The Guardians

Chapter 36

Saren's last memory was seeing his sister's face at the window of his cell. He vaguely recalled hearing Lyra's voice but did not know what was being said. He'd remembered being too weak to even open his eyes but he did remember that he warned them about Arlan's spellcasters. Then the darkness overtook him and he felt like he was burning in a fire. A fire he could not escape, no matter how hard he tried. He fought against it but he was wearing down, his strength failing him. Kyrie's face taunted him. He called out to Neve many times but was only answered with silence. He was beginning to give up, tempted to allow the fires to consume him. Until he saw the beautiful woman with hair like the sun, skin like earth, and the smell of falling rain. She touched his skin and he felt the fires ebb.

"This is not the death for you, Saren. You have people counting on you. You have a war to help stop. Aiden and Lyra need your strength. Return to the world you left and fight as you have done most of your life." As she spoke the fires ebbed until nothing remained. She kissed his forehead. "Your rest shall be peaceful. But I fear the path ahead of you will not be easy." And then she left. He felt a hand touch his cheek as he slowly became aware of sounds and smells.

"His fever broke last night." Saren knew his sister's voice well. "Our prayers were answered. I... I don't know how she got past Orin, but she did."

"She?" Lyra asked.

"A woman came last night and said that she was the answer to my prayers. She looked like she was cloaked in the night sky and she smelled like rain. She had the bluest eyes I have ever seen." Neve had seen the same woman as he had.

"I know how she got past Orin. Orin could have walked right up to her and not seen her. The Great Mother herself healed Saren."

"Very funny. I know what I saw, Lyra."

"I'm serious, Neve. I've seen her as well. She guided me to the Druids in a dream." There was a pause. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"To have the Great Mother herself speak to you in your dreams is rare, Lyra. You are God Touched."

"Don't be ridicules."

Saren opened his eyes to see a blue cloudless sky and the two women. "Neve," he croaked. Both women suddenly looked down.

"Saren." Relief showed on both her face and in her voice. "Oh, Saren!" Neve leaned down and kissed his forehead.

Lyra looked just as relieved. "Thank the gods!" she said. "We thought we were going to lose you."

"You almost did." His throat was dry.

Lyra produced a waterskin, lifted his head, and pressed it to his lips. The cool, life-saving water danced on his tongue before wetting his throat. He never thought he'd be more grateful for the liquid than at that moment.

"I never told Arlan about you. He never knew about the two of you."

"I know. But he does know about Aiden, just not me. I have ill news about our brothers."

"We should wait until he is recovered enough," Neve said.

"I am well enough to hear what news you have. How many made it out of Arlan's dungeons?"

"Twelve escaped, "Lyra said. "The other half chose to stay behind to cover our escape. All but five perished in the attempt. Of those remaining men, one killed himself and the rest were hanged." He saw the sorrow in her eyes and knew she wished they'd been able to save them as well. "We've been branded traitors. Arlan is attempting to turn the kingdom away from us."

Saren sat up with his sister's help. "What of the men that escaped?"

"Only seven survived."

Saren sighed.

"And one isn't all there anymore. Whatever Arlan did to him affected his mind."

The others were beginning to notice that he was upright and were beginning to walk towards them. He caught a glimpse of a sandy-haired teenager before Orin's bulk blocked him from view.

"We need to decide our next move," Lyra continued. "And find Grace, Kara, and Lex. Arlan will be watching Halmont. He'll expect us to go there."

"We should find spellcasters to look for Grace, Kara, and Lex. At least ones that can Dreamwalk." Saren saw the amused look Neve and Lyra shared. "You know where we can find one?"

"You're looking at her," Lyra said.

"I didn't know you were a spellcaster."

"I didn't offer the information when I first joined."

"First thing's first. Lyra, you find Lex. She'll use her own abilities to keep you out."

"If there's a weakness, I'll find it."

"Next we should keep moving. And find ways to be a thorn in Arlan's side."

"What are you proposing?" Aiden asked.

"We do what we should have done, to begin with. Disrupt his supply lines and pick off any stragglers. We have to prove to the people we can be trusted."

~~~

Lex felt someone pressing against her mental barrier. A strong someone. Lex pressed against her barrier in an attempt to strengthen it. But she failed to keep them out. She grasped her magic expecting the scene about her to change.

"Lex, I mean you no harm," Lyra walked towards her.

"Lyra? Is that truly you?"

"In the... well, never mind. We've been looking for you."

"How are you here? You're no spellcaster."

"I am a spellcaster and a Dreamwalker. Just like you." Lex wasn't sure if she could believe her. "I can pull Aiden or Saren in here if you don't believe me, although I really hate doing that."

"You have to be a powerful spellcaster to do that."

"I kept Kara out of my mind didn't I?" No one could keep Kara out. Save Alora.

"How do I know you're real? That you live?"

"My best friend would tell you that I'm hard to kill," Lyra said with a smile. "Where are you? Is Kara and Grace with you?"

"They're with me. We're in a cave above Atevora."

"Arlan holds that town. And it's just a few days from where we are now. You are going to need to leave that cave and head south."

"We can't. Kara isn't sure that Grace would survive."

"What?"

"She was wounded with a poisoned arrow. Kara's been using blackroot to slow the progression but I fear that we're running out of time."

"Then we'll come to you. As fast as we can." Lyra disappeared, leaving Lex to wonder how she was able to break through her mental barrier. She hoped that they would come in time. For Grace's sake.