"Healing Moments" with Alyra Kyne

[Brimshack]

Those curtains are ugly.

August drew aside the curtains to the window in the common area, and I just could not help thinking that they were the ugliest curtains I had noticed in a long time.

I chuckled to myself as I thought this. It was wonderful to think of such things again. The truth was I hadn’t noticed the colour of a drapery in ages. I smiled and drank my tea, just enjoying a morning of almost normal.

At the dining table, Patty, Michael, Carla, and “Bob” were discussing our plans. Should we attack the Harbour Master? Kill him perhaps? What about a raid on Gable One Eye? Could that succeed? Or perhaps, we could go talk to him. We knew what bar to approach and what to say to his henchmen. Getting an audience with the old gang leader would not be difficult, but leaving that audience alive could well be a challenge.

August unlatched the window and let the sun in. It was not the sun of home, but it was enough to warm the soul this morning.

And those ugly drapes were about the most beautiful thing that I had seen in ages. August too smiled as he looked out into a relatively bright day. And then hiss head jerked backwards with a violent motion. Blood splattered on the drapes. Some hit the ceiling, and a little even made it to the table where patty was buttering her bread. Instinctively, my hand covered my face and my chin tucked into my chest. I felt a sort of mist striking the back of my fingers, a few drops making it through to touch my face. Something solid struck my forehead, then fell to the floor.

It was part of a tooth.

As I pulled my hand down, I saw August’s knees first. They were buckling as he fell before the window. Lying face up, August tried to cough. Or rather, his lungs heaved convulsively, trying to expel air around the bolt lodged in his mouth. August’s entire body tensed up and his back arched up off the floor, the point of the missile digging into the wooden surface just below his neck. August began to convulse. More blood sputtered from his mouth as August’s lungs forced air out once again. The blood flew up into the air and fell onto his face and to the floor about him. I half expected August to draw another breath soon after, wondering if he could do so with the missile lodged in his mouth. but no such event would be forthcoming. His body already slain, August’s spirit would leave him in just another moment.

Moving before anyone else, Carla slid to the far side of the window and began searching the rooftops, then the street corners. Others moved to the door, seeming uncertain as to whether to charge through or simply prepare to strike an intruder. Patty looked to Carla, as if to ask whether or not she had seen the crossbowman. Carla simply continued searching.

Being furthest away from the body, Bob threw his toast to the floor and charged towards the August. He reached August before me and ducked below the window. We had but another moment to make his body right before the spirit left August forever. Bob poised to help me as I strode quickly to a spot next to August and knelt down between the two of them. This was a difficult spell, one that I had never cast before. There was no time to build extra power, and I needed to be as close as possible to August. Even with Bob’s help, I was unsure that I could make this work.

Taking but a moment to utter a simple incantation, I touched August upon the forehead, delivering the power of the healing spell to his body.

My eyes were closed. I could not bare to see this fail. I held them shut with all my strength, working at it as though someone had been prying them open from the outside. Truly, I could not bare to see August this way. Still less to see that I had failed him. And I wondered if I might somehow escape the need to open them soon. Could I turn to the side and walk the other way? Would my friends escort me away so that I would not have to see?

Hearing a sword drawn beside me, I remembered our circumstance and the danger which was obviously still about us. Resolving to open my eyes once again, I hesitated just another moment.

And I heard coughing before me, not just once, but several times, and then one great hack. I felt drops of some fluid strike my face again, and then I heard a deep breath on the ground just before me.

When I opened my eyes, I could see August spitting blood all over the place as he leaned foreword. The crossbow bolt rolled off of his chest and clattered upon the floor. Bob smiled at me. We had succeeded in pulling off a small miracle, and our friend would live.

Carla was still scanning the outside. Seamus now stood before of the doorway. Not yet wearing his armor, he braced himself for combat without it.

August could barely move. He still struggled for air and failed all attempts at speech. Though his skull and spine appeared intact once again, the fact that I could look upon them directly bode rather poorly for the skin and muscles that should have been there. Blood still dripping on the floor behind him, August attempted to find his bow and return to his feet.

I began another Healing spell, this time a conventional healing, one that would not require Bob’s aid. Still, he helped me anyway. I took the time to build extra power this time, dimly aware of the preparations my friends made about me. Carla still hadn’t found the source of the missile, and others joined her in the search. No-one opened the door yet. There was nowhere to go.

...and I wondered if it would soon take another miracle to keep all my friends alive.

 

[Brimshack]

...but nothing happened. The assassin was long gone. Some went out in search of him, but they found no signs at all. We never learned where the culprit had been when he fired the bolt.

That morning we carried a host of weapons we had taken from various foes to the market - yes we were watching our backs the whole time - and we sold them. Using the money to replace our own lost and damaged items, we then turned to the next task of the evening.

***

Oh! Wait, before I go on, I have GOT to tell you about my brand new dress. You see, we were replacing things, right? Well, my new dress was all bloodied up again, so I bought a new one. Only this time, it means something. I mean, this time it really means something. A white dress can be a very powerful item, at least to someone who knows the essence of that particular colour. I am so pleased with this, I just had to tell you about it. Okay, so I'll go back to the regular story.

***

Walking into the bar, I almost slipped on a puddle of liquid. I told myself it was just a someone's drink, but I feared worse. As we settled into a dingey table, I couldn't help noticing the number of eyes on us. Several thugs shifted positions about the smokey room. Within moments, someone stood near every exit. The manuevering wasn't too obvious, but it wasn't really that discrete either.

Michael asked for a steak from a one horned steer and the waitress laughed out loud. She left nodding, chuckling to herself and nodding. A round of ale made its way to our table.

After a good while someone came by and told us that we would have to leave, because our table had been reserved. This was of course met with a certain degree of incredulity, but the waitress insisted. Kristen asked if there was some place else we could go, and the waitress said that they might have a place for us in the back room. If we could just follow her, she suggested, she nodded towards and open door at the far side of the bar. Two of the ugliest, meanest, sweatiest men I have ever seen stood by the open door, apparently waiting for us to enter.

We entered a small room without windows. Inside the room was a single table with enough chairs for each of us to have a seat, plus one more at the far end of the table. There was a single doorway on the opposite side of the room (making this a little too much like the old warehouse incident for my liking). One of the men gestured pulled a chair out for Kristen and gestured for all of us to take our seats. It seemed as much of an order as it was an invitation.

When everyone was seated one of the thugs came by with several mugs of ale which he placed unceremoniously on the table. He then walked over to Carla and slapped a single gold coin on the table before walking out of the room.

We all just stared at each other. After a pause Carla took the coin and stuffed it into her blouse. We passed around the mugs of ale.

I should say that I was getting real thirsty, because I was not drinking any of this stuff. ...as much because of the dingy cups and mugs as a desire to stay sober. But seriously, ewe! This place was quite filthy.

So, in walked a dingy brute of a man from the far side of the room. Predictably enough, he wore a patch over his left eye. Two more thugs took up positions near the far door, and the two others stood just outside the one we had come through. They left the door open just a little.

"Ballsy move, I'll give you that much."

"Well, we were just in the neighborhood..." Carla was so cool, so non-challant. It occured to me that she would be quite at home in this very bar. ...probably happy to cut our throats if she had fallen in with Gable instead of us. I don't like to think such things about my friends, but sometimes you just see things. Well anyway, the conversation continued...

"So what do you want?" Gable cut in.

"We want to know why?" Tom pushed his mug aside and leaned foreword to look Gable in the eye.

"Don't know myself. Don't care."

I leaned foreword myself, and tried to phrase a question. Gable just looked exasperated. Speaking directly to me, he said, "the price was paid. That is all that matters." I leaned back in my chair. Looking around, I realized that I might have been the only one present who actually needed that one spelled out for me. Instinctively, I grabbed the mug and gulped down a swig of...

...gah! ...not water!

It was really gross. I sat back and concentrated on keeping the contents of the drink down. I was now sure that wasn't a spilled drink I slipped on as we came through the doorway to the main bar. Fighting off a wave of revulsion, I resolved to let others do the talking from here on out.

"We can pay you to leave us alone." Patty winked.

"It doesn't work like that."

"Honour among thieves." Bob nodded as if to say he had heard of this.

"Huh! I'm hurt." Gable chuckled. "But yes, you have the right idea. The price is paid, and I will not go back on my word. That may seem quaint, but it's the reason you'll walk out of here alive tonight."

He took a moment to study me. I guess I was making a funny face, still trying to keep the drink down. Shaking his head, Gable turned to the others and continued, "Alright, you've already cost me more than the commission is worth, and as you may have heard we had a rough time on the North side of town a couple weeks back. That and crossbow bolts are becoming more expensive these days... (I didn't like the way Gable smiled as he said this part.) So, I'll tell you what. I'm going to see if you can pay off the original source. I don't know why he wants you killed, but if there is something you can do to make him call off the hit, then I will make the arrangements. No promises, but I will see what I can do."

"Well you know where we live." Carla finished her drink. She appeared to want another.

"That I do."

A moment of silence fell on the room as everyone took a moment to think. And to study one another.

"Very well, ladies and gentlemen, I wish you a good evening." Gable stood up and strode out of the room by the far doorway. One of the thugs opened the door to the main room and motioned us out. All eyes were upon us as we left the room and walked through the bar to the front door.

Walking out of the bar, I could see the puddle that had greeted me on my entrance was still there, albeit tracked around a bit more in the interim.

It was definitely not a spilled drink.

 

[Brimshack]

The next morning I thought to do August a kindness. He came downstairs to a nice cup of hot tea with bread and jam, all heated just right and perfectly timed for him to come down stairs. I set the cup of tea on the table in front of him as he sat down, gave him a little hug and told him it was going to be a bright shiny day.

Normally August would have thanked me.

As we were eating breakfast, a loud thud struck against the wooden door shutters, the ones August had opened the day before. I couldn’t help noticing there was still blood on the ugly curtains. Still, the noise had everyone on edge. A couple daggers and sword made an appearance right quick as we carefully approached the door and headed outside.

We found a rock sitting outside the window, and that was all. It was very strange and we were about to go back inside when Carla took a moment to look around. She saw a piece of paper flittering off and away in the wind. Between it and the rock lay a piece of string. So, I guess the bad-guy messenger service is a little less than reliable these days. Harrumph!

Carla couldn’t catch the paper in time, but Blizzard ran ahead and brought it back. I was simply thankful the little guy hadn’t decided to eat it. The message read.

“The good we discussed is a dry on account of the client took it on the long.”

There was no signature.

We puzzled over the paper a bit. Most of the group figured the message wasn’t good, but we simply weren’t sure. We just kept tossing it back and forth. Finally, after studying the paper a bit, you could almost see the light go off over Carla’s head.

“Oh! It means the deal is off, because the client said ‘no go’.”

Bob shot her a questioning look and Carla just said, “Don’t ask.”

Listening to the conversation, I reached into the cupboards to get myself a cup. A new mug was resting beside the others. I could have sworn it was the kind served at Gable One-Eye’s place. I stared at it a minute and then back at Carla. Hm…

I took a different cup and got myself some water.

August was simply staring off into space during the conversation. I felt badly for him. Death always retains a small hold on someone who comes that close. He would recover his good spirits in time, but it would always be that much more difficult now to keep August in good health.

So, we decided to work the rumor mill a bit and see if we could learn a bit more about the Harbor Master. We set out about the city, this time keeping a bit further to the south and out of Gable’s territory.

This ambush was even more pathetic than the first one. I won’t bore you with the details, and I really need a break from writing with a bloody pen. Suffice to say that we came out on top of this one. Just another bunch of thugs getting all swarmy&mean on cue, and just another bunch to get their seats given as gifts to them for the effort. The only tricky part was a crossbow bolt, fired at Carla from an unknown location. She survived the wound, and her would-be assassin survived his failure. Not much came of this little event, really.

…except, it turns out we had a new enemy. My goshes! If only we had been blessed with half as many friends!

Once again, the city guard let us talk to the prisoners, and once again Patty made magic friends with them before doing the talking. We learned this bunch was working for one of Gable’s rivals, a man by the name of Cobblemight. Apparently, Gable had sub-contracted Cobblemight’s crew to carry out the hit while we were working his rival’s turf.

Awe!

It’s not often you see enemies bury the hatchet and work together like that. It makes my heart warm just thinking that maybe we had helped spread the love between two angry people.

…okay, I’m not real good at this sarcasm stuff, but just in case you weren’t sure, that’s what I was trying to say in that last line or two, because I’m really not happy about this! We’re trying to save the city, and everyone and her sister seems to want to kill us for it.

Hello? Don’t you people know we’re all going to be dead in a few weeks anyway? All these guys could just sit back and watch it happen for all it really matters.

UGH!

I’m sorry. Sometimes, I just have to let out my inner miffed. But I’ll work on the sarcasm thing, because I think I may have cause to use it again.