The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 12
Exhaustion wasn’t enough to keep the pain away and Prea woke the next morning to prickling and piercing in her ribs with every breath she took. The pain was truly remarkable; she had never felt anything like it before. Any and all previous agony that had befallen her was emotional, none was physical. It felt as though she was dying, it was so hard to breathe. There was nothing she could do to lessen the pain, so she lay there, staring up at the lightening sky.
A low rustling began a few feet away, leaves crackled and crunched. Kael was awake. Prea knew she had to move; she couldn’t rely on him for everything. She propped herself up on her elbows, leveraging herself the rest of the way to a sitting position. She bit her tongue, forcing herself to swallow the scream as she glanced over at her remarkable companion.
She didn’t know where she would be right now if Kael hadn’t come across her path. Maybe she would have been fine, escaped those men on her own and been safe on the road the rest of the way. Maybe she wouldn’t have gotten injured. She couldn’t be sure what would have occurred if she hadn’t met Kael, but she believed that things happened for a reason. There was a reason why Kael had come into her life, and right now, whatever that reason was, she was grateful.
Kael had a kindness in him, a sense of honor deep within his core that made him unlike any person she had ever met. He looked up, caught her staring.
“We should eat quickly and set out. It shouldn’t take more than a few hours to get to Flint and then we can get someone to check you out.”
Kael helped her up and they ate before they set off to the northeast in the direction of Flint. They were moving away from the hills, the elevation evening out slightly as they walked, making this leg of the journey easier on them both. Within a few hours, they reached the outskirts of the town.
Kael had been to Flint before, and led Prea through the streets with a knowing familiarity. They reached the inn, crossing the threshold with a sigh of relief. There was only one vacant room, so, without any other choice, they took it. As the innkeeper’s wife made her farewells after showing them the room, Kael stopped her.
“My companion is injured. Could you please send for the apothecary to see to her?” Kael asked politely.
“Of course, sir. I’ll send him right up when he arrives,” she responded.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Kael closed the door and quickly appraised the room. It was bare bones, but still cozy, with only a bed, a chair and a small bedside table decorating the space. He threw both packs onto the floor in the corner and walked over to the window, opening the curtain to let the morning sunlight in. He stayed there for a moment, silently staring at something beyond. The warm rays filtering in brightened the room, making Prea feel more comfortable and relaxing her frayed nerves. She sat down slowly on the edge of the bed, careful to limit her movements. As soon as she did, Kael turned away from the rest of the world and crossed the room, kneeling in front of Prea.
“Don’t ask how I’m doing. I’m doing the same as I was before,” Prea said sharply. Kael looked taken aback when she lifted her gaze to meet his. “I’m sorry, I just feel like I’m burdening you. Why don’t you lie down and rest?” she suggested. “You’ve been carrying both packs for a day now. You must be exhausted.”
“I’m fine,” Kael said and stood, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Prea wasn’t convinced.
“Please, Kael. Lie down and rest. At least until the apothecary comes.” Prea wasn’t going to take no for an answer and Kael seemed to see that in her expression. He walked around the bed to the other side and laid down with a grateful sigh.
When Prea was satisfied that Kael was truly asleep, she eased herself up off the bed, crossed to the door and exited quietly. She would wait for the doctor in the hall and hopefully do all of this without waking Kael. Not long after she left the room, the doctor turned the corner down the hall and greeted her at the door.
“Good morning, sir,” Prea greeted. “My companion is sleeping inside and I was wondering if we could try to do this as quietly as possible. I don’t want to wake him if I can help it.”
“Sure, miss. I’ll do what I can.”
“Thank you,” Prea said as she opened the door for the apothecary. He waved her inside ahead of him, followed and closed the door. They stayed just beyond the threshold where the apothecary placed his bag on the floor.
“What seems to be ailing you, miss?”
“We were traveling through the woods when we came across a ravine south of here. I slipped on the precipice and fell over the edge, tumbling down to the river and rock bed below. My pack spared my back, but my sides and front took a beating on the jagged rocks,” Prea explained slowly. She paused. “It’s hard to breathe. My chest and arms hurt with any movement. Is there anything you can do?”
“Come, let’s take a look. Could you lift your shirt please?”
Prea did as she was told, lifting her tunic as far as she could before the pain became unbearable. The apothecary lightly prodded her abdomen and ribs, noting the tenderness and pain caused by his gentle touch. He soon finished his examination.
“Well, miss, you bruised a lot of your body in the fall including your bones. It looks like you’ve cracked a few of your ribs which is why you’re feeling pain while breathing and moving.” The apothecary dug through his bag, pulling out a few vials. “Here are some tonics for the pain. These should last for a few days. If you need more relief, turmeric is a good option and it’s very common. But I do recommend you rest for at least a week before easing back into any activity.” The apothecary packed up his bag and paused at the door.
“Thank you, sir. How much do I owe you?”
“Five of silver,” he said before taking his leave. She handed him the coins. “Thanks. Farewell.”
* * *
All was quiet for a few hours while Kael slept soundly on the bed next to Prea. She spent the time resting and reviewing her plans for the next stretch of travel. She was studying the poem and making notes in her small journal, trying to decipher some of the unknown clues. Kael woke suddenly, sitting up straight as confusion washed over his face. His head turned, taking in the light of the window before glancing around to face Prea.
“How long have I been out?” Kael rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
“A few hours. It’s around lunchtime.” Prea gathered her map and journal into a neat pile in her lap.
“Did the apothecary come? Why didn’t you wake me?” Kael accused.
“He came and went shortly after you fell asleep. And I didn’t wake you because you needed to rest. You’ve been carrying both packs and taking care of me. You deserved some sleep in a nice bed for a change.”
“Thanks.” Kael laid back down on the bed, putting one arm under his head, the other resting on his chest. “What did the apothecary say?”
“He said I bruised a lot of my body in the fall, including some of my bones. And I cracked a few ribs in the process. That’s what’s causing all of my pain. He gave me a couple of solutions to use and so far so good. The pain has lessened. I’ll be ready to leave tomorrow.”
Kael studied her through narrowed eyes as though he didn’t believe a word she said. “He didn’t say anything else? Like resting for a few days?” Prea was never a very good liar and right now her face gave her away. “He did, didn’t he?” Kael concluded. “He told you to rest while you heal. And you’re still planning on leaving tomorrow?”
“I have to, Kael. I can’t waste time waiting for my ribs to heal. I need to be moving. I have to be in Rodor soon. Within the week, hopefully.”
“You can’t be serious,” Kael exclaimed and sat up. “You’re in no condition to be traveling. You can hardly move. What is so important that it can’t wait a few days for you to rest?”
Prea remained silent, not knowing how to explain.
“I won’t help you anymore unless you tell me where you’re going and what you’re doing. You shouldn’t be pushing yourself, risking your health like this.” When she didn’t answer he jumped off the bed and paced around the room. He was fed up. “Why won’t you tell me where you’re going?”
The time had finally come, Prea thought, for the truth to be said, for her story to be told. He deserved it, didn’t he? Kael had been with her, saved her, taken care of her when she hadn’t expected it. He had been there for her, as no one else had, save her friends back home. But they weren’t here now; Kael was and would be for the foreseeable future.
Prea looked past Kael, into the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window. She could see the dust dancing in the air, little specks highlighted in the golden glow. She didn’t want to cry, but any thoughts of her family brought tears to her eyes. One escaped, sliding down her cheek.
“I told you about my fiancé Leal, but that wasn’t the whole story,” Prea began. “I guess I should go back to the beginning, though I’m not quite sure where the beginning is.” She paused and took a deep breath. “I was twelve years old when my parents told me and my younger sister, Alvie, that we were going to have another sibling. That was eight years ago and yet…it seems like it happened just yesterday.”
“When the time came for the baby to be born, something went wrong. My mother and the baby died, before the doctor brought them back, but it…it changed them. Mama was never the same after that and she died three years later when I was fifteen. My father still spent most of his time at sea, so I raised my baby brother Carr and took care of Alvie in his absence.
“All he ever wanted was to provide for his family and he did. Leal was my father’s second in command and they left on a trading voyage to Rodor as soon as the weather cleared early this spring. A few weeks ago we got word that their ship had gone down.” Prea’s voice broke and she could no longer contain her tears. Kael sat quietly beside her until her sobs subsided.
It took her awhile before she could bring more words to her lips. “Alvie was so angry at Papa. And Carr…Carr was in denial,” Prea continued. “We didn’t have bodies to bury, but I knew we needed to say goodbye. We live on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Aldin. We went out there and held a farewell ceremony. The next morning Carr wouldn’t wake up. He wasn’t dead, but he wouldn’t wake. The doctor came and couldn’t determine what was wrong with him. My sister works in the infirmary and she tried everything she knew, but nothing worked.”
“Prea…I’m so sorry. For everything,” Kael said consolingly. He laid his hand on top of hers and squeezed it tight.
“I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t…I can’t lose anyone else I love. So I formed a plan.” Prea turned to look him in the eye. “Do you know the story of Aylin and Ciro?”
“Of course. Everyone knows that story. But what does that have to do with anything?”
“The stone— the stone that Aylin and Ciro imbued with their powers, their eternal life—they left it somewhere on this island and I intend to find it.”
Kael interrupted her. “Prea, that’s just a legend. You can’t really believe that there is a magical stone that can heal your brother?”
“I can’t sit by and watch him waste away and possibly die, when there is something that I can do about it. He’s my baby. He’s eight years old. He doesn’t deserve this. He’s already lost enough as it is.”
Kael couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing. He got to his feet again and resumed his pacing while he tried to absorb all that Prea had divulged and her ridiculous plan rooted in legend and myth. He chose to play devil’s advocate.
“All right. Say it exists. Say it’s out there somewhere. How do you know where to find it? It could be anywhere.”
“It’s in the poem. It took some figuring, but the poem is a map to the stone. You just have to know how to read the directions,” she said matter-of-factly.
“And what does your sister think about this?” Kael countered. Prea just stared ahead, scrutinizing the wall across from her. Kael waited for a moment for Prea to look at him, but when she didn’t, he moved into her eye line. “She doesn’t agree with you, does she?” he pressed. “Does she?”
“It doesn’t matter. Nothing she said was going to change my mind. I have to do this. I need to know that I’ve done everything in my power to save my brother. And that includes attempting to find this stone. I believe that it exists. I believe it’s out there, waiting. And I’m going to find it.”
“And nothing I say or do is going to change your mind,” Kael stated. He didn’t wait for a response, but turned on his heel and left in a flash.
Prea’s head fell back, coming to rest against the hard wall behind her. His reaction shouldn’t be a surprise, she supposed. He argued the same points as Alvie did weeks ago. Prea had a feeling most people wouldn’t understand her choice or decisions.
Her eyes closed. The confession had been more emotionally taxing than she had anticipated. Exhaustion didn’t begin to describe how she felt; physically she was bruised and sore, emotionally she was drained. The fatigue and temporary lack of pain allowed her to drift off, and sleep quickly took her.
* * *
Downstairs in the inn’s practically empty tavern, Kael ordered a pint of ale. He couldn’t quite distinguish all of the emotions that were swirling around inside of him like leaves on a gust of wind. He had never felt this many emotions in his life, let alone all at once.
The moment he laid eyes on her, he knew there was something about her, something off with her. Women didn’t travel alone, and even fewer with no apparent reason or destination. It wasn’t just honor or duty that had him chasing after her, it was curiosity as well. She was strange, but interesting, and he wanted to know more. So he watched her, studied her.
Some of his questions and suspicions had been confirmed when he pushed her to tell him about Leal. But she was still cagey around him, holding something back. She only ever told him the bare minimum. Not much different from me though, he reminded himself. Not that there was much to tell.
He didn’t have any personal experience with love or the loss of it, but he imagined that it could force any number of people into a tailspin, have them doing things they wouldn’t normally do. It explained one of the puzzle pieces, but there were so many more that were still missing.
But this was…unbelievable. Families and relationships in general were a mystery to him. There had to be more to the story; there couldn’t be that much bad luck in one family. Maybe they’re cursed, Kael thought. They were already talking about legends, why not curses as well.
Then there was the mythical stone. It wasn’t real, couldn’t be real. It was just a magical story told to children for entertainment, a fantasy; there was no evidence that Aylin or Ciro ever actually existed.
And then there was Prea herself…she was still a puzzle, yet to be solved. And he loved nothing more than to find out how things worked.
