Chapter 4 #4
The field kit not only contained all the usual pain tonics, numbing and antiseptic salves, and bandages needed to treat wounds in the field or keep them stabilized until proper medical help could be reached, but also additional bone straps, wound sealers, and silk webbing—the latter generally being used to patch drakkon wings of late.
I handed him a small bottle of pain tonic, waited a few minutes for its effects to kick in, then carefully cut away the grimy remnants of his shirt from the wound.
It was deep and ragged, and already looking far too red.
I grabbed the water flask and washed it out as best I could, dried it with silk wound pad, then smeared numbing potion over it.
He hissed but otherwise remained silent.
I gave him the water to sip and gave a quick rundown of everything that had happened since the attack on Jakarra, finishing off with Aric’s arrival and his determination to take Esan’s throne.
“Which he can’t do now that I’m alive,” he said.
“He was planning to murder you before this attack happened, Garran, and my parents were aware of the possibility. I have no doubt Aric will make some sort of attempt while you remain in a fragile state of health.”
And no doubt claim it was an accident in the process.
“Fragile is overstating it a little,” Garran commented, “and Aric is no fool. He wouldn’t dare attack me now.”
I finished packing the wound with the antiseptic salve, then reached for a bandage. “We’re talking about a man who not only substituted a bastard son in place of his heir at our wedding, but who also intended to replace said bastard with the real son once you were dead.”
“Which makes no sense to me, even with the treaty changes. Did they think everyone in Esan is stupid enough not to notice the replacement?”
“Aside from the fact they’re near identical, the swap would have happened in Zephrine, and he would have used his tame mind reader to force me to acknowledge the real Damon as my husband. And remember, he’s already tried to mind force me to step down.”
“But you said you removed his tame witch?—”
“Yeah, but his personal guard has a strange energy, and we can’t discount the possibility he has another means of coercion.”
Garran scrubbed a hand across his eyes. “I’m known in Esan, Bryn. My arrival won’t remain a secret for long, if at all.”
“You only have to remain hidden long enough for me to get rid of Aric and the real Damon?—”
“There’s one major problem with that plan, and that’s the fact we will probably need all the military experience we can get. Aric is an arrogant sod, but he is also a very good commander with decades of experience behind him.”
“All of which is true, but you still need to trust my judgement on this.” I raised a hand to stop his reply. “At the very least, let’s not announce your survival until the military medics have had a chance to assess your state of health.”
He hesitated. “That might put you in even greater danger, especially if you are right about his personal guard.”
“I’ve multiple guards at my door, and magic protects me against any form of mind control. In fact, I’ll have something similar made for you the minute we get back, and I want you to wear it until this mess is over. Don’t even take it off to bathe.”
A smile tugged at his lips and he lightly saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Idiot.”
“Bossy britches.”
I chuckled softly. “That would be Queen bossy britches to you, at least until you officially take the throne.”
He grinned. “And we both know that stepping down from said throne will never, in any way, lessen your need to voice an opinion.”
“And as noted before, you would be wise to listen to said opinion. After all, I do have a drakkon to back me up.”
He laughed, though it quickly turned into a raking cough. Drinking more water helped, but concern remained a weight deep in my gut.
“You should eat,” I said. “I’ve some trail rations in my pack?—”
“It wouldn’t be right for me to be eating when there’s not enough for everyone.” He squinted up at me. “And don’t be saying ‘but you’re the king’ because we both know the current damn queen would be saying the exact same thing.”
I grinned. “An accusation I cannot deny, as much as I might wish to. Will you be all right up here while I head down to help Kele with the other injuries?”
“I’ll be perfectly fine. It’s nothing the medics can’t fix, and besides, as I’ve already said, we Jakarrans are a tough breed.”
Which didn’t ease the concern, but I let the matter drop. “Whistle if you see anything untoward coming at us from a distance.”
“Aye, Commander.”
I smiled. “You’d better get used to saying that, because while I may be stepping down from the throne, I am not stepping down from my commander role.”
“Nor should you, given you are the queen of our drakkon army.”
“No, that’s Kaia, and eight drakkons does not an army make.”
“Eight gives us a chance, Bryn, where there was none before.”
“Don’t be expecting miracles, Garran. I’m thinking Túxn is almost out of them where Esan is concerned.”
He caught my hand and squeezed it lightly. “Hey, we both survived, and that surely means she’s not finished with us yet. Now, get your bony ass down that hill and look after my people.”
I snorted and lightly clipped him over the top of his head—a move he successfully ducked—then grabbed the medical kit and left.
His laughter chased me down the hill. I spent the next hour treating the worst of the wounded, though I ran out of pain potions and numbing salve within the first ten minutes and bandages within thirty.
After that, I wiggled out of my silk undergarment without actually stripping off and used that to provide slings and bind broken limbs.
The remaining cuts and bruises we washed down, though many cuts were festering and mere water was never going to do much more than clean out the surface infection.
By the time we’d done what we could, the drakkons had returned. They kept high, more to keep an eye out for possible trouble than any care they might have about scaring our newly freed prisoners—they were men, after all—but a murmur of unease nevertheless ran through the gathering.
Need go , Kaia said. Sun set soon.
And we needed to be in Esan by the time it did. We’ll load everyone up now . Out loud, I said, “We need everyone to move back into the cages so we can fly out of here.”
“Can’t we walk? I’d rather not be stuck in that stinking cage again, thank you very much.”
I couldn’t see who was speaking because he was at the back somewhere, but whoever he was, he was surprisingly polite. “We’ve no choice, I’m afraid. The Mareritt are camped outside Esan and the riders patrol the area at night.”
“You’ve got drakkons.”
“And the riders have hundreds of those gilded birds. So, please, get back into the cages so we get you all safely home before darkness falls.”
Another murmur went through the gathered men, but they all turned and shuffled up the hill with as much speed as they could muster.
Kele and I followed. Once we reached the top, I glanced at her and said, “When everyone is back inside, can you fuse the chains back around the doors, so there’s no risk of anyone falling out midflight?
I’ll contact Esan and let them know we’re coming in with refugees. ”
She nodded and followed the men. I moved across to my packs and my cousin. “You need to get back inside too, I’m afraid.”
He raised an eyebrow, amusement lurking across his grimy, bruised features. “Esan’s heir isn’t being given a rare chance to ride a drakkon?”
“Sadly, the drakkons would rather eat you than let you ride them. Nothing personal, they just don’t like men in general.”
Truth came Kaia’s comment. Hassle him. Need fly .
He pushed to his feet and wavered a little. I clenched my fist against the urge to reach out and steady him. He wouldn’t appreciate it, not in front of his men. “That’s going to make growing our drakkon army a mite difficult, is it not?”
“It is indeed.” Although perhaps it wouldn’t always be that way.
The Prioresses had already warned us that one of the possible consequences of our binding might be that the next generation would not need to be magically bound—that it might simply be a matter of the drakkon choosing a likeable candidate.
I supposed if there weren’t enough female stregas in said next generation, that would certainly cause problems—unless, of course, another consequence of the binding spell also meant the next generation of either race would be born without fire capabilities.
I motioned to his cage. “Hurry along. I need to contact Esan and let them know we’re coming in. ”
He didn’t hurry. In fact, he didn’t even move. “I’m not hiding, Bryn. Not even for twenty-four hours. I’m heir, and I intend to act like it.”
“But Aric?—”
“Will only be emboldened to act if I show any sign of weakness. You have to trust my judgement, Bryn.”
“I do. I just don’t trust Aric.”
“I will deal with him.”
I swore in soft frustration. “Fine. But I’m not going to announce your presence via the scribe. That’ll only give Aric time to plot.”
“With that, I agree.” He paused and grimaced slightly. “However, do have your drakkon deposit my cage in the upper courtyard, because I really don’t think I’ve the strength to make the journey through the levels, even on courser.”
“Agreed, but please note that I am not happy with any of this.”
“Your objections are duly noted. Oh, when you’re scribing Esan, ask—” He paused, frowning. “Who are our day and night generals now?”
“I made Jarin Maese my direct second-in-command. Neera Browning is the new night general, and we haven’t as yet assigned a day general, as Jarin is generally present.”
“Maese is a good choice. When you message home, ask him and Browning to be waiting in the courtyard.”
“They’ll immediately suspect something is wrong.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“You have a plan brewing?”