The day before was full of surprises, many of them unpleasant. In the end, the wagons arrived, and the camp was set up outside the walls of the city. The men and women who were waiting were slowly gathered into the army. This created all sorts of concerns about food, equipment, and tents that had Gersius and Lengwin up late into the night arguing. Lengwin was concerned they were growing too quickly, and that the resources they were bringing in were not enough to sustain the march.
Gersius agreed it was a problem but that they needed all the manpower they could get to accomplish the goal. He pressed Lengwin to trust in the divines to provide on the road ahead.
The night ended with the three in bed, sharing their heat and their love. When the mornings light drove away the night, they set about the days chores.
Lilly meditated in the meeting tent in the quiet of the morning. Her eyes were closed, and her heart open to Balisha as she swam in the flow of the divine. She wore her simple blue-green dress she had been bound in and had braided her hair the way Ayawa had shown her. She liked the idea of wearing a braid that signified she had a husband. She began to chant the song of Balisha, her beautiful voice carrying to the outside.
As she started a second pass of the song, she became aware of another presence. Culver approached her as she began to sing again. He wore the simple blue robes they had purchased for the acolytes. He had the hood thrown back, and his eyes watched her intently.
Lilly smiled as she sensed him. “Come sit and sing with me,” she said, not breaking her concentration.
“Beggin your pardon Priestess Lilly, but I don’t do much singing,” he said timidly.
Lilly held her smile and motioned with a hand to the floor right in front of her. “Then, I will sing, and you can open to Balisha while I do.”
He sat down in the cross-legged position they had shown him and put his hands on his knees.
Lilly began the song again and let her voice carry farther as she worked her way through Balishas chant. Her energies flowed out as she gifted them to the goddess. She could see the cord of her light reaching out into the blackness to a tiny star way off in the distance. She smiled, knowing that with every moment of worship, Balisha was growing stronger.
She thought of Gersius and how she could see his cord of light when they meditated together. Sometimes she sat in his lap when they did it, but more often he was ten or more feet away. Culver was close enough to touch, so she assumed she should be able to see his cord.
“Are you having trouble opening up Culver?” When he didn't respond, she opened her eyes and looked at him directly. She was surprised to see he wasn't even trying to meditate. Instead, he was staring at her.
“You need to stop,” she said to him. “I warned you about looking at me like that.”
Culver seemed to snap back into focus, and he suddenly looked away and moved to get up.
“You sit right where you are at! You're not leaving this room until you open your heart to Balisha, and I can see it!”
“I am sorry, High Priestess Lilly. I keep trying, but I don't make no progress,” he stammered.
Lilly sighed. She took him because he had been brave that first day. She realized that had he gone through the selection process, he would not have been chosen. His mind was too preoccupied with other thoughts, and he found it difficult to focus.
“You are my first, and because of it, I am very patient with you. You must learn to quiet your mind. Gersius has taken you through the exercises a dozen times now.”
“I know he has, High Priestess Lilly. I keep trying, but it's not working.”
She knew why it wasn't working. His mind was on other things, and those things had to do with her.
“Culver, have you ever loved a woman?” she asked him bluntly.
He suddenly went pale, and his eyes went wide as he leaned away from her. “I… I ain't never had a chance to, I suppose.”
“I ask you this because I see the looks you give me. I am told by the others that I am a beautiful woman by human standards. I feel like my presence is a hindrance to you.”
He lowered his head and looked down. “I don't mean nothing by it. You are just so pretty to look at.”
“You do understand I am married?”
He didn't look up and traced a small circle in the dirt with a finger. “Yes, high priestess, I know you have a husband and a wife.”
“I want to make sure you are clear. I will never have a relationship with you, but I will teach you. We can be friends if you can manage to become a full priest of Balisha.”
He didn't respond; he wiped his circle out with his hand.
“You must learn to focus. Thayle tells me that your aura is in flux. You dance from emotion to emotion. She says this means your mind is very busy. Your mind is busy because instead of focusing, you're staring at me. You need to capture the fascination you have for me and turn it to the goddess.”
He nodded his head but didn't reply.
“You need to sit here right now and practice the pinpoint of light technique. You focus on the light and listen to the song. Let my voice drown out the noise in your head.”
“I will do my best,” he said.
“You will do better, and you will keep your eyes closed. I do not want you looking at me, only listening to my voice. And remember shallow breathing, let your breath walk you into the proper state of mind.”
He nodded his understanding, and she frowned at him until he closed his eyes and took the starting deep breaths as he centered himself.
Lilly closed her own eyes and began the chant again. The song rolled by with Lilly carrying every word of it filling his mind with its power. When she finished the first pass a minute later, she looked at him, still sitting with his eyes closed.
“See only the point the light. Everything else is blackness. Your mind must seek to know the light, it is everything, and it is far away. You can't walk or run to it. You can only drift to it as if your desire to know it was pulling you to it.” She repeated the process just as Gersius had explained it to her. She closed her eyes and began her song again. Once again, the air filled with the sweetness of her voice. As she sang, she saw the distant star of her Goddess and her great glowing cord of light. Suddenly, for a brief moment, a second thin line flicked in and out. She nearly stumbled on her song as she realized he almost had it.
When she finished, she looked at him again. He was frozen in his pose, and his breathing was shallow. She leaned over and whispered to him. “You have all the power you need inside you. You only need to let it flow out. Do not let the world or anybody in it tell you that you can’t do it. Words cannot stop you if you don't believe them. Any past actions or failures of your life are meaningless because you made them in a state of ignorance. You have grown beyond that state. You are a new creation, a new person, and you have unlimited potential.”
She sat back and began to sing again. Her mind drifted to the light of the distant star as her chant continued. She smiled broadly when a thin line suddenly flared to life and stretched out beside hers, reaching for connection. She heard him make a gasping noise as the power of the divine filled his heart, and for a moment, his line winked out as he lost focus. A moment later, it was back, and it flickered and pulsed as he struggled to hold the connection. Lilly wasn't worried, he was established, and now that he had an understanding of it, he would only get stronger.
“Well done, priest Culver. Meet your goddess and let her love fill your heart,” Lilly whispered. She could hear the man sniffle, and she knew he was crying. She sang again, going over the chant to help him drown out the noise of the world around him and to help cover his crying. She watched his thin line of light wave and drift in the darkness as he fed Balisha his faith and his devotion. Again and again, she sang the song to help him. Suddenly there was a second thin cord, then a moment later a third. She allowed her focus to return to the room around her to see several more of the acolytes sitting behind Culver. They too, were in meditation and listening to her song. She smiled and sang yet again, helping them all to meet the Goddess she served, and start them on their journey to be a part of her love.
Gersius stood outside the tent door and smiled. Lilly was leading them all in prayer, singing beautifully for them, and most of the camp. Many in camp paused from their work to listen to the song sung by a silver voice. He took a moment to round up the acolytes and told them to join her and meditate. Even now, the last few were entering the tent to try and open their hearts and be a part of the beautiful moment.
He didn't see Thayle, but he could feel her. She could hear the song, and she was radiating a warm love from hearing Lilly's voice.
He watched the beautiful moment unfold and shed a tear. Lilly was taking her role as the head of Balisha's faith to heart. She was leading her flock in a prayer service and building their devotion. She had changed so much in so short a time. Thayle always said the bind was the cause of that. She said Lilly was learning faith and devotion directly from them and growing to be a powerful priestess.
He realized what a powerful blessing the binding really was. A great and beautiful blessing that he deeply cherished. No wonder Lilly wanted to be bound again. It had opened up a whole new world to her. He too, had learned so much from her across it, not to mention her dragon gifts.
A touch at his shoulder brought him back to see Thayle standing beside him. She wrapped her arm around his and leaned into him.
“When I hear her sing, I sometimes wish I was a priestess of Balisha so that I could sing with her.”
Gersius kissed the top of her head. “Your voice is beautiful too. I love it when you sing to your Goddess. It is a shame so many of your meditations are silent.”
“We are focused on the still quiet and looking into our mirror. Our singing is usually only for celebration or thanks and much less for worship. But now that you mention it, I wish we sang more too.”
“The order of Astikar is more chants than songs. There are many different chants for different purposes.”
“I got to hear one of those, and it was beautiful. I am sad I never got to hear more,” Thayle said.
“You hear them every morning when the priests with us chant,” he replied.
Thayle looked up with a smile. “They aren't you, Gersius. There is a magic in your voice that carries with it a sense of true dedication and power. It still does when you sing to Balisha, but the songs for her are more musical. Astikars were so focused on power and really took advantage of the strength of your voice.”
“Maybe I will join the priests of Astikar in a chant or two so you can hear them again. I suppose there is no harm in thanking Astikar for bringing all this about and letting him know I am no longer angry at him.”
“I would like to hear that,” Thayle said.
He looked down into her eyes and tipped his head lower. She wasted no time in lifting her lips to his as he kissed her passionately.
“I would do anything for you,” he whispered.
“I know you would, as I would for you because I love you,” she replied.
He couldn't help but smile at her words. She too, had come a long way. She never used to tell him she loved him. It was clear that she did love him, but her internal fears made it hard for her to say. Now she said it in tender moments and when they were alone with Lilly.
“Come, I want to see how Mingfe is doing with your company,” he said, still smiling.
Thayle shook her head. “Only Kilgian seems to like her techniques, but I suspect he knew how to fight with a spear already. The others are resisting her efforts to turn them into soldiers.”
Gersius put his arm around her back and led her away from the beautiful voice that sang behind them. “Show me.”
They found Mingfe drilling the men and women of Ulustrah in the field out behind the tents.
“How are they progressing?” Gersius asked as they walked up.
Mingfe looked at him with scowling eyes and a frown. “These fools will die in the first battle!”
“I take it that means not well,” Gersius said jokingly. He sort of appreciated Mingfe’s bluntness.
“She has been trying to instill in them a commitment to fight, but most people join Ulustrahs ranks because they don’t want to fight,” Thayle replied. “Most of them wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t ordered them to come.”
Gersius nodded and looked out at the gathered priests and priestesses. All in all, they had two hundred and thirty-one, only five of which were men. Most of them were thin women who were more sweetness and beauty and less muscle and grit. They stood before him in three rows spread out evenly so they could follow Mingfe through weapons practice.
Gersius walked down the front row of them, looking them all in the eye as he passed. Many of them dropped their heads, unable to hold his gaze.
“I want to make sure you all understand that this camp is a war camp. I started this camp because I committed myself to saving the people of Delvarium.” He paused to make sure they were all listening. “But along the way, the treachery of the Father Abbot of Astikar was revealed, and he has decided that he will not allow me to fulfill the prophecy. To that end, he has scoured the countryside looking for me, trying desperately to snare and kill me. Your prime sheltered me and gave me rest and in doing so, allowed me to find great love.”
There was a moment of silence as he paused to let them digest what he had said.
“This is something you should all be able to appreciate. I found the love I have for Lilly while under the protection of your prime. I also found the love I have for Governess Commander Thayle. She is the one who worked tirelessly to help Lilly, and I come together. She is the one who led us to Eastgate and who made it all possible. A great act of love and compassion worthy of song and praise.”
He stopped again and walked back down the line staring into the second row to make them squirm.
“The Father Abbot was so enraged to find out that your order was sheltering me that he has declared war on it. He is burning your temples and killing your brothers and sisters. Your own Prime has ordered Arch Priestess Thayle to raise the first army and march of Calathen. You are all part of that command. Now I know that some of you would not have volunteered to join this army. I know your military orders are made up of volunteers, not conscripts, but let me ask you something. Where will you go? Your order is being attacked all across the land. Where will you run to? What temple will you seek refuge in? How will you worship your goddess if you have to hide away in a cave in the wilderness? None of you want to fight, but whether you want to fight or not, the battle will come to you. You have only two choices. You can stand and fight now, or you can run and fight later. Either way, the battle is going to come to you. Your order is at war, and you are its soldiers. It is time you took this training seriously. You need to stop pretending that the battle won't come, it will come, and it is soon. Commit your mind to learn these lessons and becoming strong fighters. Then we can win the battle for your entire order and put an end to this terrible war.”
He walked back down the line this time, glaring at the third row. “Now, I want each of you to make up your minds. You are going to stand and fight for your Goddess, or you're going to run and get out of my camp. Thayle does not need people who cannot commit to fighting and killing. You will only be a detriment to yourself and the people counting on you. If you do not think you can stand strong when the killing starts, you need to leave now. If you stay, you will almost certainly cause the deaths of those around you when you buckle under the pressure latter.”
He saw the looks of their faces as they considered what he had said. They were hard words but truthful words. The battle was coming, and it was going to be with veteran soldiers who were going to kill these children with ease. Better to drive the weak-willed out now, so the strong won't die when the person they thought was watching their backs crumples in fear.
He stood before them all like a giant of death glaring at them like they were insects. “You must fight, and you must kill, there is no alternative. You march to Calathen, where the battle will be decided. You are going to see the fiercest fighting of this war. Make up your minds and commit them, or you will die.”
He turned and stalked off with Thayle stepping to keep up with him. Behind him, he heard Mingfe begin yelling at them and demanding they go through another set of moves.
“Did you need to frighten them like that?” Thayle asked when she caught up to him.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Better they are frightened now and not latter when arrows and hammers of Astikar are raining down on them.”
“These people are followers of a gentle Goddess. Killing was never what they expected to do,” she protested. “You told them they could leave. I might lose half the women out there!”
Gersius turned to face her and looked her directly in the eyes. “I am hard on them for your sake because you are a kind and loving woman.”
“Why does that matter?”
He took a moment to steady his voice. “If they go into battle and suffer terrible losses or divines forbid are wiped out, you will take it deeply to heart, and it will change you forever.” He paused to make his next point clear. “I know because it has happened to me. I am haunted by the people I led into battle who should not have been there. I led them to their deaths and in doing so, caused the deaths of many others.”
“How could you have caused the deaths of men who were ready?” Thayle asked, confused.
“Because the men who were ready to fight were counting on the others who were not. When the men they were counting on broke and ran, the strong men were overwhelmed and slaughtered. That blame is on my head because I knew those men did not have the commitment of heart to stand and fight. Just as you know, many of those women do not.”
“I have been ordered to raise an army and gather all available members of my order. I have no choice in it,” she said.
Gersius put his hands to shoulder and steadied her.
“You have to raise your army, but women who will not or can not fight are of no use to it. Trust me. The pain you will feel knowing you wasted the lives of those women will outweigh any sense of duty. I do not ever want you to carry a scar like that on your heart. To know the pain of the people who trusted and followed you, died for that trust.”
Thayle's mouth hung open as the weight of it sunk in. She was going to lead these people in a charge on Calathen, and they were going to die. She hadn't considered that she was going to lead many of them to their deaths.
“I am sorry, Gersius, I hadn't truly appreciated the situation myself. You’re right. I don't want to get them killed.”
“Then they need to settle it in their minds that they are going to fight, and dedicate themselves to learning how. It will help them keep control when they march onto a battlefield. Remember, Thayle. They will be marching against priests of Astikar and their supporting infantry. You see the precision with which they move and strike. It will take a brave person to throw themselves at shield wall of hundreds of them.”
“Gersius, how are we going to win such a fight?” Thayle asked.
He saw the concern in her eyes, and he put a hand to her shoulder. “We will win because I have something the Father Abbot does not. I have you and Lilly, and you two have the greatest strategist in the order of Astikar.”
Thayle smirked at his boasting. “I am glad to see you still have a strong opinion of yourself.”
“I have earned my titles. I have fought well over a hundred minor and major battles, and I have broken the defenses of two walled cities. If you can turn those people into soldiers, I can show you how to win this fight.”
Thayle nodded. “Why is our life so twisted and tangled?”
“What do you mean by that?” he asked her.
“A few moments ago, we were listening to Lilly sing beautifully, and the war seemed a million miles away. Now we are right back in it, and I am worried that I am leading all those people to their deaths.”
Gersius squeezed her shoulder. “It is hard to live under the shadow of such a threat. It is even harder to be the one who has to lead men to it. We have to find the moments of beauty and peace along the way, just like we did a moment ago. You and I and all the others must take our blessing when and where they come and be prepared to fight at a moment's notice. It is a terrible life in a way, but it can also be an amazing journey.”
“How can any of this be amazing?” Thayle asked.
He smiled at her and put his hand to her other shoulder. “Remember, Thayle. I have been walking this path for nearly a year before I met you. I have already led men against the Doan and fought many a bloody battle. I lost my expedition, just trying to find Lilly. But think about what has happened to me on this dark and painful path. I now have two wives, one of whom is you. I have shared in the greatest moments of love in my entire life during these past few weeks. Even as the war looms and the threat of death and bloodshed grow closer, I find more and more beauty and joy.”
She smiled at his deep understand and felt a sense of encouragement.
“I also have the promise of children in my future thanks to you.”
She smiled and put her head down. “Gersius, I can't believe I am going to say what I am about to say.” She paused and took a breath. “I would love to have your children, and I wish I could start having them now.”
He smiled back and closed his eyes, absorbing the joy of the words. “When the killing is over, and the people are safe, you and I are going to begin our family. Let that thought carry you through the battles ahead. Remember, each one is one less between us and our family.”
She leaned up and kissed him again. “I look forward to handing you our baby.”
“I look forward to holding our baby, but lets put such thoughts away for now. Let us win the war and open the way to have more than dreams.”
“You're right. I should talk to them myself. I want to reinforce what you said and make sure their hearts are committed to the path ahead,” she said.
He nodded and released her from his grip. “Go and make sure they are ready. I am going to check on Lilly and then find Lengwin.”
She nodded at him and turned to walk back to the followers of Ulustrah.
Gersius watched her go and felt sorrow in his heart. No matter how hard they trained, some of them were going to die. It was the nature of war. He knew all the training and preparation in the world couldn't protect you.
He walked back to the meeting tent to find Lilly talking to the acolytes who were gathered around her. Many of them sounded excited and were chattering away as Lilly tried to speak to them all.
He waved at her from the doorway, and she waved back briefly, causing some of them to turn and look at him. He found it strange how he did most of the training, and Lilly led most of the worship. He was the one who spent the most time with each of them individually. Yet it was Lilly they all preferred to speak to. If given a choice between him or Lilly, they would all choose Lilly. He supposed that if you were going to worship a dragon goddess, you would naturally gravitate toward the dragon.
He had to hunt around the camp before he found Lengwin well outside the camp. He was standing in the road with four guards arguing with a group of men.
“I told you we don’t have the resources to take more!” Lengwin said.
“But we have come to help the dragon knight,” A man in simple mail armor said.
Gersius arrived behind Lengwin and startled him.
“Gersius, thank Astikar, you are here. People are arriving from the towns ahead, and they want to join your army,” Lengwin said with a strain in his voice.
Gersius looked at the man. His face was creased with worry. His typically long well-kept hair was wild and blowing in the wind. His eyes looked a little sunken, and his mood was dour. The pressure of marching toward Calathen was taking a toll on him already.
In the order of Astikar, there were Battle priests and Holy priests. Battle priests did all the fighting, and Holy priests did all the praying, or so the saying went. The holy priests were the ones who maintained temples and lead worship services. They did much of the book work and mundane tasks that were needed to keep the order organized and functioning. But inside the order, the top ranks could only be held by a holy priest. A leader of the order had to be a man with no blood on his hands.
Lengwin was a good man with clean hands, but he was starting to show the strain far earlier than Gersius expected. The march was only a week underway, and already Lengwin looked tired.
“I will talk to these men. Go and see to your other duties in the camp.”
“Thank you, Gersius,” Lengwin said and hurried off with his guards.
Gersius turned to study the men on the road. There were fourteen of them in all. Most wore armor of some kind, but several wore plain clothes.
“So you wish to join my army then?” he said, addressing them all.
“We want to fight for the dragon knight,” a large man to the right of the group said. He wasn't particularly tall, and he had a little more weight on him than he should, but his arms looked strong, and he carried a large hammer.
“I am one of the dragon knights, and it is my army you will be joining,” he told them.
“You're the dragon knight?” the man said, stepping around the others to get closer to him.
Something about his body language was off, and his expression looked sly like he was fooling somebody. It was only then Gersius realized his mistake. Strong hands grabbed his arms, and a rope was forced into his mouth. He struggled only for an instant when a blade went between his ribs. The men moved to form a wall blocking the view. No one in the camp could see as Gersius was stabbed to death.
“You need to be careful who you insult,” the large man said as the light in Gersius’s eyes began to fade.
Lilly suddenly felt the pain in her chest, and her eyes blazed with fire. “Get away from me all of you!” she screamed to the acolytes as white mist began to crawl across her skin. They fled from her in terror, running from the tent, screaming as the roof of the tent suddenly tore away, and Azurastra burst forth.
Thayle staggered, holding a hand to her side to try and stop the pain as she heard the screaming. She turned to see Lilly in her dragon form, tearing up through the tent and knew something terrible must be happening.
Mingfe was at her side instantly, trying to support her as she struggled with the pain.
“What is causing you pain?” Mingfe asked her.
“It has to be Gersius,” she gasped. “I am feeling him; he is fatally wounded,” Thayle gasped.
“Grab your weapons!” Mingfe shouted to the assembled people and turned to Thayle. “Lead us to him!”
Lilly didn't need to think about what to do. She saw the crowd of men from the air and could feel Gersius among them. She dived out of the sky and let loose a torrent of cold scattering the men in all directions. She landed with a great crash that shook the ground and caused horses to scream and flail, desperate to get away from her.
“You men will all die!” Lilly roared as she lashed into them, tearing one in half with a single blow.
A twisting red light crashed into her causing her shooting pain and was quickly followed by another. She turned to see two men twisting their hands and calling on the weave. Another bolt of red light raced at her, and she charged into it, thundering at the men with open jaws. The first one dived away, but she caught his arm and removed it from his body. The second one wove something, and red rings appeared around her head. He closed his hand, and they suddenly shrunk around her, binding her jaws closed so she could not breathe or bite.
A sword dug into her side as another man she had lost track of buried the blade through her scales. She trashed with her tail and twisted her body, but she found the rings on her jaw prevented her from moving her head.
She turned her gaze back to the man with hatred and struggled to reach him but could not budge. The man was struggling to hold her. She could see the strain on his face. It had taken many of the priests of Astikar to hold her, and even then, they brought magical chains to make sure. A few more moments and this lone man would break.
Another sword pierced her and then another. She felt the pain racing up her side as they repeatedly stabbed her. She couldn't maneuver to fight them, and they were taking full advantage of it.
The man holding her fell to one knee as she fought him. She grew desperate to break free and clawed up a section of the ground, throwing it at him. The impact knocked him off his feet, and the hold on her broke. She shredded him in seconds.
She turned on the men at her side and with a maddened look in her eyes, waded right into them, taking hits and cuts. Her scales absorbed most of them, but some manage to cut through. She stomped one man and crushed his ribs as she chased another. A large man with a hammer so big it took two hands to swing, caught her right in the jaw with a blow that made her recoil from the impact. As she tried to shake off the blow, one of her eyes suddenly went dark. She realized an arrow had blinded her, and she stumbled about striking wildly.
“Shoot her in the other one!” somebody yelled, and Lilly knew they meant her other eye.
Thayle saw the battle on the road as they raced out of the camp. A dozen or more men were stabbing and cutting Lilly to pieces. She could feel her pain and her rage from here. What she couldn't feel was Gersius, and that terrified her most of all.
Mingfe ran like a horse bolting past her and charging into the fight. She made her presence known by impaling the man closest to her and using him as a ram to knock the man past him down.
Several priests of Astikar were now reaching the battle as well, and she saw an orange hammer take a man down. She searched the scene for Gersius and finally spotted him lying motionless on the ground in a circle of frost.
“Gersius!” Thayle cried as she bent over him. His eyes were open but vacant looking, and she didn't see any breathing. His aura was a few fading rays of light.
She reached for the side she had felt the pain on and found the wound a deep stab right for the heart. It was an instantly fatal wound. Her hands went to him immediately, and she channeled everything she had. Around her, other priests and priestesses ran past her into the battle, but she didn't care. All that mattered was Gersius. She almost cried out loud when golden light appeared around her hands, indicating that he was still alive, and she quickly drew on Lilly's power to augment it.
Lilly smashed another man as an arrow bounced off the side of her head. It was infuriating her that she didn't see the archer, and he had taken three shots for her other eye now. She twisted her head around and saw one of her foes suddenly thrown to the side by an orange hammer. The priests from the camp had come and joined the fight. She was grateful they were there but was determined to be the one who ate the man who shot her eye.
She finally saw him hiding down the road, aiming a bow with a steady arm. Lilly wasn't going to reach him before he loosed the arrow, so she turned her head and ran at him. He called out a curse and fired anyway, landing the shot in her cheek. She looked back and saw him running as fast as he could, but she bore down on him and with cruel delight, ripped his chest out with her teeth.
She felt a tug at her insides the familiar feeling of when Thayle or Gersius drew on her power. She suddenly remembered Gersius was hurt and turned to look back at the wagons with her one good eye. She saw Thayle leaning over a still form on the ground, even as other priests and priestesses gathered around. She had to turn her head to look up and down the road and take stock of the situation. The priests of Astikar and the priestesses of Ulustrah were cutting down the last of the foul men. She was no longer needed in the battle and desperately wanted to check on Gersius.
She ran back as her anger was replaced by worry; only then did she begin to feel the severity of her wounds. Her eye burned like fire, and she could feel the blood flowing inside her freely. Several of her teeth were broken, and her jaw was sore from being chained in the spell.
When she arrived, Gersius was already moving again, and Thayle looked up at her and struggled to stifle a scream.
“Dear Ulustrah, Lilly! You’re bleeding from everywhere!”
Thayle felt sick to see her. Blood covered Lilly's face in splatters. It poured from her mouth where she was missing teeth. It ran down the side of her face from her eye socket, where an arrow stuck out. All up and down her side, dark rivers of blood ran from stab wounds. She had a wild and savage look in her one remaining eye, and her clawed hands were soaked in blood.
“Is Gersius alright?” she asked in her deep dual voice.
“I am fine, Lilly. I am a fool, but I am fine,” He coughed and struggled to sit up.
The whole of the camp was gathered now, watching with horror as Lilly bled to death right before them.
Lilly felt hands come to her side, and she looked down with her one eye to see Culver trying desperately to channel a healing spell.
“I don’t know how to do it,” he cried.
“Lilly, bring your head down here quickly!” Thayle barked as Mingfe came to her side.
Lilly knew what she wanted to do but didn't want it to happen. She lowered her head where Thayle could reach it, and the woman quickly yanked the arrow out of her eye, while Mingfe pulled one out of her jaw.
“That hurts!” Lilly roared.
“It has to come out before we heal you. Do you have arrows sticking out of anywhere else?” Thayle yelled.
“I have no idea, everywhere else hurts!”
Thayle, Mingfe, and several of the priests of Astikar descended on Lilly and began to chant spells of healing. Golden light spread across her body as the wounds began closing.
In moments it was over, and Lilly blinked her eyes grateful to be able to see with both of them again. She turned her gaze to Gersius and glared at him.
“You are never allowed to leave my side again!”
“I agree, he should be chained to her!” Mingfe added.
Thayle felt like the chain was a good idea.
“What were you doing out here alone?” Lilly asked.
Gersius looked around at the gathered men and shook his head.” I admit I was a fool. These men came posing as recruits. I didn't see the danger until there was a dagger in my chest,” Gersius stammered.
“This is twice now, Gersius. Twice you have wandered away from me and nearly been killed!” Lilly roared.
“Lilly, I am sorry. Lengwin was already talking to them. I just assumed they were safe. I made an error in judgment.”
“I never saw them as a threat,” Lengwin admitted. “They all seemed like men intent on joining the cause. Had I suspected anything, I would have ordered my guards to stay.”
Thayle helped hold him up and turned him to the camp. “Let's get you inside and clean the blood off.” She turned to look up at Lilly. “You need to get into your landing tent and change back. You are covered in blood, and you look absolutely gruesome.”
Lilly looked over herself and saw just how much blood she wore. “Most of this isn’t mine,” she said, but Thayle only motioned at her to get going while she walked Gersius back to the tent.
Thayle paused at Lengwin and looked him in the eye. “Have them searched. Maybe one of them has a letter or a clue as to who sent them or if there are more waiting ahead.”
“Of course. I will have my men look through them. If there is any information to be found, we will find it,” he responded.
Thayle walked on, the crowd of people parting as they went. She ordered the Acolytes of Balisha to bring buckets of water to the tent and start pulling the roof down so it could be mended.
When they reached the private room, she sat Gersius down on a chair as Lilly stormed in, her face red with rage. She wore her cream farmer's dress and held scraps of greenish-blue cloth in her hands.
“I ripped my beautiful dress!” she cried.
“What dress?” Thayle asked.
“The one you gave me! The one he bound me in!” Lilly said, tears starting to pour down her face.
Thayle felt her anguish. That dress meant so much to Lilly. She must have been wearing it when she felt the stab and didn’t have time to take it off.
Two acolytes appeared at the doorway, and each put a bucket of water down. Thayle was pleased to see the water was clear and clean, already blessed by a priestess of Ulustrah. Lilly picked one up and brought it over and put it at Gersius's feet.
“I am sorry about your dress. I know it was special to you,” Gersius said as she put it down.
“You bound me in that dress, Gersius. It is irreplaceable.”
“I am sorry, Lilly,” he said again.
Thayle started to unbutton his shirt to get it off him so she could begin cleaning up the blood.
“What happened out there?” she asked him as she freed the last buttons.
“Lengwin was talking to some men on the road. He told me they had come to join us. He was trying to refuse them because he is worried about supplies. I told him I would talk to the men and sent him back to the camp. I should have seen the danger. They were there to join us so they could strike from within. They probably meant to try and kill us in our sleep, but when I walked out of the camp alone, I made too tempting a target. They must have assumed they could strike a quick killing blow and walk away” He shook his head as he tried to remember. “How did you find me?”
Thayle looked up at Lilly, who was sadly trying to piece her dress back together.
“We felt the pain when you were stabbed. Lilly reacted first. She tore through the roof of the tent and flew directly to you. I don't think anybody outside the camp knows we can feel each other like we do. Those men probably thought you were as good as dead, and by the time anybody noticed they would be gone.”
“They never counted on Lilly showing up in seconds,” Gersius said, nodding.
Thayle took a rag and began to wipe the blood off his side. The wound was gone, but he was soaked in red.
“I hate the Father Abbot!” Lilly growled. “He nearly took you from me, and he has ruined my dress!” She turned to look at Gersius. “You should have known better!”
Gersius looked over to her and saw her tear-streaked face. He held up an arm and motioned her to come to him. She ran to him, and he wrapped her up, holding her to one side while Thayle cleaned the other.
“Thank you, Lilly. You have saved my life again.”
She beat his chest with a hand as she cried into his shoulder. “Never do that again!” she wailed.
“I like the idea of chaining him to you,” Thayle said as she wrung out the rag and started wiping again.
“Where can we get some chain?” Lilly asked.
Gersius laughed, but Lilly growled at him. “I am not joking. You have come closest to death when I was just a dozen paces away. Both times nobody even knew you were in danger. If not for the bind, you would be dead!”
Gersius nodded. “From now on, if I leave the camp and you are not with me, I will arrange a bodyguard.”
“You had better! If you get wounded like that again, I will make you stand by my side night and day. You won't be allowed to do anything by yourself.”
“You are all cleaned up,” Thayle said, putting the rag into the bucket. She quickly leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips and held him there for a long moment. “You had me so worried.”
“I am truly sorry to both of you. That was damned stupid of me. Even worse, I just lectured you about the dangers ahead and then walked right into it myself,” he said, looking into Thayle's eyes.
“I doubt I would have seen the danger. We have to be careful, Gersius. We don’t know who we can trust,” Thayle replied.
Gersius had to agree; the road was only going to get more dangerous. Every day brought them closer to Calathen and further into the Father Abbot's reach. He silently wondered just how dangerous it was going to get.