The Blight of Muirwood

She whispered in his ear. “I am worried about Ciana too. She is a brave girl. I know she has resisted him. Dieyre’s words…so much chaff. He does not believe half of what he says. Neither should we.”

He nodded, but said nothing. As they emerged up the other side, he looked into her eyes with cold rage. “I wanted to kill him. But it passed.”

She squeezed his neck with her free arm and whispered her thanks as he deposited her on the mossy stone bank on the other side. Reaching out to him, she grabbed his hand and helped pull him out of the icy waters. He was cold. So very cold. The thunder of hooves retreated off the bridge and into the gloom. How many soldiers were between them and Muirwood?

They still had one more river to cross.

* * *

Lia gazed into the stars with despair. Many had already passed the horizon and the eastern sky was starting to blush a faint violet – the advent of dawn. She knew there was a bridge somewhere to the east, but Muirwood lay directly to the south and the orb had led her to the easiest ford. She was also certain that the other bridge would be guarded as well. These waters were much more swollen than the previous river, churning with foam. However, stones in the midst jutted out in intervals. With relief, Lia crossed from rock to rock, followed by Ellowyn and then Colvin, each taking a turn. Some steps were treacherous and slick. Each hop, a danger. Lia wanted to summon light from the orb, but that would attract the eyes of anyone in the moors beyond who happened to look their way.

After crossing an especially slippery boulder, she turned to warn Ellowyn just as the girl lost her balance and pitched into the river. She knew Colvin would try and save her, but he was still shivering from his last crossing. Lia tossed her bow the rest of the way to the far bank and lunged into the shocking grip of the river. The current was dragging Ellowyn swiftly, but Lia caught up with her and seized the hem of her gown and yanked hard. The girl spluttered and choked and grasped at Lia, her face contorted with panic, unable to scream from swallowing so much water. Lia hooked her arm around Ellowyn’s neck and struggled to reach the shore. Each pull sapped her already fading strength. The cold made her mind foggy. Which way was the bank? Had the current turned her around? Then she saw Colvin running after them on the far side and she kicked and struggled until the river slammed them both into a boulder and she could not see for several moments. She heard Colvin’s hiss of breath and clutched Ellowyn tightly, feeling her body limp. Lia struggled against the darkness and groped her way around the water of the boulder and kicked against it.

Again the current started to tug her away and she opened her eyes and saw a shaft of wood reaching out to her. Colvin extended the ash bow to her and she grabbed at the end and he hauled on it with his strength. Climbing into the river himself, he helped drag Ellowyn to the bank and away from the river’s icy grip. Lia was soaked through and hugged herself.

“Put her down, on her stomach,” she said through chattering teeth. “Quickly! She’s swallowed too much water.”

Colvin obeyed and Lia knelt beside the girl and pushed her lower back hard. She repeated the motion, pushing and pushing, trying to force her to breathe. Ellowyn hiccupped and then started to splutter and choke. After struggling for her air, she started to sob violently, curled up in a ball and trembled.

Lia stripped away her own leather girdle, which was soaked and wrung out her shirt. Her mind was still fogging and her fingers did not feel like her own.

“Fire,” she whispered. “We are too cold. Without warmth, we will die. Help me with her cloak. Wring the water out.”

“We cannot build a fire, Lia,” he warned. “They are near. They will see it.”

“If we do not do something, it will not matter. She is freezing to death, Colvin. So am I. If we do not warm ourselves soon, we will start wandering aimlessly. It is…so cold. So cold. We need fire.”

“I will gather some wood,” he said, but she knew there was not enough time.

“We need it now,” she said, pulling out the orb. She stared at its smooth surface, cold from the plunge in the river. She had summoned light with it. She had summoned directions with it. Opening her eyes, she stared at its face, pleading with it for warmth.

The orb began to glow. Not with light but with warmth. She opened herself to the Medium, drawing in fire as she had with the Leering at the laundry. Firetaming, it was called. The orb glowed red hot in her hands, but it did not burn her. Ellowyn rose from her swoon,staring at her. It gave off some light, like staring into a bed of hot coals. Waves of heat wafted in the air. Colvin and Ellowyn both gathered around her, trying to block its light with their bodies. Each held out their numb hands and rubbed them, bathing them in the warmth. Warmth prickled through Lia’s body. The cold was driven out of her completely. Their clothes gave off steam.