“Leila!” Jakob cried, springing forward as she fell to the ground.
Fynn was a step behind him, and the two men crouched next to the fallen girl. Jakob held her loosely in his arms, cradling her head and staring into her face. She was as white as a sheet, her skin dry and her lips cracking. She barely breathed, and at first glance Jakob thought she was dead. Fynn placed a hand on her forehead and sighed, lowering his eyes to the ground.
“What’s wrong?” Clothis asked, moving over to join the two men. “What happened?”
“Two is company but three’s a crowd!” Will exclaimed, hopping up and down. “No vacancy! Find another inn! Where will I keep my pony?”
Clothis ignored him and looked at Fynn. He refused to meet her eyes as he fumbled with the small pouch at his belt and drew out a white globe. Holding it gently in his hand, he took Leila from Jakob and raised the sphere to his mouth. Clothis grabbed his wrist and held it back.
“You can’t!” Clothis exclaimed, forcing his hand back down. “If you give it to her, you’ll – “
“She needs it more than I do,” Fynn replied softly.
Clothis stared at him for a moment longer before releasing his wrist and taking a step back. Fynn put the sphere in his mouth and leaned over to breathe it into Leila. They remained motionless for several minutes, looking for all the world like lovers embracing, instead of a man restoring life to a woman. Leila stirred, and some colour returned to her cheeks. She gave a little moan, but did not awaken. Fynn smiled in relief and passed her back to Jakob. The Huryl soldier took the girl gratefully, and Fynn rose to his feet and walked a few paces away. Clothis followed him, her anger evident on her face.
“Idiot!” she hissed. “That was your last soul, I know it was. You don’t know how long we’re going to be out here.”
“I can get more,” Fynn told her.
“No, you can’t. Not now. You’re too weak.”
“Did you want me to let her die?”
Clothis paused, her mouth open as her tirade disappeared before it could be spoken. Her eyes widened and she inadvertently looked back to where Leila lay in Jakob’s arms. When she turned back to Fynn, he was smiling wryly at her.
“I’ll be fine,” he assured Clothis. “It’s more important that Leila survives this than me. Who knows? After centuries of taking souls, maybe the world is ready for me to leave.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Clothis snapped. “And you’re still an idiot.”
She spun on her heel and returned to Leila, kneeling where Fynn had been earlier. The girl was sleeping more peacefully now, her breathing stronger. In spite of the heat of the desert, she was still not sweating and appeared to be dehydrated. Clothis reached for some water and held the flask up to Leila’s lips, but as soon as a drop touched her skin, she screamed and began to thrash about in Jakob’s arms. The Huryl soldier held her tightly, staring at Clothis with an expression of concern, and Fynn quickly rejoined them.
“It’s worse than before,” the Woodwalker said.
“What can we do?” Jakob whispered, his eyes locked on Leila’s face.
“Time to see the doctor!” Will exclaimed, dancing closer to them and tugging on Jakob’s sleeve. “Bring an apple, bring a dime, put her in, she’ll come out fine!”
Fynn raised an eyebrow at the insane soldier and shook his head. Jakob, however, appeared to be deep in thought. Suddenly, his expression brightened and he snapped his fingers, startling his friends.
“Will’s right!” he said. “A doctor! A witch doctor! There are still some Tyrzel nomads in the desert, the remains of the tribe that escaped from the fortress when the Huryl took it over. If we find one, they may have someone who can help Leila.”
Fynn smiled. “And how do we find these nomads?”
“Water!” Will said. “To find the fish you search the sands. To find the man you search the sea. I know a place where fish meets man. Come on!”
He ran a few steps out of the courtyard, waving his arms as he did so. He was quickly lost in the shadows of the night, although the glow of the sun could be seen on the horizon. It was hard to believe that this had all taken place in so short a period of time, and now time seemed to be their enemy. Fynn rose to his feet, as did Jakob, cradling Leila in his arms. Clothis hesitated.
“What about the roc?” she asked. “Won’t it be back?”
Fynn turned to her and held out his bow and quiver of arrows. She took them, her eyes full of curiousity as she questioned why Fynn was giving up his only weapon.
“I trust you know how to shoot?” he asked.
“Of course,” Clothis replied in a slightly hurt tone.
“They won’t be much use to me anymore,” the Woodwalker said. “I haven’t the strength to draw the bow. Take care of them, and return them to me when we’re in the Wood.”
Clothis smiled. “Of course.”
“Come on!” Will cried insistently.
Holding the bow tightly in her hand, the Dyrel warrior moved quickly to catch up with Will and Jakob. They were standing just outside the ruins of the fortress, Will waving wildly as he inched further and further across the sands. Clothis did not pause as she caught up with Jakob, but strode purposefully after their guide. Jakob was only a step behind her.
“I wonder how he knows so much about the desert,” Jakob mused as they walked.
“I wonder if he knows anything,” Clothis muttered darkly.
Jakob laughed, and Will turned around to see what was so funny. He frowned and did an impatient little dance as he waited for the others to reach him. Then, he was off again like a shot, running back and forth across the sand like a child at the beach. Jakob kept his eyes on him, while Clothis would occasionally shot a discreet look at Fynn, who was lagging behind. As the day wore on, the fortress vanished into their memories, and only the infinite expanse of sand lay around them.
“Land ho!” Will called, pointing down a sand dune.
It was nearly noon, and they had been walking since before sunrise. Jakob had shifted Leila to his back, where she still slept like the dead. They were all tired and thirsty, except Will who seemed to have boundless energy. Clothis was walking next to Fynn, offering him silent support as they struggled up the final sand dune and gazed out to where Will gestured.
At the base of the dune was an oasis, with tall palm trees and a large, blue lake. A herd of camels mingled around the edge, and a village of brightly coloured tents encircled the remaining sides. The sound of voices could be heard, carried to the travelers on the cool breeze that blew off the water.
“Come on!” Will said as he slid down the embankment.
“Are they dangerous?” Clothis asked.
Jakob shrugged awkwardly as he adjusted Leila’s weight. “Who knows? The Huryl don’t often speak to the tribes they’ve conquered. If they’re not in the war, they’re probably too difficult to find. We’ll just have to hope for the best.”
The trio made their way cautiously down the dune to where Will was already attracting the attention of the Tyrzel. A few men dressed in white robes parted from the tents to meet them. They looked at each with a curious expression before asking a single question in an unknown language. Clothis was crestfallen. After all that traveling, they wouldn’t even be able to ask for help.
To her surprise and delight, Jakob answered the man in his own language, gesturing to Leila and the others. The men listened carefully, nodding occasionally, before one of them drew his sword and pointed it to Jakob’s chest. Clothis moved to draw her own weapon, but Fynn’s hand on hers made her pause. The men were still talking, and Jakob had not even flinched away from the blade at his heart. Jakob responded to the challenge slowly, and Clothis caught the word ‘Huryl’ and ‘Tyrzel’ but could understand nothing more. After several tense minutes, the men smiled broadly and laughed. The sword was tucked away, and they gestured towards the tents with open arms. Jakob turned to his friends, the relief evident on his face.
“They said they’ll let us see the witch doctor,” he said.
“What about the sword?” Clothis asked. “Are we in trouble?”
Jakob smiled. “I told them I was Huryl, and they thought I was going to recruit them to join the war. Apparently, they killed the last man who tried it.”
Clothis smiled. “I thought I was going to have to kill them all to save you.”
Jakob flushed slightly. “I’m sure I could have managed on my own.”
Without another word, he pushed his way past Clothis and disappeared into the brightly coloured tent world, still carrying Leila on his back. The others followed quickly, not wanting to loose themselves in this strange portable town. Their guides led them to a relatively isolated tent at the edge of the lake and gestured for Jakob to enter. They spoke a few words to him, glancing at the others, then bowed and departed.
“They said only I can enter, with Leila,” Jakob told them, “but they ask that you use the oasis to rest and drink. The water is clean and deep, and they will bring some food. It shouldn’t take long.”
Clothis and Fynn nodded, Clothis somewhat reluctantly, and Jakob vanished into the tent. Will let out a whoop and plunged head first into the lake, diving deep into the water and exploding to the surface again with a splash. Clothis brought Fynn into the shade of the palm trees, where the Woodwalker sat down and closed his eyes. She hovered near him, not wanting to leave his side. He opened one eye to look at her.
“I’m not an old man,” he said irritably. “You don’t have to play the nursemaid.”
Clothis took a few steps away from him and crossed her arms across her chest. “I’m not a nursemaid. I was waiting for you to sleep before I swam in the lake.”
Fynn’s face broke into an amused grin. “Afraid I’ll see you naked? Or steal your soul while you’re not looking?”
Clothis rolled her eyes and stormed away. “You really are an idiot.”
Fynn chuckled and closed his eyes again, absorbing strength from the spirits who dwelled in the palm trees. It was not as strong as being in the Wood, and he keenly felt the absence of his Queen while traveling through the world, but it was enough to sustain him for a while longer.
A few hours later, Jakob came out of the tent with a large jug in his hand. He moved to the side of the water and filled it. Clothis swam over to him and looked at him expectantly, but Jakob did not meet her gaze.
“Well?” she asked. “What’s going on in there?”
Jakob sighed. “The doctor said Leila’s possessed by vengeful spirits that need to be exorcised. I don’t know what she’s going to do, but she asked me for water.”
“Fynn said as much before, when we came into the desert,” Clothis reminded him.
Jakob shouldered the heavy jug of water and took a deep breath. “With the spirits within her, she may not survive.”
“Without them, we won’t survive,” Fynn said, appearing next to them.
Clothis almost fell back into the water again, she was so startled by the Woodwalker’s materialization. Fynn was looking at Jakob intently, and the Huryl soldier was meeting his gaze without blinking.
“Leila needs to learn to control the spirits,” Fynn said. “They need to be suppressed, not removed. Tell the doctor.”
“But she could die!” Jakob argued. “I won’t risk Leila’s life.”
The two men looked at Clothis to settle their argument. Jakob’s eyes stared pleadingly at hers, begging her to take his side. Fynn looked confident that what he said was true, and all that was needed was for Clothis to agree with him to set Jakob’s mind at ease. Clothis sighed, hating to be put in this awkward situation between her friends. What should she do? Who should she side with?