Source Of The River (16 page)

W
ith one quick
motion, Kaiya grabbed the arrow and pulled it from Galen’s chest. He gave a
loud groan as the arrow was removed, his body tensing from the pain. The wound was
bleeding heavily, and she instinctively pressed both hands against it to
staunch the flow.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wrinkling her brow. She had
no way of numbing the pain he was in, and she hoped she had made the right
choice in removing the arrow.

Galen closed his eyes to rest for a moment and
found that his breathing was coming a bit easier. Still he was able to take only
shallow breaths, but the sharp pain he had felt with each gulp of air was not
nearly as strong. Opening his eyes, he looked at Kaiya’s tear-stained face.
Despite her eyes being reddened, he found her to be quite lovely. There was
great kindness and also sadness in her eyes, and he wondered why he hadn’t seen
it before.

Noticing that he was looking at her, she asked,
“Are you in much pain?”

He shook his head. “It’s better now.”

Lifting her hands slightly, Kaiya could see that
the wound had not begun to clot. She hoped that applying pressure would quicken
the process, but the blood came as quickly as ever. Securing both hands over
the wound, she closed her eyes to concentrate. River had said she could create
fire by pulling the heat from the air. She had no desire to light Galen on
fire, but she might be able to use the heat to seal the wound.

A soft breeze was blowing from the ocean, and
Kaiya focused her mind to it. The breeze was heated by the sun’s rays, which
traveled uninhibited through the cloudless sky. Willing the heat to her
fingertips, she transferred it into the wound. She could feel the heat against
her hands, and Galen gave a few grunts suggesting he felt it as well. Removing
her hands from his chest, she could see the bleeding had stopped.

A smile of relief spread across her face, and she
finally let out the breath she had been holding. Galen opened his eyes to meet
hers, and she saw that his mischievous nature had not been injured. He grinned
at her as best he could.

“For a minute I thought you didn’t want to take
your hands off me,” he said.

She shook her head, dismissing the comment. “How
do you feel?”

“Better,” he replied. He reached out slowly to
take her hand and pressed it to his lips. “Thank you,” he said, looking deep
into her eyes.

Feeling slightly embarrassed by the look he was
giving her, she pulled her hand away and blushed. She hadn’t noticed before how
handsome he was, nor had she seen the mystery in his dark eyes. His countenance
was warm, and her heart fluttered as she looked up to see he was still staring
at her.

“Who were those elves?” Kaiya asked, hoping to
avoid an awkward situation.

“The Young Ones,” Galen replied quietly. “Also
known as the Woodland Elves. Humans usually refer to them as Wild Elves. I
guess we found out why.” He tried to laugh but began coughing instead.

Worried, Kaiya said, “We should try to get back
where we left River. I’m sure he’ll be returning soon, and we’ll want to get
back right away. Lenora will be able to heal you.” She spoke more to convince
herself than him.

She helped him to his feet, and once again they started
to walk. Their pace was slow, and Kaiya struggled to bear a portion of his
weight upon her shoulder. She wished with all her being that she could fly upon
the wind and carry him back to her village. Unfortunately, she had no idea if
such a thing were even possible. The wind had never offered any guidance as far
as flying was concerned.

Together they trudged along the beach, making
their way slowly back to the spot where River had gone into the ocean. It was
already afternoon by the time they arrived, and Galen was clearly exhausted.
Kaiya helped him prop himself next to some rocks near the hillside. His breath
was still shallow, and he hadn’t spoken since they started walking. Kaiya
worried his injury was greater on the inside, and she could do nothing to heal
it.

She rubbed at her aching shoulder as she looked
back over the ocean. Somewhere in the depths was River, and she hoped he would
return soon. Without him, she had no idea if she would be able to get Galen
back to her village in time. For all she knew, his wound could prove fatal.

Impatient for River’s return, she tried to force
herself to relax. Taking a seat next to Galen, she asked, “Are you feeling any
better?” She placed a hand gently on his face, brushing his hair away from his
eyes.

“I’ll be all right,” he said softly. “It doesn’t
hurt as much. I’m just tired.”

Kaiya wondered how long she should wait for River.
It could be days before he returned. She knew he would continue searching for
the opal until he found it, even if it took a month. He had no way of knowing
that his cousin had been hurt, and Kaiya did not know how to contact him.

“Is there any way to get a message to River?” she
asked.

Galen thought for a moment and smiled. “You could
try sticking your head in the water and shouting.”

Kaiya shook her head. At least his sense of humor
was still intact, even if he was in pain. Making up her mind, she said, “We
have to get you back to the village. We don’t know how long he will be, and you
need treatment.”

“No,” Galen replied. “I’ll be fine, really. Let’s
wait a bit. I’m too tired to walk right now anyway.”

His response made Kaiya uneasy. His fatigue could
be a sign that he wasn’t going to be all right. The thought of losing him made
her heart ache. Kneeling next to him, she cradled his head on her shoulder and
held him tightly. Her tears flowed down her cheeks, falling silently to the
sand.

A change in the wind startled her to action.
Climbing back to her feet, she left Galen lying peacefully on the beach while
she approached the shoreline.
River’s in trouble
, she realized. The
magic she sensed on the wind was not only his. Somewhere beyond the blue he was
being attacked, and she could feel it.

The voice on the wind came loud and clear.
He
will not survive without you.

Forgetting everything else, she closed her eyes
and focused her mind on the wind. Mustering every ounce of strength in her
body, she unleashed the fury of the wind and cast it at River’s attacker. With
her mind, she homed in on his location, sending the air to subdue him. Her eyes
shot open, shimmering with silver light. Sparks of energy shot from her
fingertips, flying unrestrained above the water. Her target had no warning that
he was about to feel the wrath of the wind.

D
iving down into
the blue, River could hear the voices of other elementals in the ocean. They
were calling to him, rejuvenating his power. On the island above, Telorithan
was trying with all his might to raise River from the sea, but the combined
power of the elementals prevented his spell from working. River’s power was
quickly being restored, his full strength returning.

Telorithan could
see that his magic was failing to penetrate the surface of the water. He
created only a small disturbance at the surface as he attempted to force the
elemental back within his reach. “No!” he cried, fearing that the elemental
would escape. “I will not fail!”

Suddenly, a gust of
wind struck him, stealing his breath and forcing him to his knees. As he
doubled over and tried to collect his wits, a second gust of wind struck him in
a frontal assault. Landing flat on his back, his head struck a rock. Crimson
blood seeped from the gash, staining his silver hair.

Placing his hand against
his head to stop the blood, his anger rose. Scrambling to his feet, he summoned
his power in time to block a third gust of wind. The blow struck him, and he
felt as if a stone had hit him in the chest. This time, however, he remained
standing. His confidence building, he reached deep within himself into his
stolen stores of magic. Across the sea, he sensed the sorcerer who had conjured
the wind. This newcomer’s power rivaled that of the elemental, and he
remembered the second magical being he had sensed before coming to this place.
Apparently the elemental’s magical companion was nearby, and Telorithan would
have to face them both.

He felt a sudden
wave of fear and hoped that River would stay below, fleeing for his pitiful
life. He would succeed only if he could handle each of them individually.
Scrambling for his orb, he gazed into the flames and willed them to move toward
the coast. Two figures were present, one lying motionless on the beach, the
other standing at the ready at the coastline.
The dwarf girl? How can this
be?

Her eyes flashed
with silver magic, sparks gracing her fingertips. Telorithan could not believe
what he was witnessing. The magic he had sensed all along was coming from a
dwarf. Not just any dwarf, either. This was an insignificant female. This
creature had far stronger magic than the majority of Enlightened Elves.

In his distraction,
Telorithan did not see the next blow before it hit him. Silver sparks rained
down, jolting and twisting his body as he crashed to the sand. Severe pain ran
through him, and he cried out in agony. Before he could regain control, a
second wave of energy hit him. Silver bolts of lightning struck him, holding
him firm within their grasp. He could feel his power draining, flying skyward
in tiny droplets of silver light. Reaching out with a hand as if to catch them,
he watched as they floated to the sky and dissolved into the clouds above.

As he lay powerless
on the sand, River re-emerged from the sea. The ocean had restored him to full
power, and he towered over Telorithan. The orb still clutched in one of his
hands, the sorcerer crushed it, hoping to absorb the small amount of power left
inside it. The glass cut his hand, but he felt nothing. His body was numb from
the lightning that had drained his power. His only hope to avoid death was to
find some way to continue fighting. Surely, this elemental would kill him if he
could.

River encompassed
Telorithan in blue magic, lifting him back to his feet. Telorithan attempted to
lift his hands, but he was unable to move. He was held fast within the
elemental’s grasp.

“You are defeated,”
River said. “You will go back to your home and stop hunting me. Give up this
scheme of yours to bind an elemental. If not, it will be your death.”

Telorithan made no attempt
to speak. Glaring at River, he knew he was defeated. His attempt had failed,
but not because of his own weakness. He had underestimated the dwarf. Without
her interference, he felt sure he would have bound River. If not for her, he
would be on his way to the Red Isle to trap Yelaurad now. His dream could have
come true this very day.
The dwarves will pay for this,
he swore.

River released the sorcerer, who slumped once
again to his knees. The wind swirled around River, his dark hair dancing on the
breeze. Looking back to the shore, he realized that Kaiya was there, helping
him to subdue his attacker. She had completely drained Telorithan’s power,
saving River from a second fight when he returned to the island. Without her
help, he wasn’t sure he would have survived the encounter.

He looked upon the sorcerer with pity. Before him
was an elf consumed by his own greed. His every thought was bent on achieving
ultimate power. River could see his heart, and it was an empty void. No
friendship dwelt inside, and there was no trace of love. River had no desire to
end this elf’s life. Instead, he would allow him to live the lonely life he had
chosen for himself. There could be no greater punishment in River’s mind.

The waves began to swell, fed by the summoned wind.
Before his eyes, River saw a glimmer of white riding along a jet of water. With
no further thought for Telorithan, he turned his attention to the sea. Diving
back within the blue, he reached out to grasp the glistening gem. In his hand
was the opal that would save the dwarves. Kaiya had forced the sea to give it
up. With all speed, he swam back to her, hurried along by the wind.

Kaiya waved to him
as he approached the shore. River smiled, opening his palm to show her the
opal. It was larger than a duck’s egg, and its smooth white surface shone with glimmers
of pink, turquoise, and yellow.

With a shallow
gasp, Kaiya reached out her hand to touch the cold surface of the stone. “It’s
beautiful,” she said, her eyes reflecting its light. It vibrated slightly at
her touch.

“Your people will
be safe now,” River replied.

“Galen is injured,”
she said. “He needs your help.”

Hurrying to Galen’s
side, River asked, “What happened?”

“There were elves
in that forest over there,” Kaiya said, pointing to the tree line. “They shot
him with an arrow. I removed it and stopped the bleeding, but he’s still weak.”

Galen managed a faint
smile, his face pale. Keeping his eyes open felt like a chore. Without a word,
River laid both hands on his friend’s chest. Blue magic spread over Galen’s
body, and he took in a full breath for the first time since being shot. His
eyes sparkled with a blue light for a moment, and he sat up with renewed vigor.

“What did you do?”
he asked.

“I’m no healer,”
River replied. “I merely gave you some of the strength of my magic.”

“Well, it feels
great!” Galen said with a laugh.

Kaiya was overjoyed
to see him restored to health. Forgetting herself, she threw her arms around
him and kissed him. Backing off quickly, she looked down at the ground. “I’m
sorry,” she said. “I...,”

Galen’s face lit up.
“No need to apologize,” he said. “If I’d known it would win me a kiss, I would
have been injured sooner.”

Kaiya looked away
feeling embarrassed. It would be difficult for her to deny her feelings for
Galen going forward.

River smiled
warmly, approving of the match. “Perhaps Lenora will be happy to see me in one
piece too,” he commented. “We should head back. I’ve only given you temporary strength.
It won’t last.”

The trio began
their journey back to the mountains, leaving Telorithan behind on the island.