Battle Mage: Forging New Steel (Tales of Alus Book 9) (42 page)

“No, arkon, is that the right name to address you, my lady? We weren’t introduced I am afraid. I am Falcon Sebastian Trillon,” he said introducing himself with a nod of respect for the woman.

“I am Archoness Smrajni, archoness of the Khagan tribe, host of the arkhein,” the dark haired woman announced as Sebastian caught four sets of eyes look down at the ground momentarily at her admission. He had a feeling that the men didn’t like being reminded of the woman’s position as hostess.

Sebastian waited to make sure that he wasn’t interrupting the archoness before continuing, “I wasn’t using my senses for a hunt of any kind and we certainly hope for a mutually beneficial meeting, Archoness. There was just something that I felt on the wind well before we reached the camp. The blood made sense on why I was uneasy once I noticed it.

“Might I ask what happened? If there is need of aid, I and Falcon Elzen are healers. We would be glad to help out in any way we can,” he said offering up the aid he hoped would buy them into the good graces of the tribes for Oltus’s mission to succeed.

Arkon Anax wouldn’t remain still as his face turned red in anger, but it wasn’t directed at anyone near him as he complained, “Strange monsters appeared in the north driving the Drays and Zelesh to our cousins to the south. We saved those we could and brought them here. The Turbuis and Erta came at our call to help destroy these creatures before more innocents are slain!”

Looking sad, Archoness Smrajni shook her head saying, “More appeared attacking this camp undaunted. Only the stream’s water kept the beasts from running through the encampment on the west side, though we don’t know why.”

The fourth man frowned and replied, “The fire beasts couldn’t take the water, so they turned away. Without them the others were afraid to take on the rest of our warriors.”

Anax shook his head and added, “Those black shrikes didn’t seem to care which side they attacked, Karta. Even the protection of the druids wasn’t enough to prevent their wings from killing several of our warriors.”

“Without the other monsters, their numbers weren’t enough to risk more than a quick stab at us. Our warriors could still kill them if they had tried to attack us alone,” the last arkon called Karta stated with surety.

Oltus was quick to see the opportunity Sebastian had opened for them and said, “Perhaps our healers could help with the wounded as the falcon suggested and once everyone is safe, we can talk about helping you track down these beasts?”

The arkhein looked at the wizard almost surprised that Oltus was still there.

“If your healers could help us, that would be appreciated; but we will not talk of other things until this is done,” Archoness Smrajni declared as she moved to stand. Anax was up almost before her though the woman started first.

Sebastian and the others joined the members of the arkhein in standing. They moved towards the open doorway they had entered through earlier led by the two youngest of the arkhein. The falcon glanced to the druid, as Anax had called him, and noted that he had disappeared from the tent without being seen.

Chapter 23- Mending Trust

Cries of pain and moans of those weakened beyond that filled the tent. Flies buzzed around the tent of wounded nomads nearly driving both attendants and the wounded mad as they swarmed around those often too drained to fight back.

“Ashleen, can you create an air shield to get rid of these flies?” Sebastian asked as he looked around the tent which was nearly twice the size of the arkhein meeting room. Bracing posts ran in two lines crossing the shorter of the two distances making up the hospital tent.

The air wizard nodded and began to summon the magic needed. Other eyes looked to the entrance as the falcons entered with the arkons. Anax moved quickly to one side hearing voices call his name. The young leader placed his hand on heads offering up soothing words, while Smrajni stood near Sebastian and asked, “Can you help us, Falcon Sebastian?”

He nodded and asked, “Who is in charge? We will start with those needing the most immediate care. If I can help it, no one else will have to die.”

“What do you need?” the arkoness asked hearing the passion in his voice.

“Food and drink to keep us renewing our energy. Magic can be renewed to a point by eating and drinking. If we can keep up with the need, we can keep going,” he assured the woman and glanced to Elzen who nodded back.

A woman rushed towards the group at the door and bowed to Smrajni, and she said, “Arkoness, what can we do for you? We didn’t expect someone as high born as you to come visit us.”

Smrajni frowned and replied angrily, “I am not so high born that I would avoid my people when they need me most, Odja! Even those born to other tribes are our responsibility. I have in fact brought you help from the wallers.”

The other woman was older than the arkoness. Wearing once off white linen, her clothing was spattered in red and brown of blood. Fresh spots could be told from the old and the dark circles under her eyes proved that the healer had been hard at work trying to save lives since the wounded had come into her care.

Sebastian moved slightly ahead to draw the woman’s attention and he asked, “Where are those who need help beyond your medicine?”

Odja and her attendants had no magic about them. If these druids mentioned could heal, they were nowhere to be seen. The woman looked at the arkoness nervously, but received a stern nod from her leader.

“The worst wounded have been moved to the far side. Their cries were the worst earlier, but poppium elixir from the druids helps to numb the pain,” the woman said hurrying between the lines of blankets lying on the ground. There were no beds to get the injured off the hard earth. During the summer the ground was cooling, but such a tent would only help bring the wounded to their deaths in winter the mage feared. Still this healing would be done well before then, so he could only hope they would be able to do better when he wasn’t there.

Sebastian called his healing spell as he found his first patient. A runed warrior, the man’s shoulder was bandaged.

“He nearly had his arm ripped off by one of the beasts,” the healer stated sadly. “The skin tore and we did what we could to reattach it; but I fear that he will lose it and possibly his life. Disease may take him because of gangrene.”

The mage’s magic transferred with his touch on the man’s injured arm. He could have placed his hand anywhere, but the left arm was closest to him. Kneeling beside the wounded warrior, Sebastian extended his magic into the man. Odja was correct. Gangrene was already trying to infect the wound. It gave him a bitter taste on his tongue, but he was ready to fight both disease and the wound.

“He is just touching him, Archoness,” Odja stated the obvious with doubt in her voice.

Ashleen moved close and said, “His magic is powerful enough to reach the wound without touching him at all, if he needed to do so. Sebastian will use it to fight to repair the damage and save his life. You won’t be able to see the magic until it is almost finished, usually.”

The other two women looked at the wizard curiously. Arkoness Smrajni asked, “And do you heal as well?”

“Not well,” she confessed. “I mostly have healed Sebastian after he’s been hurt. He’s been trying to pass on the knowledge to me as well, but I am more comfortable with the air and earth.”

“You are a wizard?”

The pretty blonde nodded her head.

“I thought that these battle mages were inferior to your kind. How is it that you are studying under him?”

Ashleen smiled and looked at the mage working to save the man and his arm. “We are all one kind and some shine more than others. Sebastian is a rare mage that can stand with any wizard.”

Returning her smile the arkoness added, “And you are smitten with him?”

Odja pointed at Sebastian as if to warn her leader of the man in question being within hearing. Women didn’t usually call out other women in front of a man they might be in love with; but Ashleen didn’t even lose her smile as she nodded.

“He helped my lord reach the capitol and saved our lives from the emperor’s wolves. Sebastian has shown himself to be a talented mage beyond the inherent power he was born with and has even defeated wizards in their tournament.

“He is also a talented healer, so as long as he has strength he will save everyone that he can.”

Thumbing her way towards Elzen who was working opposite the other mage, she asked, “And this one?”

“He is a friend of Sebastian, but I know less of him, though he appears cut from the same cloth for the most part.”

The women stopped talking to watch the mages. Odja seemed to want to do something, but had no idea what in the face of their magic. When Elzen finished before Sebastian, he took a drink from a bottle sitting on a tray brought in by the nomads.

“This one is healed. A few days’ rest and he will be ready to hunt again,” the mage stated with a nod. He took some cheese and bread making a quick sandwich. Eating quickly, the young man moved to the next warrior in need.

When Sebastian finished, he shook his head putting out his hand. Ashleen could tell that this wound had taken a lot out of him. After a quick drink, the owl stated, “I managed to save the arm. Everything is reattached and the disease has been eliminated. Who is the next worst?”

Odja knelt to check the warrior who was breathing quietly. She felt his forehead finding it cool and began to remove the bandages. When she saw the shoulder and the pink skin where the wound had been; the woman gasped, “Amazing. I checked it a few hours ago and saw the gangrene changing the color. It was a bloody mess between the stitches.”

Ashleen nodded and said, “That’s magic healing for you.”

Directing Sebastian to the next warrior, he took a bite of food similarly to Elzen and started once more.

Arkoness Smrajni walked through the tent extending a word to those men and women conscious enough to benefit from her presence. When she came to a young girl, so pale from blood loss, the woman stopped to kneel beside her. The girl had flaxen hair and the lighter skin of one of the northern tribes. Most likely she was one of the Drays or Zelesh who had come south for the protection of the larger tribe.

“We will get to her soon,” Ashleen said sounding full of compassion.

The arkoness looked up seeing the wilder fighting back tears in her eyes at the sight of the young girl. There were several children along with mothers who were untrained in fighting. It was one thing to see warriors, either male or female, in the hospital fighting for their lives; but the children made the pretty girl want to sob.

“You look so sad, though she isn’t one of your people,” Smrajni said only slightly surprised. “I am surprised that you wallers are willing to help with your magic.”

Sighing, Ashleen shook her head which knocked loose her tears. As she wiped at her eyes, the wilder replied, “She is just a little girl. Darker or lighter skin, she is still a girl.

“Sebastian doesn’t worry over whether someone is from his country. That is for certain. I was with my lord coming from Kardor, a different country from his when we were attacked by the wolves. He led the charge of several other battle mages straight into them driving them off and saving the rest of us when we surely would have died.

“We are from their allies, sure; but if we had died north of the wall, with no witnesses, our country wouldn’t have scolded Southwall for not saving our lives.

“He has saved people from other countries, many of which have nothing to do with Southwall at all. He freed an island of people enslaved by pirates, even though they were used against him first. Instead of just killing both the innocents being used against their will and the pirates, he protected them and saved their lives.

They were a different kind of people living on some unnamed island in the ocean with no strategic importance or anything; but he saved them.”

There was a moment’s silence as Ashleen looked towards Sebastian working on his fifth patient. He would be finished soon and she needed to make sure that his drink and food were near enough to continue. Elzen had a nurse by his side put there by Odja as she learned that the boy was as skilled as Sebastian in healing, or nearly so.

“He will heal them all or die trying,” stated the wilder with an emphatic nod.

Smrajni looked at the two men working so hard without seeming to do anything to her untrained eyes, and yet people were being healed beyond the skills of her best healers. “It is quite a skill, this magic. We have some who can use spells; but we have none that can heal, though there have been a few in the past.”

“Healing is a rare skill even among wizards,” Ashleen replied and started to move towards Sebastian. She could feel his magic change as he wrapped up another miraculous piece of work.

The arkoness rose from her knees to follow the wilder and asked, “Do you think that they would be willing to pass on the knowledge? So many die from wounds that our medicine can not heal quickly enough.”

Ashleen shrugged and held out a bottle half emptied by Sebastian already. “You would have to ask him.”

“Ask me what?” the owl questioned after taking a drink.

“Could you teach our druids to heal?”