Paks felt a wave of horror and panic even before the paladin asked, “Well, Paksenarrion—how should this man die?” She met the Duke’s angry gaze, and that of the Halverics: Aliam’s dark, enigmatic; his son’s bleak with remembered pain. The shades of her friends seemed to crowd the air—Saben, Canna—Tears choked her throat; she fought for speech.
“My lord, I have not—I cannot—forget those friends. And he had them killed, and hurt—I want him dead, my lord—” The Duke nodded, looking more like the Duke she knew, and she gathered courage. “But we don’t—we are not like him, my lord. That’s why we fought. Afterwards—but if it were me, my lord, I’d kill him now. But I have no right to say.” The Duke gave her a look she could not read.
“So be it. Aliam?”
The Halveric sighed. “She’s probably right, Kieri, gods blast it. I’ll abide. But I was looking forward to it.”
“It was my agreement. You can give the stroke.” The Duke heaved himself up from beside Siniava.
“My thanks.” Aliam Halveric drew his sword. “Cal, take that helmet off.” Cal wrestled the helmet from Siniava’s head, and tossed it aside. With a quick powerful stroke the Halveric buried his sword in Siniava’s neck. The watching soldiers cheered, and in a few minutes the armor and body were hacked into many pieces. Paks watched silently, thinking of the many bodies she’d seen in the past year.
It had happened so fast at the end. She could scarcely believe it was over, and turned away, still frightened and sick. She did not realize she had fallen until a hand touched her shoulder. She flinched, fighting nausea.
“Paks?” Vik sounded worried. She nodded, unable to speak. “What’s wrong? Were you hurt? Let me see.” Approaching torchlight glared through her closed eyelids. She felt his hands touching her, heard the hiss when he found the gash in her armor. Other hands were about her now, supporting her. Voices. Someone swearing as he worked at the fastenings of her corselet. She forced her eyes open, squinting against the torchlight. She saw someone walking away with Siniava’s head on a pole. Then the paladin’s face filled her vision.
“Paksenarrion. We think it is poison. Be still.” She felt an emptiness as others moved away. The paladin’s hands on her were hard. A glow seemed to rise around them. She felt a streak of pain across her chest, then a wave of comfort, palpable as a handful of clover. She took a breath and it came easy. Her vision cleared.
“My apologies,” said Fenith. “You moved so well I did not think to be sure you weren’t hurt. How is it now?”
Paks had not felt so well for days—even months, she thought. “I’m fine, sir; thank you.” She started to sit up. Around them was a circle of her friends, looking worried.
“Here,” said Vik. “Have a cloak.”
“I’m fine.” Paks took the cloak anyway. The paladin helped her stand. She felt steady and secure.
“Paksenarrion.” That was Aliam Halveric, watching her with a puzzled frown.
“Yes, my lord.”
“Do you know where Sunnot is? Did he go to bring us word?”
Memory of the mysterious cold and sleep came back to her. “No, my lord. I think he must have been overcome by the sleep—”
“Sleep! What was he—?”
A clamor of voices broke out, explaining.
“We were all asleep—”
“Magic or something—”
“—and Paks woke me up, and they—”
“Silence!” Paks had not noticed the Duke still standing nearby. “Vik, look for him. Paks, tell us about this sleep—how were you awake?”
“My lord, I don’t know. Sunnot and I had doubled the guards; we had just met and parted over there—” Paks pointed “—when it seemed cold suddenly. I remember a cold breeze, and wrapping my cloak. Then I woke, and I was on the ground, beside a tree—”
“What woke you?” asked the paladin. The Duke shot him a look.
“I don’t know exactly—it felt like a thorn pricking my chest—”
“Where your holy symbol rests?” Paks nodded. “May I see it again, please?” Paks slipped the chain over her head and handed it to him. As he took it, it flared to a blue glow, instantly extinguished. He held the surface to the torchlight, examining it minutely.
“Then what?” asked the Duke gruffly. Paks looked at him warily, remembering his rage.
“Well, my lord, I looked around, but saw nothing. Then I found the next guard asleep, and thought of magic. I woke her; we saw the first of them coming out. She woke the guards on this side, and I went to the other. I didn’t see Sunnot, but I was going by feel, to the posts we’d set. I could have missed—” A shout from Vik interrupted her. In a moment he reappeared, leading a bewildered Sunnot, who went down on one knee to the Halveric.
“My lord, I—I don’t know what happened—” The Halveric smiled and gestured him up.
“You were magicked, Sunnot; not your fault. I’m sorry you missed it—”
“Did he escape, sir?” Sunnot looked ready to cry.
“No. He’s dead. It’s over.” Sunnot looked around, still worried. Vik spoke softly to him, and he shook his head.
“Go on, Paks,” said the Duke.
She was so glad to see Sunnot alive and well that she’d lost the thread of her story.
“You woke the guards,” the Duke prompted.
“Yes, my lord. More of them had come out by then. When the last one came out I yelled and we attacked.”
“Where was Siniava then?”
“I don’t know. The bodyguard had made a ring, with two inside it—” Paks pointed to the bound prisoners. She explained how she had thought the two were a shapechanged Siniava and a wizard, how she’d noticed what seemed to be an animal moving along the rockface, and the animal’s transformation into Siniava. “When he turned to run,” she said, “I jumped and caught his legs—”
“I saw her jump,” said the paladin. “He was turning to strike at her, and I was just in time to stop him. The rest you know. Here, Paksenarrion, take back your medallion.”
The Duke shook his head thoughtfully. “I hardly feel I know anything. What woke her up? Was it the medallion—when she’s not a Girdsman?”
“What else would you suggest? I know it’s unusual—but what else?”
The Duke shook his head again. “I don’t know.” He sighed. “More mysteries, when I thought we’d be rid of them. Paksenarrion—”
“Yes, my lord?”
“Post a guard on this end of the passage, and come back to camp. How many wounded have we?” Paks looked around.
“My men took them back,” said the Halveric. “With my wounded. Things seemed—busy—around here.”
“My lord, if any are poisoned, I’d be glad to try a healing.”
“Thank you, sir paladin,” said Aliam before the Duke could answer. “You know the way to my surgeons’ tents?”
“Certainly, my lord.” The paladin turned and was gone.
Paks had organized the remaining soldiers and told them to keep close watch until they were relieved.
“Can we have a fire?” asked Rauf. She looked at the Duke.
“Certainly,” he said. “As big as you like. We’ll send a relief down when we get back, and then you can sleep. You’ve earned it. Come along, Paks.” He turned to go, and Paks followed, pausing to pick up the shards of her sword. She could hear the quartermaster now: sword and corselet both.
The Duke and Aliam Halveric walked side by side back to camp, the Duke’s squires before them, and Paks bringing up the rear. They said nothing to her, and she could not hear what they were saying. She didn’t try. She had too much to think about. She rubbed her thumb across the medallion she held—she had not put it back on. She did not understand—did not want to understand. The Duke was angry enough; she did not want him more angry with her than he was already. She thought of Canna and Saben—would they have wanted it this way? Siniava dead so easily? Saben would have—she turned away from his memory to something else. Canna had never told her the medallion had such powers. Was that its function, to warn? And if so, why hadn’t it warned Canna of the brigands?