Eleanor (76 page)

Laurice was putting up a worthy fight, but the guard was stronger, had her off balance and was pounding at her with powerful overhead blows she was just about managing to deflect. As Eleanor watched the woman’s defence crumble, the guard knocked her sword out of her hand, stepped forward and bashed her in the side of head. Laurice dropped to the ground. The guard stepped behind her, pulling her up by her hair and pressing his blade into her neck.

“It would seem I have the advantage again, Avatar,” Berick said smugly. He was focused on Eleanor and did not seem to have noticed the others yet.
 

“You cannot win this, Berick, you must know that. The minute you kill Laurice, you lose all leverage. I will destroy you, and Urerla will take control of the Nardar Tribe. Your only option is to release Laurice and beg for her mercy,” Eleanor told him. Berick seemed to consider this suggestion, the smug smile not leaving his face.
 

“Drop your defences,” Berick ordered.

Eleanor sighed. Why did everything always have to be so difficult? “Berick, are you in a rush to die?” she enquired. Berick said nothing but nodded at the guard, who moved slightly. Laurice cried out in pain and blood began to dribble down her neck. He turned his gaze back to Eleanor, his meaning clear: your move.

Eleanor shrugged. “It will not save you, but I will drop my shield,” she said loudly, hoping Amelia would take the hint. Berick stepped cautiously forward, his hand in front of him and smiling as he failed to encounter any resistance. Eleanor felt an energy string brush against her and felt Will’s presence fill her mind.

You have no idea how good it is to see you
, she told him.

We’d never willingly let you fight on your own, Eleanor. Nials came to see us after you left and asked us to step in. What are we going to do about Berick?

I promised Meran he could kill Berick.

“Drop your weapon, Avatar,” Berick ordered.

You promised the horse revenge?
Will asked. Concentrating more on her conversation with Will than Berick, Eleanor chucked Nials’ sword to the side.

Yes
,
she said, feeling a little angry.
You didn’t feel his grief, Will. He’s punishing himself for failing to protect his master, so revenge was the least I could do. Can you kill the man holding Laurice?

Unfortunately he’s too close to Laurice
–
we don’t have that kind of control. Anything we do at this point will be risking her life, too.

“If I cannot win, little Avatar, I will make sure that Laurice does not win either,” Berick snarled. Eleanor felt Meran’s mind as the horse realised that the man he wanted to kill was within striking distance; she told him to wait, the time was coming. The horse snorted impatiently.
 

“Is a lack of absolute power really so bad, Berick?” Eleanor asked. Not that she cared, but she needed time to think, and keeping Berick talking might provide it.

“Says an abomination of pure power,” he sneered, launching himself into a rambling justification of his actions.

Will, I have an idea.

What do you have in mind, Eleanor?

Well, if you release drawn energy, people jitter to death in seconds, but when I took energy from you and released it at Conlan it was weaker. He didn’t die, but it was unpleasant…
 

You want to pull my energy and release it at Laurice and the guard, reduce its impact?

Yes.

Freddie can do it, he has the best control.

OK, I’ll tell Meran what we’re going to do
–
that way, once Laurice and the guard are out of the picture, he can attack Berick.

OK, give me a second to tell the others.

While Will explained their plan, Eleanor told Meran what was going to happen, informing him that once Laurice and the man threatening her had dropped to the ground, Berick was all his for the taking. Eleanor felt his savage joy as she withdrew her energy string. Berick was still yelling and spitting a lifetime of impotent fury at her. Eleanor ignored him, glancing at Merl. The older man was staring back, obviously wondering what she was going to do next.
 

OK, they’re ready
,
Will said. Eleanor watched as Will closed his eyes and Freddie’s eyes almost immediately glazed over. Through her link to Will, Eleanor felt his energy fade as he dropped in a boneless heap to the ground. Eleanor turned to look at Laurice and smiled apologetically. Sensing that something was coming, the woman closed her black eyes and Freddie let Will’s energy go. Laurice and the guard collapsed back, writhing on the floor and crying in pain, before lying still. Eleanor looked back to Berick, whose vociferation had come to a stuttering halt as he looked in horror at his sister’s body. For several seconds nobody moved, then with an ear-splitting shriek Meran rushed forward, kicking his front legs out at Berick and hitting him with crippling blows to the stomach and chest. Berick fell back, and a spray of blood expelled from his mouth as he did so. He lay choking, blood running from the corners of his mouth and his face full of terror. Meran stepped over him slowly, lifting his front hoof over the sobbing man’s head. Berick pulled his arms up in defence, but all it did was delay the inevitable as Meran stomped repeatedly down on the cowering man. Eleanor winced as she heard the bones in Berick’s arms snap, the man releasing a gurgling scream of agony that was cut short by Meran’s precisely delivered hoof to the side of his head. No longer able to watch, Eleanor turned her head away and closed her eyes, cringing at the wet splitting sounds.
 

Silence.
 

Eleanor opened her eyes. Meran had moved away from Berick’s lifeless, bloody body. The horse stood, head bowed and shaking violently. Freddie and Amelia checked that Laurice, Urerla and Nials were OK, while Will lay on the ground, eyes dazed but open.

Will, are you OK?
 

I’m just tired.
 

Eleanor pulled her energy string free as he struggled to sit. Turning back, Eleanor saw Merl. The man still seemed to be in shock and stood like a statue, staring at what was left of Berick. Movement in her peripheral vision caught Eleanor’s eye. The guard who had threatened Laurice was on his feet, moving swiftly towards her. A dagger glittered sharply in his hand. Surprised, Eleanor stared, momentarily paralysed.

“Eleanor!”
 

The loud voice made her jump and then there were strong arms around her, pulling her away from the knife, a body moving to shield her, a grunt of pain, a heavy weight crushing her to the ground and pain strong enough to strip reality from her.
 

“Eleanor?”

Wincing, Eleanor opened her eyes and the fog cleared a little. She was lying on the ground and a hand stroked her head.

“What happened?” she asked, pushing her body to sit, Freddie helping her.

“Merl just saved your life,” Freddie said as she sat. Merl was lying on the ground next to her while Will assessed a deep gash across his ribs. Reaching forward, Eleanor placed a careful hand on Merl’s shoulder. He turned his eyes towards her. He had risked his life to save hers.

“Thank you,” Eleanor whispered, smiling gratefully. “Are you alright?”

“I will be fine once this butcher has finished poking and prodding,” Merl said, glaring at Will, who ignored him.

“Where’s the guard?” Eleanor asked. Freddie pointed to the stable wall where the guard lay sprawled in an unmoving heap, watched over by Amelia. Conlan stood a few feet away, watching her with an expression she did not understand. He was standing awkwardly, like he was uncomfortable in his own skin. She smiled at him and he smiled back, although it failed to reach his eyes. Eleanor frowned as his smile dropped. She watched as he walked stiffly past her to Meran and began gently stroking the trembling horse’s neck.
 

“What have you done to yourself?” he asked softly in Dwarfish. Meran lifted his head and locked his eyes on Conlan. A soft nose nuzzled into his face and then the broken animal dropped his head onto Conlan’s shoulder, taking a deep shuddering breath, eyes closing. Conlan wrapped an arm around Meran’s neck and with his other hand absently scratched behind his ears, just as he had done for Rand.
 

Urerla had come round, and once Will had assured her that Nials was going to be fine, she had pulled herself together enough to get help to carry Nials and Laurice to their beds so the healers could attend them. Laurice came round as she was being carried away. She insisted on issuing orders, smiling at Eleanor as she gave them their freedom back and made sure the traitorous guard was locked up for further interrogation.
 

It took a few days for Laurice, Nials, Urerla and Merl to recover. In the meantime, Eleanor and the others were allowed to go where they pleased; curious, appraising looks followed them. The full story of what happened appeared to have spread through the entire tribe, and small children kept coming up to Eleanor, begging her to blow things up. They had been given their own suite of rooms, overlooking the private garden, and Eleanor was enjoying sleeping in a bed again. She had even been able to have a bath. Despite the relaxed atmosphere, good food and comfortable bed, Eleanor’s nerves were on edge. At first she thought it was worry for Merl, as the knife wound had been deep, but Will had stitched up the gash, promising Eleanor that Merl would be fine. She believed him. It was not Merl that was making her uncomfortable, and as she thought about it she realised it was Conlan’s mood that was affecting her own and everyone else’s. They were all trying too hard to pretend everything was great, yet it did not feel right at all. Conlan had said barely five words to her in three days. He left their rooms before she woke and came back after she had gone to bed; he had almost moved into the stables with Meran. She did not begrudge him this contact, as she knew how much he missed Rand and how much his attention would be helping Meran, but Eleanor still felt like he was avoiding her. With this thought in mind she wandered down to the stables to enjoy the relative peace and the cool air the early hour afforded her.
 

Horse saw her approaching and came trotting over with an excited nicker. Eleanor climbed onto the fence so she could sit and stroke her friend’s nose. Looking out over the other horses, Meran was nowhere in sight. Having given Horse a long hello, she dropped down from the fence and headed towards the dark of the stables. Eleanor stood in the doorway, allowing her eyes to adjust to the gloom. Several stalls were filled with dozing animals. Moving down the building, Eleanor glanced into each stall. She heard Conlan’s voice before she saw them. He was murmuring softly to Meran in Dwarfish.

“Is that good? I am glad you like it… You deserve it, you are so special, do not give up; you are strong enough to survive. You want some more? Here.”

Eleanor smiled at the affection in his voice. In the last stall Conlan was stood with his back to her, feeding Meran treats. Eleanor was amazed at the difference three days had made. Meran was still thin and fragile, but he did not look like he was on the verge of dying. His movements were more fluid and graceful, as if some of his body’s pain had gone. The look in his eyes was brighter and more alert, and he was interested in what was going on around him. He saw Eleanor and snorted a greeting. Conlan turned around, holding Eleanor’s gaze for the first time in days. Silence stretched.

Meran, impatient for the tasty morsels he could see in front of him, nudged his head into Conlan’s stomach. The expression on Conlan’s face twisted into a rictus of pain. Gasping, he took a few steps back from Meran, face paling. The horse flashed Eleanor a concerned look and they both turned to look at Conlan as he stood, head bowed and arm wrapped protectively around his belly.

“What happened?” Eleanor asked, taking a step towards him.

“Nothing,” he said, stepping out of her reach. “I’m fine, please leave me alone.” His voice was hard and cold, but Eleanor could hear the misery underneath it – could feel it, even – as he refused to look at her. Worried, Eleanor took another quick three steps towards him. He retreated until his back hit the stable wall and he could go no further.
 

“You’re in pain, why?”
 

Holding her gaze with a miserable one of his own, Conlan stared at her and shook his head.
 

“I’m fine,” he insisted again.
 

Eleanor pushed gently into his stomach; he closed his eyes, jaw muscles clamping down on a groan, his body shuddering. Eleanor pulled his jacket apart, dragging his shirt up so she could inspect his abdomen. She got a flash of fist-shaped mottled purple, green and yellow bruises, before Conlan dropped the food he was carrying for Meran and drew his arms across himself, pulling his jacket closed and blocking her view.

“Please, I’m fine, leave me alone.”
 

Hurt that he would not tell her the truth, Eleanor took a step away and tears slipped down her cheeks.
 

“Don’t cry, Eleanor, I’m fine, truly.”
 

“You won’t tell me what happened – and that hurts,” she sobbed, waiting for an explanation. In miserable silence he stared back. With a kick of frustration she realised he was not going to tell her and felt her mind trying to fill in the blanks. Who would want to hurt him? Had Freddie hurt him as revenge for her? Had Will let him do it? Did they not understand that all they were doing was hurting her again?

“Freddie,” she whispered, seeing the confirmation in Conlan’s eyes. Rage shot through her with such force that she started to shake. “I’m going to do that glorified fire-lighter some serious damage.”
 

Conlan’s hand caught her arm and he looked at her beseechingly. “Please, Eleanor, no. Freddie had every right to make me suffer. I should never have let you do it.” Murderous rage created a pounding, throbbing cloud in her head. Her energy levels spiking, Eleanor shook his hand free and ran from the stables, heading towards their rooms. She knew Conlan was following, but she could run far faster.