The Warhorse of Balrok

Chapter 22: Fire And Bandages

Chapter 22

Fire And Bandages

Zand

"You said we'd be here only for a short time, right?" Zand asked Willohshai, who was staring out at Vithr. "Then we'd go to get Talnerr."

He nodded.

"Where's Astrid?" She asked, sitting down. "I haven't seen her since Akele was checking your arm."

Willohshai shrugged. "She...usually likes to be...alone at night. She goes at around sunset."

Zand bit her lip. "Do you think Talnerr is okay?"

He didn't look at her.

"You don't, do you?" She asked. "You think they've probably tortured him or killed him." The little flames on the candles in the room started to shiver. "And I really can't blame you, either." The candles flared.

Willohshai glanced at the candles in confusion.

"Do you think they'd keep him alive longer because he's one of Balrok's children?"

One of the flames jumped so high that it almost touched the wooden ceiling. Willohshai jumped back. "Zand! Calm down!"

She glanced around. Her eyes widened. "What happened? What did I do?"

"Your mother was Cahtyl Tes Raven, right?" He hurried to put out the fires. "Isn't that what Fehnir told you?"

Zand drew her knees up to her chest. "Yes." She said in a small voice.

"You might have inherited her fire elementalism. That explains why the fire was responding to your emotions."

"How do I control it?"

Willohshai hesitated.

"You have no idea, don't you?"

"Were you expecting me to? I know very little about elementalism."

Zand sighed in frustration. Just another worry to add to her stressful life. Suddenly, Akana burst into the room.

"Zand! Willohshai! Come quick!" She grabbed their arms and yanked them outside. Luckily, they were on the ground floor or Zand would've fallen to her death.

"What is it, what is it?!" Zand asked frantically.

Akana dragged them to the building that Willohshai had mentioned being the infirmary that Akele owned.

"We found him! Kayrn and I! Then Astrid told me to get Mother and Father, and they told me to get you! Mother said she would heal him!"

"Wait, who are you even talking about, Akana?" Willohshai asked patiently.

"A boy who has black hair and a cut under one of his eyes. Astrid said he is Zand's brother!"

Zand broke into a run and beat her companions to Akele's infirmary. As soon as she entered the building, she leaned against the wall to catch her breath.

Akele and Kayrn were rushing around, gathering herbs, bandages, thread, and other things they might use. A large man was laying someone on a long table. Zand assumed the man was Nurit, Akele's husband. Willohshai and Akana had finally caught up and walked in as Nurit left.

Akele noticed Zand. "Come here," she ordered. "Is this your brother?" She gestured to the unconscious person on the table. Zand walked over to get a better look. Pale skin, slim build, shaggy black hair, long, diagonal cut under his right eye. She nodded. Then, she noticed the long arrow sticking out of Talnerr's abdomen and the giant bat wings that extended from his back. Those definitely hadn't been there before. Even as she watched, the wings grew smaller and went back into him. She looked at Willohshai, eyes wide. His face didn't betray any emotion.