Nevertheless, she cried out when she saw him. Lanen was beside him, bowed in what I guessed was grief or despair, unable to do ought to help. "Who hass done this?" Idai demanded in truespeech, even her mindvoice hissing with hatred. ''It iss the Gedri witch, it iss her doing,'' she said, and with all the power of her will she shouted at Lanen. "Stand away frrom him!"
"I will not!" Lanen screamed back at her, using the Language of Truth now as one born to it. She stood with her back to Akhor, looking for all the world like a mother protecting her youngling; her feet were planted in the ground (as well as two feet can be), her knees bent to spring, her forearms raised and her fury plain, and she all but hissed back at Idai. ''Akor is mine as I am his, I will stand with him if you kill me for it, damn you.'' They stood thus braced against one another for mere seconds, when Lanen fell to her knees and I smelt seawater. ''Lady, he bleeds as we stand here. If it would heal him I would die gladly. What can I do? Dear Goddess, what can I do?"
Idai's wrath abated somewhat, for she knew agony when it stood before her defiant, defeated. "Let us lift him, child. He must go to his Weh chamber and sleep, there to heal or to die. Move away, littling.''
Lanen hurried from Akhor's side and spoke briefly with Rella. The three of us turned him to carry him on his back, when I stopped for an instant and knelt. "Come, lady. I will bear you,''
I said to Lanen. She nodded at Rella and leapt up onto my neck. ''Hold fast, this will be difficult,'' I warned her, and together we three Kindred gathered ourselves and, as one, leapt into the air, beating our wings furiously, carrying our King to his rest.
I had just thought enough to spare to bespeak the Council— well, everyone, actually—to let them know that Rella would be bringing the soulgems of the Lost in their cask as far as the Boundary fence at the place of Summoning. Then I forgot about it entirely.
I hope I never live through such a horrible time again. I was terrified for Akor. Goddess, Dear Shia, Mother of Us All, I could not stop looking at him, borne senseless through the morning by his companions. Those great gaping wounds bled terribly. I had never imagined that anything could bring such destruction to so powerful a creature. Dear Goddess. It was past bearing, it was unendurable, but I had no choice. Endure it I must.
I did not weep. I think I was beyond tears, though my cheeks felt wet. I clutched at Kédra's horns when the flight of the three was worst, begging the Winds, the Lady, whoever would listen, to let Akor live. Nothing else mattered.
Finally, beyond hope, I saw the hill and the little pool below us. The three started to spiral down, slowly, carefully. The landing was rough, and I thanked years of hard work for the strength in my arms to hold on. I let go and dropped off as soon as I could, for Kédra had told me that he was the only one small enough to enter Akor's cave and he would have to drag him. I followed behind, as one who is already dead but has forgot to lie down.
Kédra managed to get Akor to his floor of gold, where he lay in a pool of sunlight from the opening above. Akor lay on his back with his wounds uppermost, and—I couldn't believe my eyes—Kédra was scraping gold from the walls, breathing flame onto it until it glowed, shaping it like clay with his great claws into what could only be a bandage.
"Kédra?" I asked quietly.
"It will keep what blood he has left within his body and speed the healing," he said, not even glancing at me. "It is our way, Lanen. Let me finish."
I backed away, both hands covering my mouth lest I distract Kédra again, and watched, tears unheeded washing my hands.
When he had finished, when the redstained, silver wreck of Akor's body was decently covered with gleaming golden bindings, Kédra bowed his great head, sorrow at last coming into its own. "Lanen," he said quietly, "he will not hear me. I must know if there is aught he desires. When we are wounded our bodies have different needs and only the wounded know what they are. Bespeak him, I pray you, that he may be healed. You are his beloved, he will rouse for you."
I clenched my teeth and made myself stop weeping. I knew instinctively that I must be calm for him lest my distress take his mind from his own needs. Deep breath, Lanen. Now.
"Akor, dearling?"
He did not answer.
''Akor, beloved, it is Lanen who calls, Lanen Kaelar. Dear-ling, speak with me, I beg you, for one moment only before the Weh sleep takes you. Akor?"
Nothing. Forgive me, dear one, I thought to myself, but Kédra is here and I cannot make him leave. This must be done. Then I said aloud and in truespeech, in the best tones of command I could muster, "Kordeshkistriakor! Wake to me. It is Lanen Kaelar who calls."
Like one rising from deep waters he raised his head. "Hwat would you, ssweeting? I must ssleeep...."
"Akor, it is Kédra," said he in truespeech, loud enough for me to hear. "You are wounded, what have you need of?"
"Ssleeep onlly, Khedthra," replied Akor as loudly. "You haff sstopped the woundss with khaadishhh?"
''Yes, lord,'' replied Keira. ''Need you meat or water, heat, iron—"
"Ssleeep onlly, younglinng," he replied. "But where iss Hlanen who called me?"
''I am here, dear heart,'' I answered, clinging to calmness with all my strength. "How may I help you, my love?"
''Let me but feel your hand, little one,'' he said, more clearly than he had spoken yet. I stepped up and laid my hand on the soft skin under his jaw and saw him relax. "Ahh, hyu arre perilouss, Hlanen Kaelar. Around you the world changess sso quickly I cannot learnn onne thinng beforre the nexst iss upon me. But you do make life interressting!" He smiled. "Ssleep on the Windss, Hlanen Kaelar. I will look fforr hyu hwen I wake...." His mindvoice floated into nothingness and he slept.
I gazed at him. He had gone beyond his pain, forgotten the Council, Marik, anything that might ever have been a danger to either of us; but he remembered that he loved me. And he remembered my name.
"Sleep on the Winds, beloved," I said quietly, lightly touching the dulled soulgem in his forehead, and unbidden from my mouth came softly the words of parting. "Go you safe, and keep you safe, and come safe home to me."
Then I began to cry in earnest.
XVIII
THE WINDS AND THE LADY
When Kédra and I left the chamber, Akor was already deep in the Weh sleep. Kédra was pleased that his breathing was regular; it was a good sign, he said, and promised well for the healing. He had brought a large quantity of khaadish outside with him, and applied it to the gouge in Shikrar's shoulder. The process appeared to pain Shikrar, but after it was done he seemed better able to bear the wound.
Shikrar and Idai had thoughtfully lit a fire for me in the clearing, for the day though bright was sharp with winter's approach. I thanked them and stood as near the flames as I could, wondering why I was so weary. Dear Goddess, was the Weh sleep affecting me? No, it couldn't, surely. Then why was I so weak? I was even starting to tremble—
And the voice that lives always at the back of my mind spoke up, its tone lightly mocking. Well, my girl, aside from nearly dying two days ago, having no more than an hour's sleep last night, fighting for your life with the Council and watching as the one you love best is butchered before your eyes, you haven't eaten since that stew in Marik's cabin a day and a half ago. Remember?