The Blight of Muirwood

Lia shook her head slowly, feeling grateful and confused and tired and hungry and a dozen other things all at once. “The Medium told me that I was going to die. Why? I saw you and Ellowyn putting stones over me, like we did to Jon Hunter. Was it wrong?”

Colvin’s face hardened. “When did you see that?”

“Before dawn. I realized that I would not be going with you two to Dahomey. I have the Gift of Seering. It happened like at other times. I believed I was going to die. That is why I gave you my necklace.” She reached out with her good hand and touched the hard edge of the ring. “I wanted you to remember me.”

His face flushed, his eyes so intense with emotions that she blinked and discovered tears in her eyes.

“How could I ever…ever forget you? When you are in my thoughts constantly, every day and every night. You mean more to me than anyone else in my life. Do you understand that? I am worried about my sister because I do not know where she is. But I cannot go to her. My duty compels me to bring Ellowyn to Dahomey to warn them of the coming of the Blight. Wherever I go, I will be thinking of you. I do not need this thing to remind me.”

Lia breathed out deeply, resting against the soft pillows. “That makes me feel much better. And worse. But I want you to keep it. I want you to wear it in Dahomey. How I wish I could go with you…but it hurts to move.”

He smiled at her tenacity. “The healer said it will be some weeks before you are strong enough to walk. The bolt broke the bone in your leg. Your hand will heal, she tells me. It will be painful, but the damage will not be permanent. The knife wound was fatal. You lost a lot of blood and could not breathe. But when I called you back, it started to heal. The sound of your breathing has grown stronger all day.”

“Have you watched me sleep then?” she asked, a little concerned at the thought of him watching her when she was so vulnerable and unaware.

He smoothed some of the hair from her face. “I was going to hold a vigil for you tonight until you awoke because I wanted to say goodbye. Sowe has been tending you. So has Bryn and Pasqua. They helped the healer tend to you. I was only allowed to see you after you’d been bathed and clothed. Pasqua’s bed has been carried into the kitchen. You will rest there where they can look after you night and day. I am sure you are very hungry.”

She nodded slowly, still full of questions though. “When are you leaving?”

“At dawn. Pen-Ilyn will row us across the water.”

Lia twisted her head and gave him a puzzled look.

Colvin nodded. “When you summoned the defenses, it drew water from several rivers around the Abbey. He was trying to leave when the current suddenly pulled from the other way and drew him back towards Muirwood. All of the ships that the Queen Dowager used were smashed or have sunk. He has the only boat in this Hundred right now. All day he has been ferrying knights back and forth across the huge moat, filling a bag full of coins if I am not mistaken. He will bring us to Bridgestow and continue to ferry for Demont until the waters recede. If they recede.”

Lia smiled at the thought of seeing Pen-Ilyn again. “Is his nose broken still?”

“The healer set it. It is purple but it will heal.”

“Was it another one of Dieyre’s lies that Demont’s army was defeated up north? We all thought he was dead.”

“It was not a lie. He truly believed Demont was dead. You will find the story interesting, I think. Remember that everyone in Demont’s service is a maston or a knight-maston. They were marching north to deal with a rebellion of the Earl of Caspur. He had control of all the approaches. His men were waiting to trap Demont and prevent escape. Demont knew he was outnumbered and his men were weary and Caspur’s fresh. There was an Abbey in that Hundred where Demont’s men sheltered. He knew that Caspur would not recognize the rights of the Abbey to safeguard them as he was burning the Abbeys within his lands. The Medium told him to cross the Apse Veil to Muirwood. They left their horses. They left the young king behind with a small guard to sneak away. Anyone who was not a maston was told to depart in the night. When the morning came, there was a great fog like the kind that happen here. Caspur stretched his line so that Demont would not slip away in the mist. There was confusion and his men started attacking each other, thinking they had stumbled across the mastons. By the time the fog lifted, Caspur learned that his army had nearly destroyed itself. Demont’s men, meanwhile, crossed the Apse Veil to Muirwood.” He paused, looking her keenly in the eye. “They crossed two days ago. But they did not arrive at Muirwood until this morning, when you summoned the defenses. Not only did they cross a bridge of distance, they crossed a bridge of time, arriving when they were needed. The men are a little confused at having lost two days unexpectedly as well as hearing the reports of their death. But they defended Muirwood and have taken the remnant of Queen Dowager’s soldiers into custody.”