Iron Clash (Legend of the Iron Flower Book 7)

by Billy Wong

  "There's nothing anyone can do for her body, you know that. If only your magic were stronger..."

  He wished. In the days of the Old World, the best mages could have healed even damage to the vital organs without great difficulty. But that was then and this was now. Even if using magic wouldn't risk his humanity, Finn couldn't give her back the vast quantity of blood she'd lost, nor restore the shattered organs which leaked inside her dying shell. Try as he might, he couldn't really deny her doom anymore. The comfortable intimacy once conveyed to him by the darkness of their shelter had been replaced by a sense of gloom and dread at her approaching demise.

  Brandon suggested thoughtfully then, "What happened to that magic healing device? You know, the one you gave to the hospital in Hullel?"

  Finn shook his head. "You think I wouldn't have thought of that? The thing stopped working a little while ago. I guess after being used so much, its magic went dry."

  "Shit, no magic to save her the one time she might need it. But maybe there's something you could do for her spirit, so she'll have more strength to fight for her life. Give her a reason not to let herself slip away."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Your children. Maybe if she could hold them, she'd be more determined to survive."

  Finn almost voiced a laugh, though it would have been the most bitter kind. "That's silly. Don't be such a romantic."

  "I know it sounds stupid. But now, what else is there?"

  "Our children are on the other side of the country."

  "So?"

  "Rose might not survive traveling that far." Maybe, probably, she would insist she could. Finn didn't dare take that risk, though—he wouldn't endanger her physically just for emotional encouragement's sake.

  "What if you brought them here?"

  And leave Rose? What if she died while he was away? He had to believe his support helped her now in some way, and if he left, she might not be able to muster the willpower to hold on... And he couldn't bear to find out, upon coming back, that she'd died. "I'm not leaving her side."

  "What if I brought them here?"

  Finn blinked, surprised by his willingness to go himself. He'd just begun to wonder if Brandon didn't want Finn to leave so that he could have Rose's company to himself. But he supposed he shouldn't be so surprised—the count did really care for her, even love her in his way. It usually annoyed Finn, but he felt glad for it at the moment. He still thought the idea was unrealistic, but clung to the minuscule spark of hope it brought in lieu of utter despair. "You sure you can take care of my kids?"

  "My wife's pregnant, remember? I've been getting ready to be a daddy—and I'll pass by home besides. I'll bring a maid or two just in case. Don't worry, I'll take good care of Jacob and Amber; Rose would hate me otherwise, and I couldn't have that."

  He would do his best, Finn knew, and was too good of a warrior for much to oppose him on the way. "All right, go. Come back quickly okay?"

  Brandon looked at his feet. "It's going to take a while, no matter how many horses I kill along the way."

  "But Rose... she might not have much time."

  "Then you take care of her, Finn—don't let her die."

  Promising softly that he wouldn't, he wished his former enemy good luck.

  #

  A gentle voice disturbed Rose's sleep, and she awakened to unbearable pain. "Rose? Please answer me." She opened her eyes, and saw again the dead heroine Kayla's face. Would she soon be just as dead? "Good, you woke up. I thought you were going to die."

  "What do want from me? I need to sleep." To hide from the pain, which somehow reached her even in her dream.

  A sad whisper passed for Kayla's voice. "You really hurt him. It hurts me to sense his pain."

  "Who, Wilner? He deserves it—though I wish I could have killed him, instead of just ripping up his face."

  "Not him. Why would he matter to me? I meant Clearsky."

  Rose remembered the scream she'd heard in her head when she cut off the tine. "What, you care?"

  The honey-haired legend's lips formed a tight line. "I never felt it before. I didn't even know I could feel his pain. But I can, and I don't like it."

  "Does it hurt?"

  "Yes, but I wouldn't complain to you just for my pain. I just... it disturbs me to know he's suffering."

  "Are you saying you don't want us to fight him anymore? You helped us so much already, but..."

  Conflict simmered in Kayla's eyes. "No, that's not what I'm saying. He needs to be stopped, he can't have his way. But he's my son, born of my mind. I don't want to see him die. I'm not sure if he has a soul, and if he doesn't, there'll be nothing left then."

  Rose didn't know if she could consider a trident alive. Then again, Clearsky did have a mind. She pondered the situation for a bit, taking longer than she might usually have as jolts of searing pain disrupted her thoughts. "We have to stop him, like you said. What would you have us do? Lock him away? How long would that hold him, and if we could trap him forever, would that even be better than death?"

  "M-maybe he could change."

  "You said you made him out of only your most destructive qualities, right? So could he really change?"

  "I don't know. I have no idea what to do. I just don't want him destroyed."

  She couldn't see any other solution to really solve the problem of Clearsky, but said, "You won't have to worry about me doing that for some time. I might not even live."

  Kayla reached down and touched her face. "You can do it, Rose. You wouldn't want to bring your husband such heartbreak."

  "Of course I don't. You can be assured I'll try my best to survive."

  #

  Finn smiled weakly as he saw his suffering wife's eyes open. It was a small victory that she'd woken up today, but a victory anyway. The battles had stopped for now, after Victor proposed a temporary truce that the Kaylanders all too gladly accepted. Finn supposed even the ruthless enemy were tired and desired a rest from the bloody fight.

  He laid down next to Rose and hugged her lightly. "You're so beautiful. I love you, light of my life."

  She grinned, but when she spoke Finn could barely hear her. "I love you too, but don't be so stressed over me. Have I ever failed to survive?"

  "You are miraculously still alive." He thought about Brandon, and wondered what she would say if she knew what he was going to do. She'd probably get angry, and that wouldn't be good for her health at this point. "Here, have some juice."

  He helped Rose raise her head to drink from her canteen, and she asked worriedly, "Is Alicia alright?"

  "She's hanging in there, same as you. I think she's going to be fine." He wasn't really so sure of that, but it was true she hadn't died, yet anyway.

  "That's good. Are Victor and Wilner still alive?"

  "They are, too bad for us. But you did good, Rose—hurt them enough to make them think twice about continuing the fight. Victor just asked for a truce."

  "I guess I'll have some time to think about what Kayla said. She doesn't want us to destroy Clearsky."

  His eyes widened. "What?!"

  "You know the strength of family ties."

  Finn grunted. "With a damn trident? It's not even alive."

  Rose exhaled. "That's what I think too. But she's helped us a lot, and I feel obliged to consider her feelings. Don't worry, though, I wouldn't hesitate to break him if that's what stopping this war will take."

  He kissed her forehead, and his chest tightened to notice her face muscles taut with pain. "I know you wouldn't," he said while he eased her back down. "Get some rest, okay?" She didn't argue, but lay back grimacing. As she touched the bedding, she seemed to deflate. Finn remembered how most of the time, she would have been eager to keep talking despite grievous wounds. This was bad. He stroked her fluffy mane, tears flowing from his eyes. "Get well, girl. You better not die."

  Only a short time passed before another someone lifted their tent flap from outside, and Finn asked wearily, "Who is it this time?"

>   To his surprise, it was Derrick who ducked inside. The scholar's haggard face framed exhausted eyes. Seeing Finn's agitated state, he looked with concern at the sleeping Rose and asked, "How is she doing?"

  "Let's talk outside—I don't want to wake her." They stepped out though Finn's body tensed with worry Rose might pass on while he was away, and he gave Derrick more details on what had happened. "I'm really scared for her," he finished. "She was all broken inside."

  "We shouldn't give up hope. How many impossible things has Rose survived before?"

  She had lived time and time again despite hideous damage inside and out. "I'm not giving up. I know better than anybody how strong she is. But she said herself she didn't know if she would make it, instead of promising she'd be okay like she always does." He choked up and began to cry. "They butchered her at the end of that fight—stuck her full of blades after she already had an axe splitting her torso. She never gave up, though. Brandon told me she was still fighting when he reached her and helped her away."

  Derrick put a hand on Finn's arm. "You should take heart in that. She didn't even go down to them, she won't die."

  "I can see the torment in her eyes every moment she's awake. I'm scared her mortality's caught up to her this time."

  "She's used to pain, remember? Even when she's not hurt like this, she lives with old pains every day."

  "You don't think that's one of the reasons I'm so scared for her? She may be incredibly tough, but even her body never heals completely from the worst of the damage it takes. You see how covered in scars she is, the same must go for her on the inside. There has to be a limit to what even she can take."

  "Finn... don't you accept she's going to die. Don't condemn her to death in your mind."

  "What I think won't change what happens to her in reality." Of course, he desperately wanted her to survive. But he could barely go a minute without imagining her dying, or himself mourning her death. He wiped his eyes. "So Derrick, what are you doing over here? Is it because you heard about Rose's injury?"

  "I only learned of that after I set out, to find medicine."

  "What medicine, and for who?"

  "I need that infection medicine Ashleigh gave to Julie before, which Brandon has now. It's for Mick, you know, from Culn. The Dream Killer cut off his hands."

  Finn scowled. "He's still after us, then? I should have chased him down and caved his face in."

  A dubious frown was Derrick's response. Mick must have talked about Finn's performance against the foreigner. "So where's Brandon?"

  "He's not here, he went to..."

  In a knowingly exasperated voice, Derrick asked, "He went to do what, Finn?"

  "To get our kids, so Rose can hold them and be reminded of why she needs to survive."

  "She's going to be really mad. Purposely bringing children into a war zone isn't the most prudent idea."

  He nodded grimly. "I know. I've thought about it, and I'm scared for Jacob and Amber to come here too. But I don't know what else we can do. Please don't tell her, not just so she won't be mad, but to preserve the pleasant surprise. Once she's seen and held the twins, I'll send them right back—I just want her to remember what she has to live for."

  Derrick sighed. "Fine. I hope you know what you're doing. Do you think Brandon left any of his medicine here, in his tent or something?"

  "I don't know. Let's go see."

  They went together to the count's fancily colored tent, and after arguing a bit with a pair of Resnick soldiers managed to search the place. "It's not here," Derrick said with a groan. "Damn guy must have taken it with him."

  Brandon would have little use for it on the road, except in the unlikely event he got sick. But he probably kept it in his pack, and just hadn't thought to leave it in his hurry to depart for Rose's sake. Despite his general disdain for the count's infatuation with his wife, Finn was a bit glad to know how much he cared. Unfortunately, that didn't bode well for Mick's recovery. "It might not have worked, anyway. The medicine probably can't stop infection past a certain point. But I could try my magic on him."

  "You'd do that, and risk your humanity?"

  Finn bit his lip. "I've used magic a few times without starting to turn into a dragon. I suppose I could try one spell to save someone's life."

  They went to the infirmary where Derrick had left Mick upon arriving at the camp, and Finn saw immediately that his magical prowess would be severely tested by the crippled man's sickness. Though the stumps of his hands had been seared late, the infection had already spread throughout his body, and ceaseless shivers wracked his tortured frame. "F-Finn?" Mick rasped.

  Despite fearing greatly that his Rose was close to death, Finn realized the bard was worse off at this time. He doubted Brandon's medicine would have been enough alone, and with his own inexperience in healing did not expect to do much himself. Maybe if they had both his magic and the medicine, Mick would stand a chance. Still, he had to try. He grasped a thin, shaking hand and spoke magic words, calling upon the elements to purge infection from the body. His spell found disease and began to destroy it, and Finn thought he could win. Then, he realized Mick's arm had gone limp in his hand.

  He looked up to meet open, lifeless eyes. Closing them, he said softly, "He's gone. We were too late." But he couldn't even feel all that sad, too preoccupied with Rose's possible similarly tragic fate.

  Derrick didn't speak for a while, then asked, "If we hadn't wasted so much time talking, would we..?"

  "No, minutes wouldn't have made the difference, and I doubt Brandon's medicine would either. He was too far gone to save."

  "So what do we do now, Finn?"

  "We wait, I guess... and hope Rose doesn't die."

  #

  With a prayer for Rose's recovery, Derrick left his friends' tent, heart heavy in his chest. Incredibly resilient though she might be, it was discouraging that even Finn feared so badly for her. After a bit of aimless wandering around the dreary encampment, he decided to visit Alicia.

  When he approached her tent, a halberd-wielding guard stopped him and demanded in a clear voice, "Halt! Who goes there?"

  Surprised the man actually talked that way, Derrick replied, "Can I see Lady Alicia? I'm Rose's friend Derrick, if she asks."

  "She is badly wounded. I do not think this is the best time for you to disturb her rest."

  Derrick nodded, and began to walk away. But before he got three steps, a woman's voice called weakly, "Wait! Come on in here. My guard's just being silly. Jon, you needn't have turned him away."

  The guard stepped aside, and Derrick walked into Alicia's tent to regard a rather piteous sight. The gigantic duchess lay bundled in thick blankets on the floor, her eyes sunken and face white. "Should I really be in here?" he asked with concern.

  "You think I'd let a little axe in my side keep me from bragging about the fight? I made Victor run away, you know. Now no one can say I lied."

  He smiled. The woman's refusal to acknowledge the severity of her injury reminded him of Rose, though their reasons were hardly the same. "You think you're going to be okay? Rose wouldn't want to lose another friend."

  "I'll be fine. But why'd you come here? Did Count Brandon ask you to help him seduce me?"

  "No, I'm pretty sure he'd do the seducing himself. I came because I've got nowhere better to go, I guess. I thought it would be nice to let Rose and Finn have some time alone, hurt as she is."

  "That's stupid. You're one of her best friends, aren't you? So you should be there too, letting her know you need her to live. I mean, what's the point of having just Finn? It's not like they're going to make love at this point."

  Derrick blushed. "Okay... so why aren't you there?" Sure she was wounded, but no doubt she could get someone to help her get to her friend's side—and while Alicia generally acted less than altruistic, he knew from Rose's recounting of the final battle against the Vlin that the duchess did care for her.

  "Me? I wouldn't be much use. I might do more harm than good, annoyin
g Rose whenever we're both awake."

  Her words only carried slight humor, and Derrick was surprised by her consideration. "You're not as bad as you come off in the stories most of the time."

  "Of course. I'm the best, remember?"

  He laughed. "But you are just as arrogant."

  "Arrogant? Come on, it's called confidence."

  "Whatever. I don't think Rose would be annoyed by having you around. Finn told me she's quite worried about you, actually. She'll be glad to see you're still your cocky self."

  "She's worried about me, huh, even though she's the one everybody thinks is dying? That's just like her, to think about everyone else first."

  "So you want to come?"

  "Ah, fine. Help me up?"

  Derrick stared at the hand she reached up. "Shouldn't somebody carry you, in your state?"

  She snorted. "It was embarrassing enough to be carried here by Finn of all people. I tried to tell him off, but he picked me up anyway."

  Well, it was natural not to let a lady walk with a huge gaping wound in her side. Or something like that. Of course, Derrick doubted he could carry Alicia for any length of time. Helping her stand with a hiss of pain, he marveled at her weight. She was much bigger than Rose. He looked at her sweating face, and she nodded when he asked her if she was all right. He dragged her outside, and to their mutual friend's side.

  Awake, Rose looked up as they entered the tent, and smiled happily if weakly. "Alicia! You're okay?"

  "Not really what you'd call okay. But hey, I'm alive."

  The two women clasped hands—even now, Alicia was hardly the hugging type. Rose shook her head and said, "We're lucky enough none of us died, yet."

  "Too bad neither of them did either. I'm going to kill that one-armed whore who saved Wilner, next time."

  Rose's eyes grew wide. "No, don't even think like that! Loreen doesn't deserve to die."

  Finn looked sadly at his wife. "She's the enemy now; she chose her side. If she hadn't done what she did, Wilner would be dead, and you'd be fine."