picked up.
“Without a sample, can’t know for sure, but the most likely Mom felt was hemlock. It’s easiest to get and enough of it would kill a person. Through a bleeding wound though, it may have acted as a sedative—especially given his size. Get him coffee, any stimulant, and he’ll probably be all right if the wound doesn’t infect.”
“It might. The Rugaru jumped out from the brush and used its claws.” It was then she realized Joe had followed her. “Just a minute, Mom. Yes?” she asked, wondering how much he’d heard.
“He’s asking for you.”
“All right, in a minute. Mom says coffee, and I am guessing antiseptic cream, aloe, anything that fights infection and helps heal. Do you have poultices on hand? The way he keeps getting banged up, seems it might be wise to keep the herbs around.” She smiled to soften her tough words. She was forcing away the fear that this could kill him. She would not let it.
He watched her for a moment before he turned to leave. “I’ll tell Sofia.”
“One more thing before you hang up,” her mother said.
“All right.”
“Something brought the Rugaru to the canyon.”
“It might have been me.” She told her then about the old spirit guide. “It was his opinion.”
“Interesting… but still, it took someone
on the earth level. Demons could bring up a Rugaru, but it would require an invitation. And one more thing.” There was a silence. “Someone gave it the hemlock. A Rugaru would count on its claws and teeth being sufficient.”
“A demon?”
“It still needs a human conduit.”
“I’ll think on it.”
“Be careful and watch what is going on around there for who. Just as is happening here in Tucson, there may be more than one plotting.”
Walking into Mitch’s bedroom, his color already looked better. She bent and felt of his forehead. No fever. His eyes opened and looked lucid.
“Mom says it might have been hemlock, and if so, drink lots of coffee and stimulants of any sort.”
He managed a laugh. “One comes to mind.”
She sat on the edge of his bed and wagged her fingers at him “I doubt that’s what she had in mind.” Putting her hands over the wound, she let healing heat flow through her.
“Did she have… any thoughts on what we ran into?” He shifted with some discomfort. She let up until he seemed more at ease and then began again. The heat would hurt, but it would also heal.
“We didn’t have long to talk.” She plumped pillows behind him to ease him up for when the coffee arrived.
“Granddad?”
“He said you didn’t need him.”
“Enigmatic as usual. I guess we didn’t.”
She liked how he added the we. At that point, Joe came in with a tray and three mugs. “I didn’t know if you took sugar or cream,” he said as he put it on the dresser. “So, I brought both.”
“Neither, thank you.” She took the first cup to Mitch and helped him hold it as he sipped the hot brew.
“You going to tell me what actually went on up there?” Joe asked as he handed her a cup. Leaning against the dresser, he sipped his own, his gaze traveling from her to Mitch. She thought he looked uneasy, more than she’d have expected given Mitch appeared to be making a quick recovery.
“I think Mitch needs to rest for now,” Elke said. She might have been overstepping her authority but wanted to talk to Mitch about Joe without him there.
Joe looked at her questioningly. When Mitch said nothing, he nodded and left.
“What’s up?” Mitch asked.
“Does hemlock grow in your canyons here?”
“It’s like Queen Anne’s Lace but taller, right?”
“Yes and very poisonous.”
“We tried to get rid of it all as it can kill cattle. Probably it’d still be on forest service land.”
“My mother said not only did someone have to draw the monsters to the canyon but had to have told them about or given them the hemlock. Someone human. How much do you trust Joe?”
“Hmmmm. Let me think. He came to me… I guess four years ago. He is cousin to a cousin or something like that. He wanted work. He has been a good worker. He had questions especially about Apache mysticism, about magick-- even more after he read Vislogus. I taught him some simple techniques like meditation, not sorcery level though.”
“Was he satisfied with that?”
“You think he went elsewhere for instruction?”
“He’s in an area that he could do that if he had been so inclined.”
“And find a bad source if he… Yeah, he could have.”
“Is he inherently a good man?”
“I thought he was. Let me… think about that when my head is clearer.”
“Well, don’t trust him too much until you do.”
He let out a breath but nodded. “I should get up.”
She pressed back against his chest. “You should stay right where you are.”
“You keep me entertained?” he asked with a teasing laugh. He definitely was feeling better.
“I might consider it when I stop worrying you might die.” She did though lie down alongside him, putting her arm over his torso. “Energy exchanges like this will be good for you and me.” She meant that, as she still felt shaky at what had almost happened. “You know,” she added, “you saved my life.”
“You might’ve turned in time to stop it.”
“I don’t think I could have. You put yourself between me and the attack and nearly got killed.”
“I had the advantage of the sword.”
She gave a little laugh. “Can’t you just accept you are a hero?”
“I was no hero.”
“I don’t see how you can say that.”
“I was scared that you’d be killed and more scared of that then what might happen to me. I didn’t have time to think of anything to be honest.”
“You can’t escape it.”
He gave a little laugh. “Escape what?”
“I belong to you now until I save your life anyway.”
“Is this some kind of rule I haven’t heard of?”
“Pinky swear.”
He laughed again. “Now you really can’t mean that.”
“My grandma taught me.” She took his hand and hooked her pinky over his. “This stands us good until I save your life.”
He shook his head. Before he could say more, Joe came back into the room. Elke sat up and watched as he approached the bed.
“I wanted to know more about what happened out there,”
“Mitch is in no shape right now,” Elke said. “He needs time to heal.”
“Then when?” He looked edgy and to Elke’s eyes guilty.
“Better we talk it out now,” Mitch said. He adjusted the pillows at his back. Although she disapproved, Elke knew he might be right. Adolph had come to alert and was watching them.
“What do you know about Rugarus?” he asked Joe.
“Nothing… Oh wait, isn’t there a kind of wolf god for some tribes. Not us though.”
Elke looked at Mitch wondering what he was thinking as to her it was obvious Joe was lying and not doing a good job of it.
“Now tell me the truth,” Mitch said, swinging his legs to the floor but keeping the sheet over his groin. “You keep lying, and I’ll beat the hell out of you or give it a damned good try.”
“Mitch,” she said with her hand on his shoulder. “I could…”
He interrupted her. “No, this is my family. Now the truth, you bastard or so help me, you will regret it.”
Joe looked away, tears ran down his cheek and then he slumped into the wooden chair. “All right… I… I thought I could surprise you and… get some magick that would… But then…”
“Damnit,” Mitch interrupted. “Stop bawling and get the story out here before I let Elke kill you.”
Joe looked uneasily at her. “She don’t carry a gun.”
“She doesn’t need one.”
“Oh.” He looked at her more closely. “She like you then?”
“She’s her own thing and has plenty to take care of you if you don’t tell us the truth. And she’s got a hogwash meter too. Lie to her, and she’ll know.”
Joe frowned. “All right…” He sighed and put his head in his hands before he looked up. “I went into Sedona for some books. You know that little shop where… Well, you know. And there was a man in the parking lot who came up to my truck as I got out. He said he was waiting for me. I said can’t be. I didn’t know I was coming. He said he knew.
“He put his arm around my back and led me over to the bench under the cottonwood where he told me I could learn magick, the kind my cousin had. See…” He turned and looked at Mitch. “He knew I had a cousin. That was meaning he was strong, right?”
“Go on,” Mitch said his mouth tight but whether from pain or anger, Elke couldn’t tell. Maybe some of both.
“Anyway, he drove me out to his house, and he said I’d learn what I needed there. He… well, he did teach me how to do things like bending a spoon.”
“Parlor tricks,” Mitch said with disgust.
“There was going to be more. He asked if I wanted more power to come to this land. Power that could make everybody like my cousin. Why should he have all the power? H
e said. I thought… I said yes. And then, he told me about monsters and how they can do good things, bring power back to my people that the white man took away. I mean, Mitch, you ain’t all ‘pache. Even you’re half white. Why shouldn’t a true blood brother have the power? I wanted it. I admit I wanted it and then…”
“It got away from you,” Elke said.
“Yeah…”
“And the hemlock?”
“He told me to gather it but use gloves because it was powerful. He told me where to leave it. I didn’t think. I… I was going to warn you when you rode out to the canyon, but then I thought… hell, nothing would happen. You have power.” He sobbed. “Then I worried and when I saw you come back, looking dead, I knew I’d done wrong, but it was too late. Go ahead, kill me. I deserve it.” He looked at Elke instead of Mitch.
“You don’t have to die to start over. What you’ve taken as power can be taken from you, cleanse you of it,” Elke said when Mitch said nothing.
“Then do it. I don’t want it. I didn’t handle it.” He looked at Mitch who was staring at the ceiling. “I am sorry, cousin.”
“Just… I need to rest,” Mitch said letting out a breath as he slouched back down in his bed. His gaze met Elke’s eyes. “I don’t seem to know anything right now.”
“It’ll be clearer when you wake up.” She kissed his forehead. Adolph indicated he’d stay with him, and Elke followed Joe out onto the lower patio where they would have privacy.
“You can really clear away the stuff I did?” Joe asked as he turned and watched her.
“Do you understand all you did?”
“I nearly got Mitch killed, didn’t I?”
“Or me.”
“You?”
“I may have been the intended target.”
He put his hands over his face. “I am so sorry.”
“Where did you put the hemlock?”
“On a little island in the canyon.”
“All of it?”
“Yes.”
“What you did could have gotten you killed also.”
“I wish I’d never gotten jealous, wanted what Mitch had. I am sorry.”
