Arms-Commander

XCIII

Saryn woke up lying on a wide bed. Her head felt as though unseen hammers were beating on both sides of it, and she could barely see through the lightknives stabbing through her eyes. She thought it was light outside, but was it still fourday? After several moments, she could make out that Hryessa stood on one side of the bed, with Zeldyan on the other.

“Commander?” asked Hryessa.

“I’m here.” Saryn moved her fingers, her toes, and turned her head slightly. That made the unseen hammers beat harder. Finally, she sat up, if slowly, swinging her boots over the side of the bed. Her heels barely touched the heavy bedside carpet.

Hryessa extended a goblet. “It’s ale.”

Probably better than water here at the moment. Saryn took the crystal goblet with both hands and slowly sipped until she finished half the ale. The pounding subsided slightly. The lightknives did not. She handed the goblet back to Hryessa.

“I owe you once more,” said Zeldyan quietly.

“No…you don’t,” replied Saryn. “They wouldn’t have attacked you if I hadn’t come to Lornth.”

“If you had not come to Lornth, the same things would have happened, and I also would be dead. Like my son and my father.”

“You are kind, Lady.” Saryn was too tired to argue. “How long was I out?”

“Out?” asked Hryessa. “Oh…it is about a glass before sunset.”

“The same day? Fourday?”

“Of course.”

“Two, maybe three glasses,” Saryn murmured. “How is Dealdron?”

“He is in much pain, but he says nothing. He is in a small guest chamber. We did not touch his chest.”

Saryn stood, if slowly and deliberately, waiting to see if she felt dizzy. She did not. “I need to see him.”

“Commander…”

“He saved my life. I will see him.” Saryn walked slowly to the chamber doorway and into the corridor-where two guards stood, hands on the hilts of their blades.

“To the left, ser,” instructed Hryessa.

Saryn kept walking until she reached another door with two guards also stationed outside. She looked to Hryessa.

“We did not wish any of the dead Lornians’ friends to disturb him.” The captain paused. “I will wait here. He should see you both. It will ease his mind.”

Saryn opened the door and stepped inside. Zeldyan followed.

Dealdron lay on a bed narrower than the one on which Saryn had awakened but almost twice the width of a guard’s bunk. His left arm had been splinted, but his chest had not been bound. Saryn was glad for that, although she knew he would need some sort of brace before he could safely move, but she wanted to be there when he had his chest bound. His forehead was beaded with sweat. His eyes were open, but fixed overhead, almost unseeing.

Saryn stepped forward until she was standing beside the bed. Zeldyan moved up closer as well, to Saryn’s right.

“Dealdron,” Saryn said softly, “I’m here. Thank you.” What else could she say?

He blinked, then winced before speaking, slowly, as if each word were an effort. “I…overheard…knew they were up to something…told Klarisa to be ready…didn’t know for what…should have known…done more…tried…”

Even without trying, Saryn could sense the pain, but she had to know if she had done enough. Oh-so-carefully she extended the tiniest order-thread across his chest.

“…feels better…”

The worst of the chaos was gone, and his heart felt normal. As she began to feel dizzy, she released the probe, then laid a hand on his forehead. “You’ll be all right. Just try to sleep.”

“Are you…?”

“I’m fine, now, thanks to you.” She reached down and squeezed his good hand, gently.

“You are…my angel…Commander…” Dealdron closed his eyes, as if the words had taken every last bit of energy.

“Just rest…I’ll be back to see you later.” Saryn lifted her hand, turned, and walked slowly from the chamber.

You are my angel…my angel. His words rang in her ears…and in her thoughts.

“You care for him, do you not?” murmured Zeldyan.

“He’s never asked anything of me, except to please me. And he was willing to give his own life to save mine.”

“Would that there were more men like him.” Zeldyan paused. “Why is he so devoted to you?”

“I saved his life and challenged him to do his best at what he could.” What else could she say? And what was she going to do? For one thing, as soon as she’d recovered, she was going to make sure Dealdron healed-fully.

Then, she froze in place for a moment, recalling what Istril had said seasons before about understanding the price a woman might have to pay for any man who truly worshipped her. Can I pay that price? Should I?

She’d just have to see…as with everything else…But…somehow…she would.