Hope (32 page)

"Lady Kathryn, not so much. You’ve filled me up already." He smiled with delight and began healing the woman. The process was faster than Kathryn expected and they were soon moving on to another patient while the children helped their mother to sit up with squeals of delight.

The next patient was a small child with a crushed chest. Master Vetera’s eyes were grave as he looked at Kathryn. "I’m not sure our combined power will be enough for this young one. Should we save our power for the dozens of others with minor wounds or use it for this little boy? Some questions are so hard to answer."

Mel'int ent'bel'ak
. Kathryn touched the small child and assessed his condition. His left lung collapsed and his right would surely follow. He had extensive internal bleeding, but she sensed his strong will to survive.
"I think we should at least try. I will open my power to you and hold enough in reserve so I don’t exhaust myself."

"Are you sure? Opening yourself like that may make you physically exhausted as well. It’s your choice. Decide now while he’s still breathing."

"Yes, do it." Kathryn opened her mind and exposed all of her power to Master Vetera except for a sufficient reserve to prevent exhaustion.

"Very well. Here goes." Master Vetera gasped as his eyes widened. "Lady Kathryn, there’s so much—"

"I know." So much power and she didn't know where it came from. She knew it was separate from Jakob’s knowledge. What was happening to her?

She spent most of the night and the next morning working with Master Vetera, then spent the rest of the afternoon in bed. Her body’s weakness faded toward evening and she forced herself up to prepare for her knife training. Dargo’s tail thumped once, but he made no indication that he would accompany her. Pulling on his ears, she spoke some nonsense to him then bid him farewell.

The torches flickered from the light drizzle as Kathryn circled Assessor Jakara, doing her best not to trip over her own feet. Her dagger extended, she awaited his thrust as he had taught her. Av’lor had proven a strange world indeed. The summers lasted cycles, as did the winters. Hal and she had the good fortune to arrive during the summer cycles. Rain fell during the night hours, so the sunny days were enough to make you think you were in paradise. She was sure that would change when winter was upon them—cycles of snow, sleet, and below-freezing temperatures.

Assessor Jakara’s thrust was lightning-quick, but his mentoring paid off. She moved to the side, grabbing his wrist with her left hand as the dagger in her right hand came up to rest against his neck. "I believe you’re dead." She grinned under her helmet. Letting go of his wrist and lowering her dagger, she backed out of his range.

"I didn’t think you were paying attention at all of our lessons, but now I see that it was just a clever ruse." The pride in his voice surprised her. It seemed as if Assessor Jakara was truly a changed man; a man far different from the angry and bitter one she had met during her initial entry into the Knighthood. She finally let herself accept that she liked this new version. He reminded her so much of her father that she couldn’t help but try to grasp onto any semblance of home. She probably filled the void his daughter left.

"I have to admit my mind tends to wander during our lessons, but I get the basic idea."

He gestured for her to join him at their traditional resting spot upon a low stone wall surrounding the practice ring. "I know your days are full. I’m surprised you can concentrate at all. I thought practicing at nightfall would allow you some break between your daily duties and my lessons, but it got to the point where your break filled with even more duties."

He gave her a grim smile. "I think tonight is our final lesson. You need to concentrate on things that are more important now, like helping Sir Lanclor in the library and teaching the lost spells to Lord Alextor. I have to go to R’kelo for a while. It looks like Lord Alextor has noticed my change of heart and wants me to work on regaining my Instructor status teaching the knights over there. Some reinforcements are to arrive from R'kelo in the next day or so for some type of special mission to the North. I’m to bring a couple of knights with me to investigate an incident with a village over that way as well. I believe you’re familiar with Rielle and Nikton?"

"Yes, I remember them. I haven’t seen them for quite a while. Rielle and Nikton acted as our translators if you remember from the Assessments?" Kathryn felt guilty for not following up to see how they were.

"Ah, yes, I remember. I’m sorry about that, by the way. I was a different person back then, even though it wasn’t long ago. I haven’t talked to either of them since, so I’m sure they’re dreading this trip." He paused and she sensed the smile beneath his helmet. "I’ll get things straightened out and I’m sure we’ll end up being good friends afterward." He rose to his feet and she knew their lessons were officially over. "I don’t know when I’ll return, but if I don’t see you before the Final Battle, may the Goddess watch over you."

"May the Goddess watch over you as well, Assessor Jakara. Have a safe trip."

"Aye. Be safe, Lady Kathryn."

"Be safe, Assessor Jakara." With a nod, he turned and made his way through the now steady rain. The torches decided to make their exit as well and were overwhelmed by the rain.

Kathryn continued to sit there in darkness, thinking about all she had learned during her time on Av’lor. Her heart ached at Assessor Jakara’s leaving. It was like losing her father all over again. After her mother’s death, he wasn’t the same. Kathryn’s bitterness had grown unchecked as her father made every attempt to push his memories of her mother aside. Now she understood it was his method of coping. She wondered how he handled her disappearance. Talk about kicking somebody when he was down.

"Thanks, Garrent. I’ll give it to her."

"I appreciate it, Sir Lanclor. It only seems right. I honestly forgot about it until now. Be safe."

"Be safe, Garrent." Garrent saluted and left Lanclor's workroom. The first day Hal and Lady Kathryn had arrived seemed like ages ago instead of just under two cycles. Lanclor remembered that day clearly, as she almost died. He had saved her from that unfortunate end. Thank the Goddess.

He couldn’t imagine where the Knighthood would be without her. Garrent, Alextor and he would most likely be at the bottom of the Floalkel Falls with over a dozen other knights. Most likely, the Knighthood would have never recovered without their leadership, and the Daemons would have overpowered them in the battles that followed.

Garrent had come to Lanclor's workroom to present him with a heavy sack that had been in the corner of the sabotaged armory. It now lay on his desk wrapped in his spare cloak. Lanclor rose from his chair and headed for Lady Kathryn’s chambers with the pack in tow. He knocked upon her door a short while later.

She answered the door in full armor, minus her helmet. He had to suppress the urge to touch her hair.

"Sir Lanclor, this is unexpected. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, Lady Kathryn. I actually need to return something to you that we forgot about." He presented her with the bundle.

Carefully unwinding the cloak, she smiled at her pack and he saw her face beam with satisfaction. "My backpack! I completely forgot about it! Thank you, Sir Lanclor." She met his eyes with genuine gratitude, offering him the cloak as she placed the heavy pack upon her table.

He hesitated, and then decided just to tell her the rest of his news. "I also have something else I’d like to give you. Do you remember that I told you I’d reward you if you could tame the mare?"

"Tame Artemis? Yes, I remember." Kathryn clenched her hands in front of her.

"Well, I’ve decided upon a reward for your efforts. You’ve done a great job preparing her to be a knight’s mount. She’ll be a welcome addition to the knight stables. She’s plenty big enough to support anyone in the Knighthood, don’t you agree?"

"Um, yes, Sir Lanclor. She’s coming along well." She kept her expression neutral, but he could see the disappointment and sadness in her eyes at the thought of losing her new friend.

"Well, I’ve decided the best reward for you
is
Artemis."

It took a while to sink in. "Artemis? You mean—"

"Artemis. I bought her, so she’s mine to give. I’m giving her to you on the condition that you allow me some breeding rights. If she chooses to breed, that is."

With joy in her eyes, she gave him a hug and he forced himself to not wrap his arms around her and pull her closer to him.

She seemed to remember his rank. "Um, thank you, Sir Lanclor. Please forgive my excitement"

"You’re welcome, Lady Kathryn." He forced himself to nod and take his leave. Heading toward the center courtyard, his doubts about the Ball crept to the forefront of his mind. Memories of her warmth against him and her smile while they danced together pained him. He never should have pursued her. The ache he felt now, ten times worse than before, almost brought him to his knees when he was around her. He had to move past it.

A short while later, Lanclor sat in the throne room with Lord Alextor and awaited the presence of the R'kelo knights. They had decided to send them north to the Lir'Kelah in the hope that they could shed some light on the black quills and arrange a safe haven if the knights had to abandon the castle. The land around R'kelo had been quiet for the past few months, so it was the only place they could afford to reduce their numbers and send a group north.

The doors opened and two dozen tired knights strode in. Their armor varied in color and gave each one an identity of seasoned troops. He stared in disbelief as he recognized the armor patterns of several knights in the back of the group. No, it couldn't be. He thought they had more time. Bowing his head in his hand, he struggled to comprehend what it meant.

"Lanclor, is something wrong?" Lord Alextor asked in a concerned tone.

Lanclor regained his composure and shook his head. "We can discuss it afterward. Let's get started." He barely listened to the plan to send them north. His mind reeling with possibilities, a knight covered in soot took him by surprise when he burst into the throne room.

"Lord Alextor." the filthy knight said between breaths. He must have flown here in a hurry by the look of his trembling wings. "The Red Valley, there are so many. They covered the ground, obscuring the red rock of the valley floor." He began to panic and started mumbling incoherently about death and destruction to come.

"Enough! Take a breath. Explain to me exactly what you saw," Lord Alextor said in a firm voice.

"Daemons! Thousands upon thousands of Daemons! They cover the Red Valley!"

Everyone started talking at once, but Lanclor remained quiet. His fears confirmed, he looked up at the several knights he had recognized. He had seen Lady Kathryn's Final Battle Sight so many times that they were like old friends whom he had believed he wouldn't meet until much later. The Final Battle had arrived.

Kathryn closed the door behind her as she entered Sir Lanclor’s workroom. Lord Alextor leaned against a wall while Sir Lanclor sat at his desk.

"Lady Kathryn, please sit. This won’t take very long." Lanclor gestured to a chair.

Apprehensive, Kathryn sat in front of his desk, glancing between Lord Alextor and Sir Lanclor. She felt like a rabbit in the middle of two wolves.

Lord Alextor sighed, and then started in a detached voice. "We just received reports from the town of Ralenth that the Daemons are mobilizing in the valley of the Red River. We think they’ll begin to march—or fly rather—upon Ralenth any day. With Hopent and Balket destroyed, Ralenth is the only town left standing before the river. If the Daemons cross the river, we have little hope of defending the castle if we also have to worry about Altena and Heten. Our only choice is to strike before the Daemons can attack."

Kathryn sat in shocked silence. She thought they had more time and looked at Sir Lanclor for reassurance. The sunlight coming through the window highlighted the gold flecks of his light brown eyes.

Sir Lanclor took over. "There are a total of twenty squads of knights at Ka’latin Castle. We'll deploy fifteen squads to attack the Red River Valley and to reinforce Ralenth. If they don’t succeed, the remaining five squads will do whatever it takes to save the people of Av’lor, even begging the Lir’Kelah for refuge to the north."