Crown of Renewal(40)

“Soon,” he said. This time she did not hear his boots on the floor, but before she could wonder why not, he was back with one of the yeoman-marshals, Lia. To her he said, “I had a report to give the Marshal-General, but she looks no better than when I left—I believe the weapon must have been poisoned. Has no one seen it?”

Lia frowned. “Marshal-General—who’s been binding it up for you?” She turned to Arvid. “She’s been at her desk half-days; we thought it was fine. But she does look bad tonight.”

“Others needed help more,” Arianya said. “I could do it—” But the pain worsened as if to mock her, and she sagged back against the pillows. “Sorry …”

“Let’s get her shirt off,” Arvid said.

“I can …” she began, but sitting up wrenched a groan from her, and Lia quickly moved to support her back.

“She’s hot,” Lia said.

“Fever, most like,” Arvid said. Arianya wanted to protest, but she could scarcely keep from crying out as they lifted the shirt. She heard Lia’s sharp intake of breath at whatever it looked like. “And that’s more than one wound,” Arvid went on. “I would wager you told no one about the others, did you?” He sounded angry.

Arianya summoned the last of her strength. “They were scarcely more than scratches. I put herbs on them.”

His hand touched her shoulder lightly; she tensed, expecting the pain again, but instead felt the warmth of his breath. “I’m smelling—some poisons have a strong scent …” His voice trailed away.

“What?” Arianya said.

Instead of answering her, he said, “Lia, she needs healing—find any Marshals or paladins; bring them here.”

“Now?”

“Now. We do not have much time.”

The girl’s footsteps clattered away. Arianya opened her eyes; Arvid was beside her, staring down at the wound.

“What is it?” she asked again. This time he met her gaze.

“It’s definitely poisoned,” he said. “And by something we in the Guild believed was an elven poison. Could your attackers have been elves?”

She tried to force her memories to clarity, but the attackers remained shadows. “They were tall,” she said. “They wore dark clothes, like … thieves—”

“The Guild never contemplated killing a Marshal-General,” Arvid said. “It would cause too much trouble. If elves attacked you, though—you had that visit from elves—”

“The kuaknomi,” Arianya said. “Those elves were worried about the kuaknomi in the western stronghold, where Luap was. Said he’s let them out—”

“They’re just elves, aren’t they? Another tribe?”

“More than that,” she said. All at once she felt strength flowing out of her, as if even mentioning kuaknomi harmed her. She could scarcely keep her eyes open.

“No!” Arvid’s voice was loud, painfully loud. “Open your eyes—look at this!”

She struggled and managed to open her eyes enough to see what he held. Her Girdish medallion, with a candle held close so it glittered in that light.

“Gird does not want you to die now,” Arvid said in a quieter voice.

She wanted to laugh but lacked the strength. “You’re sure of that?”

“Yes. You know Gird … speaks to me.”

“And he spoke to you about me?” She could not really believe that. Everyone knew the gods and heroes of old spoke to some but not to most.

“Sometimes people don’t listen,” Arvid said. “Sometimes they’re doing well enough and nothing needs to be said.” A pause, then he added, as if prompted, “He doesn’t want you to die now. I’m sure.”

She heard voices outside her rooms, echoing in the stairwell. Too many voices—Lia must have roused more than a couple of Marshals. First in the room was High Marshal Donag.

“You!” he said to Arvid. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to report to the Marshal-General and found her wounds had not been properly treated,” Arvid said.

“You accuse us—!”

“Of nothing,” Arvid said. “But it is a fact. There’s poison—possibly even a remnant of the blade that made the wound.”

“She didn’t say—”

“Marshal-General—” Camwynya, one of the paladins now resident in Fin Panir, ignored the High Marshal and threaded her way through the others to the bed. “May I see?”

Arianya nodded. Several were talking now, some arguing with the High Marshal and some agreeing with him. She wished they would all be quiet and go away, but she could not summon the energy to tell them so.