were chairs and a narrow table set with vials of medicines and dried herbs. A vase of fresh-cut flowers attempted to fill the air with their fragrant aroma but still didn’t completely mask the thick stench of illness.
Lacertin pinched his nose at the smell. Theondar glanced over and a glimmer of amusement crossed his face. “You could simply pass on whatever message you have for him,” Theondar said. “I’m sure the archivists could ensure he gets it in between their ministering to him.”
“No. He will hear it from me.”
Theondar only shrugged. “Your choice. Only, from your face, you would rather be anywhere but here.”
Lacertin took a small, shallow breath. “The smell. It reminds me of home.”
Theondar arched his brow. “Then Nara is even worse than most say.”
“Not Nara. There are small lizards within Nara, gilander lizards, and they would sun themselves atop rocks. Occasionally they remain in place for longer than what is healthy, and the sun would dry them too much to make it to water. The sun would burn them, and their flesh stinks as it rots. It draws scavengers to it and they would pick at the flesh, tearing it from the bones.”
“A good thing we are not in Nara, then. We would have to fight off both Ilton’s illness as well as whatever scavengers would set upon him.”
“That’s not what I was—”
Theondar stopped at Ilton’s bed and looked down at the king. An unreadable expression marred his face. “I know that isn’t what you were saying, Lacertin. Come. Speak to your king while he can still hear you.”
Lacertin looked up and fixed Theondar with a hard expression. Theondar might become the First Warrior once Ilton passed, but for now, it remained Lacertin. Having Ilton’s favor had to account for something, even though it might not always feel like it. With Ilton sending him off out of the city for weeks—months, this most recent time—there were few who felt any sort of jealousy toward Lacertin.
Theondar’s smile faded and he raised his hands. “Fine. You speak to the king. I will leave you. Remember, Lacertin, that once Ilton passes, there will be changes in the kingdoms. It remains to be seen how many will benefit you.”
Theondar closed his eyes and a soft shaping built. Lacertin noted it as pressure in his ears, the distinct sense that all water shapers had when another shaped around them, and wondered what Theondar shaped. Then he took a deep breath, letting it out. The shaping washed away from Theondar and toward Ilton. He sighed once, and his breathing eased.
Theondar nodded and then started back toward the door, leaving Lacertin standing by the king, alone.
When he was convinced that Lacertin was gone, he attempted a shaping of his own. Water didn’t come as easily to Lacertin as the other elements, but he was able to use what little he could and sent a shaping through the king, trying to understand how far along the illness raging within Ilton had progressed.
As before, the illness rebuffed his ability to do anything with it. None of the dedicated water healers had managed to do anything to help him, so Lacertin didn’t really think that he could either, but he could learn how far along Ilton’s illness had progressed.
He pulled on the shaping, pressing through a faint resistance. It had been months since he’d attempted to shape the king, months since he’d done anything to try and heal him, and in that time, Lacertin had little practice with this shaping. Shaping was much like any other skill. Without practice, any skill with it would be lost. The trials he’d gone through on behalf of the king had ensured that.
He considered adding fire to his shaping. Like most from Nara, fire came easiest to him, and he could mix it into other shapings. But fire could burn too brightly and he didn’t want to risk it, not on Ilton. Instead, he used a fire sensing and recognized the heat of the illness raging within his king, burning through him. The illness
Lacertin pinched his nose at the smell. Theondar glanced over and a glimmer of amusement crossed his face. “You could simply pass on whatever message you have for him,” Theondar said. “I’m sure the archivists could ensure he gets it in between their ministering to him.”
“No. He will hear it from me.”
Theondar only shrugged. “Your choice. Only, from your face, you would rather be anywhere but here.”
Lacertin took a small, shallow breath. “The smell. It reminds me of home.”
Theondar arched his brow. “Then Nara is even worse than most say.”
“Not Nara. There are small lizards within Nara, gilander lizards, and they would sun themselves atop rocks. Occasionally they remain in place for longer than what is healthy, and the sun would dry them too much to make it to water. The sun would burn them, and their flesh stinks as it rots. It draws scavengers to it and they would pick at the flesh, tearing it from the bones.”
“A good thing we are not in Nara, then. We would have to fight off both Ilton’s illness as well as whatever scavengers would set upon him.”
“That’s not what I was—”
Theondar stopped at Ilton’s bed and looked down at the king. An unreadable expression marred his face. “I know that isn’t what you were saying, Lacertin. Come. Speak to your king while he can still hear you.”
Lacertin looked up and fixed Theondar with a hard expression. Theondar might become the First Warrior once Ilton passed, but for now, it remained Lacertin. Having Ilton’s favor had to account for something, even though it might not always feel like it. With Ilton sending him off out of the city for weeks—months, this most recent time—there were few who felt any sort of jealousy toward Lacertin.
Theondar’s smile faded and he raised his hands. “Fine. You speak to the king. I will leave you. Remember, Lacertin, that once Ilton passes, there will be changes in the kingdoms. It remains to be seen how many will benefit you.”
Theondar closed his eyes and a soft shaping built. Lacertin noted it as pressure in his ears, the distinct sense that all water shapers had when another shaped around them, and wondered what Theondar shaped. Then he took a deep breath, letting it out. The shaping washed away from Theondar and toward Ilton. He sighed once, and his breathing eased.
Theondar nodded and then started back toward the door, leaving Lacertin standing by the king, alone.
When he was convinced that Lacertin was gone, he attempted a shaping of his own. Water didn’t come as easily to Lacertin as the other elements, but he was able to use what little he could and sent a shaping through the king, trying to understand how far along the illness raging within Ilton had progressed.
As before, the illness rebuffed his ability to do anything with it. None of the dedicated water healers had managed to do anything to help him, so Lacertin didn’t really think that he could either, but he could learn how far along Ilton’s illness had progressed.
He pulled on the shaping, pressing through a faint resistance. It had been months since he’d attempted to shape the king, months since he’d done anything to try and heal him, and in that time, Lacertin had little practice with this shaping. Shaping was much like any other skill. Without practice, any skill with it would be lost. The trials he’d gone through on behalf of the king had ensured that.
He considered adding fire to his shaping. Like most from Nara, fire came easiest to him, and he could mix it into other shapings. But fire could burn too brightly and he didn’t want to risk it, not on Ilton. Instead, he used a fire sensing and recognized the heat of the illness raging within his king, burning through him. The illness
Similar Books
Critical Failures III (Caverns and Creatures Book 3)
Robert Bevan
Relentless
Patricia Haley and Gracie Hill
Quick, Amanda
Wicked Widow
Hamish X Goes to Providence Rhode Island
Sean Cullen
Plain Jane
Carolyn McCray
Merry Random Christmas
Julia Kent
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Willow Rose
The Shrinking Race
H. Badger
The Summer Girls
Mary Alice Monroe