Crag

Lily’s daughter sickened in winter.

Her husband had been dead for nearly a month, killed in the war with the
kingdom
of
Zaltana
.

Battles continued to destroy village after village, forcing many to surrender to the powerful, vicious
Zaltanian
army. Lily’s home had been long destroyed, and she and her daughter had been living in the mountains with a small group of villagers who’d taken to hiding. They scratched out an existence under overhangs and in makeshift shelters. Even by the first snow, most of them were cold and hungry. Lily believed their poor living conditions caused her daughter’s illness, but hiding had been her only course of action. The
Zaltanians
killed their enemies’ children, all except the ones old enough to work in the mines. Women and men were raped and taken into slavery. Better for Lily and her daughter to die in the mountains than at the hands of some
Zaltanian
pig.

Still, part of her had believed she and
Vina
would survive. The belief was strangled at the onset of
Vina's
fever, at her sudden lack of appetite, and at her incessant crying for which there was no comfort.

“Twenty miles north is a village called
Tanek
which has managed to fend off the
Zaltanian
army,” said
Cormac
, one of the only other survivors of Lily’s village. “It’s a long walk, but if the snow holds off, you should make it.”

“What good can they do me?” she asked, tired from spending the past several nights tending
Vina
, and hungry since there hadn’t been enough food for more than a meal a day for each adult in the settlement. At that moment, she wished the
Zaltanians
had
killed her.

“They fought off
Zaltana
because they’re backed by Knights of the Ruby Order.”

Lily drew a deep breath, feeling the first glint of hope in months. Knights of the Ruby Order were known throughout the land as the finest warriors and healers, but they only fought for just causes, never for profit. If anyone could help
Vina
, it would be them.

Immediately, she packed her few belongings and set off on foot with
Vina
in her arms. She didn’t relish such a long hike with a sickly infant, but it was her only choice.

The day remained sunny and warm as she waded through calf-high snow. Ice melted from the trees and rocks, and the sound of running water might have been musical had she been in the frame of mind to listen. She simply felt too tired and worried to care about the beauty of the countryside. Trees, some green, others skeletons decorated with glistening icicles, covered the mountains. She passed streams of rushing white water where she stopped for a drink and sat on a rock, attempting to feed
Vina
. The infant took some milk, but was promptly sick.

Lily rocked her, whispering to her, wondering if the baby sensed her mother’s desolation.

It was dusk when Lily saw the welcoming fires of
Tanek
, and she could have cried from relief. Her feet ached, her arms felt sore, and her stomach hurt from hunger.

As she neared the settlement, some of her hope waned. Though its people had chased off the
Zaltanians
,
Tanek
had suffered. Most of the houses lay in ruins, and people and animals huddled under lean-tos scarcely stronger than the ones in her own mountain hideaway.

She noticed some rebuilding had taken place, but it was not an easy task in the middle of winter. Several men dressed in black tunics, a red circle of thorns embroidered around a ruby over their hearts, trudged through the wreckage. She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks as she recognized the uniforms of the Ruby Order. The Knights carried themselves with pride and determination, even the ones whose arms and legs were bandaged. They had obviously fought hard for
Tanek
, and she knew more of their troops still battled throughout the continent, attempting to force the hated
Zaltanians
into submission.

As she neared the settlement, a tall, bearded Knight with two muscular, tawny dogs at his side, approached.

“Please help me,” Lily said. “My village was destroyed months ago. I’ve walked twenty miles to find you. My daughter’s sick, and we have nowhere to go.”

The Knight glanced down at
Vina
. He offered to carry Lily’s pack of belongings and bid her to follow him to one of the long, wooden buildings still standing amidst the rubble.

“We have survivors from most of the villages in the north,” he told her. “
Tanek
has other settlements similar to this one. I’m afraid our resources are spread rather thin. Most of the settlements have one or two healers to look after everyone, but you’re welcome to stay.”

He opened the door of the longhouse, and Lily nearly gagged. Stuffy from smoke, the place reeked of herbs, blood, sickness, and death. Water from melting ice dripped through holes in the ceiling, and men, women, and children covered the dirt floor, some leaning against walls, others sprawled in the center of the single large room. She saw movement in the dim loft and knew there were even more people pressed, back to back, above them.

She gazed down at
Vina’s
flushed face and felt a lump form in her throat. This place was scarcely better than where they’d come from. Still, the Knights were here. The Ruby Order possessed the finest healers in the world.

“Right this way, missy,” said the Knight who’d escorted her in. They edged around people, stepping over some and nudging others aside, to the more open space in the center of the room.

Lily glanced at the hearth and saw two women turning a deer over a spit. At least they had food. The sounds of coughing and sneezing mingled with moans, soft conversation, and the snapping of flames from the fires and torches throughout the building.

The bearded Knight paused behind a man draped in a gray tunic stained with dirt and blood. Dark brown hair was tied with a piece of rope at the man’s nape. Lily noticed his neck was rather thick and his shoulders broad in spite of his slimness. He applied a bandage to the stump where his patient’s hand had once been. The patient was an older man with grayish hair and a battle-scarred face. Eyes closed, he gritted his teeth against the pain.

The healer finished with the bandage, and the bearded Knight said, “Crag will take good care of you, missy.”

The healer’s head jerked over his shoulder, and Lily stared at him. His cheekbones were high and wide, a rich brown beard covered his face beneath. A full lower lip peeked out from beneath the wiry hair. The tip of his straight nose was gently rounded, a streak of dried blood running down its tip. Blue eyes glanced from beneath thick, dark brows. Lily noted those eyes didn’t look at all welcoming.

“Crag, this woman’s walked twenty miles with a sick baby to get here. Where would you like her?”

Crag looked at Lily hard, his expression saying he’d like her to go anywhere but here. He stood, his shadow falling across
Vina’s
face. He was very tall, very lean, and Lily noted his face looked nearly as gray as his robe. He appeared more like a nightmare than a healer. Surely he wasn’t a Knight? Yet a circle of red thorns was embroidered over his heart, the symbol of his Order.

“Space is limited, Sir Rain,” Crag said, his voice a low timbre. The sound of it might have been comforting had his expression not been colder than the snow outside. “But we’ll find a place.”

“Of course you will.” Sir Rain placed a hand on Lily’s shoulder, then turned to leave.

“Sir,” Crag followed Rain, “have the reinforcements arrived yet? We have close to two hundred people in our settlement now, and with just me and Sir

Wood—”

“Crag, I’m sure the Order is sending more men as quickly as they can. We’ll just have to make do in the meantime. You’re doing well.” Rain nodded and left.

“Doing well,” Crag muttered under his breath, his jaw working.

Vina
wailed, and Lily did her best to quiet her. Hesitantly, she said, “Sir Crag, where can I get some water?”

“Just Crag,” he said. “I’m not yet a Knight. I’m serving here as part of my training.”

Lily didn’t really care about his training. She only wanted some water, food, and a place to rest. He seemed to sense her thoughts as he pointed to the women by the spit. “Go ask them. They’ll tell you where to find supplies. Come with me first. I’ll get you a place to stay and examine your baby.”

“Help! A healer! I need a healer!” shrieked a woman from across the room. “My husband’s not breathing!”

“Just find an empty space somewhere,” Crag called over his shoulder as he stepped over people and wooden supply trunks toward the woman crying for help. “I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”

Hoisting
Vina
over her shoulder and rubbing her small back, Lily muttered, “Some Knight he’s going to make. The epitome of manhood and compassion.”

She found a place beside an old woman who reeked of must and rotted teeth. Lily noted that her odor had to be especially foul if it was discernable above the general stench of the place. At least the hearth was nearby, and if she turned her back, the scent of smoke and burning wood overpowered the old woman’s pungency. She dropped her pack and rested
Vina
against it before turning to one of the women by the spit.

“Is there anyplace I can get some water?”

“Surely.” The woman smiled, and Lily wondered how she was able to remain cheerful in such horrific surroundings. “The well is outside. Here’s a bucket.” She edged the large wooden pail toward Lily with her foot. “We need more water in here anyway. I’ll keep an eye on your baby while you fetch it.”

Lily hesitated, glancing at
Vina
. She didn’t know the woman. She didn’t know anyone there, but she desperately required water since
Vina
not only needed to be changed, but was covered in drying vomit.

Sighing, she took the bucket and walked outside. The well was located in the center of the settlement, and she took several moments to inhale the cleansing winter air while she filled the bucket. When she entered the building again, the smell wasn’t so intolerable, and eventually, she’d learn to ignore it.

As she approached her space, she noticed Crag kneeling beside her pack, examining
Vina
.

He glanced at Lily, an eyebrow raised. “I hope you plan on using some of that water to wash her.”

She dropped the bucket beside him, some of the water splashing on his filthy tunic.

“You look like you could use some washing yourself,” she snapped, tired and angry from the long, tedious walk, the worry she felt for
Vina
, the nagging hunger in her belly, and the memories of the life she’d once had.

“You try staying clean in this place.” His blue eyes flashed anger. “We have two healers right now. Me and Sir Wood who’s been ministering to the ones in the lean-tos all morning.”

“Well you try keeping a vomiting baby clean over a twenty mile walk in the middle of winter!” She shook her head. He was, after all, the healer. She’d traveled all this way for him to help
Vina
, and if she didn’t hold her temper, he might not bother with her at all. Lily murmured, “I’m sorry.”

“Bathe her in cool water. I’m going to prepare a medicine which should help settle her stomach. The truth is, I’ve seen a lot of this illness since I’ve arrived here. The outlook isn’t good. I’m sorry.”

Her stomach clenched and her head throbbed.
The outlook isn’t good. I’m sorry
… His blue eyes held hers, and she noted he actually did look sorry.

Lily cleared her throat and said, “The man whose wife just called you. Is he all right?”

Crag stood, wiping his hands on his rough gray robe. “No. He’s dead.”

He disappeared across the room, and she sat beside
Vina
and bathed her. Tears slipped from Lily’s eyes, dripping off the tip of her nose as she thought,
I should have just stayed in the mountains…

“Here, Love. You look like you could use this.”

Lily glanced at the woman squatting in front of her, the same woman who’d given her the bucket earlier. She held out a chunk of bread and a wooden bowl full of stew. Bits of meat and vegetables floated in the brownish broth, and Lily’s stomach rumbled.