Will had looked to Steve for support.
And I sided with her, didn't I? I wanted to accept Will's help. I should have listened to my inner voice. It warned me. But I'd do anything she wants. Steve sobbed then. He looked over to her horse running beside him. He knew he shouldn't be jostling Franky like that. But his world had reduced down to one simple act: get her to the farm.
He was exhausted, but adrenaline kept him moving. He worried about the horses, now. They were at their limit. If they fail, I fail. And yet he could not stop. He took breaks only to check on Franky. To make sure she still lived. He had seen others survive wounds like that. Surely, I have? But he knew he was lying to himself.
It’s a mortal wound, the voice inside him said.
Why didn't she keep the knife inside? She should have known. She had watched others make the same stupid mistake. And die. Why did she remove it?
"Soon, love," he said to her. He talked to her as much as he could. "The farm is not far now. Hang on."
Franky didn't respond, but he heard a sound from her.
Steve halted the horses, dismounted with a leap, and ran over to her. He felt for her pulse and fear struck him when he failed to find it. He pulled her down off the horse and onto the ground and pressed two fingers to her neck. He placed his cheek over her mouth and felt for her breath. There! A pulse! It was weak and fluttered. He sobbed in relief and held her face.
Her eyelids fluttered and then opened. He saw her searching his face, and he forced a smile.
"We're almost there, love! The farm is not far. You have to hang on."
Franky smiled faintly.
"You'll be fixed in no time. Right as rain."
Franky searched his eyes. "Baron?" she whispered so faintly Steve almost imagined he heard the words.
"Dead. I killed him."
"Good. Mission. A-a-accom. P-plished."
Steve could see her struggling to draw breath. "Easy love. I'll get you back on the horse. We're almost there. A half-hour. No more than that."
Franky shook her head.
"Please! We're so close!"
"N-no. L-love."
Anger shook Steve. "You have to fight! Fight! Stay with me! Don't you give up now!" He pointed up the trail. "It's right there! The farm! Ten miles at most!"
Franky clutched weakly at Steve's sleeve and tugged it, drawing his attention back to her. "No. I'm done. No time."
"No, no, no, no, no!"
"Yes. T-time. N-need. Say. Something." She gasped for breath.
Steve sobbed and placed his forehead on her breast. Sobs shook his body and Franky tugged his sleeve again.
"L-listen."
Steve raised his face to hers. Tears streamed down his face and splashed on her cheeks.
"I love you."
Steve opened his mouth to say the same, but his throat was closed with grief and he couldn't voice the words.
"I know. You love me." Franky gasped for more air. "So g-glad. I c-caught you."
Steve nodded, grateful she understood, and ashamed she had to voice it for him. Fear crossed her face for a moment, and then her face relaxed, and she stopped moving-the sudden cessation of her life stark and sudden.
"Franky! No! Franky! Don't do this to me! Franky!"
* * *
Steve heard people approach him from behind, but he didn't care. He remained kneeling beside Franky gazing into her face. He had smoothed her face and closed her eyes. He talked to her and reminded her of the good days. He laughed at times and cried at others. The cold had settled in deep within him, but he no longer shivered.
He felt warmth surge through him and he found he could feel Franky again with his fingers and was grateful. He ran his fingers through her short hair. She's so cold.
Will knelt beside Franky and looked down at her for a moment before looking over at Steve. "I'm so sorry, Steve."
Steve kept his eyes on Franky's face. "Fix her, will you?"
"It's too late for that."
"No, no. She's fine. Just fix this wound here. Then we can head home. Right?"
Will shook his head.
Nadine crouched beside Steve and placed an arm around his shoulders.
"Ah, Nadine. Please? Fix her? She needs healing."
"No, Steve. She's passed. There's nothing we can do for her."
Steve looked confused and looked from Nadine to Will. "You can heal anything! Fix her, dammit!"
Will shook his head again. "She gone, Steve. We can't heal death."
Anger flashed in Steve's eyes. "You're lying! I've seen you work miracles. I ask for one thing! One thing! If you can't fix her then call her! Call Gaea! Get her here!"
Nadine looked at Will with sorrow. "She's not responding. It's too late, Steve. Franky's gone. She died over an hour ago. We came as soon as we sensed you."
Steve blinked away tears and focused his sight on Franky. He could see the frost on her skin and his tears which had frozen to her cheeks. He saw then the corpse she was, and the horror struck him. "No! Franky! Not Franky! Please? Fix her!"
Nadine pulled Steve around and into an embrace and he collapsed into her, sobbing. Nadine stroked his hair and murmured in his ear.
Will beckoned to the crew members and the other draoi who stood quietly behind them. He could sense their grief and distress. "Come, my friends. Wrap her up and take her home. We're too late. Franky's gone."
Fifteen
Rigby Farm, February 902 A.C.
NADINE AND I held hands at Franky’s graveside. The draoi, crew and farm hands all were gathered to pay our last respects. Steve had just finished shovelling the last of the dirt and now sat on his knees before the grave, head bowed. He had refused to allow us to use our power to move the earth. We had merely warmed it, so he could shovel through the frozen ground with greater ease.
The past week had been tortuous for the farm. With little to do around the farm, the crew and draoi had nothing better to do than dwell on the loss of a woman they all loved and admired. Imbolc Day had passed without us noticing or caring. Steve suffered the most of all of us. He had refused to leave Franky's side and demanded to be the one to clean her body and wrap her in her shroud. Steve had carried her out and laid her down in the earth. He no longer wept. He had moved past that. I sensed warring emotions within him. He was feeding on his anger and was driven by a determined will.
I had let Steve down. And Franky, most of all. I had known they should not have travelled to the Baron alone. Steve and Franky had argued me out of it and I had relented. To me, Steve was still my senior, and I found it hard to argue against him. Steve was still the Reeve of Jaipers and the man who I admired most. I regretted my acquiescence and vowed to make better decisions based on what I knew was right, regardless of how others felt. But the damage was done.
Worse, Nadine had not been pleased with me and I could sense her anger. She placed Franky's death at my feet. I was the Freamhaigh, and I had let my people down. She was not wrong. The grave before me was filled by someone we could have saved had we been there. With my draoi we could have walked blithely into the Baron's manse and walked out with him unopposed. Instead we filled a grave.
My guilt was turning to anger. I knew enough of myself to see the signs. My draoi stayed clear of me, for fear of my tongue. Nadine and I fought continuously. Steve had not spoken since we found him kneeling over Franky’s frozen body. I had been the one to feel Franky and Steve's approach and only then by fortune. I had searched for them, concerned about their welfare and felt Steve's pain and loss as a blow. His drive to reach the farm had been a beacon. Through Steve I found Franky and knew she was close to death. We tried to reach out to her and heal her but the distance was too great and I knew I had to speak to Gaea about that. It made no sense to me that distance should matter. But it did. And we failed Franky.
I was angry at everything these days. My draoi were dispersed across the Realm. They entered villages and towns and met with the Wordsmiths and clergy. They demonstrated their powers and hel
d town councils. The word was getting out. We had mixed reactions—from outright fear to worship. Some of my draoi had even been run out of town. Everywhere they reported the same thing. The Realm was in turmoil. The people were angry and looking for ways to vent that anger. I sensed it all, and it fed my own fears and emotions.
Franky's death had come at a bad time. Not that anytime would have been better. I snorted at the thought and Nadine glared at me and squeezed my hand to quiet me.
Something had to change. There had been too much death already. The losses of Katherine, Dog, and Franky were too close to home. I sat in a farm and did nothing. My anger swirled around me and I felt my draoi stiffen around us.
"Time to speak," said Nadine.
I nodded and let go of her hand and stepped forward.
"My friends, we are gathered once more for the untimely death of one of ours. Franky has passed on into the hands of Gaea. We owe a debt of gratitude to her. She has paid the ultimate price for her devotion to making this land a better place. We never expect to lose people. Their deaths come sudden and unwanted. We, who survive, must cope and find a way to continue past our grief and loss.
"We are standing here in front of the remains of a great woman. I make a promise to never forget her sacrifice. Her memory will live on with the draoi and the crew. It occurred to me, yesterday, that we are foolish to mourn her."
Steve snapped his head to look over at me. I felt his anger toward me like a spear. I swallowed and continued. "Instead, we should thank her for being with us for the time we shared. Her memories. Her life. It continues through us. It continues within Gaea. I remind you it is merely her body that is gone. All that was Franky lives on through Gaea.
"Rejoice, my friends. For her the hard fight is over. She is at peace and her role is done. She was a soldier committed to this Realm. She fought her entire life for the belief we all can, and should, live in a better world. She died defending that belief against a man who forfeited all rights to claim he could stand tall beside the likes of her. She brought him to justice. Her last mission complete.
"She leaves behind Steve and the crew. The draoi who knew her and loved her. The workers of the farm. We were her friends. With laughed with her and feared her when she was at her best. I... I..."
I ran out of words and hung my head in shame. The silence went on and I withdrew into myself. I didn't want to feel the anger and disappointment from everyone toward me.
I was startled when a hand grabbed my shoulder hard. I jerked my head up to find Steve standing before me looking at me with an expression I couldn't understand. I felt a stab of fear and wondered what Steve would do to me. I heard Nadine tsk behind me and the corner of Steve's mouth turned up.
"Those were good words, Will. Franky would be laughing to hear them. They were honest and true but she had no sense of her own worth. She worked hard her entire life to make a difference, and she was always hardest on herself. Like you are on yourself. You have to stop the guilt you are feeling. Put down the load and let us all share it."
I must have shown surprise on my face.
"Aye, Nadine spoke to me this morning. It's not your fault, Will. It’s mine. And Franky’s. Truth is she died stupid. She let down her guard and paid the price for it. She's gone, lad. Gone and I've buried her just like she wanted me to. She told me to move past it when the time came, and I mean to."
Steve stepped back and looked over the faces watching and listening to him. "Franky was a right bloody terror. Even with only one hand she could best all of you."
Murmurs and a smattering of laughter come from the crowd.
"She made me miserable my entire life until somehow we found each other. The time I've had to love her is a time I will always cherish. In some ways I wish I had never fallen for her. It makes her loss that much harder to bear. But I've lost many men and women over the years. Soldiers, friends, and lovers. The one thing that has always kept us moving and striving was the need to right this Realm. That fight hasn't ended."
"I agree."
We all looked to the new voice and saw Gaea standing beside Franky’s grave. Nadine moved toward her and then stopped beside me and grabbed my lower arm. Gaea moved her hand and flowers sprouted from the earth, looking strange in contrast to the snow that covered the ground everywhere else.
Steve clenched his hands and took a step toward her. He froze suddenly, and Gaea looked calmly over to him. "Yes, I know your anger. It is misdirected. I had no hand in her death."
"You could have saved her!"
"Why would I?"
"Why would you? Why would you? She fought for you! Fought for this Realm! You abandoned her!"
"All who live must die, Steve Comlin. Even you."
"I hate you. You left her to die."
"Blame me. I care not. In time you will discover truth. For now, fuel your anger. I need it directed to Munsten."
I blinked. "Munsten? Directed? How?"
Steve growled. "Munsten? I care not for Munsten. Bring her back! Bring back my love!"
Gaea looked annoyed. I looked closer at her and then drew in my sight. Gaea appeared as a blinding white light. Light flew off in millions of lines toward all the surrounding life. I looked closer at her and adjusted my sight to account for her brightness. Across her chest was a mass of darkness. It was the place Erebus had struck her at the Crossroads.
"You are wounded," I said to her.
Gaea nodded. "In a way, yes."
"How is that possible? Why can you not heal yourself?"
"Enough!" interrupted Steve, throwing an arm out behind him to silence me. "Bring her back. Now."
Gaea shifted before our eyes and Franky stood before us. She looked about and then held out her left arm and hand and then rubbed it with her right. "Whole. Interesting. I forgot what it’s like." She flexed her left hand.
Steve ran toward her and picked her up and swung her around. "Franky! My Franky!"
"Put me down, you big idiot! Put me down!"
Steve relented and put her down but held her with his hands on her upper arms. "You're back! By the Word! You're back!"
"No, I'm not. I'm buried about four feet under that mound of dirt. Flowers, really? I'm dead, Steve. Dead and buried."
"I'll not lose you again."
"You already have. I'm dead, Steve. Gaea's letting me say goodbye. Again. I already did. It was a great bunch of last words. Seriously. It was great."
"I don't understand. You're here. Stay."
"I'm not really here. Well, I am. But not really."
"I don't understand."
"You keep saying that. Anyway. Listen to Gaea. You won't believe the truth about all this! It's..."
Franky disappeared, and Gaea appeared a few feet back from Steve.
"Bring her back!"
"I can't. She's happy where she is. Leave her be." Gaea turned to me, leaving Steve pleading with her. She made a motion with her hand and Steve froze in place, silenced. "Against my better judgement I let Franky speak. Head to Munsten, Will. Take my Cill Darae and Steve with you. Just you three. No others. Arrive by April. No sooner."
"Why? What is happening?"
"You need to be there, Freamhaigh. Heed me."
And she was gone.
Steve cried out and fell to his knees and hung his head.
* * *
A few hours later Edward knocked on the open doorway leading into the living room of the main farmhouse. I was lying down on the couch and thinking of many things and glad to have escaped the pressure to do something for a little while that required me do nothing at all. Edward, I could see, had several books tucked under an arm and held his journal in the other.
“Can I bother you a moment?” he asked.
I swung my feet off the couch and sat up. “Of course, come in.”
Edward came over and deposited his books on the small table in front of the couch. He sat next to me and opened his journal.
“I’ve made some progress on my research.”
Edward had left Jergen with several books that he felt contained the greatest potential. He had wanted to stay in Jergen, but I had to return, and Brent insisted he leave with me. The draoi in Jergen promised to continue to search the library. Edward had not been happy. He had even tried to throw his weight as the future King around. Brent had laughed, and Edward had stormed out humiliated.
Since we had returned he had been pouring over the books. He had said it was the translation that was the most troublesome. The books came from Cian-Oirthear, the land to the east over the sea. The land where Mushir Adham had hailed from.
“I’ve had some luck, I think,” he said. “I’ve managed to find a translation of some of their language. Problem is I don’t think it was properly translated at all. The language is a strange one. It reads right to left, for one thing. One word can be an entire sentence and mean three different things depending on the context. It’s a frightfully difficult language for someone to learn who is not used to it at all. A rather steep learning curve is required. And an aptitude for languages I suspect.”
“And what have you learned?”
“Nothing, I’m afraid.”
“Nothing. You came here to tell me nothing?”
“No, no. Sorry, I meant nothing specific to Simon Thorn, or his military company. But I have found a reference to a history that I had never heard of before. Hard to believe really. But then I thought of how Gaea always talks about millennia. Not decades or centuries. Surely, you’ve noticed?”
I nodded.
“I think she’s being truthful. Imagine how difficult it would be to keep records over such a span of time. It’s no wonder we can’t find any details. But,” he pointed to the books on the table. “Sometimes good things can happen. These tomes here are copies of copies. Over the centuries the Church has copied their books to make sure the knowledge is not lost. Strange don’t you think? The Church has always been opposed to the Word and yet here they are protecting the Word.”
Freamhaigh Page 20