Games of the Powerful

  Chapter 11

  Shaylee sat on the floor of the hall crying holding Durin’s head in her lap. He had received a ghastly wound in his abdomen protecting her and now he lay dying next to her. When the attack started, he had been close by trying to get up the nerve to ask her to dance. He saw an assassin disguised as one of the loyal kitchen servants take a long dagger from under his kitchen uniform and raise it to stab Shaylee in the back. He lunged grabbing the knife wielder's downward falling arm stopping it from striking her. The assailant quickly shoved him aside and drew back to make a slashing cut at Shaylee who had risen from her seat and turned around. Durin lunged in front of Shaylee to take the cut from one side of his body to the other falling face forward to the floor. The assailant thinking her easy prey now that her ineffectual protector was out of the way moved forward to make the kill. What he did not count on was Shaylee’s mother driving forward with her dagger and thrusting it deeply into his chest the look of shock on his face was only slightly gratifying to see.

  Now she sat with Durin watching him die. She could hear the sounds of the wounded and hear the mournful sounds of people grieving for the dead but none of that mattered to her. She did not know when the fighting had stopped and Bilgrammus had hurried to see if he could help but when he looked at the wound he shook his head sadly moving on to heal the less grievously injured. She did not hear the voice talking to her the first time nor the second time as it tried to get her attention. When she finally realized that someone is speaking to her, she looked up through tear-filled eyes seeing a young man and a young woman with a monster of a dog standing next to her. She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands so she could get a better look at the person trying to get her attention.

  “M’lady I think I can save him if you will let me try,” the soft-spoken young woman pleaded. She is dressed in light-brown heavy wool pants and a loose fitting matching long sleeve shirt tucked into her pants with a bronze ring belt and dagger around her very slim waist. To Shaylee’s fogged mind, she looked pretty in her way with her flaming red hair and hazel eyes and high cheekbones.

  “M’lady please she can help you if only you would let her do so,” the young man pleaded with a concerned expression on his face. The shoulder length black hair, pale complexion and light-blue eyes startled Shaylee with the stark contrast.

  “Please m’lady,” the young woman said stepping forward. With apprehension, Shaylee gently laid Durin’s head on the floor quickly standing to let her near Durin. The girl squatted next to him placing both her hands on his bloody wound. The young man quickly moved to stand next to her placing his hand on her shoulder in support.

  Holding her breath Shaylee watched with her heart in her throat for any sign of a change in Durin's condition. Seeing none she nearly fell to her knees in anxiety, when suddenly she noticed the torn and bloody tissue on either side of the girl's hands begin to heal, it looked as though the skin was knitting back together. Seeing the miracle of healing, hope swelled inside her bringing fresh tears to her eyes knowing Durin would live. Watching the sweat drip from her forehead, Shaylee knew the young woman strained mightily giving all she has in hopes of healing Durin. Glancing at the young man's face, she could see a strained expression on his face too suddenly realizing he is doing more than simply giving her moral support he is helping her somehow to heal Durin. As the moments painfully dragged by, she continued to watch them in fascination until she noticed them swaying dangerously back and forth. Luckily, for the young man Bilgrammus walked up at the right moment to catch the unconscious young man and gently lay him on the floor. Shaylee sprang into action catching the young woman keeping her from fallen backward and cracking her head on the floor for she too was unconscious. With Bilgrammus’s help, she gently laid the young woman on the floor.

  “Bilgrammus what happened here,” Shaylee whispered.

  “The greatest act of healing I have ever witnessed my dear. With great sacrifice to themselves, they have brought young Durin back from near death to the living. There has not been a pair like these two for a thousand years that I know of. Speaking of young Durin he is going to need a lot of tender love and care Shaylee if he is to survive this terrible wound,” he laughed to himself when Shaylee’s face changed to a look of concern hurrying to Durin placing his head on her thighs and gently running her fingers through his hair. Durin can thank me later he laughed bending to help these surprise visitors.