by T.M. Nielsen
Chapter 8
Azimeth adjusted the cool rag on Kyrin’s forehead and then looked out the port hole toward the ocean. They were nearing day four out on the majestic Valharan ship and would soon be arriving at what the Valharans called the summer house. Kyrin was shivering violently as her fever broke, and after a lot of persuading, Finn had talked Alric into getting some much needed sleep.
Finn came down the stairs into the stateroom. He had a glass of water in one hand and a plate in the other.
Azimeth took the glass and then watched while Finn put an arm under Kyrin’s shoulders and lifted her up. “It’s time to drink, kiddo.”
Kyrin opened her eyes briefly but was too tired to do more.
“Kyrin, you have to drink,” he said again, and held her up a little higher. Azimeth put the glass to her lips, and Kyrin was able to open her eyes long enough to take a drink.
When she was done, Finn lowered her to the bed, and Azimeth returned the cool rag to her forehead.
“I don’t suppose she’ll eat,” Finn said, looking over at the plate.
“I don’t think she’s awake enough. She could choke,” Azimeth told him.
“Eat up then.” Finn took Azimeth’s place so the royal elf could eat.
She sat down to eat as Finn covered Kyrin with another blanket and then watched her closely.
“May I ask you something?” Azimeth asked him.
“Sure”
“Is King Alric ever going to tell King Auldian that his wife is an evil?”
“Alric’s not convinced that she is.”
“She says she is.”
“Evils choose to lead that kind of life. Kyrin had no choice because of the harsh environment she was raised in. Alric believes there’s good in her and that it will come out in time.”
“What if he finds that there’s not?”
“Do you honestly believe that?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“She’s not a natural born evil,” Finn said, looking down at her pale complexion. “She’ll come around.”
“Her god scares me.”
“Her god scares everyone.”
“I’m terrified that he will appear one day while I’m alone with the Lady.”
“He may. I’ve seen him, and he’s one horrific creature.”
She smiled. “You’re not helping.”
“I’m not going to sugar coat Daemionis.”
Finn stood up when the horn blew from above, indicating they were arriving. “I better go wake the king.”
“I’ll have Lady Kyrin ready in a few minutes.”
Alric was already up on deck, watching as the ship sailed closer to the fortress. The fortress looked like the tip of a mountain jutting out from the middle of the ocean. At the top of the peak stood a smaller castle. Numerous stairways wound their way to the top in a labyrinth. If you didn’t know the correct route, you would find stairways leading to solid walls, at dead drop-offs to the water below, or even leading in circles.
A small pier reached out from a beach barely big enough to pile supplies. Just to the side of it were the entrances to five separate stairways.
Trox stepped off of the ship and walked over to the third stairway from the right. He started up the stairs first, with servants laden with supplies following him.
“She’s ready,” Azimeth told them. She’d just come up to the top deck with a heavy cloak around her shoulders.
“We’ll get her,” Alric said, and headed down the stairs with Finn. Several minutes later, they came up with Kyrin between them on a portable stretcher. She had a couple of blankets over her, and she wasn’t moving.
The trek up the mountain was arduous, but they made it ahead of most of the supplies. Alric led them into the master suite, and soon, Kyrin was settled down on a large bed that was surrounded by sheer white netting.
“Sir, Auldian is waiting in the war room,” Trox said when he finally made it up to the bedroom.
“Don’t leave her,” Alric said to Azimeth. “She doesn’t know where she is.”
Azimeth nodded and was just sitting down on a chair by the bed when the others left for the war room. Auldian and his advisors were already waiting for them.
“How is she?” Auldian asked when everyone was seated.
“We don’t know yet. This isn’t a disease that’s common here,” Alric explained. “How is Minathim holding up to Qualsax attacks?”
Alric didn’t want to turn this into a report on his wife. He was still concerned that Auldian chose to come to Valhara’s safe haven and not use his own, and he suspected it was because the elves wanted to learn more about Kyrin.
“As well as can be expected. We were outnumbered, but they aren’t skilled or dedicated.”
“Same with Valhara. So let’s get to the point. Why have you come here?”
Auldian smiled and leaned back. “It seemed fitting that we stay together in case of continued attacks. It will save time in the long run to have us at the same location.”
“That’s it?”
“Does there need to be more?”
“I suspect you’re here because Kyrin is.”
The elf shrugged. “I wouldn’t say it was a deterrent at all.”
“What do you want with her?”
“To simply learn.”
“What?”
“We aren’t here to take her or hurt her, Alric,” Auldian said. “It’s natural for us to want to learn more about her. We know now that she doesn’t even come from our world. It’s fascinating.”
The news shocked Alric. “Sithias told you that?”
“Well, no. However, we do have our ways.”
“You have spies in my kingdom?!”
“No, no, please… calm down. We don’t have spies.”
“Then how are you getting this information?” Alric asked, furious. He considered everything about his life to be very private, and he felt no one needed to know anything that he hadn’t told them.
“I do believe it was in a general conversation between Azimeth and her mother. Her mother mentioned it to me in passing,” Auldian explained.
“Finn”
Finn quickly disappeared from the room.
“Please, she didn’t mean any harm,” Auldian told him.
“I won’t have my wife around someone who can’t keep absolutely everything to herself,” Alric snapped. “Now let’s get on with this tribunal, and then you can leave for Minathim.”
“Fine, if you must know. Minathim’s safe haven has been destroyed,” Auldian said sadly.
Alric studied the elves, somewhat pleased. “It’s not much of a safe haven then.”
“Qualsax has hit Minathim harder than Valhara.”
“Why’s that?”
“We may have… well we may have overstepped in a campaign to move our borders a few stadia into their land.”
“That wasn’t very smart.”
“We didn’t know your magic user was as sick as she is. We thought she would help us.”
“Why did you assume my wife would help you conquer more land?”
“We’re allies.”
“You’re pushing the alliance. Even if Kyrin was at full strength right now, she wouldn’t come defend you from an act of stupidity.” Alric looked over when Finn walked in and sat down.
“What did you do to her?” Auldian asked him, a bit stiffly.
“Tossed her into the ocean.”
Auldian gasped and Finn simply grinned.
“He didn’t toss her into the ocean,” Alric said, though he couldn’t help but smile. “I will talk to Sithias and decide if you are to stay here, or if you have to find a safe place in your own kingdom.”
“We don’t have anywhere to go.”
“That may not be my problem.”
“We are allies!”
“You spied on us,” Alric said, standing up. “Unless ordered by Sithias, you will leave.”
“You can’t do thi
s,” Auldian said sternly. Alric ignored him and returned to the master suite, followed by Trox and Finn.
They walked into the room and saw Saith and Dewell sitting around Kyrin on the bed. The sound of raspy breathing could be heard, and Saith didn’t move when the king arrived. He had his hand on her upper chest, and his eyes were shut.
Dewell moved up to them and whispered softly, “It’s moved to her lungs. Saith is trying to see if he can heal them, but it’s not working yet.”
“Has she woken?” Alric asked softly.
“No, sir.”
“I’m surprised you managed to pull her through the fever,” Creteloc said. They all looked toward her voice but saw only a deep shadow until she stepped out. “Most die during the fever. Course, her breathing doesn’t sound very good. You may get lucky yet.”
Alric rolled his eyes and walked over to sit down on the side of the bed.
“We don’t want her dead,” Finn said, irritated.
“Of course you don’t.” Creteloc walked over and looked down at her. “Tell your god that Daemionis wishes to have her soul when she dies.”
“Do what?!” Alric yelled.
“He can’t have it because this isn’t his dimension, but he wants her soul for eternity and wants Sithias to know that.”
“Get out.”
“No”
Saith sat back and withdrew his hand. “It’s done some.”
“It was worse?” Alric asked, watching as Kyrin struggled to breathe.
“Yes, and it hit fast.”
“I just hope it doesn’t kill her before we get those infants,” Creteloc said casually.
“Would you just…,” Alric started to yell, but then saw she wasn’t in the room. “Where did she go?”
“The bowels of hell?” Finn suggested.
“We have to get her to eat,” Saith said, picking up her hand gently. “Her body has to have food for the strength to recover.”
“I don’t know if she’ll wake up enough to eat.”
“We have to try.”
“Let me grab something,” Finn said, and ran out of the room.
“Kyrin?” Alric asked, and touched her arm softly. He had hoped she might open her eyes, but she didn’t respond at all.
“Up you go,” Saith said, and slipped an arm under her shoulders to help her sit up. Her head lolled back, so Alric gently lifted it.
Dewell joined them and lightly touched her cheek. “Kyrin, come on and open your eyes.”
She sighed softly, and her eyelids fluttered but didn’t open.
“That was close. You have to eat,” Dewell said softly. “Try again and open them.”
Her eyes finally slid open, and she frowned slightly.
“Great!” Alric said, smiling at her.
“We thought maybe mashed apples,” Finn said, coming in with a bowl.
“Want some apples?” Alric asked her.
“What dimension is this?” she asked, and started to drift off again.
“Stay wake, Kyrin. Come on.”
She finally managed to open her eyes again, and Finn sat down with the bowl of mashed apples. He dipped some onto a spoon and held it to her lips. “Try this.”
Kyrin flung her head to the side and mumbled something about poisons as her hands pushed the bowl away.
“It’s not poisonous. It’s apples,” Alric said, and moved her head, so she faced forward again.
She sighed again and shifted, almost dropping off of Saith’s arm, but he caught her.
“Stop trying to get away and just eat,” Alric told her.
Her eyes met his, and she studied him.
He smiled. “Eat, please.”
Kyrin looked at Finn and finally took the apples. She was having a hard time concentrating and couldn’t remember where she was. Alric was there, and though part of her screamed not to trust him, another part felt comfortable that he was there with her. When the apples touched her tongue, her hunger became apparent.
“Another.” Finn scooped up more apples and fed her another bite.
When she was done, she started coughing and her harsh rasp became worse.
Saith laid her down gently, and she looked over at the window. “Where am I?”
“You’re still in Valhara,” Alric said, taking her hand.
“What dimension?”
“Paragoy. You haven’t left the dimension.”
“The Shadowmere?”
“They aren’t here.”
She nodded slightly and then slipped back to sleep.
Saith smiled. “I’m happy now that she’s eaten some.”
“Azimeth wants to speak to you,” Finn said when Kyrin was deep asleep again.
“I’m not sure I want her around,” Alric said.
“She knows that. She said she feels bad and didn’t mean any harm.”
“She gave private information to the elves about my wife.”
“I agree, and I’d love to boot her off of this island,” Finn said.
“We still need this alliance,” Trox said. The others looked over at him. “She was our link. I hate to remove her position.”
“Do we need them?” Alric asked. “Seems to me, we’re doing all of the supporting and getting nothing in return.”
Trox smiled. “You’re starting to sound like Kyrin.”
“That wasn’t evil. I won’t allow my kingdom to get used.”
“It’s a delicate balance, and you know that Sithias will ask that you two work it out. You could start by reinstating Azimeth as Kyrin’s Lady in Waiting.”
“Why? So Kyrin can tell her something or do something that makes it back to the elves?”
“We’ll have to tell Kyrin, so she’s more careful.”
Creteloc’s chuckle sounded. “You’re going to tell an evil that someone is around them that cannot be trusted? She’ll be dead by the end of the week.”
Alric nodded. “Creteloc has a point.”
“I could take care of her now, actually. You would be blameless.”
“No,” Alric said, and turned to where Creteloc had been standing. “Now where did she go?”
“My guess is to kill Azimeth,” Finn told him.
“Go put knights on her.”
Finn nodded and walked out of the room.
“I’m not saying you have to trust her,” Trox explained. “I’m just saying that firing her and sending her back to the elves could have disastrous consequences. What if she tells them everything she knows about Kyrin?”
“She’s doing that anyway,” Alric reminded him.
“Not everything.”
“I can’t trust her around Kyrin, and right now, I’m not so sure Kyrin can defend herself.”
“I don’t think she meant to do any harm. She was just visiting about her duties, and it came up. We can tell her to be more careful in the future.”
“I still don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to. You know as well as I do that Sithias wants Valhara and Minathim to get along.”
“It’s just hard right now, you know?” Alric said, watching Kyrin sleep. “When I met her, I never had to defend her. In fact, I’d be afraid to cross her. Right now, she’s helpless, and I’m not sure how to help her without crossing the line and making her feel vulnerable.”
“I don’t think you even have to do anything differently. She will know she has limitations, and just being there will put you in a place to defend her if need be.”
“So I put a traitor as her confidante?”
“She didn’t mean any harm.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“My suggestion is to reinstate Azimeth and not even to tell Kyrin about any of this,” Trox suggested.
“She’s alive,” Finn said, returning. “I have three knights on her. She thinks she’s being detained.”
Alric thought for a moment. “Are Yevin and Wester still loyal to Kyrin?”
“Yes,” Finn replied.
; “So let’s put them on her permanently and make sure they watch what’s said around Azimeth. If it’s something they feel shouldn’t be public, they need to tell me immediately.”
“Easy enough. Those two are here already.”
“Do it then.”