Fallen Warrior (Fallen Trilogy book 3)

by Williams, Tess

  "You will. Just give your mind time."

  I want Ellia, I thought, and barely kept from saying. But the idea of it, mingled with the knowledge that I might not be dead after all, sent a wave of clarity over me. I forced the pain away well enough to look at the man better. Even though the room was dim, with just the candle, his silver hair was familiar to me, as his accent had already been. He looked down, tending to my leg again.

  "I know you. Silos?"

  A quick smile formed across the man's lips. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming again, because it was something I'd rarely seen. I waited to watch if everything would melt away, when it didn't, I asked him, "Well, are you or not?"

  "Forgive me, Master Cyric," he said. "You've guessed my identity a number of times now. I thought this time I might deny it, to see if you'd hold the knowledge better should you be forced to argue the point yourself. But now I find my nature unfit to the task of deceiving you. One day, I think, you will recall me on your own."

  "I've spoken to you?" I asked, disbelieving.

  "We've said many things between each other. I told you how you survived the attack from the dragon. I told you how she fared afterwards. That's what you always want to know first."

  "You mean Kraehe? She's alright? Does Lox really control her?" I strained against my position as I spoke, and it sent pain along with a bout of nausea.

  "You must not move," Silos warned. "There will be time for all of your questions."

  I didn't want to listen to him. Something screamed at me that I had to figure it all out now. But then I was too tired to remember why.

  The next time I awoke, Silos was standing beside a window at the other end of room, which wasn't far. I could see the side of his face lit by dusk light. It took a minute to remember the previous nights and when I had, I let the things he'd said wash through my mind. My thoughts were clearer now than I imagined they'd been in a while, but instead of speaking, I just closed my eyes.

  "I thought you might come to again today," Silos said, "After yesterday. You've been gaining strength. It's good. We won't be able to stay here much longer."

  He was facing me now. I swallowed, remembering enough to tell we'd been in more than one place. "Are we still in Karatel?"

  Silos nodded. "It's not so hard, to hide, when no one's looking for you."

  He moved closer and held out a cup for me; I drank it deftly, still unable to use my own hands.

  Then my jaw locked. And I was surprised by how little pain it caused. "Lox thinks I'm dead," I guessed, with very little question in my tone.

  Silos chuckled. "If he didn't, I imagine that the neither of us would be in as fine a state as we are." He sat the cup down, then brought a wet cloth for my face. I shook my head, dismissing the offer, but he only snorted slightly, then went about it anyways.

  My body slumped, and it was all I could do not to be overcome with anger over the disabled state.

  "I should ask what happened. But you said you've already told me."

  "I didn't expect not to tell you again. It's normal, given your condition, to forget things. I don't mind, if you'd like to try."

  I racked my own mind for the knowledge that must be there. Then I ended up laughing, which sounded more like coughing. "I guess it's kind of obvious, isn't it?" I was thinking darkly of Kraehe, then my coughing became strained. "Am I going to survive?"

  Silos's response was calm. "In the cases of burns, the depth of the wound along with surface area are equally important. You were struck in many places. Sometimes a body can give out from lack of water before it even has a chance to heal."

  He paused. "After the dragon.... Lox sent one of his men to confirm you were dead. He did, but I had my doubts. I asked for the body, for the purposes of research. Lox had already told me he wanted me to begin working with the dragon, as I had the behemoths. He didn't care that I take you, in fact no one stayed long after the execution. It allowed me to retrieve you fairly quickly, and I was able to give you water in time."

  I winced at the memory of that, liking less the food that Silos had given me to swallow before he went on.

  "There's also a danger of infection. I kept you in my tent, so I was able to change your bandages often. I have medicines from my country, that helped. It was difficult when we had to leave but the risk of your discovery became too great before long."

  I thought back to those hours, of what I could recall. Besides the burning, and water, my own voice, jolting pain through my throat as I cried out.

  "I started..." I couldn't quite get the rest out.

  Silos paused in his tale. "I used medicines to keep you unconscious, but sometimes you would break through. I also wasn't sure how long it would be safe for me in Akadia. Lox was busy with the aftermath of all you did, but I knew he suspected me of assisting you with their escape. I have my own wagon. I left on the guise of searching the desert for plant-life, which I'd done before. After that I traded my transportation in Karatel. We've been travelling by hired coach since then."

  "You did all of this with me unconscious?"

  "I had help," he admitted, "when we got to the towns. I've stopped wearing my Kanthian robes. So I'm not recognizable. The innkeepers are more than willing to assist. Once I even had the aid of a healer for more than half a day. By then I kept you conscious some of the time, enough to eat.

  "But to answer your question, yes, I believe that you will survive. I was concerned since yesterday, you'd gotten quite a fever before that. But it seems to have broken, and the fact that you're this aware today is a good sign. Your leg might hurt the worst now, yes? It got infected because of the leather you wore. It caused the fever, but now I believe it will heal. How does it seem to you now?"

  I didn't answer right away. "It burns. Not worse than the rest."

  "It might be hard to accept, after what you've experienced, but in a way you can think of that as a blessing. If you didn't feel the burning, it would mean the damage had penetrated much deeper into your body. There are receptors beneath your skin that register the pain. That you still feel means they weren't lost completely."

  He hesitated; I could sense him watching my face, and he must have read my thoughts well.

  "The dragon... you've called her Kraehe. You knew her then—from your country?"

  I blinked, staring up at the ceiling, trying not to think of how terrified I'd been on the mountain. "She was a just a child then." Too many memories of Ellia and Kraehe went through my mind, and it took a while to get the next words out. "You said that Lox expected you to work with her. Does that mean he controls her?"

  "From what I saw on the mountain, I would guess he doesn't, not in the conventional way that a granted animal would bond at least. If she hadn't been restrained I thought she might have flown off, and even Malatos Lox didn't remain close to her. I've not seen a dragon before then, but I've heard they aren't usually so aggressive?"

  He paused and I guessed he was waiting for me to answer. I shook my head, still staring up, still thinking of her.

  "I can only guess that he's used alternative methods to cause her to respond to him."

  "Like the sparks for the behemoths?" I asked, reminded of them by the dislike in Silos's tone.

  "Similar or worse.... Likely worse."

  I felt a twisting in my stomach, for months of knowing where she was and leaving her to him. "She was bonded to someone before Lox found her. Would it still exist?"

  He didn't answer for so long, that I looked at him. And then I saw that he was frowning. "They would have to be brought close to one another. But certainly that dragon is very dangerous. I do not think that good would come of it. It could be very painful, for both of them, whether they were still connected or not. The dragon, I think, has been driven far from its own natural mind.... If Ellia was still bonded for her part, it could leave her open to great strain. I would not advise she try it."

  I narrowed, breathing harder. "You know who she belonged to?"

  Silos raised a brow, t
hen smiled a little. "I told you, we've spoken. I also know that you tried to free her, before you were captured. And why you did."

  I stared at him for a hard, moment, then I felt a catch in my throat, then I closed my eyes again.

  "You know very little about me, I'm aware, Master Cyric. I hope you've witnessed my deference to the behemoths; this is because I have an appreciation for all life, it is why I chose to learn of animals and nature. You may have your own reasons for what you did, but in fact you've saved a race of creatures. Granted, or otherwise.

  "This is all I need to see to tell that you did not deserve the fate Lox set before you. Instead of thinking of how you have failed, perhaps you should think on the good your actions have brought about. It will be better for your mind, for your healing, even for your body."

  He touched cold cloth to my head again. Everything else had gone distant. I moved my mind away from Kraehe as he suggested, and when I slept, I didn't dream in nightmares.

  #

  Silos spoke of many things the times I was conscious, really whenever I was. He spoke of Akadia and Lox's response to the loss of the Behemoths. I'd feared that Lox might try to go after them, even in the desert, but Silos explained that he'd moved instead to finding replacements for them. Silos thought it helped that the behemoths had grown so weak, that they were already becoming a bother to Lox. He said that before we'd left Akadia, Lox had spoken of plans to build machines that would replace the behemothss position in the mines.

  Two days after our first conversation, we had to leave the inn. I was conscious for most of it. We left by night and the innkeeper and his family helped. Most of what I remembered of that, even more than the pain, was the way they'd looked at me.

  A hired-hand drove the wagon, and most of the time, Silos stayed back with me, replacing the bandages. He spoke then of Karatel. Of the soldiers still stationed there and how we'd escaped notice. We'd cut a path south, along the western edge of the country. Even though it was occupied by Akadian soldiers, Silos said most of the people were still opposed to Akadia's rule. I remembered this well enough on my own, since I'd dealt with resistances myself not too long ago. It made me think of Loone, which made me think of the ocean, which made me force my thoughts away from everything.

  We stopped at another inn, in a larger city, and while I didn't remember coming in, it was where I began to stay awake for hours at a time. It was then that Silos told me he wanted to abandon the cities of Karatel for good. He'd learned that Lox was searching for him, even through the soldiers in Karatel, and he no longer feared that I wouldn't recover.

  After a few days, we left; this time in a wagon purchased by Silos, and this was where I first saw Tosch. Before even surprise, the first thing that hit me was a realization that it meant Ellia would not have heard anything of my final feelings towards her. Almost as quickly, I felt relief for the same fact, but then I dismissed both and tried to focus on giving him a proper greeting, which, in my state, meant a pitiable wave.

  Silos explained that he'd come to stand beside his tent from the time Silos had brought my body there. He'd tried to shoo him off with no luck, so instead he'd hidden him—and when we'd all left, Tosch had taken to roaming about the wagon, racing ahead or behind, and sometimes warning of an oncoming patrol of soldiers.

  He did the same as we left west out of Karatel, across the desert. Otherwise, he walked beside me, where I could hear him from inside the wagon. Since Silos and I were the only ones present, we stopped at night to rest, and there he fixed my bandages. I learned to drink and eat for myself, and apply medicine when my burns were too painful.

  It was dawn when we stopped beside a cleft of rocks. I could hear the sound of a river even before Silos had opened the wagon doors, and when he did I smelled the air and immediately thought of Shaundakul. It was not Shaundakul, we were still in the desert, but we were on the edge of it—where it met the beginnings of the forests. The trees were still short here, but there was some grass, and water for the horses. Silos said that we would set up there until I'd fully healed. I spent most of that day watching Silos build our tent. He'd gone back to wearing his Kanthian robes now. He was strong for someone of his age, but he wasn't big. His shape was more like mine, lean, and perhaps an inch or two shorter than a soldier would prefer to be.

  It got me thinking about Seraphastus, and later that day, when the sky had grown cloudy and Silos had come to rest beside the wagon, I'd asked him about it.

  "You say he had darker skin than, mine?" Silos checked. "And his accent?..."

  "It wasn't as thick," I replied.

  Silos nodded. "He was likely from the northernmost regions of Kanth then. Our country... do you know much about it?" he asked.

  I shook my head. "I only ever met a few Kanthians in Akadia. I know Lox didn't invade your lands like he did so many, I never understood why there were any of you there."

  "Well, I came and went on my own. Akadia was not always a war-mongering city, remember. Before I left my own country, I'd only heard positive rumors of its diversity; particularly its accrual of animals. That's why I first purposed to visiting it, and for a long time I resided in its markets, caring for the beasts there. Then so much changed, so quickly, but when a specialist was needed for the behemoths..." Silos tipped his head, then bobbed it, "I confess, I'd held on to the hope that I would be able to see them, even though they'd been sent away. I agreed, and, of course that's when you and I met." He paused. "Once I saw the danger they were in, I couldn't leave them."

  I thought back to watching Silos studying the behemoths belowground, and how impatient I'd been with the whole issue. Knowing what I did of him now, I couldn't quite picture someone in his position letting me speak the way I had.

  "As for those in your armies, Seraphastus for example, they were very likely not captured in Kanth at all. This goes on to what I was about to explain before. The wilds of Kanth are mostly made up of forestland, not forests like your homeland, mind you, but you probably know we're not far southwest Shaundakul?"

  I nodded.

  "Our trees are heavy-leafed, instead of pined, but tall. And where they aren't, we have meadows of high grass. It's most often in these meadows where we make our homes. Rather than large cities like Akadia, we have villages. We use the surrounding environment to build out homes. Wooden huts, with thatched roofs made of dried grass. Because of this, our people are spaced apart in separate tribes. I come from the one of the old tribes, in the heart of the forest, where Kanthians first settled. You see my skin, it is the darker than even the Akadian's tan? We like to think that we blend to the trees, and it is the same for most of the tribes. But for those on the northwest edges, where Seraphastus likely hailed from, their skin is much darker. This is because of their proximity to the western kingdoms, Carba and Zuta, which are always made up of tribes. Was Seraphastus a large man?"

  I couldn't help but smile a little. "I fought him once. It didn't go well. A fist-fight."

  "Ah," Silos exclaimed, "we Kanthians are renowned for our hand-fighting skills. When we come of age, we hold mock battles in the treetops, which is how we must hunt. And since our hands our needed to climb, we become experts in using what surrounds us, sometimes just this." He held up a flat palm.

  "You fight bare-fisted? It's not considered...wrong?"

  "In Kanth skilled hand-fighters are greatly honored. I was never adept at it myself." He laughed. "Perhaps that's why I turned to studies, and finally left. But as to Seraphastus and his size, it's the same for the others of the far tribes. They've blood from the Carbians in them. And as you know, Carbians are much darker than even Seraphastus must have been. Often the tribes on the borders of our two lands would intertwine, so some of the true lines are lost. When Akadia overtook Carba there were likely many Kanthians residing in their southernmost tribes, ones that would not lightly release their claim. Lox must not have seen much benefit in invading our deep wilds, but what men he won for his armies... I'm sure they fight well."

  "The
y do," I said, knowing firsthand myself. I considered saying more, but thought better of it. Silos nodded, seemingly pleased with his countrymen's conduct. "Do you miss it?" I asked, just as he'd taken a drink of water.

  Silos lowered his cup, then he pressed his lips, thinking for a moment, then he looked at me and nodded.

  Days rolled by and turned into weeks. I grew well enough to move around, keep up my bandages, and survive on my own when Silos had to leave for supplies. The nearest town was a port, back towards the east. Once, he returned with a bow, but he didn't use it to hunt. Sometimes he went to the forest to collect plants though.

  He'd left yesterday on one of the longer journeys, and that was the only reason I'd been able to scratch my bandage while I slept—which he usually kept me from. I checked my other injury now for good measure, and found that the skin over my elbow looked well enough to leave uncovered. I ran my fingers over it, feeling leathery texture. Then I got to my feet and went outside.

  Silence greeted me. Or at least, mostly silence. The river that ran close beside our camp always made some sounds with its passing, though it was scarcely wide enough not to be called a stream. Beyond that were the high forests, and a path. Opposite to all of this was the desert, which, even with the red mountains far in the distance, was mostly golden, with some sickly pale grass; it was much greener near the stream.

  Normally Tosch would be lying somewhere near there, but I didn't see him, which led me to wonder if he'd finally let Silos ride him into town. The fact that the other horse was gone as well, told me this was unlikely. I dismissed the curiosity, and headed for the riverside, bending down and getting a drink from the water before shaking out my hands and standing back up. I didn't wipe the water from my fingers because I still relished the way it made my skin feel, even if the burning was long gone. Then I took a short glance at the sky. It looked like it planned to stay sunny, but it was still cold and I considered whether I should go back inside to grab a coat, only before I could decide, I heard Silos.

  "Ho Cyric," he called. I turned to see him standing by a crop of rocks, upstream, with the desert behind him. "Come along here. You've got to see what we've found." He waved an arm.