Draggah (33 page)

The family of the little girl he
’
d saved came running toward them.  The little girl cried out when she saw them.

“
Mama!  Mama!
”
she shouted.

Rafe couldn
’
t help but smile.  The little girl was safe, and her father pulled her from Mars
’
saddle and held her tight.  The girl
’
s mother threw her arms around Rafe
’
s neck and peppered him with tearful kisses.  He groaned in pain, pushing her back with his good arm.  The woman looked at him with wide eyes.

“
You
’
re hurt,
”
she said.

“
It
’
s nothing,
”
Rafe lied.

“
Ra
’
luth, we must help him.
”

“
Of course, of course,
”
the man replied, handing the little girl to his mother. 
“
Where is the Swanee?  He will know what to do.
”

“
Here,
”
Rafe said. 
“
If you want to help, see to my horse.  I
’
ll find Ti and get fixed up.
”

The man nodded, taking Mars
’
reins.  Rafe had discarded the torch as soon as he had gotten back to the camp.  Now, without the horse, he walked carefully back toward the big shelter.  Tiberius found him just before he arrived back where the captives were being guarded in the opening before the large tent that belonged to the tribe
’
s Swanee.

“
There you are,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
I was beginning to worry.
”

“
I got the little girl back,
”
Rafe said through gritted teeth.

“
What
’
s wrong?
”
Tiberius asked, a worried look coming over his face.

“
The bastard who took her didn
’
t want to give her up,
”
Rafe said.

“
I
’
m sure you convinced him otherwise,
”
Tiberius replied.

“
Barely.  He threw his club at me.  I think it dislocated my shoulder.  I can
’
t move my arm.
”

“
I think I can fix that,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
But it
’
s going to take some time.  And it might hurt.
”

“
I can
’
t imagine it wouldn
’
t at this point.  Everything hurts.
”

“
Let
’
s get you settled with Olyva and then I
’
ll see what I can do.
”

“
Is she okay?
”
Rafe asked.

“
She seems to be,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
I think she slept through the whole ordeal.
”

They walked slowly back to the shelter.

“
Filsa,
”
Tiberius said,
“
Rafe needs help.
”

The group of wives hurried to assist Rafe.  They gathered cushions and helped him to settle onto the ground.  They cut his shirt away and Rafe could see his shoulder standing out at an odd angle.  He felt queasy and couldn
’
t stop shivering, despite the fact his whole body was covered in sweat from the pain.  Filsa brought Rafe a cup of Kymis, which he drank eagerly.  The other wives fretted over him while he waited for Tiberius to return and work his healing magic.

From where Rafe lay, he could see the prisoners, many of whom looked as if they had been on the wrong end of the Rogu
’
s wooden clubs.  More of the prisoners were brought to the area in front of Tiberius
’
tent.  By the time the sun rose, there were nearly thirty raiders huddled together on the patch of ground before the big shelter.  Some of the Rogu and a few other tribe members had been hurt as well.  Rafe watched as they were carefully brought to the far side of the shelter.  Rafe guessed that Tiberius was working on them first.  He didn
’
t begrudge his friend
’
s choice, but the pain was so acute that he almost wished that someone could knock him unconscious until Tiberius could heal him.

He drank as much Kymis as he could hold, but the mild drink did little to dull the pain.  Rafe realized that under normal conditions, he would have been laid up for weeks, perhaps even crippled for life.  He
’
d come to depend on Tiberius
’
ability to heal.  The magic he wielded in regard to healing no longer seemed frightening or even wrong.  When Rafe had first realized that Tiberius was working magic, he
’
d been angry.  Everyone in Avondale believed that magic was evil; in fact, it was outlawed in all of the Nine Cities of Valana.  But Tiberius had risked everything to study magic, and that knowledge had saved Rafe
’
s life.  He didn
’
t understand how something like magic could be so good, yet so evil at the same time.

“
Are you hurt?
”
Olyva asked as the sun rose above the thick blanket of mist that covered the blighted lands.

“
Yes,
”
Rafe said. 
“
Serves me right for the way I treated you last night.
”

“
What is wrong?
”
Olyva said. 
“
Is it your shoulder?
”

Rafe nodded.  His throat and eyes stung with tears that he refused to let fall.  He was ashamed of the way he
’
d treated Olyva.  He
’
d let his fear and frustration get the best of him, and worst of all he
’
d taken his frustration out on her.

“
Can I do anything?
”
she asked.

“
No,
”
Rafe said. 
“
Tiberius will come around when he can.
”

Olyva looked at Rafe for a moment, then she reached up to her arm where he
’
d snatched out the patch of small soft stems.  Most of that patch was gone now, covered over with a thick glaze that looked like amber-colored sap, but there were a few of the tiny stems left.  Olyva took one between her finger and thumb, pulling gently.  The little stem broke free of her flesh with a round drop of the amber colored liquid on one end.

“
Eat this,
”
Olyva said. 
“
It should help with the pain.
”

“
What?
”
Rafe said. 
“
Look, I know I shouldn
’
t have hurt you last night
…”

“
Stop talking and do as I say.
”

“
What
’
s it going to do to me?
”
Rafe said.

“
It
’
s going to help with the pain,
”
Olyva said. 
“
Don
’
t be afraid.
”

In truth, Rafe was afraid.  He had no idea what would happen if he ate the little stem.  It could be poison for all he knew.  Or perhaps it would start to change him, the way the trees had changed Olyva.  Still, he couldn
’
t refuse her, not after the way he had treated her the night before.  He opened his mouth and he dropped it onto his tongue.  The little stem seemed to dissolve; the small drop of amber looking sap tasted sweet.  It reminded Rafe of honeysuckle.

Almost immediately, he felt his body relax.  It was as if he had been covered with a thick, warm blanket.

“
What is that?
”
Rafe asked.

“
It won
’
t heal you,
”
Olyva said. 
“
But it will ward off the pain for a while.
”

She was smiling and Rafe thought she was the most beautiful thing he
’
d ever seen.

“
You
’
re so pretty,
”
he said, his tongue felt sluggish and he slurred his words.

Olyva just raised an eyebrow at him.

“
I love you,
”
he said, unable to stop the smile that spread across his face.

“
Why don
’
t you sleep, it will help your shoulder heal.
”

Rafe giggled.  He didn
’
t care about his shoulder.  He felt so good he wanted to pull Olyva down on top of him and kiss her, but he couldn
’
t lift his arms.  His muscles were so relaxed he could barely keep his eyes open.

“
I love you,
”
he said again, then he drifted off to sleep, finding peace at last.

Chapter 25

Leonosis

“
You are certain you have everything in hand?
”
Leonosis asked.

“
Yes,
”
Brutas said in a snarky tone,
“
for the last time.  If our baby brother returns with an army, I shall spank him and send him on his way.
”

Leonosis knew Brutas wasn
’
t ready.  The war band was at full strength, and the watches had all been doubled, but Brutas couldn
’
t conceive of a real threat to Avondale.  If Tiberius did return while Leonosis was gone, it would be up to the commanders to save their city.  Leonosis had already met with each of them and made sure they understood the threat.  The only exception was Grentz, the legendary Sword Master.  He was the high commander of the Earl
’
s war band, no matter what title was bestowed on Brutas, but Leonosis didn
’
t trust the aging warrior to fight his son.  If Tiberius returned, it would be with Rafe leading an army, and then Grentz would be in a terrible fix.  So Leonosis was taking the Sword Master with him and leaving the defense of their city in that hands of the other commanders.

“
Don
’
t take this threat lightly,
”
Leonosis told Brutas.

“
How else should I take it, brother?  Tiberius couldn
’
t fight his way through a dense fog.  Do you really expect him to return here?
”

“
I don
’
t expect anything, but I will be prepared for it,
”
Leonosis said. 
“
And so should you.  If he comes back, it will be to murder us all and replace us as Earl of Avondale.
”

“
That
’
s impossible.
”

“
Nothing is impossible you oaf, now do your duty.  If not for me, then do it for our father.
”

“
I think I
’
ll do it for myself,
”
Brutas said with a sneer.

He turned away and Leonosis watched him leave the small family room.  He sighed in exasperation.  It was inevitable that at some point he would have to put Brutas in his place, perhaps even kill him outright.  His younger brother wasn
’
t ambitious enough to challenge Leonosis to the throne, but he hated authority of any kind.  If Brutas didn
’
t drink himself to death, he would have to be disciplined and brought to heel.

“
My lord,
”
said a servant stepping into the room and bowing. 
“
All is ready on your ship.
”

“
Good, I will be there soon.  Have the captain prepare to cast off.
”