Chapter 4

  Somewhere between life and death, then and now, here and there, delirium and reality, nightmare and dream, whispers and more promises than Ayla could remember, phantom touches, calloused fingers, and strong hands on her skin, she slowly started feeling better.

    It was during the day when Ayla opened her eyes and felt like she was alive and not trapped somewhere between worlds. She was lying in a bed in a room she didn’t recognize. A fire was burning in the fireplace, and soft animal furs covered her. Ayla frowned, wondering why she was in a guest room. Slaves usually slept in the kitchen or the hallways. While she had never been good at mathematics, she thought about how much she would have to work to pay for the room.

    During the time she had been sick, she forgot about the war and King Rhobart, but once she opened her eyes, she remembered everything—her father trying to conquer Nordmar, her brother, but mostly she remembered King Rhobart and his black eyes full of hatred. Ayla groaned, wishing she could be far away from Nordmar, exploring other continents. The world was enormous, with so much to see and learn. Ayla grabbed the furs, buried her nose in them, and inhaled deeply. Milton’s scent filled her lungs, calming her.

    After Ayla had had her fill of Milton’s snow scent, she looked around to see if someone else was in the room. When Ayla didn’t see anyone, she tried to sit up on the bed but felt very weak, like she had been sick for a long time. Ayla tried to sit up a few more times, but she fell back on the pillows each time. Horror filled her, thinking she was still ill. Ayla wondered what kind of sickness left her weak as a newborn.

    Ayla knew she should not show how weak she felt in a place where she was sure people hated her because she was the daughter of the man responsible for the death of so many sons and daughters of Nordmar. Ayla tried yet again to sit up on the bed. When she fell on her back, she tried again. And again. And again, to no avail

    It took Ayla a long time and much energy to get into the position she wanted, and the effort left her panting and sweating. She leaned against the pillows and closed her eyes to rest, just for a few minutes. When she opened them, it was late afternoon. Ayla started wondering how long she had been sleeping when she realized she was no longer alone.

          She heard Milton’s voice before she saw him.

“You are finally better!” Milton said in a cheerful voice. He moved closer to the bed and sat on a chair. “You scared me for a moment! And Rhobart…. He was out of his…. Never seen him so….” Milton stopped for a moment, smiled, and asked, “How are you feeling?”

   Ayla was curious about what Milton wanted to say about the King but decided not to ask. She returned Milton’s smile. “Like I died and came back. But I am glad to be alive.” Milton nodded as if he understood Ayla. “I feel very weak. How long have I been sick?”

    “A month. The sickness that we call Death-Shake can kill a warrior in days. Not many survive it. Count yourself lucky,” Milton explained.

    It was the first time Ayla had been so sick. No wonder she felt weak. The only times she felt ill was when she caught a cold.

    There was no doubt that medical plants and potions had been used to save her life. How was she to repay the King for everything? She had nothing, was nothing. Just a slave to a cruel man.

    “Is the King mad at me?” Ayla asked. What she really wanted to know was how the King would make her pay for whatever herbs Milton had to use for her sickness.

    Ayla wrapped her fingers around her mother’s amulet and waited for Milton’s answer. 

    Milton looked at her hand while he talked. “Rhobart? Angry with you because you were sick? He was rather mad at himself. I’ve never seen him…” A knock on the door interrupted whatever Milton was about to say.

    Milton muttered something about Inoss and timing before saying, “You may enter!”

    When the door opened, Kerra darted into the room, followed by a maid carrying a tray.

    “Kerra!” Ayla said excitedly. The snowcat jumped on the bed, went to Ayla, and started licking her face. Moments later, Kerra began to purr. “I missed you too!” Ayla said while she tried to calm Kerra.

    The maid put the tray on the table and whispered something into Milton’s ear. He nodded. “Excellent! Thank you! You can leave; I will take care of the rest,” he said to the maid, and she left the room.

    Kerra stopped licking Ayla and decided to sleep on her lap. Ayla was never allowed to have pets while growing up, and while Kerra wasn’t hers, she was starting to love the snowcat with all her heart.

    Milton went to the table, picked up a bowl, and sat back in the chair close to the bed. “While you have been sick, Kerra never left your room. Well, except for today. She tends to get restless if she stays inside for many days. So Rhobart took her, well, hunting. I think. Hungry?”

    Ayla was starving; she gave Milton a short nod and looked at the sleeping snowcat. “I understand Kerra. Back home, I spent time outside each day. I had a small garden where I used to plant flowers and herbs. I became anxious if I didn’t go out to tend my garden daily.”

    The Fire Mage wanted to hand over the bowl full of broth, but when he saw how her fingers trembled decided against it.

    Ayla smiled bitterly. “I am afraid I will need some help. Sorry,” she said and blushed with embarrassment. No one had helped her eat since she was a baby.

    Milton shrugged like it was no big deal. “It is not the first time I have helped someone eat. During the war, I had to help those who were too sick or wounded to eat. Some lost limbs and had to learn—” Horror must have shown on Ayla’s face because Milton muttered an apology, “I shouldn’t speak of such things.”

    “Why? They are true, aren’t they?” Ayla said in a sad tone. She wondered what else Milton saw or had to do during the war.

    Milton cleared his throat. “So, you are interested in gardening?”

    Ayla was about to answer him, but her eyes got wide when she tasted the food. “By Adanoss! That broth contains dragon-roots! I can’t eat it!” she squealed.

    Ayla wrapped her fingers around the amulet. ‘Even if I work for a lifetime, I will never be able to pay back everything Milton used to cure me. He should have left me to die!’ she thought.

    Milton’s eyes followed the movement of her hand, then looked at her. “Why can’t you eat the food?”

    “Do I have to remind you how rare and expensive dragon-roots are? They shouldn’t be wasted on me! How am I supposed to pay for it?”

    Milton chuckled. “This dragon-root is a gift from someone that cares deeply about you. Now, eat everything! It will help you gain your strength back.”

    ‘Who could care for me so much that they would give me such an expensive healing root?’ she wondered to herself. “But—!”

    “It took many days and effort to find this dragon-root. Not to talk about the time to prepare the broth. Now stop protesting and eat!” Milton said in a firm voice.