Raelin watched, transfixed. She had dreamt of meeting Jandar, hero of the alliance, savior of Nastralund. She had not expected to meet him while he pulled Kelda from the twilight of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that Jandar was before her, she had eyes only for Kelda. She was so delicate, and she had lost so much blood\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blue light flared from Jandar\u2019s palm again, sparking against Kelda\u2019s injured shoulder. As Raelin watched, the wound softened, the color fading. The edges became clean, and slowly began to flow back together seamlessly. But the wound seemed reluctant to heal all the way. Jandar\u2019s magic faded, and the blood began to flow again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jandar rocked back from where he knelt beside Kelda\u2019s bed. He gasped for air, sweat drenching his brow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d asked Raelin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHealing was never my strength. The axe went deep and severed some crucial muscles. And even if I could heal her, she\u2019s lost a lot of blood. Maybe too much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSurely you can do something?\u201d Raelin couldn\u2019t quite believe that Jandar, leader of the alliance, found it difficult to heal a small kyrie girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jandar swept long brown hair from his forehead. It was sticky and matted with sweat. Even his wings, powerful and sheathed in white feathers, seemed to wilt somewhat. He studied Kelda for a minute. \u201cTime is of the essence, and I don\u2019t trust my ability to save her. There is\u2026 something that might cure her, however.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin glanced at Mallidon. He hadn\u2019t stirred from Kelda\u2019s side since the sentinels carried her into the stronghold at Varenheim. He had said not a word, but continued to watch her, his eyes never leaving her still form. All the color seemed to be slowly draining from his face with each passing moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jandar stood. Cupping his hands, he conjured a swirling purple light. The center of the light darkened until something small came into view, spinning almost too fast to be possible. The light faded, and Jandar caught the small object: a vial containing what appeared to be clear water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He turned to Raelin. \u201cI can heal Kelda with these waters, but it will come at a price. You will know why soon enough. For now, know only that she will have to stay at my castle, further north. You and your brother may stay with her, but she will not be permitted beyond its walls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin nodded. Kelda might not like being shut up, but she would be safe from the war. Jandar\u2019s castle was said to be impregnable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jandar stooped over Kelda, gently opening her mouth. He pulled the stop from the vial, poured the water slowly down her throat, and then stepped back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing whatsoever happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then, with a terrible rattling, gasping breath, Kelda awoke. She sat bolt upright, opened her mouth as if she were about to scream, and then, quite suddenly, slumped back down on the bed. Mallidon stood still, as if transfixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin flew to her side. Even as she did so, she noted that Kelda\u2019s wound was healing. The skin was rippling, almost like water, and from the way the skin was bunching and relaxing, Raelin guessed muscles were being reknit as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kelda lay still upon her bed. Her mouth was tight shut, but her eyes were wide open, and they sought Raelin\u2019s feverishly. Raelin had only to look into those eyes to see how much pain Kelda was in. The pain of the injury had been insignificant compared to the pain of healing, but no cry escaped Kelda\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It took a full ten minutes for Kelda to be healed. During that time, there was little anyone could do but watch. Kelda never let on how much pain she was in, but Raelin could see it intensify, and then slowly, so slowly, diminish. At last, Kelda gave a subdued sigh, and slipped into unconsciousness. Her wound was gone, as if it had never been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a moment, Mallidon stirred from his stupor. He was still covered in blood, though most of it was not his own. Ignoring his own injuries, he turned and knelt to Jandar. Raelin saw that as he did so, his shoulders shook, not with tears, she realized, but with anger. \u201cYou are the leader of the alliance, commander of its forces. If you can assure that I will face those responsible for the pain I have witnessed, I pledge my service to you, until the armies of the south are laid to waste, and I present Utgar\u2019s head to you on the point of my sword.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jandar, after a hesitant pause, placed his hands on Mallidon\u2019s shoulders, and raised him to his feet. \u201cI accept,\u201d he said gravely. \u201cBut I do not require service. I require will, a desire to win this war and fight for what is right. I swore long ago to bring Utgar to justice for the atrocities he has committed. If you will aid me in this endeavor, I will accept your sword gladly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A flame seemed to have kindled in Mallidon\u2019s eyes. He returned Jandar\u2019s steely gaze. \u201cMy sword is yours,\u201d he said. \u201cUse it to exact my revenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It took three days for Kelda to regain her strength. Jandar remained silent on how he had healed her, though he maintained that Raelin would find out soon enough. Mallidon, having convinced himself that Kelda would recover quickly, was dispatched to join a force in the West. Raelin had felt an emotion she couldn\u2019t quite identify as he took off with his battalion of kyrie, arrayed in white and blue and carrying his new war-hammer. Had it been jealousy? Perhaps, but there had been something else\u2026 a strange urge to pull him from the sky and keep him at Kelda\u2019s side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the third day, the garrison at Varenheim prepared to empty. They were isolated, and Jandar\u2019s castle provided far better protection against Utgar\u2019s legions. In the morning, Kelda was declared fully recovered. To Raelin\u2019s surprise, one of the first things she did was go to Jandar and swear fealty to him. She said that it was repayment for saving her life, but Raelin felt there was more to the reason than that. She had no chance to find out what it was, however, for Jandar caught up with her in the halls moments later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKelda will not need to stay at my castle,\u201d he said, falling in beside her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin looked up, surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou might as well know the truth, Raelin. My castle was constructed to hide and guard something, something extremely powerful. It\u2019s called a wellspring. It looks like an ordinary pool of still water, but it holds tremendous magic. Once you drink from it, you can control that magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what you gave Kelda,\u201d Raelin guessed. \u201cWellspring water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d said Jandar. \u201cIt heals the drinker, though the magic it imparts aside from that seems to change with the individual. Kelda, for instance, seems to be able to heal minor injuries with naught but a touch.\u201d Jandar looked into the distance. \u201cIf her ability grows, she could save many on the battlefield\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin stopped. \u201cThe battlefield? Jandar, you promised she would be kept at your castle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said that because her abilities could make her a target. Now that I know she can heal, she is far too valuable to be kept isolated.\u201d Jandar\u2019s voice softened. \u201cI would never have forced her into combat, Raelin. She agreed herself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen I will change her mind,\u201d said Raelin, determination in her voice. She continued to walk. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Jandar, but Kelda cannot be a part of this war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silence fell between them for a space. Finally, Jandar spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKelda was lucky. She is not the first injured kyrie I have tried to heal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin glanced at him. Jandar had saved Kelda\u2019s life, and she trusted him because of that. However, three days had shown her that he meant business. He never said anything without a reason. She was therefore wary of his words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jandar didn\u2019t look at her. He kept his gaze fixed ahead, and while he continued to walk along without slowing his pace, there was hardness in his voice. \u201cMy daughter was claimed by Utgar\u2019s advance through Bleakwood long ago. My wife tried to defend her, and the hordes took her too. I arrived too late. They had been tortured within an inch of their life. Utgar knew their connection to me, and knew that they must possess secrets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t. I hadn\u2019t confided in them so that they wouldn\u2019t be a target. It seems it didn\u2019t work.\u201d Jandar swallowed. \u201cI tried to heal them, but I lacked the power to do so. They died in my arms, one after the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI might have been able to heal Kelda, but after that day, I lost faith in myself. I couldn\u2019t save my family. I tried with all my might, but in the end, it wasn\u2019t enough. That\u2019s the way this war has been. A small victory here, an advance there, but in the end, Utgar just marches ahead, sweeping my forces before him.\u201d Jandar stopped and faced Raelin. \u201cThat\u2019s why I need people like Kelda, Raelin. We both know there is more to her reason for joining me. I don\u2019t know what it is, and neither do I need to. All I know is that she is determined. She will see this war through to the end. Those are the kinds of soldiers that I need. This war needs morale, something I can\u2019t always provide. Kelda can. Mallidon can. And if your spear is half as powerful as you said, it can too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that was it. Raelin looked up into Jandar\u2019s clear eyes. He was determined. He was very determined, but in the end, he didn\u2019t believe he could win. He knew that, and nothing could change it. He needed soldiers who did<\/em> believe they could win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis war has to end, Raelin. I swore to bring Utgar to justice, to win this conflict. I need your spear. I won\u2019t ask you to join me. You\u2019ve already lost your parents to the war, and Kelda has lost her father. But I need your spear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raknar, Kelda\u2019s father, had never been found after the attack. The village had been burned to the ground, the White River dyed red with blood. It was said that still, three days later, its waters remained crimson. The worst had been assumed, and Raknar had been buried with the rest of the undistinguishable mangled corpses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin was silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease, Raelin,\u201d Jandar said, a note of pleading entering his voice. Determined pleading, but pleading all the same. \u201cThink of the lives that could be saved. Think of the pain that could be averted. Remember Kelda. With your spear protecting my men, countless soldiers could go the entire war and never experience such a thing as she did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin didn\u2019t need to remember Kelda\u2019s pain. It was all she thought about. Every waking hour it passed before her eyes, the tightness of Kelda\u2019s mouth as she silently endured the pain. Every night, Kelda\u2019s screams echoed in her nightmares. She couldn\u2019t rid herself of the images. She had to make them stop. She looked up at Jandar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI go where my spear does,\u201d she said firmly. \u201cBut,\u201d she added as Jandar frowned, \u201cif you will promise to end the suffering of the war, the hurt, the pain\u2026 then I will join you, and wield the spear myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jandar looked at her for a moment, surprise on his face. Then he knelt on one knee before her, and took her hands in his.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOn the graves of the ones I love, I swear to you that I will do all within my power to end the war, and all the bloodshed it causes. I accept your spear, Raelin, and I pray that you will use it to save my soldiers from any injury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin nodded slowly. \u201cI will,\u201d she promised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jandar stood. \u201cI will send word to have armor made for you. You must go with me to my castle, where you will be outfitted, but from there, your spear will see action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin felt some of the blood drain from her face. She was ashamed of it. This was what she had always wanted: a chance to fight. What was wrong with her?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jandar turned and hastened back the way he had come, leaving Raelin alone in the hall. She didn\u2019t move for nearly a minute. She was a soldier. A warrior in Jandar\u2019s army. Raknar would have forced her to resign had he known. But he didn\u2019t know. He couldn\u2019t, and he was part of the reason why she had joined. She wanted vengeance. She wanted to strike a blow against Utgar. But she also wanted to stop the war, the pain. She turned and hurried down the hall, in search of Kelda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She found her not long after, getting ready for departure with the rest of the garrison. She was packing slowly, hesitantly, but Raelin could sense a determination in her movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d asked Raelin as she approached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kelda looked up, and then shrugged. \u201cIt still twinges a bit, but it gets better every day. Those waters Jandar gave me did something strange. Sometimes I feel like I could topple a mountain, other times I\u2019m weak with exhaustion. And I have the strangest dreams at night. But I\u2019m healed, and I suppose that\u2019s all that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, Kelda,\u201d said Raelin forcibly, \u201cthat\u2019s not<\/em> all that matters. Why did you swear to serve Jandar? I already lost Mallidon. I can\u2019t lose you too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe healed me,\u201d Kelda said simply. \u201cIt was a debt that had to be paid. Besides, I thought you approved of joining the war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, but not you. Never you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kelda said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin sat down beside her. \u201cKelda,\u201d she said quietly, \u201cI know what the world holds. You know I do. It\u2026 It took my parents from me, and I know the pain it holds. That\u2019s all that awaits you, Kelda: more pain. The world is merciless. It doesn\u2019t care who it harms. And I can\u2019t let it hurt you, Kelda. I just can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kelda had stopped packing, though she didn\u2019t look at Raelin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin struggled for words. She had<\/em> to convince Kelda. \u201cI love you too much, Kelda. Please\u2026 don\u2019t make me lose you too. Don\u2019t go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have to,\u201d said Kelda quietly. \u201cNo, listen,\u201d she said as Raelin opened her mouth to protest. \u201cThe night of the raid, when I was injured, I looked around, and all I saw was blood. Blood and chaos. I was afraid, Raelin. Desperately afraid. I wanted someone, something, to comfort me. I wanted to know that it would be all right. But everyone was just as frightened as I was. There was nothing there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf I can be there\u2026 be there when people need me\u2026 maybe they won\u2019t be afraid. Maybe they\u2019ll see me, and if I can be calm for them\u2026 maybe I can be there for myself too. Maybe I\u2019ll stop seeing the blood.\u201d She looked at Raelin. \u201cI have to go. I don\u2019t want to, but I have to\u2026 for others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin knew she couldn\u2019t change Kelda\u2019s mind. If Kelda had one strength, it was not backing down. \u201cWhen will I see you again?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were tears in Kelda\u2019s eyes. \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d she whispered. \u201cJandar said it could be a long while.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin sat back. So this was how things would fall into place. Raknar had spent his whole life doggedly keeping his family from danger. More than once, Mallidon had insisted on joining the army, accompanied at least half the time by Raelin, and every time, he had stood in their way. And now, despite everything, she, Mallidon, and even Kelda, were part of the war, part of the bloodshed. It would be a miracle if any of them survived its unforgiving path.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Raelin watched, transfixed. She had dreamt of meeting Jandar, hero of the alliance, savior of Nastralund. She had not expected to meet him while he pulled Kelda from the twilight of death. Now that Jandar was before her, she had eyes only for Kelda. She was so delicate, and she had lost so much blood\u2026 … Continue reading Chapter Three – A Request<\/span>