I’m dying, he thought and he struggled violently against that thought, but it did no good. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t stop his fall. Closing his eyes, he attempted to draw his arms and legs in about him, but still he fell faster and faster and still he couldn’t breathe.
* * *
“He’s dying,” said Muzik Andrada when they paused briefly to rest the horses. The precautions Kendrick had taken to bind Jarrett to the litter seemed almost futile against the thrashings of the afflicted man.
Kendrick bent close and sheltered his body from the pounding rain. The Nazarien and his companions had been traveling for more than two full days with only brief stops to rest the horses and to gulp down a soggy meal. Tightening the straps and whispering comforting words to the Terrian, he placed his hand against Jarrett’s chest and felt the heat of the fever that burned within him. Jarrett’s heart was pounding rapidly beneath his hand.
He looked at Jarrett’s face and realized through his deep fatigue that Muzik was right, Jarrett was dying and they were still outside the gates of Adishian.
He bent close once more and he could feel Jarrett’s ragged breath against his ear. Jarrett was whispering a name over and over again, a name Kendrick knew very well. “Tomlin Trauner,” he repeated.
Why would the Terrian say the name of the Nazar in a fever delirium?
He lifted his head and met Muzik’s gaze. “We go on,” he said, and the weariness of the last few days staggered him.
Muzik shook his head. “Why, Nazarien, the boy’s dying. He won’t even make it to the gates.”
“Because I made a vow and I intend to keep it,” Kendrick answered. “He’s not dead yet.”
Muzik sighed and Kendrick knew he was exhausted too. “All right, we go on, but I’m sending one of my soldiers ahead to alert Adishian.”
Kendrick nodded and pulled himself into the saddle once more. He watched in silence as the fatigued soldier rode off into the hazy distance and disappeared. With a final look over his shoulder at the thrashing Terrian, Kendrick pressed his heels into his horse’s sides and followed.
* * *
They rode on through the steady fall of rain for what seemed like hours. The day was cold and frost clung to the fringe of Kendrick’s cloak and formed in the horses’ nostrils. He’d placed all of their blankets around Jarrett, but with his fever so high, he had little fear of him being too cold. Kendrick could hear the low murmurings of the Terrian as they rode. He continued to speak the name of the Nazar over and over again.
He wondered why Jarrett was suddenly so obsessed with the Nazar. To his knowledge, Jarrett had never been to Chernow and he showed disdain for anything associated with the Nazarien. But now he suddenly remembered the name of the Nazar? Odd.
Kendrick’s mind wandered, thinking of home.
Tomlin Trauner was a young Nazar by record, and he was the first since the time of Talar Eldralin. Andoloshian had died soon after Talar’s death and had left the Nazarien to Trauner.
No one knew why, just as no Nazarien had ever known. It was Andoloshian’s choice to make and it seemed he’d chosen well, despite Trauner’s age. Some wondered if Trauner wasn’t Andoloshian’s son, but then such ties weren’t often known among the Nazarien as they took a vow of celibacy upon joining the order and broke this vow only in incidences of procreation, which they did in organized ceremonies to preserve the Nazarien fellowship.
Tomlin Trauner had always shown Kendrick kindness. Kendrick had been one of the brightest pupils in his regime and Trauner had been quick to encourage him. It was Trauner who had insisted that Kendrick take this mission.
Kendrick remembered little of his mother, he had been taken from her and brought to Chernow when he was very young, and he had met his father only after coming to Chernow. His parents, Kedall Karpinen and Dayan Andel, had been fond of each other and had had many children, most of which followed the Nazarien order, but Kendrick knew little of them. Dayan Andel had taken more interest in him than most Nazarien fathers did, but it had been Tomlin Trauner who had inspired him and who had taught him more about the Nazarien order than the rest of the young students were allowed to know.
Trauner had changed the Nazarien order forever. No longer did they hold so absolutely to the austere restraints of celibacy and solitude. Like Kendrick’s parents, two people could grow to be fond of one another and have children.
As Talar Eldralin had shown, if a Nazarien should love so deeply as to desire marriage, this marriage was the ultimate bond, greater even than the bond they pledged among themselves. In this situation should something befall their second half, the remaining half was expected to take his own life. The fierce union of this bond and its dire consequences caused the two bound in marriage to be looked upon with respect and reverence; however, because of its suffocating and obliterating nature, few Nazarien dared to accept it, afraid that they might fail and should they do so, the disgrace they would bear would be beyond any they could imagine. Not even the Nazar would agree to such a commitment.
Kendrick caught himself with a start before he fell head first off the horse. He shook his head and forced his eyes open. He couldn’t go on much farther like this, he was so tired. He turned and glanced over his shoulder at his companion. Jarrett was still alive – somehow Jarrett was still alive.
He shifted back around and lifted his face to the rain. But how much farther until they reached Adishian, and once they did, what would he do? Kendrick had vowed that he would take Jarrett on to Loden if need be, but the thought constricted his chest and caused a moan to escape his lips. How would he take him to Loden when he was so exhausted?
He knew that he wasn’t thinking properly. He shouldn’t be so upset; after all he had been trained by the Nazar to always be in control, even when he was the hungriest or most tired he’d ever been. If only they could reach Adishian, if only....
Suddenly, ahead in the gloom loomed the soaked battlements and citadels of the capital as if called into being by his plea. Kendrick saw the many soldiers moving along the battlements toward the gates. Muzik rode to his side and patted him on the back.
“You’ve done it, Nazarien,” he said, smiling. “And she’s here. All will be well now.”
She’s here? The words echoed in Kendrick’s mind. “Who’s here?”
Muzik laughed his big, booming laugh, the first laugh Kendrick had heard him utter in days. “The Queen, of course, and she’ll take care of everything.”
They passed under the enormous gates of the city and into the main square, which opened in a circle around Castle Kazan, the stronghold of Adishian. Kendrick gazed at the castle, the flags flying from the towers. The castle rose from the square, stark and white in the distance, flanked by breath-taking gardens.
The townspeople ran beside the small company, jeering the bowed forms of the Sarkisian Front Guard and cheering Muzik and his soldiers. Kendrick heard the many whisperings that rose from the crowd regarding his dark skin and Stravad eyes. Few in Adishian had seen a Stravad before, let alone a Nazarien, and they made their new discovery very apparent.
Soon they were before the gates of Kazan. Muzik halted them with an uplifted hand and went forward to converse with the guards standing in the cover of the guardhouse before the gates. Kendrick squinted and peered through the gates to the gardens beyond. Many forms were materializing in the gloom, standing in the stunning gardens. It seemed to take Muzik dreadfully long to convince the guards that they should pass, but then the gates were pushed outward and Muzik motioned them forward. Kendrick passed just within the gates with the litter, when the dark forms moved to his side and took the bridle from his hands.
He felt his body being pulled from the horse and soon his feet landed on the cobblestones. The two figures beside him each placed arms about his shoulders and propelled him toward the warm glow of the castle’s interior, but Kendrick held back.
“No, my companion, Jarrett, he’s...” he said and turned back toward the litter. They intervened and tri
ed to turn him around again, but he pulled away, feeling a growing sense of panic. He wasn’t going to leave Jarrett, not now, not after they’d come so far.
But the two figures weren’t about to give up so easily either. They started towards him again, this time their soothing tones had turned to commands and Kendrick backed away. Where was Muzik now?
His hand fell to his sword and he was prepared to draw it, when a third figure moved out of the cover of the gardens and started towards him. As if frozen suddenly in place, Kendrick halted, his body trembling. He was surprised by his reaction, but the presence of this third person was strangely exciting. The figure was slight, a good head and a half shorter than its companions and cloaked from head to toe in a shimmering, emerald green robe, the hood pulled so far down it completely covered the face. The movements of this third person were fluid and hypnotic.
Kendrick was no longer afraid. Instead he was filled with an overwhelming sense of calm and peace. The figure stopped before him and two bronze hands reached out from the confines of the robe to clasp his own. Kendrick’s breath came in a shuddered sigh. The touch ignited something deep within him and he felt a sudden warmth course through him. The numbing tiredness fell away and he was left with a languid feeling of safety.
The head lifted and revealed the most beautiful face the Nazarien had ever seen. He stared into two emerald green eyes. The eyes seemed to look inside of him, filling him with serenity. He couldn’t comprehend the feeling that overwhelmed him – his entire body tingled with raw excitement, yet a voice in his mind continued to bathe him in swells of equanimity.
Framing the beautiful face were waves of thick, long black hair. Kendrick couldn’t suppress his urge to touch it. He disengaged his hand from the slight brown one and reached up to finger a single tress of the hair that fell over a slender shoulder. The lovely face broke into a smile and Kendrick felt he’d cry at the infinite radiance in that one look.
The green eyes fixed on his own and the hand lifted to clasp his again. “You’re all right,” said a lyrical voice.
“My companion...” said Kendrick, clutching at his faltering thoughts.
The smile returned. “I’ll see to him. Go with my attendants and they’ll see you to a hot meal and a warm bed.”
“But I want to stay with you,” said Kendrick, surprised by the intensity of his emotions. He didn’t want to leave this beautiful creature’s side, not now and not ever again. He sensed that this is where he should be, where he was meant to be.
A smile lit the lovely face again. “You need sleep. Please do as I ask.”
The strange sensations that stroked Kendrick’s mind increased and Kendrick knew he couldn’t resist the call even if he tried. Without a word, the beautiful form moved toward the litter that bore Jarrett’s body. Kendrick felt the caress in his mind slip away. Weariness began to claim him again and he allowed the attendants to direct him toward the castle.
As they led him away, he looked back over his shoulder to where the emerald-clad figure bent over Jarrett’s body and he didn’t turn around even when he found himself inside Kazan and out of the pounding rain.
He couldn’t forget the touch of those small, delicate hands or the look that had penetrated so deeply into his soul, searching for something that Kendrick didn’t know if he possessed. The Nazarien had never met anyone like this beautiful woman, but now that he had, he knew he’d never forget her.
CHAPTER 5
“Jarrett, wake up.”
He heard the voice, but he couldn’t respond. More importantly, he didn’t want to respond. It was easier to float in the darkness. Here there was no pain, no regret, no fear. Here was simply nothing.
“You’ve got to wake up. I won’t let you die.”
The unfamiliar voice caused a ripple in his well of darkness and he frowned. He didn’t want to be disturbed. He focused his remaining thoughts on the darkness. It was easy to forget there had ever been anything else.
“Please, Jarrett, please wake up.”
A shudder passed through him and he tried to force the intrusion away, but it was becoming difficult to ignore the persistent voice. He didn’t recognize his intruder, but the voice was pleasant. More than pleasant. It was intriguing, but the more interest it generated, the more his darkness was disturbed.
He wanted to tell the voice to go away, but he couldn’t find that much energy.
“Help me, Jarrett. Help me find a way to reach you.”
He was sure he didn’t want to be reached. It was safe in the darkness. Oblivion was safe. Yet there was something about the voice that made him want to respond. He felt his resolve giving away.
“Jarrett, please.”
It took a supreme effort of will on his part, but he managed to remember one word, one sound. “Here,” he croaked.
That one word was enough of a message. He could actually feel the essence of another being enter the darkness with him, searching, probing, locating him where he lay. This essence glowed against the darkness, forcing Jarrett to take notice. Wrapping itself around him, it lifted him upward.
Jarrett struggled, or attempted to struggle against it, but it was too powerful. The darkness began to slip away around him, like fog fleeing sunlight, as he was brought to the surface. The weight of his own body became oppressive, pressing him downward. He’d never realized how much one’s body weighed before, but it wasn’t a pleasant discovery.
While in the darkness, the pain had been far away, but now he was brought into the center of it until it occupied his every thought. It felt as if every nerve ending was raw, exposed. He moaned and tried to sink back into the darkness, but the essence prevented his decent.
“Wake up, Jarrett,” came the voice again.
For a moment he was confused, but he didn’t have the strength to fight this battle. Giving up, he allowed himself to be pulled back into his physical body once more.
“Wake up, Jarrett.”
He felt light against his eyelids, but the effort to open them was nearly too great. He did manage a narrow crack. For a moment, his vision swam with black dots, until his pupils retracted. He could actually feel them close down and it caused not a little pain.
As his focus returned, he blinked a couple of times. It felt as if someone had filled his eyes with sand, but after a moment of fighting the tears and the burning, he could actually see.
He held his breath, not sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. An angel bent over him, an angel with black hair and emerald green eyes. “Hello, Jarrett,” she said softly.
Although he couldn’t see it, he felt her hand in his hair. He tried to speak, but he couldn’t make his voice work. She placed a glass against his lower lip and a cool, wet substance touched his tongue. He drank reflexively, but she pulled the glass away before he’d had his fill.
His eyes burned like fire, but he couldn’t close them and lose sight of her. He’d never seen a more beautiful creature in his entire life. He wanted to touch her and make sure she was real, but he didn’t have the strength. Instead, he licked his cracked lips and searched for the words he wanted to say.
“Who are you?” He was surprised by how ragged and hoarse his own voice sounded.
“I’m Tyla Eldralin,” she said.
Tyla Eldralin? He knew he should recognize the name, but he’d forgotten so many things. “What’s wrong with me?” His eyes closed on their own, but he forced them open again.
“You’ve been very sick, but I think you’ll survive.”
He wanted to sleep, but he was afraid to let go of his consciousness. What if he couldn’t find his way back to this beautiful creature? For some reason, he felt like he’d found the very thing he’d been searching for his entire life and he couldn’t risk losing it now.
“Don’t leave,” he whispered, his eyes closing of their own volition.
“I won’t,” she said close beside his ear.
He forced open his eyes again and fixed them on her exquisite features. “I think
I love you,” he said, but even as the words left his mouth, he drifted back into the darkness once more.
* * *
When Jarrett woke again, it was easier to open his eyes. His tongue felt swollen and pasty in his mouth and he didn’t seem to have enough strength to speak, but the pain was more manageable.
He couldn’t lift himself, but he could turn his head. He searched for the angel from his dreams, but she’d vanished as he’d feared she would. A motion beside him drew his attention and he narrowed his eyes, trying to focus.
“How about some water?” said a familiar voice.
Jarrett nodded and closed his eyes as the water flowed over his swollen tongue and parched mouth. Not even the finest wines in the entire city of Terra Antiguo could have tasted sweeter. He still wasn’t allowed to drink his fill and the depravation annoyed him.
“Sorry, but we can’t risk making you sick yet. Too much too quickly might.”
Jarrett squinted through the half-light at the Nazarien. Kendrick had dark circles under his eyes and his expression was anxious, but he looked no worse for the wear. As Jarrett stared at his familiar face, the memories came rushing back. It was too much at first and he closed his eyes, turning his head away.
“Are you in pain? They gave you something not long ago, but I could call someone.” There was genuine concern in the Nazarien’s voice.
Jarrett shook his head. “More...water.”
Kendrick seemed uncertain, but he reached for the glass again. “Only a little,” he said, bringing it to Jarrett’s lips.
Jarrett drank, then lay back. He was a little concerned by how much energy a simple drink took.
The World of Samar Box Set 3 Page 8