Techromancy Scrolls: Soras (23 page)

I kept drifting in and out of consciousness. I would just become aware of my back and my neck burning, and my hand aching with a dull throb when the warm peace of unconsciousness would wash the pains away. I swear I could hear Celeste's voice speaking to me, comforting me.

My moments of clarity were getting longer and longer and I was able to push the pain that consuming me long enough to look around. I was on a cot, in some sort of camp, knights were everywhere. I turned my head which made my neck burn more and I saw Mother Udele sleeping in a cot beside me. I turned my head the other way to see a worried looking Celeste smiling down on me. I smiled back at my avenging angel as sleep overtook me.

Men shouting woke me again. “Rider approaching!”

I turned my head to look past the fire that now blazed at the center of the camp in the twilight of evening. How long had I slept?

The knights parted, blades drawn as a horse trotted lazily into camp with a figure slumped over the saddle. The horse stopped and a man with rich brown skin fell off to the ground. I recognized his bloodied form which was breathing shallowly, and I tried to call out Alexi's name, but wound up coughing instead, setting my throat aflame. I was barely able to rasp out, “He's with us!”

Someone beside Celeste stood and a booming voice with a slight Welsh accent called out, “Stand down! He is with the Great Mother. Someone, see to his wounds.”

I turned my head groggily to see the profile of Duke Liam looming behind my Lady. I smiled and closed my eyes again to let sleep take me as I thanked whatever deities there may be for the safe return of the brave fisherman.

I woke the next morning under what felt like a dozen blankets on that cot with Father Sol warming my face. I could feel the warm strength of Celeste holding my left hand. I looked over and she was grinning at me.

She tilted her head and asked, “Can't I leave you alone for just one day without you getting into trouble?”

I shrugged with a grin and immediately regretted it as my neck protested vigorously and painfully. I winced then said in a voice that was half gravelly growl, half wheezing whisper, “I have a gift.”

She chuckled at me then kissed me lightly on the lips. I tried to clear my throat and speak again, but it still came out in that hoarse wheezing, “Mother Udele? Great Mother Ranelle?”

Celeste creased her brow as she looked down at me. Then she assured me, “They are here, they are fine. Mother Udele is much tougher than she appears and is recovering well.”

I smiled and nodded stiffly then asked, “Alexi?”

She shook her head. “He's not doing well, he has a fever and suffered many sword wounds, one to his gut. The doctor from Shoreline says the next forty-eight hours are critical. If he can survive that, then his chances are good.” Then she looked back to where I assumed the man was and then to my throat. She muttered, “If only Sylvia or another Gypsy healer were here.”

I looked at the shadow in her eyes when she looked at me. I rasped, “How bad?”

She exhaled heavily and said, “Second and third-degree burns on your neck. You lost a finger, the doctor says you need a surgeon to do a proper amputation so the bone doesn't injure you further. And your back looks like strips of flesh were burned out of it. They look like burns from a red hot whip.” She winced, she never approved of the flogging I had received as a girl when I snuck into the library of the Techromancy Scrolls.

I nodded and wheezed out, “Kennick was just trying to unhorse me, he believed that I still had Mother Udele riding with me or he would have killed me outright. But I have had worse lashings.” I tried to smile.

Her eyes darkened and she scowled at me. I lowered my eyes. What? I thought it was funny. I squeezed her hand. I wheezed, “It's alright Celeste, I was never going to be pretty anyway.”

She glared again. I keep saying the wrong things. Think before you speak Laney.

She exhaled and stroked my hair, whispering, “Rest your voice. We're heading for Solomon Keep after we break our fast.”

I nodded. I was hurt but excited at the same time. Solomon! I never thought I'd live to see one of the great cities of the habitable lands. Jace was going to be so jealous.

I turned my head to look at my right hand and knew why it had the throbbing ache. My silk glove was not on it. Instead, it was wrapped in bandages and it looked so odd with only three fingers instead of four sticking out of the gauze. I swallowed back a sob and was instantly rewarded with a sharp pain in my neck.

A familiar voice said, “Ah, the Sora returns to us.”

I turned my head slightly, mindful of the pains and smiled at Great Mother Ranelle. I smiled and rasped, “Rain. How are the girls?”

Sarafine stepped up with Pen at her side and she said with a smirk on her face, “The 'girls' are fine.”

I gave them a cheesy smile and wheezed, “Such an adventure.”

Sara shook her head at me and spoke to my girl, “Sora Celeste, you need to teach her self-preservation. She is always turning into a fight instead of fleeing.”

Celeste had a note of pride in her voice as she said with a smirk, “It is not in her nature to yield.”

They all shared a chuckle at my expense as Ranelle murmured, “Udele chose well indeed.”

I scrunched up my lips like a duckling and complained, “I'm hungry.”

This got more chuckles and with a smirk, as she wandered off to find me sustenance, our blonde haired Gypsy archer said, “Yes my Sora.”

I looked around. “Is there water? I need to get this frog out of my throat.”

Celeste handed me a waterskin as she sighed heavily and said carefully, “Kennick crushed your larynx, the doctor doesn't know if you will fully recover.”

I blinked, just great, not only do I show the scars of the battle of the Monolith, but now I'll sound like an old sea-hag from Solomon? I tightened my grip on Celeste's hand, pulling strength from her. It didn't matter, if my Lady would still have me. She gave me a loving smile that seemed to make nothing else matter.

As I inhaled my food, the Knights of Wexbury sat around me as they ate. They shared what they had learned when they arrived at Solomon Keep. The Duke was unaware of the occurrences and pledged an investigation. He shared that over the past five years, ninety Knights of the Realm had deserted.

I swallowed at that. If there were ninety and between the Lupei caravan and the Dark Knights from the ruins, seventy-five were dispatched. Though two were captured and took their own lives rather than talk. That meant that Duchess Aelwen was still out there somewhere with fifteen trained killers.

I sat up. Wishing I hadn't as with the pressure relieved from my back, the blood rushing to the wounds, waking them up, sent a burning pain through my body. I glanced over at a stack of my belongings. My spelled riding cloak which I have had since my first meeting with the Lupei was in tatters, covered in burns and blood.

Celeste followed my eyes and said, “It seems to have taken the brunt of the attacks until the spells failed.”

I nodded, it had always protected me better than my armor ever had. I had a pang of sadness over it's destruction. I have always had an irrational connection to the things that I feel are mine. The things not supplied to me by the realm. The things I actually owned.

I took pride in them because, in my prior life, it was rare to own nice things. It is one of the main reasons I will never entertain getting a horse more suited for my size. Goliath was mine, won out through battle before I became a Knight. He was my beautiful boy. We were a team.

Then Verna told of when the messenger from the conclave arrived with word of Udele's location and that I had led a party to rescue her. Verna chuckled, “I swear that Celeste was on the verge of a heart attack at that news. She petitioned Duke Liam for a few men to travel to the ruins of Lord Cedric's keep to support your mission.”

Bex joined in with amazement in his voice, “But instead, the Duke pledged his sword and an entire battalion to put an end to the Dark Knights once and for all.”

He grinned lopsidedly. “We rode hard for two days when the Great Mother and Sarafine came over a rise and bid us hurry, that you were holding off the enemy horde so they could escape.” He looked over to my girl who was ignoring him but blushing slightly as he said, “Lady Celeste led the charge.”

His grin grew. “You should have seen how quickly the Dark Knights pulled up short when the battalion came thundering over the hill.”

I grinned internally then squinted an eye at him. “Don't think I didn't witness you in the fray. That was the best I have ever seen you fight.”

He blushed and looked away at the praise. Verna clapped his shoulder and he staggered forward a couple steps from the force of it as she said, “Here here.”

Kristof just hoisted his mug of something that smelled suspiciously fermented, then took another long tug on it.

I looked around and asked, “Where's Bowyn?”

They all chuckled and I furrowed my brow and Verna said, tongue in cheek, “I believe he and Great Mother Ranelle took a stroll to Shoreline before we start for Solomon Keep.”

I blushed for the young looking ruler and grinned. She was so bad. Then I snorted, wondering if Bowyn knew her age. I could see many older woman jokes in his near future.

Before long, some wagons arrived from the little fishing village I had passed before my rescue, I assumed that was Shoreline. Mother Udele, Alexi and I were loaded up on a wagon and we started the trek to Solomon Keep so that we could recover enough to head back to the Whispering Walls so that Mountain Gypsy healers could see to us.

With the wagons slowing them down, it took us three days to make the journey. Neither Celeste or Ranelle left my side. We stopped in a couple small fishing villages along the way.

I was starting to wonder if everything in the realm of Solomon revolved around fishing. I guess it might since they had the wonder of the Great Sea that took up over a third of their entire holdings. I wondered just how many fish such a mammoth amount of water held.

I was feeling much better after a fever that came upon me on our first day of travel, it broke on our third day and I convinced all of my protectors to allow me to get up on my feet. I was afraid that if they all had their way, I would forget how my legs worked.

I was sitting with Mother Udele at the small fire where the porters they borrowed from Shoreline had cooked us a hearty fish stew when Duke Liam walked past. He always seemed in good humor with a mischievous look permanently on his face. He reminded me more and more of Sir Tennison. He called out to me, “Tiny Wexbury, slow down, you'll spoil your appetite for the culinary delights that Solomon has to offer. We will arrive in just a few hours.”

I shook my left fist at him as I scrunched my nose. Even Solomon teased me for my height. I was just the right size than you very much. He held his hands up like he was scared then walked away, trailing booming laughter in his wake.

I saw a bunch of his men grinning as he left and I pointed at them in warning. Their smiles grew as they quickly returned their attention to their meal. I rasped out as loud as I could, “That's what I thought.” I was rewarded with a round of chuckles. Celeste just beamed at me over her bowl.

To my chagrin, all of the Solomon Knights took to calling me Tiny Wexbury after that. If Liam weren't a duke who could have me executed for causing his trousers to fall in public, I'd have my revenge.

As we broke camp after my bandages were changed, I caught sight of Alexandru on his mount at the edge of the forest. He was looking at me and gave one of his hand flourished bows then faded back into the trees with a satisfied smile on his face. I wondered if he ever rested in his duties of watching over Celeste and me.

I lost my argument of riding Goliath instead of sitting in the wagon with our injured Gypsies. I just took in the sights on the cobblestone road we had got onto on the shoreline. I realized we had moved onto the Ring. I could see sails dotting the water everywhere, there seemed to be more and more including those giant schooners.

We passed many more patrols who saluted as our battalion escort went past. More and more buildings started springing up all around us when Liam came trotting back on his charger with Goliath in tow.

He looked at Celeste instead of me. She had a hard look on her face. And he said, “Give her the dignity, we have arrived. Allow her to ride in on her own.”

I looked hopefully at my Lady. She seemed conflicted but caved when she looked into my eyes and just nodded once. The wagon stopped and he brought my Percheron beside it. I needed Celeste's help to slide into the saddle.

I winced but sat tall in the saddle, Anadele hanging at my hip, and the borrowed peasant's clothing on my back. I must have looked a sight. An armed raggedy woman on a grand steed. Celeste mounted up on Shadow and rode beside me in her grand Gypsy garb, her head held high.

Owensdale had been the largest village I had ever seen, but it paled in comparison to Outer Solomon. The buildings started getting more and more plentiful and people came out to watch as a hundred Knight passed by with their leader. I saw that same look of awe on the faces of the people we passed as I had for the Knights of Wexbury when I was but a commoner.