The Tower
Images whirled past my face, moving far too fast for me to react: Mellys crying, Father shouting, a cup held to my lips, a pair of pale eyes swimming in golden soup and then darkness and silence. Silence heavy than the quieter winter snowstorm filled my head; slowly a quiet noise penetrated the haze surrounding my mind, at first, annoying and I tried to push it away so I could sleep, but it remained constant, banging against the insides of my head. Gradually, the noise evened out into a steady, rhythmic thumping like a heartbeat.
"A heartbeat!" I thought my eyes flying open.
I struggled to sit up, my head pounding and my left side throbbing. Puzzled at the unfamiliar location, I looked around taking in the small room with stonewalls, but it wasn't my room. The room was furnished with a bed, chair, chamber pot and a water ewer. A small window across from the bed looked out onto an immense stretch of blue: I was in one of the tower rooms. Climbing stiffly out of bed, I looked down, surprised to find that I was naked. My arms and legs were decorated by a swirling pattern of red burns and my chest had patches of burnt skin looking as if I'd come down with a rather exotic case of spots. Miraculously, I appeared to not be as burned as I would have expected, given the intensity of Tamas` flame. My arms hurt like blazes, literally, and so did my left side, but the most of my body appeared relatively unharmed. I would remember to thank Mother's seamstress for making my doublet so sturdy. The smell of the burn salve made my nose sting, and I remembered Tamas once describing it as "the nastiest smelling goo ever" and had to agree with his assessment.
Hobbling stiffly to the window, I peered out, it faced away from the village and I suspected that Father had done that on purpose to break my spirit. My hands gripped the windowsill painfully and tears dripped onto my burned hands. Why hadn't I heeded Father's words or told Tamas to leave town, then this would never have happened. If only I had paid more attention to Lehi, I really was stupid for thinking he wouldn't use my love for Tamas against me. Tears slipped down my cheeks, stinging them slightly as if they were sunburned. Closing my eyes, I said a silent prayer of thanks for the leather apron. It felt like my hair was heavily singed but was still there. My ears felt extremely tender but they were still attached to my head. I said another prayer of thanks for coming through the fire so well. I loosely covered my ears, listening; Tamas' heartbeat pounded strongly in my head. New tears dripped down my face, tears of relief in knowing that he was still alive.
"Tamas," I murmured softly.
Behind me, a key scraped in the lock of the door, and then the latch clanked open. Hastily I dashed away the tears and assumed a blank expression as I half turned around. The door scraped across the floor, opening to reveal, the healer from the village, leaning on a curved cane. He hobbled, one leg stiff, into the room, followed by Mellys and Raulf, who was there perhaps to make sure no one tried to help me escape. He leered obscenely at me and I blushed, remembering that I was naked. Mellys made a squeaking sort of noise and snatched up the blanket off the bed, wrapping it loosely around me.
"Aw ri', yeh can go new, Ah doon need yeh an'mo'," Master William said turning to Raulf. "Yeh can go leer at yer reflection in tha glass, mayhap it will answer yeh, thi' time."
Raulf fixed the healer with a glare that would have left a lesser man groveling on the floor for forgiveness, but Master William only took a wire handled metal pot and leather bag out of Raulf's hand and made a dismissing shoo-shoo gesture to him. Raulf spun on his heel and stomped out the door, pulling it shut with a slam that I suspected could be heard three floors down. The door latch clanked shut followed by the sound of the key in the lock. Master William raised an eyebrow and shook his head. He muttered something under his breath before turning towards me.
Now that my head was clear, I could study Master William carefully. He cultivated an old man's attitude, but looking at him it was clear that he wasn't much older than I was and half a head shorter. His right leg was stiff, the knee joint frozen straight, causing him to walk with a limp and use a cane. I wondered if his knee was the result of an injury or if it had always been like that. His knee and my hands gave me a kindred spirit feeling and I suddenly felt much calmer than I'd been before he arrived. Thick coppery curls surrounded a long face that couldn't quite be described as handsome but was far from unattractive. His sharp, almost colorless grey eyes studied me like a predator deciding which pieces were the choicest and I pulled the blanket a little closer, wincing when it rubbed a burn.
"Yeh've finally decided t'onor us wi' a visit, eh?" Master William said amused, leaning his cane against the bed.
"Huh-how long has it been?" I asked.
"You've been mostly asleep for a week, Nicco," Mellys said.
"A week!" I squeaked, my throat still a bit raw.
"Hai, Ah kep yeh pretty drugged, yeh `eal betteh if yeh no want ta git up and run aboot too soon," Master William said, his eyes twinkling at me.
"Mmm," I said contemplating whether that was a good sign or not. Tamas told me that when he burned his hand, Nayne had kept him drunk for two or three days for pain relief.
"And," he went on, his voice dropping conspiratorially, "buys a wee bit o' time for whah e'er tha firedrake is plannin."
"Firedrake! What about Tamas? Is everyone all right?" I asked eagerly. Mellys put her finger to her lips and jerked her head towards the door. I nodded in comprehension, Raulf would, no doubt, be on the other side listening. I nodded and lowered my voice.
"It's not a wise idea to antagonize Raulf like that," I said to Master William. "He likes nothing better than to catch people unawares and hurt them."
"Nah nah, lad, e no will urt me. `E thinks Ah'm a sorcerer or summat what can conjure beasties. Yeh seed me stop tha firedrake, dint yeh?" Master William tipped his head on the side and crossed his eyes. I smothered a laugh against the edge of the blanket. "Nowt thah Ah goes aboot correctin' thah mistake, hai?"
"Hai," I answered with a grin.
"Come, sit yehsef down, Ah no can look yeh over whilst yeh stand theh like a scarecrow in a field," the healer said, waving me towards the bed. "And if yeh're worrit aboot the Missy, she's already seen it all."
I flushed and after glancing at Mellys' red face, scurried for the bed. Relief flooded my system as I sat down, standing so long had been tiring but I wasn't about to show any kind of weakness anywhere Raulf might see as he would capitalize on it in an instant. Master William lifted the blanket off my shoulders and hmmed to himself as he looked over my body carefully. His touch was surprisingly light despite having somewhat short stubby fingers. Leaning close to me, I breathed in the earthy scent of herbs and took a deep breath, smiling in pleasure.
"Yeh're lookin' remark'bly goot fer a lad what was burnt 'alf to a cinder joost a mere week agoo. Is it love? Or are yeh part salamander?" Master William said lifting my head and looking into my eyes. He turned my head, first left and then right examining my ears.
"But yeh're goin' ta have a nasty necklace fer tha rest o' yer life," he said. Letting go of my chin, he grunted in satisfaction; my hands flew to my throat. I felt a burn that wrapped around my neck, running down onto my breastbone.
"The necklace Tamas gave me! Where is it? What happened to it? It didn't melt, did it? And what about Bittes Grans chain?"
"Yeh betteh hope not, if tha fire had been tha hot ye'd be a cinder, laddy," Master William said, one eyebrow raised. "I practice a wee bit o' sleight o' 'and, it distracts chilrun when settin' bones, and passed 'em ta Mistress Nayne, when I tole 'er ta leave."
"Thank you," I whispered and he nodded. His fingers gently squeezed my shoulder in compassion.
Master William stooped and picked up the small pot before limping over to the chair with a gait that reminded me of a bird hopping. It seemed he only needed the cane for walking long distances, perhaps that tired his bad leg. He set the metal pot on the chair. Opening the pot, he wrinkled his nose in displeasure as a nasty smell oozed out into the room. I made a face at Mellys who grinned at me, even as she waved her hand in front of her nose.
"Gentleman farts," she said and we both broke into laughter at the old joke from our childhood. Whenever there was a foul smell anywhere, we would call it 'gentleman farts' after some of the well, less pleasant to be around, male members of the aristocracy, particularly after a night of heavy drinking and feasting.
"Heh-eh, new if yeh kin laugh like thah, yeh moost be on tha road ta recov'ry," Master William said half hopping, half walking back to my side.
He held the lid from the pot, upside down in one hand, and a cloth in the other. On the lid was a generous dollop of the burn salve. I wrinkled my nose and sighed, it did seem to be helping, despite the pungent odor. Handing the lid to Mellys, Master William dipped the edge of the cloth in the salve and daubed gently at the burns on my arms and chest; he hrrmed to himself again as he spread the medicine.
"Ah suppose yeh'd be innerested in knowin' thah theh's a wyvern roostin' on the abandoned smithy in town," he said meditatively.
"Kinder!" I said, jerking my head up. "Abandoned smithy? Tamas? What about Tamas? And Nayne? Kinna? Bitte? And-and-and," I sputtered to a stop, puzzled at the amused look on Mellys' face.
"I have it on good authority that Tamas is safe," she said softly, her eyes flicking to the door. I nodded, knowing Raulf would be listening on the other side. "As are the rest of the inhabitants of the smithy. The Smith Guild being rather displeased with the Arm's Master's proclamation has found Tamas a forge south and east of here." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "About half a days ride from the university. Puts him just outside the hundred-mile ban, so he's safe until the Guild can get the decree turned over. The old Master there has no sons to pass the forge to, so he's willing to let Tamas take it in return for a warm bed and place by the fire."
"Already?" I exclaimed surprised.
"Well the Guild knew this forge was in need of a new Master so they sent a messenger. Teru says he took the message as far as Sheverin and another took it from there to Clannerith and so on. The Guild moved pretty fast to block your father," her voice shone with pleasure.
"Thank Heavens," I said nearly collapsing backwards onto the bed. I sat up abruptly earning a growled oath from Master William. "But what happened at the forge? Father was going to burn it down!"
I reached for Mellys' hand nearly dumping the medicine. Master William growled again and I muttered a hasty apology. Mellys smiled, and shifted the lid into one hand and with the other took my hand. The warmth and familiarity of her fingers around mine instantly relaxed my tense shoulders. Starting from when I could first walk, I had always known things would be all right if Mellys were there.
"Well new, thah was mighty innerestin'," Master William said taking over the narrative. "Yon, lunkhead of a father of yers, not but joost got tha words outta 'is mouth when Tam-boy lit up like a small sun agin." He sighed. "Ah'd nivver 'ave reckoned tha Arm's Master to be so stupid and unnerestimatin' o' 'is enemy as thah. Burnt three men and set tha 'orses a leapin' in panic." He scowled before starting to swab my burns again. "Gae tha Arm's Master a fair piece o' my mind, Ah did fer endangerin' yeh so. Ah suppose, Ah no can expect a pie at Christmas this year from 'im." The healer chuckled.
I stared at him trying to work out the image of the healer giving Father a good dressing down and Father taking it! The healer was obviously still alive, so Father must have taken the lecture rather meekly. I shook my head in frustration, maybe Master William really was a sorcerer!
"That I wish I could have seen," I whispered admiringly. Master William chuckled again before continuing to speak.
"Sa even before the sojers could get the torches fully lit, the young Master took the flame away from them, smooth what like 'e was breathin' it in." I nodded; I'd seen Tamas do that several times. "But yer brother, now 'e's a sneaky one, 'e slipped inside tha smithy and started a fire from tha forge. Tam-boy was much too concerned fer 'is mum, ta worry aboot yer brother, I spect thahs why es still walkin' aboot. Dove right inta the flames, Tam did, yellin' "Mum! Mum!" Tis a good son, thah one is."
"Sweet Heaven," I whispered.
"Yer da he says 'Well, tha take care o' thah problem,' an orders tha sojers back ta tha castle. Turn round now, thats a good lad."
"But flame won't hurt Tamas," I said puzzled, turning my back to the healer.
"Hai, Ah doon thinks yer da was payin' attention, or tis noble flame betteh at burnin' than peasant flame?" Master William asked with a derisive snort. Mellys and I snickered.
"Well, of course, Tamas controlled the flame so it only burned the smithy," Mellys said softly. "And Mistress Nayne, her father and the young ones got out safely and hid with the neighbors."
"Sayji," I said.
"Perhaps," Mellys said looking at the pot lid in her hands. "But they're gone now, headed south and fully a third of the craftsmen of the village with them. I hear 'rumors' that more will be joining them soon."
"But the smithy!" I exclaimed.
"He had to do it, Nicco, he couldn't risk Master Doemin returning if he didn't see smoke," Mellys said softly.
"I suppose," I said sadly. I knew what that forge meant to Tamas and how much it had to have hurt him to lose it. "But what about their lands? How will all those craftsmen live now?"
"Hai, thah's a problem," Master William said meditatively. " But Ah hears thah tha fens down theh ave been drained sa mooch tha theh's land fer an'one willin' ta work it. The local lord will be eager ta get skilled craftsmen inta is lands. The taxes an' lower costs will easily offset the cost o' `is villiens workin' tha land fer them."
"But Tamas' land!" I exclaimed. "Father declared it forfeit."
"Hai, well thah's tha rub init? Yon Mastersmith as no land o' is own. Tha land belongs ta Master Huron, until e dies. Tha Smith Guild is asking Is Lordship ta and it o'er ta them soes they kin put it ta seed fer one o' theh young'uns what as no land o' `is own."
"Sweet Heaven," I said sagging against the healer, who gently patted my shoulder. Being chronically short of cash, I was certain that His Lordship would accept the Guild`s proposal, after charging them a hefty fee. "I'm sure it's an acceptable solution to Grandfather and to Tamas."
"Anyway, soon as Tamas dived into the fire, the wyvern arrived, screaming like a banshee, I'm told," Mellys went on impatiently. "Scared everyone and now there are rumors of pestilence and plague flying around the town and more people will be leaving, I'm guessing."
I chuckled, recalling Kinder telling me that wyverns don't bring pestilence; they just had a passion for watching people make fools of themselves. I wondered how far away Kinder had been to arrive so quickly. Even at dragon speed, he had to be close, perhaps just waiting for a call from his son. My heart twisted suddenly and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. Gasping for breath, I heard a heartbeat, strangely comforting.
"I'm coming for you," the heartbeat said and I smiled, my breathing relaxing.
"Heh," the healer blew out a breath. "Yer da, he done cut off 'is nose ta spite 'is face."
The door crashed open, and Raulf lurched through it. We'd been so busy talking that no one had heard the key in the lock. Raulf looked like a bull about to charge, red faced and panting, his hands bunched into fists. I had the urge to dive under the bed but my pride wouldn't allow me to back down to a mere servant. I straightened my back and held my head up, flicking my eyes to Mellys, who had gone pale but equally as unyielding. Raulf stomped across the floor to stop only inches from Master William, who glanced up at him speculatively. Having experienced those almost colorless eyes myself, I wasn't surprise to see the hastily suppressed shudder that coursed through Raulf's body. He took a half step backwards, genuflecting against evil.
"Have you finished with Nicco yet? You`ve been in here far too long," Raulf growled.
"Joost waitin' fer tha me'icine ta start workin and ta see thah tha lad gets summat ta eat," Master William took the lid from Mellys and handed it to me. "Go fetch `im summat from the kitchen, broth, lentil soup, no bread, thah scritches tha throat too much."
"Oh and warm wine!" he added as Mellys darted around Raulf and out the door.
Raulf spun around and made a half-hearted attempt to catch her, but Mellys moved too fast. He growled a low swear word and turned back towards the healer. In the meantime, Master William had returned to poking at my tender flesh, completely ignoring Raulf, who whirled around and stomped out. Master William sighed.
"Tha one is goin ta work himself inta an apoplexy. Ha, and who would mourn him, eh?" He shook his head again. "Tis a sad thing when a man as no one ta cry fer im."
He tipped my head up and studied my eyes. Nodding, he dabbed the cloth into the medicine again and daubed it lightly across my cheeks, nose and forehead well up into my hairline. I wrinkled my nose and opened my mouth to breathe easier. It really didn't help against the smell, but I still kept it open. Delicately, he wiped the salve across my ears, particularly the tips; I hissed in pain and felt tears sting my eyes.
"Yer a lucky lad indeed, yeh can see, 'ear and talk, 'ave all yer fingers, toes, and yer manly parts, not many what's been in sooch a fire can say thah." He straightened up, his eyes studying me appreciatively.
"Thank you, Master William. I'm truly grateful to your skills," I said softly
"Heh, more like tha power of yersef, lad. I only clean up tha damage, but yeh, yeh had the strength ta come through `Ell and live. Yer da is an idiot, if 'e no can see thah."
I flushed in embarrassment at the compliment. Even after a year of being loved by Tamas, I still felt awkward about accepting praise. I had done the only thing I could think to do at that moment, to save all those innocent people, and to stop Tamas from turning into a dragon, I was certain he couldn't yet control. Tamas! My heart cried out to him and I heard the steady pace of his heartbeat increase for a few moments.
"Master William, sir," I started shyly.
"Eh?" he said looking at me, his eyes curious.
"Do you have someone to cry for you?" I asked, turning my head towards the window. His head followed mine and together we studied the sky.
"Hai," he said softly. "I've a goot woman what keeps my ouse clean, Eaven alone knows `ow wi' all them chilrun runnin' aboot. Moost o' them orphans, we take 'em in and fed 'em and make sure they grow up. Chilrun no should be allowed ta starve," he ended in a soft meditative voice.
"Children," I said softly. "I wonder what it would be like to raise a child."
"Children! Bitte!" I exclaimed. "Sweet Heaven, Bitte!"
"Thah's tha dark haired lad, Ah seed yeh aboot town wi'?" Master William asked. I nodded feeling fresh tears threaten to spill out.
"I promised his Gran, I'd protect him," I said miserably. "And I've failed."
"Mayhap, lad, but summtimes yeh have ta let them walk on theh own," he grasped my chin and tipped my head up. "'E's no as bin caught, so Ah'd say yeh no ave dun ta bad."
"I wonder," I said, staring out the window. "What about your lad, Paddy was it?"
"Ah, e's ome wi' s Mum, my wife, She gae is Lordship a right earful aboot kidnapping sooch a young un," he chuckled.
"Paddy's your son?" I asked puzzled because Master William couldn't be any older than Lehi and Paddy looked to be about fifteen, so Master William had to have fathered a child at ten.
"One o' them orphans what we took in. A right sharp lad e is, will be a goot 'ealer in is own right."
"Training with you, I should think so," I answered fervently. Master William made a dismissing sound but his face shown with pride anyway.
Shortly after that, Mellys returned with a tray of warm food. She whispered in my ear that Cook had made the broth, especially for me, using stock from a freshly purchased roast that she'd sent the girl out for that very morning. Again, I felt tears well up in my eyes, to think of all the people who cared about me. I sent my thanks back to Cook; I would see to it that this year she'd get more than just a new kettle from me. I ate ravenously, feeling surprisingly starved. Cook had stirred a large dollop of butter into the bowl of lentil soup and I scraped the bowl until Mellys teased me that I'd wear holes in the side. Master William made sure I drank so much wine that I was certain I'd spend the whole night on the pot.
I'd just finished eating when Raulf opened the door and announced it was time for everyone to leave. His eyes, narrowed from anger gave him the look of a cornered adder ready to strike. Mellys sucked in her breath, but Master William calmly packed up his medicines at his own pace. He tipped a little more drug from a twist of paper into the jug of wine and swirled it.
"Ah wants yeh ta finish thah before dark," he said sternly. "Ah be back to put more me'icine on yeh joost before then and I wants thah jug empty."
I nodded, feeling suddenly very forlorn and abandoned. Soon I would be left alone with no one to talk to; I felt tears well up in my eyes and blinked them away rapidly. I refused to allow Raulf to gloat to Father that his youngest son was a crybaby. Mellys gripped my shoulder lightly as she passed, carrying the dishes. Master William handed the salve pot and the leather bag to Raulf, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to throw them out the window and collected his cane. He leaned heavily on the cane and winked at me from under a mop of curls, before hobbling unsteadily out the door.
"That rogue!" I thought in surprise and was rather impressed at the image the healer cultivated for himself.
The door shut with a backwards leer from Raulf and since I wore only a blanket wrapped around my waist, I felt like he had stripped away what was left of my skin, leaving me completely naked and vulnerable. I shivered feeling gooseflesh creep up my back and arms. Pulling up the blanket, I twisted around in the bed; somehow, my buttocks hadn't suffered any burns, and lay down with my back to the door. Tears trickled over my nose to drip onto the pillow. I'd thought I felt miserable when Tamas had left for Wallingfirth, but I'd been positively merry then compared to how I felt now. Wary of the burns, I lightly covered my ear, Tamas' heartbeat pounded like a hammer and I heard a familiar roar very far away. Slowly I slipped into sleep listening to the steady rhythm of my lover's far away heart.
Master William returned shortly before dark. I really wasn't in the mood for conversation, which he respected and went about tending to my burns with a minimum of discussion. He watched me as I ate, perhaps to make certain I actually did eat and left me with instructions to finish the new jug of wine by morning and to get plenty of sleep.
"Really," I thought peevishly. "I have little else to do but sleep and piss."
I awoke abruptly in the dark, a soft noise penetrating my drug addled wits. The noise I'd heard was a soft scratching at the door; wrapping the blanket around me against the chilly night air, I crossed to the door. Leaning against it, I listened. The soft scratch repeated itself.
"Who is it?" I asked sharply. From the other side came a sharp intake of breath and a spoken oath in a language I didn't know.
"Bitte!"
"Nicco, oh blessed lady, you're alive." Bitte sobbed.
"What are you doing here? I told you to run away."
"I can't! I can't abandon you! The Tlacha told me to take care of you!" His voice rose to a cry.
"Shhhh!" I said. "Bitte, Tamas didn't mean at a time like now. You need to go after Nayne; she'll take care of you."
"NO!" The boy's voice was sharp and for a moment, I heard his voice become that of an adult. "I won't leave you. My duty is too you, Nicco."
"Oh Bitte," I sighed, leaning against the door. I slowly slid to sitting position hissing in pain as the blanket scraped the burns on my shoulders and back.
"I don't trust that-" he spat out a growled word and I knew he meant Raulf. "I don't like the way he looks at you."
I shivered. I didn't like the way he looked at me either, but I couldn't see what Bitte could do to protect me against him. I leaned my head against the door and felt tears run towards my ears.
"Please forgive me, Grandmother," I whispered to the dark.
"Bitte, you have to be careful, you can't let Lehi or one of his fellows catch you."
"They won't," he said firmly. "I know every nook and hidden place in this castle."
"But you have to eat," I said fretfully.
"Cook is getting quite absent minded these days," he said, his voice colored by amusement. "She keeps forgetting to put everything away in the pantry at night. And now and then she forgets to lock the pantry."
"Ahh," I said understandingly. Bitte as an extension of my person would also fall under Cook's care.
Bitte whispered an oath and I heard a scuffle behind the door then silence. After a moment, I heard boot heels on the stairs. Holding my breath and praying I wouldn't be heard, I scrambled back to bed, burrowing deep into the blankets. I wrapped a corner of the blanket as tightly as I dared around my mouth and tried to breathe as softly as possible. The door scraped open and I jerked nervously. I prayed the motion wouldn't be seen in the dark room.
"Nicco?" Lehi's voice was soft. "Are you awake?"
"No dammit, it's the middle of the night, you fool," I thought peevishly.
"Damn that healer." Lehi said angrily. "He's keeping Nicco drugged so he can say Nicco's too injured still to meet the Countess." Boot heels crossed the floor in a jerky rhythm.
"Nicco, wake up!" He said loudly.
Lehi grabbed my arm and shook it roughly. I clamped my teeth together on a fold of the blanket to keep from screaming as pain exploded through my arm and across my back. In my head, the dragon screamed in anger; between the two, I was certain my head was going to explode. Lehi shook me once more and tears rolled down my face, but I gave no sign that I was awake.
"That damned healer!" Lehi swore. He crossed back to the door. "I'll have him whipped!" The door slammed shut silencing any further outbursts from my brother.
"Oh Sweet Heaven," I sobbed into my pillow. "Please, oh please, protect the people I care about." Far away, inside my head, I heard a steady beat and a soft rumbling voice saying, "I'm coming, Nicco. Wait for me, I'll be there soon."