Elyon's Ghost, page 35
She did. Osstendler came up and swept Ailith up into her arms.
“What the fowk! Put me down, ya—” The warning glance the Prime gave her was one worthy of Geller’s best. “Sorry. But put me down, please.”
Osstendler growled, “Shut your fanghole and be still or Healer Haria will have more than just your leg to tend to. Do we understand each other?”
“Aye, but this is humiliatin’. I’m a warrior fer fowk sake, no some mewlin’ bairn what can’t walk on me own.”
The Prime chuckled, “Well, I’m doing this as much for me as I am for you.” She hiked Ailith up a little more. “I don’t want to have to face Prime Geller and tell her I let you walk back when that muscle has torn even more than before. Believe you me, I’m more frightened of her than I am of you.” A half-smile appeared on the Prime’s face, and Ailith cursed under her breath.
By the time they reached the outer gates, they could hear the people inside buzzing with the news that Terrowyn had found Ghost. They crossed the outer bailey, and when they came through the gate separating the bailey from the courtyard, Sábria and Shirin were crossing the yard on their way to the infirmary.
Shirin put her hand on Sábria’s arm and indicated Osstendler and Ailith.
They altered course and intercepted them. “What happened?”
Ailith said, “Nothing,” at the same time, Osstendler said, “Pulled her muscle badly this time.”
Sábria’s eyes narrowed and held a dangerous glint Ailith didn’t like one bit. “Pulled it doing what, exactly?”
Before Ailith could answer, Osstendler hiked her up a bit more and indicated the infirmary with a lifted chin. “Saving Ghost.”
By this time, word had spread like wildfire through most of the Temple, and Geller hurried out of the Sanctum to go check on her friend. She saw Osstendler carrying Ailith, and she, too, changed course. “What happened, and why are ya carrying th’ shiv?”
Osstendler set Ailith down. “Because she pulled that muscle worse than before, and I knew if I let her walk all the way back to the Temple, you’d of had my hide.”
Geller glared at Ailith and crossed her muscular arms. “Pulled it doin’ what?”
All three women wanted to head off a disaster, so they said in unison, “Saving Ghost.”
A hint of amusement snuck into Geller’s gaze. “I wasn’t gonna kill th’ lass, ya know. Just pound a bit of sense into her if she’d gone back to th’ Lady Knight.” With that, she surprised everyone when she picked Ailith up and started for the infirmary.
“Put me down. I’m no some fow—ow!”
From the ensuing silence, the other three knew Geller had somehow gotten her point across without having to say a word. They followed them into the infirmary, where Geller set Ailith down before heading over to see how Ghost was doing. When Ailith started for the door Geller growled, “Sit.”
Ailith mumbled under her breath, “Fowkin’—” When Geller stopped, Ailith shut her mouth and gingerly sat on the bed. She glared at the Prime’s back as the woman started forward again without ever once looking back at her shiv.
After Master Haria had worked on Ghost in the critical care ward, she came to personally see to Ailith’s leg. After a brief examination, she crossed her arms and stared down at her. “I understand Prime Geller has been helping you heal that muscle?”
“Aye, Milady.”
“Well, with the one exception that you may meet her in our bathing rooms here in the infirmary, you are confined to this bed until further notice.”
Ailith had expected something of the kind, and because of that and because she was worried the healer wouldn’t give her any herbs for the considerable pain she was in, she simply nodded and waited for her to leave.
Somewhat surprised by Ailith’s silence, Haria blinked and then called out, “Kara. Please prepare a tincture of caneleid powder, dursium dust, and stenum root. You can mix it into a tea to make it more palatable.”
In no time at all, Kara brought the potion to Ailith with a smile. “Here you go. Drink it fast and hold your nose, and it won’t taste so vile.”
After the healer left with an empty cup, Sábria came and sat on the side of the bed. “Hmmm.”
Ailith looked at her. “What?”
“I guess not growling at people works.”
A slow grin spread across Ailith’s face. “I guess so, Milady.”
Terrowyn stopped by and nodded to Sábria before kneeling at the side of Ailith’s bed. “Lady Haria says she’s got a good chance to get better. Thanks to you.” She cocked her head. “Where’d ya find her? I looked everywhere, nine or ten times every day and night.”
Ailith pulled in a breath and shrugged sheepishly. “Ya won’t believe me.”
“Try me.”
“Well, I was under th’ dock. Ya know, where I go to visit with th’ jokester?”
“She wasn’t there. I checked many times.”
Ailith pushed into a more comfortable position. “Did ya happen to notice th’ jokester?”
Terro’s brows pulled down, and she glanced at Sábria, who provided the translation. “The dolphin.”
“Oh, I saw it a couple of times, but that was all.”
“Did it look like it were tryin’ to get yer attention?”
“What? No. I don’t know. I didn’t pay it any mind.”
Nodding, Ailith said, “I did, and he led me to yer Ghost a ways down the coastline. She were half in th’ water and half out.”
Terro stared at her a while before putting a hand on her arm. “Well, however ya found her, I’m indebted to ya, Ailith.” She shrugged and smiled, “I’ll still treat ya like a skut-nosed shiv, but…thank you.”
“Yer welcome.” When Terrowyn rose to go back to Ghost’s side, Ailith called her back. “Senior Guardian.”
Terro stopped and turned. “Aye?”
There was a mischievous glint in Ailith’s eyes when she said, “He loves mackerel.”
With an answering glint in her own eyes, Terro nodded and continued on her way.
Sábria pulled off Ailith’s boots and motioned for her to get beneath the sheet. “That caneleid powder will put you to sleep. I’ll see you when you wake up. Yes?”
“Aye, I’d like that, Milady.”
When she awoke, the heady aromas of the midday meal assailed her senses. She opened her eyes, and instead of Sábria sitting next to her bed, she was surprised to see Prime Geller lounging in the armchair, leafing through her book.
Keeping her head down, Geller raised her eyes and saw that Ailith was awake. “Ya hungry?”
“Aye, Prime.”
“Then ye’ll need to show me what ya know in here first, and then ya can eat.”
Ailith’s brows came down low, but instead of complaining, she reached for her book. Geller shifted over onto the bed and listened as Ailith obediently recited the letters she’d learned thus far.
EPILOGUE
Sábria was on her way to see Ailith and had just stepped up to her alcove curtain when she heard Ailith say something. Geller’s answering voice correcting one of the letters shocked her enough that she actually took a step back. Shaking her head, she retraced her steps and went to join Shirin in the dining hall. Filling her plate full of vegetables, she sat across from Shirin and smiled. “Well, the shoe’s on the other foot this time.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, your instinct told you Ailith and Geller would be a good fit, and you were right. There’s no way I would have ever paired the two of them on a one-on-one basis, but it might just work. Usually, it’s my instincts that wow you, and now it’s the other way around.”
Pleased at the compliment, Shirin smiled and popped a piece of fry bread into her mouth. “Happy to be of service, My Lady.”
There was a commotion at the entrance, and they both looked to see Gweyir coming through the room, loudly greeting people as she walked past. She stopped so abruptly that Sábria looked to see what she was staring at.
Prya had turned to see who was making the noise, and she, too, froze when she saw Gwe.
It was obvious Gwe knew who Prya was because several emotions passed over her face. Recognition, followed by distrust, followed by a quick look in Sábria’s direction.
To forestall any misunderstandings, Sábria rose and joined her friend in the middle of the room.
Gwe didn’t waste any time with small talk. “Ya do know she’s th’ King Slayer, right?”
“Yes.”
“And yer th’ equivalent of an Empress in these parts.”
“She’s become a friend of mine. The Goddess considers her one of her Blades and asked me to help her in any way I could. Would you like to meet her?”
Gwe grinned, “I already know her, my Lovely Lover Lass. I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t here to kill ya, or I would have had to kill her first. But now that we’re all friends….” Her huge grin brightened her face, and she shouted, “Prya! This is th’ last place I expected to see yer smilin’ face.”
Prya rose, and Gwe strode over and pulled her into an exuberant bearhug. “It’s right glad I am to hear ya became a Blade.”
Prya pushed away and shook her head. “I’m not sworn to the Temple, Gwe. This is my home now, but for the next little while, at least, I don’t want to stay here or even in Cibía. I left a cloistered life when the Goddess called me, and I don’t want to put myself back into the same situation until I’ve traveled a bit and seen the world.”
“Where ya travelin’ to, then?”
“I haven’t thought that far. Sábria has helped me work through some things and helped me start to get my head straightened out. That’s as far as I’ve gotten.”
Gwe raised her brows and looked back and forth between Prya and Sábria. “Well, th’ Polperro will be here for at least a moon takin’ on repairs. If that head’s screwed on straight by th’ time we leave, come sail with me and me crew. We’ll take ya to places you’ve never heard of, and when yer travelin’ bug’s done, we’ll drop ya right back here on me lover lass’ doorstep.”
When Prya hesitated, Gwe grabbed both women around the shoulders and proclaimed in a loud voice, “Any of ya want to come visit th’ Polperro? I’m takin’ yer Priestess there now to check her out. Yer all welcome to tag along if ya like.”
Shirin sighed and stood up. From past experience, she knew there was no arguing with Gweyir when she’d gotten her teeth into an idea. She pointed to ten Blades who were just finishing up their meals. “All of you, let’s go. Protection detail.”
Sábria rolled her eyes. Also, from past experience, she knew there was no arguing with Shirin when she felt her safety was at stake.
Like a goose leading her flock of goslings, Gwe paraded all thirteen people down to the docks. Before she turned the final corner, she grinned at Sábria. “I’m gonna hold me hand over yer eyes fer this last little bit. I won’t let ya stumble.”
As she walked forward onto the dock, Sábria became suspicious when she heard several people laugh and murmur, “Oh, Great Goddess.” When Gwe removed her hand, Sábria looked around, unsure of what had drawn the others’ attention. The Polperro was docked in the second slip, and she walked forward to get a better look.
Her mouth dropped open when the entire masthead came into view. “You didn’t.”
There, in all her glory, was a perfect likeness of Sábria stretching out from the Polperro’s prow. The only saving grace was that the carving had a black tunic painted over the large breasts and trim belly.
Gwe threw her head back and roared, “Oh, I did, me Lovely Lover Lass. I most certainly did. Yer me Polperro and me Polperro is you. I’ll always come back to ya. Of that, I give ya me solemn word.” With those words, she pulled Sábria into her arms and kissed her deeply and well, and because it was Gweyir Wynlafur, the Arch Priestess smiled into the kiss and melted into the loving arms of the woman she’d thought gone from her life forever.
ALSO BY ALISON NAOMI HOLT
Mystery
Credo’s Hope - Alex Wolfe Mysteries Book 1
Credo’s Legacy – Alex Wolfe Mysteries Book 2
Credo’s Fire – Alex Wolfe Mysteries Book 3
Credo’s Bones - Alex Wolfe Mysteries Book 4
Credo’s Betrayal - Alex Wolfe Mysteries Book 5
Credo’s Honor - Alex Wolfe Mysteries Book 6
Credo’s Bandidos - Alex Wolfe Mysteries Book 7
Credo’s Run - Alex Wolfe Mysteries Book 8
Fantasy Fiction
The Seven Realms of Ar’rothi
The Spirit Child–The Seven Realms of Ar’rothi 1
Duchess Rising–The Seven Realms of Ar’rothi 2
Duchess Rampant-The Seven Realms of Ar’rothi 3
Spyder’s Web-The Seven Realms of Ar’rothi 4
Spyder’s Kiss-The Seven Realms of Ar’rothi 5
Aidrafiri: Aevala’s Own - The 7 Realms of Ar’rothi 6
Daughters of Elyon
Elyon’s Blades - Book 1
Elyon’s Ghost - Book 2
Mage of Merigor
Mage of Merigor
Psychological Thriller
The Door at the Top of the Stairs
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“A good book is an event in my life.” – Stendhal
Alison, who grew up listening to her parents reading her the most wonderful books full of adventure, heroes, ducks, and puppy dogs, promotes reading wherever she goes and believes literacy is the key to changing the world for the better.
In her writing, she follows Heinlein’s Rules, the first rule being You Must Write. To that end, she writes in several genres simply because she enjoys the great variety of characters and settings her over-active fantasy life creates. There’s nothing better for her than when a character looks over their shoulder, crooks a finger for her to follow, and heads off on an adventure. From medieval castles to a horse farm in Virginia to the police beat in Tucson, Arizona, her characters live exciting lives and she’s happy enough to follow them around and report on what she sees.
Alison's previous life as a cop gave her a bizarre sense of humor, a realistic look at life, and an insatiable desire to live life to the fullest. She loves all horses & hounds and some humans…
For more information:
https://alisonholtbooks.com
Alison Naomi Holt, Elyon's Ghost
