Daybreak (82 page)

“I have a lemon tree,” Devin replied — and drew such a round of indignant cries from the giants that Kael expected the floors to start shaking.

Brend threw an arm around Devin’s shoulders, careful of the short spines that sprouted from their tops. “You’d better show us that garden, wee dragon — quickly, now. The giants will do whatever we can to save it.”

Devin led them down another branch of hallway, smiling at their grunts and the occasional burst of rowdy laughter. The last thing Kael heard before they thumped out of earshot was Brend loudly declaring what a
mightily grand
thing it was to have a King who stood at a
proper
height.

“Let’s go this way, shall we?” Argon said, nudging Kael down the opposite hall.

It was absolutely littered with the ruins of the giants’ march: gold-tinged bodies hewed by their great scythes and crammed against either wall. Kyleigh walked a little ways ahead of them. She opened every door they passed and glanced inside the chambers.

There were several doors she left ajar, and Kael looked inside to find the chambers empty. But there was one door she shut with a grimace. “Blazes, I almost feel sorry for them.”

The way she wrinkled her nose would’ve made Kael smile, had there not been such a weight upon his heart. Kyleigh’s hand trailed softly across the wall as she neared the next corner. A large chunk of armor was missing at her waist, torn away by Dorcha’s claws. It left her pale skin exposed — a gap of smooth and perfect flesh. But even though she was healed, Kael’s heart still twisted to think of how she’d been wounded. He could feel the agonized tremors of her body when he clenched his hands.

As she reached the end of the wall, Kyleigh grinned at him from over her shoulder — as if she’d been able to sense him watching. Her eyes burned furiously onto his, holding his gaze until she’d disappeared around the corner.

“This had better be it, Argon,” Kael said hoarsely. “I don’t want Fate to come within a thousand miles of her again.”

The mage closed his eyes for a moment. “She swears she won’t trouble Kyleigh. There’s no sport in it — you care far too much for her life.”

Kael wasn’t sure that was even possible. But before he could say as much, they rounded the next corner — and had their ears accosted by a familiar, high-pitched squeal.

Aerilyn already had her arms wrapped about Kyleigh. Behind her, Jake and a smiling forest woman walked hand in hand. It took several moments of staring for Kael to realize that the forest woman was Elena. He swore he’d never seen her smile, let alone beam as if the sun wouldn’t stop shining.

Kael was still gaping at her when Aerilyn smacked against his chest. “Oh, Kael! I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve had it up to my ears with these two. They’re wounded — and they won’t do anything at all about it!” She passed a glare between Elena and Jake. “They’ve done nothing but smile since the moment I found them, and neither one will tell me what’s so blasted funny.”

Kyleigh fixed them with a wicked grin. “I have a guess.”

“And you’ll keep it to yourself,” Elena warned.

“It really isn’t all that serious,” Jake insisted, his voice thickened beneath the swollen hump of his nose.

Aerilyn made a frustrated sound. “You have a hand in your pocket — and it’s
not
attached to your wrist!”

“Well, I’m sure it’s nothing the Wright can’t fix.”

“Oh, for mercy’s sake,” Kael grumbled, when Jake held up his blue-capped nub. “Bring it here.”

He’d never sealed a hand back onto its wrist before. But luckily for Jake, the cut was so clean that none of the pieces were missing. It only took him a few tries to get it attached correctly. When Jake was able to move all of his fingers, they considered it a success.

“Remarkable,” he said, grinning as he twisted his hand about. “Absolutely remarkable.”

The gash in Elena’s leg was much easier to seal. Once he had it closed, Kael told them about Devin.

Jake looked immediately to Argon. “Your ward? Really? Well, he’s a bit simple, but I’m sure most of the Kingdom will be all right with that.”

“Lysander’s already thrilled about the fact that there won’t be any taxes,” Kyleigh said with a nod.

Aerilyn rolled her eyes. “I’m sure he is. And I suppose as long as this
Devin
doesn’t try to enslave or starve anybody, he’ll already be three steps ahead of Midlan’s last King.” After a moment, she raised her brows. “He wouldn’t happen to need a cook, would he? I know of a rather good one — an entire household, really. They’ll be happy to help him manage things.”

Argon inclined his head. “I’m sure Devin would be most appreciative.”

Aerilyn let out an excited squeal. “Wonderful! I’ll go tell Horatio straight away.” She spun and took off down the hall, her quiver clattering with her jog.

“And what do you think about all this, Elena?” Kyleigh said.

“I couldn’t care less. In fact, I doubt if I’ll ever set foot in Midlan again. Jake and I have decided to live peacefully.”

“Our fighting days are over,” he agreed, smiling as he took her hand. “We’ll travel around a bit until we find a nice, quiet place to settle. Our journey begins first thing tomorrow.”

“There could be trouble along the way, though. The Kingdom’s still crawling with thieves and bandits.” Elena’s dark eyes roved thoughtfully. “I mean, we ought to at least be
prepared
to fight, if need be.”

Jake nodded. “Absolutely. It seems as if one can hardly step outside one’s door without running into some sort of trouble. But we’ll only fight to defend ourselves.”

“Of course.”

“And if a few bandits happen to get their throats cut —”

“Or their legs blasted out from under them.”

“— so be it.”

They grinned at each other as they wandered down the hall, chattering about all the many ways they were determined to be
peaceful
. Kael was still shaking his head at them when Argon prodded him in the side.

“We’re nearly there. The last step is always the most difficult.”

And he wasn’t wrong.

They found the wildmen inside the western courtyard. Mud matted their furs and there were dark red spatters across many of their painted faces. The craftsmen were drenched up to their elbows in gore. But it looked as if they’d fought well.

The warriors hefted gold-tinged bodies across their shoulders and moved in a steady line. Silas waited at the gates’ edge, waving them towards a towering mound of soldiers.
 

“Pile them up outside the walls. We’ll set fire to them later,” Gwen barked. She snapped her fingers at a group of craftsman standing beside her. “Drain the southern wall, let the bodies wash into the forest. Then start digging a grave. We’ll have to bury that lot — it’ll be ages before they dry enough to burn, and I don’t care to wait.”

“Yes, Warchief!”

“Warchief?” Kyleigh said as the craftsmen scattered off. “Has your brother finally kicked you off the frozen throne, then?”

“It was always my father’s wish to have Griffith rule. He’s patient. He sees things that I do not. Now that he’s grown into his wisdom, I’ve stepped aside.” Gwen half-turned to scowl at Kyleigh. There were scrapes across her face and bits of debris lodged in her wild tangle of hair. Her armor was coated in a thick layer of grit.

Kael had to wonder just how many times Devin had thrown her through the walls. But before he could ask, she saw him. And she stomped over immediately.

“I’ve got a lot to say to you, mutt.”

Kael braced himself against her snarl. “Well, it’d better start with an apology —”

“It will. You were right: I
am
a fool,” she said through her teeth. As she spoke, a film of glass coated her eyes … and it made Kael nervous. “I was so blinded by my pride that I nearly got my people destroyed. They would’ve all been killed, had it not been for the bard.”

Kael’s nerves grew sharper, stretched into a cold worry. “What happened?”

Gwen glared up at the sky, as if it was all she could do to keep the glass from breaking. “He got a whisperer’s headache, and he’s fallen into a deathly sleep. Griffith sent me to find you. He told me to do whatever it took to bring you back. Baird needs healing.” Her glare fell onto his, but it wasn’t entirely sharp: there was a pain behind the glass that softened her anger. “Please help him.”

She didn’t have to ask. Kael had already taken a step towards Kyleigh when Argon snatched him around the shoulder — reminding him of his task.

Kael thought quickly. “If I do this for you, you’ll have to promise me something,” he said, fighting not to let his worry show through.

Gwen dashed the wet from her eyes. “Yes, I expected as much. Griffith’s allowed me to grant you any favor in return. Name it.”

“We’re going to make Devin the next King of Midlan — the black dragon,” he said at her confused look.

Gwen bared her teeth, and her face turned a furious red. “The
dragon
?”

“Yes. And I need you to swear on all of your ancestors that you’ll leave him alone —”

“I can’t serve a dragon! I won’t do it!”

“Think of Baird,” Kyleigh reminded her with a growl.

A rather tense moment passed — one in which Kael thought she would either punch him in the throat, or burst into flame. But finally, Gwen gave him the stiffest, slightest of nods.

“No, I’m afraid I’m going to need to hear you say it.”

“Fine. I’ll never bow to him, but I swear I won’t lop off the dragon’s head and hang it on my walls. I swear it for all the wildmen. That’s the most I can promise.” Then she grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him away. “Now
go
, mutt!”

*******

“I knew you’d come back for me, young man,” Baird whispered the moment he woke.

It’d been a trying number of hours: there was a knot inside Baird’s skull, an inflamed patch of gray that Kael had to figure out some way to soothe. He’d never worked on that part of the body before, and it frightened him to see how complex all of its many little ridges were.

Even after he’d drained the knot and sealed it closed, Baird still hadn’t stirred. Though the wildmen had done their best to feed him, his limbs had grown terribly thin and frail. His knobby hands shook a bit when Kael grasped them.

He couldn’t help but feel responsible. “I’m sorry, Baird. I should’ve listened to you — I should’ve stopped the mages first thing.”

“It does him no good to dwell upon the past. I thought he’d already learned,” Baird replied, brows creasing over the top of his bandages. “Still, I suppose the young ones must be reminded. Knowledge runs like water off their backs — but it sticks tightly in wrinkles and folds. That’s how the old ones are able to carry so much wisdom.”

“Is that it?” Kyleigh called from the balcony, her voice tinged with amusement. “And here I thought wisdom came from age and experience.”

Baird smiled widely. “A common mistake, to be sure. Come here, Swordmaiden. Kael the Wright has much to tell me, I sense — and I know he cannot possibly do the story justice without your help.”

They stayed in Thanehold for several weeks, spending nearly every hour of the days with Baird. He seemed to brighten considerably as they told them of their adventures in the Motherlands, and laughed outright when he discovered how his letter had tricked Ulric into running back to Midlan.

“A weapon of the King used to foil him? A fitting end!” Baird said. Then he twisted around to Griffith. “Mark that down, young man. Are you getting it all?”

“Yes,” he replied, grinning as his quill rushed across the page. “What happened to Crevan, then? How’d you gut him?”

Kael realized that he had no idea: Kyleigh had never told him.

“I tried to teach him to fly,” she said when they asked. The fires in her eyes took on a dangerous edge as she smirked. “Though as it turned out, he wasn’t very good at flying. I suppose you really
do
need wings.”

“An age-old question finally answered!” Baird cried.

Kael couldn’t believe it. “Wait a moment — the man I saw fall from the tower … that was
Crevan
?” Even when she nodded, it still felt strange. His only glimpse of the King had been as he plummeted to his death. He’d always expected a … grander end, to his rule.

Though when he thought about it, he supposed being thrown from a window was about as grand a death as Crevan deserved.

“How high was the tower?” Griffith pressed.

“High enough that he had plenty of time to think about what an evil rash he’s been the whole way down,” Kyleigh said.

“He left a horrible mess at the bottom,” Kael added — which made Griffith laugh.

Baird had them tell the whole story five times through before he felt
well enough
to start walking on his own. Then for a few days more, Griffith led him patiently around Thanehold — Baird’s knobby hands clenched around his arm.

“I think he’s going to pull through,” Kyleigh mused, at the dusk of one particularly entertaining day.
 

Not only had the beggar-bard decided that he felt well enough to start whistling at the birds again, but Gwen had returned from Midlan that afternoon — her army reduced to a mere handful of what it’d been before.

It turned out that the wildmen were rather taken with their adventure across the Kingdom — so taken, in fact, that they’d scattered off in every direction the moment the battle ended. A few stayed in Midlan to help with the repairs, and a handful or so had joined up with the mercenaries in the forest.
 

Kael wasn’t at all surprised that a good number of them had decided to become pirates. But what
did
surprise him was the fact that Brend had allowed a small group of craftsmen to follow the giants into the Endless Plains.

“There’ll be whisperers in every region again, just like there was before,” Kyleigh said with a smile. “It’s all coming back.”

Griffith had taken the news rather well, but Gwen was clearly heartbroken — though she mourned in a way that made it difficult to pity her.
 

She’d stormed and stomped all afternoon, yelling about how she meant to tan their traitorous hides. Nothing Griffith did seemed to calm her. Not even Silas could think of anything to say to stop her rants. He did finally manage to corner her in an empty part of the castle — but even then, she put a boot through the wall.