Suddenly, a sharp pain flared in Lorit's thigh. It burned with a fire that threatened to overwhelm him. He threw himself to the floor and reached for his leg, expecting to find a bloody arrow protruding.
"Lorit, are you all right?" Ukina knelt down beside him.
"My leg. I've been hit."
"I don't see anything."
"I feel it. I've been shot. Watch out." He pulled at her to take her out of the line of fire, but she resisted.
"Lorit, there's no one here but us. We're all alone."
Another stab of pain erupted, this time in Lorit's chest and shoulder. He reached up, expecting to find a shaft and blood, but his hand came away empty and clean. The pain was real, as if someone had shot him with molten lead. The fire seared his skin and he clutched his chest, but found nothing there.
"Lorit. You're scaring me. What's happening?"
Lorit heard Chihon in his head. "Help!" She was far off and weak. It was her pain that Lorit had felt.
"It's Chihon. She's been hurt. I have to go to her."
"But what about me?" Ukina demanded.
"I have to go to Chihon." Lorit summoned all the power he could. He'd been saving his reserve to travel back to Amedon, but he squandered it locating Chihon. She was weak and her magic was depleted. Because he shared his magic with her, he was weak, too.
He reached out to Chihon and pulled. The castle disappeared and Lorit found himself in the woods. He didn't have to look around for Chihon. She lay on the ground with arrows protruding from her leg, shoulder, and chest. Blood stained her clothes and soaked into the ground around her.
The pain Lorit had experienced in Veldwaite was even worse now. He doubled over in agony, feeling the full impact of Chihon's injuries. Lorit fell to his knees beside her. "Chihon. Hold on. I'll get help."
Lorit was barely able to call out to Kimt. His connection to her was tenuous, but she heard him. "Chihon is injured. You must come. I can't bring her back. Hurry. She's dying."
Lorit didn't wait for Kimt to answer. He ripped off his shirt and made a crude bandage, tearing the cloth to wrap around the base of the arrow in Chihon's thigh. He was barely able to staunch the flow of blood without passing out from the pain himself.
The arrow had ripped a large gash in her leg when she fell, and blood pumped out of it with every beat of her heart. Lorit tried to use magic to stop the flow of blood but he was only partially successful. The thick red flow slowed to a drip, but it didn't stop completely.
Lorit probed the wound with his power. The arrow was treated with magic to make it more effective. Dark and twisted magic. Temple magic. He tried to find the thread that would let him unravel the spell. If he could defeat the spell, maybe he could stop the flow of blood. He probed deeper, but there was nothing he could grab onto.
Lorit's own power waned as Chihon grew weaker. He was helpless to save her. He screamed in frustration, fearful of losing her, when a violet glow appeared next to Chihon. It increased in brightness and grew solid. The light swirled about, coalescing into a figure in the center of the vortex.
It was Kimt.
"Chihon's been hurt," Lorit cried. Panic gripped him as he felt himself fading.
Kimt rushed over and knelt beside Chihon. She placed her hand on the wound where Lorit had tried to stop the flow of blood.
"We have to get that arrow out." Kimt reached for the shaft and gently grasped it. She gave it a tug, and Chihon screamed out in pain.
"You're hurting her," Lorit cried.
"I know. It's stuck in the bone. I have to get it out so I can pack the wound or she'll bleed to death."
"Hold her leg still. Grab it above and below the arrow and be ready to put some pressure on the wound when the arrow comes free."
Lorit placed his hands around the arrow. He put pressure on Chihon's leg, wincing as she screamed at his touch.
Kimt grasped the arrow firmly in both hands and yanked, but it stuck firm. "It won't come out." Kimt pulled harder, and Lorit felt Chihon's leg lift as Kimt strained.
Chihon cried out in pain. He felt her agony through their connection almost as if it were his own. He was exhausted and couldn't go on, but the thought of losing Chihon drove him to continue.
"Press harder. Lean all your weight into it," Kimt shouted.
Lorit pressed down, throwing all of his weight behind him. Kimt pulled her belt free, wrapped it around the arrow and then her hand. She braced her foot against Chihon's leg and looked at Lorit. "Ready?"
"Ready." Lorit strained hard.
Kimt groaned with effort as she pulled on the shaft. The muscles stood out on her neck, and she turned red. Kimt groaned, Chihon screamed, and Lorit fell back as the arrow came loose. Blood gushed from the wound. Lorit shoved his makeshift bandage into the bloody gash and pressed with all his might. Blood seeped around his fingers, welling up.
"Hold on." Kimt rushed over with a clean white cloth. She removed Lorit's bandage and stuffed the cloth deep into the wound, poking it in and wadding it up until the blood flow slowed to a trickle.
Kimt lifted Chihon's leg, bending her knee, and put Lorit's hand on Chihon's foot. "Hold her still."
Kimt wound white cloth around Chihon's leg, covering the wound. At first, the cloth immediately turned red, but as she wound more cloth around Chihon's leg, the flow of blood stopped and the layers remained white.
"That's one. We still have two more," Kimt said.
"I'm not sure she can take any more."
"We have to, or she'll die."
Kimt directed Lorit's hands to Chihon's shoulder and told him to hold her still once more. This time the arrow slid right out and the flow of blood stopped much more quickly.
"I'm worried about this one." Kimt gingerly touched the arrow that protruded from Chihon's chest. The arrow was deep, but the wound hardly bled.
"I can feel that the arrow is close to her heart," Kimt said. "I'm afraid to pull it out."
Lorit reached out with his magical senses. They were weak and attenuated, but he could still feel the arrowhead. It was formed from three blades that could easily cut her flesh at the slightest movement. The arrow had the flavor of the same magic the others had, but there was more. Something Lorit didn't recognize was buried there along with the arrow. He couldn't make out what it was, but it certainly was not temple magic.
"I think we need to leave the point in there until I can get her back to Amedon," Kimt said.
Kimt looked at Lorit. "You're exhausted and you don't have the training for this. I can't take the chance out here in the field."
"You can't just leave the arrow sticking out of her like that."
"No. Give me your knife." Kimt held out her hand.
Lorit handed her his knife, wondering what she had in mind.
Kimt placed the point of the knife against Chihon's flesh where the arrow shaft protruded. "I'm going to cut the shaft. When I push the knife blade into the arrow shaft, you break it off." Kimt looked up at Lorit. "Be careful so you don't disturb the point any more than you have to."
"What?" Lorit didn't like the sound of that.
"Don't argue." Kimt's look was enough to stop him in mid utterance. Lorit grabbed the arrow shaft and nodded.
"Ready?" Kimt asked.
"Yes."
Kimt stuck her finger into Chihon's flesh next to the arrow and drove the knife-point into the shaft. "Now!"
Lorit pulled the shaft and felt the rewarding snap as the arrow broke off just below Chihon's skin. Kimt placed a bandage over the wound, sealing the blood inside along with the arrow.
"Now what?" Lorit asked.
"Now we get her back to Amedon."
"I don't have enough strength to carry her back. You'll have to get help."
Kimt stood up and stepped back from Chihon. She raised her hand and performed the motions in the air and triggered the travel spell that would return her to Amedon. Violet light engulfed her, turning to sparkles and flecks that spun wildly in the air and vanished, leaving Lorit alone with Chihon.
&
nbsp; "I'm sorry I did this to you," Lorit said. He didn't think Chihon could hear him, but he needed to say it anyway.
"Not...your...fault," Chihon said through clenched teeth.
"Shhh...Don't try to talk." Lorit stroked her hair, careful not to shift her body and cause her any more pain.
"Not your fault. Mine," Chihon croaked. "Should have been more careful."
"Who was it?" Lorit asked.
"Tass. She has the egg."
"Is Sir Adane alive?" Lorit looked around. He saw the body of the squire lying on the ground nearby.
"They took him." Chihon's breathing was labored and heavy.
"Just rest," Lorit put his hand on Chihon's forehead and reached for his magic to press a healing spell on her, but he was completely drained. He had never felt as helpless as this before. It was frightening. What if his magic remained depleted and he couldn't help her?
Lorit sat with Chihon as he waited for Kimt to return. He rested her head in his lap and gently stroked her hair, speaking soft words of encouragement.
"I failed," Chihon whispered. Her magic was almost completely drained, and along with it, Lorit's.
Lorit panicked. She was dying and he had no magic to help her. He reached out with what little reserve he had and pressed his power into her. He didn't know how long she could hold out when twin clouds of violet light appeared. They swirled and coalesced into the form of Kimt and Kedrik. Why had she brought the boy with her?
Kedrik rushed to Chihon and knelt down. He held out his hand as if to touch her bandage, but drew back. He looked at Lorit. "Is she all right?"
"She's badly hurt and there's a spell on the arrow that remains inside of her," Lorit explained.
"I brought Kedrik to help us carry you both back to Amedon." Kimt knelt beside Chihon and placed her hand on Chihon's bandaged chest.
"How are you holding up?" Kimt asked.
"I've been better." Chihon grimaced as she tried to smile.
Kimt brushed Chihon's hair behind her ear. "We're going to get you back to Amedon as quickly as we can."
Kimt extended her hand to Lorit. "I know you need a little help, too."
Lorit grabbed her hand. The power of the travel spell wrapped around them and Lorit sensed more of Kedrik's magic at work than Kimt's. The boy was growing strong quickly.
When they reached Amedon, there were three wizards standing by to carry Chihon to Kimt's quarters. They placed Chihon on Kimt's bed and left Lorit alone with her as Kimt rushed to get her potions. Kimt returned quickly with a satchel full of potions and instruments. She set the satchel on the floor next to the bed and opened it, reached inside, and drew out several shiny instruments.
"What are those for?" he asked.
"I have to dig out the arrow point. It's going to do some damage, but we can't leave it in her. These are the tools I need to do that work."
Kimt laid out several needles that were threaded with fine silk strands. "When I finish cutting, I'll sew up her skin to keep the wounds clean while they heal.”
Kedrik returned with a large kettle of water so hot it was still steaming. He placed it on the floor next to Kimt and knelt beside her.
"Kedrik. I'm grateful for your help, but you should leave now."
"I can help. I can hold things for you while you work."
"I know you can, but I have to undress her to do my work. I'm sure she would be uncomfortable with you watching."
Kedrik hung his head. "Must I?"
"Yes. You must." Kimt gently pulled him back to his feet.
"I'll go with you, Kedrik." Lorit started to get up, but before he could stand, Chihon grabbed his hand and clutched weakly. "Please don't go."
"But Kimt said you need privacy."
"Not from you," Chihon said. "Stay with me. I'm frightened."
Kimt looked at Kedrik. "Off with you. Please close the door on your way out."
Kedrik slunk for the door. He looked back at Chihon and then slowly closed the door behind him.
Kimt put her hand on Chihon's forehead and looked into her eyes. "I will need to cut away your clothes and the bandages. Then I'm going to cut into your flesh so I can see where the arrow point lies without moving it. But before I do that, I'm going to give you a sleeping potion. It will make it so you don't feel anything while I work."
Chihon nodded. She opened her mouth. Kimt brought a small vial to her lips and poured a light amber liquid past Chihon's lips. Chihon swallowed and blinked her eyes. Once, twice, they closed, then opened, and then finally stayed shut.
"Give it a moment to work before we start," Kimt told Lorit.
"What do you want me to do?" Lorit felt the potion work on Chihon and struggled to keep it from affecting him too.
"Help me cut away her clothes, then keep the hot water ready. Wash away the blood as I work."
"I'm feeling a little lightheaded myself."
"From a little blood?" Kimt laughed. "I would have thought you had seen enough blood. This little bit shouldn't bother you."
"I've seen lots of blood, but this is Chihon's. For some reason, it makes my stomach churn."
Kimt smiled at Lorit. "That's because you're in love. Now start cutting."
Lorit cut away the bandages and clothes until the raw red wound was exposed. Chihon's skin was bruised and puckered where the shaft had entered her chest. The blood congealed around the wound and only seeped out in small droplets as Lorit washed the area.
Kimt took the knife and placed it against Chihon's skin. She made a short cut and carefully separated the flesh with her fingertips, then stuck her fingers into the cut and gently probed around.
Lorit used his magic to follow her ministrations as Kimt skillfully probed using magic and her finger. The blade rested close to Chihon's heart, but had not struck anything vital.
"One cut and we can remove the arrow, but there is magic in her. Temple magic, and it's not just on the arrow. It reminds me of the spell on the water that affected Ril."
"You can heal her of that," Lorit said. "You did it last time."
"Last time she was healthy. This time, she's weak."
"We can't just leave the poison in her."
"We don't have a choice. Let's get the arrow out. That will kill her a lot faster than the poison will if we let it move around inside of her."
Kimt withdrew her finger and made another cut. This time, she used her finger to guide the arrow shaft. Little by little, the shaft appeared, then the arrow head, until finally it was free.
The wound oozed a thick red and yellow fluid, and Lorit reached for the cloth to clean it off.
Kimt held her hand over the wound. "Let her bleed out the worst of it." A faint violet glow emanated from Kimt's hand as the fluid turned from yellow to deep red.
"That should do it. Now wipe her clean while I sew this up."
Lorit washed away the blood while Kimt carefully sewed Chihon's skin shut where she had made the cuts. Soon, Kimt had the flesh closed up and the bleeding stopped.
Kimt repeated the procedure on the wound in Chihon's shoulder, then moved to her leg.
"This one is a lot deeper." Kimt pinched Chihon's flesh where the arrow had pierced her thigh.
"Can you fix it?" Lorit asked.
"I have to sew it up from the inside first." Kimt stitched the flesh together deftly without much blood loss. She was indeed a skillful healer.
"There. It's finished." Kimt rolled up her bloody instruments in a cloth and stowed it carefully.
Lorit sat back, exhausted.
"Maybe after we rest up, we'll have enough magic to help heal her," Lorit said.
"Lorit. We'd better wait. I extracted the entire arrow, but there was something else in there that I couldn't remove."
"What do you mean?" He probed Chihon's wound, looking for himself. There was a tiny glow of magic close to Chihon's heart. It was not temple magic. It was something else, and it was piercing her heart.
"What is it?" Lorit asked.
"I'm not sure. It feels s
trange...not like the temple magic. It's more of a pure alien power. It's like nothing I've ever seen before."
Chihon woke and looked up at Kimt. "How did it go?" she asked.
"Rest." Kimt placed her hand on Chihon's forehead. "There's something in you that we can't remove."
"It's the egg," Chihon whispered. "I was holding the egg. The arrow must have nicked it and part of it broke off."
"Should we try to remove it?" Lorit asked.
"No," Kimt said. "If I take it out, she will bleed to death before I could do anything to stop it."
"What are we going to do?" Lorit demanded.
"We just have to wait until she heals enough to chance going back in after whatever it is that's stuck there. It doesn't look to be doing any harm, and may be doing some good. I just can't tell. She's too weak for me to try anything further. She needs to rest."
Chapter 28
Kedrik left Lorit and Chihon with Kimt. He sulked through the halls wondering why Kimt had taken him along to save Chihon, then thrown him out as if he were a child. Didn't they see he was a grown man? He was strong enough to fetch the two most powerful wizards on the council, but he wasn't allowed to help heal Chihon?
He trudged along, head down, wandering aimlessly about the keep. He kicked his feet at the floor as he walked down the long hallway that led deep into the library. He was in such a funk that he walked right past the figure seated in front of a table stacked high with books.
"Why so sad, Kedrik?" the figure called to him.
Kedrik turned to see Yorn sitting beside the pile of books. His friend looked to have put on a bit of weight and had the beginnings of a beard and mustache.
"Yorn!" Kedrik shouted. Yorn no longer wore the iron collar that suppressed his magic, and he was back in Amedon. Kedrik had missed his friend and the young man's antics.
"I'm back. Just got here a little while ago. They told me you were off on wizard's business and that they didn't know when you'd return."
"It was a quick trip to help Kimt. She had to go fetch an injured wizard and needed me to help bring him back."
"Who?" Yorn asked. He leaned back in his chair, balancing on the rear legs.
"Can't say. And don't ask. I've learned my lesson."
Master Wizard Page 16
