(COMPLETE)
Lady Mhysra Kilpapan was blessed from birth with a distinguished family, a glorious home and a giant eagle miryhl of her own. Fully aware of her luck, she wants for nothing in life - except a chance to become a Rift Rider. The elite force...
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Twenty Four
13th Thaw
Rain splattered against the windows as Mhysra climbed high inside the eastern citadel. Thaw month was living up to its name and it had been drizzling non-stop for days. Soon even the lake would be free of ice. Pausing to catch her breath after a particularly steep flight of stairs, Mhysra peered out at the drowning world. The river roared along its banks, flooding the Lawn and almost filling the arch of the bridge.
Not that anyone was complaining. Thanks to this downpour, all signs of the recent kaz-naghkt attack had been scoured away. At least on the surface.
Leaving the window, Mhysra walked to the end of the corridor. The ward was almost empty now; the lesser wounded having been discharged, while the worst had expired. It left only fractures, non-fatal wounds and the feverish to languish in the airy room.
Mhysra smiled hesitantly at the healer on duty. "Lieutenant Lyrai sent for me?"
The healer rose from behind his desk, his height all the more impressive for his fragile slenderness. "Oh, you're that one, are you?" Unsure how to answer, she shrugged and he smiled. "Come along, student, he's been asking for you. Repeatedly."
Hurrying after him, she kept her eyes on the healer's back. It was hard to imagine that this clean, peaceful place had been filled to overflowing just days before, when she and Derrain had dragged Dhori up to get his scratches looked at. There'd been blood everywhere, while men screamed in their beds. Now everything was white and scrubbed; all signs of death firmly out of sight.
The few Riders they passed were sleeping, splinted legs elevated, broken shoulders heavily strapped. The man at the end gargled with every breath, but the healer smiled reassuringly.
"Just a cold. He landed in the river. Luckily he was fished out before he went over the falls."
She smiled back, shuddering when the healer looked away. While waiting for Dhori to be seen, Derrain and she had held the hands of a Rider whose lungs had sounded like that. His chest wound had turned his uniform black. Yet he'd managed to break Derrain's thumb when he choked at the end. A junior healer had strapped it up while her master saw to Dhori.
"Here. Special room for the special lieutenant." The healer grinned as he opened the door.
"I never asked for special treatment," a gruff voice grumbled from the bed.
"No, but the others did." The healer winked at Mhysra as he checked Lyrai's notes, then took the lieutenant's pulse. "They couldn't sleep for your fretting. Well, either that or your snoring. I'm not sure which was worse."
Ignoring him, Lyrai narrowed his eyes at Mhysra. "Here, are you? Took your time."
The healer poked the lieutenant in the cheek. "Open your mouth so I can check your throat. And don't take any notice of him, child, the fever has made him grumpy."
