by J D Abbas
A hand gripped his shoulder and shook him roughly.
“Wake up, Keymar,” someone whispered. “You’re dreaming.”
Keymar gasped, and his body stiffened. He opened his eyes and found Welsnor bending over him. When his mind cleared, he saw that men all over the camp were on their feet. He sat up, holding his head, his mind struggling to shift from one reality to another.
“You were calling out,” Welsnor said softly.
“What did I say?” Keymar asked, his face burning.
“You yelled Zakad several times.”
Keymar looked around at the others. “I-I’m sorry. It was just a dream.” He heard several of the men grumble. “I’m sorry for disturbing your sleep.”
“What were you dreaming?” Welsnor asked with concern. He was a good friend and knew full well of the demise of Keymar’s brothers.
“I don’t remember,” Keymar lied. “Go back to sleep. I’m fine now.”
Welsnor let him be, though he didn’t look like he believed him.
Keymar didn’t close his eyes the remainder of the night. He hadn’t had nightmares like this since he’d come back from Kelach. He wondered why they had suddenly returned. Were they a warning? He would keep watch, just in case.
~
Before the sun rose, Keymar was on his feet. He carefully wove his way around his sleeping comrades, not wanting to disturb their slumber yet again, and found the place where Celdorn said they would be guarding Elena. No one seemed to be moving, so he sat on a log and waited.
A short time later he saw Celdorn stand and look around. When he spied Keymar, he motioned for him to draw near. The others were beginning to rise as he approached. Silvandir eyed him steadily. Keymar, unable to read his expression, hesitated. Then when he saw Elena’s head pop up, he stopped completely and turned around.
“It’s all right, Keymar,” Celdorn said, walking up behind him. “I informed Elena and the others last night that you would be coming.” He put his hand on the young man’s shoulder and steered him to their camp. “You are most welcome.”
Elena was brushing her hair and reweaving her braid as Keymar drew near. She whispered something to Silvandir, who grabbed his sword, before they disappeared around the side of the rock structure. Shatur snatched up his weapon and followed. By the time the three returned, Tobil had finished lighting a fire and was busy preparing a morning gruel. Elena’s face was flushed, but when she walked by the cooking pot she paled, covering her mouth and nose.
Celdorn held out his hand as she approached. “Are you well?”
Elena nodded and put on a brave smile, turning her attention to Keymar. “Silothani, you are most welcome,” she said with a broad smile as she held out her left hand.
Keymar rose, blushing with surprise, and awkwardly grasped her wrist, his fist on his heart. “Silothani, my lady. Thank you.” He bowed slightly. “I beg your pardon for intruding so early. I found it difficult to sleep. I suppose I was anxious to speak with you.”
“How have you been?” she asked. “Was it difficult to return to Dussendor?”
Keymar was caught off guard by her directness, but the kindness in her eyes made tears burn in his. “Yes, very difficult. I’d always lived with my brothers, and now the home is empty.” He paused and swallowed hard. “I feel empty,” he added softly, his eyes shifting to the ground.
“Celdorn informed me that you would like to accompany us to Queyon.” She paused and waited until he lifted his eyes. “I have no objection,” she added with a smile. “Though I must warn you, traveling in my company can be hazardous duty. It has been quite eventful thus far.”
“It’s for that very reason I wish to offer my services,” he replied. “I owe you a debt.”
Elena’s brow furrowed. “What debt is that?”
Keymar’s face burned, and he stared at the ground. “For... for granting me pardon when I so ignorantly accused and shamed you.”
“Oh.” She paused and Keymar cringed inside. “I told you before, I bear you no ill will. I would have reacted the same were I in your shoes. Let us move on from there.”
Keymar lifted his eyes to Elena’s and found a surprising tenderness there.
“I too have been pardoned of great wrongs. Much worse than what you have done,” she said softly, tears suddenly welling. She turned her head quickly and cleared her throat. “You are acquainted with everyone else here, I believe.”
“Yes, my lady.” He glanced around at the others. His gaze dropped when it met Silvandir’s.
The large Guardian stepped forward. “We appreciate your offer to serve Elena. You are welcome here,” he added, reaching out his hand.
Keymar raised his eyes, his throat so tight he couldn’t swallow. He studied Silvandir as he gripped his wrist. He saw no trace of anger or resentment. “I am in your debt as well,” he replied quietly, dipping his chin to Silvandir.
“There is no debt.” He grabbed Keymar’s shoulder. “If you remember, I struck you rather viciously. So shall we say all is equal?” He gave an arch smile.
“We shall,” Keymar agreed, nodding his thanks.
“We have another issue to address,” Celdorn interjected. “Let’s all sit down, and we’ll see what can be done.”
Celdorn waited until everyone was situated before he seated himself on a log next to Elena with Keymar opposite them. “Keymar has brought with him a girl who was found chained in the caves of the Farak, a victim of the same disturbing trade as Elena,” he began. “The Guardians had been sheltering her at Dussendor until just recently when they took her and the other survivors to join the children that are headed to Queyon. This girl has made three attempts to take her own life, the most recent while in the Valley. She attempted to drown herself in the river. Keymar brought her here in hopes that either Elbrion or Elena might be able to do something to help her before it’s too late.”
“Keymar!” a voice called from a short distance away.
He jumped to his feet, heart thumping, and scanned the trees. “I’m here.”
A breathless Guardian in Dussendor livery appeared. “There’s something wrong with the girl. Come quickly.”
Keymar jumped up and ran toward the messenger. “What happened?”
“We don’t know. She’s writhing on the ground, spewing blood.”
Shaken, Keymar turned to Celdorn, who was already at his side.
“Dalgo, Braiden, come with us,” Celdorn ordered as they turned and followed the man from Dussendor. Elbrion joined them. “The rest of you stay with Elena, and be on guard,” Celdorn called behind him.
When they arrived at the place where the tent was pitched for the girl, they found her on the ground, barely moving. Dalgo and Braiden quickly assessed the situation.
“Sh-she has p-poisoned herself,” Braiden whispered, noting the purple leaves she clutched in her hands. “D-do you have any p-pashimar?” he asked Dalgo
The healer had already pulled the vial from his pouch and bent down to pour it into the girl’s mouth. She gagged and tried to turn her head, but Dalgo held her jaw firmly. “Swallow it,” he ordered.
In the meantime, Braiden pried the girl’s hands open, forcing her to drop the leaves. He then covered a cloth with oil from a small jar and vigorously rubbed her palms. While he was working on her hands, his face contorted, and Keymar noticed him hunch over as if in pain. As soon as he was finished, the young healer disappeared around the back of the tent.
When Dalgo was certain the girl had swallowed the medicine, he released her jaw. She immediately pulled her hood up and rolled onto her side away from him.
“Lillianna?” Keymar said in a hushed tone, kneeling beside her. She didn’t respond. “Lillianna, these people can help you. They have helped others like you.”
“I don’t want help. I want to die, Keymar.” She crawled back into the tent. “Just leave me alone.”
“You see what we are dealing with?” Keymar asked, turning to Celdorn. “What do we do?”
“We’ll have Elbrion m
ake an attempt to reach her mind,” Celdorn said.
It was then they noticed that Elbrion was gone.
~
“Braiden?” Elbrion called softly as he searched among the trees. A strangled sound directed him to a clump of bushes. He found Braiden on the far side, curled in a fetal position, sobbing. He knelt next to him and placed his hand on the young man’s back. “Are you well?”
“N-no. Something h-happened.”
“I know,” Elbrion replied. “You felt her pain, and it triggered yours.”
Braiden’s face contorted. “H-how did you kn-know?”
“I am at a loss to explain it,” Elbrion replied. “I do not customarily sense what is happening inside another and never without physical contact—Elena has been the only exception to that—but I most definitely felt what was occurring inside you although I was ten feet away.”
Braiden shivered. “When I t-touched the girl, the physical p-pain that moved through m-me was so intense I couldn’t b-bear it. It was as if every p-part of her b-body was screaming at me, d-demanding healing. And-and what I felt from her b-brought back what happened ... b-by the river—the images as w-well as the physical s-sensations, as-as if it were all happening again. H-had I not left when I d-did, I would h-have h-had to crawl away.”
Braiden pushed himself into a sitting position and winced. He pulled his legs into his chest while his eyes began to move rapidly, frantically. “But...b-but the physical p-pain wasn’t nearly as intense as the—I d-don’t know how t-to explain it—the... the ch-chaos of images and emotion. It was like b-being thrust into a p-pit full of lepers, d-decaying and d-dying, clawing at each other in p-panic, trying to find a w-way out and d-destroying one another—and me—in the process. I-I can’t m-make it stop.”
As he spoke, Braiden clutched Elbrion’s tunic as if he were his anchor, silently pleading for Elbrion not to let him drift away. His eyes were wild with fear, his breathing rapid. Elbrion laid his hand on the young man’s head and chanted softly. Little by little, Braiden’s chest stopped heaving, and his breath slowed. He leaned his head against Elbrion’s shoulder, exhausted.
“You have only recently begun to recover from your own ordeal,” Elbrion said gently. “I think it would be wise for you to keep your distance from this girl. I suggest you go back and wait with Elena and the others.”
The young man nodded feebly and rose to go.
“Braiden?” He turned around. “Being around Elena seems to have intensified our giftings. You have grown more sensitive. In the future, you may need to be cautious whom you touch. You have enough of a burden right now dealing with your own experiences.” Elbrion gazed toward the young healer with affection.
“I w-won’t argue there,” he replied with a weak smile. “I’m g-going to the shelter.”
Elbrion sighed as he watched Braiden climb the hill on wobbly legs, wondering with concern what Lillianna’s presence might provoke in Elena.
Chapter 43
Elena watched Braiden approach, wondering why he was alone. “What happened with the girl?” she asked.
He stopped a few feet away from her. “Sh-she attempted to p-poison herself b-by eating leaves from the m-mythar plant. D-Dalgo treated her. She should b-be fine.”
“Where are the others?” Elena took a step toward him, and Braiden hastily stepped back. His boot caught on the edge of a rock and he reached out a shaky hand to steady himself.
“I-I imagine they’re still c-caring for the g-girl.” He rubbed his neck and looked down, unwilling to meet her eyes.
Elena’s brow furrowed. “Weren’t you with them?”
“I-I was, b-but I had to leave.” His voice was barely audible.
Elena studied him. “Are you all right? What aren’t you telling me?”
Braiden glanced at the other men then away. “I’ll b-be fine. I n-needed to leave D-Dalgo to handle the s-situation.”
She caught Silvandir frowning at her and subtly shaking his head. Although she knew Braiden was hiding something, she let it go, watching as he slipped into the shadows of the rock shelter and slumped against the wall.
When she started to follow, Silvandir grabbed her wrist and whispered, “Give him a moment.”
With a sigh, she sat on the log between Silvandir and Tobil, stealing furtive glances at Braiden and puzzling over the chaos she sensed from him.
Time slipped by in silence until suddenly Elena swayed, blasted by a whirlwind of intense emotion. She jumped up, grabbing Silvandir’s shoulder for balance, and stared at the distant trees.
“What is it?” he asked.
“They’re coming ...” Her voice surprised her. It sounded steady despite the shiver that slithered through her making the hair on her neck stand up.
“Who’s coming?” Silvandir rose and stood behind her, his hands gripping her shoulders. Elena leaned into him, grateful for his warmth and support.
“They’re bringing the girl.”
Soon Celdorn and the others appeared through a break in the trees. The hunched figure covered by a black cloak must have been the one Keymar had told them about. She had the hood pulled around her face so that nothing was visible. Elena grabbed the edges of Silvandir’s tunic and hung on as everything around her started to spin.
He tightened his grip, putting his mouth next to her ear. “I’ve got you.”
When the group drew near, Celdorn trotted ahead of the others. “Elena?” He stood so that he blocked her view of the girl. “Little one, look at me,” he demanded, holding her face. “I see something is already upsetting you. Are you able to do this?”
“I don’t know. Everything inside me is whirling.” She gazed up into her ada’s eyes and steadied herself. “But she needs me. I heard her heart crying out long before I could see her. You’ll keep us safe, won’t you?”
“Of course. We won’t leave you alone.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Do you sense any deception in the girl? Is she who she appears to be?”
“I haven’t seen her face, but I sense no evil.”
Celdorn cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “You need to brace yourself for that revelation. It is a difficult sight.”
Elena nodded feebly and peeked around Celdorn. He stepped to the side and said more loudly, “Lillianna, I would like to introduce my daughter, Elena Celebriana,” which brought a smile to Elena’s face. “Elena, this is Lillianna.”
Keymar stood on one side of Lillianna and another Guardian on the other, holding her arms and urging her forward while she pulled back.
“Remove your hood,” Keymar insisted quietly. When she didn’t comply, he gently pulled it back for her.
Elena gasped before she could stop herself. The girl stiffened but made no other response or movement—except for her hollow eyes, which darted back and forth, taking in everything, never stopping to focus for more than a second. Elena squeezed Celdorn’s arm as the world spun more fiercely. Silvandir’s grip moved to her upper arms, steadying her.
The girl before her looked like a younger version of herself. She was obviously Wallanard given her slight stature and pale coloring. Like Elena, she had blonde hair and green eyes. What shocked her was the devastation done to the girl’s body. Her entire left side was bright red, blistered and scarred from the damage inflicted by the fire. Her hair on that side was singed to stubble, and the flesh of her face and neck drooped like melted wax. The unburnt hair was a filthy, tangled mess. Both arms were bandaged from wrist to shoulder. Even her leg which stuck out through the tear in her dress was bandaged, her foot wrapped and unshod.
The girl muttered to herself constantly, and her head swayed as if she were hearing music. She looked completely, utterly crazed.
“Lillianna, Elena is the girl I told you about who was rescued from the Farak in Alsimion,” Keymar said. “It was her great courage in exposing Anakh and the others that brought about your rescue.”
Lillianna suddenly stopped babbling and focused on Elena. “Her?” she asked in a harsh whisper
.
“Yes,” he replied. “She understands.”
“No, she is a princess.” There was awe in her whispered words.
“No, Lillianna, I’m no princess.” Elena stepped forward and reached out to the girl. “I am very pleased to meet you.” When the girl didn’t take her hands, Elena motioned toward the logs set around the campfire. “Come sit down.”
The girl looked at her with confusion. “But you are his daughter,” she said, pointing at Celdorn, who was watching Elena, his brow furrowed.
“And his.” Elena gestured toward Elbrion with a smile. Lillianna scrunched up her nose at this, and Elena chuckled. “They adopted me. I’m not theirs by blood.” She sat and patted the seat next to her, encouraging the girl to join her.
Lillianna’s eyes continued to dart, trying to take in everything, measure it, evaluate it. Elena stomach knotted; the fear that drove the girl’s tormented eyes was all too familiar. Lillianna chose a seat where her back was against a rock wall. The men, who seemed to realize their presence frightened the girl, moved away from the two, though remaining close enough to intervene if necessary.
“You... you are Wallanard?” the girl asked.
“Yes, I’m from Rhamal. Which village are you from?”
“Neldon. My parents died when I was eight, and I was sold by a woman there. I’ve been with the Farak ever since,” she whispered, her body hunched, curling as far into itself as it possibly could.
Elena’s breath caught. “Was it Vargona who sold you?”
The girl’s eyes went wide. “Yes. You know her?”
“Unfortunately I do.” Elena gave no further information, judging that it was wisest at this point not to disclose more. “I was told you’ve made several attempts to harm yourself. May I ask why?”
The girl glared at her. “Keymar said you had the same experiences as me. If that’s true, why would you ask that?”
Elena looked down. The girl was right. She should have said that differently.
“Who are you really?” Lillianna demanded.
Tears immediately filled Elena’s eyes. “My given name was Giara—useful. I was raised in Rhamal by a father who worked for Anakh. I went to the training camp four times a year starting when I was three. At other times, I was sold to whoever passed through. When Celdorn and his men rescued me, I had been sold to some Farak who had taken me to Alsimion for a week.” She kept her voice soft, steady, unlike the thumping in her chest. “Forgive me. I know my question was foolish, but it was an attempt to understand your heart. I can think of a thousand reasons why I might have taken my own life. I wanted to understand yours.”