Hynd suppressed the worry that grew with the discomfort inside him and poured his casting into Jeral. He felt the soldier relax muscles he hadn’t even known were tensed and a sigh of relief burst from his lips. It quickly turned into a stream of expletives.
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Hynd, falling to the side, gasping in air and trying to still his tired body. ‘Fixed you, didn’t I?’
‘Fucking pissed myself,’ said Jeral.
‘Oh yeah, probably should have warned you about that.’
Jeral pushed himself on to his back and sat up, his expression turning from ire to concern at the sight of Hynd.
‘You all right?’
‘Not sure, really. Some pain, much fatigue. That’s spell casting for you.’
Hynd could feel the pain edging deeper. The disease was gaining ground rapidly. It would be affecting hundreds in the camp: almost all of the First Company and their Sharps.
‘Sleep later. Fix yourself first.’
‘Sorry, Captain, that was a one-cast-only job. You’re fixed so you can organise help for as many of the First as you can from Loreb. I’ll try and hang on while you do.’
Jeral shook his head, stood up and dragged Hynd to his feet.
‘Fuck that,’ he said.
Jeral dragged Hynd through the camp. Hynd didn’t feel he was in immediate danger of death but he knew he didn’t have the stamina to heal himself. He’d have thanked Jeral but the captain was too busy roaring for help.
‘You! Get over here.’ A young mage walked over. ‘Don’t they teach you to run in Triverne? Move! Name.’
‘Selyak, Captain Jeral.’
‘Selyak, get casting. Hynd, tell him what to do.’
Hynd did and the mage, tired from a night’s vomiting and the fear of death at the hands of the TaiGethen, made a reasonable fist of the construct. The mana smothered his lower back, snuffing out the disease and flushing his kidneys clean. He voided his bladder, as Jeral had before him, but the warmth of urine across his crotch and down his leg felt like salvation.
‘Thank you,’ said Hynd. ‘Now, how are you feeling? Can you do the same thing for yourself?’
‘I’m not sure. Something doesn’t feel right.’
‘Get yourself to another mage. The whole of First Company is in danger because the poison is still active. Go. Don’t die of it.’
Selyak smiled. ‘I’m honoured by your care.’
‘Care has nothing to do with it, youngster,’ said Jeral. ‘He just doesn’t want to feel guilty over your sorry corpse. Now go. Help will come. And make sure you take a piss before you let anyone fix you.’
Jeral and Hynd ran towards the command post. They could see it through the mass of soldiers of the First Company, their mages and Sharps. Jeral ordered his people to look to themselves, find mages, get themselves healed. To trust him, not question him and to believe that they would die unless they did.
Hynd backed him up, shouting to any mage that could hear what was required. But he could count too. And there were nowhere near enough mages to carry out the healing. They desperately needed help from other companies. Loreb would have to listen, and quickly.
The inebriate general was leaning on a broad log looking at a map of the known routes through the forest. His inner circle surrounded him, no doubt speaking the words of the inane, the sycophant and the ingratiating. A cohort of guards and mages ringed them and within the eaves of the forest there were more wards than any one man could really want — except perhaps Pindock.
Jeral was stopped by one of Loreb’s aides.
‘The general is busy, Captain. You will have to wait.’
Jeral spat on the floor between his feet. ‘I’ll make myself comfortable, Ishtak. But please tell the general, at your leisure and his convenience, that you will shortly be hearing the First Company dying en masse.’
Ishtak was a soldier by title only; a glorified administrator and obfuscator by trade and the epitome of the type of man Jeral detested. Ishtak narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
‘Been having bad dreams again, Captain Jeral?’
Jeral smiled. ‘I’ll put it another way: they are all going to die. Let me talk to the general or I will break your stupid cringing neck and then talk to him anyway.’
Hynd looked back over his shoulder. The beginnings of panic could be heard in the tenor of the shouts and the bunching of multiple groups of soldiers and mages.
‘You can’t just march i-’ began Ishtak
‘When my company is about to be wiped out, I’ll do what I damn well like.’
Hynd threw up his hands and marched past the bickering pair. He shouldered two of Loreb’s strategists aside and spoke straight into the general’s ear.
‘Order mages from across the army to report to the First Company. Please. The elves’ poison is about to claim hundreds more lives. Sir.’
Loreb started in surprise and turned his face to Hynd. He was unshaven, looked as if he had barely slept and his breath stank of alcohol. A large goblet was cradled in his hands. His expression darkened.
‘I am unused to being disturbed while planning the next stage of our conquest.’
‘I make no apology for trying to save hundreds of your men and mages from elvish attack.’
Loreb raised one finger for silence and drank deeply from his goblet. Hynd could hear Jeral’s voice behind him, low and menacing.
‘The one thing that raises us from the level of the savages around us is a sense of order and a proper chain of command. You will report to my aide and your concerns will be given due process.’ Loreb drained his goblet. ‘More wine, Ishtak.’
Hynd knew he was gaping. ‘General. Please! You must listen.’
‘Ishtak!’
Hynd heard the unmistakable sound of a fist meeting flesh. Jeral hurried to his side.
‘Ishtak can’t hear you right now, General, but you must listen to us,’ said Jeral. ‘We need as many fresh mages as possible to come to the First Company now. The poison is-’
‘Jeral! Good. Tell me, why did we pass the temple at Aryndeneth and leave it unmolested?’
‘What?’ Jeral looked genuinely confused. He stared at the sneering expressions of the inner circle ‘Sir, we have a critical situation here. You have orders to give.’
‘I think Aryndeneth will make a fine residence for the general who claims the prize. Jeral, organise a raiding party and see to it. Clear the place. I need more wine. One of you, the flagon is over there by my sword.’
Hynd put a restraining hand on Jeral’s shoulder. ‘Don’t do it. It isn’t worth it.’
Jeral’s fist unclenched and he dropped his voice to a hiss. ‘Get to Pindock, go to anyone. Beg other mages. We don’t have time to wait for common sense to prevail.’
‘I’m on it.’
Hynd turned and ran hearing Jeral’s next remarks as he went.
‘Sir, I will do as you ask. But if you do not do as I ask, there will be no First Company left to secure your prize.’
Loreb stared past him at the growing noise from the head of the column.
‘I see. Well, tell Ishtak to organise it. And you can reflect on your failure to foresee this incident as you make your way to the temple.’
‘Welcome back,’ said Auum.
‘You look terrible,’ Elyss replied.
Auum hadn’t slept for two days. Elyss had walked so close to the embrace of Shorth. Her breath had become so faint and her heartbeat so frail. Merrat had refused to leave them and the five TaiGethen had sat around her, praying to Yniss to spare her for other tasks in the forest. Auum had prayed silently too, beseeching Yniss to let her enjoy the gift he had bestowed upon her; to let her play her part in the continuation of the Ynissul thread.
Her fever had finally broken shortly before dawn and Auum had watched her relax into healing, dreamless sleep. Even then he had refused to leave her, needing to be the one she saw when she opened her eyes.