The Ring Keeper, page 22
They had plenty of time to talk, and they could enjoy each other’s company with no meetings to attend, no diplomats to deal with, and nothing to interrupt them.
The group traveled all that day until the sun hung low in the west. Allia was tired and dusty, but she could see that Tess was even more weary than she was.
“We’ll stop here for the night,” Talon announced as he found a suitable spot under a grove of trees at the bottom of a grassy hill.
Callonen and Harrow helped the ladies off their horses. “Would you like to rest a little?” he asked, and the girls sat down, savoring the feeling of not being on a horse.
The soldiers seemed used to this kind of expedition. They appeared to have a familiar routine of working together to make a fire, haul water, tend to the horses, and prepare an evening meal. Callonen helped the rest with their work, and if it was unusual for a prince to collect firewood, no one said anything.
As darkness fell, Allia and Tess joined the others as they gathered around the fire and ate. Soon, Callonen took a seat beside Allia.
“May I sit here?” asked a voice from behind them.
Allia saw Tess’s cheeks flush as she realized it was Harrow.
Tess swallowed quickly. “Please do,” she said, as he took a seat beside her.
Allia watched the flames as the stars came out.
Everyone sat talking around the fire as it burned down. One by one, the men dispersed and rolled themselves into their blankets to sleep.
Harrow stood up and stretched. Looking at Tess, he said, “Thank you for your company today. Good night.”
Smiling, she said, “Good night, Harrow. I’ll see you in the morning?”
“I’ll be here,” he replied with an answering smile. Then he left to find his bedroll.
“We should get some rest too,” Callonen said. “It’s been a long day.” He got to his feet and offered his hand, pulling her up.
“Good night.”
“Good night, Callonen.” He kissed her cheek and went to find his blankets.
Tess and Allia wrapped themselves up in their bedding, side by side, and tried to get comfortable.
“Something’s crawling on me,” Tess whispered, sitting up to brush vigorously at her hair.
“A bug?” Allia asked.
“I’m trying not to think about what it was,” Tess groaned, lying down again. “You owe me.”
Allia smiled at her. “I know. Thanks for coming with me.” Then she leaned close and whispered, “Do you want me to go ask Harrow to come and check for spiders?”
Tess elbowed her in the side in reply.
The night deepened, and the camp grew quiet. But Allia couldn’t sleep. She lay there for hours, listening to the breeze whispering through the trees and watching the stars turning slowly above her. Even Tess had finally dozed off. Allia raised herself on one elbow and looked around at the dark sleeping forms. Which one was Callonen? She couldn’t tell for sure. Someone was snoring faintly.
It must have been past the middle of the night when she finally left her blanket and tiptoed through all the sleeping bodies to the edge of the camp and a little way up the hill beyond. She sat down on the grass, pulled her knees up under her skirt, and wrapped her arms around them. There was no sound except for the night breeze in the grass and the sleepy chirp of crickets.
She heard something behind her. Turning to see a large black shape, she gasped in fright.
“Allia?”
It was Talon. She let out a deep breath. “You scared me.”
“Sorry,” he said. “I was on guard, and I didn’t know you would be out here. Is something wrong?”
“No, I’m fine. I just couldn’t sleep.”
“Worried about something?” he asked, sitting down beside her. His voice was kind. She could sense he wasn’t as mean as he seemed.
“Not worried, exactly.”
“Or maybe you were thinking about someone?” he prompted.
“Maybe,” she admitted.
“I remember how I felt when I first met my wife,” Talon said. “I couldn’t think about anything but her. She was so beautiful. I couldn’t help hoping that she felt the same.”
“What’s her name?” Allia asked.
“Mirithel,” he replied. “I’ve loved her for almost eight years now. Our son, Zarek, is six.”
“You must be proud of him,” Allia said.
“Any father would be,” Talon replied. “He’s smart and brave and strong. He says he wants to lead the guard someday, but Mirithel is against it. She wants him to be a scholar.”
“You still have time before he has to make that decision,” Allia said, smiling in the dark.
“True,” Talon said. “He will have to choose, and I’ll be proud of him no matter what he does. There are other, less dangerous things he could do. I’m sure he will have the skill for almost any occupation.” Talon yawned. “I’ve taken my turn on guard, and now I think I’ll sleep. Are you ready to go back now?”
“May I sit here and watch the stars a little longer?” she asked.
“You won’t go any farther from camp?”
“I promise,” she said.
“There’s nothing here that will harm you. Good night then,” he said, returning down the hill. Allia had definitely misjudged him. Captain Talon was nothing like he appeared to be.
A little while after he had left, she saw someone else coming up the hill in the dark and hardly dared hope that it was Callonen. But when the figure was near enough, she could see his face in the starlight. She felt a spark of excitement as he sat down beside her.
“Cal,” she whispered.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” he asked. “We had a long ride today.”
“I just couldn’t sleep,” she said. “Talon came and talked to me. He told me about his family.”
“He’s missed them while they were gone. They’ve been away from the city, visiting her parents, and they’re on their way back. They will meet us on the road. Does Talon still frighten you?”
“No,” Allia said. “He is so much friendlier than he seems at first.”
“Yes.”
For a moment, they sat in silence. The night was cooling off, and Allia shivered. Callonen put his arm around her and held her close. He had shed his armor and chain mail for the night. Now she could feel the warmth of his body against hers.
“That feels nice. Thank you.”
She turned to look at him, and his mouth found hers. She put her arms around him and pulled him closer. They were in love, and when they got back to the city, everyone would know it.
The next morning, they prepared to ride as soon as everyone had eaten. Tess groaned as she got back into the saddle. “Aren’t you sore too?” she asked Allia.
“A little,” Allia said. “It should get better soon.”
Tess rolled her eyes.
The company continued their trip, stopping now and again at guard stations or villages. Allia saw much of the country that she had never seen before.
In just a few days, they had passed beyond the Warding. The farms and villages outside seemed peaceful, but reports of bandits or other dangers in the area had reached the White City. Emperor Caldoreth had sent them to investigate.
The company kept a vigilant watch, especially at night. Talon doubled the number of guards at the edge of their camp, and Allia and Callonen did not wander outside it, as much as they would have enjoyed the time to themselves.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Year of Warding 21, Varda, Sarine
Allia
THE MIDDAY SUN SHONE HIGH ABOVE, as the company passed through a village called Varda and came to the edge of a forest. They stopped on the road.
“The trees look thicker since the last time we came this way,” Callonen said.
“Your brother passed this place on his way back to the city a couple of weeks ago,” Talon informed him. “He told your father we should check the forest. There were some strange rumors in the village about two missing people. The road goes right through it, and Mirithel will travel this way, coming toward us.”
Talon rode into the forest, and the rest of the company followed him. It was cool under the trees, and the shade deepened as they went along.
Allia loved trees, but she didn’t like this forest. There was something unpleasant about it. She couldn’t describe what bothered her, but the soldiers seemed uneasy too. They kept their hands close to their weapons and watched the surrounding undergrowth. The light of the afternoon faded, especially under the thick cover of leaves.
Callonen turned to Talon. “I think we should go back. It’s getting late, and this isn’t a good place to spend the night.”
“I agree,” Talon said. “But there’s a horse lying beside the road up there. Let’s check it before we go.”
When they got closer, Talon leapt to the ground and ran to it.
“It’s my wife’s horse,” he exclaimed. “Spread out! Find her! And be careful!”
Everyone dismounted and began a hasty search, which revealed another dead horse and one of the guards who’d been escorting Talon’s wife.
“Is he alive?” Callonen asked.
“No,” Talon said in a tight voice. “Look at this.” He pointed to dark lines radiating from two puncture wounds on the man’s neck.
“What could have done that?” Callonen asked.
“I have to find my family!” Talon resumed his desperate search and soon found footprints in the soft earth. “This way!” he cried.
Holding their weapons ready, the soldiers followed him into the woods. Allia and Tess kept close to the men as they moved through the thick trees. Sticky gray lines trailed from the branches overhead.
Talon followed the footprints. “Mirithel!”
They heard a faint reply and hurried through the brush and trees until they found a woman lying on the ground in a small clearing. She must be Talon’s wife.
Another of her guards lay nearby. Two soldiers went to help him while Talon ran to the woman who was pulling at a bundle wrapped in the same gray fibers. “Let him go!” she moaned.
At first, Allia couldn’t tell what the woman clung to until Talon began pulling back the cords to reveal a child, wrapped from head to toe in sticky threads. This must be their son. Talon cut the strangling cords and freed the boy. His skin was white, and he barely breathed.
Talon just had time to see that his son still lived before one of the men yelled, “Spiders!”
Allia felt Tess clutching her arm. All the color had drained from Tess’s face, and her green eyes were round in terror.
Spiders. And from the condition of Mirithel’s party, their bite was toxic. Allia searched her memory. Her grandfather had showed her an herb called redleaf, which could cure poisons. The plant grew almost everywhere. She needed to find some.
A spider dangled from the leaves overhead, and Tess shrieked. Before Allia had a chance to do anything, Harrow struck it with his sword.
“Thank you!” Tess gasped. He kept his sword ready, but offered her his other hand, which she took.
Allia looked around. Spiders crept toward them from all sides. They were just like the ones she and Callonen had discovered in the storage room, except now there were dozens. Allia picked up two fallen branches and gave one to Tess. “Don’t let them get too close.”
They tried to watch in all directions at once. Three more spiders dangled from above, and when Harrow turned to strike at them, Allia saw a horrible dark shape already clinging to the chain mail on his back. He grunted in pain.
She used the stick to pry the spider off him. When it fell to the ground, Harrow stomped on it. The spider’s body was nearly the size of his foot, and it required several heavy blows from his boot before it stopped twitching.
Talon grabbed his bow from his back and started shooting. His arrows pierced several spiders.
Callonen used his sword, striking as many as he could reach. “We have to get out of here!” he yelled, picking up the little boy. Talon returned the bow to his back and lifted his wife. Two men carried the unconscious guard. The rest of the men formed a rear guard as they retreated the way they had come.
As everyone moved through the woods, Allia spotted a familiar, low-growing plant near her feet. Redleaf. She dropped to her knees and gathered handfuls of it, stuffing her pockets full with the leaves.
“Hurry!” a soldier urged her, slashing at spiders that crept closer.
“I’m coming!” Allia got to her feet, and they hurried toward the road. Harrow sheathed his sword and pulled Tess forward. Soon, he stumbled along, leaning heavily on Tess. Allia took his arm to support him from the other side.
When they reached the road, they found four of their horses dead. “Double up,” Callonen ordered. “Single riders guard our retreat.”
The girls supported Harrow toward his horse. They got him that far and put his foot into the stirrup, but they couldn’t push him into the saddle. The other soldiers hurried to help. They shoved Harrow into his saddle, and one of them jumped on behind him, holding him in place as he slumped forward.
Callonen still held the little boy in his arms. Allia ran to him. “I found something,” she gasped. “This plant should help the poison.” She held out a handful. “Crush the leaves and rub it into the bite.”
Callonen’s brows pulled together in worry. “I can’t hear him breathing! Is it already too late?”
“It’s not,” Allia insisted. The boy was nearly gone, but she could still faintly sense his pain. “But we need to hurry!”
Setting him on the grass, Callonen pulled off the boy’s shirt. A red, festering bite was plainly visible on his shoulder. Black lines had already spread from it, all across his small body and up his neck. The boy needed help immediately. He might die at any moment.
Allia could sense his injury, the pain and the poison seeping through his veins. It wasn’t right. The boy was so young, he’d barely experienced life. He should live. He needed to live. Allia wanted him to live.
She crushed the leaves between her fingers and applied them to the bite. When her fingers touched his skin, she saw a burst of green light and felt a stabbing pain in her shoulder. Then everything went black.
Callonen
CALLONEN SAW A SUDDEN FLASH from Allia’s ring. She cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground, where she lay face down and didn’t move.
“Allia!” he cried, kneeling beside her. “Allia, what happened?”
She did not respond, even as he tried to wake her. He turned her over, finding her body lifelessly limp. Terrified, he put an ear to her lips. She still breathed, slowly but steadily, as if she were only in a deep sleep.
Allia was alive. Relief flooded through him. His muscles, which had tensed in shock as she collapsed, loosened a little. He did not know what had happened, but at least she was alive.
The little boy sat up suddenly and stared around in alarm. “Mother! I’ll keep the spiders away—Mother?” He stared at Callonen. “Prince Callonen? What happened?”
“Zarek, are you all right?” Callonen asked, astounded. The dark festering wound on the boy’s small shoulder was no longer visible.
“I’m fine.” Zarek jumped to his feet. Callonen handed the boy his shirt, and he pulled it over his head.
Talon was already on his horse, Mirithel in his arms. He stared down in disbelief. “Zarek!”
Callonen lifted the child, who threw his arms around Talon’s neck. “Father! I tried to keep them away. She’s scared of spiders, and I told her I’d protect her.”
“You’re alive, you’re all right,” Talon said, his voice choked. “I don’t know how, but I’m so grateful. Hurry! We need to get out of here.” Zarek climbed agilely to a seat behind Talon and held onto his waist. “Was Allia bitten?” Talon asked.
“I’m not sure what happened,” Callonen said.
“Can you move her? We need to go!”
Two of the soldiers came forward to help Callonen while everyone else mounted, some of them riding double. Bending to one knee, his ear near her lips, he could hear her breathing. “Allia?” She didn’t respond at all. But this was no place to pause. Turning to his friends, he asked, “Can you hand her up to me?” He mounted his horse, and they settled her into his arms.
Darkness was falling when they reached the edge of the forest. None of them wanted to linger too near the trees, so they kept riding until the light was gone and they found a large open field.
“Let’s stop here,” Talon said, reining in beside Callonen. “We have to do what we can for them.”
Callonen nodded.
“Halt!” Talon called, and the soldiers stopped around him. “Keep everyone close,” he ordered. “Don’t go anywhere alone. You two, start a fire. Everyone else, create a perimeter. Make sure there’s nothing in the grass. I need two men to help me here.”
The soldiers spread out to follow his instructions. Two of them dismounted and came to him. “Find some blankets, please. Spread them on the grass.” When that was done, they moved Mirithel carefully and set her on a blanket. Talon dismounted and swung his son off the horse.
Taking Allia from Callonen’s arms, the soldiers set her gently down. One of the men took the horses and led them away.
Tess came running over to them. “Did a spider bite her?” She stared at her friend, lying unconscious on the blanket.
“I don’t know,” Callonen answered.
By the time they laid Harrow on the ground nearby, he appeared nearly lifeless. Mirithel’s guard was even worse, barely breathing.
As two men started the fire, Callonen could see a little more in its light.
“There has to be something we can do.” Talon held his son close and stared at the motionless form of his wife. “Allia helped Zarek. What did she do?”
“She found an herb that would cure the poison. It was in her hand. She told me to crush the leaves and rub them into the wound. We have to find out where they were bitten,” Callonen said. “Check Mirithel.”
He turned to Tess. “Would you please examine Allia and make sure she wasn’t bitten?”
Tess knelt beside Allia to do as he asked.
