One of the other Knights had approached, heard Lily’s story, and shouted for Sir Rain while Blaze mounted Pale Feet behind her. They galloped toward the woods, Knights on horseback following them.
By the river, several
Zaltanians
soldiers lay unconscious, and Lily knew Crag had fought them.
“Blood.” Blaze pointed to a red path in the grass leading to the woods. He kicked the horse onward, slowing only when the woods thickened.
Another soldier lay in a clearing. Sir Blaze slipped from the horse, stooping to examine the body. “Not wounded by a blade.”
“Is he dead?”
Blaze shook his head.
Lily gasped as Crag dropped from a nearby tree. He pressed a hand to his side, blood dripping through his fingers and staining his tunic. Her heart dropped to her stomach, and she jumped off the horse. Blaze reached him before Lily did, examining the injury as Crag sank to the ground and leaned against a tree. His face was colorless and misted with sweat.
“Poison,” he murmured. “
Zaltanian
soldiers usually carry poison arrows.”
She noted the arrow had passed almost directly through Crag’s flesh, the bloody head partially exposed.
While she helped Crag to sit under a tree, Blaze built a hasty fire. He took an iron from his bag of healing supplies and set it to heat over the flames before approaching Crag.
“Your assistance, Water Flower,” Blaze ordered as he sat on his knees next to Crag.
She held him as Blaze began extracting the weapon. Crag gasped, his fingers tightening on her arm. Sweat streaked his face, and she knew he struggled not to cry out in pain. It seemed to take Blaze forever to remove the arrow, and as she glanced at the gory scene, she understood why. Behind the arrowhead, sticking out of the shaft, metal barbs hooked on muscle and flesh. It was a nasty weapon, made to inflict the worst kind of agony.
Lily drew a sharp breath as Crag’s grip became painful. Finally the weapon was removed and his hold on her relaxed so completely she thought he’d fainted.
“Sorry,” he whispered, his eyes half closed from pain and the poison.
“
Shh
.” She brushed wet hair from his forehead and glanced at Blaze who’d removed the iron from the fire. He sealed the wound from the back, causing Crag to gasp and clutch Lily spasmodically. The cauterization from the front, where the arrowhead had come out, the vicious rows of teeth leaving a gaping hole, dragged a half sob from his throat. For a moment, his head dropped to her shoulder, his hot neck throbbing against hers as he composed himself.
Lily met Blaze’s eyes and asked, “How can I help?”
“We need antidote.”
“They carry it,” Crag said.
Lily and Blaze both looked to the body in the clearing, but Crag murmured, “He doesn’t have any. I already checked.”
“By the river—” Blaze began, but before he could finish Lily mounted Pale Feet and galloped to the other soldiers, not caring that she still felt unfamiliar with horseback riding. Rain and several Knights had already begun tying up the
Zaltanians
, and with Lily, they searched the prisoners thoroughly but found no antidote. Blaze joined them and shook his head upon hearing their report.
“Nothing." The auburn-haired Knight looked as frustrated as Lily felt.
They returned to Crag who lay as still as death, his face the color of wax. Sweat bled through his tunic, mingling with the blood, darkening the pale gray material. Lily and Blaze stooped beside him.
The Knight shook Crag's shoulder. “Stay awake.”
Crag’s lashes fluttered. Blaze lifted his lids and spoke firmly, “Crag.”
Panic nearly overcame Lily, but she buried screams and tears deep inside. She’d just found Crag, and losing him so soon would be far too cruel.
“He could have taken their weapons to defend himself but didn’t,” Blaze said. “He’s of my faction.”
“He hasn’t even been dubbed.” Lily felt tears welling in spite of her attempt to remain calm.
“He is a Knight.”
“
Jarib
,” Crag murmured.
“One of the soldiers was called
Jarib
,” she explained to Blaze.
“He shot me. He has it.”
Lily needed no further incentive. Ignoring Blaze’s shouts to wait for assistance, she leapt onto Pale Feet, kicking him deeper into the forest. If it was the last thing she did, she’d catch that
Zaltanian
bastard! She’d lost too much to
Zaltana’s
greed and violence. Her husband. Her daughter. Her village. She would not lose Crag too.
As the forest became more twisted, Pale Feet was forced to walk, and Lily’s stomach churned with fear, anticipation, and anger. She felt anger most. Rage at the war itself and the stupidity of people. Fury that men like the Knights risked their lives only to be rewarded with injury and death.
She heard water rippling and saw a
Zaltanian
soldier kneeling by the lake, examining his injured leg. One of his boots rested in the mud beside him, his bow and sword a short distance away, but not close enough for him to reach without scrambling. Obviously the pain of his injury had thwarted his common sense.
Quietly as she could, she dismounted and picked up a thick tree branch lying beside Pale Feet’s hoof.
She’d nearly reached
Jarib
when he turned, glaring at her. His face was white with pain, and she noted the awkward twist and tremendous swelling of his ankle.
He looked at the branch clutched in her fists and laughed. Simultaneously he lunged for his sword and Lily dove at him with the branch, swinging hard.
He raised a hand to deflect the blow and grunted as the branch cracked against his arm. Apparently he hadn’t expected her strength. She swung again, and he kicked her. Lily’s legs flew out from under her, and she landed so hard on her back she nearly lost consciousness. Her stomach ached, as the wind was knocked out of her. Before she fully recovered,
Jarib’s
body covered hers. His knee shoved her legs apart and his rancid breath struck her face.
Then she remembered his injury. She struggled, managing to use her heel to stomp hard against his ankle. He growled in agony, one of his hands loosening on her as he reflexively reached for his foot. She squirmed a hand free and punched him hard in the throat, a technique she’d learned from watching the Knights train.
Jarib’s
eyes bulged as he rolled off her and clutched his throat, unable to breathe. Lily crawled toward the branch, and this time her blow hit its mark.
Jarib
lay unconscious in the rocks and mud.
Lily wasted no time searching
Jarib’s
belongings, piling anything that looked like it might contain antidote into a leather bag. She mounted Pale Feet and hurried back to the clearing.
“Water Flower?” Blaze glanced at Lily with concern, his eyes raking her bruised, dirty face and torn clothes.
“Here.” She slid off the horse and passed Blaze the bag.
While the Knight searched through the contents, she focused her attention on Crag. His eyes closed, his face paler than before, he appeared dead, except for the almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest.
Blaze opened a small leather pouch, sniffed the contents, and inserted his fingertip. It came away covered with a fine black powder that he touched to his tongue. Lily noted his look of relief as he measured some of the powder and emptied it into a wooden mug then mixed it with water.
He shook Crag, forcing his sleepy eyes to open.
Blaze glanced at Lily. "Help him."
She slipped behind Crag, assisting him to a sitting position while Blaze forced him to drink the entire contents of the mug.
“It’s not safe here,” Blaze said. “We have to get him back to the settlement.”
The auburn-haired Knight stood, and with surprising strength for a man so slender, lifted Crag onto his shoulder and carried him to Pale Feet. He mounted, positioning Crag in front of him so he could support him, and turned back toward the settlement while Lily followed.
At the settlement, Blaze carried Crag into the longhouse, Lily close behind. As soon as they entered the dim interior, Coral and Gem approached.
“What happened?” Coral demanded.
“We were attacked by
Zaltanian
soldiers. He was shot with a poison arrow,” Lily explained quickly, wondering if she sounded as terrified as she felt.
“By the Goddess!” Coral said. “I’ll get some water.”
Blaze positioned Crag, who had yet to awaken, on a blanket by the fire. Lily watched as the Knight examined the wound. Finally he sat back on his heels and glanced at her. “He’s resting easily. I believe he’ll survive.”
Lily released her pent up breath and covered her face with her hands. Suddenly her entire body felt weak. Blaze’s arm slipped around her, and she rested her head against his sharp-boned shoulder.
“Your bravery rivaled a great cat in battle, Water Flower.”
She shook her head. “Everything I did was out of fear.”
“For him.” Blaze motioned in Crag’s direction, and she nodded. “Then he has all the wealth the world can offer. Watch over him. There are others who need my attention.”
Gem brought another blanket, and Coral a mug of water. They checked on Crag often, as did so many others he had helped during his time in
Tanek
. Lily wondered if he realized just how much he was appreciated. It might have made life easier for him during the difficult times of his service.
As dusk neared, she lay down beside him and watched the rise and fall of his chest. Lulled by the warmth of the fire and tired by the events of the day, she felt on the verge of sleep when he moaned softly. Raising herself on her elbow, she touched his face. “Crag?”
His eyes opened halfway and took a moment to focus as he turned to her. “Lily?”
“How do you feel?”
“My side hurts, but I’m all right – I think. The poison…”
“We got the antidote. Blaze says you have to rest, though.”
He winced as he moved to a sitting position and lifted a hand to her bruised face. “What happened?”
“It doesn’t matter. Are you hungry?”
He shook his head. “A little thirsty.”
“I’ll get you some fresh water.” Lily took the mug from beside him and left the house, taking deep breaths of the cool night air as she made her way to the well.
When she returned to Crag, Blaze sat beside him, applying salve and a new bandage to his injury. Lily noted that while Crag didn’t appear completely well, most of his color had returned.
As she knelt beside him, his eyes held hers with such intensity she nearly dropped the mug. He reached for her hand and tugged her onto the blanket beside him. “You saved my life.”
“As you’ve done for so many others.”
“That’s different. I’ve been trained for battle and for healing. You rescued me by your strength of heart alone. I’m very lucky.”
“To have survived that arrow wound. I know.”
“I mean I'm lucky to have you.” He touched her cheek. “And you thought you didn’t deserve the battle paint.”
She held his eyes for a long moment before Blaze interrupted them.
“No infection, but you must rest.”
“There’s too much work around here to—”
“I don’t take well to insubordination,” Blaze said. “Though it is a fact healers make the worst patients.”
“I’ll try not to be difficult.” Crag sounded a bit teasing.
“I’ll make sure he rests,” Lily told Blaze as he left them alone.
“Oh will you?” Crag lifted an eyebrow.
She nodded and kissed his forehead then his cheek. “Let someone take care of you for a change. You deserve it.”
“I still feel like I should be doing something.”
“Yes, resting. Close your eyes.”
“I don’t—”
“Do it!”
He obeyed, his protest silenced by her kiss. When she drew back, she noticed a slight smile on his lips, and her belly warmed. Crag’s expressions and mannerisms seemed to become more adorable and endearing every moment they spent together. It was hard to imagine those times when she’d disliked him. He was a good man, and in spite of the horror of the conditions in which they had met, she was glad and grateful they’d found each other.
She touched her fingertips to his temples and massaged with a soothing, circular motion.
“That feels good,” he murmured in a sleepy voice. The herbs Blaze had given him to dull the pain had obviously begun working. Within moments, his breathing became deep and even as he slept.
Lily settled beside him, her head resting against his shoulder, and fell asleep as well.
* * * * *
It took Crag close to a week to recover enough to do more than rest and perform the gentle exercises required by Sir Blaze to keep him mobile and ensure his injury healed properly. Once he began feeling better, it was all Lily could do to keep him from returning to his healing duties.
“Let him go,” Sir Wood told her as she attempted to follow Crag during one of the usual
calls for help. Lily was about to argue with the Knight, whom she’d never particularly liked, but she noted an almost proud expression in his eyes as he watched Crag. “If he seems unable to perform, Blaze or I will relieve him. Resuming his duties is the best thing for him right now.”