Lyra tried to smile as she lifted her hand clear of the water for Syman to wrap, but the burning feeling of the air prevented anything other than a grimace. Syman was gentle but swift. In just a few moments, he had wrapped each finger and then covered her entire hand. The salve was cool and without the movement of the stream water to sting her, the pain was soon at a bearable level. She thought momentarily of casting a healing spell on herself and quickly dismissed it. She had had enough magic for one day, maybe forever, and she wasn’t sure she even could cast it upon herself. Perhaps the pain would be a reminder of how stupid and arrogant she had been.
Syman rose and picked Lyra up, carrying her off to a shady area of level grass and laid her down. Antello brought a blanket and covered her up to her chin. He said something to her, but her mind was fighting for release of the pain and she passed out without ever hearing what he said.
Antello joined Syman at the stream and started unpacking the horses. “Despite what I said,” Antello whispered, “I am worried about her hand. It is much worse than Master Caulder’s man was and he still didn’t have full use of his hand after three years.”
“I know,” agreed Syman. “I know the man you are talking about. I would be surprised if Lyra didn’t know him as well.”
“I didn’t think of that,” admitted Antello. “I doubt she will even be able to hold the reins. What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know,” Syman frowned. “We need to keep moving or the invaders will catch up to us, but she is in no condition to go anywhere. I think we have to spend the night here and hope they have lost our trail.”
“I am sure that we lost them,” encouraged Antello. After a moments pause he continued, “That thing is still tracking us though. I haven’t seen it again, but I know it is following us.”
“I know,” agreed Syman, “but I think you are wrong about the invaders. They are not going to give up. You heard Klaarg threaten them. They are dead if they return without her. No, I am sure they are behind us somewhere. The only thing that surprises me is that they haven’t caught up to us yet.”
“Well at least we can use this time to get some food,” Antello offered. “I will rig up a fishing line and try my luck in the stream. Why don’t you go hunting?”
“Okay,” Syman nodded as he picked up his bow and decided which direction to head off in search of game. Hunting might very well take his mind off things, he thought. It seems he spent all of his waking time thinking about the invaders catching up to them or that thing out there finally coming down and eating them. And on top of all that, even his sleep was disturbed with the strange dream he had had the last two nights. All in all, he didn’t care for the Sakova very much and the sooner they got out of it, the better.
MistyTrail lay on the hillside watching the scene unfold below her. She shook her head in dismay as she watched the young girl nearly burn herself up with that foolish attempt at magic. Whoever taught that girl magic should have known better. It was a perfect display of too much power and too little sense. MistyTrail was no mage, but she knew enough magic to understand the fundamentals. Of course, the girl didn’t know that the Ring would interfere with the spell, but that was a poor excuse for lack of caution.
MistyTrail sat up and watched the tall dark boy head into the woods with his bow. The blond one seemed intent to do some fishing and she wondered if she should escalate her plan. The sleep talking had so far yielded nothing and she was running out of time. She still did not know who they were or why they were here. Tomorrow it wouldn’t matter because they would have to die. The thought didn’t sit well with the small Sakovan and she quickly decided to risk exposing herself. With the two boys out of the way, she could approach the girl and reason with her. If she failed there was a good chance that the boys would think the young girl was delirious and ignore her account of what happened. There was even the possibility the girl would dismiss it herself. Besides, she should use what little magic she did know to ease the suffering of the girl in the same manner she would for any wounded animal.
MistyTrail followed the progress of the dark boy to make sure she knew where he was going to be. She figured that the fisherboy would present no problem with the noise of the stream blocking out any sounds she might make.
MistyTrail crept down off the hillside and over to where the young girl was sleeping. Silently, she pulled back the blanket, keeping her eyes focused on the girl’s face for any signs of waking. Gently she reached for the girl’s injured hand and gingerly felt around it for the start of the bandage. Never letting her eyes leave the girl’s face, MistyTrail unwound the bandage and discarded it. The girl’s eyes twitched as the bandage touched the blisters as it was being removed, but she remained asleep. Holding the girl’s ruined hand in one of her own, MistyTrail used her other hand to shake the girl’s other arm until the youngster’s eyes opened.
“Say nothing yet,” MistyTrail warned. “I came to heal your hand, but I will leave if you make any loud noises. Your hand will be crippled if I do not heal it soon. Do you understand?”
Lyra’s eyes opened wide with fear and her mouthed try to form words, but her voice was lost in shock, so she nodded.
“Good,” MistyTrail smiled. “I can make your hand better, but I have some questions that require answers in payment for my services. Do you promise to answer my questions?”
Lyra nodded again as she tried to work the lump out of her throat. She wondered if this was another dream, or nightmare. It was still daylight out and the boys were not here. Could this woman have eaten them already? Was Lyra next on the creature’s menu? If so, why was she playing this question game with her? What did she want to know?
The woman, or creature she corrected for she had never seen ears so pointed before in a human, was holding her hand and Lyra’s pain was starting anew. She gritted her teeth as the woman started applying pressure to the blisters. Two arms and two legs. Looks like a person, but very short for a mature woman. Can’t be a monster. Must be a dream.
“This will hurt just a bit. Make sure you do not scream.”
Lyra felt a strange tingling running through her hand and flashes of hot and cold at various parts of it. Sweat beaded up on the small person’s brow as she appeared to concentrate and suddenly the pain was gone.
“Good as new,” MistyTrail smiled. “Take a look.”
Lyra lifted her hand before her eyes and saw that the blisters were gone. A trick she thought, but then she saw the blackened ring and her senses registered no pain in the hand.
“Who are you?” Lyra asked, finally recovering her voice. “Am I dreaming?”
“No you are not dreaming,” chuckled MistyTrail, thinking to herself that she had already tried that. “You may call me Misty, but that is your last question. You agreed to answer mine though and I have a few, like who are you and why are you here?”
“Misty,” Lyra repeated. “A nice name for a … a what?” Seeing the scowl on Misty’s face, Lyra quickly recovered. “I am sorry. Where are my manners? Just everything is so strange. I am called Lyra and I am from the Academy of Magic, somewhere north of Gatong. My father was the Master of the Academy before the raid. I am traveling to Alamar.”
“You have chosen a strange path to Alamar,” MistyTrail commented. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you about the dangers within the Sakova?”
“Yes,” Lyra replied, “but we have no choice. There are killers after us and the road was unsafe. It was certain death to take the road. How could the Sakova be worse than that?”
“It could be equally deadly,” MistyTrail sighed. “Why do these killers hunt you?”
“I do not know,” answered Lyra. “They have kidnapped my father and they seek me to make him do whatever it is they want done. He is a powerful mage and they must need one badly to kill everyone at the Academy.”