Chronicles Of The Warlands - Warlord Part 19

The warrior ignored him. "Warprize, I fear it is the plague."

Chapter 10.

For a brief instant, my heart filled with joy. It was a ploy. Keir would be waiting in a tent, pretending to be ill- But then I saw the fear in Tant's eyes, and knew it was no gambit of Keir's. Tant was terrified. No one who had lived through the horror of the plague would ever take it lightly.

G.o.ddess, no.

Deep within, a part of me started to wail in fear. The image of this city of tents burning, of these warm and vibrant people dead, flashed before my eyes.

But the other part, the Master Healer, awoke with anger and determination. Not here. Not if I had any thing to say about it. I clutched the strap of my satchel. "Where?"

Relief flooding his face, Tant turned to lead the way, and we both ran into two of my guards, who had

moved to block our path. "No. This is not-""Bracnect," I snarled. "Follow if you wish, but get out of my way." I pushed past them, pulling Tant withme.

"Xylara," Amyu called, but I ignored her. I knew well enough that they wouldn't hurt me. As if to confirm

my thought, two guards ran off, no doubt to report my transgressions.

"Keep moving," I whispered, and Tant obliged, moving off at a trot. I followed close behind, my thoughts racing with my feet.

Could it be the plague? We'd waited the required forty days after Gils died. A flash of sorrow cut me as I remembered the boy. His had been the last death caused by the illness. We'd waited the forty days, and dawdled as we'd traveled. Tradition said that was time enough for the plague to fade away.

But the sweat had been like no other, killing quickly and striking fast. Maybe we hadn't waited long enough. Maybe we'd carried it with us, an unseen enemy, into the Heart of the Plains.My mouth went dry, but my eyes started to tear. Oh, G.o.ddess, please, no. All these people. All thesechildren. In my mind's eye I saw again the blackened village, used as a pyre for the dead.

We were at a tent and in before I could take another breath. The tent wasn't large, and held a pallet with a child on it, surrounded by three women, a small brazier off to the side. I focused instantly on the child, a boy, hair plastered to his forehead, damp with sweat. He turned wide, frightened eyes towards me.

"I found her," Tant started, but then Amyu and two of my guards burst into the tent.

"Outside," I barked.

They hesitated.

"Outside!" one of the women snapped, repeating my order with a glare as fierce as Marcus's.

That was too much for them, and they retreated out through the tent flap.

I knelt beside the pallet. "I am Lara, of-"

"Tant told us." The woman spoke. "I am Inde of the Bear, thea to Sako." She nodded her head toward

the boy on the pallet. "Tant told us of the 'plague' and gave us this." She held out a jar of fever's foe. "We

didn't know how to use it, and Tant said that you must be brought here, to treat the child."

The other woman protested. "She should not be here. Who is she, a city-dweller, to treat a child of the Plains? You offend the elements and the warrior-priests."

Inde's glance was a quelling one. "I will risk that, to protect the life of this boy."

The woman scowled, but closed her mouth in a tight frown.

"How long has he been ill?" I reached out to feel the boy's forehead, smiling at him. He stared at me

un-blinkingly. His wooden weapons were next to him, on his pallet, set out much the same way that Keir

positioned his. That had to mean he was between three and four years old.

"A few hours." Inde took up a cloth, and bathed the child's forehead. "He complained of feeling tired ear lier, and I put him to bed. I should have realized when he didn't protest that he wasn't well. I checked on him and found him sweating."

Tant was hovering over us. "I couldn't risk it, Warprize. Not after-"

"You were right, Tant." I gave him an approving glance, and he relaxed. "We can take no risks when it comes to the plague." I placed my hand against Sako's forehead. "But I doubt this is the sweat."

There was a noise outside. Before we could do more than look up, Wild Winds swept into the tent.

"What is this?"

Tant and the women had lowered their heads, their eyes down. So I spoke up. "A sick child, Eldest Warrior-Priest. They feared that it might be the plague, and asked me to see the child."

Wild Winds's eye narrowed, and he took a step closer. Tant pressed himself to the canvas to allow the

man to pa.s.s. "Is it?" he demanded, the skulls hanging from his staff rattling against one another.

"No. It isn't." I answered firmly.

Tant sagged with relief, muttering a soft prayer to the earth.

"How so?" Wild Winds demanded.

"Do you hurt, Sako?" I asked softly. "Can you show me where?"

The boy nodded, and rubbed his throat and ears.

"Open your mouth," I asked, and sure enough, his throat was raw. "Does it hurt to swallow?"

He nodded again, his large brown eyes darting between myself and the warrior-priest.

"This is common for children among my people." I glanced at Inde and got a quick confirming nod. "It is

not the plague."

Wild Winds turned, saying something soft to one of the guards outside. I heard running feet as Wild Winds turned back and folded his arms over his chest. "And how would you heal this, Xyian?"

Startled, I looked up into that tattooed face, but all I saw was honest curiosity.

"I would have the child rest and sleep. I would have his thea give him a dose of the fever's foe." I caught a flash of fear over Tant's face. "Out of the jar that I have given them." I reached for it, and scooped out some on my finger. "This much, every two hours." I showed it to Wild Winds, then turned back to Sako. "Open up. The taste is bad, but you are a warrior, eh?"

The boy bravely opened his mouth, and I sc.r.a.ped the fever's foe on his tongue. He made no protest to the taste, warrior that he was. But that didn't stop him from s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up his face in disgust.

"How do you know this is not the plague?" Wild Winds demanded.

"The plague strikes fast, and is very deadly. The fever is hot and fierce. Any who take ill tend to lose their wits, and sweat much more than this child." I looked at the theas. "There is also an odor with the plague, a very rank smell. Almost as bad as ehat musk."

"So if the child had the plague, he would already be dead," Wild Winds stated.

I nodded, even as the woman sucked in a breath in horror. But Inde was made of sterner stuff. She'd fol lowed our conversation intently, and now spoke. "Warprize. I would ask for your token."

Caught off guard, it took me a moment to hand her the jar of fever's foe. "You have my token, Inde."

Inde took the jar, and cradled it in her hands. "Warprize, I would tell you a truth. The skills of the Warprize are spoken of with praise, and you are known to be a 'healer', with fabulous powers over life and death." She kept her eyes averted, but turned her head toward Wild Winds. "I would not offend, but I would ask the warrior-priest to cast his spells of healing as well." She shifted the jar in her hands. "The health of the child is the most important thing."

Sako's eyes got even bigger, and he swallowed hard, with obvious pain.

Magic. I might get to see magical healing. I kept my face calm but my heart jumped at the chance. But when I cast a look up at Wild Winds's face, he returned my look with a neutral glance. I shifted my eyes away, but the silence continued to grow. Was he really going to refuse to heal a child?

I reached for my satchel, and shifted away from the boy's side. The theas were startled by my movement, but I ignored them. I tried to make my voice sound normal. "I am not offended, Inde. You are right. What matters is the boy's well-being."

I stood then, and stepped away, as if making room. As I brushed close to Wild Winds, I challenged him with a look, but said nothing.

Wild Winds arched an eyebrow in response, but also remained silent. I thought he would refuse, but then he let his cloak drop to the floor, and plunged his staff into the ground. With one step he moved to stand at the boy's side.

With wide eyes, the theas moved as well, Inde moving to Sako's head, the other woman to his feet. Tant was summoned with a flick of Wild Winds' finger, and placed opposite him.

Wild Winds took something from a belt pouch, and added it to the small brazier. Then he sank to his knees beside the boy. The others sank as well. Out of courtesy I sat down too, but with much less grace.

The staff wasn't far from me, and those human skulls seemed to move on their own, dangling from the end of braided leather strips.

Wild Winds began to chant, calling the elements to him and asking for their aid. His voice was deep and strong. The others took up the chant as well, their heads down, their voices a soft undertone. Sako was perfectly still, his breathing deep and slow, his eyes closed.

Smoke puffed from the coals, and, to my surprise, spilled down over the sides of the brazier, a lovely, deep purple. It flowed down, covering the floor of the tent, and then started to rise slowly around us. It made me uneasy, but the others didn't seem to mind. I realized that their eyes were closed, and they were swaying slightly to the beat of the chant.

Wild Winds was an imposing figure, with those matted braids, and the tattoos that covered his body. The dim light made it seem as if they moved, intertwining, dancing over his skin to the sound of Wild Winds's voice. The skulls seemed to tremble with the sound, turning to grin at me.

I blinked a bit, sat up straighter, and tried not to breathe so deeply.

"We are of the elements," Wild Winds spoke as the others continued the chant. "Flesh, breath, soul, and blood." He reached and pressed his right hand down on Sako's left hand. "The soul is made of fire, and sits within the left hand."

The boy gasped at his touch, his whole body jerking, his eyes flying open. Wild Winds reached over and brushed his hand over them, and Sako closed them in obedience.

"The breath is made of air, and sits within the right hand." Wild Winds pressed on Sako's right hand. The boy's breathing was slowing again, as his body relaxed. I watched carefully, trying to see a change in his condition.

"The blood is made of water, and sits within the left foot." Wild Winds reached for the boy's foot and I re membered where I'd heard these words before. That night, in Keir's tent, after he'd attacked Lord Durst in the heat of anger. He'd used the same phrases. I tried to use them on Keir when he'd been ill, but I'd gotten it wrong.

Wild Winds pressed the boy's right foot. "The flesh is made of earth and sits within the right foot." He leaned back on his heels. "The elements will heal you, warrior of the Plains."

The brazier had stopped smoking, and the air was beginning to clear. Wild Winds reached out, and pulled the boy's blanket higher, over his shoulders. "Sleep now."

Sako stirred, opened his eyes and smiled into that fearsome face. "My thanks, Eldest Warrior-Priest." He yawned, and blinked sleepily. "You have honored me."

"Sleep." Wild Winds rose. The others were rousing as well, lifting their heads, and looking about as if con fused. He looked down at them sternly. "Air the tent, but keep him warm."

"Our thanks, Eldest Warrior-Priest," Inde spoke, even as she and the other woman moved to obey, but Tant paused before me.

"I'm sorry, Warprize. I feared that the plague was here."

"You did the right thing, Tant." I stood as well, and gathered up my satchel. "We can't take any chances."

Tant nodded his head, and moved to help the others.

"I will escort you to your tent," Wild Winds said, retrieving his cloak and pulling his staff from the ground.