Ch. 25
Reunion
Mid-morning in Elona bore witness to a curious sight upon the flooded plain of Mahnkelon. In the hours of the night, the river's flood had yet to ebb, and showed no signs that it ever would. Thus the waterworks were mostly submerged, with only pillars of the once great stone walls left jutting up out of the currents. Tethered to the water works ruins was a flatbottom merchant boat, bearing furled red sails and flying a flag that displayed the emblem of a crimson wing. The vessel had arrived early that morning, and dispatched a row boat to carry passengers to the higher ground amongst the foothills of the Bahnakor mountains. The rowboat idled at the shore to which it had been staked, which sat at the mouth of a long stone crevice that led into a dusty, hidden valley. The pass had long been hidden by the Mahnkelon dam itself, but with the construct of stone washed away, the pathway lay open and the way was clear.
The valley was not well populated, but it was not completely undeveloped. Due to its location, the valley had been named Moddok Crevice, and had traditionally been one of the most secretive outposts in Kourna. It was a popular stop for smugglers, specifically those who did not care for the rowdiness of the Barbarous Shore. It was also a safe haven for many fugitives who were on the lamb from all manner of unsavory persons. Though hardly the center of any economy, the 'community' of Moddok thrived upon a single, unspoken agreement: do not ask and do not tell.
At present the camp was occupied by fugitives who were some of Kourna's most infamous celebrities. A small pirate crew had made their way into town that morning, accompanied by men and women in distinctive Sunspear armor. This did not surprise the locals so much as the pale skinned woman who accompanied them, and many of Moddok's inhabitants stopped and stared at the long red hair that ruffled with the breeze. The woman in question busily stormed across the camp, pushing aside anyone in her path as she reached a large red tent that had only recently been constructed. The red-head abruptly flung back the tent flap, and was greeted with an exclamation of pain.
"Aaah!" Kydar shouted, "That hurts!"
"Stop flinching!" Tahlkora snapped as she tugged on the curved needle, "If I don't close it up right it'll never stop bleeding and you'll get infected!"
The elementalist closed his eyes once more and hissed with great discomfort as the young monk dipped the needle back into his cheek. The wound was already half-way stitched and Tahlkora continued to work it closed as she tugged on the thread.
"Thank… somebody…" Rakiv breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped inside the tent, "Are you okay? Where is everyone else? What happened here?"
"Oh, hi Rakiv," Tahlkora looked up and smiled, "It looks like your mission went well… better than ours anyway."
"Dammit woman!" Kydar shouted as the needle pushed into his face again, "I thought you were a physician, not a torturer!"
"Oh hush you big baby," Tahlkora chuckled as she turned her attention back to the wound, "I'm almost done anyway."
Rakiv arched a brow at the proceedings and moved across the tent to examine the monk's work. Kydar's usually smooth skin had been transformed into a landscape of tribulation. Numerous small scars marked his nose, and lips and cheeks as though he'd gotten into a pretty ugly fist fight. The elementalist wore a simple vest over his shoulders, which left much of his arms and chest bare. The ranger winced sympathetically as her eyes roved over the many pock marks and punctures that had been bandaged by the monk.
"Yeesh," Rakiv said, frowning with concern, "You look like hell."
"Yeah?" Kydar managed to chuckle whilst wincing as Talhkora tugged at his cheek, "Well you should really see the other guy."
Tahlkora laughed lightly as she snipped the thread and dropped the needle into a small vase of water. The girl lifted a clean strip of bandage to the scribe's face and pasted it over the stitched wound with two wads of gum.
"I'll check on that tomorrow," the girl nodded as she rolled up her medical kit and picked up the water vase, "I need to go check on the others."
"Hold on," Rakiv stopped her, "You don't look so hot either."
"I'm fine," Tahlkora nodded, "I just really need to make sure everyone else is doing okay."
"Yeeeah…" Rakiv contemplated and then shook her head, "I don't think so. You go get some rest. Tell Dunkoro he's to relieve you."
The girl frowned unhappily, though the dark rings around her eyes betrayed her fatigue. She gave a pout of protest and turned to Kydar for help.
"Guildmaster?" she asked.
"You heard the first officer," Kydar laughed, "Talk to Dunk and then grab a cot. You've been up half the night as it is."
The young monk sighed in defeat and nodded obediently, obviously too tired to argue for long. As she left the tent Rakiv chuckled and settled to the ground, giving a grunt of effort as she shook her head.
"Getting too used to being in charge," the ranger sighed, "I'm giving orders out of habit now."
"Yeah, well you can have your title back," Kydar laughed as he shifted at the edge of his cot, "Cause your job sucks."
"Thanks," she chuckled lightly.
There was a short, quiet moment as she examined him, eyes roving over his many wounds and bandages once more. Something about them nagged at her, a vague feeling of guilt that she could not quite place.
"So you really did it, huh?" she asked finally, lifting her eyes back to his.
"Did wha?" he asked absentmindedly as he lifted a bandage on his chest to peek at the cut underneath.
"Killed a… don't play with that," she reprimanded as she leaned forward to swat his hand, "Killed a demon," she finished.
"Oh, right, that," he nodded and then shrugged, "Yeah I guess so."
"Oh don't give me that!" the ranger exclaimed, "From the looks of it you almost died! I can't believe… I mean look at you! And everyone else is hurt too! How did you even manage to… what the hell are you laughing about!"
The scribe had burst into deep laughter, mixed with grunts of pain as he held his aching abdomen. The ranger simply glared at him until he had finished, and then crossed her arms indignantly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he chuckled and grinned, "But c'mon, how often do the rest of us get do something totally bad-ass that you had nothing to do with?"
The ranger rolled her eyes and shook her head, but did not argue. The scribe continued to chuckle, which did nothing to decrease her discomfort.
"Honestly though? It was hard," he finally admitted, "I mean… Anorah broke a leg, I got this arm all torn up," he lifted the limb, from which the burn scars were slowly disappearing, "Anicara drowned, Sousuke got crushed, Melonni broke several ribs, an arm and fractured an ankle… Jin made it out surprisingly well, but that sand storm did a number on all of us..."
"Hmph," Rakiv snorted, "You said you could handle this yourself. That you didn't need all of us."
"And was I wrong?" he smiled triumphantly.
"Kydar you all almost got killed!" she cried suddenly, "I mean… it's been dangerous before but… I mean… well look at you!"
"Yeah… it kinda stings," he admitted, rubbing at a bandage pad over his rib, "But we did it right? And you finished your mission, yeah?"
"Yeah…" she grumbled.
"Kormir's safe and everything?" he inquired, arching a brow quizzically.
"Yeah… she's a little worse for wear…" Rakiv said slowly, "I mean… they blinded her Kydar… she said the demons actually ate her eyes…"
The scribe winced, and chewed his lip thoughtfully. Rakiv's countenance fell visibly at the memory of her sisters' stained cheeks and covered eyes.
"Where is she now?" the scribe asked.
"She and Shahai are down by the river, getting cleaned up," Rakiv said, and then gave a small shudder, "That Bokoss place is downright inhumane."
"Shahai?" Kydar frowned in confusion.
"I'll introduce you later," the ranger shrugged.
"Ahh," the scribe nodded and then tilted a head, "Then why are you here?"
The ranger looked up and blinked at him curiously, and Kydar chuckled as he clarified.
"I mean, why aren't you with them?" he asked, "Ya know, seeing to Kormir. She did just get out of the pen, and she's pretty well injured."
"Kormir… can take care of herself," Rakiv nodded.
"No she can't!" Kydar laughed, "What, you think just cause she used to be Spearmarshal and a kick-ass fighter, a little thing like blindness isn't gonna slow her down?"
"Well she said…" Rakiv began.
"Rakiv, trust me," he said, "I know a thing or two about this. She's in a pretty dark place right now, and whether she wants to admit it or not she does need help. She'll adapt eventually, but it's a long road to being self-sufficient. That doesn't mean you should do everything for her, but you should definitely be there with her… especially given the schedule we're on."
Rakiv winced lightly, as she was reminded of their over all goal. The trek to Vabbi still lay ahead of them, and gods only knew how long it would take to negotiate with the princes. It could very well be weeks before she saw her sister again, a thought that did not sit well with her.
"Very well," she nodded as she pushed herself to her feet, "But we are never doing this 'split-up' thing again. All together, or not at all."
"Rakiv what is the problem?" Kydar finally asked in exasperation, "Demon's dead, Spearmarshal saved, everybody's still breathing… what's the deal?"
"The 'deal' is that you're hurt!" she finally shouted, "The 'deal' is that that thing could have killed you all! The 'deal' is that this guild would have lost half of its command staff, and some of its most important members! I know everybody thinks that I'm some big damn hero, riding in to save the day, but I'm not! I'm just one person, Kydar! I can't do this by myself! I can't afford for you guys to die on me because we split ourselves up! We're fighting Kournans and demons and going through mountains to face who knows what else up ahead! And I'm just one woman! Dammit Kydar, I can't do this without you!"
The supremely satisfied expression on Kydar's face told her that she was the only one experiencing the full awkwardness of the ensuing silence. The scribe grunted as he turned to lean back on his cot, clasping his hands behind his back as he stretched out on his back. He slowly closed his eyes and gave a light chuckle that caused his abdomen to ripple.
"So nice to know you care," he grinned smugly, "Now go braid Kormir's hair… or, whatever it is you girls do when you're all together. I'm gonna try and sleep some of this agony off, so beat it."
The ranger glared daggers at him, seriously considering thumping one of his chest bandages to teach him a lesson in impudence. Sensing she had yet to leave the tent, the scribe opened one hazel eye and glanced at her with an arched eyebrow.
"That's an order, first officer," he commanded.
"What! But you said you… oooh!" the ranger fumed.
Without sparing further words on the infuriating elementalist, Rakiv stormed out of the tent with Kydar's laughter, and exclaimations of pain, ringing in her ears. She stomped across the camp past her officers and ignored their inquiries concerning her befouled mood.
What the hell was that? What did she mean she couldn't do it without them? Of course she could! Varesh was one woman too, and the whole army of Kourna marched only because she said so. Rakiv could leave, she could vanish into the wilderness and hunt down the Warmarshal and kill her herself. With Varesh dead, the army would halt, there would be no one left to summon these demons, and the war would effectively be over. It was exactly that simple.
Except it wasn't that simple. Why on earth wasn't it that simple? Assassinating the Warmarshal would not stop her cause, it would only fuel it. Her generals would hail Varesh as a martyr, and the people of Elona would flock to her banner. The army would continue to march, under the orders of Bayel and Morgahn, and Kourna's resolve would only be made that much stronger. The only way to end this was they way they were doing it, by fighting the cause itself. Ideas were difficult to kill, but Varesh was hardly a revolutionary. She was merely a fanatic, a cruel and sadistic one at that. By proving to be the sword and shield of the people, Dormant Vengeance had actually succeeded in spite of the odds against them. And that was why Rakiv needed the guild, because without them she was just one woman.
"Had to be a better way to phrase that though…" she grumbled to herself, "This weepy, emotional notuka-crap is getting on my nerves."
"Might I inquire as to where you are bound?"
The voice came as a complete surprise, and Rakiv shouted in alarm as she turned to lay eyes upon the Disciple of Secrets. The red cloaked man moved with enough silence to defy even her senses, a fact that she did not find comforting. Nonetheless, she released a sigh of relief and continued striding up the dusty incline.
"Just down to the river," she responded, "I'm looking for Kormir."
"Ah yes," the Disciple nodded, "The former Spearmarshal and her companion are bathing in the grotto just up ahead. However I must ask that you do not venture out to Mahnkelon. My men are in the process of ensuring we can remain hidden, as Kournans will no doubt come looking for us very soon."
"I'm sure Margrid's ship isn't making that easy," the ranger chuckled.
"We have our ways," the Disciple replied impassively, "And please pardon my intrusion, we are merely attempting to ensure that we know where everyone is."
"Not a problem, makes sense," Rakiv nodded, "We'll be back soon."
"Then I wish you good day Huntress," the Disciple said with a tip of his head.
The ranger didn't bother to respond; the Disciple was already gone. Rakiv made her way down the steep, dusty path as it curved into a narrow tunnel that led into the rock. She ducked down below the ledge as she scuffled further downward, toward the low roar of falling water. Various sounds of movement and conversation could be heard from the rocks below, and Rakiv skipped down the path to the end of the tunnel. She emerged into a beautiful grotto, a wide chamber of rock and earth hidden behind the curtain of a waterfall. The shallow water at her feet sloshed back and forth amongst large river stones, polished and rounded by ages of running water. Hefty stalagtites hung from the domed roof overhead and steadily dripped collected mist from their pointed tips. The shifting of the water cast shimmering light all across the grotto, as the sunlight that streamed through the falls was distorted by the twisting reflections.
"Oh good," a voice came to Rakiv, "You're here."
The ranger turned to find herself looking at Shahai the Cunning. The corsair healer seemed somewhat flustered and gave a sigh as she pushed wet hair back from her brow.
"I didn't wanna leave 'er 'ere on 'er own," Shahai explained, "But she were h'insistin' that I go. But yer 'ere now, so yew can keep an eye on 'er. Make sure she don' trip an' drown 'erself."
"I think I can manage that," the ranger chuckled as she crouched to unlace her boots.
"An' seein' as she won' tell ye jus' 'ow bad off she is," Shahai said, lowering her voice to a near whisper, "T'aint just the blindness what's afflictin' 'er. She's got marks all over, unnatural marks. Like scratches from claws or bites from teeth."
"She went through a lot in Bokoss," Rakiv commented tersely as she removed her gloves.
"That's the rub of it reddie-girl," Shahai said, her brow furrowed, "Some of them marks is fresh. Look fer yerself. Scratches on 'er lower back, jus' below 'er ribs. T'aint more n' a few hours old, an we been with 'er since then."
Rakiv removed her leopard pelt and dropped her belt bags as she chewed her lip thoughtfully. Shahai shifted uncomfortably before crouching down as well and dropped her volume even lower.
"I don' know everythin' that 'appened in Bokoss," Shahai said, "But it was bad… real bad. They'd take 'er from 'er cell sometimes… and yew could 'ear the screamin' all over the prison. By the time they'd bring 'er back, she couldn't do naught but shiver in a corner. Whatever were done to 'er… it weren't natural. I seen torturers use hexes n' spells that could hurt fer hours n' days… but this 'ere is somthin' different."
Rakiv turned her gaze to Shahai and studied the other woman's face. The pirate healer was genuinely afraid, and the ranger could tell it had taken much bravery on Shahai's part to continue tending to Kormir. It occurred to Rakiv that she knew at least one person who had experience with unnatural tortures, but that conversation would have to wait.
"I tried t' ask 'er 'bout it, but she didn' wanna talk," Shahai said, and peered at Rakiv, "Maybe yew cin learn somethin' more?"
"Well I'll certainly try," the ranger said, as she unsnapped her chest plate, "Don't worry Shahai, I'll do everything I can."
The pirate gave a quick nod, and appeared to be greatly relieved to deliver the Spearmarshal into the ranger's care. Shahai rose to her feet, gave the ranger a wry smile and then quickly departed into the grotto tunnel. Rakiv grunted slightly as she pushed off her leathers and pulled her top over her head. The redhead wrinkled her nose in mild disgust. Two days of battle and travel under the Elonian sun and she'd yet to take a bath. It wasn't quite as bad as the week she, Kydar and Jin had spent in Lahtenda Bog, but she certainly didn't smell pleasant. The ranger quickly retrieved her personal kit from her bags and stepped down into the water. The river was cold as she expected, but in the early autumn heat, the temperature was a welcome change. The ranger waded forward through the knee-deep shallows and approached the torrent of falling water.
"Come to check in on me?" a soft chuckle chimed over the din of the falls.
Kormir sat on a tall boulder, perched rather comfortably on its smooth, round dome. The Spearmarshal wielded a straight razor in one hand and a foamy bar in the other, the latter of which she used to lather one long leg. Rakiv selected a nearby stone upon which to unroll her kit before arching an eyebrow up at her sister.
"Are you sure you should be using that?" the ranger asked.
"Goodness, not you too," Kormir groaned as she applied the razor to her leg, "I've only just had this conversation with Shahai. I'm blind, not an invalid."
Rather than argue, Rakiv only chuckled and shook her head while keeping a careful eye on the taller woman. Kormir's eyes remained hidden behind a blindfold of cloth, though the dirty strip she had worn before had been replaced with clean bandages. Rakiv chewed her lip as she noticed that the bandages were in need of changing, as the weeping of Kormir's eye sockets had begun to soak through the material. The ranger forced herself to look away from her sister's face and instead paid attention to the razor the Spearmarshal used. Kormir proved that she needed no aid with the blade, as she made quick, clean swipes across her leg, leaving behind smooth swatches of mahogany skin.
"We're gonna need to change those bandages," Rakiv said quietly.
"Mm, yes these are feeling rather soiled," Kormir agreed, "Once I've finished shaving… and once you've bathed, we can do that."
"Can smell me from over there huh?" the ranger laughed.
"The loss of sight has a way of making one depend on the remaining four senses," Kormir chuckled.
"Fine, fine give me a minute," Rakiv chuckled with a shake of her head.
The ranger waded into the deeper waters beneath the falls, where the turbulent surface rose to her hips. A toss of her head threw her crimson mane over one shoulder as she stepped forward into the torrent. The downpour splattered over her neck and shoulders, and she shivered as the cold water poured over her body. She quickly worked the soap bar over her skin, scrubbing at every nook and cranny as the falls washed away the days worth of filth and sweat that had clung to her. She wistfully wished she had some sort of shampoo for her hair, but such luxuries were not easily afforded out in the wild. But despite the lack of shampoo, she was certainly not short on water, and so she took a deep breath and dove gracefully beneath the surface.
Kormir hummed to herself as she went to work on her other leg, carefully scraping the razor through the lather to remove the offending follicles that had sprouted all over her skin. The Spearmarshal had been offered precious few dignities under Varesh's care, and had even been denied proper medical attention. Bathing in the falls and properly bandaging her eyes had made her feel much better, but she was not without her vanity. Upon finishing her task she set her tools aside and carefully felt over her body. Her form bore many scars, some from battles long ago, others newly made from the torments of her jailors. But aside from such marks she was as smooth as the day the gods had made her, although considerably thinner. Months of imprisonment and malnourishment had led to muscle loss, and though she could not see herself, she suspected that she looked like a skeleton covered in skin and a dense thicket of hair. The hair drew her wandering attention, and she ran her fingers through the thick locks that had grown from her once neat afro. She had washed out her dirty dreads, leaving her hair to dry into a wide and wild mane that even a lion might envy. She considered cutting it off, but as she could not see herself she knew cutting it into any kind of style was a feat beyond her skill.
"Whoo!" a shout from the base of Kormir's rock broke her attention.
Rakiv clambored up out of the water, as she peeled the curtain of red away from her face. The ranger scaled Kormir's rock and flopped down on her back, puffing lightly as mist from the falls wafted over her naked skin. The Spearmarshal chuckled as she tugged at her own errant locks.
"I take it you've been refreshed," Kormir laughed.
"Yeah," Rakiv responded and then chuckled as well, "But I gotta tell ya, I miss that fancy bathroom of yours back in Kamadan."
"The Imperial Minister of Waters from Cantha had that built for me," Kormir responded with a smile, "After we saved him from the corsairs who were holding him hostage."
"Huh… gonna have to get me one someday then," Rakiv responded.
The roar of the falls echoed through the grotto without interruption for several moments, as Rakiv stretched out and Kormir struggled with her hair. Finally Rakiv sat up and rifled through their pouches until she produced several clean strips of cloth.
"Alright, let's take care of that blindfold," the ranger said as she arranged the bandages, "Turn to me."
"Oh, I can do it myself," Kormir said, "Just hand me the strips please."
"Or you could turn to me," Rakiv responded, as she folded one strip into a small white pad, "Because you know that of the two of us, I've always been the stubborn one."
The Spearmarshal chewed her lip and sighed as she finally complied. Pleased with her arrangement, Rakiv turned to the dark skinned woman and reached for her face. Kormir's hands snapped up with surprising speed and caught the ranger's wrists, and Rakiv blinked in confusion.
"I… I warn you," Kormir said nervously, "I don't think it's a pretty sight. They were not… gentle."
"Kormir," Rakiv replied quietly, "Please?"
It took a long moment for the Spearmarshal to relax and release her sister's hands. Rakiv hesitated, before reaching for the blindfold once more. Kormir's apprehension was understandable. Her trauma had been a private pain for sometime, and it had always been in her nature to avoid causing her sisters excessive worry. But Rakiv wanted to see… needed to see what had been done to Kormir. She could not share her sister's pain, and indeed felt there was little she could do to ease her suffering. But in this small way she felt that she could bear the burden with her, and help to lift the weight of despair from Kormir's shoulders.
The blindfold came away and Rakiv carefully plucked the pads from Kormir's torn sockets. The bandages had turned a rather sickening shade of brown, from the mixture of blood and puss that oozed from the Spearmarshal's wounds. To her credit, Rakiv made no sound as she gazed upon her sister's face, but her hands trembled with the mixture of rage and sorrow that boiled within her. Dark, sunken holes now lay where Kormir's doe brown eyes had once been. Deep scratches around her eyes showed where the claws had dug at her face, though they had turned black from the thick scabs that had grown over the cuts. Rakiv lifted a finger to trace the stitches at the corners of Kormir's eyes, that held closed the deep cuts that had been made to open her sockets even further.
"Shahai…?" Rakiv asked with as much calm as she could muster.
"She stitched them this morning," Kormir winced lightly at the touch, causing Rakiv to immediately withdraw her hand, "It seems to have quelled much of the bleeding."
Rakiv said nothing more as she studied Kormir's face. It hurt to look, hurt to see the horror that her sister had endured. Her stomach felt hollow and her throat tightened, but still she made no sound. Finally Kormir gave a small smile as she rose to her feet.
"Give me a moment," the taller woman said, "I need to wash my face first."
Rakiv nodded slowly, before realizing that the gesture could not be seen and so she cleared her throat before responding.
"Of course," she managed.
Kormir descended the rock and waded down into the waters near the falls. Once the ranger was certain she was out of earshot, she released a gasp and a small sob. She brought her fist down into her thigh, and released a strained hiss of rage and pain as she repeatedly beat her quickly reddening flesh. She had seen horrors in this war, rescued dozens of people who had suffered at Varesh's hands. It had been part of her mission to ensure that the guild helped these people, nurtured them back to health and eased their pains. And it had been so much easier to remain objective, so much easier to stay focused when she fought for faces in a crowd, people whose names she had learned but whose lives she had not known. But this… this hit far, far too close to home. And the worst part was, there was nothing she could do. Her arrows had avenged many fallen innocents, her healers had made whole many who had been broken by Kournan torturers. Her crusade had brought hope to hundreds of people in Elona. But now that it was her kin, her loved ones… there was nothing she could do.
"Gods… damn it!" she hissed vehemently.
The slosh of water alerted her to Kormir's return, and the ranger quickly rubbed her eyes and sniffled to clear her nose. By the time Kormir had climbed back to their perch, the ranger was calm once more, and somewhat glad that her sister could not see the tearful streaks that marked her cheeks.
"Better?" Rakiv asked.
"Much," Kormir nodded as she rubbed at one eye, "They do get terribly itchy sometimes though…"
"Well stop that," Rakiv reprimanded as she swatted the dark skinned woman's hand, "You're making it worse."
"Mrrrm.." Kormir complained as she began to rub at the other eye.
"I said stop!" Rakiv cried as she swatted at her sister's other hand.
"They're my sockets, I'll rub them if I like!" Kormir laughed as she swatted back at Rakiv.
"Nooo you'll make them worse!" Rakiv leaned forward, catching one of the woman's hands, "And what about your stitches?"
"Ugh, those itch too," Kormir groaned as she scratched carefully at the corner of one eye.
"I said stop!" Rakiv chuckled, now aware that her sister was merely baiting her.
"But they itch so much!" Kormir whined, "Let go!"
The pair tussled as Rakiv attempted to stop the other woman's scratching and Kormir swatted at her sister. The swats turned into a slap fight as Kormir flailed blindly at the redhead and Rakiv attempted to ward off the blows.
"Kormir! Kormir stop!" the ranger laughed.
"You started it!" Kormir chuckled as she relented.
"I did not!" Rakiv protested.
"Yes, you did," Kormir snorted, "By getting all grumpy. I have had enough of ill-spirits and fallen countenances. Shahai is always fussing and so I sent her away. I was hoping to catch some of that care-free cheer of yours that I remember."
Rakiv chuckled lightly as she returned to the task of bandaging Kormir's eyes. She lifted one pad and turned back to her sister as she raised it to the other woman's face.
"Yes well," Rakiv sighed, "I haven't been 'care-free' in quite sometime."
"Which is a pity," Kormir replied, "It was one of your best qualities."
"Oh is that so?" Rakiv chuckled, "Ah, hold still!" she added as she carefully applied the pad to Kormir's wound.
"Sorry," the woman laughed as she quelled her flinching, "And yes, yes it was. Karo was the brave one, Varesh was the focused one, I was the pretty one, and you were the carefree one."
"Oh you were the pretty one?" Rakiv laughed.
"Yes, yes I was," Kormir grinned, "It's why I became a paragon after all. Everyone likes a pretty cheerleader."
Rakiv only laughed and shook her head at her sister's feigned vanity. Kormir chuckled herself and winced lightly as Rakiv carefully pressed the second pad into her other eye socket.
"Mmph, one moment," Kormir said as she lifted a finger to push the pad in for a snugger fit, "Ah, there we go. Now. Blindfold please?"
Rakiv offered Kormir the final bandage strip, and the woman set to tying it about her eyes. The ranger gave a small nod of satisfaction at her handiwork, before turning her eyes up to the Spearmarshal's wild mane of hair.
"So what are we gonna do about your hair?" Rakiv chuckled.
"Ugh, I don't know," Kormir sighed, "I'm honestly considering just chopping it all off."
"Yeah well, I don't think you're pretty enough to pull off the bald look," Rakiv chuckled.
"Hmph, you underestimate my beauty," Kormir snorted, and then laughed, "But I suppose bald and blind is a bit much."
Rakiv chuckled as she rose to her knees and tugged at the other woman's hair. There certainly was a lot of it, and she could only think of one thing to do with it. However she couldn't deny that it bugged her that Kydar's suggestion would prove to be an apt one.
"We'll braid it," the ranger finally said, "I think you'd look good with braids."
"Well they do seem to be coming back in style," Kormir agreed, and then chuckled, "Koss and I used to joke that we were the only ones holding on to our afros. He'll accuse me of abandoning the cause," she laughed.
"Gonna be honest with you Kormir," Rakiv chuckled, "I don't think those 'fros were ever gonna make a comeback."
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Kydar woke from his doze to a ruffle of tent leather as a figure approached his cot. The scribe blinked blearily up at the figure, and was barely able to discern the form of Adept Jin standing over him. The Zaishen adept reached down to rouse him, but the scribe sat up first and grumbled groggily in her direction.
"Jin? Whatcha need?" he inquired.
"It's Anorah," she said quickly, "You'd better come and see."
The scribe blinked again, in curiosity this time, but did as bidden and rose from his cot. Jin led the way out of the tent without another word, though the speed of her gait caused even Kydar to have to trot to keep up. There were more than a few worried faces in the campsite, and the scribe noted that they all stared in the direction of Tahlkora's surgery tents. A cry and a crash echoed from within the tent, followed by the frantic responses of several others. Kydar increased his pace and flung aside the tent flap as he entered the scene of the disturbance.
"Hold her down!" Dunkoro shouted.
"I'm trying!" Koss grunted.
"Adept Basi…" Rojis began before receiving a blow to his jaw, "Nrm! Adept Basilisk calm down!"
"Rrrraaaaaagh!" the hysterical reply came.
Kydar's eyes widened at the spectacle. Anorah Basilisk lay on a cot, stripped to her underwear and held down by Rojis, Alendra and Koss, all of whom were attempting to restrain her limbs. All present were covered in blood, and it was a moment before Kydar realized that it was Anorah's blood. The woman bore numerous long slashes up the length of her arms, and her struggles smeared her life fluid across her comrades as they fought to hold her down. Dunkoro knelt over the woman's head, holding a pair of forceps in his mouth as he mopped at her neck with a thick piece of gauze.
"What in Grenth's name is going on here!" Kydar exclaimed, "Who did this!"
"Alendra, move," Jin interrupted curtly as she seized Anorah's arm, and then pointed toward Kydar, "Explain," she added quickly.
As Jin took over her post, Alendra stepped away, still staring down in horror at what had become of Anorah. After a moment she turned to Kydar and paused for breath as she wiped a smear of blood from her cheek.
"I… I found her, in the rocks, up the cliffs a ways," Alendra began, obviously shaken as she placed a hand on Kydar's arm for balance, "She was praying or… or something. But when I tried to talk to her, she warned me to get away from her. She sounded… strange, in pain… When I approached… I found her covered in blood… her own blood. She had a knife and she was… she was cutting herself, deep gashes across her arms and thighs."
"Why the hell was she…?" Kydar blinked as he looked over at the zaishen adept.
"She said… she said something about needing to get 'it' out," Alendra explained, "She said she needed to get the blood out. She said it was… penance."
"Penance for what?" Kydar blinked.
Another roar came from the woman as she arched against the cot and struggled against her captors. Dunkoro threw away a soaked piece of gauze and applied another as he drew his forceps from his mouth.
"Alright, hold her still," Dunkoro ordered, "I'm going to remove it."
"Remove what?" Kydar asked.
Before anyone could answer, Anorah let loose with another hysterical cry, her voice growing hoarse with strain as she thrashed under the renewed efforts of her fellow guildsmen.
"Blessed are they who draw blood in my name, who strike down the wicked with fire and steel!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs, "For upon those who wage war for righteous truth do I lavish my favor! He whose blade is raised against the tyrant and the tormentor shall find blessings in battle for all of his days!"
"Hold her still!" Dunkor shouted.
"On three…" Koss grunted, "One… three!"
With concerted effort all three guildsmen threw their strength and weight upon the woman, forcing her limbs to remain pinioned as Dunkoro lowered his forceps.
"I got her back to camp, though she fought me every step of the way," Alendra continued, turning her eyes away from the scene, "And I was going to have Dunkoro take a look at her… but then she.."
"She what?" Kydar asked, leaning down in an attempt to catch Alendra's gaze, "What did she do?"
"I don't know where it came from… some kind of… sharp piece of metal," Alendra said as she began to shake, "But she cried something about… her soul being tainted… and then she stabbed herself… in the throat."
"How the hell did she survive!" Kydar blinked as he turned to peer at Dunkoro's operations.
"She missed the artery," Dunkoro grunted as he wiped blood away from the woman's neck, "She only hit the muscle, but we grabbed her before she could manage to open her throat all the way. Alright! I'm removing it… hold steady.."
Anorah screamed as Dunkoro's forceps closed around the metal shard and he began to pull the blade free of her flesh. She trembled and shook, but her captors held her down firmly.
"But cursed is the man who lets fall the blood of the innocent!" she chanted, her eyes wide with panic, "And damned is he who covets the strength of another! For sacred is the blood, made holy by the power of life! Thus do I say to thee, defend the weak and protect the innocent by the shedding of the blood of the wicked. But consume not the flesh of they foe, nor drink ye of their blood….!"
Kydar's brow furrowed deeply as the woman shouted the words with all her might, and was disturbed when a second voice chimed in.
"For the blood of men is mine by right, and the fire in their flesh is the flame I have given," a voice smooth and rich as fine silk joined with Anorah's screams, "Therefore seek not to consume thine enemy's strength, for it is given unto no man to contend the right of the gods."
Kydar turned and jumped in surprise to find himself staring into the empty, dead eyes of the Apprentice of Whispers. The beautiful dark woman stood behind the scribe, peering over his shoulder at the spectacle within the tent. As usual her expression was bereft of the emotions one might expect at such a moment, and Kydar was certain he could see the beginnings of a smile twitching at her lips.
"The Edicts of Balthazar," the Apprentice cited, "Chapter four, verses seventeen through twenty-two. A powerful bit of scripture I must say."
"You!" Kydar snarled as he rounded upon the woman, "What do you know about this!"
The necromancer took a step backwards and raised her hands placatingly as she shook her head, setting her snowy locks bouncing about her pretty face.
"Scribe Raelesin please," the woman cooed softly, "I am but a servant of the Order, I know little of the rituals of the Zaishen. I have merely made it my business to know the scriptures of the Five Gods. Perhaps her fellow adepts know what this is about?"
Kydar's glare was dark and piercing as he stared at the woman. The scribe ground his teeth as he considered his options, his fingers flexing as mesmeric energy began to gather to his fingertips. He was interrupted when a cry from within the tent drew his attention back to the bloody scene.
"I have it!" Dunkoro called as he held up the metal shard, "I'm cleaning the wound, you two make yourselves useful. Alendra I need needle and thread. Kydar look in my bag for a packet wrapped in brown paper. Dump the contents into a bowl, mash it and then set fire to it."
Alendra moved quickly to do as bidden but Kydar hesitated, glancing at the bag before turning back to face the apprentice. Upon turning to deal with the woman the scribe found himself staring at thin air, and the necromancer was no where to be found. He ground his teeth again, vowing that the woman would be dealt with and soon. The nuisance she presented was too great to be ignored.
"Kydar!" Dunkoro shouted from the tent.
With a frustrated growl the scribe turned to do as bidden, allowing the tent flap to fall back in place and shut away the bloody spectacle from the outside world.
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Laughter rang out amongst the song of falling water, echoing through the waterfall grotto like the ripples that spread over the surface of the river pools. The former Spearmarshal of the Sunspears had gone through many emotions as she listened to Rakiv tell the tale of the struggle in Kourna. Rakiv had begun with their flight after the failed assault on Gandara, and proceeded to tell her sister of the rescuing of comrades, the finding of allies, the freeing of slaves and the founding of the guild. Through it all Kormir had listened with rapt attention, adding only the odd question or comment here or there. However, when Rakiv explained how it was that Kydar Raelesin had come to be guildmaster of Dormant Vengance, Kormir had burst into unbridled laughter.
"Hah, hahaha!" the dark-skinned woman laughed, "Wow, really? Hah!"
"I don't get what's so funny," Rakiv chuckled lightly in return.
"I just.. heehee, I just pictured what the look on your face must have been…" Kormir giggled, "When he voted you out of leadership."
"Ugh, I honestly didn't know whether to shoot him or shake his hand," the red-head sighed as she shook her head, "Still not sure really. On the one hand, it was kind of ingenius. On the other hand… he took my guild!"
Again Kormir exploded with hilarity, her laughter ringing through the caves as she rocked back and forth in amusement. Rakiv cried out as she lost several strands of her sister's hair and struggled to pull them back for braiding.
"He took your guild, hah haah!" Kormir laughed, "Aaah, wow… I don't think even I would be that brave."
"Yes he has an uncanny mix of brave and stupid that seems to just work for him," Rakiv mumbled as she set to plaiting her sister's hair once more, "Here, finish that one for me?"
Kormir continued to giggle as she accepted the unfinished braid and set to tying it off, slipping a few colored beads onto the end to secure it in place. Rakiv extracted another trio of locks from the paragon's mane and set to braiding once more as Kormir finally settled down.
"Yes he does, doesn't he?" she said, "I have to say that I was most impressed when I saw that it was him on that walltop at Gandara. He is a very brave and capable man for a mere historian and recorder."
"Yes well, he continues to surprise me," Rakiv shrugged, "Every time I think I've got him pinned down, he pops some new trick out of his sleeve."
"You sound almost agitated over it," Kormir observed, tilting her head as she pushed beads onto the end of a braid as she tied it off, "It seems to me that his actions are always in your best interest."
"Maybe…" Rakiv muttered.
Kormir said nothing, and only listened expectantly as the red-head continued to busily braid her hair. Only a moment of silence passed between them before Rakiv finally gave a frustrated sigh.
"It's just… he's so frustrating!" she finally exclaimed, "He's so smart that he's almost cocky, but then he's always right so you can't ever argue with him. He's ambitious, I'll give him that, a real go-getter. Trouble is if you don't tell him how you want things gotten, he'll get 'em without a thought to how awful the means might be. It's like I'm always playing a game with him, a game where he already always knows all the right moves to make and I'm just trying to keep up."
Kormir chuckled softly as she listened to Rakiv rant, and the ranger continued with barely a pause for breath.
"You know he put me up to this? Being guild leader I mean," she went on, "All his idea. I was just trying to help and keep people alive, but then he has to go and make me out to be some kind of a damn hero. And then just when I think I've got that business figured out, he decides to go and try his hand at being a 'white knight'. Talking about how I need to 'save myself' or something."
By now Kormir's chuckles had turned to light laughter, but Rakiv was heedless as her rant continued.
"And you just can't get rid of him!" she cried, "I swear he stalks me or something, though I don't know how he can do that without me noticing. He just pops up and I never even notice him walk up, and then he just talks. Not about anything important, oh no, he's just shootin' the breeze. And if he's not doing that, he's busy playing this 'life story' game that he's lured me into and… oh what on earth is so funny now!"
Kormir's laughter had grown uncontrollable once again and Rakiv sighed in indignation as she waited for the other woman to calm down. Once the paragon had regained her breath she tilted her head up towards the red-head and grinned.
"Sounds like you two are quite the match," she giggled.
"Wh-what!" the ranger exclaimed, dropping the braid she had been working on, "How the hell did you get that from what I just said?"
"Oh come on Rakiv," Kormir laughed, "I'm blind and even I can see that you two are good together. I mean look at all you've done together. You've given Varesh hell, and are really the only reason any of us still have a chance against her."
"Yeah but… what about all that other stuff!" Rakiv protested, "I mean… the guy's a freak right? He's as aggravating as all Torment!"
Again Kormir laughed and gave a light shake of her head as she took up the braid Rakiv had abandoned. The ranger sighed and selected new strands of hair and resumed her plaiting as Kormir explained.
"You're looking at it all wrong Rakiv," she chuckled softly, "Now, mind you I'm sure neither of us have had much time or experience with men… at least as anything more than a good sword at your side. But I have noticed a thing or two about them, and it's that they are not at all like us."
"Well duh," Rakiv chuckled, "I do still remember my anatomy classes Kormir."
"I am not speaking about physical difference," Kormir stuck her tongue up at the other woman, "When dealing with men you have to think about how they see things from their perspective. It's like the little boys in primary classes who would throw twigs at us because they thought you had pretty hair. They just wanted get our attention."
"And were too stupid to think of a better way," Rakiv muttered.
"Well yes, I must agree with you there," Kormir laughed, "But consider this. Scribe Raelesin has proven quite invaluable to you, has he not? His ambition and ability to get things done has more or less made your job possible… at least from what I can see. But did it ever occur to you that he is so gung-ho about his tasks because he wants to please you? To make sure that you know he's useful, reliable and not a burden?"
"Right, Kydar Raelesin, a people pleaser," Rakiv snorted and chuckled, "That'll be the day."
"Very well, how about this," Kormir smiled, "You complain about him putting you up to the guild leader thing. Did it ever occur to you that he nominated you because he really believes in you?"
"He probably just thought that since I'm semi-famous, more people would want to join up with us when they heard it was my guild," Rakiv shrugged, "Publicity stunt."
"Or maybe he sincerely thought you'd be a good leader," Kormir countered gently, "Maybe he thinks you have what it takes to inspire people, to help people, to protect people. Maybe he wanted you to be guild master because you inspire him, and he thinks you're a leader that he'd like to follow."
Rakiv began to object and then paused as a memory suddenly came to mind. The night before the invasion of Gandara, he had said something very much like that. When he'd mused that he was considering continuing to follow her, Rakiv had advised him against doing so. The elementalist had responded only, "And yet I will."
"That doesn't change the fact that he's way too sneaky and stuff for a simple scribe," Rakiv grumbled.
"He did not appear particularly stealthy to me," Kormir shrugged, "To be honest he seemed to blunder about quite a bit. I really thought we were going to lose him in Fahranur. But if you are referring to his ability to startle you… perhaps you merely let down your guard with him."
"I do not!" Rakiv exclaimed.
"Oh come now Rakiv," Kormir laughed, "Even you can't be on guard all the time."
"I didn't say I was!" the red-head retorted, "I just don't let it down for him or anything!"
"Uh huh… and uh, how many other people know how you first came to the Khel Varr?" Kormir asked as she arched an eyebrow behind her blindfold.
"That… that is…," Rakiv stammered, her face slowly beginning to flush, "Entirely not the point!" she finished.
"Oh but I think it is," Kormir laughed, "I think you let down your guard around him. You don't notice him because you're not threatened by him, or concerned by him. In fact, I might even say you feel safe around him."
"That is a load of…!" Rakiv began to object before Kormir cut her off.
"And you know what, I think he knows it too," Kormir giggled, "I think he knows he can catch you off guard, and he just talks and talks because it means that he's got your attention. I mean, I know you and your killer instinct, always sizing up opponents and trying to notice every detail of your surroundings. But how often have you wondered what you'd do if you had to fight the good scribe?"
Rakiv opened her mouth to object again… and then blinked in surprise. She honestly hadn't thought of that. She had come up with strategies to take down Anorah or Koss or Melonni if she ever had to, and had considered the particulars of boxing with Dunkoro more than once. She even had ideas for taking on Anicara or Alendra if it ever came to it. It therefore struck her as a surprise that she had absolutely no idea how she would go about bringing down Kydar, one of the guild's strongest casters.
"And ah, I didn't ask this earlier when you were telling me the story…" Kormir grinned broadly, "But that night in Pohjaelon, when you shared a hotspring. I don't suppose either of you were wearing any kind of bathing suits were you?"
At this Rakiv turned quite red. The event itself was hardly embarrassing to Rakiv. She'd hunted through deep jungles while wearing little more than the straps that held her quiver in place. But something about her sister making the connection was horridly embarrassing.
"I uh… we uhm… nothing happened!" she finally cried out.
"Really?" Kormir tilted her head curiously, "You mean you really did just leave the pool?"
"Yes!" Rakiv confirmed emphatically, "I may have been unclothed at the time… but yes, I just walked away!"
"Huh… had it been me, I would have made a pass at him," the paragon shrugged.
"Kormir!" Rakiv exclaimed.
"What?" the woman turned her head curiously and then laughed, "Oh come on Rakiv, you can't tell me that he's not handsome. Were it not for the war and all I likely would have detained him for a dinner or two before letting him go back to the Academy. But you have him bare as a notuka-bird in a private hotspring and you just walk away!"
"It wasn't private!" Rakiv countered, "And yes, I just walked away!"
"Alright, alright," Kormir laughed, "Shall I move on from this oh so touchy subject?"
"Please, for the love of whatever gods you pray to, please move on!" the ranger begged, desperately attempting to push down the blush that had conquered the paleness of her face.
"Well then I will go on to observe that even if you don't have a thing for him," Kormir chuckled lightly, "I believe he has a thing for you. You can't get rid of him because he doesn't want you to get rid of him. He 'shoots the breeze' as it were, because he likes talking to you… dare I say, spending time with you?"
Rakiv grumbled at the use of the phrase but did not interrupt.
"And you know why he goes to so much trouble to talk to you and help you and gain your approval?" Kormir grinned.
"Please… for the love of the previously mentioned gods, please don't say it…" Rakiv groaned.
"Because he liiiikes you!" Kormir giggled in a sing-song voice, "He really liiiikes you!"
Again Rakiv groaned, shaking her head and giving a heavy sigh at her sister's teasing. Kormir however thought it great fun, and continued her little chant several more times before breaking down into laughter.
"Are you quite finished?" Rakiv asked, arching an eyebrow down at the paragon.
"Are you finished being in denial?" Kormir laughed, "I mean come on Rakiv! How is this not incredibly obvious?"
"Because I think I'd know if that was the case," Rakiv responded, "We've been working together for the past few months and he's never once made a pass at me."
"Pfft, he's smarter than that," Kormir snorted, "He knows that you're the kind of gal who would shoot a man down before she let him buy her a drink."
"I only did that once!" Rakiv protested, "And in my defense, he grabbed my ass!"
"I was using a figure of speech…" Kormir clarified a bit awkwardly.
"Oh…" Rakiv cleared her throat, "Well uh… nevermind then."
"Yeah… uhm…" Kormir paused and then chuckled, "Anyway, he knows that if he straight up hit on you, you'd shut him down and his chance would be forever lost."
"So what, you think he's trying to cozy up to me and be my friend?" Rakiv ask sarcastically.
"Friend, confidant, ally," Kormir agreed, "And perhaps even, your protector."
"Pfft, right," Rakiv snorted.
"Hear me out on this," Kormir smiled, "When the time came to choose your path, to rescue me or to go slay a demon, you chose the demon. And, before you say anything, I would have done the same thing. Saving the Elon was more important than me."
"Yeah…" Rakiv responded.
"When you made that choice, who was it that was more concerned about your well being than the Elon's?" Kormir asked.
"Well… technically it was your well being…" Rakiv attempted.
"That's not what he said, now was it?" Kormir smiled, "He sent you because he knew you needed to save your family… as screwed up a family as we are," she added with a wry chuckle, "But family nonetheless. And from what I hear, he almost died bringing down that demon. But he knew exactly what he was going into, and he did not make that choice for himself, nor for me. Nor for Elona."
Kormir paused as she reached up and caught Rakiv's hands, which were busily plaiting the paragon's hair. The former Spearmarshal turned her face up to her sister, seeming to stare at Rakiv even from behind her blindfold.
"He made that choice for you Rakiv," Kormir concluded, "It almost killed him, and he knew that it might. But he made it for you."
Rakiv found that for a moment she couldn't speak, no thought or retort seemed to come to mind. Her sister's conclusion seemed, for a moment, unavoidably true. And yet, while some part of her was confused over that possibility… something else in her quailed. The ranger couldn't be certain what the emtion was… but it was not pleasant, and felt very much like fear. After several silent moments, Rakiv finally cleared her throat and returned her attention to her sister's hair.
"Hrm… yes, well…" Rakiv began, "You always were the romantic one."
"The pretty one, actually," Kormir corrected with a grin, "But yes, I am a bit of a hopeless romantic."
Rakiv chuckled lightly as she handed another braid off to Kormir and set to working on another as she chewed her lip thoughtfully.
"But that's not what this is Kormir… it can't be," Rakiv said slowly, "This is war… this is the fate of the world we're dealing with here. And even if it wasn't… stories like mine don't have happy endings."
"Hmhm, now that is simply not true sister," Kormir said with unflagging confidence, "Indeed, it is out of the greatest tribulation and adversity that the most stunning triumphs may arise. It is when the fulfillment of the promise of hope seems least likely, that hope itself will lift our heavy hearts and make our spirit's soar."
The ranger found herself slowly nodding to the paragon's words, before giving a small, slightly defeated chuckle. Kormir never failed to bring cheer to even the glummest of moods. After a moment of silent braiding, Kormir finally laughed and tilted her head towards her sister once more.
"But if you really won't have him," Kormir giggled and grinned, "Do you think he's into blind girls?"
"Oh just… hush!" Rakiv exclaimed in exasperation, "And hold still so I can finally finish these braids!"
The former Spearmarshal only laughed again, sending the melodious and gleeful sound echoing through the waterfall grotto once more.
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Though she had always thought of her staff as a weapon, Anicara Nyrin found that she was now quite glad that it could double as a walking stick. Even with the many bandages and prayers that Tahlkora and Dunkoro had layered her with, the water mage still suffered from a bit of a limp and many stings from the various fine cuts across her skin. But she had gotten off better than most of her group. Melonni was still stuck in bed, as were Sousuke and Kydar. And at present, it was the latter of these three that she now sought out. The young hydromancer limped her way across the camp, humming softly to herself as she went before finally catching sight of her quarry. The dark skinned man was stationed near the fire pit, kneeling next to the ashes and busily scrubbing his hands. The scribe busily worked a handful of ash over his fore arms before pouring water from his canteen over the limbs, giving a small sigh as he worked to clean himself. The girl watched curiously at the almost frantic movements her mentor made, before clearing her throat and speaking up.
"Not much for dirty hands huh?" she asked with a small chuckle.
In response to her question, Kydar jumped a bit and looked up, blinking curiously as though he did not quite recognize her. Finally he breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head and turned back to his work.
"Nah, nah just… figured I'd wash up," he replied guardedly.
"Is that why you always wear gloves?" the girl grinned a little as she hunkered down upon one of the logs that surrounded the fire square.
"I do not always wear gloves!" he exclaimed quickly.
"You do too!" she replied, "You're always fiddling with them too. And right now, you've got your fingers wrapped up in swaths!"
The senior elementalist paused and looked down, and found himself in the middle of unwrapping the soiled bandaging cloth from his hands. Anicara smiled a bit in triumph and Kydar sighed and shook his head as he continued unwrapping his hands.
"Well that's not why I'm washing my hands," he responded with a bit of a mutter, "I don't mind getting my hands dirty."
"As you say, master," Anicara replied with a tip of her head.
Kydar released an exasperated groan which drew a giggle of further triumph from his student. The pair sat in silence for a moment, whilst the pyromancer unbound his hands and set to washing the between his fingers.
"So uhm… Kydar," Anicara spoke up, breaking the silence once more, "There's… there's something I've been wanting to ask you."
"Yeah, what's that?" he asked absentmindedly as he continued to scrub.
"When… when we were at the dam," she said slowly, "And it was breaking, and all that water was coming through… How did you know we were gonna get rescued?"
Kydar blinked and looked up at the girl, before breaking into laughter and shaking his head. The girl frowned and stared at him, even as her mentor continued to chuckle.
"Honestly?" he asked with amusement, "I didn't."
"But… but you told me to keep casting," she responded with confusion, "You told me we just had to hold it long enough. I mean… you knew something was coming right? You didn't really intend for us to just… die, right?"
Kydar chuckled at first, and then gave a bit of a sigh as he rose to his feet. Anicara watched him closely as he stepped away from the firepit and settled down on the log next to her, continuing to scrub diligently at his hands.
"I didn't intend to die, but I was prepared for it," he said with a nod, "If I could have done it on my own, I'd have sent you with the Apprentice and the rest, but I needed you to keep freezing the water."
"Well then… what were you doing?" Anicara asked, "I mean, if you didn't plan to die, and you didn't know help was coming…"
Kydar was silent for a moment, and then turned to look at her. Anicara balked slightly at the silent intensity of his bright hazel eyes, as he tilted his head to study her. There was a long silence as Kydar clenched his jaw thoughtfully before shaking his head and giving a small chuckle.
"To be honest kiddo, I think that's a lesson we don't have time for right now," he admitted lightly, "But… I do think I'll give you a 'homework' assignment," he added with a chuckle.
"And what's that?" the blue-eyed girl asked, arching an eyebrow skeptically.
"Just a little thought project," he said as he placed the brush on his knee and dug a fresh batch of bandages out of his bag, "Something to do whenever you've got a spare moment."
The scribe fell silent for a moment as he began to work the bandages around his fingers, meticuliously wrapping each digit in turn. From her seat Anicara found her view obscured by the tall elementalist's shoulder, and leaned forward in curiosity. Even as she did so Kydar shifted away and then looked up at her, causing the girl to jump in mild surprise. The scribe gave her a smile and a shake of his head as he chuckled and continued.
"For the next few days I want you to think about your life," he instructed, "And all the times that waiting has proven useful. I want you to list any time that you had to wait, struggle or endure through some trial and it paid off. And then next time we have a lesson, I want you to list them to me and we'll talk about them."
"Trying to teach me patience or something?" Anicara asked, scrunching her nose in distaste at the idea.
In response Kydar laughed and shook his head as he rose to his feet and collected his cleaning utensils. Zipping them into his bag, the scribe turned towards the young hydromancer and placed a fully bandaged hand on her shoulder.
"No Anicara," Kydar chuckled, "As always, I am trying to teach you faith."
Another silent moment passed between teacher and student, while Anicara stared curiously at her mentor, attempting to read his expression. But as always the scribe succeeded in being totally opaque when he wanted to be, and finally the hydromancer gave a defeated sigh. Just as she was about to reply, a gleeful call sounded through the camp and all attention turned toward the sound.
"Weee're baaaack!" Kormir shouted, smiling brightly behind her blindfold.
The former Spearmarshal of the Sunspears was a very different sight, one that many in the camp found hard to believe. No longer clad in shining armor and bearing herself with regal poise and commanding authority, Kormir instead wore a simple white sundress belted by a length of yellow cloth. The dark-skinned woman gave a shake of her head, swishing her many braids and causing the beads to sing as they brushed against each other. A melodious laugh came from the blind woman's lips as she held one hand out in front of her for balance. Her other arm was linked with Rakiv's elbow, and the red-headed huntress was forced to trot alongside her long-legged sister to keep up. Rather than striding or running, the former Spearmarshal was actually skipping through the camp, and tugged Rakiv along with her in an effort to make the huntress skip as well.
"Kormir… Kormir watch out for that…!" Rakiv warned as they reached the log benches that hemmed in the fire circle.
"Eek!" Kormir squealed as her foot struck the log and she nearly tumbled, "Hah! Now who puts logs on the ground when there are blind women about? I mean honestly!"
"Or you could not go… skipping," Rakiv grumbled, "And just let me guide you, like a sensible person."
"Back from the falls I see," Kydar interjected with a light laugh, "Glad to see you took my advice."
"Advice?" Kormir asked, tilting her head in Rakiv's direction, before she brightened in revelation and ran a hand across the beads of her braids, "Oh, you mean my new style? This was your idea?"
"It certainly was," Kydar responded, grinning triumphantly at Rakiv.
"Well thank you very much Scribe Raelesin," she smiled, "What do you think of them? I haven't exactly seen myself you know."
"They look good," he smiled, "I hope we'll be keeping you off the frontlines though. It won't be fair to our enemies if they have to fight a warrior who's both skilled and stunning."
Kormir laughed aloud, and admittedly a little girlishly. The sound was cut short once Rakiv gave her sister a firm poke to the ribs, which caused the blind woman's laughter to scale down to mere giggles.
"Well thank you, your flattery is much appreciated," Kormir replied brightly, "And I'm certain that Rakiv would thank you for the idea as well, were she not so busy glaring daggers at you."
"Oh you so did not see me glaring," Rakiv protested.
"Apologies sister," Kormir smirked knowingly, "But the sound of your fuming indignance is quite unmistakable."
"Ugh," Rakiv sighed, "Look let's just go get you some grub. I haven't seen you eat a thing all day."
"Uh actually Rakiv," Kydar spoke up, "I need to talk to you real quick. Ani, would you mind taking Kormir over to the mess tent?"
"Oh! Anicara's here?" Kormir smiled, "How are you Commander Nyrin?"
"Doing well ma'am," Ani responded snappily out of habit as she rose to her feet, "Glad to see you up and about ma'am."
"Oh no need for that 'ma'am' business anymore," Kormir chuckled, "After all, I'm not your commanding officer anymore. Come, let's go get some food and leave these two to talk war plans."
"Yes ma… uh, yes," Anicara caught herself as she nearly saluted, and instead offered her arm, "Right this way. Oh, and watch the log."
As Anicara led the former Spearmarshal away, Kormir began to chat easily with her one time subordinate and the sound of their conversation faded as they strode away. Kydar chuckled and folded his arms, smiling at the retreating pair as he turned toward Rakiv.
"She's in good spirits, I'm glad to see that," he said.
"Yeah, she's reminding me of why she became a paragon in the first place," Rakiv chuckled and sighed as she ran a hand through her long red locks, before turning to look up at the elementalist, "You wanted to talk?"
"Ah, yes I did," he said as he turned to walk and gestured for her to follow, "I think we need to compare notes on the team's status. And then tonight I think we need to have a guild meeting. A lot has happened in the last thirty-six hours."
"You're telling me," Rakiv chuckled wryly, "Is there something I should know?"
Kydar paused as he glanced around, and dug his hands into his pockets. The scribe led them up into the rocky bluffs, away from the camp and along a trail that led up to the cliffs.
"Well first of all, my team is doing well, all things considered," he said, "But we're going to have to talk about the possibility of leaving some of them behind. I don't know about your guys, but some of mine won't make the journey to Vabbi."
"Are they hurt that badly?" Rakiv winced sympathetically.
"Not all of them, but some of them," Kydar sighed, "The Zaishen took a beating. Souske broke most of his ribs and cracked a vertebrae or two. I'm pretty sure Jin's old torture injuries were aggravated, though she's trying not to show it. And Anorah… well we had an incident with her today."
"What happened?" Rakiv asked, her voice bearing a note of concern.
"Well…" Kydar sighed, as he pulled the tie from his hair and allowed his braids to fall loose, "I think she attempted suicide today."
"What!" Rakiv stopped in her tracks as she spun to face the scribe.
"It's okay, it's okay," Kydar said, raising his hands calmingly, "She's stable, and we've got her well taken care of. Alendra, Jin and Nerashi are taking turns watching her. We're keeping her pretty well drugged for now, but it was a little scary there. She… she tried to cut her own throat."
"What the hell…?" Rakiv blinked unbelievingly, "You're sure? You're sure she wasn't attacked or something?"
"Alendra found her cutting on herself somewhere outside camp," Kydar sighed, "And she was in the middle of camp when she tried to open her throat. I was there while Dunkoro was stitching up her neck and she started screaming scripture like mad. Stuff from the Edicts, obscure passages about bloodletting and stuff. It was… it was spooky."
"Why on earth…?" Rakiv asked, her voice quiet with incredulity, "Anorah is one of our best. Why would she…?"
"Well, that brings me to another problem," Kydar sighed as he leaned against the rock face of the cliff wall and stared out into the distance, "The Apprentice of Whispers."
"What about her?" Rakiv asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"She's…" Kydar began and then sighed as he turned to look at Rakiv, "Objectively, she's one hell of a trooper. She's strong, she's tough, she can get things done and we would not have been able to take down the Drought without her. From a leader's standpoint she's an asset that I don't think we can do without."
"But?" Rakiv inquired.
"But she's a serious problem when it comes to team synergy," Kydar groaned, "She's just… she's a troublemaker, plain and simple really. Over the last day and a half she's managed to antagonize pretty much everyone on my team. I figured she'd be well informed, being a Whisper, but she seems to enjoy using her knowledge to poke at us. She brought up that whole business with Ani and the Tall One, and then smiled like it was all a joke."
Rakiv was silent, her teeth grinding slowly in thought. Kydar turned his gaze away from her and stared out over the valley below. The river Elon looked much smaller from this height, and far less threatening. Over the last few hours Kydar had known it as a terrifying force of nature, that was not to be trifled with. But from the Cliffside it looked like a shimmering silver ribbon that coursed through the golden and red sands of the Kournan desert. The scribe's musings were interrupted when Rakiv spoke up again.
"Suggestions, First Officer?" she asked.
"What… really?" Kydar blinked.
In response Rakiv only folded her arms and stared at him expectantly, before Kydar chuckled and gave a slow nod.
"Honestly?" he said, "I wanna hit her in the face. I mean, Dad always told me never to strike a woman, but he didn't say anything about fireballs," the scribe laughed lightly.
Rakiv gave a slightly amused snort and shook her head, but continued to wait for his recommendation.
"But other than that… I don't know," Kydar sighed, "She's an asset. She knows a lot. And she seems willing to share a lot more than I thought she would. But we're gonna have to lay down the law about her little games… because whatever she did to Anorah was damn near fatal."
"What makes you think she did something to Anorah?" Rakiv asked quizzically.
"Ugh just…" Kydar sighed as he scratched his forehead, "Anorah was acting weird ever since I sent her and the Apprentice on a mission while we were storming the Waterworks. And then when we were trying to fix her throat, while she was screaming scripture the Apprentice snuck up out of nowhere and started quoting the passage at the same time… like she was mocking her… mocking us. I don't have any real reason or evidence… but my gut just tells me that she did or said something… something that really made Anorah's blood boil."
Rakiv nodded slowly in consideration as she chewed her lip thoughtfully. Kydar fell silent as well, staring out at the valley again until the guildmistress addressed him once more.
"Alright," she said, "Let me deal with the Apprentice. I've worked with Whispers before, and the Master did put her under my command. As for the others… we'll discuss this at the meeting. We got some info during our mission that means we need to speed up our plans. My intention is to take a representative team into Vabbi, hopefully of no more than ten people. I'd go smaller, but if the Princes are gonna take us seriously we need to show we have a lot of talent and numbers to spare."
"Agreed," Kydar nodded.
"However we need to leave enough of the command staff here that the guild can keep running smoothly," Rakiv said, and gave a sigh, "And I need to leave a commander here who can stay in charge while we're gone."
"Can't Kormir do that?" Kydar asked curiously, "She's commanded most of us before."
"Kormir is… no longer Spearmarshal," Rakiv mumbled lightly, "And doesn't want to be in charge. So that means I have to figure out who else can do the job."
"Well we can figure that out at the meeting too," Kydar nodded, "I… don't suppose there's anything I should know?"
"No," Rakiv shook her head automatically, "Our team did fine, and we got in and got out pretty easily. Everything else is just logistics we can talk about at the meeting."
"Good," Kydar nodded and chuckled lightly, "At least one of us had a good day yesterday," he laughed, before wincing and grabbing at his ribs in pain.
Rakiv began to chuckle as well, but the sound died on her lips as she watched him double over. Frowning she stepped forward and lifted aside his vest to lay eyes on the large bandage that spanned his ribcage. Violet eyes turned up to his hazels and the scribe gave a wry smile.
"Just a scratch, don't worry I'll be ready to go tomorrow," he chuckled.
"It needs rebinding," Rakiv replied, "Pull the bandages tighter so you can move without it hurting."
"Will do as soon as I get back to my tent," he assured her.
Rakiv was silent for a moment as she looked him over again, taking in every cut, bandage and laceration across the elementalist's dark skinned form. The ranger reached forward, her pale fingertips tracing a long scratch that ran across the scribe's abdomen. Something about each mark caused a pang of guilt in her chest, as well as something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. A moment later the emotion registered, and she knew it to be gratitude.
"Thank you Kydar," she finally murmured.
"Huh?" he blinked, "For what?"
"For… everything," she chuckled lightly, "For helping me run this guild, for pushing me when I wanted to quit, for believing in me when I didn't…"
She paused as she let go of his vest and lifted her fingers away from his chest. The huntress stepped back and gave a small chuckle as she brushed crimson bangs from her face.
"For fighting a demon so that I could go rescue Kormir," she said with a shake of her head, "I don't know how you did it. To tell you the truth, that was crazy…" she paused and then poked a finger hard in his chest, "And you better not ever do something like that again!" she warned.
"Ah!" the scribe laughed, and winced lightly, "That's still tender! And yeah, yeah I get it, no more gambling with my life."
"Damn right," she snorted as she turned away from him to stare out at the Elon river valley.
As the sun sank in the west over the sea the Elon itself light up, turning from a band of silver to a stream of reflective gold that wound through the land out to the ocean. The cliffs were sprayed with light as twisted and tangled brilliance danced across the red sandstone.
"Just… thanks," she said, as the breeze caught her hair, fanning it out behind her as she stared down into the valley, "I haven't known many people who are willing to do all the stuff you do… especially after all the crap I put you through. So… thank you."
"Heh, well you're very welcome Rakiv," he said and then laughed, "Maybe you'll remember that next time you try to ditch me in another province."
"Ugh… if you weren't injured I'd elbow you in the ribs," she snorted, trying to hide her amusement, "Hard."
"Whaaat?" Kydar laughed, "That totally wasn't worthy of abuse. If anything, I think I earned myself more of that life story of yours."
"Hmph, maybe later," she responded, with a dismissive wave of her hand.
The ranger stood a moment longer, watching as the sun sank into the sea before she turned away from the blazing orb and headed back down the mountain trail.
"C'mon Kydar," she said as she went, "We've got a meeting to hold."
"Following you," Kydar smiled as he fell in behind her, "Guildmistress Maelstrom."