Combat

The world returned to her slowly. The scent of burning flesh, smoke, and fire was gone, leaving her with a headache that made her ears ring a little. She could still hear the Herald’s voice and the chant of the temple. She opened her eyes and squinted at the ceiling. She didn’t recognize it. For a moment, she wondered if she’d been kidnapped or fallen asleep in the barn. Had she been taken by the temple and was simply waiting to be burned at the stake or beheaded?
For a moment, she saw her father’s eyes looking out from his determined, dead face and her stomach turned violently. The reality that she was not in Conna and her father was dead slammed down on her as she sat up. She remembered Druid and Arawn. She remembered leaving Druid’s house and flying. She even remembered the roaring beast that attacked them in the forest.
They’d been walking, she knew, but after that, it was a hazy blur. She must have passed out from the shock or something.
“Arawn?” She called weakly.
With a groan, she swung her feet over the side of the bed and stood. Her legs were a little weak and her stomach cramped with hunger. How long had she been asleep? Where was she? She stumbled to the bedroom door and walked out.
“You’re awake,” Arawn greeted.
Sirona’s face heated as she stared at Arawn’s mostly naked body. Water still clung to his skin, sliding slowly down his chest. He didn’t have the same breadth and bulk that Druid did, but he was well-defined and somehow more sensual than Druid. He held himself as if he wanted to be looked at, while Druid had never seemed aware of how attractive he was. Arawn’s skin was smooth and unblemished. Her gaze drifted down to the thin towel he held at his waist, and she turned around with a squeak.
Arawn chuckled and came towards her, “I’ll only drop my towel if you ask.”
“I would never!”
He hummed, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing his warm body up against her, and leaning down to speak into her ear.
“Are you certain? You have surprised me today, perhaps you have more than your innocent sweetness left to show.”
“What do you mean?” Sirona asked, trying to ignore the way her heart was thumping in her chest and the effect of his touch.
She felt like melting back into his arms, but she tried to inch away from him as she felt the hard line of what she could only guess was his cock pressed against her back.
“I thought you had exhausted yourself. I didn’t think you had taken enough, or I had given you enough, to save the near-dead and put out fires.”
She frowned, registering his words and turning her head. He pulled her around to face him and backed her against the wall with a devilish grin.
“Maybe it should be you giving me power rather than the other way around.”
She thought back to the forest and a little thrill of excitement went through her. She wanted to feel that rush of magic again, the way they seemed to give and take just from touch, but there were more important things to think about right now. What about the people of the town? Were they alright?
She ducked as he leaned in to kiss her again and slipped from between him and the wall. He turned to watch her stumble back and away from him.
“What happened?” Sirona asked. “It’s a bit fuzzy.”
Arawn smirked. She was amazingly clear-headed for someone who just woke up. It seemed like she would continue to surprise him in the coming days.
“Well, I’ll get dressed and show you.”
Sirona worried her lip and turned away as he started to dress. He laughed.
“You could have watched. I wouldn’t have been offended.”
Her face burned, “I would never.”
He laughed again and tapped her shoulder. She turned to find him fully dressed and he gestured to the door on the far side of the room.
She opened the door, expecting to see smoldering ruins, but there were quite a few people around. Some of them were smeared in blood and ash. Two men were carrying a body wrapped in linen. She stepped out and saw where they were carrying the body.
A group of men was digging graves at the edge of town. The scent of smoke still hung in the air, but it wasn’t as strong as it had been before she passed out. It was nearing evening now and the town seemed to be just barely coming together for food.
“She’s awake!”
Sirona turned towards the voice. A woman hurried up towards her, smiling. Her eyes were bright as she took Sirona’s hands.
“Thank you, for all you’ve done, miss. Truly, I don’t think we’d be half as well off as we are now if it hadn’t been for you. May your path in Arawn’s will always be clear.”
She nodded smiled back, “I’m glad I could help. Could you tell me what happened?”
Her eyes turned troubled and she sighed, “Well, I’m sure you’ll hear all about it at the town hall tonight. Come on. I’ll show you the way. What’s your name? Your companion is quite handsome and…”
Sirona smiled, answering her questions as they walked. Arawn followed behind them. The woman reminded her of a maid in Gunning who was always in good spirits even on the bleakest of days.
They arrived at the large, half-singed building and entered where many people were gathered. Several people looked at them with wide, hopeful eyes. Sirona smiled back, glad to see so many of them alive. The town was no more than a hundred people. She wondered how much larger it had been before the bandits struck.
“Please,” an older man said from the front. His eyes were kind as he smiled at them. “Take a seat. We’ll get started soon.”
Sirona and Arawn were ushered up towards the front. Arawn glanced around the room, feeling the beginnings of faith stir among them. This was a better start for her than he could have hoped.
“First,” the man began, “I’d like to thank these two travelers for helping us. May Arawn’s will always find the clearest path for you.”
Sirona nodded, biting back a smile at the mention of Arawn. She wondered how Arawn felt hearing his name used like this. Had it been so long that he’d gotten used to it?
“The bandits headed north we believe, but as you know, they were only one band of many that will come. We have no idea whether they will return, but it is likely.”
Sirona frowned. The town mined black stone, and while the bandits had been after their food, as soon as they realized that the town also had black stone, it was likely that they would return. This town used to be a bit bigger before bandits began to trace their merchant escorts back to them and started to attack them before they could get the black stone out of the town.
“What is black stone?” Sirona asked Arawn.
“A magical resource. The people of Berth use it for armor and magical defenses.”
It sounded a lot like temple stone in Conna. Though there was so little of it that any amount found in circulation was immediately brought to the temple. The miner who found it tended to be gifted a small amount of money and a bit of protection from the temple and the kingdom’s taxes.
“At this rate, we’ll be dead,” someone said. “What happened to our call for aid?”
“It will take them at least a week coming from the capital to arrive.”
The meeting went on then food was served. It wasn’t a hearty stew, but she didn’t complain. She thought of Druid, her mouth salivating at the thick meaty stew he’d make as she ate the watered-down broth.
“These people need help,” Sirona said looking up at Arawn. “Couldn’t I make their crops grow or something, so at least they’d have the strength to defeat themselves?”
Arawn’s lips twitched as he made the stew in his bowl vanish, returning it to the pot from where it came.
“How long do you think it would take for these people to be strong enough to fight bandits?” Arawn asked, “Fresh potatoes can fill a stomach, but it can’t make men stronger overnight.”
She nodded thoughtfully, “You’re right… Well, what else can I do? I don’t imagine I could convince them all to pack up and move somewhere safer.”
Arawn chuckled. Maybe in the future, she could, but it wouldn’t do to have her focus her power on convincing people to do things just yet.
“You could liberate them finally.”
Sirona frowned, “How so?”
“Eat,” Arawn said, gesturing to the bowl. “We’ll start the next lesson after dinner.”
She grimaced, “And that would be?”
“Combat.”