FOREVER KNIGHTS: #13 Salvaging Souls

Savage didn’t rouse again until he heard an echoing door kicked closed behind him. And a booming voice rising from across the huge marble foyer.

“Who is that?”

I don’t know that voice. Savage groaned.

“King of the Assassins.” Mardichi muttered.

“You know how I feel about assassins!” The man boomed.

Savage winced. Head pounding and weak from blood loss. Wanting nothing more than to be in his tent, in his bed, at the Blue Lark. Or better…In Dimurah’s…

“Would ye rather they all operate upon their own devices or bound by his code?” Mardichi nodded toward Savage strung down his back.

The other man grunted. Apparently seeing the logic in that.

“Come, Bast. Me won’t bother ye wit’ ’im. My hope is yer valkyrie will use ‘er artful healin’ hands ta piece ’im back together.”

“Well, keep him away from my daughter until I know what manner of man he is.”

“Done.” Mardichi grunted. “Valkyrie!” He roared up the stairs. Taking the first section of them, two at a time.

Making a tiny shadow emerge on the second level.

“I need your help.” Mardichi said.

“Really?” Shen didn’t sound impressed.

Who is she? The valkyrie, he’d called her. What is that?

“Where do you want him?”

“Up your rear, would be ideal.” She grunted.

Well, she speaks like an assassin.

They took the stairs and Savage grunted nearly every step as his lungs compressed against Mardichi’s shoulders.

Enough of the damn stairs! Thankfully, they’d reached the second level.

The woman leaned over to peer at his face. He blinked at her, but his vision was too blurred to distinguish anything but a wash of white hair.

“Is he even still alive?” She cried. “He’s torn apart!”

“Well, yes…” Mardichi admitted.

“Did you do this?” Her voice was accusing.

“No!” Mardichi was outraged. “I saved his skinny arse! Just help him.” Mardichi headed into a nearby chamber and tossed him on the bed. None to gently.

Savage groaned upon landing.

“I hardly see why I’m needed with your tender care.” She looked up at Mardichi, twice her size.

But Savage couldn’t see her expression. He blinked blearily, moaned, and fell into unconsciousness.

“Now look, what you’ve done!” Was the last thing he heard the woman say before he succumbed completely to the blackness.

Savage woke slowly to a warm touch on his forehead. A cooling rag dabbing his face.

Reflexively his grip snapped up to clutch the woman’s wrist.

The woman hissed in response and for a moment he thought he felt the skin in his grip going rough. Turning brown?

“Dimurah?” He asked.

“Elsabet.” She corrected acidly.

He blinked slowly. “Who are you?” He tried to lean up, but his weak neck wouldn’t obey his commands.

“Currently, your nursemaid.”

He released his grip on her. Hand falling.

“When were you born?” She asked carefully. Hesitating with the rag as she awaited his answer.

“1694.”

Why is that relevant?

“Why?” He questioned.

A squealing little girl rushed in. “Mama mama!” She held up a little doll smeared with charcoal.

She looks just like this woman.

Except the little girl had curling silver blond hair. Wound in tight ringlets.

She looks unreal. Like a tiny doll herself.

“I see.” Elsabet’s tone softened. Her body language warming as she gave the doll a long look over. “She does look quite pretty!”

“I know!” The little girl proudly declared.

“You know who else would look as lovely decorated the same?”

They mother and daughter exchanged a long look and the daughter nodded in slow understanding. “Daddy!” She grinned and ran from the room. Doll aloft.

Elsabet watched her go fondly before returning her attention to him to cryptically answer the question he’d asked. “Some things a woman just knows.”

“Huh.” He grunted.

Days went by. With the strange woman caressing a cooling palm over his forehead. Washing and bandaging his wounds.

He heard her shouting for more wraps for his wounds and Mardichi’s grunted response. Grumbling as the front door slammed.

He awoke again and smelled the stink of his own body. Realizing he was littered with infection. After a fortnight a blonde man he didn’t know entered the chamber.

“Get out!” Elsabet barked.

“Why?” He looked at her like whipped dog. “What’d I do?”

“Nothing.” She said. “Out! I don’t want you or him interacting until he is well enough, Sebastian.”

“That seems rather waspish, Elsabet.” Bast grumbled.

“It’s for your own good.”

“I don’t mind him coming in.” Savage was interested in this man, Chavias had often spoken of.

“I said no.” She barked.

And Bast left.

“That was rather cruel.”

“It’s for both of you, just now.” She murmured thoughtfully. Rubbing his bangs back.

“Why?”

“Some things a woman just knows…”

“What does that mean?” His eyes narrowed on her.

She smiled softly. “I’ve seen that look afore.”

He gave her a quizzical look.

“When you are well.” She said. “Tell me how you came to be Sarabis food.”

“Do you know what a Sarabi is?”

“I live with Forever Knights.” She gestured around. “I’m well aware.” Her luminous blue eyes gave him a dark look.

“My enemies are widespread.”

“Radix?”

He nodded. “I’ve killed many Cimmerii over the years. And starved his creatures.”

“Have you?” Her brow lifted in interest. “You’re a killer?”

“When it’s warranted.”

“And how do you determine that?”

“To protect my Kingdom and my people.”

“So noble.” She half smiled.

“Far from noble, My Lady.”

“Do you like killing?”

“No.”

“Then why do you do it?”

“Because it is a necessary evil in this world.”

“I’d agree.” She looked surprised. “Your mind is very much like mine.”

He shrugged.

“Who are you?”

“I was born in the Castle Ocnomad.”

“To the King?”

He shrugged.

“In 1694?”

“Yes.” He gave her a wary look. “Why is that significant?”

“It is only to me.”

He gave her a long study, but she said nothing more. Merely rang out the rag and began administering to his healing wounds.