Chapter 36:
Ania was relieved to see her friend stumble out of the general's quarters unharmed. She still gave the First Army healer an earful. " Why you keep on placing yourself in danger with him, I do not know! If your goal is to make everyone believe your romantic relationship with him is sound, it's VERY convincing". Kara raised an eyebrow, " How so?". Ania scoffed, " NO ONE goes to see him in that state. The fact that you come out whole is a sign enough that he cares". Indeed Kara could see the two Coporalki she had passed whispered in awe at her. Ania leaned in and whispered, " I would not be surprised if the king stopped sending you flowers and gifts soon. If this spreads, you will officially be protected from him". The Brunette's eyes softened, " Kara, this is a double-edged sword. You will also make enemies by being close to him. BE CAREFUL". Kara knew that Ania was right. She could not explain what tugged her into the general's presence when she felt him in pain. It was as if she felt part of the anguish herself. She placed her hand on the blue kefta and squeezed the fabric at the shoulder, " Thank you for checking up on me Ania". The Brunette blushed and grumbled, " Are all ungifted as brash as you? Or have I been cursed with a harebrained friend?". Kara laughed, " That's a pretty good description of me. No we are not all like that." She grew more serious. " I am about to do something even more reckless with Igor's help". Igor who was leaning against a stone column close by shook his head. " Do NOT bring me into this", he said briskly. Kara pulled out a letter scribbled in haste from her uniform pocket. It was sealed with Alexhander's ring. She handed it to the heart-render, " I have it on authority to see the Tailor".
Igor tensed, " Why? The man is a traitor". Kara shook her head in response, " The general will be the judge of that in due time. For now, he is a soldier who needs healing". Kara turned to Ania with pleading eyes. Her friend stiffened, " No. I will not heal him. Let him keep his scars. He'll be able to hide them with his Small Science anyway." Kara sighed in frustration. " I thought as much. I need someone to take me to his cell." Kara was led by none other than Konstantin. The Lieutenant cursed the whole way but was too loyal to his general. He led her down a winding stone staircase down into the deeper parts of the palace. left and right they went down a series of tunnels. Kara would have a hard time remembering the way. At last, the lieutenant found himself facing a heart-render posted infront of a cell. After a brief order to let the " Orphan healer" have access to the prisoner, he left swiftly. The tailor was indeed in a poor shape. His bright red hair was thick with blood. The contour of his eyes were bruised and his nose seemed broken. His hand bore the same gash she had seen on the general's hand. Kara remembered something about a blood oath. She would have to ask Igor about it. The prisoner's hands were bound. Kara had learned that Grisha could not summon if their hands were constrained this way. So if she stepped in with him, she was safe. The heart-render with the keys opened the rusted metal door and closed it shut after her entry. She dropped her heavy satchel on the floor. She had filled it as she would on a battle front, not knowing what she would find in that cell.
The man remained prostrate, his head bowed. In a broken Ravkan, he spoke " Have you come to gloat as I bleed?". He raised his head and kara's blue eyes met a kindred color. His watery blue were beautiful. He frowned, " You are not Grisha". Kara crouched to be level with him. " No. I am a head healer from First Army. I've come to tend to your wounds". The man cackled and red spit dribbled on his chin, " Ah. So none of the gifted have volunteered. I am not surprised." He leaned forward, a breath away from her face. " Tell me. When am I to expect to be killed in my sleep?". Kara pulled away briskly, " You will not. The general has other plans for you of which I know not. I have been assigned as your guardian until he makes his decision". The Tailor chuckled, " And how will YOU protect me from from those Grisha who see me as a traitor?". Kara searched through her bag for clean bandages and a bottle of distilled water. She poured the liquid over cotton strips and approached the man slowly. " Would the general make you swear a blood oath if he did not intend for you to live? I have his word and that is enough. He'll announce your protection and your position as my ward at tonight's diner. Now hold still". She began to wash his hand and spread an oak-infused cream before wrapping it in cloth. She then did her best to wash the wound to his head. The splatter of blood on his nose and chin were cleaned away. He looked better when she paused, " Are you hurt anywhere else?". The Tailor had said nothing as she had tended to him. He had looked at her silently puzzled at the gentleness of her touch. He answered softly, " I hurt everywhere". She frowned and stood, " Show me". She hissed in empathy at the dark bruises on his ribs and she pulled his shirt up. His back had been whipped too. She cursed under her breath, " Who did this to you?". The Tailor laughed, " I think some of the Grisha who took me needed to vent their anger at my treachery. They did this while the general slept". Kara winced in compassion. She did the best she could to treat the wounds and bind his broken rib". She then proceeded to blend different herbs in water. She held the cup to his lips, " It's a mixture of willow bark, devilclaw and feverfew. Its horrendous to the taste but it should ward off the pain and help you sleep". As she packed her things the Tailor cleared his throat. " My name is Timofei Safin". Kara looked at him surprised and realized it was his way of thanking her. She smiled, " My name is Kara". The Tailor raised a brow, " no family name?". The healer placed the satchel on her shoulder and shrugged, " None that I know of".
As she made her way back to her room, She found Soshi, the queen's handmaiden pacing infront of her door. She seemed worried. Once she saw Kara she quickly rushed to her. " I apologize for my intrusion Lady Kara. A young boy from the city was found pleading to come and find you. The guards would not let him in but I was sensitive to his distress. I smuggled him in as my nephew. I left him with the cook in the palace kitchens". Kara ran. She had guessed it was Yurii and she feared what his appearance meant. As she barged into the busy kitchen she found him crying by the fire. The cook had given him a mug of warm tea and placed a warm blanket on his shoulders. Once the boy saw the healer he crumbled into her arms sobbing. " Seraphine... she's...oh Saints". The tears were already streaming down Kara's face. She held the boy and they both wept. Kara had been concerned with the crone on her last visit. She had been coughing, her breath erratic. Ania had looked at her but found no infectious cause to her symptoms. " I cannot cure old age", the grisha had said. Poor Yurii was inconsolable. " What's going to happen to me?" he hiccuped. Kara rocked him gently, " I'll take care of you." Kara spent a large part of her meager salary to give Seraphine a decent funeral. The preacher was kind and the ceremony was simple but peaceful. Artyom was too far away to make the trip though he expressed his remorse in a letter days after. Very few people were at her funeral. Kara and Yurii came as family. Once the ceremony was over, Kara helped Yurii pack. She had had no time to find any stable solution for him and so she thought to take him with her. She had smuggles a small mattress into her room. As she came to the gate the soldiers refused to let the boy in. One of them sniffed, " We were told he was the Queen's handmaiden's nephew and now he is your protegee?". The other soldier agreed, " We do not let anyone in who does not have an invitation to stay". Kara was already weak with grief and she held tight to the boy's shoulders, " Please, he is my apprentice". the soldier missing a tooth leaned forward to inspect Yurii, " A little young for an apprentice don't you think?".
Suddenly both the soldier's tensed as a voiced called out from behind them, " Would you question my invitation soldier?". General kirigan's silhouette was formidable in the mid-morning light. He looked tired but much calmer than on the previous day. " I have agreed for Lady Kara to take a young apprentice. She needed a Scribe. you DO know how to write don't you boy?". Yurii nodded his eyes wide, " yes sir, I can read and write". The Shadow Summoner turned to the soldiers, " You are witnesses, this boy is a new addition to the Palace staff. He is here under my invitation and under Lady Kara's responsability". The soldiers muttered a disgruntled "move along" and Kara tugged Yurii by the hand. Kara quickened her pace to be level with the general, " How did you know where I was?". Alexhander looked at her over his shoulder, " I went looking for you to ask after our prisoner. Igor mentioned you were at a funeral". He stopped near the entrance to the gardens, " I am sorry for your loss, for you both". Kara still held Yurii close. The general escorted them both to Kara's room and the healer gently pushed the boy inside. She stayed a moment at her door. How could she thank him? She was moved by his gesture, granting Yurii a place by her side. She was still afraid it would not last. She whispered so the boy would not here, " Is your invitation official? I doubt the King would accept the unjustified presence of an orphan child who is not of age for apprenticeship".
Alexhander drummed a finger to his chin, " True. How much do you care for the boy?". She thought a moment, " He was like a son to Seraphine. He has no family. I would do anything to protect him". The general hesitated, " Would you be willing to adopt him?". Kara nodded. The shadow summoner adjusted his cloak, " Then go into town quickly and make it legal. Go to the city orphanage and negotiate with the tenant to say the boy comes from their keep. Have an adoption paper written and signed. The boy should stay in your room safe until your return. Once you have that proof, no one will dare rebuke my invitation for his stay. Take Esfir with you". Kara's heart drummed in her chest. Could it be that easy? She rushed into her room and grabbed what little money she had left. It wasn't much but might make the tenant more attentive to her pleas. She did not understand why Alexhander had insisted she take a heart-render with her but Esfir seemed curious about the mission. She trotted alongside her, her kefta hidden under a large shawl. Once they arrived at the orphanage, Kara tried not to stare at the underfed children. Most were not doing well and she took note to spend a healing session there. The tenant was a thin man with greedy eyes.
When she explained her situation, the tenant looked at his nails disinterested. " You would have me lie to the Ravkan state so you can adopt a foundling that is not in my care? I would only do such a thing for an interesting price". Kara was about to pull out her remaining salary when Esfir pushed her to lean onto the front desk. She began to play with her black hair, her other hand signing complex gestures under the safety of the countertop. She smiled, " And what is a little lie to a man as smart as you? I can only imagine how brilliant one must be to take care of such as establishment". She faked an expression of awe, " How you manage it is beyond me. You must have such goodness in your heart for these children". The man's eyes glazed over, " Yes yes, I am good to them". Esfir continued to sign discreetly, " A man such as you can understand my friend's plight? Please, she loves the child". The man who had seemed shrewd and greedy now looked close to tears. " Yes of course, poor thing. I'll write the adoption papers of course. Follow me". Esfir winked at Kara and followed the tenant smiling and chatting along the way. Saints, thought Kara, that was easy. Too easy.
Kara could not stop thanking the heart-render all the way to the palace. Esfir waved the compliments away, " Yes well, you seemed in a pickle. What the general orders has to be met with results. He knows what his soldiers are good at". She grinned proudly," That man was a blubbering mess when I finished with him". Kara chuckled, " You are chillingly talented indeed". The healer came to her room to find Yurii huddled under covers by the fire with adventure books. She was told that Soshi had brought them for him. She would have to thank the woman for her kindness. They had a quick diner before Yurii's eyes started to droop with sleep. She tucked him into bed and warned him she would be out late. She gave him a copy of the key and locked him safely inside. As she walked to the general's door she felt such elated relief. She grieved her old healing partner still but Yurii was safe. He was now her son and his eyes had twinkled with such happiness when she told him. She knocked on the Shadow summoner's door and opened it before any reply. The general was reading a few reports but placed them on the table. He turned to her, " Is everything settled then? Is the boy yours?". Kara's hand trembled, her heart pounding, " Yes, he is mine". She thought again to Ania's question, Are all ungifted as brash as you? she had answered, No we are not all like that. Saints, she was about to do the most reckless thing of her life. She crossed the room quickly and kissed the general firmly. " Let me be yours", she whispered.