Guards Vestige

by Alexander Adams

  When Claudia had finished, she wet a cloth from the basin and cleaned her hands. “Well, I don’t seem to have missed anything,” she said. “He has two broken ribs, but other than that it’s all surface injuries, bruises, gashes, and the like. It’s a good thing he sealed that chest wound or he might have bled out before we found him.”

  Aaron breathed a sigh of relief. “So, he’ll be fine then?”

  “Eventually, yes. Though he will have quite a few new scars.”

  “How long will it be until we can leave for Vigil?”

  Claudia’s expression changed. She avoided Aaron’s eyes as she spoke. “It’s going to . . . be a while.”

  He had been afraid of this. “How long, exactly?”

  She sighed and continued to avoid his gaze. “About six weeks until Daniel can leave. His ribs need time to heal. Until then, we can’t let him ride or walk that far.”

  Aaron rubbed his temples. “Then two more after that for the actual trip.”

  She turned to look him in the eyes. “I’m so sorry, Aaron. He won’t make it before winter.”

  Aaron leaned back in his chair. He’d had a feeling that would be the case after seeing the injuries Daniel had sustained. He hadn’t known Daniel long, but that didn’t matter. Aaron ached for his friend. He knew that this was something Daniel had wanted more than anything.

  Aaron brought his hands to his face and closed his eyes. “We were so close.”

  Claudia pursed her lips. “You can still make it, Aaron,” she said. “I’ll stay here and treat him and Mila while Kenneth goes with you the rest of the way to Vigil.”

  Aaron shook his head. “No. I’m not going without him.”

  Claudia shook her head. “Aaron, be reasonable. I know a lot has happened these last few days, but you can’t pass on this. It’s your only chance.”

  “It’s his too. He’ll be too old the next time you recruit. We both will! He’s been waiting for so long, I can’t just leave him here while I go on. It isn’t fair or right.”

  “Aaron. Regardless of the way life was for you in Dalisia, this isn’t something you can make happen, no matter how much you want to. If he can’t make it before next year then that’s just how it has to be. As much as I agree that this isn’t right, we can’t move Daniel that far by foot. Even if we did have a horse, the ride would hurt him just as much if not more.”

  Aaron ran his hands over his face and through his hair in frustration. He knew he couldn’t get his way like he did in Dalisia, though even back home he’d try his best not to abuse his family’s status. But no matter what happened or how he did it, he didn’t want to leave Daniel behind. Yet he saw no way to move him safely.

  Then he remembered something so obvious he felt like a fool for not thinking of it before. Griffon! She was traveling by sea to Vigil. She’d said the ship was leaving that evening if everything worked as the captain planned. If he hurried to the harbor, they might still be there.

  “What about by sea,” Aaron asked. “Would he be able to travel by ship?” Aaron felt his heart swell with hope.

  Claudia pondered it for a moment before shrugging. “He’d be fine as long as the sea was fairly calm. But we don’t have the gold to pay for passage on a ship.”

  Without stopping to explain himself, Aaron turned and started out the door. He heard Claudia call out to him, but he kept going. He had no time to make her understand his plans if he had any hope of catching the ship before it departed. That is, if it hadn’t already. He exited through the main door and ran at a full sprint through the crowded streets toward the harbor. His heart beat double time as he prayed they were still there. He pushed through groups of people to reach the harbor, where he jumped down the short set of stairs onto wooden docks. He looked from ship to ship and realized he had no idea what Griffon’s ship looked like or even what the name was.

  The one thing he did have was the name of the captain. He looked for the harbormaster and spotted the man jotting something in his logbook while speaking to another man who looked upset. Aaron ran up to the harbormaster, grabbed him by the shoulders, and turned him around.

  The man looked almost terrified as Aaron spoke quickly and a little louder than he had intended: “Which ship belongs to Captain Andrews? Is he still here?”

  It took the man a moment to register what Aaron was asking, but when he did he scanned through his records until he found the page he was looking for. “Andrews captains The Royal Jewel at dock twenty-five.” He pointed toward the opposite end of the harbor.

  Aaron thanked him and ran in that direction, counting the dock numbers as he went. Thankfully, when he reached twenty-five, he found the ship was still there. He took a moment to catch his breath. The ship in front of him was like any other trade vessel, built for storage rather than speed. It was wide and long, with about a dozen crewmen loading various crates and barrels into the hold via a pulley crane connected to the main mast. He looked down the length of the dock that ran alongside the ship and saw Griffon sitting at the end, her feet over the water, looking at the ocean beyond.

  Aaron stopped just short of her. When he spoke, she was clearly startled at his presence: “I need your help.”

  “What happened?” she asked, her smile quickly fading.

  He gave her a brief explanation of what had happened and their inability to take Daniel the rest of the way by land. She listened quietly and nodded occasionally.

  He sighed and extended his hands in front of him, palms up. “So I need to talk to the captain,” he said, “to try to convince him to take not just me but Daniel and the others as well.”

  “I don’t know, Aaron,” she said. “I mean, you have no idea what had to happen for him to let me on board without having to pay full price. One more person I don’t think would be hard to swing, but five? For no extra pay? I don’t think he’ll go for it.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve got to try.”

  She shook her head and sighed. “I’ll go get him. I can’t promise he’ll even come down here though.”

  Griffon went up the ramp to the deck. Aaron waited patiently for her return while he watched the crewmen work in a flawless rhythm from years of experience. After several long and agonizing minutes, Griffon made her way back down, followed by a man who looked irritated to even be entertaining the idea of speaking to Aaron.

  “Well, boy, give me the story, and it better be a good one,” the captain said, already sounding like he was exhausted by the whole thing.

  Aaron gave him a brief overview of what had happened. He skimmed over the unimportant details to get his point across quickly. When he was finished, he took another quick breath. “So,” he said, “that’s everything.”

  Andrews didn’t say anything at first. He simply stood there with his arms crossed and stared at Aaron with stern and weathered eyes. “I have no qualms about taking on more passengers,” he finally said. “Gives me and the crew a few extra marks to make it through winter. But unless I’m actually paid those marks, I’ll have to deny you. I’ve already done my charity by taking the girl on board.”

  He turned away, but Aaron dashed forward and stood between the captain and his ship. “I can pay you, just not up front.”

  Andrews seemed on the verge of outright laughter. “Good try kid, but I’m no fool.”

  “Do you have paper?”

  “What?”

  “Paper, and wax for a seal.”

  The captain narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

  With a heavy sigh, Aaron reached down to his belt. He took a moment to reconsider what he was about to do. He had wanted to make it to Vigil without having to resort to this, to prove he didn’t need his father’s approval. But this wasn’t for him. He truly felt that this was worth the price of his father being able to lord it over him. For that reason alone, he handed a thin leather pouch to Andrews, no larger than the palm of his hand.
r />   The captain held the pouch gingerly in his hand, clearly skeptical. “This is?”

  “Just open it.”

  Andrews sighed, unsnapped the pouch, and dumped its contents into his hand. A single gold ring. On its own it was rather unremarkable, plainly designed though well-made.

  What made Andrews raise an eyebrow was the sigil etched into it. “Where did you get this?” he asked in a whisper.

  Aaron sighed. “My father.”

  Andrews lifted the ring and inspected the sigil, a six-pointed star with an X behind it.

  “If this isn’t real, you know you’ll be arrested,” Andrews said. “As will I, if I choose to entertain this.”

  “It’s real,” Aaron replied. “I just need to write the payment order, sign it, and seal it. Then you can give it to my father when you return to Dalisia. He’ll make sure you get paid.”

  “If he doesn’t?”

  “He will, and if not . . . Well, you know where to find us.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  28th of Horace, 26th year of the Fourth Age.

  Daniel felt terrible. He forced his eyes open with more effort than he ever thought it would take. The first thing he saw was a wooden ceiling lined with support struts. He heard the sound of rolling waves and the creaking of wood, as well as dozens of footsteps above him. He was lying in a rope hammock next to a wall and covered by a heavy wool blanket that did little to ward off the cold. He turned his head to see a dozen or so identical hammocks lining the room, along with several unlit oil lanterns attached to the beams the hammocks hung from.

  He felt himself roll slightly to one side and then slowly to the other before going back again. He was on a ship at sea, that much at least was clear. He had no idea how he’d gotten here. The last thing he remembered was a satlis attacking him in the caves as he tried to make his way out, and then nothing. He tried to speak into the poorly lit space but managed only a strained croak followed by a fit of coughing so painful it made his vision blur. He gripped his side involuntarily, which only caused the pain to flare more the moment he touched it. After a few moments, the coughing subsided and his vision cleared.

  “Should have guessed you were the one making all that noise. About time you woke up.”

  Daniel craned his neck and saw a blonde girl about his age standing on a set of steep stairs.

  “Where am I?” His voice was so hoarse and strained that he worried she wouldn’t understand him.

  “You’re on The Royal Jewel, a trading ship bound for Dawnstone, with a short stop at Vigil.” She strode over and leaned against the pole at his feet.

  A ship headed for Vigil. The gap in his memory worried him. “How did I get here?”

  “I don’t know all the details, but your friend Aaron managed to get you all on board.”

  “Aaron . . . how?”

  “I’m not really sure. He didn’t seem to want to talk about the details.”

  Daniel was curious how out of all of them, Aaron had managed this. But it would have to wait. “How long was I out?”

  “Two days since we left Navia. But you were out before that.”

  He laid his arm across his eyes and sighed. He supposed it could have been worse. At least he was still alive. Though he didn’t quite feel like it. His head and side throbbed insistently and his hand was bandaged and numb up to his elbow, while his calf felt as if there were a vice around it.

  His voice was gravely and hoarse when he tried to speak again. The girl took notice and handed him a water skin from her belt. He took it and happily drank half of it, reveling in the cool and soothing feeling in his throat.

  He spoke again as he handed it back to her: “What exactly happened to me?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t have the whole story. You’d have to ask one of the Dragon Guards. They found you out in the woods.”

  He was told to wait while she went above deck to get someone who could properly explain. She was gone for only a minute before Claudia quietly came down the steps. She dragged over a nearby stool and gingerly took a seat near his feet.

  “I’m glad you’re all right, Daniel,” she said. She fussed with her hands while she spoke. “How are you feeling?”

  “My side hurts pretty badly. So do a lot of things. Otherwise I guess I’m okay.”

  “Well, that’s not going to end anytime soon. You have two broken ribs, so be careful with everything you do. You also have some pretty deep gashes along your chest and shoulders, and I have to ask you to refrain from using your hand until it heals.”

  “So how did I get here?” Daniel asked. “The last thing I remember was a satlis attacking me, and then it just sort of goes black.”

  Claudia nodded, then briefly recounted how they’d found him and about the satlis corpse. She told him how Aaron had met Griffon and how he had come up with the plan to transport them all by ship, though she avoided explaining exactly how Aaron had managed to convince the captain to allow them aboard. Daniel pressed to find out more, but after a few attempts he let the matter drop.

  He smiled and touched the fresh bandages that were wrapped around his chest and shoulders. “So I treated my own wounds? Being with Mila in Grey Gate was more of a learning experience than I thought it was. Never would have known what king’s bloom did without following her around.”

  Claudia didn’t reply. Instead, she looked down at her feet.

  Daniel noticed her change in demeanor. “Claudia, what’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry, Daniel,” she said, her voice cracking.

  “What happened?”

  She looked up. There were tears in her eyes now. “The satlis . . . the bite is too close to her heart. I can’t stop it. All I’ve done till now is slow down the venom.”

  He stared at her for several long moments. “Until now? So you mean . . . ”

  Claudia wiped at her eyes. “I don’t think she’s going to make it to Vigil.”

  “How long?” he croaked out the words as he felt a lump rise in his throat.

  “You should go see her.”

  Daniel was in shock. He couldn’t breathe. It was as if the air in his lungs had been snatched away.

  After he stayed silent for a long while, Claudia stood and placed a hand on his shoulder. “The captain allowed us to treat her in his quarters,” she said. “Come on, we’ll go together.”

  Claudia helped him rise. The next minute was a daze. Before he knew it, he felt salt spray on his face and had to shield his eyes against the sun. Crewmen were everywhere on the deck and in the rigging above. It was a torrent of noise, with words being thrown around that Daniel had no way of knowing the meaning of. He’d never been at sea before and wished he had more of a chance to actually enjoy the experience, but right now that seemed unimportant.

  He crossed his arms to ward off the cold air, which was only made cooler by the constant spray of water and rush of the wind. His legs felt heavy as Claudia gently pulled him toward the rear of the ship. They stopped before a rather plain but large door set between two sets of stairs leading up to the ship’s helm.

  Claudia gently nudged him toward the door. “She should be awake,” she said. “If you need me, I’ll be right here by the door.”

  Daniel nodded, gripped the simple handle, and swung the door open. The captain’s quarters, oddly enough, were rather sparse. A desk sat against one wall with a shabby chair next to it. The walls were bare save for a map of Edaren. The floor had a small tattered and torn rug. At the far end of the room, beneath a small, square window, was a large, cushioned bed. Mila lay there, propped up by several oversized pillows. Her eyes were closed. Her chest rose and fell in a gentle rhythm. Daniel took a few steps forward before trying to speak.

  “Hi, Mila.” His voice cracked when he said her name. The sinking feeling in his gut grew worse.

  She opened her eyes and lifted her he
ad to look at him. Her eyes took his breath away. They were almost completely red. “Hey,” she said in a weak voice. “Glad you’re okay.”

  He nodded. “Thanks to you.”

  She smiled briefly and laid her head back onto the pillows. “It’s my job.”

  He felt his heart twinge and struggled to speak. He felt like he was choking. “Not to die.”

  She opened her eyes again and was quiet for a few moments before waving him over. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for her to speak.

  She leaned forward slowly, wincing as she did so, and gripped his hand. “I know what you’re doing.”

  He just stared at her and shook his head. “What?”

  “This is not your fault.”

  He shook his head and bit his lip. She was wrong. It was his fault. If only he’d paid attention and not simply stood there, left himself out in the open and vulnerable to the satlis attack. She wouldn’t have had to take his place. She did what she did because he was foolish.

  She gripped his hand harder. “Stop. I know what you’re thinking. You did not make me do this. I made a choice to step in front of you, and I’m okay with it.”

  He balled his hands into fists and shook his head. “I wasn’t worth it!”

  “Daniel,” she said, leaning forward further and gripping his chin, forcing him to look at her, “living is not a thing to be ashamed of. Never feel guilty because you didn’t die. If you don’t think you’re worth it, change that. Be worth it. If you really think I made the wrong choice, then make it the right one. But I want you to know this is one of the few choices in my life I don’t regret.”