FIREFANGED

Chapter 8 (Blood-strewn)

Stepping inside the keep, I met Lynda Snow as she was coming downstairs for breakfast. She froze, noting my blood-strewn appearance or perhaps the wretched smell.

The blood wasn't mine, but it was ugly, and possession was nine-tenths of the law. I winced at her shock and leaned aside, hoping she would resume her trek downward to the kitchen.

Showing her mettle, she didn't. "Ara. Are you alright?"

Doubting her father ever returned home wearing his work, I ducked my head. "Lynda, sorry. I'm alright, mostly. I just got back from a night patrol with the scouts. It began quietly and ended with quite a fight. I—I need to get cleaned up."

Lynda recovered quickly and changed the subject to something lighter: "Maybe we could head into town together later this week?"

I remembered how fine she looked the night before at dinner, and here I stood, ruining her breakfast. "You bet. It looks like I could use some new clothes."

I inched past her and broke into a run that left me dizzy. Reaching my shared living room, I found Doctor Loeb coming out of one of the bedrooms with a pair of young women who were dressed in gray like sentinel recruits.

Loeb gave me the once over and checked my left arm for any damage. I had a sizable dent in my left vambrace. Beneath that, my forearm was black and blue. The rest of me had come through unscathed.

Loeb didn't think the bone was broken again, but it was starting to feel like it. He suggested that I use my old sling to take some of the weight off the arm.

Loeb introduced me to his young recruits. Their names were Helen and Drew, and they were both in their late teens. They were assisting the doctor as part of their medical training, and they didn't balk at the sight of me. The two helped me shed the rest of my armor while I quizzed Loeb.

"Doctor, how is the girl? Did she wake up?"

"She awoke extremely agitated. After assuring her she was safe, I gave her something to help her sleep. She's lost some blood, but of more concern, she appears to be utterly exhausted. The girl must have been on the run for quite some time. Do you have any idea why she was out there alone?"

"She didn't say, but sentinel-scout Jacka mentioned something about a city named Bastian."

"It's a city-state on the far side of the Everest range. The woman's a half-breed dark elf. Rare. I only know of one other. Dark elves are reclusive and not a race that suffers impurities."

"Did you find out her name?"

"Like you, she only ever mentioned one: Raven. She seems to be about your age, though in her condition, it's tough to be sure. Helen and Drew are here for the important task of watching over her day and night. Get yourself cleaned up and dressed. We will let you know if anything changes."

"Doctor, you need to know that she killed one of the demons we faced before she collapsed—took it clean apart with this black blade of hers. That puts her on our side."

Hesitating a moment, Loeb gave me a nod. "Go get cleaned up and see to your armor. You'll have plenty to discuss later with Vigil Snow."

###

After getting a bath and a fresh set of clothes, I looked in on Raven. She was still asleep, but I felt reassured, seeing Helen sitting at her side. I asked about the woman's wounds. Several had required stitching by Doctor Loeb, but nothing life-threatening. I asked her to let me know as soon as anything changed.

I hit up the kitchen for a late breakfast and made a short visit to the armorer to knock out the dent in my vambrace.

The sentinel armorer was the same one that had kitted me out back in Lockrun, a man by the name of Nickols. He recognized the thick vambrace and asked what had caused the dent. When I told him that it was a demon's nose, he laughed before he realized that I was serious.