A wild, reckless joy flooded Josiah. “I’ll do it.” He looked up at Ozor, carefully avoiding Elkan’s gaze. “Now?”
Ozor nodded. “When better?”
Josiah cleared his throat. It was no more than Elkan had done, after all. His voice wavered, but he said the words fiercely anyway. “I, Josiah, pledge my loyalty to you, Ozor. In the Mother’s name,” he added, raising his chin and facing Elkan defiantly. Let him hear that, and understand that Josiah, like Elkan, was only doing what he must. Under the Mother’s name a compelled oath was no oath at all. Even though it was less their dire circumstances that compelled Josiah, and more the intensity of his desire for the offered reward.
Elkan closed his eyes briefly, his hand tightening in Sar’s mane. Then he moved briskly to Tobi’s side, the donkey close behind. “I was carrying a narrow, sharp knife when I was taken. If someone could return it to me…”
Ozor nodded. Tereid muttered, but turned and pushed his way through the crowd of onlookers. Elkan knelt beside Tobi, golden light washing from his hand. He murmured reassurances to her as he explored the extent of the injury.
Elkan drew in his breath sharply.
Josiah sat up straight, alarmed. “What?”
Elkan shook his head. “Keep her still. The arrow severed her spinal cord.”
Josiah gaped at him. “But… you can heal her, right?”
Elkan studied the shaft of the arrow protruding from Tobi’s back. “We’ll do what we can. Nerves can regrow naturally, so the process is there for the Mother’s power to work with, but only very slowly. Even accelerated as fast as we can push it, this is going to take a long time and a lot of energy.”
Tereid returned and extended Elkan’s knife to him. Elkan accepted it, wiped it on the edge of his tunic, and inserted it into the wound. Methodically he cut the arrow free. He laid aside the bloody knife and arrow, leaned more firmly against Sar, put both hands over the wound, and settled into deep concentration, golden light swathing Tobi.
The clustered bandits watched for a while, but as the minutes crept by, one by one they drifted away. At length only Ozor, Kabos, Tereid, Shonika, and Gan were left, though Josiah caught a glimpse of Nirel lurking behind a tree.
Ozor turned to Kabos. “Will you be able to set aside your differences with the wizard, now that he’s joined us?”
Kabos eyed Elkan darkly. “Just keep the boy away from my daughter.”
“Of course. Shonika, there will be no further need for you to work with the donkey. I believe we’ll have his full cooperation now.”
Shonika scowled but nodded.
“Tereid—”
“I know you take this business of swearing loyalty seriously, Ozor, but you can’t be sure they weren’t lying. They’ll probably run off at the first opportunity.”
“You’re right, of course. Although I do think they’re sincere, especially the boy. Stay and keep an eye on them. You know what to do if they prove treacherous. Bring them to me when the wizard finishes with the beast.” Ozor headed for his tent. “Gan, don’t you have work to do?”
Gan shrugged apologetically at Josiah and scurried off. Tereid dragged up a stool and settled into a relaxed sprawl leaning back against a tree. He didn’t take his eyes from Elkan. Josiah knew he could be on his feet in an instant.
Josiah stroked the soft fur of Tobi’s throat. He blinked back tears. “Just a bit longer, girl. Elkan and Sar will make you all better.”
It didn’t seem right to consider what it might mean if Ozor got his way and Elkan was forced to bond them, not with Tobi still hurt and Elkan so against it. But Josiah couldn’t help it. He watched the golden light pour from Elkan’s hand. What would it feel like, to be able to reach out with the Mother’s power and make things happen? How did a wizard do it, anyway? Did you just think what you wanted? Or was there more to it than that? Elkan would have to teach him, wouldn’t he? Maybe you had to pray to the Mother.
Josiah gulped. Elkan had said every wizard spoke with the Mother at their binding. Did that mean he’d have to, as well?
The healing was taking a long time. Sar and Elkan panted and sweated, drawing near the end of their strength, but Tobi’s hindquarters remained limp. At least she wasn’t bleeding any more, and the wound was mostly closed.
Elkan sat back on his heels, shaking his head. “Have to… take a break. Come back later.” He closed his eyes, took a deep gulp of air, and skin grew across the last open stretch of wound, leaving a pink hairless scar. Elkan’s hand fell, and the light dispersed. Tobi tried to climb to her feet, but yowled as her hind legs refused to function. She flopped back down, gazing at Elkan reproachfully.
“We’ve done all we can for now.” Elkan wiped sweat from his brow. “We’ll go back in after we rest. We accomplished a lot, but there’s still a long way to go.”
Josiah looked from Elkan to Tobi. Tired as the wizard was, he wasn’t nearly as drained as Josiah had seen him before. “You’re going to just leave her like this? She can’t move!”
“She’ll be all right. We’ll get help and move her to the tent. Tereid, could you give us a hand? Call Gan and maybe a few others. Have someone bring a blanket. We need to carry her to shelter.”
Tereid turned and shouted orders. Within minutes half a dozen bandits surrounded them. They rolled Tobi onto a makeshift stretcher and bore her over to where Gan had set up their own tent next to the stores tent. Josiah supposed Elkan wanted to keep a little energy in reserve in case their tenuous accord with the bandits erupted into violence again, but he was still resentful.
Ozor came to check on them as they settled Tobi in the stores tent, which was much larger than their own. Even so, it was a tight fit with Tobi and Sar both crowded into the space. Ozor frowned. “You weren’t able to heal her?”
“Not completely, yet. But we will, it will just take a few sessions. Maybe several days.”
“Oh.” Ozor looked at Josiah. “So, she and the boy…”
“Not until she’s fully healed.” Elkan’s face set stubbornly.
“Well, no rush.” Ozor shrugged off his disappointment with a genial smile. “We’d planned to move to a new camp, but we can hold off until she’s ready to travel. Keep me informed of your progress.”
Elkan nodded and Ozor left. Josiah hid his unwillingness to look at Elkan by jumping up with Gan to fetch their meal. Wouldn’t it make more sense to bond Tobi to him now, if it was going to happen anyway? That way Josiah and Tobi could use their energy to heal her, too. He guessed it was possible the binding itself might take energy, either from Elkan and Sar or from Tobi herself. In that case he agreed it should wait, so the healing could proceed as quickly as possible. Tobi was bearing up with her usual good cheer, but Josiah could tell her paralysis deeply distressed her.
But Josiah suspected that Elkan was merely stalling. He was clearly deeply set against bonding Josiah and Tobi. If Ozor was willing to accept this excuse, apparently Elkan was willing to use it.
His suspicions deepened when, after their midday meal, Elkan didn’t attempt further healing, even though he and Sar seemed much recovered. Gan had found a chunk of raw meat for Tobi, which she’d devoured with only a bit less than her accustomed gusto. Now she was sleeping peacefully. Elkan would probably say he didn’t want to wake her if Josiah questioned him. So he didn’t.
Elkan went to the tent flap, opened it, and peered around. Satisfied no one was observing them, he returned to Sar’s side. He placed one hand on the donkey’s back, and a sphere of light formed over the other.
“What are you doing?” Josiah moved closer.
“Shh.” Elkan glanced back toward the tent entrance. He spoke very softly. “Checking to see if our rescuers are nearby.”
Through the window Josiah could see the landscape around the bandit camp spread out, as if they watched through the eyes of a bird high above. He caught a glimpse of the white tops of the tents. The view circled the area, swooping and wheeling until Josiah felt sick to his stomach. “Elkan, look there.
”
The window zoomed in to the point where Josiah had caught a glimpse of movement, but it was a cluster of deer, pulling leaves off bushes. They chewed thoughtfully, alert for any danger, completely unaware they were being observed.
The view resumed its methodical progress in ever widening circles around the camp. Eventually the broad panorama dimmed and faded into a wash of gold sparks. “That’s as far as we can take it.” Elkan let the window die away.
Josiah didn’t bother to hide his disappointment. “Nobody’s coming for us.”
“Not yet, but we can only see a couple miles. We’ll keep checking whenever we get the chance. Sar and I will rest for a while, then we’ll work on Tobi some more.”
Josiah nodded. He was tired, but far too restless to nap. He sank down cross-legged on his pallet and watched Elkan and Sar settle themselves. He noticed the stubble had vanished from Elkan’s cheeks. The purpling bruise and scabbed-over abrasion were gone as well, and Sar’s hide was free of whip marks.
Josiah jumped up and left the tent. He went to offer Gan help with his work. He regretted the impulse as soon as he discovered Gan had been assigned to fill in the overly full privy trench and dig a new one to accommodate the bandits’ extended stay. But Gan was so glad of his offer he felt obligated to set to work alongside him.
Elkan and Sar were deep in another healing session when Josiah returned to the tent. Gan accompanied him with news that the evening meal was ready. He was to bring them to the communal gathering. Josiah got Elkan’s attention with a quiet word and a hand laid on his arm. Wizard and familiar broke off their work. Tobi appeared unchanged.
The meal was deeply awkward at first. Elkan and Josiah perched on a length of log, part of the circle of bandits that ringed the fire. The others watched them with a mix of hostility and curiosity. Gan sat beside Josiah and tried to make conversation. Josiah tried to catch Nirel’s eye where she was seated next to her father, but she refused to look at him.
Later, however, things loosened up. Beer was passed around; a moderate amount, but enough to loosen the bandits’ tongues. Musical instruments made an appearance, and everyone joined in singing bawdy songs. Ozor sat back, sipping his beer and surveying the proceedings with an air of genial contentment. Josiah was almost sorry when Elkan nodded farewell and retreated to their tent.
Over the next few days, Elkan and Sar spent most of their time working on Tobi, only stopping to rest, eat, and scan for the rescuers that never appeared. But the mountain cat was still unable to control her rear legs. Josiah fed her and cleaned up the wastes she couldn’t deal with in her usual fastidious fashion. The rest of the time he worked with Gan on whatever task the young bandit was given. Ozor approved of the arrangement, so the rest of the bandits accepted Josiah, with varying degrees of openness or reserve, into their number. Kabos even relaxed enough that he didn’t send Nirel back to their tent every time Josiah appeared, though Nirel still kept an eye out to make sure he wasn’t watching the few times she talked with Josiah.
By the evening of the fifth day after Tobi’s appearance, despite many hours spent bathed in the Mother’s golden light, the mountain cat was still paralyzed. She was listless, her appetite diminished, and Josiah was sure she’d lost weight. Her coat was dull and rough under Josiah’s stroking hands, and she snarled at him when he accidentally jostled her. He continued to care for her faithfully, but he could hardly bear to watch her decline.
Finally, it was too much. Josiah confronted Elkan near bedtime, when the wizard came out of yet another fruitless healing session. “Elkan, tell me the truth. Are you ever going to be able to heal her?”
Elkan pushed his hair back from his damp forehead. “It’s looking promising. It’s a slow, slow process, but the nerves are growing. It’s a matter of patience and stamina, because we have to keep the pressure of the Mother’s power applied constantly.”
Josiah got up and paced the close confines of the tent. He addressed the canvas wall. “So you’re going as fast as you can. You’re not… taking longer than you have to on purpose, so Ozor won’t make you bind her to me.”
He heard Elkan come up behind him, but he wouldn’t look, not even when the wizard put a hand on his shoulder. “Josiah, I know how much you want that—”
“Do you?” Josiah twisted away from his touch.
Elkan’s voice stayed quiet. “I remember what it felt like, before I was bound to Sar. How badly I wanted to wield the Mother’s power.”
Josiah turned back to him at that. “But you always knew you’d get a familiar eventually. It’s not the same.”
“Maybe not.” Elkan was silent for a few moments. When he spoke, his voice was low. “Josiah, even once Tobi is healed, it’s not going to happen. I let Ozor think we’d cooperate with his plan, and I’ll keep stringing him along as long as I can, but we’re never going to go through with it. I can’t bind you to Tobi.”
“Why not?” Josiah demanded, glaring at Elkan.
“Keep your voice down!” Elkan jerked his head toward the tent flap and the camp of bandits outside.
“Why not?” Josiah repeated, softer but no less passionate. “Don’t you trust me? I wouldn’t try to misuse the Mother’s power, I promise. I could be a good wizard. I know I could.”
Elkan ran his hand through his hair. “I have no doubt you’d make a fine wizard. But it’s not for me to decide. The Mother chooses, not us. To try and circumvent her will would go against the most basic tenets of the Law. I won’t do that.” His shoulders sagged. “Even if I did, it wouldn’t work. We could go through all the motions, but a binding only happens if the Mother wills it.”
Josiah studied him. He seemed completely sincere, but could Josiah really be sure? Was he telling the truth, or was he only repeating the dogma of the Wizards’ Guild, designed to keep power firmly in their hands?
He thought he knew Elkan, but how well did he really? He knew the wizard was capable of keeping secrets. Look at what Elkan had told Meira—he’d never breathed a word about his marriage in front of Josiah before or since. Despite his open demeanor, Elkan was an intensely private person. Josiah found himself suddenly not at all sure some of the secrets that lurked behind those warm eyes might not be frighteningly dark.
Josiah turned away. “You promise you’re healing Tobi as fast as you can?”
Elkan sighed. “There’s no point in us draining ourselves dry to rush the process, but no, we’re not deliberately delaying. I wouldn’t do that. If after all this time together you think I would…”
Josiah shook his head. “How much longer do you think it will take?”
Elkan glanced at Sar. “Based on our progress so far, around two days, maybe three.”
“Ozor’s getting impatient. Gan says they never stay in one camp this long. What will you do if he insists on moving?”
“I don’t know.” Elkan crouched by Tobi, stroking her fur. Without opening her eyes she gave a sleepy little jerk. Josiah realized with a pang that it should have been a twitch of her tail tip. “I suppose we could rig some sort of litter between a couple of the horses.”
That would probably work, though Josiah hated to think how uncomfortable Tobi would be. “And when you do finish healing her, what then?”
Elkan heaved a sigh. “I hope our rescuers will come before then. If not, perhaps we can sneak away.”
Josiah liked that idea. “If you time it so you finish healing her in the middle of the night—” He broke off. Was he suggesting that Elkan hold off healing Tobi, when he’d been outraged to think the wizard might be doing exactly that just a few minutes ago? He defended himself in his mind. It wasn’t like it would be for days, just a few hours.
Elkan quirked him a wry smile. “With any luck, we won’t have to. Have faith that help is on the way.”
Josiah had to be content with that. He wanted to trust Elkan. But his newly awakened doubts refused to be laid entirely to rest.
Twenty-Two
The road to Remethera was empty. The wind
ow collapsed, its light fading from Elkan’s hand. He scratched Sar between his ears, and the donkey leaned into his caress with a sigh. They studied Tobi, sprawled asleep, her golden coat dappled by bits of late afternoon sunlight.
Elkan summoned Josiah closer. He spoke, barely above a whisper. “If we push hard this evening, we might be able to finish during the night.”
Josiah nodded, heart racing. “What will we do?”
Elkan pushed a hand through his hair. “I was certain the search party would come,” he admitted. “But it looks like we can’t wait any longer. Not and heal Tobi as soon as possible.” His voice had an edge to it.
Josiah swallowed. “So, um, are we going to leave? Tonight?”
“I think we must. As soon as Tobi can travel, Ozor will want to move out, and he’ll take us deeper into the mountains, farther from help. We need to get to Remethera and meet the wizards and watchers when they arrive. Or at least find out why it’s taken them so long.” He rose and paced restlessly. “Master Dabiel must have sent someone. I told her how urgent the problem was, and she knows I wouldn’t exaggerate.” He stared off toward Elathir, many miles distant.
He shook his head and turned back to Josiah. “While we work, can you get things ready? We’ll have to leave the tent behind. But there’s plenty of food; we can take what we need.” He went to heft a bag of grain. “A fair trade, though I suppose that doesn’t matter. All this is stolen, or bought with payment for stolen goods.”
“Ozor won’t care. He’ll be too angry that we’re gone.” Josiah shivered, thinking of the bandit leader’s rage. Against all reason, he’d almost come to like Ozor. Though most of the bandits were just as skeptical as Tereid about the sincerity of Elkan and Josiah’s commitment, Ozor accepted them completely and treated them as warmly as he did the rest of his followers. He was a personable, likable man. That morning he’d worked alongside everyone else to wash the camp’s accumulated laundry and hang it to dry. It had been hard for Josiah to remember that the man with his sleeves rolled up scrubbing industriously at a stubborn stain was a remorseless killer. But he knew it was true, and all Ozor’s warmth would turn icy cold when he learned of their betrayal. “I’ll take care of it, don’t worry.”
The Fuller's Apprentice (The Chronicles of Tevenar Book 1) Page 32