‘Tighten it further,’ said Auum.
The tourniquet was tied around Elyss’ thigh just above the knee. Ulysan turned the stick thrust through it and she grunted.
‘Where the hell is Merrat? I need the uncaria quickly or this is going to spread.’ Auum looked into the shadows of the forest and back to Elyss. ‘Keep your breathing steady. Let’s not pump too much of this stuff around.’
Elyss smiled though her face was pale and shone with sweat. ‘It didn’t hurt until you put the tourny on.’
‘Liar.’
Auum dabbed at the dwindling supply of tea tree oil in the warm log pot sitting on the embers of a small fire. He turned back to Elyss’ wound. The crocodile had snagged her calf with a claw and flooded it with bacteria as it had swum past her. Piranha had taken bites from the wound as she’d swum to the shore. Throughout the follow-up attack later that night on the humans succumbing to the poison, she’d said nothing of it. She had killed with customary efficiency though she must have been in acute pain.
It had not been until the following morning that she had displayed any symptoms of infection. Now, in addition to the problem with the wound itself, she was developing a fever.
‘You know better,’ said Auum. ‘You cannot afford to stay silent.’
‘Stop fussing,’ said Elyss. ‘We only had the one chance to attack. And look at the damage we did.’
‘And I’m still laughing that they think the poison has finished its work,’ said Ulysan.
‘I’ll celebrate with you when Elyss is on the mend,’ said Auum. ‘Concentrate.’
Auum smeared the tea tree oil over the wound. It was angry and red, torn at the edges where the fish had bitten, deep and dark where the crocodile’s claw had stabbed her and raked backwards.
Elyss winced. ‘That means it’s working, right?’ she said.
‘And that there is something in there to fight,’ said Auum. He smoothed his free hand across her forehead. ‘You’re getting hot.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ said Elyss.
‘Keep on thinking that.’
Auum glanced up at Ulysan. The big TaiGethen looked anxious and Auum couldn’t give him any particular comfort. He placed his hand over Ulysan’s.
‘I’ll take the tourniquet. Get the other pot ready. Merrat will be back soon.’ Auum smiled down at Elyss. ‘Looking forward to your soup? Uncaria is magnificently awful to drink.’
‘I thought you were making a poultice.’
‘As well.’
Merrat reappeared from the forest, Nyann with him. He squatted by Auum and failed to disguise his concern at what he saw.
‘I’ll prepare the roots and vine,’ he said. ‘Ysset is hunting down the vismia we need.’
‘Good. Thank you.’
It took an age, or it felt like it. Merrat and Ulysan were quick, cleaning and cutting the uncaria and adding it to boiling river water, but the wait for the vital liquor to form was interminable. All the while, Auum watched Elyss fall into her fever. The tourniquet could not stop the infected blood making its way through her body. The tea tree oil was not strong enough to combat the disease at source.
‘Keep your eyes open,’ said Auum. ‘Talk to me about something.’
Elyss’ eyes fluttered. ‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Auum, and he released the tourniquet to give her some relief from the pain. ‘Not much point in that now, is there? Tell me, what is it you pray for today?’
A smile played across Elyss’ lips and she licked them with a dry tongue. Auum squeezed water into the side of her mouth which she sucked in greedily.
‘I pray that whatever poison runs through my body does not stop the joy of what I could feel happening yesterday.’
Auum frowned. ‘And what is that?’
‘It is my time, Auum.’ Elyss’ eyes spilled tears and she gripped his hand in hers. He could feel the heat of her fever through her palms. ‘I so want to live to know the glory.’
Auum found a cool cloth and mopped her brow. She was going down so fast.
‘Stay with me,’ whispered Auum. ‘What is the glory? See it, believe it and you will know it.’
Elyss spoke but Auum couldn’t hear her. He glanced over at Merrat, who spread his arms.
‘Soon, Auum. I can’t rush this. Not enough is as bad as none at all.’
‘I know,’ said Auum. ‘Come on, Elyss. Tell me again, don’t be shy. Shout it out. What is the glory?’
‘Wh… what every Ynissul iad… desires.’
Auum gasped. ‘Yniss preserve you, Elyss. Merrat, tell me you’re ready.’
‘Almost.’
Elyss’ head had fallen to one side. She was unconscious. Auum tapped her cheek lightly but there was no response.
‘It has to be now, Merrat, she’s slipping. Shorth is waiting.’
Merrat came over with a water skin. ‘Raise her head. We’ll have to do this for her.’
Elyss was limp, her fever so intense that just touching her skin was uncomfortable. The infection had gathered strength incredibly quickly and Auum prayed that she had not kept her silence for an hour too long. He had an arm under the back of her neck and with his other hand tried to open her mouth, pulling on her lower jaw.
‘Ulysan, I need you,’ said Auum. ‘Work her throat; don’t let her spit this up. Gently, Merrat.’
With as much care as he had time for, Merrat poured the decoction of uncaria into the side of her mouth, a few drops at a time. Her swallow reflex was still there and Auum relaxed his hold on her jaw to let her work the liquid down her throat with Ulysan’s tender help.
‘Come on, Elyss. You can do this,’ said Auum. ‘You’re doing just fine. Soon have you up and running again. Slowly, Merrat.’
‘I know what I’m doing,’ said Merrat.
‘Yniss bless you,’ said Auum.
‘You too, my friend.’
Ysset ran back into the camp. ‘How is sh-’
‘Start extracting the resin,’ said Ulysan. ‘Know how to do that?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good, we’ll need it for the wound. The tea tree isn’t enough.’
‘All right,’ said Merrat. ‘That’s all of it. I’ll make another decoction for when she wakes up. Right now you’d better make her comfortable. I’ll string a hammock for you.’
Auum regarded Merrat through a mist. ‘She has to live. She has so much to give us.’
Merrat pushed himself to his feet. ‘We cannot afford to lose one TaiGethen to a blow such as this. She’s strong.’
Auum laid Elyss’ head back on the soft ground and stroked the sides of her face. She was so dreadfully hot but her face was so terribly pale. Her eyes were completely still beneath their lids but her body quivered and was sheathed in sweat. Ulysan touched his shoulder and handed him a cloth, damp and cool with rainwater. Auum nodded and wiped Elyss’ face and neck with it.
‘Ulysan, scout the enemy. I need to know when they move and what strength they still have. Let Merrat go to Haliath Vale to join Grafyrre when they’ve made the poultices and decoctions. When Elyss wakes, we’ll travel there too.’
‘What about you?’
‘I’m not leaving her. She’s TaiGethen. My cell. My place is here.’
Chapter 19
Where would I be without faith? I would be breaking bread with humans.
Auum, Arch of the TaiGethen
When Hynd awoke he saw Jeral standing over him. He looked a bit green about the gills but otherwise undamaged. Hynd frowned.
‘Didn’t some elf give your intestines an airing?’
Jeral laughed. ‘At the time it would have been a relief. No, like the hero I am, I fell down with a cramp of quite extraordinary agony. I’m told that we were both saved because Fifth Company, who hadn’t eaten from the same pots, joined the fight. We were both pretty incapacitated while it all went on around us. Don’t you remember the noise and the screaming?’
‘Only my own.’ Hynd sobered quickly. ‘So what happened?’
‘Here, let me help you up and you can see for yourself.’
Hynd knew he shouldn’t have been so selfish but the first thing he noticed was how well he felt. There was a small ache in his lower back across his kidneys but apart from that he felt ludicrously refreshed. Until he looked beyond his own fire and saw the debris of a vicious conflict.