“There!” she called excitedly.
She was pointing toward a place on the nearest mountain that looked like a small cave. It was several hundred feet above where they were, and the mountainside was nearly vertical. There was no way that Zollin could make the climb.
“Can you get us up there?” Brianna asked.
Zollin had to swallow several times before he could speak.
“I’m not sure,” he said.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m just so tired.”
“Do you need something to eat? We don’t have much left.”
“No, just give me a few minutes to catch my breath.”
Zollin slumped down in the snow. He was hot and cold at the same time. His arms and legs felt like stone. His back ached and his head felt dizzy. He wondered if perhaps he had missed something when he was trying to heal himself. It was hard to concentrate; his mind kept wandering to the alluring magical power that continued to beckon him south.
Finally, after almost five full minutes of rest, Zollin thought he could lift Brianna up to the cave. He closed his eyes and let his magic flow out. The broken pieces of his staff crackled and hissed, and then Brianna was rising up the mountainside. The effort took all of Zollin’s strength but he finally managed to set her down gently. Then he slumped back down in the snow.
The cave was little more than an indentation in the solid rock of the mountain, but it was big enough that they could take shelter and perhaps even have a fire if they could find something to burn. The rock was cold, but at least they were out of the snow. Brianna had been carrying both packs, and she dropped them at her feet before peering over the edge. Far below her, Zollin seemed very small.
“Are you coming?” she shouted.
He waved and held up a finger as if to say just a minute. He knew lifting himself would be hard, but he also felt confident that he could do it. The power was there, but his physical body was having trouble keeping up with the demand. He was starving but felt nauseous. His mouth was dry and his head was pounding. All he wanted to do was lie down and sleep. Finally, he looked up and decided there was no more sense delaying.
He let his magic flow around him, and it was like being in the middle of a raging river. It took all his concentration to stay focused, as if he were fighting to keep his head above the turbulent waters. Halfway to his destination he began to feel as if something inside him was tearing. Whenever he used magic he felt a hot wind blowing through him, and sometimes that wind got so hot he felt as if he could spontaneously burst into flames. But now the magic felt sharp as if it were shredding his insides. His concentration wavered and he started to fall, but he forced himself to ignore the pain and finish levitating himself up. By the time he reached the cave all he could think about was the pain. He collapsed onto the floor and passed out.
Brianna felt a wave of panic flood over her. She hadn’t meant to push Zollin too hard; she was just trying to get them to a place of safety. He had always been the strong one, pushing their pace as they searched the Northern Highlands for the dragon, but now he seemed frail.
She bent over him and checked to make sure he was breathing. He was, but his skin was pale and there were dark circles around his eyes. She pulled what food they had out of their packs and then arranged the packs, along with their blankets, to make a pallet for Zollin. She pulled him across the cave floor and onto the pallet. She propped his head up and then felt his forehead. His temperature was high and he was shivering from cold. There was nothing left for her to do for him. She brought their rations and canteens close, then took the last blanket and snuggled in close to Zollin. Finally, she covered them both and held him. It was only about midday, but they both slept. Brianna had not rested well the night before and so she dozed beside Zollin, who didn’t move.
When she finally woke up it was getting late. The sun was hidden behind the mountains and although the sky was still bright, the long shadows in the mountains made everything look gloomy. She checked on Zollin, who was resting better. His fever was still high, but he wasn’t chilled. She tucked the blanket around him and began going through their rations. They had some dried meat, but no vegetables or bread. One canteen was full, the other only half filled. She drank some of the water and wondered if she would be able to get down from their shelter to search for food. There was no more wine left and Brianna had left the empty bottle behind.
She sat on the cave floor, waiting and watching for signs of life in the mountains. She couldn’t see or hear the dragon, which was a relief. She felt a small sense of pride that she had wounded the beast, but she had no desire to find and fight the dragon again. All she wanted was to get Zollin out of the mountains. She loved the rugged beauty of the Northern Highlands, but she didn’t like feeling helpless. She had thought that Zollin had healed himself and would be back to normal soon. She hadn’t counted on the fever.
She watched as the sky grew dark. When the first stars appeared, she moved back to check on Zollin. She shook him and called his name. It took a moment, but then his eyes fluttered open.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“You’ve got a fever,” she told him. “Is that something you can fix?”
“I don’t know, I feel so weak. I’m hurting all over.”
“Do you need some food? I’ve got some meat and water.”
“No, I don’t think I can stomach anything.”
“What can I do?”
“Just stay close. I would would give anything for a soft bed right now.”
“We’ve got to get you well, Zollin,” Brianna said. She was trying hide the sound of fear that wanted to creep into her voice. “I don’t think I can get down the mountain on my own.”
“I just want to sleep some more,” he said. “Then I’ll try to heal my body.”
“Okay,” she said.
She lay down beside him again, but this time she wasn’t sleepy. She could feel the cold, hard floor of the cave beneath their thin blankets. It was hard to lie still and she didn’t want to disturb Zollin, but he was asleep again almost immediately. His breathing was deep and regular. Brianna ate a bit of the dried meat. It was so tough it made her jaws ache to chew on it, but she was hungry. She could see stars glinting through the mouth of their cave. The wind was blowing, but it didn’t reach back into the small shelter.
Zollin mumbled occasionally, obviously suffering from bad dreams. Brianna tried her best to soothe him. She struggled to stay warm and finally nodded off herself. The sky was just turning a pearl gray color when she woke up. She was tired but too cold and uncomfortable to sleep. She sat up and drank some water.
“I could use some of that,” Zollin said, his voice croaking.
She turned and poured a little into his open mouth. He swirled it around before swallowing it down and opening his mouth for more.
“How are you feeling?” Brianna asked as she gave him another sip.
“Terrible,” he said. “My whole body hurts.”
“Is there anything you can do?”
“I think so. I just need a little time. Have we got any food?”
They both ate a little of the dried meat. It was bland and tough, but by breaking off small pieces and sucking on the meat they coaxed a little flavor out and softened the meat enough to chew it. Neither spoke. They sipped water and Zollin sat up. Brianna offered to rub his back, but the bruises made it too painful.
“Couldn’t you heal the bruises?” she asked.
“No, I didn’t have the time. I was afraid the dragon would find us.”
She felt his head. He was still feverish, but he seemed more coherent. He rolled onto his stomach and stretched a little. Brianna stood up and walked the kinks out of her own sore muscles.
Zollin let his magic flow. He had been plagued with the desire to go south all through the night. He knew he needed to deal with it, to raise his defenses, but he hadn’t had the strength. He didn’t have much energy, but he thought it would be enough to deal with whatever was making him ill. He let his mind move slowly through his body, which had been making antibodies to deal with his broken back. The over-production of fluids was causing both soreness and the fever. Zollin moved as much of the excess fluid through his liver as he could. It didn’t take long for his body to adjust. After lying in the snow with a broken back all night long, it was no surprise that his body was in shock. He felt the familiar heat as he worked his magic and, after he did all he could for his body, he set about replacing his defenses.