Stevic was generally a man of action, but he found himself unable to think clearly enough to react as he watched his daughter vomit and fall unconscious. He had seen the blood staining her tunic, so he knew she was wounded, but he had not realized just how badly. He wanted to go to her, to do something, but his feet remained stationary. Fortunately, the soldier who had helped her into the house did not seem to have the same problem. "Donal, find Mender Brigand and bring him immediately!" he commanded, lowering Karigan gently to the ground. He pulled up her tunic, revealing a mess of blood and jagged flesh on her stomach. Stevic swallowed hard. He had seen many nasty wounds in his day, and he could tell Karigan's was pretty bad. The fact that she was his only daughter merely made it worse.
The soldier swore when he saw the jagged flesh, and he stripped off his uniform jacket, pressing it to the wound. "Come on, Karigan," he muttered. "Not like this." He stayed there, crouched over Karigan with the jacket pressed against her stomach and blood staining his hands for what seemed like hours but was likely only a few minutes. A stillness had fallen over the room as everyone recovered from the shock of the sudden attack and injury. It was hard to believe that less than an hour before, they had all been eager at Karigan's surprise visit and teasing her about the young man she was bringing home. Now, Stevic wondered if his daughter would ever be able to introduce him to her beau.
Footsteps caused them all to turn, and Stevic breathed a sigh of relief when he saw an older man walk into the room, a mender's bag on his shoulder. They had help now. Karigan would be okay. "What happened?" the mender questioned, moving to Karigan's still form.
"She took a sword to her stomach."
"And you?"
The soldier glanced down. "Not my blood," he said shortly.
The mender nodded to his arm. "Some of it is."
The soldier pressed his hand to his arm briefly, grimacing in pain. "It's not important right now. Karigan's wounds are more serious."
"Of course." The mender turned back to Karigan, peeling back the coat to see her wound. "It's a long gash but it's not as deep as I feared," he remarked.
"Is she going to be okay?"
"Only time will tell for sure, but she has a good chance." He placed the coat back on her stomach and looked around to the rest of the room. "I need clean towels and water. I'm going to have to wash and close the wound." The soldier started to move to help, but a voice stopped him.
"Colonel Torrance has arrived." The soldier stopped, glancing back at the mender.
"Go," the mender said. "There are plenty of people here to help me." The soldier paused for a moment but finally gave a curt nod, striding from the room.
The mender was quite efficient. In very little time, he had cleaned and stitched Karigan's wound, and Stevic had carried her to her old bedroom to rest. The mender had assured the worried father that Karigan was strong, so he doubted the wound would be fatal. He warned them to watch for signs of infection and then promised to return the next day to check on his patient. With that, he strode from the house, likely to tend to other wounded. Stevic sank down in a chair beside his daughter's bed, letting his head fall into his hands as he took a deep, shuddering breath.
Some time later, a soft knock at the door made him look up. "How is she?" a male voice questioned, and Stevic saw the same soldier that had brought her into the house standing in the doorway. He could clearly see the worry shadowing the soldier's almond-colored eyes.
"She has a bit more color. The mender said she's likely to make it." The man nodded, stepping further into the room. His attention was focused solely on Karigan, and Stevic took a moment to study him. He was about a decade older than Karigan though likely not yet past his thirtieth birthday. Despite his relatively young age, however, he had a power that emanated from him which made him seem much older than his years. Stevic remembered how he had commanded the men around him, how quickly they obeyed. Stevic guessed the man was an officer in the army though his uniform bore no insignia of rank. Something was familiar about him, a nagging feeling in the back of Stevic's mind that they had met before. However, that could not be right. As a rule, Stevic minimized contact with the militia. It was not that he actively disliked them, but he found the officers too rigid for his tastes and the enlisted men too eager to please.
Silence had settled over the two men, and Stevic watched the man's hands twitch, seeming to fight some impulse to reach out and touch Karigan. Realization struck, and Stevic cast a wary eye over the man again. It seemed his daughter's interactions with the militia may not have been as minimal as his own. Perhaps that explained the nagging familiarity. He had likely seen the man with Karigan when he visited her in Sacor City the year before. "So I assume you're the man who wishes to court my daughter."
The man turned, clearly confused by the abrupt change in topic, but after only a moment, his face smoothed into a neutral expression. "Yes, I do. I had hoped for a more auspicious introduction."
"You saved her life. I would say that's pretty auspicious." Stevic had not seen the whole battle, but he had stepped to the window in enough time to see the man throw himself at the person who had hurt Karigan, killing him. He was quite skilled with a sword.
"She's saved mine as well."
"In battle?" The man hesitated a moment before nodding. "So you're a soldier then?"
"Of a sort." The men sat in silence for a moment before the soldier spoke. "I would like to stay with her tonight, make sure she does not become feverish. With your permission of course." Stevic considered for a moment, but he knew that he was going to have to let his little girl go eventually. And while Stevic would rather Karigan have fallen for a merchant's son, he could tell when he talked to her that she was smitten with the man who wanted to court her, the man who was now standing in front of him obviously smitten with Karigan as well. He seemed a decent enough man from what little Stevic had seen. And though Stevic intended to get to know him better, he knew that would not happen until Karigan was healing.
"Of course. I will come to relieve you in the morning." Stevic stood, allowing the man to take his chair. He was out of the room before realizing he still did not know the man's name. His hand paused on the doorknob, but he eventually dropped it. There would be time enough to learn Karigan's suitor's name in the morning. For now, he would let him be.
Stevic woke early the next morning, unable to sleep late with his worry for his daughter gnawing at his stomach. He heard low voices as he approached Karigan's room, and when he pushed open the door, he was surprised to see all four of his sisters and the young soldier seated around her bed. Stevic wondered when they had returned—he had insisted they leave the previous afternoon to help others in Corsa who might have been less fortunate. Though they were obviously reluctant to leave, Stevic knew they were too kind-hearted to ignore others in need, especially once the mender assured them that Karigan was likely to recover. Stevic had still needed to promise to send someone to find them immediately if things worsened before they would go. "Stevic. We were just about to come find you. Someone's awake," Brini said, beaming down at the bed. Stevic glanced down to see his daughter's eyes open, her lips curved slightly upward in a smile.
"Good morning, Da." Her voice was hoarse, but it was the most beautiful sound in the world to Stevic. The soldier reached for a glass of water on her nightstand, helping her to drink. When she spoke again, her voice was stronger. "How did you sleep?" Stevic could not help it; he laughed. Soon, the others in the room had joined in as well, and even Karigan had a small smile on her face. Before they could say more, however, someone knocked on the doorframe.
"Colonel Torrance to see you," a Green Rider said. Karigan's suitor nodded, and the other man disappeared. Her suitor then turned back to her, but she simply shook her head.
"I'll be fine until you get back. I promise."
"I will believe it when I see it." His gaze was tender, and Stevic noted a slight motion as his hand grabbed Karigan's. However, after only a gentle squeeze, he turned. Out of the corner of his eye, Stevic watched, intrigued, as the concern melted away, leaving a face that showed no sign of emotion. The man strode from the room, the unmistakable power back in his gait despite the fact that his eyes were shadowed from lack of sleep.
"He seems a very nice young man," Gretta said. "And very much in love with you, I'd wager."
"What did you say his name was again?" Stace asked.
"I didn't," Karigan told them.
"He's obviously a soldier. And of some rank, too, since he's going to meet the colonel though he seems much too young to be too high a rank. A major maybe?"
"There's something familiar about him. Have we met before?"
Karigan licked her lips, clearly stalling. "I. . . honestly don't know."
"No, Stace, I'd remember such a nice looking young man. I'm sure we haven't met before."
"Oh, stop it, Gretta, you're making Kari blush." Indeed, Karigan's face was turning red. Her aunts argued about her suitor for awhile longer until the man himself strode back into the room, causing all conversation to cease.
"I have to go out for a bit, Karigan," he said, and Stevic once again saw the power in his stance. "But I will send Mender Brigand to check on you."
"I'm fine. He did a good job with the stitches."
"Be that as it may, you lost a lot of blood. You should eat something or at least drink something."
"Yes, Mother." The soldier leveled a mock glare at Karigan, and Stevic felt himself smile. Brini started giggling, and he could see his other three sisters looked distinctly amused. It was good to see that his daughter had at least found someone who was not cowed by her indomitable force of will.
Once the man had left, her aunts immediately began to accost Karigan again, but she pleaded tiredness. In truth, Stevic was pretty sure she just did not want to give more details about him, and he wondered why. From everything he had seen, it was a suitable enough match. The two cared about each other and had already demonstrated a willingness to go to extreme lengths to take care of one another. Stevic would give his blessing when asked. If Karigan ever asked—with the way she was avoiding questions, he was not sure they would ever get back to the subject of the courtship.
Karigan's suitor did not return until early afternoon. When he did, his clothes reeked of soot and smoke, and a fine layer of ash covered his hair. He seemed exhausted, and Stevic doubted it was just the lack of sleep the previous night that caused it. Karigan frowned when she saw him. "What happened?"
He sighed heavily. "There was some debate about the burning, but it's all sorted out now."
"Is it over then?"
The man hummed in his throat, obviously thinking hard. "Difficult to say. The wall is clear as we know. Connly says there's no sign of an attack up north. We have garrisons at each of the important ports, of course, but I cannot say if any of the rest of them have encountered ships yet. There are Riders going out to all of them now. If the other forces are as small as this one, we should have no problem, especially as the dead seem to be. . . staying that way." Stevic frowned at the words, wondering what they could possibly mean.
"Then why the fires?"
"Precautionary measure. I prefer not to take chances."
"Do give our thanks to the rest of the unit, Sir, for its protection," Stace said. The man startled slightly, obviously having forgotten about others in the room.
"I will," he agreed, recovering quickly.
"You should clean up," Karigan said.
"Yes, of course, forgive us. We were not thinking clearly at all. I'll call a maid to fetch a bath for you," Brini said, already reaching for a bell. The man tried to protest, but the protests fell on deaf ears. Before long, two of Stevic's sisters hustled him out of the room to clean up.
He returned a few minutes later, water still dripping from his hair. Gretta suggested lunch, and they all agreed easily, deciding to eat in Karigan's room so they could be together without moving her. Halfway through the meal, a knock at the door announced the presence of someone else. Stevic glanced up, recognizing the man who stood there as the same one that had told them to hide when the attack started. "Rider Connly reported a sighting of a ship headed inland. At least as big as the one that landed here but headed toward Taros." The man swore as he stood from his chair.
"They couldn't get into the harbor at Taros," the man remarked. "It's not nearly deep enough for anything larger than a fishing boat."
"They could anchor at sea and row lifeboats to shore," Stevic suggested, remembering his own days at sea. The man glanced at him and swore again as he realized Stevic was probably right. He stood and paced for a moment, obviously thinking hard.
"The nearest troops are in G'rahly, but that's two days' march. And the nearest cavalry is even further."
"It's just over a day's ride from here if you ride hard," Karigan remarked.
"We only have a small cavalry unit here. Not nearly enough to take on a ship full of enemy soldiers."
"We have horses here," Karigan said, casting a glance toward Stevic. He nodded, not quite sure what he was agreeing to. "It would not be enough for the whole company but we could send a few dozen men."
"The infantry units are not going to appreciate riding."
"They will ride if you ask." Karigan's suitor acknowledged her words with a low hum.
"A few dozen horses?" he finally asked.
"Da?"
Stevic cleared his throat, blinking as he tried to figure out what they were asking. "Horses? Aye, I have nearly two dozen of my own and can likely find three to four dozen more. Some are draft horses, but they will carry a man if necessary."
"Have them all brought to the main road just outside your house as soon as possible," the man said. Stevic opened his mouth to object to the command in the man's voice, for no matter the situation, he always appreciated someone asking for help rather than ordering it. However, Karigan's suitor had already turned from the room. "Fastion, send someone to tell Colonel Torrance to send five dozen of his best men here immediately, men who can ride. Have the rest form into two companies. One should continue to clear the bodies and tell the other to spread out across the coast to watch for additional ships. . . " The man's voice trailed off as he moved down the stairs, his boots echoing on the wooden steps. Once he had gone, Stevic turned back to Karigan.
"He seems a nice enough boy, but he's rather curt," he remarked.
"He knows we need to act quickly," Karigan defended. When Stevic still did not move, she added, "We were serious about the horses." Her expression was earnest and pleading.
"Of course." Stevic pushed himself out of his chair, wondering how he had ended up volunteering to supply the Sacordian army with horses.
Just over an hour later, Stevic had managed to round up nearly six dozen horses. He had been forced to call in quite a few favors, but it was hard to resist Karigan when she truly wanted something. As he led the last two of his own horses to the waiting soldiers and handed over the reins, he glanced over to Karigan's suitor. The man stood next to another soldier, a map spread over the flank of a nearby horse. They were in a heated debate, and Stevic moved closer to hear what they were saying. "I'll send someone to G'rahly to send reinforcements, but they'll be at least a day behind you."
"We can manage in the meantime, Sire."
"Okay. Captain Readily and his unit will travel with you. That should give you just under a hundred men."
"Yes, Sire."
"Aeryc's speed, Major." The major nodded, saluting Karigan's suitor before mounting the horse. He gave a brief order, and the soldiers started off, some a little shaky in their saddles. Karigan's suitor watched them go until the thundering of hooves had faded in the distance. He turned then, startling slightly when he saw Stevic. "Chief G'ladheon. I apologize for my abruptness earlier, but I do appreciate your assistance in procuring the horses. I assure you that you will be handsomely compensated."
Stevic stared at him for a moment, the events of the past twenty-four hours swirling in his head. The nagging feeling of familiarity was still present. He felt that he should know the man in front of him, but he could not think of why. He was obviously someone important, for there were few people that a major would salute. Perhaps a colonel? But why would he not wear a mark of his rank? And the major had called him sire. Stevic could think of no one that others would call sire except. . . He stared harder, unable to believe that he had not recognized the man in front of him. Of course, he had never expected to find the King of Sacordia in his house, courting his daughter. Additionally, in a militia uniform with a clean shaven face, King Zachary looked quite different than he had at their last meeting.
Stevic's shock obviously showed on his face, for a small smile played at the king's lips, and it made him look years younger. He held out a hand in greeting. "Zachary Hillander, Chief G'ladheon. It is nice to be finally introduced."
