The next few days were a blur to Horyse. Awake, he was feverish and only vaguely aware of being in a clean, white, antiseptic room, presumably in the infirmary at Perimeter HQ. Often, Major Grinstead the senior medical officer, would be there with Captain Carstairs the head nurse, talking in low, worried voices. The pain in his shoulder was a constant throb, and they couldn't seem to stop the bleeding or lower his fever, either by Ancelstierran medicine or Charter magic. Once, he was loaded into an ambulance; as it moved further away from the Perimeter, the pain in his wound increased and the flow of blood increased from a trickle to a gush. He couldn't stop himself screaming, and as he fell back into unconsciousness he heard Major Grinstead bellowing urgently at the driver to stop and turn around.
Asleep, he was plagued by a repeating nightmare, always the same. He was standing ankle-deep at the edge of a river, whose water was so cold that it chilled his entire body. The river seemed to be shallow and sluggish, but the current was tricksome and the cold sapped his energy and willpower, so that he longed to lie down in the water and let the current take him where it would. The third or fourth time this happened, he became aware of a dim figure on the bank that reached out and grasped his hand, holding him against the current. From then on, there was always someone on the bank, holding him and preventing him from giving in to the river. Sometimes it seemed to be Major Grinstead or Captain Carstairs; occasionally it was Tindall, or Curran, or others of the Scouts that he did not recognise. Soon, it took two, then three, then four people on the bank to hold him against the river's insistent pull.
Then, one night, Horyse realised that the riverbank was crowded with people all trying to hold on to him; and that he was slipping from their grasp. His own strength was spent, and he knew that if those holding him from the bank let go, he would fall into the river and be carried onwards by the current. Just as Horyse felt the grip on his hand begin to loosen, he saw another figure appear on the bank. He, or she – it was hard to tell – drew a sword that blazed with mysterious, glowing marks, and touched his forehead with it. His vision was filled with blazing light; the current loosed its grip, and he plunged forward, to be hauled onto the bank by many willing hands.
The next time he came to, he was immediately aware that things were different. The pain in his shoulder was still there but much lessened, and there was no blood seeping through the bandages. The fever had gone and he felt alert and fully aware of his surroundings for the first time since Last Bridge, though very tired.
"Well now, that's better." Captain Carstairs breezed into the room, and bustled about with thermometer and blood pressure monitor. "We'll get you something to eat, and then Major Grinstead will be in to see you."
A cheerful orderly brought him a tray of stewed fruit and a mug of tea, and Horyse was suddenly aware that he was very hungry. After he had finished, Major Grinstead came in and examined his shoulder.
"That's doing very well now. Captain Carstairs and I will change the dressing and renew the Charter spell this afternoon."
"What happened to me?" Horyse demanded. Grinstead shook his head. "I'll leave that to Captain Tindall to explain. He'll be in to see you later, after you have slept again."
"Please, I don't want to sleep," Horyse protested. In truth, he felt exhausted, but he dreaded returning to that chill river. Major Grinstead obviously sense both his reluctance, and the reason for it, because he placed a reassuring hand on Horyse's uninjured shoulder and spoke kindly.
"You've been unconscious or fevered for a long time, and what you need now is true, healing sleep. I know about the nightmares, and I can assure you they will not return; but just to be certain, I am going to place Charter marks for sleep, rest, peace and healing." Before Horyse could protest further, Major Grinstead placed a hand on his forehead, and he felt the glowing marks flow into him as he slipped, irresistibly into sleep.
He awoke from a pleasant dream in which he and Jayelle had been walking together in the woods near Wyverly College, on a beautiful summer's day. The exhaustion he felt earlier had receeded, and he realised that sleep was no longer something to be feared. There was a knock on the door, and this time it was Anshye who entered.
"Good to see you awake, sir," he said. "Me and the lads have been ever so worried, begging your pardon." Horyse was touched by this, and mumbled his thanks. "Let me help you to the you-know-what, sir, then I'll see about some grub." Horyse was suddenly aware of a need to relieve himself. He had a few vague and highly embarrassing memories of bedpans and female nurses, and was glad that he was obviously considered well enough to walk to the latrine.
Anshye's idea of grub turned out to be trout that was obviously fresh caught, with lemon, fried potatoes and canned peas.
"That Captain Carstairs thought you should still be on that slop they call light diet, but I talked her round, sir," he explained. "Ted Rowland caught that trout special when we heard you was awake, wouldn't want it to go to waste."
The trout was delicious, light enough to be easily digested but much more satisfying than 'slop'. After he had eaten, Major Grinstead examined the wound again and pronounced that once he had slept again, he would be able to get up.
"You are still on sick-leave though, until further notice," the MO warned him, sternly. Then he left, and was replaced by Captain Tindall.
"You're looking better, Sam," he said.
"You too, sir," Horyse replied, remembering how ill the fog had made his friend.
"I've told you, Frank will do unless it's in front of the men."
"What happened at Last Bridge?" Horyse asked the question that had preyed on his mind ever since he had regained consciousness. Tindall paused before replying, gathering his thoughts.
"Hedge turned against you, I expect you remember that much. It seems that he has been in league with a powerful Necromancer, ever since he went missing, possibly even before."
"The masked figure I saw?"
"Yes. I don't understand it fully, but Old Kingdom Necromancers use a set of ensorcelled bells to command and compel the Dead, and the living as well. After he murdered poor Razoul, Hedge and his companion used the bells to force the others first to stop, then to turn and run away. Then the masked Necromancer used a bell to compel you to come to her. She was foiled by the arrival of Karim and her soldiers, so attempted to use another bell.
"The first we knew of trouble was when Rowland arrived, riding one of the Barhedrin horses. He told us that Razoul was dead, and you were severely wounded. Two others of the patrol were killed I'm afraid, Lowens and Smith '87. Griggs and Zaleck were wounded, not as badly as you, but the patrol were not going to be able to bring you in on their own."
"I'm sorry about Lowens and Smith," Horyse said. "They were good men." Tindall nodded.
"Karim and her Charter mages performed the burial rite, so that they will rest in peace with no danger of being brought back as Hands." Tindall paused again.
"A few hours, maybe less, before Rowland arrived, the fog suddenly lifted. I am guessing at the exact moment that Karim drove off Hedge and his associate. We all made a miraculous recovery, as if we had never been ill at all, so it obviously was some sort of spell cast by either Hedge or, more likely, the masked Necromancer. We got together all the Scouts who were fit to travel, and I led them out myself. Had a battle with Grinstead about that, I can tell you.
"We met Karim and her forces about half way, they had loaded you and the other wounded onto a cart and they came with us all the way to the Crossing Point. Then we put you on a stretcher and brought you through to the infirmary.
"At first, your wound didn't seem that severe, but it simply would not stop bleeding. And you were in a high fever, though Grinstead and the other medics could see no infection or anything else that would explain it. They tried everything they could, including Charter magic, but nothing worked. We tried to evacuate you to Bain and the big hospital there, but the further away we got from the Wall, the worse your pain and bleeding got so we had to bring you back. The only thing that seemed to help was if a Charter mage sat with you and held your hand. But soon it took two, then three, then more Charter mages to keep you alive. So we sent a message to Barhedrin, to ask the advice of their healers."
Horyse told Tindall of his dreams and of the chill river.
"Interesting," Tindall mused. "Anyway, Karim came herself, which we did not expect, arriving on a night when it took almost all the available Scouts to keep you from slipping away. She told us that the only thing that would save you was baptism into the Charter. Normally we only allow that after a man has been through selection for the Scouts, has undergone extensive testing and filled in all sorts of paperwork. We would never do it without a man's full knowledge and consent. But you were unconscious and there was no time to dither. So Major Collins as acting CO gave Karim the go-ahead. She gave you the baptismal Charter mark on your forehead, and immediately your fever broke and the wound stopped bleeding."
"So that's what happened!" exclaimed Horyse, and recounted the figure on the bank who had touched his forehead with a glowing sword and pulled him from the river.
"Yes. You now have a Charter mark, like I do, and the Scouts, and other Charter mages here. And a lifelong connection to the Charter." Horyse touched his forehead and felt a scar there, and felt himself surrounded by glowing marks. "Here, test my Mark, and I'll do the same. Go on, touch it with the first two fingers of your right hand."
Horyse did so, and at the same time, Tindall touched his forehead with two outstretched fingers. Instantly, he felt himself caught up in a never-ending flow of warmly glowing, gently moving symbols. Then they both dropped their outstretched fingers, and were back in the clean, antiseptic room in the infirmary.
"Describe what you saw," Tindall demanded, and Horyse did so. Tindall nodded in satisfaction.
"That is the sign of an unsullied Charter mark," he explained. "Had either of our marks been corrupted by Necromancy or Free Magic, you would have seen a perversion of the symbols. You would have felt extreme nausea and possibly a metallic taste in the mouth."
"Like the broken Charter stone in the village," exclaimed Horyse.
"Quite so." Tindall paused and looked uncomfortable. "Sam, I owe you an apology."
"Whatever for?" demanded Horyse.
"That day in Major Collins' office, I should have tested Hedge's Charter mark. Had I done so, I would almost certainly have discovered that it had been corrupted. I know I was ill but that was no excuse. I put your life in danger, and probably got Razoul and those others killed."
"That's ridiculous," countered Horyse. "If you had tested the mark, Hedge would have known he was discovered. You were the only Charter mage in the room and in no fit state to deal with a Necromancer. Think what might have happened if he'd run amok among the garrison. Especially as he seems immune to ordinary weapons," he added, remembering how what should have been a mortal sword-thrust from Anshye had had no effect at all on Hedge.
"That's true," admitted Tindall. "Thanks for that, old chap. Now, we must decide what to do about you."
"Me?"
"Yes. It's clear that you have considerable power, more than even Curran or myself. That power is now connected to the Charter, but until you learn to use it, you are vulnerable. A Necromancer, or Mordicant, or one of the Greater Dead could easily entrap you to use that power, which is what we believe Hedge and his companion were trying to do."
"Can you or Curran teach me what I need to learn?" asked Horyse.
"No," admitted Tindall. "At least, not fast enough. It would take us months, and as long as you remain here, untrained, you are a danger to all of us."
"Then you are sending me away?" demanded Horyse. "Back down south?" For a moment, he considered the possibility. Maybe enough time had passed that Colonel Quartermain could find him a posting back to the Frontier. Even as he thought this, he realised that this was no longer what he wanted. He wanted to remain at the Perimeter, in fact, his longing was so strong it was almost a physical pain. He was relieved to see Tindall shaking his head, very firmly.
"Charter, no! That's the last thing we want to do. For one thing, your wound isn't fully healed and we can't be sure that sending you south won't re-open it again when the Charter spell wears off. For another, we need you here – once you are trained."
"Then where?" Horyse's question trailed off as Tindall grinned at him.
"We are sending you in the other direction, to Barhedrin. Captain Karim and the other Charter mages there will be able to teach you all you need to learn. Officially you will be on a temporary secondment as a liaison officer with the Old Kingdom, in response to recent events."
Horyse could not contain his excitement. To go further into the Old Kingdom, and learn more of its mysteries. That would be something to tell Jayelle next time he saw her. "When do I leave?" he asked.
"As soon as possible," Tindall answered. "Normally, the MO would keep you here at least a week, and then several more weeks of light duties. But he's agreed that in two days you should be fit enough to travel on horseback, provided your escort includes a Charter mage strong enough to renew the healing marks if necessary. That will be Curran."
So it was that two days later, Horyse crossed the Wall with a small mounted escort. This time, he could see clearly the endless flow of golden Charter marks moving across the stones of the tunnel. When they emerged into the Old Kingdom, a returning patrol met them and reported the Wallway clear as far as Last Bridge.
"Alright then, sir, if you are ready, let's move off," said Curran.
"Very good, Sergeant," agreed Horyse. "We make for Last Bridge!"