Chapter 33
Everyone Who Matters
Isla measured the time. A day and a half had passed since she last saw her das. Although she had done her best to heal the dagger wound, she worried he couldn’t free himself from the shackles. If he didn’t—No! She couldn’t lose hope. She’d done so before and it produced the worst feeling in her life. She’d never do that again.
They had stopped on the previous evening when the darkness became thick, but since the sun had risen, Keiron seemed determined to make up for lost time. The hauflin surprised her by not saying more at the rest spot. He probably felt no need since he believed her das to be dead. Though painful, she had to play along.
“Be on guard!”
Keiron’s warning shook her from her thoughts. She felt Tam’s muscles tighten. When she glanced around his arm, she saw two travellers, both hauflins, approach. They looked as dirty as Keiron. She imagined how they stank.
Tam reached down and touched her knee. “Stay behind me.”
She pushed his hand away. She wanted nothing to do with the man who tried to kill her das. He had a chance to help both of them, but he chose to serve Keiron. In the past thirty-six hours, she hadn’t spoken to him.
“Keiron, it’s good to see you.” The hauflin on the lead horse stopped ten feet away. Lack of washing made his bleak clothes appear darker. The cloak flung over his shoulders fared no better.
“Likewise, my friend. I see yew have yer faithful sidekick with yew.” Keiron gestured at the hauflin half-hidden behind the man on another horse.
“Buchans goes where I go.” He half turned to nod at his friend. “He’s a good man, trusting.”
“We all need a trusting soul to watch our backs, Graple. On yer way to Ellswire?”
Isla leant around Tam’s arm to watch the exchange of words which to her sounded strained. She recognised the controlled voice used by Keiron, the one he used when he lied.
Tam reached around and pushed her back behind him. She was about to slap his arm again when she felt a sudden thud strike his chest. His hand fell limp. If not for her holding onto his waist, he might have fallen.
“Reese!” Keiron shouted as he drew his sword and attacked Graple.
Isla watched the gnome drive his horse past and attack the second hauflin. Below her, the mare stepped sideways. The clashing swords made it nervous. Unable to hold the dwarf’s weight any longer, he slipped from her grip and crashed to the forest floor. He rolled onto his back, and she gasped. An arrow stuck out of Tam’s chest. He stared up at her. To her surprise, he didn’t appear frightened to die. It looked more as if he nodded off to a peaceful sleep.
Isla jumped from the saddle and gripped the end of the arrow. She struggled to pull it free. Placing a foot on his chest, she pulled harder. Finally, the weapon released its hold, and she fell backwards. She scrambled to Tam’s side and found the wound weeping bright red blood. She lifted her hand but then hesitated. Why should she help a man who fought her das and possibly killed him?
Their eyes met. She wanted to help him; he was dwarf like her das. Didn’t he have a family, friends who would miss him? Didn’t he deserve a second chance?
“Don’t waste your time.” His weak voice trailed off.
“Why? So you can escape this life without a reprimand?” Isla glanced at Keiron and Reese. They battled the hauflins still. She unbuttoned the top of Tam’s shirt and slid her hand upon his chest. Pressing her palm against the arrow hole, she felt the blood pulsate past her skin. The arrow had created a deep hole and had severed several blood vessels. Even if she could heal the vessels, he might not have enough blood left to survive. She had to try.
In truth, she didn’t want to be left with Keiron and Reese. She needed Tam to live. She still held hope her das had survived the beating, but right now, right here, much of her hope lay with the man in front of her. He wouldn’t hurt her. The sound of clanking swords let her concentrate on her healing abilities. Keiron paid her no attention while the enemy kept him busy. If he knew she had this ability, he’d use it for himself.
Tam drew a deep breath and coughed.
“Lay still.” Isla leant close and focussed on the wound. She found it difficult to heal him. The energy had flowed hot and quick when her hand pressed against her das’ wound. She felt the tissues weave themselves together; it seemed like a dance. But with Tam, her weaving fingers felt thick and heavy. Did her exhaustion make healing difficult? She suddenly realised the sound of fighting had ceased. Who had won?
She looked up to see Keiron approach. He had a few cuts about the face and a slash mark above his elbow, but otherwise, he looked fine. Reese leant on his sword overlooking the hauflin he killed.
“What are yew doing, girl? Trying to plug the hole with yer finger?” Keiron stopped to catch his breath.
She looked down at her hand. “I…I applied pressure to stop the bleeding.”
He shook his head. “Don’t bother. A man don’t survive a hit like that.”
“Do you have anything to dress the wound?”
He chuckled. “Nothing I’d waste on a dead man.” He went to his horse and pulled out a few rags to patch himself up.
Isla leant close to Tam’s face. “Do you have anything in the saddle bags?”
He nodded.
She raced to the bags and dug through them to find a sack containing clean dressings and bandages.
As she opened Tam’s shirt for a clear view of the wound, she heard a low, mournful cry mixed with an excited sigh. She turned to see Reese with his hand over the gash in the hauflin’s chest—the one Keiron had called Buchans. He wasn’t yet dead, and whatever the gnome performed made him whine. Reese’s four fingers spread across the skin, and his palm pressed into the cavity of the sword injury. A faint green glow surrounded his outstretched hand. The look on his face appeared to be one of pure pleasure. His eyes, fixed on the man’s face, spread wide open and contained an excitement she had never before witnessed.
The hauflin’s shrieks escalated. Isla watched his expression turn from agony into sheer terror. His cheeks vibrated, and she thought his eyes might pop out of his head. Unable to speak, his groans echoed throughout the forest. She couldn’t imagine the torture he suffered as the gnome worked his magic on him, taking what the body forbid to surrender.
She felt Tam’s hand on her cheek, and he turned her to face him. “Look away.”
“That’s one thing yew don’t get use to no matter how many times yew see it,” said Keiron, looking down at Tam. “It’s a nasty habit.” He walked to his horse and busied himself whilst the gnome finished his reward.
Isla tried to pull her thoughts together. The gnome frightened her more now than he had before. No one, not even the worst criminal deserved to be delivered to the Plane of Peace in that manner. Reaching for the dressing, she noticed the plants growing nearby would aid in healing. She plucked several from the ground, put them in her mouth and chewed thoroughly. She spit them out and smeared the herbal substance over the arrow hole.
“He’ll need more than green spit to survive.” Keiron chuckled and went to check the horses of the other hauflins.
Tam eyed her. “You know what you’re doing, don’t you?”
“I have wise teachers.” She wanted to wash away the blood but didn’t want Keiron to see how the wound had almost closed. After packing the chewed herbs over the half-mended hole, she applied a dressing. “Hold it in place.” She guided his hand over the cloth and wrapped a bandage around his chest.
Once again, she heard strange sounds coming from the gnome. She looked to find him repeating his ritual on the second dead hauflin. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to look away. Was this what he wanted to do to her das? She caught her breath and stared at Tam. “You stopped him!”
“Stopped who?” His voice had regained a little strength.
Isla guarded her mouth and spoke in cant. “Reese was going to do that to my das, wasn’t he?”
He nodded.
She couldn’t help herself. She threw her arms around his neck. It would have killed her, too, to witness such an act of inhumanity on her das. It would have meant the end for sure. “Thank you.”
He shoved her away and glanced at Keiron. The hauflin still rummaged through the enemy’s pack and hadn’t noticed the show of gratitude. He gave her a stern look. “Don’t.”
“But—”
“Don’t.” He held his hand over her mouth when she wanted to speak again.
She pulled away, confused. Tam possessed goodness still. He had helped capture her das, but he wouldn’t allow the gnome to steal his essence. Isla wanted to smile, but thought it unwise to do so.
“You’re an honourable girl,” he said in cant.
“Everyone can be. Each morning the sun rises, you have a choice whether you want to be honourable or not.”
“Those are your das’ words.”
“But I believe in them as if they were my own.”
He admired her. “Your das would be proud.”
“If not for me, he’d be safe at Maskil, not chained to a tree struggling to stay alive.” The tears welled in her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. “It’s my greatest pain.” She stared at him. “I’d sacrifice my life for his. He doesn’t deserve to die out there, all alone. He’s a good man, the best. Many love him because of his goodness.”
“He is a good man. Men like him make other men realise how low they’ve sunk.” Tam paused and glanced at Keiron and Reese, who discussed a find in the bushes. “Don’t give up hope, Isla. A good man isn’t down until everyone who matters has lost hope in him.”
Keiron strode to his horse. “Isla!”
She jumped at the urgency of his voice.
“Come here.”
She took a few steps towards him then stopped. He climbed onto his horse. Reese did the same. They prepared to leave.
“Isla, get over here.” Keiron searched the forest with his eyes.
“What about Tam?”
“I’m not dragging around a dead man. Trogs consider that bait.”
“He’s not dead!” She swung around to face Tam. “Don’t just lie there! Get up! Now!”
He struggled to get to his feet but couldn’t. She rushed to his side.
“We don’t have time for this.” Keiron scowled. “The troglodyte’s tracks go right through this area. This is their feeding ground this time of year.”
Isla hoisted Tam’s arm over her shoulder. She wouldn’t leave him behind to be eaten by troglodytes. He stumbled to his horse, almost taking her down. “Hold onto the saddle! Grab it!”
He grasped the pommel but sagged under his own weight.
“He can’t ride!” Reese sounded anxious. “Leave him!”
Isla threw her meanest look at the gnome. “Shut up!” She seized Tam by his shirt. “I’ll climb into the saddle and help you up. Okay? Hang on.” She pulled herself onto the mare’s back. It took a good minute to get him up behind her, but once there, he seemed steady.
“This is ridiculous,” hissed Reese.
“Yew, follow me.” Keiron pointed a finger at Isla. “If yew can’t, we leave him.” He kicked his steed to a start.
Isla reined the mare to follow. She had ridden Clover, Alaura’s pony, many times at Moon Meadow, but felt unsteady on this larger animal.
Tam reached around her and gripped the pommel to steady himself. His heavy breathing revealed his weak state.
“Faster!” The nose of Reese’s horse banged the rump of Tam’s.
“Kick it,” said Tam. When she hesitated, he jabbed his heal into the mare’s side.
The sudden movement surprised her, but she kept control of the horse. Unlike Clover, this animal needed more encouragement to move forward. She guessed from the sound of Reese’s voice he didn’t much like troglodytes, but then who did? She had never seen one, but the stories her classmates told of them terrified her.