*****
The first thing he noticed was the warmth. It was not the cold release into death he had expected when his eyes had closed. The ache in his hand kept it closed despite any efforts to force it open.
Second, he realized he lay upon something soft, though it tickled his chin irritatingly. He ran his finger along it, recognizing a loose goose feather from a plush mattress. The final realization was the small reservoir of Varadour power in his heart, keeping his wounds closed and restoring his consciousness.
"I think he’s waking up!" Honmour shouted excitedly, hurrying to his side, a cup of his medicinal tea in hand.
A tent flap whipped open, flooding the room with cold air as a small crowd of people forced themselves into an ever-smaller tent space. Honmour nearly spilled his health-promoting brew as they pushed against him.
"By the Gods, be patient, woman!" he sputtered, singeing his fingers as he held onto the cup.
Krin appeared from behind him, oblivious to Honmour’s pleadings, eyes full of joy and relief. Varadour energy gathered within her, jumping into his skin through her fingers with maternal affection. Gereth appeared behind her with his hand on her shoulder, smiling proudly as his eyes glowed blue, overseeing his son’s recovery.
"You had us worried," Gereth admitted. "You were a rather messy sight."
"The others looked worse after the fight," Kaltor replied weakly.
Honmour laughed, smacking the bed and causing his friend to wince in pain. "Yeah, he’s back to his old self! We do need to find a way to get you an actual sense of humor, though. We’ll make that our next mission!" he cried joyfully with a snap of his fingers. The Stunts behind him laughed contently, eyes bright with relief.
With a grunt of effort, Kaltor rose to his elbows, glancing over the crowd. "Where is Master Taneth?" he asked.
"Doing his duty, as usual," Krin answered. "He was the first one to see to your wounds, but once your recovery was assured, he led the troops into the city."
Kaltor nodded. The man had a soft spot for his students, but he worked very hard not to make it apparent. "That won’t make Vengral very happy, though," he replied. "He may think Master Taneth means to invade and attack him. We need to get to the castle soon and stop him," He tried to rise, but intense pain and a dozen insistent hands forced him down.
"Easy, Kaltor," Honmour said simply. "Vengral is an over-zealous Sight Seeker, not an idiot. Surely he wouldn’t—"
"He was working with Melshek all along," Kaltor explained. "Warden and Selene knew. They didn’t tell you?"
"We didn’t give them time," Honmour admitted sheepishly. "When the Stunts got to me and Warden pointed outside— We already saw the Perversions taking the walls and you’d already left so we just— left."
Kaltor laughed despite the pain in his chest and stomach. "They’re probably watching Vengral for us, then," he assumed. "His only option now is to take the city by force and convince the king that he’s put down some great rebellion. He’ll claim that Prince Tyran’s death was from their efforts."
"Sons," Gereth grunted. "We have two princely deaths to explain."
"We’ll need your help to get in, Lord Gereth," Honmour explained. "Vengral won’t let any Varadours near him. Apparently he and Prince Tyran did not work well together."
Kaltor closed his eyes and stretched, letting a wave of Varadour energy race through his system, revitalizing him.
"Very well," Gereth decided. "Carry Kaltor’s stretcher, boys. We’re going to the castle."
"He can’t fight, dear," Krin implored. "Does he have to travel now?"
Gereth grinned maliciously, strength flaring in his eyes. "We won’t need his skill, just his testimony," He turned from the crowd, heading toward the exit. "After this, Vengral’s own soldiers will turn on him, Sight Seeker or no."
Decoy Page 31