Tears of War

by A. D. Trosper

  She was keenly aware of the strain on Kellinar high above them as he held back the storm. However, she could only work so fast. Loki’s head must have hit the pavement. His skull was cracked and he had a massive concussion. His back was broken too, but the immediate threat to his life was the damage to his head.

  Merru began to stir and Anevay reached for Latia immediately. “Tell him to hold still. Loki cannot be moved right now. He is close enough to death as it is. I have to get this repaired before the swelling in his brain becomes too much.”

  She heard the yellow relay the message and the gold stilled. She worked fast but thorough, using multiple weaves to work on several areas of his head at once as she reduced the swelling and repaired some of the damage to his brain and skull. After several tense minutes when Anevay felt she had done enough to make it safe to move him, she gently took him in her arms to support him.

  “Bardeck, can you release his safety straps? There is still healing to be done, but he’s stable enough to get back to Galdrilene.”

  Bardeck quickly unbuckled the straps and took Loki from her. She turned to Latia who had stood over them with her wings spread to keep the drizzling rain off them while they worked. Anevay jumped into the saddle and made quick work of the safety straps then reached out for Loki, ignoring a wave of dizziness.

  Bardeck stepped up on Latia’s front leg, balanced carefully, and lifted the boy up to her. She sent a brief thanks to the Fates for the increased strength of the dragon bond as she pulled him up until he sat sideways in front of the saddle her arms secure around him and his head resting against her shoulder. Anevay looked down at Merru who slowly gathered himself together. She shot a worried look at Bardeck. “Can he fly?”

  Bardeck nodded, a weary look on his face. “He broke both wings and had some internal damage from the impact, but I healed it all. He is tired, but he should be able to fly.”

  “How are we going to get them both home? Latia isn’t old enough to open a Slide large enough for two dragons to get through.”

  Bardeck climbed into the back saddle seat. “No, she isn’t, but Shryden is.”

  Several people peeked out the windows of their shops and homes. Anevay ignored them; there would be time to deal with that later. Latia took off as smoothly as she could. Anevay glanced back to make sure Merru was following before turning her attention to Shryden and his rider. Even from this distance she saw Kellinar’s stony face. His fury rolled along their bond. She had never seen him this angry.

  A large Slide spun open as they reached him and the three dragons passed into it, the sound of the storms released ferocity echoed behind them then disappeared. The familiar swirl of colors faded and Galdrilene spread out below them. Anevay ignored another wave of dizziness as Latia circled in for a landing with Merru and Shryden right behind.

  Kellinar was off Shryden before Anevay even reached for her safety straps. She let Kellinar take Loki without looking him in the eye.

  Little black flecks swirled across her vision for a brief second and were gone. She shook her head and stared at the buckles on the safety straps. What was she doing?

  “Are you sure you are alright?” Latia sent.

  “I’m fine. I think maybe that branch dazed me a little.”

  “Branch? The thing was practically a tree.”

  Bardeck climbed down from the saddle. He looked at her with a worried frown. “Are you coming?”

  That is what she was supposed to be doing. She loosened the buckles and let herself down from the saddle. After pausing a moment to unbuckle the catcher strap, she followed Kellinar and Bardeck up to Loki’s bedchamber.

  Kellinar laid the boy on his bed while Merru looked on anxiously through the doorway between the sleeping room and the lair. Anevay took a deep breath and moved toward the bed but Kellinar stopped her. She looked up into his blue eyes, the emotions coming through the bond as tumultuous as the storm they had left behind. His gaze raked over her as he lifted her hair away from her face, his fingers gentle despite the anger she felt in him. She glanced down and saw her long, ebony ringlets coated in blood. “You’re hurt.” His voice was soft.

  “I’ll live. I have to take care of Loki. His back is broken and I still have work to do on his head.” Kellinar glanced at Loki’s still form, a mixture of rage and torment flooding his face. He turned back, his eyes steady on hers for a long moment before he stepped away and allowed her past.

  She settled on the edge of the bed with Bardeck on the other side and reached for her magic, allowing Bardeck to link them before starting the healing. It was a long and delicate process to remove the remaining brain injury, and mend the broken bones and nerves in Loki’s lower back. When they finally pulled their hands away, he was healed and resting peacefully.

  “Is he healed completely?” Kellinar asked, his voice rough.

  Bardeck nodded. “He is. I don’t believe there will be any lasting effects from the brain injury, but we won’t know for certain until he wakes. We will have to wait and see how much he remembers of his misadventures. Maybe he will have learned something from this.”

  Kellinar glared at the boy though Anevay felt his worry through the bond. “He better have.” He turned his gaze on her. “May I have a word with you, bondmate?”

  Anevay nodded. Another wave of dizziness came and went. She focused through it and followed Kellinar from the room. Based on the symptoms, she figured she had a mild concussion from the branch. It could be healed later after Kellinar went back to Haraban. In his anger he had missed the signs and she preferred to keep it that way.

  They climbed to the next level and entered their sleeping quarters. He shut the door quietly behind him, leaned against it, let his breath out in a low growl and rubbed his hands over his face.

  Anevay held up a hand. “Before you say anything, you have to realize that I have duties I’m called to. You can try to wrap me in swaddling clothes if you want, however you won’t keep me there. Be angry with me if you must, but you are going to have to get over it.”

  He dropped his hands and stared at her for a long moment. “Angry with you? You think I’m angry with you?” He started pacing back and forth. “I am not angry with you at all. You did what you had to do even if it did scare the life out of me.”

  Kellinar’s voice rose as he continued. “I’m angry…no I take that back. I am furious with Loki! He nearly got himself and Merru killed with his antics and at the same time endangered you, Latia and Bardeck. I can accept he has a hard time settling into his role as a Dragon Rider, but he had better flaming start getting used to it and grow up a little…”

  Another wave of dizziness rolled over her accompanied by black flecks in her vision. She blinked several times. What was he yelling about? Oh yes, Loki. She wished he would stop shouting; it made her head hurt more.

  “Kellinar,” she said softly, trying to calm and reason with him. “He is still a child. This is hard for him.”

  Kellinar threw his hands in the air as he paced. “I don’t care how hard it is. A rider doesn’t endanger others for his own selfish pleasure. He should know better. Merru should have known better. Dragons are supposed to be smarter than humans. What in the name of the Fates was he thinking?”

  Anevay opened her mouth to answer when more dizziness struck. The black specks obscured her vision. She placed her hand on the wall to steady herself

  “Anevay?” Kellinar’s hand touched her arm. “What’s wrong?”

  The specks and the dizziness faded and she blinked. “I don’t know. The tree branch hit me pretty hard. I think it left me kind of dazed.”

  He took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up. “Look at me.”

  She stared at him.

  “There is something wrong with your eyes, Anevay. One of your pupils is bigger than the other.”

  She groaned, the dragon was out of the shell now. “I must have a bit of a concussion. That branch hit me harder than I thought.”

  He pointed at the bed. “Sit. Shry
den is having Mernoth send Bardeck to us. You need your cheek and the side of your head healed anyway.”

  She sank down on the edge of the bed and nodded. Bardeck would be there in a minute and she would feel fine.

  Serena paced back and forth, waiting for word of Loki and Merru. How could the boy endanger himself like that? Miya had relayed the extent of the injuries to both Loki and his dragon.

  “I don’t know why you are so nervous,” Taela said from where she stood next to Paki in the giant courtyard garden. “Anevay is a very capable healer.”

  Serena nodded. “I don’t doubt her ability, but sometimes there is only so much even we can do. He has extensive injuries to his brain, and I won’t take an easy breath until she is finished.”

  Taela stared into space for a moment and Serena narrowed her eyes at the other woman. “What? Is Latia telling you something?”

  Taela shook her head, a shadow of worry on her face. “No, but I’m feeling something in the bond. Not all is completely right with Anevay. I don’t think it’s anything life threatening.”

  “What do you feel?”

  “She’s dizzy and has lost her train of thought a couple times. That isn’t normal for her.” Taela waved her hand absently. “You know how focused she is.”

  Serena went over everything that Miya had relayed to her. Most likely she had a mild concussion. Bardeck could heal it with little effort or one of the others from the Tower of Healing.

  “Kellinar and Shryden are furious,” came Miya’s sending. “If Loki wakes while Kellinar is still there, the boy is going to get an earful. Merru is already getting a stern lecture from Shryden and a long distance one from Tellnox and Nydara.”

  “He needs it. They both do. That was beyond foolish of them and they have done some foolish things,” Serena sent back.

  “Latia says Anevay and Bardeck have completed the healing on Loki and they were able to repair all of the damage,” Miya sent.

  Serena nodded, relieved. Hopefully Kellinar wouldn’t be too long. The dragons had been announced to the city the day before and things were still pretty tense as the people tried to come to grips with it. It was more than just the dragons and the magic they struggled with, it was also the knowledge that people who used magic had been put to death for no reason for the last five hundred years.

  She didn’t blame them. It was a hard brew to swallow. Guilt and anger ran high. Serena was just glad they had Taela’s father on their side. Fates knew it wouldn’t be this easy in Trilene.

  A gasp from Taela made her turn. She stood with her slanted blue eyes wide and her hands over her mouth. Serena followed her line of sight. Down the garden path, two women walked with a man between them. His long, dark hair hung lank around his slack face.

  He slowly shuffled forward, changing directions only when the women tugged on his arms. He never looked up, not even when one of the women gently dabbed drool from his chin.

  Serena looked back at Taela. “Who is that?”

  “Sehlas,” she whispered. Taela turned to her with sorrow in her eyes. “I never meant to do that to him.”

  Serena reached out with her magic and felt along the break in his mind. “I can feel the break. What did you do exactly when it happened? I might be able to heal it.”

  “Can you?” Hope sprang in Taela’s face then her brow furrowed as she looked back at the man. “I don’t know what I did. It just happened and then everything changed so fast after that.” She continued to stare at the broken man. “I was going to ask you for this. I thought we would have to stop in Turindar though. I wonder what he is doing here? And where are his wives?”

  As Sehlas and his attendants passed, Serena searched his face for any sign of emotion. There was no flicker in his eyes. No reaction as he followed the path that wound past the two massive dragons and disappeared through the doors.

  Taela let out a long breath as the door swung shut behind the trio. She turned to Serena. “Anevay has been healed and is resting. Kellinar is still angry and intends to stay in Galdrilene until Loki wakes unless we need him.” She paused and glanced at the door. “Since it appears disaster has been averted for now, I’m going to locate my father and find out what is going on with Sehlas.”

  “Do you mind if I come with you?” What Taela had done—unintentionally of course—to the man’s mind was a puzzle to be worked out. Perhaps Bahar would be able to answer a few questions.

  Taela shook her head. “I don’t mind.”

  A few moments later, they stood in front of the door to her father’s study. Taela knocked then opened it. “May I speak with you a moment?”

  He glanced up from the document on the desk top. “Is it important? I just got another report of violence breaking out, this time in eastern Haraban and more in the northern part of the city. The Guardians can only save us from the Shadow Riders if we don’t implode first.” He rubbed a hand over his forehead and stared as if lost in thought for a moment. His angular face looked haggard and tired. “Why can’t they see there is a greater danger out there? I will be the first to admit the laws against magic use were wrong. How were we to know? They were put in place across all nations hundreds of years ago. All we had were the legends of mad magic users and their black dragons.”

  Serena wasn’t sure if he was talking to them or to himself.

  Taela led the way into the room. “Father, you know through me what dangers we all face in the coming years. But the people of Haraban don’t. It’s all just smoke and shadows right now to them. An enemy they can’t see and don’t know.” She leaned her hands on the desk. “But the people down the street who turned their son or daughter in for magic use? They can see that. Even if they agreed at the time with turning them in and the punishment that followed, now they have to face the guilt of having that child put to death when there was no real reason to. It’s easier to focus that guilt on the people down the street rather than admit they were just as wrong.”

  Bahar took a deep breath and turned his eyes on them. “I’m sorry. You wanted to speak to me about something.”

  Taela took one of the chairs in front of the desk while Serena sat in the other. “I saw Sehlas.”

  He nodded. “I meant to talk to you about that, but the last couple of weeks have been rather busy.”

  “What is he doing here? Where are his wives?”

  Bahar leaned back. “Not long after you disappeared, I sent word to Sehlas’ brother. Rehnlas showed up here a month or so later. He visited Sehlas and asked the healers a few questions. He stayed for three weeks. When he left, he took the three wives of Sehlas’ that were here and said he would send someone for his brother. He never did and messages sent to Turindar since have gone unanswered.” He shook his head, sadness in his expression. “News arrived after Rehnlas’ departure that he had taken the throne of Turindar and added Sehlas’ wives to his own. All but the youngest—Sulwyna I think her name was. I’m not sure what happened to her but it’s rumored that Rehnlas put her out though I don’t know any reasons or if it’s even true.”

  Anger bloomed across Taela’s face. “He left him here? Sehlas is his brother, his own flesh and blood for Fates sake! How could he just abandon him like that?”

  “Rehnlas never was pleased to be the second born.” Bahar smiled though it held no mirth. “I think he is rather pleased his older brother is out of the way. He never did see eye to eye with Sehlas over the slave trade among the boats. Sehlas wanted it ended; Rehnlas thought it should stay the way it was.”

  “Even if he did care more about gaining the throne than he did about his brother, in the condition Sehlas is in, it’s clear he couldn’t possibly run a nation.” Taela shook her head. “Why abandon him?”

  Bahar shrugged. “I don’t think Rehnlas cares if Sehlas is blood.”

  Serena leaned forward. She didn’t care about Rehnlas or the politics involved. She wanted to solve the riddle of the damage to Sehlas’ mind. Serena had never encountered anything like it. “Bahar, has Sehlas been like
this the whole time?”

  “No, not the whole time.” He rubbed his beard, his eyes lost in thought for a moment before focusing on Serena again. “After the initial attack, he communicated more or less. But as time went on he seemed to fade more and more until he became the man you saw today. He doesn’t move unless prodded. He can no longer chew. The servants that attend him have to prepare food as if for a baby and feed it to him. It has gotten progressively worse. I fear one day he will no longer be able to swallow.”

  Bahar looked at Taela. “I know you never really cared for Sehlas, but he was a good man. His father was my friend, despite my distaste for the blind eye he turned to the boats. When he died, I was happy to see Sehlas take the throne. Regardless of what you may feel about him, he was a fair and honest king. Rehnlas is not and I fear for Turindar under his rule.”

  Taela blushed slightly and stared at the floor. “I didn’t hate him. I just didn’t want to marry him.”

  Serena leaned back in the chair and thought over what Bahar had said. “Can you take me to him? I would like to see if I can heal him.”

  Bahar’s face lost some its strain. “Do you think you can?”

  “I don’t know for certain, all I can do is try.”

  “I appreciate any of your efforts.” The brief light in his eyes faded. “Although I’m not sure he will thank us. He has lost everything.”

  Serena stood. “It doesn’t matter what he lost, no man should be reduced to spoon feeding and drooling. If I can heal Sehlas, then I’m sure the Fates will have something else for him.”

  Bahar and Taela stood and Serena followed them out into the hall beyond the room. On the other side of the castle they stopped outside a small room. Inside, Sehlas sat in a chair facing a window. A narrow bed occupied the wall across from the window.

  “For a long time he stayed in the guest apartments. But as his condition deteriorated and his care became more intensive, I had him moved here. It’s easier for the servants to keep a close eye on him. His needs are many. Sehlas has become, to an extent, a man-sized infant.” Bahar gazed sadly at the man in the chair. “It pains me to see him this way.” He looked at Serena. “If you can bring him back, even a little, I will be forever grateful.”