Eldan woke up in an unfamiliar bed, his mouth dry and eyelids gummy as he searched his mind, trying to understand why he was in a room he didn’t recognize. He sat up slowly, a stabbing pain in his abdomen and deep, throbbing ache in his shoulder bringing memories of the swimming test and his fight with the delta ape flooding back. He looked around blearily, his mind still in a medicinal haze.
As the room came into focus he recognized that it was obviously a medical ward. Curtains hung from rods on the ceiling were pulled along either side of his bed, and he could see a cart laid with neat trays of medical instruments against the opposite wall. Looking down at himself, he realized he had been dressed in a loose, soft tunic and pair of drawstring sleep pants, both much too large for him, and grimaced with discomfort at the thought of someone dressing him while he slept.
Eldan pulled the curtain back on one side, peering out to find a second curtained bed nearby. He cautiously tested moving his legs, and though his right leg felt bulky with bandages and very sore, he eased them off the bed and gingerly pushed himself to his feet. His leg held under his weight this time, so with awkward, stiff steps he hobbled to the other bed, pulling back the curtain to reveal Cale. She was still positioned on her side under tight blankets, unmoving even when he reached down to gently brush her curls away from her eyes.
“Ah, you’re awake. Probably shouldn’t have gotten up by yourself but I suppose that answers one question, at least.” Eldan turned his head to look at the speaker, finding a slender middle-aged man with a kind smile and spectacles perched on a nearly bald head. He wore a long, white smock and held a ledger in one hand.
“How is she?” Eldan turned back to Cale as he asked, staring at her still, small form under the blankets. He heard the whisper of soft leather-soled shoes as the man walked over to join him by her bed.
“She came through the worst of it, but right now all we can do is wait. We won’t know much more until she wakes up, and some don’t wake at all. She is stable at the moment but there is a risk of infection settling in her lungs.” He sighed, reaching down to tuck the blankets around her shoulders. “Like I said, all we can do is wait.”
Eldan nodded, glad the man had told him the truth plainly even though it was hard to hear.
“I do need to check you over now that you’re up, however. Perhaps we could let her rest while we do so? Afterward I can set up a chair so you can sit with her, or you can rest more nearby.” The medic put a hand on Eldan’s back, gently guiding him back toward his bed and assisting him up into a sitting position.
“So we know you can put weight on your leg, which is very good. I would like to try moving your leg and arm to check your range of motion and then change your dressings and have a look at the state of your injuries.”
The medic spent some time manipulating Eldan’s injured leg and shoulder, slowly folding, extending, lifting and turning his limbs and making notes in his ledger. Several times Eldan winced or could not stop the escape of a small moan of pain and the medic paused to ask if a particular motion hurt too much to continue, but while all the movements were stiff and painful none were impossible to complete. When he was finished the medic hummed in apparent confusion, his eyebrows knitted.
“From what the naval medics described I would have expected you to be in far worse shape. They noted some.. anomalies in the wounds but even so..” He looked up at Eldan, scrutinizing his face. “Ah, well. Let’s have a peek behind the curtain, so to speak. Shall we?” He brushed his hands on his tunic and hustled off, returning a few moments later with a folding chair and a cart filled with dressings and suturing materials.
The medic placed clean, folded towels on the bed, along with a basin for the used dressings. He noticed Eldan eyeing the suture hook warily and shook his head good-naturedly. “It’s just a precaution, in case any have pulled out. I promise not to start stitching you up without fair warning and I can provide something to help with the pain if I find you need multiple sutures.”
Eldan settled back back on the bed as the medic organized his materials. “How should I address you?” He asked.
“My students and apprentices call me Usher Wen. You may call me the same. If you would, please take off your tunic so I can start with the dressings on your abdomen.” Eldan worked his tunic off slowly, impeded by pain. Once it was off Usher Wen unwound the wrappings from his waist and peeled off the bandages to expose his wound, which looked like exactly what it was, five claw-marks torn through his flesh, each crossed with rows of black sutures puckering the skin.
Usher Wen frowned at the wounds, running a finger lightly over the surface of the sutures. Finally he poured a medicinal smelling liquid onto a piece of cotton wadding, daubing Eldan’s entire abdomen and applying fresh bandages. That task complete, he carefully unwrapped his shoulder, which Eldan saw had four large, round punctures and a ring of smaller wounds and scrapes. The medic examined the placement of the wounds carefully before sitting back with a sigh. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you should not be able to move your arm right now if what I was told happened to you is true. My understanding is that you were attacked by an adult delta ape this afternoon. Is that correct?”
Eldan nodded. “Yes, Usher Wen.”
“And this bite was from that same animal?” Eldan nodded again, and the medic shook his head. “Teeth the length of those on a delta ape should have pierced the tendons. Healing from that injury to the point that you have this much freedom of movement..” He held up a hand, forestalling the rebuttal Eldan was about to make. “Even if that movement is painful or difficult, the fact remains that it should not be possible. Now, we know you didn’t have these injuries when you went into the water, but when you came back out they appeared to be healing, and from the inside out, no less. I don’t expect you to have an answer for this, but it does raise a lot of questions, so I suppose there is no harm in asking if you can give me any explanation?”
Eldan shook his head slowly, his mind whirling. “I don’t know.”
Usher Wen sighed again. “I didn’t think you would.” He began dabbing the punctures, the liquid stinging so that Eldan squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head away until the bandages were replaced. The medic then busied himself disposing of the bloody bandages while Eldan awkwardly wrestled his tunic back on and shifted onto his stomach to give access to his leg. Finally all of his wounds were dressed, and Usher Wen helped him turn back over and sit up, propping pillows behind his back.
When Eldan was settled again, the medic gazed at him seriously. “I don’t know what happened to you down there, but I do know that you are either very, very lucky or we don’t have the full story. The injuries to your leg are grievous, though those, too appear somewhat healed.” He blew out a breath, shaking his head.
“It is hard to believe you returned from this encounter at all, much less with what looks like will be no lasting damage beyond some scarring. The fact that in addition to all that you came back having somehow freed another student from the clutches of a delta ape belies all rational explanation. Had someone told me this story it would stretch beyond the limits of my credulity.”
“A river cat, my cat, fought it off. I didn’t do it on my own.” Eldan protested, apprehensive about where the conversation was headed.
Usher Wen sighed. “Ah, right. The benevolent river cat. I forgot that fantastical detail.”
Eldan hung his head, anxiety roiling in his stomach at the medic’s apparent disbelief. The experience was a series of horrible flashes in his mind; terrible, crushing depth, white skin, a misshapen smile, pain beyond his experience, eyes crushing in his hands, and Cale’s dreadfully cold, lifeless body.
Among those flashes, though, were other memories, of cold water rushing down his throat in restorative breaths, murky dark resolving to daylight clarity, the stinging heat of knitting flesh, and the indescribable relief of Glade appearing when all hope was lost. He couldn’t parse all of these yet, some were too unbelievable, and it seemed he needed to offer something in the way of a rational explanation to Usher Wen, not more details that ventured into the utterly absurd.
“I’ve heard stories of animals saving people, though. Geliks, of course, but dogs and falcons and horses, too.” Eldan searched for a compelling example but his thoughts felt fuzzy and inaccessible, as though he were grasping for handholds in a flat, featureless expanse. “It’s not so strange, right?” He finished lamely.
“Well, I wouldn’t include geliks in that list considering they are an fully sapient species, but I suppose you’re not wrong about there being instances of the others you mentioned engaging in what appears to have been extraordinary altruistic behaviors. I am even willing to believe that you formed a unique bond with a typically wild predator that might inspire such an act. What I cannot easily find credible is that the animal arrived at your side, appearing from seemingly nowhere and pinpointing your location within the depths, at the exact moment of your greatest need.” Usher Wen’s voice rose in a slight crescendo of agitation as he spoke, chopping with his hands in sharp gestures of emphasis.
“And yet, here we are.” He lowered his hands, his posture softening as he seemed to realize Eldan was growing increasingly distressed by the conversation. He was silent for a moment, looking pensive. “Understand I’m not accusing you of anything here, and I apologize if that’s how I came across. I am simply attempting to reconcile a series of events that range from the improbable to the impossible, and you are at the center of them all. We haven’t even touched yet on the fact that an animal whose habitat lies hundreds of miles downstream appeared here for the first time in record and attacked only you and your friend. I am understanding correctly that you are both wards, yes? And grew up together?”
Eldan nodded, his head lowered as he deflected. “She is my best friend.”
Usher Wen hummed sympathetically. “Then this must have been, and must still be, a terrible experience for you. Perhaps we should let these questions lie for now, then, until you have had time to rest. It has only been a scant few hours after all.”
Eldan had wondered how much time had passed. The room was windowless, and the unnatural medicated sleep had felt of indeterminate length. “What is the day and hour, Usher?”
“Ah, I apologize. It remains the same day and the city bells tolled eight past the apex not long before you awoke.”
Eldan’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. The second Court bell rang at an hour past, so he could only have been out of the water for three or four hours at most. “When people do awaken, how long does it usually take?”
Usher Wen turned his head to look at Cale. “Ideally, she would have awoken when her heartbeat returned. At this stage there are no rules but I would hope to see it happen soon.” He returned his attention to Eldan, and busied himself removing the towels from the bed and placing them on his cart. “I will leave you to rest. You may sit with her, if you like, I will leave my chair here, and I will bring you something to eat and drink shortly.” He finished packing up his supplies and turned to exit, one wheel of his cart squeaking softly as it rolled across the room.
“Has anyone ever breathed underwater?” The medic was almost to the door when Eldan asked, unable to stop the question from spilling out of his mouth. He held his breath, hoping he hadn’t made a mistake.
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Usher Wen looked back in confusion, but then his face cleared. “Ah, the delta ape. They do look frighteningly human, do they not? No, they don’t breathe water, but they are able to go without a breath for an exceptionally long time by our measure, twenty minutes or more, I believe. As far as a person breathing water, well, there are very old stories of such things, but I am no scholar of myth and cannot recall the details.” He smiled gently and opened the door, wheeling his cart out and leaving Eldan alone with his thoughts.
Eldan gingerly climbed back out of his bed and dragged the chair to Cale’s side, sitting down heavily. His mind ran over the same thoughts repeatedly, the horrors of his encounter with the ape, deep terror that Cale would not awaken, and endless, looping, obsessive guilt. He picked apart every moment of his fight with the ape when he could have moved faster or more decisively, and remembered with punishing shame how slow and weak he had been bringing her to the surface. At times his thoughts drifted to his mother, and he would be hit with waves of remorse, wishing he had told her how much he loved her instead of rushing out the door.
His brooding was interrupted by the sound of raised voices somewhere beyond the room. As they steadily grew closer they resolved into those of Usher Wen and Captain Gelth, clearly in the midst of an argument.
“You will not enter that room! My other patient is in an extremely delicate state and the boy is in no condition for this right now.” Usher Wen’s muffled voice was nearly a shout.
“He needs to hear this no matter his condition.” Eldan started at Captain Gelth’s growl, realizing for the first time that his voice was one of the ones he and Cale had heard when they explored the basement and found the hidden tunnel.
“This is my ward and these are my patients. You have no authority to barge in here, Gelth!” The medic was shouting in truth now, and it sounded like he was directly outside the door. Eldan hastily drew the curtain over Cale’s bed, flimsy protection though it was, and hobbled to his own, hoisting himself up and scooting his back against the wall, huddling behind the curtain that was still drawn on the other side.
“I have authority beyond yours anywhere. Your rooms and your patients are mine to commandeer under the rules of enemy engagement by jurisdiction of the military.” Captain Gelth’s words dripped with derision.
“Do you seriously have the audacity to attempt to cast an animal attack during a training exercise for first years as an act of war to justify an abuse of power? You tread in dangerous waters, friend.” Usher Wen’s voice had grown soft with tightly controlled fury.
“I don’t have time or patience for this. Step aside!” Eldan’s eyes were wide with fear as he heard a thud from outside, followed by the door slamming open and the thunder of boots crossing the floor. Captain Gelth threw the curtain open and glared down at him, his face purple and distorted with rage.
Usher Wen stood behind him, pale and rigid. “You will answer for this. I will have you removed from this room.”
Captain Gelth did not bother to face him as he sneered his reply. “Go air your petty grievances, it matters not at all.”
The medic turned on his heel and left, presumably to seek assistance, but Eldan’s heart sank as he walked out, leaving him alone with the Captain. He kept his eyes trained on the door, willing him to turn around and come back.
“So, you are the insolent whelp who endangered the lives of your superiors. I can’t say I’m surprised, you look like the little coward you proved yourself to be today.” The Captain’s lip curled with disdain as he spoke.
“Let me recount your actions today. First, you broke course from withdrawal when you were physically failing in the water, in direct contradiction to my orders. Then you resisted your superior officer, disobeying another direct order delivered by that officer. To follow that, you assaulted your superior officer and forced her to abandon her protocols so she could pursue your cowardly escape. And then you interrupted a military action against an enemy in progress solely to seek your own glory, without a thought for anyone but yourself.” As he ticked off his points on his thick fingers the Captain’s voice rose to a bellow.
“You thought you knew better than your Sergeants? You thought you knew better than me?” Eldan sat frozen in the bed, trembling, as the Captain leaned to within inches of his face.
“You cannot begin to understand the rigors of training and discipline within the military ranks. Our operation was entirely secure and you, you were its point of failure. That girl over there would be snug in her bed if you hadn’t interfered. Do you understand me?” The Captain was nearly screaming by this point.
“Yes, Sir.” Even as Eldan spoke the words, cowering under the assault and wondering if Captain Gelth was right, a tiny voice in his head wanted to scream back in argument. But they weren’t there, it wanted to say, not yet. There were archers without a clear shot and one Sergeant with a knife, not a rescue operation.
“And while you clearly don’t have the maturity to understand this concept, sometimes in battle tactical considerations involving the level of engagement with an enemy have to be balanced against the total risk of loss of life. An enraged delta ape without distraction, running amok, could have cost multiple lives, including officers. And once again, you would have their blood on your hands.”
Eldan gritted his teeth as the Captain immediately contradicted his previous statement, now seeming to imply Cale had been considered an acceptable potential loss when balanced against the risk of the ape turning on the Sergeants.
“Now, stories of what happened out there are running around the Court like wildfire, but the truth is, those kids don’t know what they saw. So I’m going to tell them the story they should be hearing, one that doesn’t involve a mutinous coward disgracing himself and my officers. If I had my way you would be dumped at the very bottom of the unskilled trades at this moment but it seems even a ward can somehow fool a powerful supporter into their corner. So what you are going to do instead is back up everything I say and never breathe a word of your shameful actions. I will tolerate you until the moment you leave my class and then I will look forward to the day that I hear you have failed out of the circuit and hope to never see your craven face again. Am I clear?”
“Yes, Sir.” Eldan’s voice was barely more than a whisper, and he stared straight ahead, not looking at the Captain. He heard footsteps approaching the room, punctuated by the steady click of metal striking stone at regular intervals.
“I see you decided to undertake briefing the boy on your own schedule.” Eldan moved his head cautiously to see the Ironkeeper standing in the doorway with Usher Wen just behind her, his arms crossed over his chest and a satisfied expression on his face. The Ironkeeper was dressed as though she had been pulled directly from the forge, wearing a plain, coarse tunic and pants tucked into high, leather boots, though she wore an elegant, wool cape in rich purple around her shoulders. Her forearms were bare and smudged with soot, and she held a telescoping metal rod in one hand, leaning on it like a walking stick. Eldan realized this must be the rod she wore at her belt and wondered how heavy a blow from it in its compact form must feel.
The Ironkeeper strolled into the room, her back strong and straight in spite of the rod she used to guide her steps. “Do you feel assured that the threat he poses to our great military will be quashed? Or shall you berate him further lest he take up arms in pursuit of his rebellion?” Her tone was unaffected but the sarcasm rang through clearly.
Captain Gelth turned, giving her a perfunctory, not entirely respectful bow. His face had smoothed, showing no trace of emotion, but his eyes burned with anger and resentment. “I have outlined how we intend to move forward following this unexpected tragedy.” His tone was clipped.
“Excellent!” The Ironkeeper rocked back on her heels as though she was genuinely delighted by his response. “Since you have wrapped up already I would have a word with him, as well, to clarify my understanding of events.”
She looked at the Captain expectantly. He gave a curt nod and strode from the room without so much as another glance in Eldan’s direction, forcing Usher Wen to step aside as he plowed through the doorway.
Eldan regarded the Ironkeeper warily. Her eyes looked like steel coins when she turned her gaze on him, her expression placid and unreadable. “Well, you have certainly been a surprise today.”
Eldan flinched, unable to hold her eyes as she let a pause draw uncomfortably long. He could feel her stare boring into him as he dropped his gaze to his hands, still clenched in his lap. “I’m sorry for my my insubordinate behavior. Captain Gelth has explained the ways I failed the test.”
“Mm, yes. I would imagine he did make his position clear. Did he mention that our soldiers captured the delta ape this evening?”
Eldan’s head whipped back up. “No. Is it..”
“It was killed, yes. But they were surprised to find it had sustained significant injuries before those they inflicted during its capture. The sailor who brought you in had passed along your account but we had thought it unbelievable.” As she spoke she slowly circled his bed, her stick ringing as it struck the floor. When she reached the chair Usher Wen rushed over to pick it up and place it by Eldan’s side. The Ironkeeper sat with a brief nod toward the Usher in thanks. “Perhaps you would indulge an old woman by letting her tell an old tale?”
“Yes, Master.” Eldan murmured in agreement, still tense and uneasy after his encounter with the Captain.
“Wen, perhaps you could fetch a cup of tea for me? And something hot for the boy to eat?” The Ironkeeper tapped her rod as she spoke, snapping it back into its shorter form with a flick of her wrist.
“Of course, Ironkeeper.” The medic nodded and bustled out of the room, closing the door behind him.
“You have heard of the first great flood, I presume?” She began, waiting for Eldan to nod before continuing. “We know little of what the world was like at that time but a few songs and stories have survived, handed down over countless generations. The story I wish to tell you is one of these. You should know that these were originally told in the old tongue and much of the original meaning has been lost or changed as words were exchanged for newer ones again and again. The tales were considered unimportant for much of our history, so we have no written records to consult.”
She settled back in her chair, her gaze growing distant. “The land before the flood, as it is told, was a great and lush wilderness, filled with beasts both great and terrible but also abundant with food and resources. Life sprang from the river, and the people gave thanks in ritual and offerings back to the river in return. They say that the beasts, whether those that stalked and prowled, or crawled and slithered, or swam beneath the waters, all had language and could speak and be understood.
It was into this world that a girl was born. Her mother was in the river with her other son when the child came due, and the girl was born in the water. The river was greatly pleased with this birth, considering it a great offering, and laid bare its secrets to her, allowing her to visit its deepest canyons and asking its denizens to guard her. It was said that the river would tumble her in its rapids as play, and rock her to sleep with gentle waves.
Her brother grew deeply jealous and demanded the same treatment from the river. He raged and insulted the waters even as swam and dove, determined to unlock for himself how his sister spent hours playing in its depths, returning unharmed.
When the girl grew old enough the river led her to its deepest point, past places so dark none who lived there knew of light. Further still the river guided her and though she was cold and afraid, she trusted the river and followed, until to her astonishment, she found warmth and light like a hearth. In this place the very heart of the world leaked out in liquid stone and metal. The river showed her this and she understood.
The girl returned to build the first forge, and she smelted iron. Iron flowed like water in her hands but for everyone else it held its shape, and they used the iron to make powerful new weapons and tools to tear down the lush forest. They slaughtered and subjugated the animals until they would no longer speak, and as they ripped apart the land to build cities their mud poured into the river until its waters were dark and dirty. The girl, a woman now, begged them to stop, but they no longer listened to the strange woman who spoke to the river and bore liquid metal.
The river still loved the girl but many of its denizens did not, believing that the river and she were to blame for the actions of all men. So while the river counseled patience, wishing no harm to come to the girl, some of its citizens prepared for war. A great beast, a fish as wide and deep as the river itself, was born of their fury, their grief and their dead. It was made of rage, hunger and bone, form without substance, a river without life. The beast named the girl’s brother its general, granting him smooth white skin, webbed hands and feet, and great lungs so he was finally a master of the waters. He prowled among his former people, striking and dragging them beneath the surface so he and his commander could feast.
The hunger called out to the skies and asked for fresh waters and the sky obliged, sending them down in a great torrent. The beast swam between the the raindrops, hiding in the light, until the waters rose high enough that it could feast on land, swallowing huge swaths of the people whole and drowning them within its gullet.
The girl, an old woman now, returned to the river, flinging her liquid iron up and out in a net that captured the beast, holding fast so it could not swallow more. They fought until her strength was nearly gone and then, realizing she could not defeat it, she dove down, down to that deepest hearth. She fused her net into the liquid metal that bubbled out into the coldest waters, ensuring that though the beast may rise again in hunger it would never pass beyond the boundary of her restraints.
The river rocked her as it had when she was a child and they wept for what they had wrought in their naivety, unleashing the terrible greed and violence of man, which became the beast, the un-river, the without, in reprisal. Never wishing her secrets to return to the surface, the sunken guardian remains there to this day.”
Eldan sat spellbound as the Ironkeeper finished her story. The silence afterward was broken by a small squeak, and he turned to see Usher Wen standing in the doorway with a steaming bowl and two mugs on his cart.