Illara Chronicles: Swordplay

Together

It was cold inside the herbalists office, and reeked of feverfew and garlic. Every wall was lined with shelf over shelf of flowering plants, glass vials and old iron basins. Hermin wore a long green robe, with silver fringes, and tiny round spectacles precariously perched at the very tip of his nose.

Kendreth sat in the corner of the room, with the knuckle of his forefinger between his teeth, tapping his heel against the foot of the metal stool. His loose shirt burned to a blackened tattered rag. His sapphire eyes never left Devras chest, its faint rising and falling.

Kelith ground ginger into a paste with aloe, as quickly as he could while Nermin cut and removed the charred threads of a nightgown that had fused to Devras black and pink flesh. She lay on her back atop a table at the rooms center, and gritted her teeth as he applied water with a cloth. That was the most movement that she'd made and it pulled Kendreth immediately from his seat and to her side. He stifled the urge to take her hand, or touch her at all. But he whispered into her ear. Kelith couldn't hear, for the grinding, but he saw tiny tears run down her cheek, towards her ear. Kendreth finally made contact, placing a gentle kiss against the small stream. He smiled.

How does he do that?

Kelith was a storm of sorrow, regret, and fear. Devras life would never be the same. Kendreths parents --- the lone window in the room displayed the stablehouse where they lived, still burning and not even slightly slowed. No one could survive that. A tear rolled off of his nose and into the salve, prompting him to wipe his eyes as he handed the mixture to Hermin.

"Step aside." The medicine man pushed lightly against Kendreths bare shoulder, and he complied. The old man used two fingers to apply the balm to the girls button nose, her singed eyelids. Her naked scalp.

"She is badly burned." The blunt tone and cold fact felt like an attack, to Kelith, but Kendreth just nodded and took it in. "This salve will help the flesh to heal, so the fire will not claim her tonight. You saved her." He continued to nod. "You should get some rest." That brought a frown.

"No thank you." 

"You can stay wi-" Kelith was silenced with a look. 

"I will not leave her."

Hermin rubbed his forehead, clearly searching for the right words to throw him out.

"Not until I've spoken to her at least."

Hermin sighed, and removed his glasses. "Fine." He clipped three long dangling flowers from a potted plant. "Press these, their oil will reduce her pain. You," He turned to Kelith. "must go."

Kendreth gave him permission, with a small grin and a nod. Kelith, wrapped his friend into a tight hug. The embrace lacked Kendreths usual strength. Emotion beginning to choke Kelith, as he backed away, he pressed his fingertips to his lips, and held that hand out towards Devra, as he left.

Very few townsfolk were working with the guard to throw water onto the flame that only grew in its intense heat. But Melrik was amongst them, and Aelandra joined him. Claudia and Ryisha worked with a small group to keep supplying water from the well, until the buckets were more mud than water. Dentren raised a shivering fist to finally put a stop to the labor line. Most weary workers dropped onto the soggy earth. Kelith could see, from the stairs that led up to his room, Aelandra, arguing with Sir Dentren. He watched in awe as she threw the last dozen buckets of thick water on her own. Only when her strength was fully spent, and then some, did she finally she join the soldiers, and watched the flame rage on. It was hard for Kelith to look away from her, but eventually he slipped into his small room.

The space was decorated with just a desk, a table and a pair of hammocks strung up in two corners. It was all he and Taldren had been able to afford. He thought of Taldren. He wasn't here in the room. Exhaustion made the world spin, as Kelith fell into his hanging bed. He shut his eyes.