Healer (Brotherhood of the Throne Book 2) (19 page)

Thorold stared at Fredrick, his thoughts churning. He smoothed a hand across the document, flattening it. “What does this mean? Are you saying that the indentured servant and Duchess Avery’s sister are one and the same?”

“It seems too much of a coincidence, my lord,” Fridrick stammered. “Though she never once mentioned who she was - the minor noble who indentured her would surely have sent her back if she had.”

“Why would she not say who she was? Why would she submit to years of being indentured when she didn’t need to?” He hadn’t really expected a reply and was surprised when Fridrick’s trembling voice answered him.

“There is one possible reason, my lord,” Fridrick said “The duchess’ family are healers but they also have another talent that’s even more rare in Aruntun,” Fridrick said. “They can see the future.”

“You think one of these witches deliberately let herself be indentured because she had a vision?” Even as he mocked it Thorold felt a chill run through him. What if it was true? What if the witches had been plotting against him all this time? “Well?”

“It’s possible, my lord. Why else would she not say who she was?” Fridrick paused and bowed his head. “She’s still alive, my Lord.”

“Is she? Then we can ask her ourselves,” Thorold said. “Get her here as soon as you can.”

Brenna dozed, her eyes closed. She could hear Kane rustling around the camp, stacking wood beside the fire, cleaning a pot. She could sense Yowan and Madelay, or at least the coronet, mortar and pestle and Yowan’s sword coming steadily closer. She’d been shocked that she’d been so ill – but as proof she had only vague flashes of images from the past two days. She shifted onto her side, trying to get comfortable.

Brenna snuggled into Kane’s warmth. He’d tucked himself in behind her while she was asleep and now she was wrapped in his arms. She ran her fingers over the strong hand that held the blanket tight to her.

She’d scared him. She could tell by the way he’d watched her while she drank more broth, filling her mug as soon as it was empty. She was sure he hadn’t eaten anything himself until she insisted he have some broth and dried meat. She’d need to take better care of him - he deserved better. Sighing, she settled against his chest. Madelay and Yowan would be here soon and Kane needed as much rest as he could get before then.

Brenna woke when Kane stirred. She heard hoof beats and looked up to see a weary Madelay slide off her horse and rush over to her.

“Are you all right, Brenna?” Madelay’s worried face loomed over her.

“I’m much better.” She straightened as Kane slid out from behind her. “Thanks to you and Kane,” she said.

Kane squeezed her shoulder before he went to help Yowan with the horses.

“You are looking better,” Madelay said. “I wasn’t sure you’d recover so easily.”

“Other than a trip to the privy I haven’t been on my feet at all.”

“And that’s just as well,” Madelay replied. “We’ll camp here another day and see how you feel then. Altitude sickness is not something to trifle with.”

“So I’ve learned,” Brenna said.

Kane dropped her pack in her lap and she smiled as she watched him walk away. He knew she would feel more comfortable knowing her pack was in her hands.

“That’s a fine man you have there.” Brenna turned to see Madelay’s eyes on Kane’s retreating back.

“I know. I’m not sure I deserve him.”

Madelay laughed, a sharp sound that brought glances and smiles from both Kane and Yowan. “That’s the Kerrich curse, Brenna. You find a good man and then spend your life trying to be worthy of him.” Madelay smiled at her. “It can be a hard path, but the benefits are considerable.”

Brenna’s eyes wandered back to Kane and she grinned. “Oh, I quite like the benefits.”

Madelay made her a tea and Brenna watched with interest, asking questions about each unfamiliar ingredient. Dealing with high altitude illness was new to her and she wanted to know all the treatments. Not just because she may need it again, although Madelay said that because she’d fallen ill once she would be more susceptible to it in the future. But Brenna had always wanted to know more - it was what had driven her to spend hours in the collegium library.

Eventually Madelay’s knowledge was exhausted and Brenna gratefully took the herbs and libo nuts she gave her and untied her pack. Reaching in her hand brushed the cool old steel of the mortar and pestle.

“I have something to show you,” Brenna said, sitting up straight and crossing her legs. “I understand they’re something of a legend in Aruntun.” She pulled the items out of her pack and placed them on the ground in front of Madelay.

Madelay looked at the items casually - then her eyes widened. She reached a tentative hand out and picked up the pestle, rubbing the rounded end across her palm.

“Is this really them?” she asked softly then nodded. “Of course it is, I can feel it.” Madelay lifted her eyes to Brenna’s and she saw tears track down the older woman’s face.

“Madelay? Grandmother what is it?” Brenna asked.

Madelay gently set the pestle back into the mortar and brushed her hand across her face, wiping away her tears. “Aruntun’s mortar and pestle,” she whispered. “I never thought I’d know.” Her eyes were wide with hope and relief. “All those years, all that time alone, never knowing if what I’d done would make it right.”

“What do you mean?”

“I may not have your Seer’s gift Brenna,” Madelay said. “But all the same when I was young, I had a Seeing. The same one every night for months. Chaos and destruction for everyone and everything I held dear. Yowan knew something was wrong but I dared not tell him what.” She looked sadly over at Yowan where he was rubbing down his horse. “He wouldn’t have let me go and I knew I had to. My vision told me that much.”

“I thought Seer’s couldn’t use their gifts on themselves or each other?” Brenna asked.

“So I thought as well. But I’m not a Seer - maybe that’s the difference?” Madelay touched the pestle gently. “So I left knowing that my road would be filled with pain and loneliness and that my child’s fate would be much the same, which was so much harder to bear.”

Brenna reached out and grasped Madelay’s hand. “She was loved, if only briefly, and she had me.”

Madelay closed her eyes and sighed. “Thank you.” She opened her eyes again. “And now I know I did the right thing. You have the mortar and pestle so there is hope for Aruntun and Soule. In my vision, without them, Aruntun and Soule were doomed, with them there was hope. You, Brenna - you’re the hope.”

sixteen

Wide awake, Brenna twisted against Kane, slowly sliding out from the blankets. She tucked them back around him and stood up. She’d done nothing except sleep for the past two days and now she was restless.

It was Yowan’s watch - he nodded to her from his perch near the road.

Brenna sat by the small fire and sighed – feeling humbled.

Kane would die for her - she knew that in her heart - and she would do everything possible to keep that from happening. She glanced at him – she also had to make sure that she deserved his trust, respect and love. The old gods would never be so cruel as to let a man like Kane to throw himself away on someone undeserving. As Madelay had said, it was a hard path.

But not as hard as Madelay’s path - sacrificing her life and her child in order to achieve some unknowable future. Wynne, her mother, Madelay’s daughter, would have been almost forty years old, Brenna realized. Almost forty years that Madelay had spent taking orders from others in order to save her beloved people and land - yet never knowing if she’d succeeded - if her sacrifice had been worth it. And never once believing anyone would know the price she’d paid, ever. Brenna simply couldn’t comprehend that kind of courage and resolve.

It had taken a long time for her to believe that the Brotherhood of the Throne could change the path of history. Even now there were times when she wanted to find someplace to hide - what stopped her was the look she’d see in Kane’s eyes. Soule had not given her much and Duke Thorold had taken what little she’d had, including her mother. Her allegiance was to herself, that’s what she’d learned as an indentured servant and then a thief. She looked after herself because no one else would.

Except now she had Kane - and Madelay and Yowan, her friends Pater and Eryl from the Quarter, Jemma and others from the Brotherhood, and her new-found family in Aruntun - Laurel and Clift and their children.

Brenna closed her eyes and let her mind touch old steel. She started with the brightly burning coronet and mortar and pestle then moved on to Kane’s sword, as familiar to her as her own knife. Outward she spiraled, until she saw points of old steel lighting up all across Soule. Even from this distance she recognized many, friend and enemy alike, but she felt attached to them all, to all of Soule, in a way she’d never felt before. She smiled when she identified Captain Rian Chaffer’s sword, heading north off the coast. Perhaps Leila and her family would be safe after all.

Brenna settled back and tracked the many dots of light she saw across Soule, enjoying the feeling of being connected to people all across the land. And as dawn crept across Soule, starting in the eastern most reaches of Aruntun, the dots stirred and she smiled as the people of Soule began a new day.

Brenna felt well enough that she spent the rest of the day doing small chores around the camp. She’d checked Runner’s leg – it had felt fine to her but she’d made a poultice anyway – and all four horses gleamed after she’d taken brush and cloth to them.

She’d also found some wild carrots - some she threw into the pot for stew the rest she fed to the horses, laughing when they snuffled her shirt looking for more.

In late afternoon Madelay declared her fit to travel the next day and after a quick supper, Brenna had bedded down early. She was still on the mend and knew that tomorrow’s traveling would tax her strength - they had one more mountain pass to climb through. Madelay had warned that she might always be susceptible to mountain illness so she had to be as rested as possible.

Brenna woke to the thin light of dawn. Kane was already tending the fire. She stretched and climbed out of her bedding. She pulled on her boots and looked north to the mountains pass they would travel today. The sun already shone on the snow-capped peaks. She rifled through her pack for a libo seed and chewed it slowly repeating to herself -
I will not be ill, I will not be ill
- trying to inject magic into every word. She swallowed and looked up to find Madelay looking at her curiously.

“Trying a little prevention this morning,” Brenna said. “I can have another seed by noon and one more in the afternoon if I need to.”

“But no more than those three today.” Madelay frowned. “Remember, they’ll be less effective at another time if you eat too many now.”

“I’ll remember,” Brenna replied. She’d worry about that once they were through these mountains. Besides, she wasn’t planning on traveling in high altitudes again, ever.

They broke their fast with hot tea and the last of the journey bread. The camp was quickly cleared and all four of them mounted up. Madelay led the way with Yowan close behind her - Brenna was next and Kane rode last. Every few miles he dropped back to check for signs of pursuit. It was five days since they escaped with Madelay and despite having spent two days in one place while Brenna recovered, it seemed no one had followed them. 

For most of the day they followed a path that wound slowly upwards. There were no signs of recent travelers - just deer prints beside a stream and what Yowan said were wildcat tracks.

Brenna leaned over and brushed Blaze’s neck. She was still a little weak and she hated that. She’d eaten the second libo nut when they stopped at noon and there were still a few more hours to go before she could safely eat the third but her breathing had already become ragged and shallow. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the flow of her blood, encouraging it to flow faster through her veins. She never even felt Blaze stop until her reins were jerked out of her hands. She opened her eyes to see Madelay beside her, frowning.

“No magic, Brenna,” she said, her voice sharp. “I don’t know how draining it will be or how to counteract it.”

Brenna nodded and slumped in her saddle. She’d taken a few good solid breaths of air, but now she was more tired than before. Madelay dropped her grip on Blaze’s reins and spun her own horse to take the lead again. Kane move up beside her but Brenna ducked her head and refused to look at him.

“We just want to keep you alive,” he said before he dropped to ride behind her.

She knew that, she wanted the same thing, but she was frustrated. Since her mother had been killed Brenna had never depended on anyone else this much. She hated that her body was betraying her and hated even more that there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

Thankfully they reached the highest point in the trail by mid-afternoon. They took a brief rest and Madelay watched over Brenna as she ate her final nut. Once she was done they mounted and headed down the mountain.

For three hours Brenna leaned back in her saddle, trying to keep her weight from sliding too far forward on Blaze as they descended straight down the mountainside. Each step brought relief - the faster they descended the easier her breathing became. It was almost dark when they stopped in a small grove of pine trees. Last year’s needles blanketed the ground and muffled the horses’ steps. Kane insisted she sit while he looked after their horses and Brenna was soon wrapped up in blankets. Yowan started a fire and Madelay went in search of fresh greens for a stew.

Brenna fought her way out of sleep, her hands tangling in the blankets. She’d had a dream, or a Seeing. Something had brought her abruptly awake. She looked around the camp - Kane was finishing feeding the horses and Yowan and Madelay were tending a pot over the fire. Something was wrong

“Kane.”

He turned at her voice and she looked up at him. Whatever he saw in her face made him drop the oats and draw his sword, silently moving to her side. She looked for old steel and found some close - not Kane’s or Yowan’s swords it was old steel tinged with something that was unclear. Brenna stood and drew her knife and Yowan pulled Madelay away from the fire, his sword out.

“Well, well, what have we here?” The voice tugged at her memory.

A man stepped out of the shadows into the light of the fire and Brenna’s heart clenched when she recognized him.

“If it isn’t the former Captain of the Kingsguard.” Kersey stepped forward.

Kane saw him motion with his right hand, the hand that held an old steel sword. More men moved out from under the trees, swords drawn.

“And the little girl who wants to be queen.” Kersey sneered.

Kane gripped Brenna’s arm tight in warning - she was still weak from her illness and none of them knew what using magic could do to her.

“She’s the Caller, Kersey,” Kane said loudly. He wanted
all
the men to hear him. “You know it’s true. You’ve seen how old steel reacts to her.” He could see ten men - too many for him and Yowan to handle, even with Brenna and her knife.

“Pretty little tricks, yes I’ve seen them. But look at her, she’s no match for the Duke of Comack.” Kersey and his men laughed.

“And how is my grandfather these days?” Despite his grip on her arm Brenna stepped forward. “Oh, but you don’t actually know, do you? I hear Duke Thorold won’t even let Stobert cross into Comack.”

Kersey’s eyes narrowed - that had scored - and the surprise of some of the other men told Kane it was not common knowledge.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kersey said. “Lord Stobert is with the Duke as we speak.”

Kane felt Brenna tense then quickly relax. She smiled widely at Kersey.

“I don’t know why you feel the need to lie,” Brenna said. “I know where Lord Westley Stobert is - at least I know where his old steel sword is. It’s not in Kingsreach nor is it anywhere in Comack.” Brenna nodded backwards towards the mountains. “Judging from the distance and direction he’s a few days ride ahead. He has an estate somewhere close, does he not?”

Kersey frowned and some of the men behind him muttered.

“Not what you were told, was it men?” Kane said. He caught the eye of each man in turn. “Not how I would treat a man under my command. But I wouldn’t have abandoned the Brotherhood when we’d finally been Called just because I had a better offer from the Duke of Comack.” Kane stepped up beside Brenna and fixed his gaze on one man under the trees. “Meaker, you know I speak the truth, you know Brenna’s the Caller. And you know that Stobert betrayed her and the rest of the Brotherhood.”

Meaker hung back but when the rest of the men looked to him, he stepped closer to the fire.

“Lord Stobert said she was an imposter,” Meaker said and his chin lifted. “Said she tricked the rest of the Brotherhood. I’ve followed him all my life and I trust him.”

“See Rowse, we know what we’re about,” Kersey said, closing in on them, his sword pointing at Kane’s chest. “Tie them up.”  

Kane, Yowan and Brenna were tied together with their hands behind their backs. Madelay - apparently not seen as a threat - was not tied up. They were marched through the trees to a bigger camp while their belongings, including their weapons, were heaped onto the horses for the short journey. A couple of men started arguing over which one was to claim Runner, and Kane smiled grimly. Let them try - Runner decided who rode him.

Another four men stood guard at the camp where two fires had been laid but not lit. That’s why we didn’t see them, Kane thought, poor timing. That and the fact he’d allowed himself to be complacent. If he’d insisted on no fire they may have had some warning.

Kane, Yowan and Brenna were huddled near one of the fire pits - their legs were tied together and the three of them were lashed to a fallen tree. Kane shifted a little so that Brenna could lean up against him. She still looked tired but the look she sent him made him smile, satisfied that she was feeling fine. They would get out of this. He didn’t know how yet but they would. Kersey and his men better watch their backs tonight. He nodded over Brenna’s head at Yowan, who simply blinked and went back to watching Madelay.

From the laughs and taunts from Kersey’s men it soon became apparent that Madelay was expected to cook their meal and tend the camp. As she went about her duties, Kane frowned. How and when had members of the Brotherhood lost their respect for women? She tackled the tasks stoically, ignoring their humiliating comments as she gathered herbs and dried meat for the stew. She was stopped when she reached for her own pack but Kersey looked over at her and nodded and Madelay pulled a packet from her pack.

Yowan grunted. “Don’t eat what she’s cooking,” he whispered.

Brenna ducked her head and Kane hid a smile. Men who had no respect for women underestimated them at their own peril. If they were lucky Kersey and his men might live to regret it. Watching Madelay’s stiff back as she cooked the stew he knew she’d kill if she had to, healer though she may be.

It was the best part of half an hour before their captors noticed that none of their prisoners had eaten. Meaker had headed to the stew pot, bowl in hand, for a second helping. Before he scooped out more stew he looked down at Madelay.

“Why didn’t she eat?” Meaker asked.

“She ate,” Kersey said. “She took a bowl and gave some to them three.” He gestured to where Kane, Brenna and Yowan sat, bowls of stew beside them. Meaker came over and peered down.

“These three didn’t eat either,” he said.

Kersey joined him. He touched one of the full bowls with a boot. At a sound from the other side of the camp, both men jumped back.

“It’s Raffey,” a voice called. Then the unmistakable sounds of retching were heard. “He’s spewin’ his supper.”