Paladin - the path north volume one

Chapter 19

Sah'rah woke up clutching at her head, a voice screaming from inside. Voices frantically spoke at her and still the screaming continued, she felt hands holding her down as she tried to claw at her eyes and lash out at those around her. Then Tar'son's voice cut through the noise.

"Hold on just a little longer lass," he told her, feeling his hands on the side of her head.

"The pain, it's too much!" she screamed at him over the cacophony of voices screaming at her.

She threw back her head and felt her body arch up violently... then it stopped, no more noise, only her own deep breaths, the world seemed dark until she blinked a few times, her sight coming back gradually. Tar'son sat beside her bed and she recognized the wise women from earlier that night.

"Where's Sah'van and Tar'yui?" she asked groggily, sitting up with a great deal of pain.

"Sorry lass, they're both dead. Demon attack, biggest any one's ever known... the order... the order's gone lass" Tar'gorth told her, tears in his eyes.

"They can't all be dead, what of Sah'eca, Tar'mon... Sir Godwin?" she asked, feeling her face contort at the knowledge her friend was dead.

Tar'gorth filled her in on events, she'd been out for nearly a week. Bordin had ridden out to offer some aid but had met Dagarn the Orc on their second day, carrying Sah'eca's library. By the time Bordin had arrived at the camp, most of the army had gone, only Sir Godwin, his squire and a few civilians from Kendral castle were left, burying the bodies of the dead. Bordin had said the graves were too numerous to count and that the King of Kendral had arranged the burials. Sir Godwin had come back with Bordin a few days later. Tar'gorth then recounted his own battle with Sah'van the demon, then tapped his leg.

"My fighting days are over though lass, I'm crippled now, as far as walking goes anyway."

"Why don't I just heal it?" she asked, putting her hands over his leg and chanting the prayer of salnah.

Nothing happened and Tar'gorth sighed. "Thanks for trying lass, but the Saints are gone... probably dead."

"Dead, how?" she asked, getting only a shrug from the old Paladin.

"Dagarn agreed to go back to Shadow Cliff castle to investigate, he should be back in a few days, so try and rest. We got hit pretty hard... again, I'll be across the hall if you need me lass," Tar'gorth told her before slowly limping out of her room.

She let her emotions take over, weeping uncontrollably for her friend, she only had Tar'gorth left now... out of everyone that had come north. Dagarn was gone nearly another full week before he returned, the news was grim.

"They're mostly gone, probably left with the army or joined Kendral's garrison. The magic that sustained the castle is still intact though, found one Paladin in the whole place, the guys gone crazy with the Saints dead, thinks he's Tar'mine reborn, might have been kinder to kill him."

"So with me and Tar'gorth included, there are three Paladins left in the north?" she asked dejectedly, sitting back down on her bed.

"Yeah, never really saw myself as a proper Paladin. What are you guys planning on doing, now that the order is pretty much dead," Dagarn asked bluntly.

There was really little else to do now, journeying south would take the best part of a year, and besides, there was little left for her there now. No, staying here would have to do she thought.

"I think my path lies here Dagarn, for we shall always walk it, with or without the Saints to guide us," she replied eventually, her hand instinctively holding Torgard's hilt. The Dwarf appearing beside her.