Healer's Touch (25 page)

After a while Llew looked up to see a blood-soaked but otherwise healthy Emylia sitting on the edge of her bed with Anya’s arms wrapped around her as if she might never let go. It was with a relieved sigh that Llew looked about the room to see that each of her companions was well, if rubbing sore fingers and wrists.

“You did good.” Jonas patted her shoulder before he stood and moved off to confer with Aris. After a brief discussion, he dismissed the doctor with a warning not to speak a word to anyone of what had occurred in the room. Emylia was to behave as though the wound wasn’t as bad as had been believed and that she was being successfully treated by the doctor, who would call by at least once a day for the remainder of the trip.

As for the safety of the group Aris, much to the disgust of the ship’s captain, insisted they be moved into a larger room, and that the rules governing separation of the sexes on board be waived as far as his party was concerned. Jonas’ identity, now revealed, seemed enough to let them have their way.

* * *

With Llew and her companions together day and night, no further attacks occurred on board the ship to Phyos, but that didn’t mean she slept any better. Alvaro was fit again by the time they berthed in Rakun, and no one seemed any worse for wear for the part they’d each played in healing Emylia.

They arrived at the Rakun harbour just as the sun was dipping low. It wasn’t late, but the sun had been setting progressively earlier with the changing season.

They disembarked as a tight-knit group, keeping an eye on every other passenger who came close, but Braph was keeping a low profile. That meant little, considering what he had done to them on board without making a single appearance. Aris warned that while it was possible Braph had exhausted his power, it was just as likely he was waiting for them to let their guard down enough for him to slip in and take Llew. Wherever she moved, Jonas stayed right behind her, protecting her back and keeping a sharp eye on the goings-on around them. It should have been a comfort; it wasn’t. Still, she did her best to take everything in without thinking of the knife at her back.

So, this is a whole new country. A whole new continent
. Well, the people looked the same, the air smelled as pungent, and the harbour had a busy air like Ryaen, although spread across more docks, more ships, and even more people.

They claimed their horses and carriage and everyone, even Anya, helped get the carriage hitched and the horses saddled for a short journey to a Rakun hotel. It was too late to journey to Lord Tovias’ estate, Aris said, and he was sure the earl would appreciate them having bathed before showing up.

Despite the name, the harbour was a short ride out from the city of Rakun proper, and they set out at a trot, passing a few fields and stands of trees. That was the first real sign that they weren’t in Aghacia any more. The trees were different. The familiar kanuka, manuka and totara trees were absent, and in their place stood tall, thin trees with thin, flaking bark. And the birds were different; the only ones she could hear squawked. Where were the small green birds Llew knew and loved?

It wasn’t long before they were riding between houses and stores again. The stores gave way to more houses, to bigger houses, and then bigger stores. It just kept going. There were still a few people about despite the encroaching evening, all still able to see where they were going thanks to tall poles topped by glass globes with a glowing wick and a whiff of kerosene. Llew wondered who had the job of lighting the lanterns but was soon distracted by the beginnings of a brawl outside a tavern. Well, some things didn’t seem to change, no matter how far she travelled.

The main street was clean and tidy, but what she could see of the unlit side streets revealed piles of rubbish and people who didn’t seem to have homes milling around. An alleyway in Rakun didn’t look half as pleasant a place to sleep as a soft patch under a tree in Cheer.

The hotel Aris booked them into was more than a match for those on Aghacia. It was huge, and included a ground floor restaurant that was feeding several well-dressed patrons already, some of whom stopped eating to follow the tired group with less-than-impressed gazes. A four-piece band played in one corner.

Aris’ party ate at another restaurant just down the street, preferring not to eat under those stares.

***

The following morning saw them enjoying steaming baths and donning fine new clothes. Aris had sent a runner ahead to the estate, and Lord Tovias expected them to look their best. Llew was disappointed to find herself expected to wear a dress for their arrival at the estate, but supposed she had no reason to parade as a boy any more. Still, no matter how many layers of undergarments she wore, she felt naked stepping into the world as Llewella. Llewella was a girl that Llew barely knew.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Llew had to admit it was a beautiful dress. Blue again. Llew had rather liked the pinkish-purple colour of one of the others, but Anya and Emylia had both agreed that the cut wasn’t right. Whatever that meant. At least it didn’t have flowers. Llew had never considered herself a flowers girl.

A mirror on the wardrobe door displayed her in her full glory once Emylia and Anya had helped tie it all together – it had a lot of ties, as well as loops and hooks. Lord Tovias had provided six stunning dresses for the women to choose from, along with a variety of hair clips, ribbons, and shoes. Llew’s feet were too big for any of the latter, but her dress hid her riding boots if she stood still. And her hair was too short to take advantage of the clips on offer, but Emylia managed to arrange it in such a way as to give Llew a surprise when she looked in the mirror. She looked . . . feminine. It was a sight as foreign as it was welcome. She smiled and a pretty girl smiled back.

When the women presented themselves in the restaurant downstairs, the boys had the same awestruck looks on their faces as they had during that brief evening in Osurnu, and Llew had to work to hide her own admiration for them. They all looked handsome. Alvaro had swapped his wide-brimmed hat for a top hat to match his grey suit, gold waistcoat and stunningly white shirt. He was immaculately shaved, making him look younger than his eighteen years, while the suit gave him a maturity beyond that, despite the self-conscious smile he flicked Llew’s way when she gazed at him. Cassidy wore a golden suit that set off his blond hair. He, too wore a matching top hat, and had accessorised with a cane. To complete the look he put on an aristocratic air which, while Llew knew it was meant to be funny, somehow suited him. Aris wasn’t in clothing dissimilar to his usual get up, but everything was perfectly clean and perfectly pressed.

Jonas had opted not to wear a hat. His long hair hung down, one side hooked behind an ear. He wore his own vest, as always fully loaded with knives, but over it he wore a pitch black short jacket, and trousers to match. Over the trousers sat his knife belt with his Syakaran knife even more visible against the crisply clean background. Underneath it all was a tidy white shirt. Llew was almost disappointed by his lack of bravery with colours, but he could still force the wind out of her with but the slightest upturn of his lips.

This time they ate in the hotel’s restaurant. The other diners still looked at them, but no longer with the wary, distasteful looks of the previous evening; rather, with the whispered question of just who are these fine people?

Aris hadn’t told them that Lord Tovias had also sent a new carriage and horses for them to ride to his estate. These were accompanied by an escort of ceremonially dressed soldiers. They appeared very fancy in their shiny get-up of royal blue jackets and straight black trousers. Many of them had badges on their jackets and Llew wondered what kind of battle action they had seen, or if the decorations were rewards for keeping a tidy uniform.

She expressed her concern at leaving Amico behind, but Aris assured her he would be brought to the estate and well tended by Lord Tovias’ grooms. Besides, he reminded her, there was no way Jonas would let them forget his horse.

Being in a dress, Llew was expected to ride in the carriage with Aris and the women while Cassidy, Alvaro and Jonas joined the escort. Surrounded by all the finery, Llew felt as though she were little more than the street urchin she had hoped to leave behind in Cheer. The dress felt like a costume. How could any of it be real?

She watched the city pass by as the group moved through the busy centre of Rakun at a walk. The cobbled town square was a hive of activity. Overall, it was clean, well kept and the people seemed happy. Money exchanged hands in swift business as people moved from one stall to the next, and milling casually amongst the crowd were beautifully dressed military men. Some sort of city police force, Llew thought. Their uniforms stood out, even amongst the brightly coloured expensive clothes of the civilians.

And the people were beautiful.

She assessed the city for the possibilities it could offer her: a denser population, more money. Two very obvious benefits over Cheer. Just how good were those street soldiers, anyway? With her keen eye she noted that there were no pick-pockets loitering in the crowd. Was that because the city simply hadn’t fostered them and it was ripe for someone to move in? Or did that mean that they didn’t survive long in these streets?

Of course, she didn’t need to assess such things. It was a city she wouldn’t be staying in, and she wasn’t going to be a street urchin any more. She was going to be someone’s captive, though whose was yet to be determined. A chill shot down her spine at the recollection that Braph was still behind them. Surely she would be safe from him once inside Lord Tovias’ estate. Would he strike before then?
Could
he strike before then, with all these soldiers, decorative as they likely were, and Jonas? Her posture remained stiff and alert for the rest of the journey, waiting for the slightest hint that it was all about to end.

“You alright?” Jonas asked, bringing his horse in beside the carriage.

“Braph.”

Jonas nodded, then he smiled. “Do you know why he wants you?”

“To power his magic bracelet.”

“But he’s got Aenuks for that. Do you know why he wants
you
?”

Llew shook her head.

Jonas smile broadened. “I think he don’t think he can beat me without your blood. But I’ve –
we’ve
got you.”

Llew smiled, too. So Braph needed her blood in order to fight Jonas, but he would have to fight Jonas before Llew would go with him. She felt her shoulders relax. She was going to be fine.

They passed through the town square and carried on down the main street. The city slowly changed from high density, high activity, to smaller, well-spaced houses, and quieter activity. Llew let her gaze meander up the road in front of them. The road climbed the hill ahead, stopping at a large estate part way up.

They arrived minutes later. A wide, open gateway admitted them into a cobbled courtyard. A water fountain played in the centre and the group parted to go around it, rejoining on the other side. Beyond the fountain they were presented with an expansive entrance to a magnificent house, fronted by huge steps and massive marble pillars. It almost made Llew sick to think she’d spent her life struggling to survive, while people lived like . . . well, like this.

Waiting on the front steps of the mansion were more soldiers and household staff, at the front and centre of which stood a man wearing a short red jacket and black trousers. He had dark curly hair with the deep widow’s peak that comes with age, a rounded belly, and looked to be about halfway between Jonas and Aris in age; he was taller than either and carried himself with a confidence and vigour that gave him an air of youth. His face broke into a huge grin at sight of the new arrivals.

“Aris, my friend!” he bellowed.

Aris jumped down from the carriage.

“Gaemil.” He walked into the outstretched arms and returned the embrace. “Good to see you again.”

Llew turned to Anya, who seemed to have paled at the sight of her future husband. She must have sensed Llew looking at her, and looked back with a sort of shrug and a smile. And then, realising that perhaps a lady of her calibre shouldn’t have such thoughts, she pulled herself up and looked straight ahead, ready to face her future. Whatever his appearance he was, after all, Rakun’s Earl, the representative of Brurun’s King, and commanded as much power as any man Llew had ever encountered.