The Crow King's Wife (11 page)

“And the fact that he isn’t truly dead
doesn’t help at all.” Zoelyn concluded quietly and let out a long
breath.

Valor shook his head slowly and smiled sadly.
“Not in the least bit, though I’m glad he is. Hindsight is perfect
Zoelyn and given a chance to go back and do things differently I’m
quite sure Jala would be living a simple life in Firym and Merro
would still be in ruins. She has a lot on her shoulders and keeps
reaching for more. I think she is afraid if she focuses herself on
just Merro she will run out of things to keep herself busy with,
and then she will have to face what she is trying to forget.” He
chewed on the grass stem for a moment then pushed off the rail and
rubbed his face. “And this isn’t getting us anywhere and it’s not
something I want to dwell on.” He announced with a forced smile.
“So back to business, if you truly want to sell her I’ll give you a
hundred gold for her. Horses are selling high now, and she is
better than most so she is worth it. Too many of the herds were
lost in Arovan, so her colts will make the investment worthwhile.
Will that suffice for travel money?”

Zoelyn blinked at him in shock and nodded
slowly with a dumbfounded expression. “I was expecting perhaps
twenty gold.” She admitted quietly. A hundred gold would be enough
for her to book passage on a spell hawk if she could find one for
hire soon. She had been expecting to have to take a ship out of
Brannaford ports.

“Common plow horses are selling for twenty
gold right now. Too many horses were killed during the fighting,
and prices have sky rocketed on everything. Grain is high, hay is
nearly impossible to find in most lands, and anything with four
legs and a working body is bringing top coin.” Valor informed her
with a shrug then paused as something behind her caught his
attention. “But maybe this should wait until we see what this is
about.” He murmured as a slight smile crept onto his face.

Zoelyn turned slowly to stare in the
direction he was looking and caught the barest glimpse of metal
against sunlight in the horizon. “Is that a Spell hawk?” she asked
stupidly, though it was obvious it had to be. Nothing else would be
in the sky and made of metal.

“Not just any Spell Hawk, I think that is
The Shade
. It’s well past time for him to return, Jala was
beginning to fear the worst.” Valor said cheerfully as he patted
her on the shoulder and smiled. “If you play your cards right you
might be able to get a free ride to Delvay without having to sell
your mare.”

“But I can’t take her with me to Delvay,
Valor. She wouldn’t do well that high in the mountains and it’s
possible the Snow Cats would see her as dinner.” Zoelyn protested
as he started to head for the sky port. With an exasperated sigh
she hurried after him.

“Too true so you should leave her here with
me for the time being and allow me to raise a colt or two from her
in return for board. She would still be yours, and I would have
fresh stock with good lines. It would be beneficial to us both.”
Valor called over his shoulder as his pace quickened. Jala had
noticed the approaching ship too, and it was clear that Valor
wanted to reach the port at the same time Jala did to ensure he
didn’t miss anything.

They reached the edge of the port as the
Spell hawk touched down and even Zoelyn noticed how rough the
landing was. Valor moved silently to stand beside Jala with a
worried expression on his face.

“Are we certain that is Shade flying? I saw
sparks when he touched down. Shade never lands that roughly.” Valor
said quietly as Jala started to move toward the Spell Hawk’s
door.

“Who else would it be?” Jala asked with a
shrug.

“Someone that doesn’t bloody well know how to
fly well.” Valor suggested dryly.

“It’s Shade, and others.” Dray spoke up
quietly and Zoelyn felt him move closer to her, almost within
touch, but not quite. Even though her control of her powers had
improved drastically she still took care that no one got too close
to her, and Dray knew the boundaries well.

Valor glanced over his shoulder toward the
main house and then back to Jala. “Would you mind telling Wisp to
keep Legacy inside with her until we know who else is on that
ship?” he asked quietly and his hand dropped to his belt for a
sword that wasn’t there.

“You were playing stable hand all morning
love. That doesn’t require a weapon.” Jala reminded him and smiled
faintly. “I sent her the message and she has agreed that he won’t
even look out a window until we tell her things are well.”

The ship door slid open as she finished
speaking and all three of them fell silent as they watched a large
man step down and then half drag Shade from the ship behind
him.

“Shade!” Jala cried in alarm. She started to
rush toward him, but Valor caught her wrist and gave her a shake of
his head.

“Grim.” Zoelyn gasped as the larger man
turned and she got a clear look at his face. He was thinner than
she remembered, but she had no doubt it was him. He was wearing the
uniform of a High Marshall of Arovan, and his expression matched
his nickname well.

He turned and looked at her, but there was no
sign of recognition on his face until he found Valor beside her.
“He passed out right after landing. Do you have someplace we can
put him to rest?” Caleb asked Valor without bothering with so much
as a greeting.

“Grim.” Valor echoed Zoelyn with equal
disbelief in his tone and Jala stepped forward with a quick nod
only to pause once more as a goblin clambered from the ship and
wrapped its arms around Shade’s leg.

“His pet.” Caleb explained with a sigh and
shifted Shade in his arms to an easier position. “Look he isn’t in
a good way, and I’m going to assume you are the High Lady
Merrodin.” He continued as his eyes settled on Jala. “He was coming
here for healing from you, and I’d appreciate it if you perhaps
start on that soon.”

“What happened to him?” Jala demanded and
Caleb’s expression darkened a bit.

“You sent him blindly into a Blight hive to
negotiate peace for you and you are confused why he comes back
injured?” Caleb asked in an incredulous voice.

“But it’s Shade.” Jala objected as she moved
toward Shade once more with obvious concern on her face. “Shade can
dance through rain drops without getting wet.” She continued, but
her voice faltered when she noticed his missing eye.

“It was a torrential rain and he was soaked
to the skin. Can you help him?” Caleb pressed with annoyance clear
in his voice.

“Those are old wounds. They are already
healed. I can repair whatever is damaged recently, but the only way
to fix his eye would be to…” Jala’s voice trailed off and she
blanched at what she was about to say.

“Get a clean bed, a sterile knife, and keep
him unconscious long enough to make it a fresh wound.” Caleb
finished for her with a sharp nod. “Fine Lady Merrodin. You see to
the first two and I’ll see to the last. If I make it a fresh wound
can you truly return his eye? He says you can, but that is a
difficult matter to heal.” Caleb spoke calmly as if they were
discussing the weather rather than carving flesh from someone’s eye
socket.

“I can.” Jala agreed hesitantly as she stared
at Caleb for a moment and then turned to look at Valor with a
questioning expression.

“His name is Caleb Faulklin. I will vouch for
him. He was the High Marshall of Amdany for several years and I’ve
known him for longer than that.” Zoelyn said before Valor could so
much as open his mouth.

Caleb turned and looked at her with confusion
and it was obvious he didn’t recognize her at all. Zoelyn supposed
that was fair though. When she had known him she had been so thin
she seemed to be starving, and dressed in rags with hair the color
of snow. Much had changed since those days. She smiled sadly at him
and bowed her head in respect.

“I thought you had died at Amdany and you
have no idea how relieved I am to see you alive. It means Arovan
still has hope.” Zoelyn said softly and bowed her head more deeply.
“I am so sorry about Nel. I loved her like a sister.” She
continued.

“Zoey?” Caleb gasped and his eyes went wide.
His grip on Shade slackened in his shock and he had to scramble to
keep from dropping him. “By the bloody Aspects Zoey what happened
to you and why are you here?” Caleb demanded as he moved quickly
toward her dragging Shade beside him. All thoughts of healing and
Jala were apparently forgotten for the moment.

“So I take it you two know each other.” Jala
observed dryly.

“His wife Evanell trained under Dominic. She
was living in the village when I arrived there, but she hadn’t yet
married Grim. I got to know Grim rather well while he was trying to
talk her into marriage.” Zoelyn explained as the tears that had
been threatening to spill earlier now filled her eyes. “There were
so few people in that village that treated me well that I treasure
each one of them that did, and Grim and Nel always treated me
kindly while they were there.” Zoey continued and then paused and
shook her head at Caleb with sigh. “I haven’t seen you in years and
when I do everything is hell.”

“Everything is pure hell.” Caleb agreed as he
stopped just short of her and stared down at her in utter
bewilderment. “I can’t believe how much you have changed!” he shook
his head again and then seemed to remember Shade. “Bloody hell. Let
me see to Shade and then we talk.” His gaze moved to Valor and he
sighed again. “We need to talk too I’m afraid. I have a lot of
explaining to do, and a very large favor to ask of you.”

Valor nodded dumbly in response and then
seemed to remember Caleb had no idea where he was going. “Uh yes,
I’m sure we do, and as for a favor, well I’m sure that won’t be a
problem. Let’s see to Shade first though.” He mumbled and waved a
hand toward the main house. He stared at the goblin for several
breaths and then looked to Jala before striding quickly after
Caleb.

* * *

Zoelyn stood in absolute silence braced
against the bedroom wall as Caleb calmly produced a black dagger
from his belt and cleaned it as thoroughly as he could with hot
water and clean towels. Jala stood just behind him with a look of
pure trepidation on her face and she was paler than normal.

“Are you really going to carve his face?”
Valor asked sounding a bit squeamish himself as he dropped lightly
into a seat near the bed with a look of horrified fascination on
his face.

Caleb glanced up from his dagger and looked
slowly around at his audience before nodding slowly. “As well as
his leg and back if the Lady Merrodin can heal that much in one
day.” He replied quietly.

Jala swallowed heavily and nodded. “I’ve seen
plenty of wounds from a battlefield, but the only time I’ve ever
intentionally inflicted damage on an old wound to heal, it was my
own wound. That was just a hand. It wasn’t nearly as delicate as an
eye is. As for how much I can heal…we shouldn’t have a problem with
my magic reserves.” She admitted quietly.

“Are you sure you are up to this then? I mean
the eye part. If you have the power and not the talent it is a
waste of both of our time.” Caleb asked again with doubt clear in
his voice.

“She healed Finn’s eye after it was lost to
fire. That was a cauterized wound. I’m sure she can handle this.”
Valor offered with a reassuring smile to both of them.

“I do not doubt my skills. I doubt yours.”
Jala began slowly. “If you miss something delicate that should be
healed he might not get his sight back fully. I don’t see how you
can tell what you are carving in an area as confined as an eye
socket. I can heal whatever is damaged, but if you don’t damage the
right thing all we are doing is cosmetic and he will still be
half-blind.” She clarified when Caleb’s expression darkened once
more.

“I can skin a greased weasel in the dark with
one eye closed without damaging the pelt. I think I can handle
this.” Caleb returned dryly.

“That must have been an unusual skill to
master and one that I can see absolutely no practical use for.”
Jala returned in the same tone.

“It was a figure of speech Lady Merrodin, not
meant to be taken literally.” Caleb growled and shook his head.

“Grim can handle the cutting, and I know you
can handle the healing.” Zoelyn broke in quickly before things
could get worse. The last thing she wanted was two of her friends
to become enemies.

“If you say so.” Jala sighed and motioned
delicately to Caleb. “Begin where ever you like and I will patch
him up as needed.” She invited.

“Are we certain he isn’t going to wake up in
the middle of this? What if he just fainted? I mean I would really
hate to wake up with someone’s knife in my eye.” Valor said before
Caleb could take a single step toward the bed.

“If he starts to wake I’ll make sure he stays
out cold.” Caleb promised as he pulled a chair closer to the bed
and settled in it. He leaned over silently and turned Shade’s face
toward him. With gentleness that Jala obviously hadn’t expected he
removed the makeshift bandage from Shade’s eye and examined the
wound closely before raising his dagger to begin.

Jala turned her head and Zoelyn caught her
eye and smiled. “Evanell was the Master healer for the city of
Amdany. Grim helped her as he was needed. So he isn’t a complete
amateur at this. Nel tended to be a bit squeamish about some things
and so Grim would do the dirty work.” Zoelyn spoke quietly and she
saw Jala relax a bit at her words.

“Do you remember that time that hunter
stepped in his own trap and the Dazzi mauled him? I had to carve
him up to remove the trap and push his guts back in before Nel
would even come close.” Caleb said in a distracted voice.

“As I recall even you almost lost your lunch
at the sight of that one.” Zoelyn replied quietly.