Chapter 4

Randen opened his eyes on darkness. He must have moved because he heard Keli's voice from the darkness. "A moment Herald Randen." The healer unshielded a lantern enough for Randen to see he was in a well-constructed lean-to, although he was still on the stretcher.

"Herald?" Kyminn's voice was fogged with fatigue. "My mother said you'd be waking up about now. I wanted to let you know how Derris is and to see if you could speak to him for me."

"How is he?" Randen reached out towards his Companion. :Derris?:

The familiar mindvoice was there instantly. :I'm here brother.:

:How are you?:

There was a hesitation, and Randen felt the pain in the Companion's mind. :I'm…alright. Kyminn had them build a frame and sling. I'm standing now, which helps. Getting up was…not easy.: Randen felt Derris shudder in memory. :Thank the boy for me.:

:I will.: It was Randen's turn to hesitate. :We're going to be alright. Both of us. Different, but alright. Yes?:

A snort. :Of course. And just in case you were wondering, this doesn't excuse you from bringing me pocket pies.:

It seemed strange, but right, to laugh.

Kyminn blinked, but said nothing.

"Kyminn? How is Derris? Really?" Randen let the welcome feeling of Derris's presence linger in the back of his thoughts.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I know he's not a horse, but not even a Companion can stay down for days without injury. We built a frame and sling and helped him get up. The frame is holding most of his weight now. I think it's helping."

"He says it is. And he said to thank you. I gather getting him up wasn't easy."

Kyminn slowly shook his head. "No, it wasn't. He needed to be awake to hold his head and forequarters still, and get his feet beneath himself. I blocked the pain as much as I could, but I had to control the bleeding too. It was very hard on him. I'm so sorry."

Randen grasped Kyminn's arm and said fiercely. "Don't be sorry! You – all of you – have done the best you possibly could and more! We'd both be dead by now if not for you. Don't be sorry. We're not!"

A ragged, indrawn breath. "Thank you. That helps, I think." He cleared his throat and went on, more strongly. "Do you feel up to being moved to where you can see him? I want to explain to you our plan and see how you and he feel about it."

Randen nodded quickly. "I'd like to see him please!"

Between them, Kyminn and Keli carefully moved the stretcher to the edge of the ravine.

Outside the shelter, Randen was startled at what he saw. It was full night, but the villagers had been busy. Quick shelters had been thrown up against the cold spring night and several cook-fires were lit. A rough ladder had been built to make moving in and out of the ravine easier. The greatest surprise was at the bottom of the ravine.

The space around Derris had been cleared and a ring of torches lit the scene. A sturdy frame had been erected and a sling of fabric supported the now-standing Companion. Even as he watched, sheepskins were being tucked between the sling and Derris's flesh to prevent chafing. A shelter to protect the Companion from the rain was nearly complete and a team of young adults, under the direction of an older man, made sure Derris was kept well covered in warmed blankets.

"You've gotten a lot done!" Randen let his surprise show.

"We're woodcrafters Randen. If there is one thing we know, it's timbering and working with timbers. Our woodsmen often make work camps during the summer. We're pretty good at throwing things like this together."

"That shelter looks…kind of permanent."

"Oh. No. It's not. But it is very important that Derris stay warm and dry until we can get him out of there. And that's what I wanted to talk to you both about."

Randen didn't need to look down to know that Derris was watching – and listening.

Kyminn was somber. "Derris and you have similar injuries, in that you both landed on your right – his off – shoulders." He held up a hand to forestall Randen's unspoken protest. "His shoulder I can Heal. Or, I think I can. I can't guarantee that he'll ever be fully mobile, but the bones can heal, in time. It's the injury to his chest that, frankly, has me terrified."

Randen nodded, but didn't speak. He couldn't.

Kyminn took a deep breath. "The shaft missed his heart. But it did a lot of damage. If we were just to pull it out, I don't think I could stop the bleeding. In fact, I'm sure I couldn't. So we have to take it out slowly. By cutting it out."

Randen blanched. "You want to cut his chest open? Here? Now?"

"Well, not right now, not as things are here. That's why I need to talk to you both. I can't do the surgery right now. Derris needs to be lying down for me to do this. And once the piece is out, he needs to be still. Those veins and muscles will tear in an instant." Another deep breath. "So here are the choices. I can do the surgery now. We level the floor of the ravine, lay down some canvas, do the surgery. But it means that Derris stays down here for weeks – at least into midsummer – until the tissue is strong enough for us to lift him out. Or…we lift him out and move him to the village. There I have a barn that I use for treating horses and such."

"The risk of getting him out?"

"Risky. I can't say for sure how much. It's keeping that piece of wood still that is the problem. If it stays still, then I'm sure we can get him out safely. Once he's out, we can sling him out between two draft horses. I can make sure they don't spook or jar him." Iron conviction in the last.

"The risk of staying?"

Kyminn gave a frustrated grimace. "There is more risk to the surgery, a muddy ravine is not the best place to cut into anyone's chest. But I think I can prevent any wound fever. He can stay down long enough for us to safely get him out."

"Derris says that once his chest is healed, he thinks he can climb out." Randen offered.

Kyminn looked down at the blue eyes. "I can't heal your chest and bones at the same time. It could be months before your shoulder and leg are strong enough for you to walk that far. And I'm not sure how strong your shoulder will be. You could destroy it climbing out.

"And there is one other problem. Or potential risk." Kyminn gestured into the ravine. "That line, about half way up the bank? That's the high water mark. The water doesn't get that high every year, but it might. And if it floods…" he trailed off.

"So those are the choices then?" Randen looked from Derris to Kyminn. "We stay here and wait for Derris to heal, hoping that we don't drown in the meantime. Or, get to somewhere that you can save him, but he might die getting there. Is that about it?"

"I'm afraid so." Kyminn rested his hand gently on the Herald's arm. "I'll leave you two alone to talk about it."

Kyminn took himself a little way off from Randen and lowered himself to the ground with a muffled groan. He smiled a thank you at the woman who slipped a mug of stew and chunk of journey bread into his hands. The people of Oakden didn't know how Gifts and healing worked, but they knew what Anya and her family did for the village, and the toll it took on them. Although this was one of the most serious emergencies the town had seen, it wasn't the first, and a few of the villagers made it their particular task to make sure the rescuers were fed.

His stomach full, Kyminn slipped into a light doze, part Healing trance, part rest. It wouldn't replenish his strength, but it would balance the trickle of power feeding the healing tendrils wrapped around the Companion.

He woke when it started to rain.

Kyminn glanced at the sky and used language his mother pretended he didn't know. Crawling to his feet, he made his way back over to Randen's stretcher. The Herald's face was grey with pain and worry.

"You know the area Kyminn. Is this going to be a big storm?"

Kyminn shook his head unhappily. "I don't think so. But I can see further up the valley and there's a bigger storm to the east of us. If it gets here, it will raise the water level some, but the water will move downstream, so we can probably wait it out. If it settles in up the valley, then all that water is going to gather and come down on us – along with anything it picks up. I just don't know, Herald."

Randen was forcibly reminded that although Kyminn was a talented and able Healer, he was still a relatively young man. In Haven, he would still be in his last years of training and with a mentor or teachers to rely on. He wouldn't be ready – or asked – to make judgements like this. Randen grasped the boy's arm tightly. "Derris says he doesn't want to wait. He'd rather take the known risk now than wait." A small smile. "And I agree. We don't want to sit around here, waiting to see if we're going to die."

"Everybody dies Randen. But I promise to do my best to make sure that it doesn't happen today." A ghost of a smile and Kyminn left to organize a rescue.