Source Of The River (13 page)

C
rushing some
herbs between her fingers, Lenora sprinkled them into a glass of warm water.
Her supplies were running low as more and more dwarves were coming in for
treatment. The illness seemed to be spreading faster, and she had no idea if
she could cure it. So far, most of her patients had responded to a mixture of
yarrow and cherry bark. Though it was far from being a cure, it did help
alleviate a few symptoms.

This morning, she
had noticed one elderly dwarf whose situation was critical. Her herbs had done
little to soothe his suffering, and she hoped this new mixture would bring him
some comfort. Pressing the glass to the ailing man’s lips, she hoped that anise
and thyme would do the trick. He coughed a bit after drinking, but after a few
minutes he relaxed. As she wiped his forehead with a cloth, he looked into her
pale eyes.

“I’ve never seen an
elf before,” he said. “You are the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Lenora smiled
softly. “Thank you,” she said.

The old man took
her hand and pressed it to his heart. As his eyes closed, Lenora knew
immediately that he was dying. Laying her hand on the side of his face, she
said, “Stay with me.”

There was no reply.
Only the sound of his final breath reached her ears. Tears fell quickly from
her eyes as she covered the man’s face with a blanket. Losing a patient was
part of being a healer at times, but she hoped she would never become
accustomed to it. So far, she had lost three dwarves under her care. Each one
weighed heavily on her heart, making her more determined to help the rest. She
wondered if her friends were having any luck finding the artifact and how long
it would be before they returned.

She continued
checking on patients, hoping to work through her grief. Bron would handle the
grim task of informing the man’s family. It was best for them to hear such news
from a trusted member of their community. Lenora didn’t mind being spared from
that burden.

A dwarf woman
entered the tent, her expression showing her surprise at the number of patients
inside. Lenora couldn’t help thinking she bore a striking resemblance to Kaiya.
The woman was heavier and had graying hair, but their similarities were too
many to be coincidental.

On seeing Lenora,
the woman walked carefully between rows of cots to reach her. “I’ve come to
offer my help,” she said.

“Are you a nurse?”
Lenora asked.

“No,” she replied.
“My daughter has gone away to find help, and I thought I might be able to help
here. I don’t have medical training, but I can do whatever you need me to do.”

“You’re Kaiya’s
mother, aren’t you?” Lenora replied with a tired smile.

“I am,” she
replied. “My name’s Kassie.”

“I’m Lenora,” she
said, extending her hand. “Your help is most welcome. You could grind some of
these herbs and administer them to the sick.” Gesturing to the vials on the
desk, she asked, “Are you familiar with any of these?” She hoped Kassie would
know at least a few herbs, saving her the time it would take to explain.

“I know ginger by
looks,” she said, looking over the vials. “Some of the others I’ll recognize by
smell.” She popped a cork from the top of one vial and lifted it close to her
nose. Inhaling deeply, she said, “Yellowroot.”

“Good,” Lenora replied.
“I’m having luck with some combinations. You can grind those first.” Grabbing
three vials, she placed them in front of Kassie.

“I need two parts
of the first vial mixed with one part of each of the others,” she explained.
“One teaspoon dissolved in warm water seems to help with cough and fever.”

Kassie nodded that
she understood.

“Nurse!” one of the
female patients cried. “Please! Nurse!”

Lenora rushed from
her seat to tend to the woman’s needs. Kassie ground the herbs in a stone bowl,
occasionally glancing over at Lenora. The elf maiden had a gentle quality about
her, and it was easy to see that she cared for her patients. After tending the
woman, she checked on several other patients before returning to her seat.

“You’re more doctor
than nurse, I think,” Kassie commented.

“A title isn’t
important,” Lenora replied. “I’m a healer. Whatever term a person wants to use
for it is fine with me.”

“You certainly do a
better job than Bron,” Kassie said. “Most dwarves never experience care again
like they had with their mothers. The men always think they’re supposed to be
tough, at least in front of other men.” She chuckled a bit, knowing how
childish her own husband could be when he had a minor scrape or bruise.

“That might change
after this experience,” Lenora remarked.

“You may be right.
Do you have magic that could heal them?”

“I’ve tried to no
avail,” she replied. “The curse that is causing this illness is too strong for
me to break. I’ve used magic to help with some symptoms, but there are so many
patients that I run out quickly.”

“I didn’t know
magical beings could run out of magic,” Kassie commented. “I’ve never known
Kaiya to run out.”

“Kaiya is special,”
Lenora said. “I’m only an elf.”

“Yes, Kaiya is very
special,” she replied proudly. “I think you’re pretty special too, though. You
have shown these people a level of compassion that certainly isn’t common
around here.” She finished grinding the herbs and placed them in a vial. “All
done,” she said.

“Thank you,” Lenora
replied. “You can administer it to some of the patients if you like. Anyone who
is still coughing can have another dose. Any patients who are restless may
still have fever. They can have more medicine as well.”

Kassie nodded and
headed to the farthest side of the tent to check on the patients. After raising
five children, nursing the sick came easily to her. It was a welcome
distraction from worrying about Kaiya. She had no idea where her daughter was
going or what she might face when she got there. Perhaps she would return with
a cure. Until she made it back safely, Kassie would do her part to help.

T
he first stars
were appearing in the sky as Telorithan sat in front of the fireplace in his
laboratory. Hesitating for a moment, he wondered if he should bother tracking the
water elemental. His failure to bind Master Koru had left him shaken. This
being was almost certain to be stronger than Koru, even if it was trapped
within an elf body.
I must do this,
he thought.
I must have this
creature’s power.

Putting his doubts
aside, he gazed intently into the flames. The image of two elves and a dwarf
appeared before his eyes. They were walking carefully down a rocky slope,
laughing and talking as they descended. Telorithan could sense the elemental,
and also the weak powers of the second elf. There must have been something
unseen traveling with them, however. The magic he had sensed before was still
present, and its power was just as strong.
What can it be?

Being a dwarf,
Kaiya possessing magic was unthinkable to him. She could not possibly account
for any magical presence, especially one so strong.
What if the dwarf is
carrying something?
The thought sent shivers through his body. Dwarves were
well known for their ability to delve deep into the earth. Perhaps this one had
discovered something and was using it to assist the elemental.

Any object that
could enhance the elf’s abilities would create unknown complications in
Telorithan’s plan. Elementals possess intense magical powers, and they do not
tire easily. As an elf, Telorithan would have limits that might not apply to
his opponent. He hoped being trapped in elf form would inhibit this water
elemental. The idea of facing one at full strength might not be possible after
his failure to augment his power with Koru’s.

The second elf
didn’t appear to be much of a problem. He would be easily dispatched with a
wave of Telorithan’s hand. Still, he hoped the other two would not be present
when he finally faced his enemy. Expending his magical stores against only the
elemental would be ideal. Who knows how much magic would be needed to defeat
him? Spending one drop on the second elf or the useless dwarf would be a
terrible waste.

He wondered if it
would be wise to invite Sirra to fight alongside him. She could handle the
other two, allowing him to focus only on the elemental. He still blamed her
somewhat for his failure with Master Koru. Had she not distracted him, he would
have inspected the gem more thoroughly and noticed the flaw. Her constant
flaunting of her sexuality had no doubt been the reason for his negligence. Who
could possibly focus on the task at hand with her in the room?

Sirra, he decided,
would not be allowed to accompany him. Even if it meant using more magic than
he hoped, she would still be a distraction. His failure would be assured with
her around, so he made up his mind to travel alone. He regretted using the
thief’s essence for the fire, even if it had been a necessary sacrifice.
Without it, he couldn’t have located the elemental. Still, the small amount of
power the gem had held could have been useful in his fight.

As he stared
unblinking into the flames, he noticed movement in the background. Bits of moonlight
reflected in and out of focus in a rhythmic pattern.
They’ve reached the
ocean
, he realized. Still unsure of their purpose, he hesitated only a
moment. They were traveling away from the rising moon, which meant they were
heading westward—his direction. All he needed was a ship to take him to the
coast. This could be his chance to capture his prey.

With no time to
spare, he jumped to his feet and retrieved the sapphire that Master Yiranor had
given him. Wrapping it in a velvet cloth, he placed it carefully in the pocket
of his bright red robe. On his desk lay a small glass orb, which would work
nicely for transporting the visions in the flames. Holding the orb in front of
him, he drew a portion of the fire into it. Quickly peering inside, he
confirmed that the vision was still active. He felt a sense of relief.
At
least that part has gone right.

Running up the
spiral staircase, he quickly removed the magical barriers from his vault.
Transportation at this hour of the night could cost him dearly, but there was
no time to waste haggling prices. Grabbing a large leather purse full of gold
coins, he secured it to his belt.
If that doesn’t cover the cost, I’ll
strangle the ship’s captain.

Hurrying down the
stairs, he finally made it to the bottom. Seven floors felt like a hundred, as
he knew each second was precious. Any delay could cost him this chance, which might
never come again. He had to reach the coast as soon as possible.

Outside all was
still. Only the sound of Telorithan’s boots against the cobblestone path broke
through the silence. The docks were not far from his tower, and he desperately
hoped a ship would be ready to leave when he got there.

Upon reaching the
docks, he could see figures moving about on one of the smaller ships. Hopefully
a smaller vessel could move more quickly than a large one. Marching up the ramp
to the boat’s deck, he approached one of the sailors.

“You there,” he
said, his voice full of authority. “I need to book passage.”

“We sail at
sunrise,” the shirtless elf replied. “You can pay the fare now if you like.”

“I must leave at
once,” Telorithan declared. He untied the purse from his belt and presented it
before the sailor. Giving it a shake, the coins inside jingled against one
another. The sailor eyed him suspiciously.

“Gold,” Telorithan
stated forcefully. “All of it is yours if we leave immediately.”

The sailor snatched
the purse away from the silver-haired sorcerer. As he looked inside, his eyes
filled with greed. “Oy!” he shouted to his shipmates. “Make ready to sail now!”

The others looked
at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?” an elf carrying a load of
rope asked.

“The captain will
be wanting to shove off immediately when I show him this.” He dangled the purse
in front of the sailor, who apparently got the message. Dropping the rope to
the deck, he raced over to begin pulling up the anchor.

“Make yourself at
home,” the elf said. Reaching inside the purse, he pulled out a few coins and
slipped them into his pocket. The rest would be plenty to give to the captain.
He disappeared out of sight below deck.

The rest of the
sailors rushed to their duties to prepare the ship for departure. Telorithan
took a seat near the starboard side of the craft, his anxiety rising. His
fingers danced lightly over the sapphire in his pocket. Soon it would be filled
with immense power. His mouth watered with anticipation.

Reaching into his
other pocket, he pulled out the orb to check on his quarry once more. The soft
orange glow gave way to a clear picture of the three companions. It appeared
they were making camp near the coastline. He could not be certain where they
were heading. All he could do was hope that he would reach them in time. If
they moved away from the water, his journey would be for naught. He must not
miss this perfect opportunity. Power surged through his veins, readying itself
for the fight ahead.