Embers at Galdrilene

by Audra Trosper

  Maleena watched Vaddoc’s river of magic divide into separate streams as he threw shields around each of them. Before the fire reached where she lay in Mckale’s arms with Tellnox and Nydara nearby, a shimmering, translucent wall of light sprang up around them. Seconds later, fire raged all around the shield. Black dragons screamed and fled out into the desert with their riders on their backs. Kojen trampled each other in their attempt to flee and were swept up in the flames.

  Kirynn held the firestorm until the Kojen were nothing more than charred mounds and Syrakynn sensed the Shadow Dragons were well out into the desert. She allowed the flames to dissipate and Maleena let the bind unravel. The sudden silence was deafening. In the darkness lit only by the full moon, Kirynn swayed on her feet. Vaddoc caught her around the waist before she could fall and eased her to the ground. “Are you okay?”

  She waved him away. “I’m fine; it just took a lot of energy. Make sure the others are okay.”

  Vaddoc ran over to where Serena kneeled next to Bardeck and a prone Emallya. “We have to go, now. They won’t stay gone long.”

  Serena shook her head. “Give us a minute. If we don’t do something right now, she’ll die.”

  He looked down at the older woman as Serena closed her eyes and laid her hands on Emallya. He’d seen wounds like that before. He doubted she would live no matter what Serena and Bardeck did. “Do what you can in the next couple of minutes. I’m going to help the others. When I come back, we are leaving.”

  In a haze, Maleena saw Vaddoc help Kirynn on Syrakynn’s back and secure the safety straps. Then he grabbed Loki and placed him on Namir. The boy clung to the front of the saddle with wide eyes. Vaddoc moved to help a woman Maleena recognized as a Weather mage up into Nydara’s saddle and secure the straps.

  Then he was there, taking her from Mckale so he could secure himself on Tellnox. She cried out at the pain that lanced through her when Vaddoc handed her up. Then she was in Mckale’s arms again and he was pulling more pain from her. She looked across the battlefield from the height of Tellnox’s back. Serena and Bardeck, secured on Miya’s back, held the unconscious form of Emallya in front of them. When did Bardeck get there?

  Kellinar staggered and grabbed for Shryden’s side to steady himself. Blood ran down his side and one arm was burnt and blistered. Taela, bleeding from her own wounds, ran to help him.

  At first, Maleena thought she was dreaming. Thousands of bright luminescent threads flowed from Kellinar and Taela. They reached for each other and wove themselves together tight. For a moment, Maleena was in another time. She stood on a road in a freezing downpour, looking up into Mckale’s silver eyes in the lantern light as glowing threads wove together around them.

  “Maleena?” Mckale’s voice seemed distant and she looked up into his beautiful eyes. “Tellnox is getting ready to take flight. It’s going to hurt, my love. I’m sorry.”

  “Kellinar is her shield. They are bondmates,” she whispered. Tellnox thrust his wings down and her world faded.

  Serena held tight to Emallya as Miya entered the Slide. The yellow dragon came out directly over the crater and banked to the left. The sun sat low on the horizon. Behind her, the other dragons were coming through. Then Mernoth came through a Slide, the wavering whirlpool large enough to reach the ground, allowing the Defenders that still lived to come through.

  Miya made a large circle and touched down as gently as she could. Mernoth landed heavily beside them. Serena was glad they had decided to ride Miya back. A jolt like that might have killed Emallya.

  A cry went up from the gathered mages, Defenders and servants. Emallya’s blood covered body hung limp in front of Serena. A crowd of people rushed forward to help, but Bardeck slid down from Miya before they could reach the yellow. Tears ran down his face as he stood on Miya’s leg and reached for his bondmate. Mernoth hovered close, worry and pain in his great golden eyes. Marda followed Bardeck as he walked away, sobs wracking her large frame.

  Mage Councilor Gideon replaced Bardeck and helped Serena to undo the straps. Exhaustion beat at her, but she couldn’t give into it. Not yet. She accepted Gideon’s steadying arms as she dismounted from Miya. The ground felt unsteady beneath her feet and she swayed slightly.

  The yellow lowered her head, “You are tired. You need to rest.”

  Serena felt the concern in Miya’s sending. “I will rest, I promise. But I have to help Emallya and Maleena first.”

  Gideon made her sit down. “You are hurt. Sit still so I can heal you.”

  Serena shook her head. “I have to heal Emallya first. I did what I could in the limited time I had, but she is still dying. She may still die.”

  He placed a firm hand on her shoulder to keep her from rising. “You will do Emallya no good if you don’t take care of yourself. It will only take a moment and then we will both work on Emallya.”

  “I agree with him,” Miya sent.

  Serena glanced up at the dragon. “You’re a fine one to talk. You’re a mess and probably need more healing then I.”

  Gideon followed her glance. “The other mages are already linking to work on Miya. Now sit still and be quiet for a moment.”

  She sighed and nodded. It was no use arguing with him. He laid his hands on her and she felt the familiar warmth spread through her body, taking away the injuries and pain.

  The warmth receded and he stood, offering her a hand. “Now, we work on Emallya.”

  She accepted the offered hand and got to her feet. Her injuries were healed, but only rest would take away the exhaustion. Bardeck knelt next to Emallya on the inner terrace. A healing weave already surrounded him. Serena reached out with her power and linked with both Bardeck and Gideon. Then lowered herself to sit opposite of Bardeck. She placed her hands on the prone woman and closed her eyes, letting her magic flow into the gruesome wound. Beside her, she felt the warmth of Gideon’s magic as he placed his hands on Emallya and joined them in their efforts to heal her.

  So much blood loss. What if they couldn’t… Serena stopped her thoughts. She refused to let the possibility of failure enter her mind. The three of them carefully repaired the damaged organs and restored torn blood vessels. Time stretched out...the healing seemed to go on forever.

  Serena opened her eyes as the tear in Emallya’s abdomen pulled together into a white line. She let the link go and took a deep breath. Emallya lay pallid and unmoving. Her chest moved with her shallow breaths and her heart still beat, even if it labored to work with too little blood. Her body was healed, but there was still no guarantee. She had to find the strength to live on her own.

  Serena’s eyelids felt heavy. She would rest after Maleena was healed. “Bardeck?”

  He looked up at her. Tears made tracks down new lines in his grief ravaged face. Her heart went out to him. “Take her to your lair; get her cleaned up and in bed where she can rest properly. I will bring up a tea later to help her.”

  Bardeck gently lifted Emallya and cradled her to him as he walked away. Mernoth followed, a low keening in his throat.

  Serena turned to Gideon. “Will you help me with Maleena? I’m so tired, I don’t think I can do it alone.”

  Gideon nodded and stood. They wove their way through the controlled chaos in the crater to where Mckale knelt on the grass, Maleena in his arms.

  Mckale watched Serena and Gideon approach and breathed a sigh of relief. Waiting for them had been a test of his emotional control. Though he couldn’t deny Emallya’s greater need. He would never forget the devastated look on Bardeck’s face when he took the nearly dead Emallya from Serena.

  Serena knelt on the grass, worry and exhaustion written on her face. “Lay her down and we will get to work.”

  Mckale eased Maleena from his arms, reluctant to let her go. He watched while Serena and the Mage Councilor laid their hands on Maleena and worked to heal her. Anxiety made a knot in his stomach. He couldn’t breathe. In his mind, Maleena was fading and Nydara was in a panic. Tellnox was his rock in that moment. He kept
up a comforting croon that eased the tightness in Mckale’s chest and the fear in his stomach.

  Slowly, the bruises faded from Maleena’s face. The infected gash across her forehead knit together, leaving a thin, white scar. He felt her strength and presence returning though still far weaker than he would like.

  The two healers pulled back. Serena started to rise, but Gideon pushed her back down. “You promised to rest after you healed Maleena. You have done all you can, now you will stay here and rest. I and the other mages can take care of everything else.”

  Serena sighed and nodded. “Fine, but only if you promise to get me if something–”

  The Mage Councilor shook his head. “Rest!” He turned to Mckale. “You have injuries of your own that need healing.”

  Mckale felt the familiar wash of warmth spread through his body, removing injuries he hadn’t been aware of.

  Gideon stepped back. “You will need to rest as well.” He glanced at Serena. “No more healing for today. Find something to eat and drink.” He walked away before she could argue.

  Mckale looked down into Maleena’s still too pale face and back up at Serena. “Is she healed? Shouldn’t she be stronger?”

  Serena ran a hand through her short, spiky hair. “She is healed to the best of our ability. The rest is up to her. In addition to infection and starvation, she’s also lost a lot of blood. We can heal her wounds, but we can’t give her back strength or put blood back in her veins. Only time can do that. She will sleep quite some time but that is good, it will help restore her.” She traced the wide pink scar running up Maleena’s arm. “This wound that goes up her arm and across her back confuses me. It should have healed completely. It wasn’t caused by shadow fire and yet it acts the same.”

  Mckale looked at the scar. “The wound was caused by Shadow magic. Maybe that is why.”

  Serena nodded. “That is the most likely explanation. Shadow fire and Shadow magic just don’t seem to heal right.”

  Mckale looked down at Maleena’s face. It was still too ashen and there were dark circles under her eyes, but it was no longer discolored by the massive bruise. It had only been a few minutes since they had landed, yet it seemed as though it had been hours.

  Serena laid a gentle hand on his arm. “Bathe away the blood and the mess and then get her into bed. I have a tea I’m going to prepare for Emallya. I will bring some for Maleena, too.”

  A twinge of worry wormed its way through Mckale. “Is Emallya going to live?”

  She looked away from him. “I don’t know. Like Maleena, we healed her wounds. The rest is up to her.”

  He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Will you do me a favor?”

  She looked back him, her blue eyes curious. “Of course.”

  “Will you find Kellinar and thank him for me. I will do it myself as soon as I get a chance, but I want him to know now how much I appreciate what he did. Without him, Maleena may have…” A lump formed in his throat and he couldn’t finish.

  “I will go find him right now.”

  Mckale swallowed and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Serena. For everything.” He lifted Maleena and walked toward the lairs with Tellnox and Nydara trailing behind.

  Kirynn barely noticed the Slide or her dragon landing in the caldera of the Dragon Hold. The flood of power she used to create the firestorm weave had taken all of her strength. She wasn’t even sure how she ended up on Syrakynn for the ride home. She was aware of the sting of minor wounds and the ache of a more serious wound in her right thigh, but she ignored both.

  Hands reached up to help her down from Syrakynn’s back and a man in yellow robes started to lay his hands on her to heal her, but she stopped him. He looked at her in confusion. “Di’shan, this wound in your leg is a serious one. It needs to be healed.”

  Kirynn shook her head. She had taken worse injuries on the battlefield with Kanther; there was no way she would accept any healing until Syrakynn was taken care of. “Heal Syrakynn, she has several tears in her wings, she suffered the bite of a Shadow Dragon and the wound is already festering, and she has a wicked burn on her back leg. You heal her, then you can heal me.”

  The man seemed to have sense enough not to argue with her. He turned immediately to the red dragon and went to work. Kirynn was grateful. She was exhausted and if he had tried to argue, she may have had to set him on fire. She let out a long sigh and lay back on the grass with her eyes closed. Syrakynn’s bite wound was healed and the man now worked on the burn.

  Vaddoc walked over and sat down next to her. “How are you doing?”

  Kirynn cracked her eyes open to look at him. There was blood on his clothing and she saw where it had ran down the side of his face, but she could see no injuries. She offered him a tired smile. “I’m fine. How is Namir?”

  “He is healed. But I see you are not.”

  Kirynn waved a hand toward her dragon. “When he is done with her, he will heal me.”

  Vaddoc shook his head. “There are more than enough healers here; there is no need to wait.”

  Kirynn closed her eyes and dozed off for a moment. She jerked them open. A healer kneeled at her side. The pain from her wounds faded, leaving only the exhaustion behind. Syrakynn was healed as well. The red flexed her wings as if to make sure they were both going to continue to work right.

  Vaddoc offered her his hand. “You want to get something to eat?”

  Kirynn hadn’t realized how hungry she was until he mentioned eating. She nodded and batted his hand away. “I may be tired, but I can get to my own feet.” She was right; she made it to her feet, but swayed as weariness washed through her body. Vaddoc stepped closer to support her. She tried to push him away. “I’m fine.”

  “No you are not. Burn it all, Kirynn, it will not make you weak to accept some help on occasion. If it makes you feel better, when you have your strength back you can show the trainees how well you can thump me around the practice yard with that zarhi of yours. But for now, accept the fact you suffered injuries during battle.”

  She scowled at him. “You were injured too.”

  He nodded. “Yes, but I’m not the one who used woven powers to create a firestorm.”

  She sighed and reluctantly allowed him to help her. Together they made their way to the kitchen cavern.

  Kellinar hung tight to Taela in front of him as Shryden burst into the air above Galdrilene. The blue kept a tight but gentle grip on the silver draclet in his claws. In the light of the setting sun he watched Miya land with Tellnox and Nydara right behind her. Shryden flew awkwardly. A massive burn marred one wing and singe marks trailed across the other. The blue set Paki down and landed next to her.

  Hands reached up to grab Taela and Kellinar reluctantly let her go. “She’s hurt.”

  “So are you,” a man in yellow robes said and helped him down.

  Kellinar moved away and staggered over to sit next to Taela, who held the book with a golden star on its cover in her arms. After several minutes, a yellow robed woman reached for him with her hands. He drew away from her. “Heal Shryden first.”

  Serena appeared in front of him. There were scorch marks and dried blood on her skin and clothes, but no obvious wounds. “Don’t be foolish, the whole Tower of Healing is here and Shryden is already being looked after.”

  Kellinar let the mage lay her hands on him. Heat flowed into his body and concentrated where his wounds were. “Have you already been healed?” he asked Serena when the healer was done and working on Taela.

  Serena nodded. “Yes. I was the first. They needed my greater power and strength for Maleena and Emallya.”

  Kellinar took in her pale face and strained eyes. “Were you able to heal Emallya or is she…”

  “She is healed. Bardeck and I already did some to keep her from dying before we left the Kormai, but it took three of us to do a complete healing on her. She was very close to joining her dragon. She is still very weak and I can’t say for sure she will live. Maleena too is healed. She was alm
ost as bad as Emallya. Binding your and Kirynn’s magic together took the last of her strength. Mckale wanted me to pass along his appreciation to you.”

  Kellinar shrugged. “They are my friends, I could do no less. What about the mages? How many did we lose?” Kellinar asked.

  Serena sat down next to him and looked at her hands while tears pooled in her eyes. “Only the Weather mage made it back. All of the others were killed.”

  Kellinar put an arm around his friend as her tears spilled over and dripped onto the hands in her lap. She leaned her head on his shoulder and let the tears run down her face. On his other side, Taela watched her Paki. He knew her wounds were healed and she no longer hurt. He also knew she was as exhausted as the rest of them. He could feel it. He wasn’t sure why, but he could.

  His gazed raked the dragons and people filling the crater. “What about Loki?”

  Serena pulled away and wiped at her eyes. “He’s fine. Marda took him to the kitchens. She’s convinced everything can be made right with food.”

  Kellinar smiled, relieved Loki would be alright. He glanced at the silver draclet laying not far from them. Curiosity filled her deep blue eyes as she watched the activity. In the fading light, Paki didn’t shine quite as bright a silver as Nydara. It looked as if a thin veil had been pulled over her. “Why do Paki’s scales look dim?” he asked no one in particular.

  Taela’s brow furrowed with concern. “I don’t know.”

  Serena looked at the draclet. “It’s because she still carries the stain of shadow within her. Although she is the way she is, her egg did come from a black dragon and the stain remains.”

  Kellinar looked at her. “How do you know that?”

  “I can see the stain. I also think I see how to remove it. It will probably take the combined power of the whole Tower of Healing. I will have to take a day or two to recover and research. It is not harming her at this point and I am too tired to do it right now.”