Lines of Fire (The Guild House - Defenders Hall) by Janet Lane Walters Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janet Lane Walters
that badly off,” Alric said.
Sando laughed. “Prove it.”
Alric pressed his hands on the gritty sand. A jolt of pain nearly made him surrender to darkness. He couldn’t rise to his knees.
The Healer tsked. “Do all Defenders believe they’re indestructible?”
“This one always does.” Sando brushed Alric’s hair. “First time he’s been hurt bad enough to stop him from the duel. Take your time healing.”
“Storm Cloud.”
“I’ll see to your steed.”
“Thanks.” Alric forced himself to remain in the present.
Four men arrived with litters. During the transfer from the ground Alric lost his hold on consciousness.
Alien aromas roused him. Herbs and the sharp sting of alk. He tried to turn and yelped. Memories flashed with lightning speed and he realized he was in the Infirmary. “Where?”
“Treating room,” a deep voice said. “Drink this and lie still while I apply more numbing salve.”
Alric sipped from the bulb and sputtered. “Vile.”
“Finish the potion. You need tending and this won’t be painless.”
Alric felt his back being rubbed. Soon the numbing effect took place. The man with the deep voice barked orders to people Alric couldn’t see.
“You were lucky there’s no gross muscle damage. Wound isn’t as deep as the helpers feared. Take a deep breath. Have to clean the area thoroughly.”
Alric felt coldness and smelled the strong aroma of alk. The sting morphed into agony. He lost the battle to remain awake.
Someone’s groan woke him. He lay on a soft surface. He heard the groan a second time and realized the noise rumbled from his chest. He tried to roll to his side and bellowed. “Damn.”
“Awake now, are you.” A young man wearing Healer blue approached the bed. “I’ll help you.”
“Dry.”
“Drinking when sitting is better.” The trainee helped Alric to his uninjured side and slid his legs over the edge of the bed.
For a moment, Alric’s vision blurred. The young man became two and then four. Alric’s stomach lurched and he gulped deep breaths to keep from heaving. The young man changed into two. They swung him onto the bed. Soft pillows cushioned his back.
One of the trainees held a tumbler. “Drink.”
Alric gulped a mouthful and nearly spat the liquid. “What kind of poison are you giving me?”
“Salopa. Helps control pain and fever. Finish it and I’ll bring you broth and citren.”
“Robec?” Alric asked.
“Here.”
The voice came from the next bed. Alric turned his head and studied his companion. Robec’s pallor troubled Alric until he saw the lines of fire on the Swordmaster’s son’s skin. They held a healthy hue.
“How do you feel?” Alric asked.
“Like I’ve been slammed by a battering ram.” Robec cleared his throat. “Kalia came to see us last evening. She said you used the lines to stop my spurting blood.”
“I did. Useful skill for a Defender. That’s the reason my duels aren’t fatal for my opponents. You could learn to do the trick. Don’t you see the lines of fire?”
Robec glanced around the room. “Seeing them is a trick I don’t admit. The Swordmaster would cast me aside. Seeing the lines is a sign of evil.”
“How can you say that?”
Robec lowered his head. “My father taught me to fear such an event. Kalia says he’s wrong but she’s just a foolish woman. He is the Swordmaster.”
“I agree with your sister.” Alric winced as he shifted position. “I’ve read about the old days. One reason our people fled their former land and traveled through the mists to come here was to keep the sorcerers from forcing them to use their talents for evil. Seeing the lines was one of their talents.”
“I’ll think about what you’ve said.” Robec cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I’ve been your enemy for all these years.”
What brought that on? Was this some kind of trick? “I survived.”
“What will you do when you leave the Infirmary?”
“Regain my skill with sword and knife.
Sando laughed. “Prove it.”
Alric pressed his hands on the gritty sand. A jolt of pain nearly made him surrender to darkness. He couldn’t rise to his knees.
The Healer tsked. “Do all Defenders believe they’re indestructible?”
“This one always does.” Sando brushed Alric’s hair. “First time he’s been hurt bad enough to stop him from the duel. Take your time healing.”
“Storm Cloud.”
“I’ll see to your steed.”
“Thanks.” Alric forced himself to remain in the present.
Four men arrived with litters. During the transfer from the ground Alric lost his hold on consciousness.
Alien aromas roused him. Herbs and the sharp sting of alk. He tried to turn and yelped. Memories flashed with lightning speed and he realized he was in the Infirmary. “Where?”
“Treating room,” a deep voice said. “Drink this and lie still while I apply more numbing salve.”
Alric sipped from the bulb and sputtered. “Vile.”
“Finish the potion. You need tending and this won’t be painless.”
Alric felt his back being rubbed. Soon the numbing effect took place. The man with the deep voice barked orders to people Alric couldn’t see.
“You were lucky there’s no gross muscle damage. Wound isn’t as deep as the helpers feared. Take a deep breath. Have to clean the area thoroughly.”
Alric felt coldness and smelled the strong aroma of alk. The sting morphed into agony. He lost the battle to remain awake.
Someone’s groan woke him. He lay on a soft surface. He heard the groan a second time and realized the noise rumbled from his chest. He tried to roll to his side and bellowed. “Damn.”
“Awake now, are you.” A young man wearing Healer blue approached the bed. “I’ll help you.”
“Dry.”
“Drinking when sitting is better.” The trainee helped Alric to his uninjured side and slid his legs over the edge of the bed.
For a moment, Alric’s vision blurred. The young man became two and then four. Alric’s stomach lurched and he gulped deep breaths to keep from heaving. The young man changed into two. They swung him onto the bed. Soft pillows cushioned his back.
One of the trainees held a tumbler. “Drink.”
Alric gulped a mouthful and nearly spat the liquid. “What kind of poison are you giving me?”
“Salopa. Helps control pain and fever. Finish it and I’ll bring you broth and citren.”
“Robec?” Alric asked.
“Here.”
The voice came from the next bed. Alric turned his head and studied his companion. Robec’s pallor troubled Alric until he saw the lines of fire on the Swordmaster’s son’s skin. They held a healthy hue.
“How do you feel?” Alric asked.
“Like I’ve been slammed by a battering ram.” Robec cleared his throat. “Kalia came to see us last evening. She said you used the lines to stop my spurting blood.”
“I did. Useful skill for a Defender. That’s the reason my duels aren’t fatal for my opponents. You could learn to do the trick. Don’t you see the lines of fire?”
Robec glanced around the room. “Seeing them is a trick I don’t admit. The Swordmaster would cast me aside. Seeing the lines is a sign of evil.”
“How can you say that?”
Robec lowered his head. “My father taught me to fear such an event. Kalia says he’s wrong but she’s just a foolish woman. He is the Swordmaster.”
“I agree with your sister.” Alric winced as he shifted position. “I’ve read about the old days. One reason our people fled their former land and traveled through the mists to come here was to keep the sorcerers from forcing them to use their talents for evil. Seeing the lines was one of their talents.”
“I’ll think about what you’ve said.” Robec cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I’ve been your enemy for all these years.”
What brought that on? Was this some kind of trick? “I survived.”
“What will you do when you leave the Infirmary?”
“Regain my skill with sword and knife.