Age of Valor: Blood Purge

by D. E. Morris

Gianara slapped her across the face with the back of her hand so sharply that the woman fell back, yanking at the other two chained on either side of her. As they helped her up, Gianara's breath sped in her chest. “It was your people. Is that not how you view an assassination? If a small group is responsible, then all should be held responsible. It was not all Gaels, not all dragons who attacked Mirasean, yet all of them must now pay for what happened. If that is how you feel the law should work, let it be so. It was not all hunters who killed these dragons, but all of them must pay for their lives now. I could not care less if you are human, elf, dwarf, Nagin, or Volar. You can die by the rope or die by the sword, so long as you understand that you will in fact die.”

  “You are a disgrace to your blood,” spat one of the elves in chains, the very one who had given Ashlynn such a hard time earlier inside the castle. He stepped to the side to be able to glare at Gianara around those in front of him, eyeing her pointed ears and tattoos in distaste. “You speak as though you know anything about this, but you know nothing. You have been living on an island in the middle of the ocean for most of your life. Where were you when the nations came together on this very ground to fight High King Laidley and Merrik, and his black demons? I was here.” He turned to look over his shoulder at Ashlynn and Jaryn, satisfied at the surprise he saw on their faces. “I fought in that battle against them alongside all of you, believing in all of the speeches and rallying. I believed our nations could be one again because this country was being led by a woman who knew how to make people trust her and follow her. She made us think that unity was as sure an outcome as the death of our enemies. What she failed to tell us was that we would have to sacrifice many in order to see that reality ever come to pass.”

  “If you thought there wouldn't be any losses in that battle,” Jaryn told him, “that was your mistake. Only a fool goes to war believing all of his companions will make it out alive.”

  “I never said I thought we would all survive,” the elf corrected. “Had we all fought like men and died by the sword, it would have been an honorable death, but many of us were cut down by the high queen's own kin.”

  Ashlynn shook her head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  Incredulous, the elf scanned the crowd for support. “Do you not remember? In those final moments of battle, when there was as much blood on the ground as there was snow, the night sky lit up and a great dragon appeared.” His words sparked the memory in quite a few people. A quiet din grew and neighbor turned to neighbor, prompting them with soft words to recall the way the very stars seemed to burn away when the giant beast had appeared in the dark. “He flew in spewing death from his maw, burning up half the village before anyone could stop him, killing enemy and compatriot alike without any knowledge as to which was which. The dragon, this Elemental of Fire who was supposed to save us, did nothing but cause more destruction and loss of life than was necessary. All he did, all any of the Elementals did, was bring more negative attention to our homelands than we had while Tadhg was on the throne in Caedia. At least with him in control, other nations knew what they were dealing with. Now the Celtique nations are known as being unpredictable and unstable. We are down in trade, our relations with outside nations is at the lowest it has been in nearly twenty years. That cannot be a coincidence.”

  The murmuring was growing louder as the crowd began to argue among itself. Gianara even took a step back from the prisoners. Upon realizing she was stuck between them and the lifeless bodies still hanging from the gallows, she was uncertain as to where she should go. It was Cailin who came up beside her while Killian instructed the men to cut the dead hunters down so that new ropes could be strung for the next group of six. As Gianara was pulled safely to the side and out of the way, the remaining prisoners finally broke their silence in an effort to rile the crowd even further. They shouted out reasons why dragons were no longer a necessary part of the world and why Gaels were an abomination, why Elementals should no longer even exist. Though many villagers were defensive of Ashlynn and the Elementals, the voices of those who doubted the need of the dragons and their kin was growing in decibel with each passing second. People began fighting with one another not only with words, but with their fists as well.

  The elf turned to face Jaryn and Ashlynn as fully as he could, chained to someone on each side, a smug grin on his face.

  Someone threw a rotted head of lettuce across the gap in the crowd with a loud expletive, and suddenly a food fight broke out. Bits of tomato, slimy peppers, rancid meat, moldy strawberries all soared through the air without care as to where they landed. Spoiled food was always saved to be thrown at people in the stocks but now, it was raining down even on those in the royalty box. Jaryn did his best to cover Ashlynn, but there was no escaping the sickly sour mess that was coming from all directions. “Inside!” he barked, more concerned with the safety of everyone he cared about than seeing the rest of the prisoners hanged. The guards were doing their best to control the crowd but there was only so much they could do as they, too, fell victim to the surge of the angry mob.

  Vala and Rowan rushed forward to try to help shield Ashlynn when someone from the crowd gave a scream that was different from all the others. This scream was one of terror and not rage. Almost instantly, the food stopped flying through the air and people jostled about, trying to find the source of the new threat. All too soon, it was quite apparent as the belligerent elf with the long dark hair scaled the roof of a nearby house. His shackles were undone and hanging open from the chains at his waist, a bow in his hand and a quiver over his shoulder. There was no time for anyone to stop him or to act before he set an arrow against his string, aimed it directly at Ashlynn, and set it loose.

  “No!” Vala cried. With wide, terror filled eyes, she shoved Ashlynn out of the way. The arrow sank deep into her arm, piercing through the fleshy skin between tricep and bone. The villagers began scattering in all directions, shoving one another as most of them hastened to get away. Only a handful worked to get closer to the elf to keep him from shooting anyone else. In the commotion and the constant movement of bodies, he managed to disappear from the rooftop without a trace, making people panic, wondering where he'd gone and in which direction he was moving. Guards were ruthless as they threw people aside in order to get to Jaryn and Ashlynn, forming another human wall of protection around them in an effort to keep them safe. Niam scooped up Vala and led the hasty retreat inside. Killian and Cailin did their best to make speedy work of getting the rest of the prisoners, still chained together, to follow quickly behind.

  “I need a healer!” Niam bellowed as soon as his feet hit the floor of the grand foyer. A passing servant jumped out of the way, wide eyed and silent as the rest of the party came rushing in all covered in sticky, smelly bits of food.

  Kenayde rushed past everyone and opened the door to a nearby sitting room. “Bring her in here.” Needing no further instruction, Niam did as was told and carried Vala in to the room, finding a lounge to lay her down upon before stepping back to let Kenayde take a look at her.

  “Tell me what you need,” he offered.

  Shaking her head, Kenayde first looked to everyone else who had followed them into the room, then to Vala who simply lay there, moaning and crying in pain. “I have never treated any sort of wound like this. I know poisons and toxins, not injuries.”

  “Take it out!” Vala wailed. She reached for the arrow, but Kenayde was quick to stay her hand. “It hurts!”

  “Until we know where you have been hit, the safest thing to do is to leave it in, otherwise you risk bleeding to death.”

  “The pain will kill me before loss of blood does!”

  Ignoring the girl, Kenayde looked to where Jaryn and Ashlynn stood in the doorway, her sister's arms around Rowan as the girl huddled close beside her. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine. Shaken, but fine.” She glanced out into the hallway. “Where is that healer?”

  “I'll go find him,” volunteered Elas befor
e he bolted down the corridor.

  “Are you all right, Your Majesty?” Niam asked, a concerned gaze on Jaryn's blank face.

  The question made the older man blink as though coming out of some sort of trance. He tightened his grip around Ashlynn's shoulder and rubbed it in a comforting manner, a nod his only answer. Satisfied, Niam's eyes traveled from one person to the next. “How in the world did he get out of his chains while everyone else was still bound?”

  “He said he would,” Rowan reminded quietly. “In the throne room he said something about doing just that. Elves have magic. Dark elves have more magic than regular elves do, different magic.”

  Niam's nostrils flared. “You think he's a Chrynir?”

  “I wouldn't be surprised by anything at this point.” Lifting her head from Ashlynn's shoulder, she gasped. “I need to go make sure Nyx is safe. She would have been curious about all the noise and if she smelled any kind of food-”

  “Okay,” Ashlynn soothed, running a hand over the girl's hair, hearing the pain in her voice. “I'll take you as soon as the healer gets here.”

  “I can take her now,” Niam offered.

  “No,” Vala sobbed. “Niam, please don't leave me. What if this is the last time I see you?”

  Kenayde's lips twitched as she worked to suppress a smirk. “You will see him again, Vala, I can almost guarantee as much.” With a hint of a smile, she nodded to Niam. He returned the nod, amusement in his eyes, before joining Rowan at the door. With a guiding hand on her back, the two of them left without another word.

  Now that the room was a little less crowded, Ashlynn entered, cleaning her face on the sleeve of her gown as she walked to the other side of Vala. The girl's tear stained face was strained and pinched, her eyes squeezed shut as she panted in pain. Still, Ashlynn knelt beside the lounge, her dirty dress pooling on the floor beneath her, and ran a gentle hand across Vala's wrinkled brow. She'd done this simple act with Rowan since she was a little girl, and had even had moments like this with Mairead and Lilia when they were ill, but never before with Vala. It had not yet been a full year since she had been in Ashlynn's services and the girl was stubborn and all too often spoke before she thought, which got her into trouble more times than Ashlynn could count. This kept her from creating the bond she'd been able to create with the others, the closeness that she enjoyed with her favored ladies, and yet just now, without thought for her own life, Vala had taken an arrow for her.

  Big brown eyes opened at the touch, alarmed until she realized it was Ashlynn, then tears began to well up. “It's all right,” Ashlynn whispered. “You're going to be fine.”

  “I'm sorry I pushed you. I didn't know what else to do. I was scared.”

  “You saved my life.” She raked her fingers back through Vala's silky hair and tilted her head, offering the girl a small smile. “Thank you.”

  Elas returned quickly with one of the healers that had been working at Altaine for many years. His familiarity with the royal family allowed him to enter without the usual formalities and get right to work. He took Kenayde's place at Vala's side while she switched out with Ashlynn, wanting to watch and study what was to be done about the injury. Returning to her husband's side so as not to be in the way, Ashlynn was silent as the doctor examined the girl. She lifted her brows with expectation when he turned to her. “It is little more than a flesh wound, my Queen. There appears to be some tearing to the muscle, not a great deal, but I will know more once the arrow is out. Likely she will be down an arm for a few days, possibly a week, but if she is allowed proper rest, she'll be good as new after that.”

  Another set of footsteps approached, making the three by the exit turn to see Killian as he filled the doorway. He glanced at Vala with no discernible expression. Though there was little to be garnered from the look he gave Jaryn and Ashlynn, the couple met each other's eyes and came to a silent agreement. “Kenayde,” Ashlynn said, “will you and Elas stay with Vala?”

  “Yes, of course,” her sister agreed. “I would like to assist,” she told the healer, “if you will permit.”

  “As you wish, Princess.”

  Elas glanced between Killian and the other two, the brow on the human side of his face lifting. “Is everything okay?”

  “We'll let you know if it isn't,” Jaryn promised. “Watch over them.”

  Killian inclined his head down the hall, instructing the two guards that had been waiting just outside the room to remain there so that the three of them walked alone. Not a word was spoken or an exchange passed between them, though both men walked close on either side of Ashlynn, a fraction of a step behind her with their hands on the hilts of their swords. She was not oblivious to this and lamented the fact that her nearest weapon was tucked away in her boot. If someone came down the hall toward her, she no longer had fyre to protect herself. Like any other defenseless woman, she would have to cower behind the two men flanking her and hope for the best. That certainly wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all. Something had to be done about that once she had her strength back from the purge.

  There were already two men waiting outside the room Killian had arranged for their privacy, the same room in which Ashlynn had revealed to her fellow Elementals that she no longer had ties to her powers several years ago. It always felt heavy in here, bringing back the sadness of the moment she'd revealed the secret she'd kept from the people she should have trusted more. Yet it was in this room that Cailin waited, covered in rotted, sticky food herself. Seeing her rise and walk around the long polished table to embrace Ashlynn as soon as she saw her made her tension lessen just a little.

  “How's Vala?”

  “She'll be fine. Apparently she got lucky.” Ashlynn looked her friend over before turning to Killian. “The two of you seem to have made it out in one piece. What happened down there?”

  “We don't know,” Cailin growled, casting a dark glance at Killian as she sat back down. “Both of us double checked every one of the prisoners' shackles before we even left the dungeons. There was no way any of them could have escaped.”

  Jaryn put his hands on his hips. “Could he have had a pick hidden in his teeth? Slipped it out and picked the lock somehow?”

  Cailin made a face. “The way he was blathering on like he was, I doubt it.” She lifted her face to Killian, watching him as he leaned against the wall across the room. “It's possible he could have had something in his hands, I suppose, but...”

  “But you checked him thoroughly,” Killian insisted. “Do not doubt yourself like that. It had to have been magic.”

  “It could have been magic,” Cailin relented. “But what kind of magic can be cast without the caster saying a spell? Even Tasarin, when he's healing someone, is muttering under his breath. Once that elf started talking, he practically didn't stop. Honestly, I'm surprised you let it go on for as long as you did.”

  Ashlynn scratched her forehead, wincing as her nails dug away gooey bits of something partially dried and stuck to her skin. “Could someone else have freed him? That doesn't really make much sense either, because why wouldn't they free themselves instead?”

  “Where is Gia?” asked Jaryn.

  “With the prisoners,” Killian told him. “She is working on an illusion spell for the dungeon that would keep them all lost within their own cells should any of them be able to break out of their shackles. I told her where to meet us when she was finished.”

  It didn't need to be asked whether or not there were soldiers out looking for the escaped elf; both Killian and Cailin likely would have been out searching themselves had there not been such a commotion to take care of and the welfare of so many within the castle to worry about. Yes, the elf was a threat, but establishing safety for those they were sworn to protect came first. Knowing this was being taken care of and that there was little else to do but make the long climb up to her quarters to bathe and change yet again, Ashlynn finally sank into one of the chairs beside Cailin. All were silent for a time, Ashlynn and Jaryn sorting through thei
r own thoughts in an effort to make sense of it all and determine the next logical steps. In the quiet, Cailin and Killian met gazes, neither of them certain their words could help, fearing to somehow only make things worse.

  “It has to be done tonight,” Ashlynn finally said at length, her voice thin as though she desperately needed sleep. Lifting her head, she only had eyes for Jaryn. “You have refused to talk to me about this all day, but we need to talk about it now.”

  Cailin looked from one to the other. “What has to be done?”

  “You're rushing into it out of fear,” argued Jaryn as though Cailin had not spoken. “I don't think the purge is a good idea right now. Whatever small amount of protection your Element has still graced you with, you need it now more than ever.”

  Cailin's eyes widened. “Wait, you're doing the purge tonight?”

  Ashlynn nodded to her friend. “If I have anything to say about it, yes. Jaryn, that protection, if there even is any there at all any more – which I highly doubt given the way the razor wire sliced right through me – needs to be given to Lochlainn. It is selfish of me to hold onto it any longer than I already have, especially if it could be the very thing that saves him.” She pointed to the wall as though pointing out to where the gallows still waited. “Our son, our five-year-old child has Gaelic blood in him. Because of who I am, who I have always been proud to be, there are few that do not know what he is simply because he is mine. It is my fault and it is also my responsibility to give him that which can best protect him.”

  “We will protect you, Your Majesty,” promised Killian.

  “I don't doubt your abilities to keep her safe,” said Jaryn, a flash of irritation on his face. “It is her ability to think as a sane person, to not launch herself into situations which will produce nothing favorable and only get her hurt, that is what I doubt.”

  She tilted her head. “Oh, you mean like hanging eighteen men and women and inviting an entire village to witness it, not at all considering the fact that it could incite an angry mob mentality at any point?”