“I thank you for your concern, healer,” Khollo said quietly. “But all Lord Kurkan has done is alleviate my concerns regarding some of my comrades. I was unsure of their fates, and now those questions are put to rest. I think I will rest better now as well.”
The healer set the tray down beside Khollo’s bed. “Be that as it may, you need your strength. And here I am bringing a meal for you and I find another visitor in the corridor demanding to speak with you – ”
“Who is it?” Khollo asked inquisitively.
“You may rest assured that I will not tell you,” the healer huffed. “I tried to send him away but the puffed-up, pompous, imperious – ”
“Is there a way to raise him up a bit?” Janis asked. “Can’t hardly eat flat on his back, can he?” Khollo’s uncle deftly loosened his restraints and propped him up with a few pillows.
“Much better,” Janis said. “How about some porridge, Khollo?” he said, passing him a bowl. “Hmm. There’s some toast here too. Not sure you’re up to that yet.” Janis helped himself to a slice. “What about you, healer? You can’t have eaten recently.” Janis stuffed another slice of toast into the protesting healer’s mouth. The healer gagged and spluttered, choking. Janis meanwhile, went to the door to see who this visitor was. Khollo began slowly spooning porridge into his mouth, trying not to aggravate the wounds in his chest as he moved.
When Janis returned, it was with one of the people Khollo least expected to see.
“Lieutenant Khollo,” the king’s chatelain began, bowing courteously. “I apologize for intruding on you like this. May I stay for a few moments?”
“You may,” Khollo said, keeping his expression neutral.
Clemon pulled over a chair and sat in it, head bowed. “I’m not really sure how to begin,” he said. “A man of my status and power is not used to being proven so very wrong.”
Khollo thought the wisest reply was silence. He ate another large spoonful of porridge.
“So,” Clemon said after a moment’s indecision. “I would like to extend my sincerest apologies for the way I behaved since arriving here.”
Khollo choked and spat out some of his porridge, dribbling it on his chin and bandages.
Apology . . . accepted, of course,” Khollo said, wiping at his face.
Clemon looked surprised. “Really? Well, you have a forgiving nature. Your master here found it a little more difficult time forgetting my transgressions.”
“As I recall, I nearly pitched you out a window,” Janis said mildly.
Clemon smiled, actually smiled. The expression looked somewhat foreign on his normally haughty features. “We’ve reached an understanding,” he explained to Khollo. “I must also thank you for my life. If not for the valiant efforts of you and a few others, I would most certainly be dead.”
“It was nothing,” Khollo said, a little embarrassed at having such a high-ranking official thanking him and begging forgiveness.
“Oh, I think it was a good deal more than nothing,” Clemon countered. “You two have opened my eyes to the danger we have let fester in the Fells. It is high time we finished the fight begun so long ago.” He turned to look at Janis. “The fight that you won for us once, Lord Kurkan.”
Janis nodded gravely. “We will assist in any way we can.”
Clemon rose. “I must set out for Etares immediately to muster the armies and inform the king of the danger. When I pass through Ardia, I will order troops be sent south to reinforce you and have similar messages passed to the other great lords who rule cities near the Renlor Basin. We will contain the vertaga for the moment, until we have the numbers to crush them.”
“We can hope that the vertaga are willing to wait as well,” Janis murmured. “We appreciate your help, Lord Clemon, and eagerly await your reinforcements.”
Clemon nodded gravely. “Hopefully, I have not wasted too much of your time already, protesting the beginning of a war.” He bowed his head, troubled. “I did not want to believe they had returned. I was finally getting used to peace.”
“With the victory here at the West Bank, we may yet save the kingdom,” Khollo said encouragingly.
“A victory you paid dearly for, young warrior,” Clemon observed. “Rest, recover. We are all in your debt, and I will remember your brave actions as long as I live. Maybe your example will help the rest of us to find courage and heroism within ourselves.”
Khollo flushed, embarrassed by the high praise. Then, he grunted in surprise as his chest twinged painfully.
The healer noticed immediately. “Khollo must rest,” he said shortly. “His injuries were life-threatening not that long ago, and he really shouldn’t even be seeing visitors at all yet.” He added this last with a reproachful glare in Janis’ direction.
Clemon stood. “I understand. Good luck, Lieutenant Khollo, Lord Kurkan. May we meet again, and under better circumstances.” The king’s chatelain left quietly, shutting the door behind him.
“You too Lord Kurkan,” the healer said as soon as the door had closed. “Now. Khollo needs rest.”
“Get well quick, will you?” Janis muttered as he passed Khollo’s bed. “I don’t want to have to go through this tyrannical healer every time I want to speak with you the rest of my life.”
Khollo snorted with laughter, quickly stifling it as his ribs flamed with excruciating pain again. “Yes, uncle,” he managed to gasp out with a feeble little smile.
“Good lad,” Janis replied. Then he was gone too, leaving Khollo alone with the healer. The healer immediately removed the pillows, laying Khollo flat again, and reattached his restraints, muttering under his breath about careless warriors.
Another shock of pain lanced through Khollo as the healer finished his work, then another. By the third, which lasted twice as
