Taste of Darkness (An Avry of Kazan Novel - Book 3) (24 page)

CHAPTER 15

After Kerrick and Flea left, I kept busy to keep from worrying about them so much. Ginger and Christina handled the few incoming injured soldiers, consulting with me on the serious cases. I concentrated on caring for the new plague victims. As I changed linens and emptied bedpans for the four men, I puzzled over a possible cure.

Between the Healer’s Guild healers and my own knowledge of the nature of the disease, there was little left to discover. But still... A niggling sensation deep in my heart just wouldn’t quit. It reminded me of one of those wooden building sets my brother Criss used to assemble. Knowing he had all the pieces, he’d get so frustrated when he couldn’t get them all to fit. To make matters worse, our brother Allyn would sweep in half-distracted, glance at the incomplete structure and scattered pieces and point to the part Criss had been searching hours for.

Our father had claimed Criss just needed to take a break and look at the project from a different angle. Perhaps I should apply that logic to the problem of curing the plague. I considered. Digging deep into memories, I recalled the conversation I’d had about the plague with Ryne and Kerrick before we’d rushed off to save Melina.

We’d discussed Tohon’s involvement. He’d either created the plague or helped spread it. But that hadn’t been what had snagged my interest. The notion that Tohon had protected his classmates had been the real surprise. One I hadn’t followed up on due to Estrid’s defection.

Maybe I shouldn’t focus on the victims, but on the survivors. How had Tohon protected them from the plague? And why did one-third of the population also survive? Did he protect them, too? Hard to rule a kingdom without subjects. But even harder to protect three million people.

Perhaps it was something they ate or drank? That might explain Tohon’s classmates, but not the others. No family had survived intact. It stood to reason that a family would all eat the same food. Unless it was something with an unusual taste or odd flavor that most people didn’t like.

The tanglefish from the Ronel Sea was considered a delicacy, but most people couldn’t get past the horrible smell to eat it. And most of those who loved the slimy stuff lived along the coast. Tastes in food were regional and the plague had spread evenly throughout the Fifteen Realms.

I needed to talk to Ryne about what they ate and drank at their boarding-school reunion before I dismissed that hypothesis. Keeping with that line of thought, I considered perfumes and colognes. Distilled from flowers and plants, those were also very subjective—with some loving a certain scent while others were repelled by it. Perhaps Tohon had sprayed his classmates. Again this hypothesis wouldn’t go anywhere until I talked to Ryne. Good thing he hadn’t left for HQ yet.

Ryne had commandeered a corner of the infirmary. He’d been organizing Fydelia’s lady warriors—Odd’s nickname for them—into smaller units based on their skills, and explaining his military strategies to them. The monkeys and Odd taught them how to go silent in the forest.

I waited until Ryne was alone before approaching him around midafternoon. It was four days after Kerrick and Flea had left—two more days until they returned. Ryne hunched over a map that had been spread over a table. Red arrows and Xs marked the parchment. His posture reminded me of my brother Criss. Perhaps he needed to take a break and look at it from another angle, as well.

“Do you have a minute?” I asked.

He glanced up. “Sure.” Gesturing to a nearby stool, he tossed his stylus onto the table and sat down.

Ryne no longer looked so haunted. But the dark circles under his eyes hadn’t disappeared. I suspected he’d need a month’s worth of sleep to recover fully.

I explained my theory. “Can you tell me everything you did during that reunion, including what you ate and drank?”

He stared at me a moment. “That was...ages ago. Another lifetime. I can’t even remember what I ate this morning.”

“Start with anything unusual, especially when Tohon was around. What struck you as odd.”

Ryne leaned back in his chair. “Tohon was civil to me. Considering how livid he’d been when the headmaster had announced the king for our class, I was surprised at his change in attitude. Tohon hadn’t been one to forgive and forget. But then I’d assumed he’d matured in the past year.”

“Did he prick you or scratch you by accident? Or invite you to share a meal with him?”

“No, he didn’t touch me.” Ryne gave me a sardonic smile. “I was smart enough to keep out of his reach. Once we’d learned of his life magic, we all avoided his touch. As for meals, we attended a few banquets together, but so did all the returning alumni.”

“Did he give you anything? Cologne? Candy? Wine?” I asked.

“Not that I can recall.”

“Did you eat something you’ve never had before? A delicacy or rare dish?”

Ryne shook his head. “Sorry, Avry. Nothing stands out.”

Too bad. Guess I’d have to wait and ask Kerrick when he returned. I stood. “If you do remember something later—”

“I will let you know. It’ll probably be in the middle of the night. My thoughts churn rather chaotically when I’m trying to sleep and odd ideas or forgotten memories pop out without warning, waking me.”

My healer instincts kicked in. “I could give you a very mild sleeping draft that would ease the chaotic thoughts while still allowing you to be roused if needed.”

“Oh, no. Those ideas are the best. I wouldn’t want to stop them.”

“All right. Feel free to wake me if a memory about the reunion pops.”

“Will do. Oh, and that reminds me. How are your nightmares? Are you still dreaming of Tohon?”

“Yes. But only when I’m not with Kerrick.” They’d started again a few days after he left.

“Sorry to hear that.”

“Me, too.” I stepped away, but paused as a soldier arrived. He’d drawn his sword and he kept glancing at the cave’s entrance. Alarm shot through me. The soldier appeared to be terrified.

“My lord, you have a...visitor.” The man swallowed.

“Who is it?” Ryne asked.

“I...we...don’t know. He said—”

A commotion at the cave’s entrance interrupted the man. Sunlight was blocked as a knot of guards rushed after a huge man, who seemed to pay them no mind even though they were well armed and shouted for him to halt. He strode toward Ryne.

I moved closer to Ryne, who stood as the giant neared. Or at least he gave the impression of being massive. Perhaps it was his thick muscular arms and broad shoulders, or the wide curved sword hanging from his blue sash. White fur boots matched his white pants and sleeveless tunic. In this weather? It was almost winter.

He stopped a few feet short of Ryne. The guards fanned out around him, but they kept their distance. The giant gazed at Ryne with ice-blue eyes and it seemed as if the air in the cave cooled by ten degrees.

“I’ve come,” the man said.

Ryne smiled. “So you have. Welcome, Noak of the Sokna tribe. I’m honored and very glad to see you.”

Ah. Kerrick’s northern friend. Everyone relaxed slightly.

Extending his hand, Ryne said, “I’m Prince Ryne of Ivdel Realm.”

Noak shook it, then turned his icy gaze on me.

“And this is Healer Avry of Kazan Realm.” Ryne gestured.

“Healer? Magic Man said all healers die.” Noak’s cold tone cranked the tension back up.

I glanced at Ryne. He nodded.

“I did die, but I was revived,” I said.

Noak stepped close to me. He held his hand out. Not for a handshake, but with his palm up as if he wanted me to place my hand in his. Remembering what Kerrick had said about Noak’s Winter Curse, I hesitated. Then I spotted the monkeys and Odd inching their way through the guards and felt safer. I reached out.

He grasped my fingers. Ice zinged through my arm. I shuddered.

“You are linked to Magic Man.” His hard expression turned contemplative.

“I... We...” I glanced at Ryne for help. Noak still clasped my hand.

“Prince Kerrick’s out on a mission, but will be returning soon,” Ryne said.

A pulse of coldness tore through me, leaving me gasping for breath.

Noak scowled, but released his grip. “You request help. Who needs killing?” he asked Ryne.

Ryne didn’t miss a beat. “Let’s not rush ahead. I need to know how many soldiers are with you, and what your fighting style and strengths are before I can devise a plan of attack. Is your army nearby? I’m surprised my scouts haven’t reported them to me.” He frowned at Odd, who shrugged.

“My warriors are where Magic Man said to come.”

“And why didn’t you remain at HQ with your warriors? I left instructions with my second in command,” Ryne said.

“Little Brother wished to be here.” Noak strode to the cave’s entrance and shouted for Little Brother.

Ryne and I exchanged a look. Kerrick had only mentioned that Noak had a sister and father. Curious. We waited.

After a few minutes, a thin figure half Noak’s size joined him. But he dashed past the large tribesman and headed straight for me. I glimpsed his face before he almost knocked me over as he wrapped his arms around me with rib-crushing strength.

“Danny!” Heedless of my ribs, I hugged him tight.

He squeezed harder and I gasped, “Can’t breathe.”

Danny let go and pulled back. “Sorry, but I didn’t quite believe Kerrick when he said you were alive until I saw you.”

“If you knew about Avry, why didn’t you tell Noak?” Ryne asked.

“’Cause I gave my word to Kerrick not to tell anyone. Is he here?”

Danny bounced on the balls of his feet as he glanced around, but he spotted the monkeys and they pounced on him. They ruffled his shaggy black hair and slapped him on the back. The boy had grown a foot since I’d last seen him over seven months ago.

Ryne dismissed the guards, ordering them to return to their positions. He invited Noak to join him to discuss strategy. Understanding the hint, the monkeys led Danny over to the main fire to catch up on the news. I trailed after, noticing that Noak kept an eye on his little brother and on me. When my gaze met his, a chill raced up my spine.

Danny recounted his adventures with the tribe. Most of the stories we’d heard from Kerrick, but it was fun hearing Danny’s side of the story. We ate our supper as we listened.

“...I got this funny, twisty feeling in my guts and I knew I needed to touch Kerrick, but he stopped me and told me to wait. We experimented later and—” Danny pulled up the sleeve on his right arm and pointed to a tiny scar near his elbow “—that’s my first scar. It’s Kerrick’s.”

We exclaimed over the faint line. Encouraged, Danny continued his tale. “...and after Kerrick left, I stayed and helped them. They were real sick.”

“Were?” I asked.

A huge smile spread on Danny’s face. “I healed them, Avry! I figured it out with your journal and with Rakel’s help, we cured them.”

“That’s wonderful. What ailed them?”

“They’d been eating cloovit leaves and slowly poisoning themselves.”

“Why would they eat cloovit?” Quain asked. “Everyone knows—”

“They don’t. It resembled a rare plant that grows in the Vilde Lander. One that is considered a delicacy.”

“How did you figure it out?” I asked.

Danny launched into a story about how he tried to treat the symptoms by finding herbs that might work. “Then I’m walking through the town and there’s this lady with an armful of cloovit leaves. I felt like a lightning bolt had just struck me. Then I felt like an idiot for not thinking of it before.”

“Don’t let that upset you, Danny,” Loren said. “Quain feels like that all the time. Ow!”

Quain clocked Loren.

“I see those two haven’t changed,” Danny said, showing he’d grown in more ways than his height.

“I think they have a disease and are stuck in adolescence,” I said. “Do not look to them as role models.”

Danny grinned and glanced over at Noak.

Interesting. The gesture reminded me of another question I had for the boy. “Little Brother?”

“I’m tribe now.” He told them about healing Rakel, Noak’s sister, and challenging the tribe’s leader. “And that really put the pressure on us to find a cure. If the tribespeople kept dying, we would have had to fight Noak and his dad, Canute.” Danny hooked a thumb at Noak. “He’s a teddy bear compared to his father.”

“Kerrick didn’t know this, did he?” I asked.

“No way. The details of Canute’s abdication weren’t public knowledge. I didn’t tell him ’cause I knew Kerrick wanted to get back to you. He’d have never left me if he’d known.”

“I’m glad it worked out,” I said. “Plus you gained a valuable experience.”

“That I did, but I’ve lots to learn. That’s one of the reasons I’m here. I also wanted to help with the wounded.”

“You were safer in Alga,” Loren said.

Danny gave him a mulish look.

Loren laughed. “Does his expression remind you of anyone, Quain?”

“I thought that stubbornness was learned at healer school, but it must be instinctive,” Quain said.

Danny chuckled. “Whenever I was being difficult, Kerrick said I reminded him of Avry.”

“Hey,” I protested, but it lacked heat. After all, we knew just how difficult I could be.

“Where’s Kerrick?” Danny asked.

We filled him in on our adventures.

“...and Kerrick should be back in two days,” I said.

“Good, I’ve lots to tell him.”

“So you intend to stay here?” Loren asked.

“As long as it’s okay with Avry.” Danny widened his eyes in a pretty-please, puppy-dog, I’m-so-cute-how-can-you-say-no look.

“It’s all right with me.” Another chill brushed my spine. Noak was staring at me again. “Will it be okay with Big Brother?” I inclined my head in Noak’s direction.

“Yep. Don’t let him scare you.” Danny gestured to the surroundings. “This is all strange to him. The tribespeople are used to flat, open land where you can see for miles. They’re uncomfortable in the woods and they almost panicked crossing the Nine Mountains.” He chuckled. “We had to travel at night so they couldn’t see down.”

I smiled at his confidence. “You’d make a good ambassador.”

He ducked his head. “Well...I spent a lot of time with them. I am a bit worried how the warriors will do fighting beside Prince Ryne’s army. It was only a few months ago they hated us and wished to slaughter us all.”