by Brad Clark
“Your king is coming?”
“It seems as if he is. You may be right. Maybe the Elven Council did change their minds.” Then Ryshak asked, “Is your ship ready to sail?”
“We just need to raise the anchor.”
The lead ship split apart from the rest of the fleet of Elven ships. Captain Gorge waited to order the anchor raised while the lead ship turned towards them. It was heading directly towards them, and he didn’t want his ship to run into it once the anchor was lifted.
The Elven Guard and Captain Gorge’s men all stood and watched as the larger Elven ship approached. Its sails were dropped, and the pilot expertly guided the ship alongside. Fore and aft anchors were tossed overboard to bring the ship to a quick stop.
“Captain Gorge!” Conner called out. The boats were about thirty feet apart and lined up alongside one another. “Are you ready to return home? We have a few friends that have decided to join us!”
“I see that! You have done well, young man! We only need to raise anchor, and we will be on our way.”
“Captain!” An Elf, who was standing next to Conner, called out. He stood tall and proud. “I am King Illichian. Our fleet is at your command. We will follow your lead north.”
“Very well!”
“Ryshak!” the king called out. “The Elven Guard look weary. We will send over more Elves to assist in the travels.”
“They are tired,” Ryshak called back. “They spent the afternoon casting spells. We will welcome all that you can give us.”
The king turned and called for a dozen Elves to go to the Flying Narwhal. With ease, the elves leaped the thirty feet from one ship to the other.
“Once the fleet gets moving, the Elves will help move the ship along more quickly than it could with just wind.”
Captain Gorge lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Like I said when we first met, our travels will be in days, not weeks. The war does not wait for us. For every day that we wait, how many of your people will die?”
“Right,” The captain said. “Anything to get us back faster.”
“Captain!” Conner called out.
“Yes, Conner?”
“I am not sure that myself or Elissa could make that jump, so we will stay aboard this ship.”
“Very well! Congratulations are in order!”
Conner gave a wave as the pilot of the Elven ship turned it back towards open waters.
With a hearty shout, Captain Gorge turned to his men to order the anchor raised.
***
Conner couldn’t stop smiling or looking at Elissa. She seemed to glow in the afternoon sun. So far, marriage was all that he had ever dreamed of, and he couldn’t clear his mind of his new wife.
Elissa smiled back at him and said, “You keep staring at me.”
“I don’t want to ever leave you from my sight.”
Their ship had begun its journey north, and they had found themselves alone at the bow of the ship. Glaerion, Hallendrielle, and King Illichian were somewhere aboard, but he hadn’t seen them in some time.
“Well, for the next few weeks, you have me right here.”
“Actually, the journey north will be much quicker,” Conner said. “The Elves are casting their spells to help push the ships faster. Glaerion said we should be back in Karmon in only eight or nine days.”
“That is great news!”
“I just hope there is a kingdom to return to.”
Elissa moved forward and touched his face with her hand. “That is for me to worry about, as I am Karmon’s queen. Your only worry is to care for your wife.”
Conner dipped his head to her and stole a quick kiss. “That I can do.”
“Karmons are a strong people and the Karmon Knights will hold the kingdom until we return. I have much faith in Marik.”
“As do I.”
“Then let us not dwell on what we cannot control. We have only a few days before we are back into the war and we should enjoy those few days as best we can.”
Conner’s lips spread into a wide grin. “The ship’s captain has given us his private cabin. I am sure we will enjoy the next few days.”
Elissa blushed, but her eyes sparkled.
Chapter Sixteen
The pain was incredible, far beyond what he thought he could handle. Every inch of his body felt on fire and with each breath the pain got worse. If he had the capability to end his own life, he would have. But he could not see, and he had no idea where he was. His hand twitched as he thought about reaching for his sword. He could handle any amount of pain for a moment if it meant he could end it all. But his muscles wouldn’t work. He resigned himself to a slow and painful death. There was no point in fighting it anymore. Like an ocean wave pounding on the cliffs below the castle at South Karmon, he let the pain cover and envelop him. If he could scream, he would have. There was no energy left in his body. He knew that he would soon be dead and he said a word to the One God asking him to take him quickly.
As he lay unable to move, Marik’s life began to spin before his eyes. Details that he had forgotten seemed to be in the forefront. When he was a young child, his mother and father had taken him out into the woods near their estate for an afternoon lunch and adventure. While his father spent time with his mother, causing her to laugh and giggle, he became interested in the sounds coming from the trees. There were birds singing and bugs chirping, and they sparked an interest that he hadn’t felt before. With his parents’ backs to him, he went into the woods looking for the animals or bugs that were making the sounds. He wandered for what must have been a long time as the sun had moved quite a bit when he finally heard his mother’s shrill voice screaming for him. As casually and unafraid as he could be, he came out from the woods having fallen in love with the peace and solitude that was offered. He remembered the odd feeling when his mother embraced him, full of tears. She cried for a long time, and his father chastised him for wandering away. But he had never been lost, nor afraid. He had known exactly where he was and it was a safe and comfortable place. Over the years, his naive thinking would change quite a bit, but he would always have a love for the trees and forests of Karmon. When it came time to become a squire, he vowed to not only become a knight, but also a Knight Ranger. So much of his life had been devoted to serving the kingdom as a knight, but that one moment he had forgotten about. It was the moment when he knew what he wanted to be, and who he wanted to be.
When he was a young child, there was no way that he could understand what being a Knight Ranger would entail. At that time, he didn’t even know what one was, but he knew how he wanted to live his life. And as he grew into a man, he became fully devoted and committed to serving Karmon. His kingdom was under attack, and there were so few that were able to defend it. Karmon needed him, and he could not die.
Through the fog of his pain, he thought he heard sounds. Maybe it was a woman’s voice, but he could not be sure. He tried to fight off the darkness that was coming over him, but he could not. A lifetime of weariness took hold, and his mind went to rest, bringing with it a dark solitude of silence.
***
Ilasha tried taking the man by the arm to pull him out of the mud, but his muddy arms were slippery, and she fell backward onto the wet ground. She was about to stand up and try again when she realized that it was his skin that had fallen off his arm and not mud. She let out a soft cry of fright and thought about running away. He was a large, muscular man, just like Brace Hawkden had been. At the thought of the man she once loved, she put aside any thoughts of leaving this stranger. He had gone up against the beast that destroyed her village, clearly knowing he had little chance of surviving. And it was very likely that he wouldn’t survive much longer. But he looked like a Karmon Knight, just like Brace had been, and that meant that she needed to save him.
Sitting on the wet ground, her feet stuck in the mud, she had no idea how she was going to move him. Most of his body was still under the muddy mess that was formed by rainwater rushing down the
cliff. Pulling him out was not going to be an option as her first attempt proved she was not strong enough on her own. Yet, she couldn’t just leave him to die, which is what would happen if she didn’t get him up the cliff quickly. His breathing was shallow and labored and with each inhale he wheezed. Death was slowly overtaking him.
With rain pouring down on her face, Ilasha looked up at a rocky hill just past the top of the cliff. Through the heavy rain, she couldn’t see the split in the rocks that led to the spring, but it was there and too far away to bring him on her own. As defeat was about to overwhelm her, a thought came to her mind. It was a thought that was so simple that it made perfect sense. If she couldn’t bring him to the healing spring waters, maybe she could bring the water to him.
Although the cliff face was steep where the man had fallen down, there was an easier way to get back up to the village. Running as fast her legs could carry her through the mud and rain, she ran up the hill, sprinted across an open field, and scampered up a smaller rocky hill. Sliding through the rock crevasse, the warmth of the hot spring greeted her. The intoxicating aroma of the water caused her to pause and think about jumping in, but the thought of the wounded Karmon Knight kept her from being distracted. Off in the corner was a pile of discarded items, one of which was a bucket. She scooped it full of water from the pool and carefully carried it back down to the wounded man.
Her biggest fear was that she would be too slow and he would die before she returned. But his chest was rising slowly up and down when she knelt next to him. His breathing was still labored, and she could hear his chest wheezing, but it was slow and even as if he were asleep. Scooping water with both hands, she poured it over his lips so that he would drink it down. At first, the water pooled in his mouth, and he gagged on it, spitting it back up. But a second handful went down. He licked his lips, and she scooped a third handful for him to drink. The wheezing stopped, and his breathing seemed already to sound stronger.
His eyes blinked open, and he let out a soft groan. She looked at him and smiled, but his eyes were foggy and did not focus on her. The next part was going to be painful for him, and a bit embarrassing for her, but he needed as much of his clothes off so the water could touch his skin. Fortunately, he didn’t fight her, which made it a little easier to pull off his leather armor and clothes. With him stripped down to just an undergarment around his lower body, she stood over him with the bucket and carefully poured the water over him. The bucket was heavy when full, so it took all her effort to hold it up and pour it slowly.
As the water poured over his body, he let out painful groans and moans. And then he started to move his limbs slowly as if he were stretching them.
She knew that it would take much more than a single bucket of water to heal him and if he didn’t get into the pool quickly, he would still die. But he had recovered enough to listen to her commands as she helped him up and walked him up to the village. The hardest part was the steep rocky slope up to the pool, but with patience, she managed to help him climb up on his hands and knees.
By the time she pushed him through the narrow split in the rock face that led into the pool, he was moving slower and moaned with each step. Not a moment too late, she helped lower him into the pool, letting his entire body slide under the water.
***
The pain was gone, and there was only a numbness left. Marik could feel his arms moving and relished in the joy of being pain-free. He could not even remember a time when he hadn’t been in pain. It seemed as if it had lasted an eternity. He took in a deep breath, but no air came in. Panic struck him as he couldn’t breathe. He opened his eyes and saw only a dull darkness in front of him. He kicked his legs and arms, trying to figure out where he was. He tried to breathe again, but only water came into his lungs. That was when someone grabbed him by the armpits and pulled him up.
He tried to fight, but he was still weak. As soon as his head cleared the water and reached cool air, he coughed and spat out the water that had filled his lungs. His chest burned with the pain of the water, and he was reminded of the death that had nearly consumed him.
Marik spun around and realized that he was in a deep pool of water. Having grown up around the water, he knew how to swim, so he kicked his legs and moved his arms to keep afloat. He didn’t need to think about it, he just did it. Directly in front of him was a young lady with a bright smile and sharp blue eyes. Her long brown hair hung down past her shoulders. It was matted and dirty from the rain and mud.
“Hello, Sir Knight,” she said with a smile.
Marik looked around, still not sure where he was or what had happened to him. He was in a small cavern with a ceiling about twenty feet above his head. It was almost perfectly round in shape, and the pool of water was directly in the center. The water smelled fresh and crisp, which meant it was fed by a spring and not just stagnant rain water. It was also very warm, but it didn’t have any odd sulfur smells to it. A small stream led out of one side and trickled down through the rocks, telling him there was a constant flow of water coming into the pool. Large rivers started from small springs, but he did not see any creek or river around the village. Maybe it was hidden in the trees.
As his mind continued to take in the natural beauty of the pool, the memory of the past hour came back to him. The dragon had struck him square in the back with his fire breath, but he was still alive. He forgot all about studying the cavern and looked up at the woman who sat before him.
“What happened?” Marik asked, his voice a combination of panic and anger. “Where is the beast?”
“It has flown off,” the young woman replied. “We are safe. You are safe.”
Marik gave her a longer look and realized how pretty she was. Although her long, dark hair was matted from the rain, there was no hiding her beauty. But the days of courting a wife were long past. Forcing himself to look away from her, he looked down at his arm, which was a bright pink color.
With a soft, calm voice, he said, “I should be dead.” He kicked his way to the edge of the pool and started to pull himself out, but she pushed him on the shoulder.
“You need to stay in there for a while. You are not healed.”
“Healed? The water?”
“Yes. The water heals. And other things.”
A vigor that he had not felt in weeks came over him. Since the start of the war, or even further back than that, he had been perpetually tired. But not only was he no longer in pain, he felt full of energy.
“How?” was all he could muster to say. He had so many more questions, but only that one would come out.
She shrugged her shoulders. “It can only be magic, right?. But that is crazy. There really isn’t magic. I used to think that when I was a child, but it can’t be true, can it?”
Marik ran his hands through the water, wondering if she was right. He had seen it first-hand with Glaerion and Hargon. Both had used magic, and despite his original unbelief, his eyes had told him the truth. “It is not crazy,” he said. “I have seen some amazing things in the past weeks. And a pool of water that heals the body is not the most amazing. What is your name?”
“Ilasha.”
He tilted his head as if it rang a bell. “I am Marik.”
“Not Sir Marik?”
He smiled and chuckled. He was still a Karmon Knight. “Yes, it is indeed Sir Marik. I am a Karmon Knight, although not much is left of Karmon.”
“Sir Marik,” she repeated as if she were trying it on for size. “I have heard that name before.”
“Oh? I do not think I am famous. Have you ever been to South Karmon? You might have seen me in a tournament there.”
She shook her head. “No. I have been in the mountains for many, many years.”
“Well, your name sounds familiar, too. Ilasha isn’t a common name, so I must have heard it somewhere.”
She looked at him for a moment and then her eyes widened. “Oh yes, of course! You and Brace were good friends.”
“Brace, as in Sir Brace Hawkden?�
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“Yes.”
“You knew Sir Brace? Wait, you said your name was Ilasha?” His eyes widened with recognition. “Of course! That is the name of the lady that he had fallen in love with. That must also be your mother’s name.”
She giggled.
“What is so funny?”
“I am she. I am the Ilasha that you speak of.”
Marik laughed. “You look not a day over eighteen. Sir Brace’s Ilasha was much older. She would be in her forties by now!”
Slowly she nodded her head. “I am that Ilasha, and I am forty-eight years old.”
Marik looked at her closely. Brace had described Ilasha in crisp detail, mostly when he had a few goblets of wine in him. Ilasha had been the love of Brace Hawkden’s life when he was younger but had to let her go as he pursued knighthood. Not a day went by that Brace had wondered whether it was the right decision or not. But Ilasha had been ten years older than Brace and the woman who stood in front of him certainly was not that old. She was thin, as well. Brace had always described Ilasha as curvy. The Ilasha who sat at the edge of the pool was not as he had imagined her. She was thin and lithe, not the full figure that Brace had always described.
“How can that be? How can you be so old, yet look so young?”
She reached down and put her hand in the water and pushed it around.
Marik watched her for a moment before asking, “The water?”
She nodded. “It does more than just heal. I discovered this cavern and pool many years ago. The water is so warm and refreshing, especially in the middle of winter. I would just lay in it, and it would calm and relax me, rejuvenate me so that I had enough energy to make it through the day. At first, I didn’t spend much time in the water, but several years ago I started bathing in it every day. That was when I started to notice a change in me and my body. I became young again. And whenever I hurt myself, swimming in the pool would cure whatever ailed me. Even a broken arm. I can see on your face that you are not surprised.”