"I did not know what to do. Should I kneel? Should I bow? I looked to Sergeant Wolffang and saw he was watching me for a clue of how he should act. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw King Ballan was amused by my confusion. In the end, I settled for a simple bow.
"'I would tell you to rise, but I am certain you do not understand a word I am saying. I will have to see what I can do about developing a translator.'
"Not at all, Your Majesty," I said.
"Now it was my turn to be amused by his look of confusion. I had spoken in Sauwerdan. However, he recovered quickly.
"'Well, one less problem of state to deal with. Look, if you don't mind, I'm hungry and I'm sure you are famished after your long trip. Would you mind if we continued this conversation over a midday meal?'
"King Ballan dismissed the guards. Alone, he escorted Sergeant Wolffang, Lileah, and me back down the grand stairway, through the grand ballroom, through a formal dining room and into a cozy dining area near the kitchen. Throughout the meal, we heard the rough language of cooks and kitchen help quietly through the doorway. I found it restful.
"As food was served, I told the King of Allivan’s use of merchants to develop peaceful relations with new territories. I explained that, unfortunately, this time men had been selected who placed personal gain over the nation's welfare. Once an agreement was reached between Allivan and Sauwerdah, the men would be returned to face justice and all steps would be made to recover the gold taken from the people of Ler Dan and Oliman.
"I felt King Ballan’s eyes on me as I talked, assessing me, trying to see whether there was any duplicity in my statements. I sensed he would know a false statement immediately and all trust would be lost. The feeling was not uncomfortable. I could tell he was not being judgmental, only cautious.
"He asked why I brought Sergeant Wolffang and Lileah with me. He was asking polite questions to give himself time to consider all I told him. I was glad to see he was not a man who jumped to rapid conclusions when there was no need of haste.
"I explained the Sergeant was the first person I spoke to in Sauwerdah. I found him brave in the face of certain death, truthful in all respects and caring of his men. He was a fine example of Sauwerdan soldiers and I felt I could trust him with my life. I asked permission for him to stay with us for guidance when there were aspects of Sauwerdan culture I was unfamiliar with and because he had a habit of providing a fresh perspective on my observations.
"It was more difficult to explain Lileah. Magic had not developed in Sauwerdah. They had only basic healing arts, consisting mostly of herb teas to reduce headaches or aid in bringing sleep. I suggested, if there were any ill or injured persons about, Lileah could demonstrate.
"He called to the kitchen. A few seconds later, a rotund, red-faced women in a cook's apron appeared. She rapidly wiped her hands on a cloth as she bowed her way in. I noted she had no fear of the King, but great respect. Something I found consistently in the people of Riverford.
"He asked whether Peter, her son, was about. When she nodded, he asked her to fetch him. It was a measure of the trust she had in her King that she did not question his motives. She scurried quickly away to find the lad.
"In a few minutes we heard a strange knock of wood on stone, followed by a shuffle, then again the knock. The lad that limped in on crutches tore at my heart. He could not have been more than twelve. One leg, bent to protect it from striking the ground, could not sustain his weight. The other barely touched the ground, but each time it did a look of agony covered his face. The parts of his body we could see were covered with lesions. The armpits of his shirt and the armrests of his crutches were shiny with a red coat of fresh blood. The boy gritted his teeth as he moved, but bravely tried to hide the immense pain he was enduring.
"At the first sight of the boy, while I was still in shock over his appearance, Lileah moved to the doorway and threw her shawl on the floor. She reached and touched the boy’s forehead. He was instantly asleep.
"With the help of the heavy lady in the apron, they laid him on the shawl. Lileah put a hand on his chest, then his neck. She lifted an eyelid and peered beneath. She looked at me. I have rarely seen such pain in one person’s eyes. I looked to the lad and wondered whether she would be able to save him."
CHAPTER 27
The sun was almost to its zenith. It hung a warm yellow globe in a sea of azure. Dripping snowmelt pattered in a constantly increasing downpour around the two riders. Thin plates of ice cracked and shattered under the horses’ hooves. The road was a sea of mud sucking and clinging in balls around the legs of their mounts. The horses' necks arched, heads down, bodies leaned forward. Whistling snorts of exertion ruffled their nostrils as they tried to make headway.
"This is no good." Darius held up a hand to stop them. "The mounts are laboring too hard. They can go no farther."
Although not yet midday, he pulled his animal to the side of the road and dismounted. The horse’s shoulder muscles jerked in spasms from its labors. Lather spotted the winter fur along its neck. The scent of warm horseflesh rose around them. Selecting a pine bough retreat, Darius unsaddled and unpacked. Leena was silent, thinking of his tale as she unsaddled her mount.
What would she have done if confronted with a victim as wretched as the boy Darius described? She knew spells that could maintain life and ones that could remove lesions. However, these treated the symptoms not the cause of the lad’s distress. As she rubbed her horse dry with a scrap of burlap, she wondered how Lileah handled it. She realized just how much training she had yet to complete before her eighteenth birthday. With a clutching in her chest, she wondered whether she would find her mother and complete that training.
She shook the thoughts away. She could do nothing at the moment except remain on the course she chose. Lightly, she slapped the horse’s flank. It wandered to join the other two pawing among thinning patches of snow for winter browned grass.
"You’ve been unusually quiet since we stopped." Darius eyed her with concern as she settled beside him on moist pine needles beneath the branches. "Is something troubling you?"
She returned his gaze. Hope rose in her. Surely someone this kind and caring could not be a party to the Great Wizard's atrocities. She wanted to tell him what happened and enlist his aid in finding her parents. She wanted him to tell her how to right the wrongs that had been done. However, the time was not right. Besides, she wanted to hear the rest of his tale. Hopefully, by the time he finished she would find a way to open the sealed chest of her sorrows.
"I was thinking about Lileah and wondering what I would do in her place. One thing that makes a good hedge witch is her ability to feel the pain of others as though hers. By looking inside ourselves and knowing how our spells or medications would affect us, we know what cure will be most appropriate."
She looked back along their trail. The hoof prints were now deep holes filled with muddy water. On either side of the road, gaily bubbling, clear rivers of snowmelt danced in ice-lined channels past them.
At this moment, she saw the road as a metaphor of her life. The road already traveled was innocent, but spotted by dark pools with hidden depths. The streams on either side were lives of people and events rushing past, changing the road’s edges, modifying its appearance, but not affecting the course of the road. The road ahead led to an unknown destination her actions would influence. She wondered how far she would travel and how deep her imprint would be.
"By that definition," Darius’ voice jerked her from her reverie, "Lileah was an excellent hedge witch."
Leena laid back, fingers interlocked behind her black tresses, pillowing her head on soft pine needles. Patches of blue sky danced between spaces in the boughs above as a breeze wove its tune through their green mass. She felt at peace lying here, listening to his voice.
"I looked into her pain-laden eyes and feared the worst. In a voice hoarse with feeling, Lileah told us that, had we not arrived when we did, the boy would not see the sunset. His heart was being consumed by the disease ea
ting his body.
"Fascinated, we watched. As she chanted, she touched her wand to his forehead, his lips, his chest, his arms and legs. Other than a deepening of the boy's respiration, there seemed no change. However, now his face looked at peace.
"She asked the cook to fetch a large bowl. She placed the roughly carved bowl on the floor near the boy's head and lay down next to him. Gathering him in her arms, she rolled so the boy rested, limp as a wet rag, atop her with his head suspended above the bowl. Chanting, she gently patted his back as though drawing a burp from an infant. All was still in the room as we watched, mesmerized by the scene.
"A small stream of saliva slid between the boy's lips into the bowl. Slowly its force increased and its color changed. Blood and vile greenish-yellow liquid began to drip from the boy’s mouth into the bowl. A stench of death rose around us as the flow expanded. The boy’s mouth opened wider, expelling ever greater amounts of sickening fluid. His skin started to change. It was so subtle at first I suspected my eyes deceived me. As the bowl filled, his lesions shrank. Then, with a sound like the rending of strong cloth, the boy’s mouth distended impossibly wide. As though forced by tremendous internal pressure, a red, green and yellow mass splashed into the bowl with an unhealthy plop. The smell, barely tolerable moments ago, increased to a gut-wrenching level that threatened to release the contents of every stomach.
"Throughout, Lileah seemed oblivious. Her eyes closed, she continued patting the boy's back while chanting. Her face remained as calm as a mother singing her child to sleep.
"I held a handkerchief over my face to lessen the effects of the horrible odor. The cook breathed into her rag. Sergeant Wolffang, looking green around the jaw, retreated to the far side of the room. However, I noticed he stayed in sight of what was happening. I looked at King Ballan. His eyes glowed with rapt attention, so enthralled he seemed unaware of the stench bathing the room.
"As though waking from a dream, Lileah’s eyes opened slowly as her chant diminished to silence. Gently, cradling his head to protect it, she rolled the boy onto her shawl.
"The cook moved as though to embrace the child. Lileah held up a hand to stop her.
"'The boy must sleep undisturbed until morning.'
"She looked at the King and requested the room be sealed and guarded to ensure the boy’s unbroken rest. She would appreciate permission to check him hourly until he awoke.
"King Ballan readily agreed and left to make the arrangement. Lileah hefted the laden wooden bowl and set it among the flames in the hearth. She retrieved her wand and, with a wave, sent white hot flames to consume the vile mass. In a second the bowl and its contents were reduced to powdery ash that floated lazily up the chimney. With the destruction of the bowl, the unbearable smell vanished.
"King Ballan returned to inform us it would be as requested. He stood above the boy and stared at him with the loving eyes of a father.
"Quietly, he told us the boy, son of the cook and butler, had been in the castle since birth. Until afflicted, he was a happy energetic lad that warmed the heart of all who knew him. He was a favorite of court and commoner alike. King Ballan had come to love him as a son. All knew any person who contracted the wasting disease was condemned and their death would be slow and painful.
"The King stood in silent contemplation for several minutes. We waited, not wishing to disturb his thoughts. Finally, he looked up and asked us to accompany him."
CHAPTER 28
"King Ballan took us to the most comfortable room I’ve known. One wall was covered with books. Until that moment, I did not know there could be so many. He must have had more than five hundred.
"A large oak desk sat in front of the bookshelves facing two modest chairs. Past these were two large leather couches with a low oak table between. Beyond them, a large fireplace crackled.
"Suspended on the walls behind either couch were enormous tapestries portraying forests with sparkling brooks and peaceful animals interacting with gentle humans. Torches on either side caused the scenes to ripple and dance as though alive. This room was engineered to soothe the soul. It was the personal retreat of the King.
"He motioned us to sit on the couches, Lileah and I took one and Sergeant Wolffang the other. The King poured us mugs of wine from a leather flask on the low table. He took a seat on the couch next to the Sergeant and stared quietly into the flames for a few minutes. Then he asked me to tell him of our nation.
"Throughout the afternoon, I told him the history of our land. I told him the legend of Skylar, the first holder of the Garlan branch, and of the rise of Robart, the current Great Wizard. I spoke of the peace that has lasted for nearly a thousand years. I told the tale of our expansion from the cold wastes of the north to the swamplands of the south and from the desert in the west to the first venturing across the Great Eastern Sea to his land.
"The afternoon passed quickly. Wine and fire soothed our spirits and by late afternoon we were laughing together. He was fascinated any human could live nearly a thousand years. In his land there had been more than twenty kings in that time.
"Lileah left periodically to check the boy. Some time during late afternoon, Sergeant Wolffang quietly fell asleep.
"On one of her returns from checking Peter, the King questioned Lileah closely about magic. He wanted to know whether it would be possible for his people to learn. She explained hedge witches were born with the innate gift to heal. Teaching was developed to harness the gift and direct it when and where needed. All hedge witches had the skill to see the gift in others. She would be happy to help him establish whether the gift was available in Sauwerdah and, if so, to help teach the young women.
"In response to his question, she told him the ability to use nature magically seemed to reside only in females while the ability to control elements seemed active only in males. Women can commune with plants and animals, use rain and sunshine to heal and improve crops and livestock. They also have the power to ignite and extinguish heat and fire, but not to control it. Men, known as wizards, can control earth, air, fire and water to modify the environment around them. They can also cast spells that affect people's minds.
"She told of rumors there are other forms of magic in the west, beyond the Impassable Dessert, that use things not of this world. Legends and rumors tell of sorcerers and sorceresses with the ability to create the illusion of life, to call forth spirits from beyond this realm and many powers too terrible to imagine. However, she had not seen these powers. The stories say these capabilities are learned and not limited by gender, nor do they require an innate gift. Legends also say a high price must be paid to obtain these skills.
"'All forms of magic can be used for either good or evil. The nature of their use depends on the nature of the person who wields them.'
"Sometime during the afternoon, King Ballan asked me to tell him what it means to be a knight. I described the training and the purpose of knighthood. Out of all of it, he seemed most fascinated by my description of horses. They had no similar beast in Sauwerdah. I told him we had two dozen on the ships that brought us here. He suggested he return to Ler Dan with us so he could see these mighty beasts. It was agreed."
CHAPTER 29
"We breakfasted the next morning in the room where Lileah treated the ailing child. As the meal ended, a freshly cleaned young man walked in and stood patiently at the head of the table. Several moments passed before I realized he was Peter. The lad stood straight and strong with a clear, trusting face of youth. Only Lileah was not surprised by his appearance because she visited him hourly since the expulsion of his disease.
"When the King acknowledged him, Peter politely asked for the privilege of serving as an aid to Lileah. He wished to repay her for saving his life. He had no knowledge of healing arts, but he was now strong and quick in body and mind and would do whatever she requested.
"Through the doorway I saw the cook, her rag now being used to dab tears from her eyes, and the butler with wet trails along his cheeks peeking arou
nd the door frame. Their eyes shined with gratitude for Lileah and pride for the gentleman who was their son.
"The King looked to Lileah. She nodded and it was agreed. During her stay or while he chose, Peter would remain by her side to serve her.
"Through the doorway, I heard the honking of blowing noses as the cook and butler scurried back to their duties.
"We spent a week in Riverford. I learned how they hunted by sending several men to the far side of a field. They formed a line across the breadth of it and walked toward us. As they approached our stationary position, birds took flight in our direction and game ran straight toward us. The method was effective for gaining provisions, but not much sport. Hunting for sport had never occurred to the Sauwerdans. It was necessary, but regrettable, done only to obtain food. Sauwerdans are close to nature and harm it only when necessary for survival.
"I was asked to watch the exercises of the King’s personal guards. Their tactics had been developed around leather armor and bronze swords. They were far less aggressive than Allivanian soldiers. I suggested I teach them a few of our methods and asked that Sergeant Wolffang be allowed to join the training. Although I sensed condescension in their attitude, they agreed.
"I showed how their weapons could be used aggressively and defensively. By the end of the week, many showed promise of being competent swordsmen. Surprisingly, the most skilled was the good Sergeant. I think he felt the disdain of the King's personal guard and I suspect he spent many extra hours at night training when no one would see him.
"We also toured their farms. Their methods were primitive by our standards. They had no concept of plowing or fertilizing the soil. The land was so overused their crops were meager and unhealthy. Their animals were penned in large pastures and left to fend for themselves. They grazed on whatever plants happened to be in the field. Lileah, constantly attended by Peter, met many farmers and showed them methods for increasing yields with less work.
"When she was not helping farmers, Lileah spent her time healing the ailing. In whatever she did, she carefully explained her actions and their reasons to Peter. Soon the boy was anticipating her needs.