by Chuck Black
Carliss could see no sign of Spirit. She jumped from the horse before it had even stopped and ran to the door. It was locked, so she knocked fervently until she heard the latch being worked.
“Who is knocking on my door this late at night?” Petolemew sounded annoyed.
“It’s me, Mister Petolemew, Lady Carliss.” She tried to push through, but he pushed back on the door.
“I don’t know anyone by that name,” he said, quite perturbed. “Please go away and come back tomorrow, young lady.”
“But Sir Dalton—”
“Petolemew, let her in!” Carliss heard Eunice say behind the partly closed door.
Petolemew sighed, then opened the door. Carliss quickly pushed past him and ran to the cot where Dalton was lying. Eunice was bent over him, and Carliss knelt down beside her. For a moment she dared not think or hope or even speak. She was too afraid. She looked for some sign of life but could not see it. Dalton’s face was white, his cheeks sunken. His body was perfectly still.
Eunice looked over at Carliss with grave concern on her face.
“I’m sorry, child,” she said sadly. “We did not get the flower until yesterday. He could not swallow it.”
Carliss felt the tears rushing to her eyes.
“I don’t think he’s going to make it,” Eunice said sadly.
Carliss looked at Eunice, stunned by her last comment. “He’s still alive?” she asked and knelt closer to Dalton, putting a hand on his chest.
“Only barely. I mixed some of the root with water and was able to get a bit of it down him, but I’m afraid it was too little too late.”
Carliss put her ear to Dalton’s mouth and could just barely feel the warmth of his breath and hear the subtle sound of his lungs moving the air in and out. She reached down and grabbed his hand.
“Don’t you leave, Dalton!” she whispered passionately in his ear as tears fell from her eyes. “Stay with me,” she pleaded.
“Do you have more of the mixture?” she asked.
“Yes, most of it.” Eunice crossed the room to retrieve it.
Eunice returned with a bowl of brownish liquid and gave it to Carliss. Carliss poured just a few drops in his mouth and waited. She turned to look at Eunice and saw great weariness on her face.
“Thank you, Madam Eunice,” Carliss said. “You have done everything possible. Rest now… I will watch over him.”
Eunice smiled and stood to greet the other two knights who had entered the cabin. She showed them a place to sleep, then lay down for the night. Soon the little hut was filled with soft snores.
While the household slept, Carliss talked quietly to Dalton, telling him all of the things that had happened in the past twelve days. Every few minutes she poured a few more drops of the swamp-lily mixture into his mouth, then continued speaking and holding his hand. When she ran out of story to tell, she began to talk about when she was a little girl. She told of the snowflakes she used to catch and the games she played with her family on the farm and the hunting adventures she and Koen had enjoyed.
At one point Dalton stirred slightly and swallowed. It was a small victory, but Carliss rejoiced at it and continued ministering to him through the night.
By morning, the swamp-lily mixture was gone. Dalton was still breathing, but he had yet to open his eyes.
“Koen!”
Carliss ran to her brother as he ducked through the low doorway.
For two days now she had cared for Dalton moment by moment, refusing to leave his side. While she kept vigil, she had asked the knights from Brimwick Downs to travel to Salisburg and tell her family where she was and what had happened. They had brought Koen back with them.
“Thank the King you are all right!” he said now, wrapping her in a tight hug. “We have been sick with worry for you these past two weeks.” He stepped back, still holding onto her arms. “And now … Dalton …
Koen loosed his grip on his sister and went to kneel beside Dalton’s cot.
“How is he?” he asked, not taking his eyes from his best friend.
Carliss shook her head. “He’s not well, Koen. His breathing is shallow, and he won’t wake up. We have given him the antidote for the lizard’s poison, but I’m afraid—” She felt a lump rise in her throat and stopped. She was exhausted and knew that her emotions were on edge because of it, at least that’s what she told herself. She drew in a deep breath. “All we can do is tend him and wait.”
Koen stared down at his friend, then threw an arm around his sister’s shoulder. “Then we will tend him and wait… together.”
With Eunice’s help, Carliss and Koen cared for Dalton over the next two days. Slowly they pulled him back from the brink of death, though it always seemed to be lingering nearby. Dalton remained unconscious and silent except for an occasional moan.
During those long hours by Dalton’s side, Koen shared news of home with his sister. She was concerned to learn that her father had been very ill, but relieved that he was now recovering. His illness had kept Koen at home, distraught at being unable to search for Carliss. The entire haven, however, had done everything they could think of to find her, but it was as though she had vanished from the kingdom. When the knights from Brimwick Downs arrived with news that she was near Pembrook, everyone had rejoiced, but they’d been dismayed to hear of Dalton’s condition.
“We need to get him home as soon as possible,” Carliss said after listening to her brother. “I can only imagine how sick with worry they must be.”
He nodded. “Just as soon as he can travel.”
A few days later, they stood outside the hut to say good-bye to Eunice and Petolemew. Dalton lay on a pallet of blankets in the back of a cart Koen had borrowed in Pembrook. He was still unconscious, but Carliss and Koen had decided he had improved enough to survive the trip.
“Thank you for everything.” Carliss was not one to cry, but she found herself blinking back tears as she returned the old woman’s hug. “And thank you, Petolemew.” She leaned over and gently kissed the alchemist’s wrinkled face. “We owe you so much.”
“You’re welcome, young lady.” The old man beamed as Carliss and Koen climbed into the cart. “And come back anytime,” he added. “We love visitors!”
THE FREEDOM OF PEACE
They took Dalton straight to his parents’ home near the center of town and helped settle him onto a cot in the kitchen. Carliss accepted his parents’ fervent hugs and grateful words, then set about explaining his condition and showing how to care for him. After an hour or two, however, she began to feel awkward. As Dalton’s home filled with people eager to give him attention and care, she slowly drifted to the back and stood near the wall. Time seemed to warp back on itself, and she was once more the quiet, peculiar little girl that no one seemed to notice.
Then Lady Brynn arrived, her countenance filled with love and worry. Carliss watched as Brynn tenderly placed her arm across Dalton’s chest and hugged him.
“I’m here for you, Dalton,” she whispered. Carliss looked away as a wave of sadness and loss washed over her. It’s my own fault, she told herself.
There was no point being upset with Brynn. Brynn had not caused Carliss to have feelings for Dalton. She couldn’t even blame Dalton. He had never claimed to be anything more than a friend to her. No, Carliss had no one to blame but herself, and she would know no peace until she closed the door on the ache that lived in that corner of her heart.
Carliss took a deep breath and breathed in the truth of her life. From this day forth, she vowed to protect her heart with all diligence.
“Come, Carliss,” Koen said. “Dalton is well cared for here. Mother and Father will be eager to see you.”
Carliss nodded. She turned and followed her brother to the door.
“Carliss,” she heard a soft voice call.
Carliss turned to see Lady Brynn coming toward her. Carliss steeled herself for whatever she might hear.
“I’ve been told you risked your life to save Dalton.” Bryn
n gazed at Carliss, her blue eyes glistening with tears.
Carliss looked away and bit her lower lip, not knowing how to respond to that. Brynn put her hand on Carliss’s arm.
“I want to thank you for what you’ve done,” she said earnestly. “I know I haven’t always been kind to you, but…you’ve helped me see what’s important. Thank you.” She leaned forward and embraced Carliss tightly, then turned back to Dalton.
Carliss wanted to turn and run and never stop. She hurried out the door, mounted up with Koen, and rode for home—the safest place in the kingdom she knew of.
Carliss’s reunion with her family was one of great joy. After a few days at home, the kingdom seemed to settle into place again, and Carliss began to feel the peace of her youth return to her. Koen continued to give favorable reports of Dalton’s recovery. When Dalton regained consciousness, Koen told Carliss, he had asked for her, but Carliss could not bring herself to visit him… at least not yet.
One evening she walked to the top of a knoll on her farm and looked at the brilliant stars that filled the sky. She thought of Si Kon and the brave knights who had lost everything because they followed the Prince. In her heart she knew what she must do, for the call of the King was clear. There was a great and mighty battle raging, and she was part of it.
That night she walked back to the farmhouse, content to be wholly committed to the Prince and His calling on her life, unhindered by the encumbrances of romantic love. She had never felt so free in all of her life, and the freedom felt good.
After a week at home, Koen and Carliss rode to Brimwick Downs to retrieve Rindy and to help in the recovery of the haven of Moorue. They would spend at least a month there equipping, training, and planning to help Si Kon and the Followers establish a secret haven in Moorue. There was much work to be done, and it would take brave souls to accomplish it, but they were willing. Besides this, they knew they would not be alone. The King had established a mighty and silent force in Moorue to battle with them.
One evening in Brimwick Downs, Carliss took her usual walk up to a knoll that gave her a splendid view of the nearby mountains and of the stars. As she stood gazing at the beauty of it all, she heard footsteps and realized her brother had come to stand beside her. He often joined her on these evening walks.
“Moorue can be a frightful place,” she said without taking her eyes from the pink mountains. “Are you ready?”
“I am ready,” came the reply, but it was not Koen who spoke it.
“Dalton!” she exclaimed.
“Hello, Carliss,” Dalton said with a wide grin. He quickly hugged her, then stood back to look in her eyes.
“You are… you are well?” Carliss said, astonished. The last time she saw him, he had been unconscious.
Dalton smiled. “I am. Nearly as good as new.”
Carliss tried to restrain her enthusiasm, but she couldn’t keep from smiling. Dalton looked thin but very well indeed.
“You are a hard one to keep up with,” Dalton said. “I was hoping to see you before you left Salisburg.”
“Whatever are you doing here?” Carliss asked, hoping to avoid explaining why she hadn’t come to visit him.
“I’ve come to join you and Koen on the mission,” he said.
At that, Carliss’s smile faded, and she slowly turned away. That was something completely unexpected… and unwanted.
“What is it, Carliss?” Dalton asked. “Why do you turn away?”
Carliss took a deep breath, realizing she needed to deal with her feelings about him openly once and for all. She had already failed when she tried to hide them, and she would not allow herself to go through that again. She turned around and faced him squarely.
“I am overjoyed that you are well again, Dalton. Truly I am, but you cannot join this mission.”
Dalton opened his mouth to speak, but Carliss held up her hand and kept talking. If she stopped now, she might never find the courage to say what she needed to say.
“For a long time I have wrestled with my feelings for you.” She looked away for a moment, embarrassed at saying the words, then forced herself to meet his eyes. “But I am free from that now.” Carliss said, refusing to give place in her heart for that which she had worked so hard to cast out.
She turned and walked away a few paces, then looked back at him with frustration. “Why do you keep showing up in my life?”
Dalton stepped closer to Carliss and looked deeply into her eyes. He reached down and took her hand. Carliss tried to pull back, but Dalton held tightly. She turned her head away, refusing his gaze. The warm and miserable feelings of love began to well up in her bosom once again, along with a confused anger.
“Because I am not free from you, Carliss, nor shall I ever be.”
Carliss hesitated, then looked back at Dalton. She softened her countenance and felt his hand relax. For one brief moment she wondered if this were possible…or had she been given the esca powder again? Was this some cruel dream?
She steeled her heart and jerked her hand from his, then turned on a heel and walked briskly away.
“Leave me alone, Dalton! You are still under the influence of the esca poison and not thinking or talking sense. I will not go through this again. Please go away.”
“Carliss!” Dalton called from behind her. “Let me talk to you for just a moment.”
Carliss hesitated, her feelings once more at war within her. When will it end? she screamed inwardly. When will I finally have peace?
When she realized that Dalton would not leave, she whirled around, drew her sword, Morning Star, and held it at his chest.
Dalton didn’t move. He stood before her just out of reach of her sword. A strange silence ensued as the two tried to sort out the confusion between them.
“I am free from the delusions of the esca poison,” Dalton looked straight into her eyes. “I doubt I will ever know how much you sacrificed and fought to save my life. I owe you so much.”
“Then why do you insist on trying to torment me?” Carliss struggled to keep her voice steady. “I asked you to leave me alone.”
“But you don’t understand.” Dalton stepped forward until the tip of her blade was touching his chest. “Weeks ago Lady Brynn and I agreed we were following different paths. It was then that I realized how significant you had become in my life.”
Carliss blinked, replaying Dalton’s words in her mind to see if she had perhaps missed something. Could this be true?
“Before you left for Moorue, I came for you, and I’m coming for you now—to thank you for all you have done, but also for another reason.”
“And what might that be?” Carliss dared to ask as she slowly lowered Morning Star.
Dalton took one step closer. “To be more than your brother’s friend. To be your friend… and more.”
Dalton seemed to struggle with his next words, and Carliss was surprised to find herself enjoying his difficulty. She was not used to seeing the great Sir Dalton fumble for words.
“You have been… are… more than an accomplished knight. You are an amazing woman, Carliss, and I…I want to spend more time with you—much more time.”
Carliss stared blankly at him for a long time, not sure how to respond. She dared not hope, but wanted to. She dared not speak, but wanted to. She dared not fall for him, but wanted to.
“I felt your hand and heard your voice when I was sick,” Dalton said. “You brought me back, Carliss. I owe you my life, and I offer it to you in whatever way you choose to use it.”
Carliss stared at him speechless, her mind wandering in a wasteland of disbelief.
After a long moment of silence, Dalton smiled sadly, then nodded his head. “I understand. I am honored to have served the Prince with you. And though I cannot promise I will stay away from you forever, I’ll not trouble you anymore with such words.”
Dalton bowed his head and then turned to leave. When he had walked a few paces away from her, Carliss broke from her silence.
“Dalton,�
�� she called softly. He stopped, turned, and faced her.
“I didn’t know… about you and Lady Brynn.” Carliss smiled gently, allowing a new kind of peace to fill her heart. “I… also would like to spend more time with you.”
Quickly he covered the distance between them. As he drew close, he looked down at her sword. “Is it wise for me to stay a sword’s length away from you?”
Carliss laughed and held the weapon up in front of her. “Perhaps… at least until you talk to my father.” She sheathed her sword, and Dalton laughed.
“Then I shall speak with him at once,” he said, grinning widely. “I’ve already had too many holes put in me for one lifetime.”
Carliss looked up at him. “Are you truly feeling whole again?”
“Nearly,” Dalton replied. “Much more so now than a few moments ago.”
Carliss looked at him with new eyes and didn’t know just what to do. Dalton offered his arm to her.
“Shall we walk a bit?” he suggested.
Carliss nodded and took his arm, feeling only a little awkward. They talked quietly as they gazed at the beauty of the scene before them. Somewhere in the midst of their conversation, Dalton brought his gaze from the mountains to Carliss.
“Carliss, someone told me to ask you a very strange question.”
Carliss looked up at him, confused.
“Was it me you were dancing with?” he asked as he turned once more to face her. “In the dream… was it me?”
Carliss’s cheeks flushed, and she narrowed her eyes at him. “How did you know that?” she asked.
“Yesterday, on the road here,” Dalton said quickly, clearly concerned he had offended her. “I traveled for a while with a large fellow who said he knew you. He said I should ask you—”
Carliss gasped and put her hand to her mouth.
“What is it?” Dalton asked. “Was he someone you knew?”
Carliss nodded and now understood why Spirit the hawk had disappeared after delivering the swamp lily to Petolemew. She smiled and pulled Dalton close to her, then leaned her head against his shoulder. The kingdom was not perfect yet, but for a few moments it surely felt like it.