The Last Druid (30 page)

Dranl returned to his tent and dropped into his chair.  He was only partially attentive as his officers suggested various strategies they could use in the coming battle.

He chewed nervously on his lower lip as he reached for his armor.

XXXVII

Hiran

Darkness stretched out to cover the plains around the host as the sun sank towards the horizon. 
Hiran kicked his chair away from him in frustration, letting it tumble across the grass as he ran a hand through his matted white hair.  Several of the soldiers standing nearby looked up in surprise as the chair broke into splinters close to them but shrugged it off and returned to what they were doing before.  Hiran stared hard at the Nymph in front of him, one of the younger ones called Nira who acted as Calla’s messenger; she met his gaze with a look of absolute innocence.

“Please, my lord Commander,” she said a little nervously.  “I did not mean to anger you with such news.”

Hiran wanted to shout at her, to strike her for what she had just told him.  He clenched his teeth together to keep himself in check.  He led Lady Elenia’s army now—losing his temper and lashing out against one of the Nymphs would cause more than a few problems for him.  He needed to deal with this rationally; he could vent his fury in battle when it finally came.  It wasn’t the Nymph’s fault.  They were all struggling to deal with the strain that had been put on them.   “What am I expected to do, then?” he said, trying to keep his voice calm and even.

Nira shrugged.  “Lady Cal
la said that she must leave at first light; she has not said why, though the trees feel it is to meet her own battle.  It is possible that she does not plan on returning.”  She tilted her head to one side, one eyebrow arching slightly.  “Surely she had told you of this before?”

Hiran
felt his teeth grinding together.  “Where is Calla?” he asked, ignoring this last question.

“I am not entirely sure…”  Nira placed one long finger against her right temple, her focus turning distant.  “Wait, there she is.  She is not far from her tent, about halfway across the camp.  Shall I bring your answer to her?”

“No.  I will go to her myself.”  He stared at the pile of wood for a moment, debating whether or not he should clear it up first.  “You may leave, Nira.”  He felt a rushing of air behind him and then all was silent again; he didn’t need to turn around to know the Nymph had gone.  After a while he decided clearing up the debris could be left for later, and he set off through the camp to find Calla.

Soldiers sprang to attention as he passed but he paid them no heed.  His strength in battle and his knowledge of their enemy had led him to the position of commander of the Malc army, but his new rank meant little to him.  Their efforts would be nothing more than an attempt to stall for time while Ca
lla tried to take out Dranl.  Now, close to the banks of the Khine River, they waited for their certain doom. 

Unless Ca
lla could save them…

Hiran
growled to himself as he played the conversation with Nira over again in his mind. 
“Lady Calla has said that she must leave…”
  Why?  Had she chosen to reject her destiny after all?  Calla had spoken so many times about how she had felt when she was Dranl’s prisoner; she was his pet, a toy to be used and later cast aside when he finally grew bored with her.  If she was afraid of facing that fate again, then Hiran couldn’t blame her for wanting to run.

But t
hey couldn’t afford to lose her now—there was far too much at stake.  If she gave in to her fear she would either be killed or recollected by Dranl, in battle or later on.  Worse, the entire world would fall if she chose to leave them; the destruction to follow in Bralon’s wake would spare no one.  Her family and friends were still in distant Kida, blissfully unaware of the ancient conflict that Calla was now involved in.  She had to stay for them, to protect them from the horror and death that would undoubtedly turn in their direction if it all wasn’t stopped here.  Hiran picked up his pace.  He had to persuade her to stay, for them—and for him.

As he passed a half-dozen soldiers marching in the opposite direction he spotted her.  She stood in the space between two tents, arms crossed over her chest, seeming to listen to something. 
Hiran stopped, watching her for a moment.  She started talking but from where he was he couldn’t hear her words clearly; she must have been addressing another nature spirit.  As quietly as he could he walked up behind her.

“…and I don’t want to worry him any more with this,” Cal
la was saying.  “I think I know what he would say.”

The only response
heard was growling.  He paused, feeling the frown form on his face.  She must be talking to Lina then; only Calla, the other nature spirits, and Lady Elenia were able to understand the Tri-tail.  He could hear only Calla’s half of the conversation, yet he thought he knew what they were discussing—him.

“I know he does—I’ve seen it in his eyes.”  Ca
lla shook her head.  “How can I not forget what Hiran did for me?  My nightmares remind me of it regularly.”  More growling, with a few small barks here and there.  “No Lina, I won’t ask that of him—I can’t.  It would be too dangerous for him to be there, let alone for me.  It would be better for him to stay away from me.”

“So why must you go?” 
Hiran asked, stepping up closer behind her.

Ca
lla’s head snapped around in surprise, but her look softened when she saw it was just him.  Lina stepped out from behind her, red fur bristling and her three tails flicking in agitation.  Though her muscles relaxed and her fur flattened out again a minute later she continued to growl at him, baring her teeth—sometimes she still had difficulty trusting him. 

Cal
la looked down at her.  “Don’t, Lina,” she said.  “He didn’t mean it.  No, you can’t nip at his feet for it,” she said in response to the pleading puppy look the Tri-tail gave her.  “The last thing I need to worry about is having two of my best friends trying to kill each other over nothing on the eve of battle.”  Lina dropped her head in disappointment.

Hiran
reached over to twirl a stray section of her hair around his finger for a moment before smoothing it back behind her gracefully pointed ear, noting the thoughtful look on her face as she watched him.  “Calla, don’t go,” he said.

“I have to
Hiran; I don’t have any other choice.”

“Think about what you are doing, how everyone else will see it.
”  He put his hands on her shoulders.  “I know you are afraid of this Calla—we all are.  But you cannot just give in to fear like this!  If Bralon and his army are not stopped here they will sweep across Elenia’s lands and right through the rest of the world, your own homeland included.  If you go, we are already lost.”

The girl didn’t bat an eyelash, just raised one eyebrow at him.  “Do you really think that’s why I’m leaving?”

Hiran gave a start, not from the question but the way Calla asked it.  “You mean, you are not…”

“Yes, I’m scared about what might be waiting for me, and by what might happen if we fail.  I know what others will think of my action.  But it’s the only way I’ll be able to take on Dranl and give us all some kind of chance.”

“Take on Dranl?  But he is leading Bralon’s army.  How will your leaving us here help to stop him?”

“Because he won’t be
joining his host in the battle; he’ll be waiting somewhere else.”

Hiran
just stared as the words sank in.  Lina abruptly started coughing, apparently amused by his reaction.  “How do you know this?” Hiran finally managed to ask.

“Partly from coming to know his nature when he kept
me, and partly from asking the trees.”  Calla allowed herself a small smile.  “He wants to just walk in and claim his victory.  He thinks his abilities alone are more than enough to give him the edge.  He’s overconfident, and that is his biggest flaw—I can twist it into his undoing.”

“So you will go to face him?  On your own?”

“I have to Hiran; it’s the only way.”

“Ca
lla…”  Hiran absentmindedly let his fingers stray across her neck; she paused at the touch, but said nothing about it.  “He will be looking for you.”

She swallowed.  “I know.”

“He knows you are here by now.  You were lucky to be rescued from him last time.  We both know what he has planned for you if and when he claims his victory.”

“I know it; there hasn’t been a moment before this where I haven’t thought of
it.  But unlike before I’m now aware of what he’s capable of, and this time he won’t find it so easy to take me.  He’s about to get more than he bargained for.”

“Do not go,”
Hiran said.  “Not alone.  Let me go with you.”

“No,
” she said firmly.

“Ca
lla, you cannot—”

“You’ll be too easy
a target.  As strong as you are Hiran, you would still be overpowered by Dranl’s darker magic; you said yourself that your own talents were limited.  If you came with me you wouldn’t stand a chance against him.  And then there’s a chance he might still remember you from childhood—who knows what he might do if that’s so.”  She put one hand under his chin.  “Hiran, you’re one of my best friends.  He could use his power to turn you against me, or worse.  I don’t want anything like that to happen to you.”

Hiran
felt his throat go tight and he looked away from her sharply.  He wanted to be angry at her, to say she was just being stubborn.  Hellfire, it would be suicide for her to go on her own.  If she stayed with him and the rest of the army she would have all of them to back her up, would have a better chance of staying alive.  If she stayed with him…

He dug his fingers into the palms of his hands in frustration.  He wanted to criticize her and he just…couldn’t.  The words died in his throat.  He wanted to hold on to her and not let go, to keep her as close to him as he could.  It was a feeling he wasn’t used to, something he couldn’t explain.  He was worried about
her, he did care about her—didn’t he?

So why did it feel stronger than it should have been?

He felt something for her, he couldn’t deny that.  It was growing and jumbling all emotions and thoughts together.  But he couldn’t put it into words and try explaining it to her.  He was afraid to do so: she could hate him for it, or let it go to her head, or be so terrified by the idea that…

Gods
, he thought,
of all times for this to happen to me, why now? 
He couldn’t let himself be distracted like this, and he didn’t need to give Calla anything else to worry about. 

But he couldn’t just lie to himself about it either.

He reached out and took her hand.  “Come with me,” he said quietly, giving her a gentle tug to follow him.

She didn’t object, letting him lead her back through the camp to his tent.  He deliberately kept the pace slow, wanting to stretch the time with her
for as long as possible.  As they walked Hiran noticed how most of the soldiers they passed stared at them, forgetting all other activity for a moment; most of the men seemed to just shrug it off and look away again, while Hiran met the looks of the rest with a stern glare.  All the while Calla stayed quiet, weaving around people and tents as she stayed behind him, her slender fingers wrapped tight around his hand.  Hiran kept glancing over his shoulder at her to check that she wasn’t lagging behind too much.  Each time he did so she gave him a small, reassuring smile.

The plain had darkened with evening and campfires had already been lit when they came to
his tent.  As they approached one of the two guards standing there held one flap aside for them to enter, and let it fall closed once they were inside.  The only things here were a table, a couple of chairs, and Hiran’s sleeping mat rolled out along the ground; a light had already been placed on the table.  Loosening his grip on Calla’s hand slightly he flopped down on the mat.  Without asking Calla stretched out alongside him, positioning one arm so it cushioned her head.  Hiran didn’t move a muscle as she settled in with her back up against his chest and slept.

After a few minutes
Hiran quietly propped himself up on one elbow and stared down at her.  In the dull orange light of the lamp her pale skin almost glowed gold; she looked so peaceful as she slept.  With his free hand he ran his fingers along her ear.  The lamp flickered, making the dark shadows dance across the tent walls around them.  Cautiously he leaned forward and kissed her temple.  As he pulled away he thought he could see her smile in the semi-darkness, but it could have been just a trick of the dim light and his own imagination.  He lay back down on the mat and curled up as close to her as he dared, sliding one arm under her head and gently draping the other across her hip.  Strands of her hair tickled at his nose as he closed his eyes.

He was nine years old. 
He sat outside their hut, warm summer sunshine bearing down on the back of his neck.  Entha sat next to him sharpening the claymore she usually kept hanging on the wall by the fireplace, the sun glaring off the long blade.  Hiran held up one hand to shield his eyes.  “Entha,” he said, “are you going to fight?  Are the monsters coming back?”