Roger Taylor - The waking of Orthlund

Isloman glanced at Dacu, who shrugged and cast a significant glance towards the castle. With a move of his head he ordered the column forward again. Isloman snatched at a Fyordyn word to stem the Lord’s ques-tions. ‘Lord Eldric. I’m no Gatherer, you know that. Let’s get to your home. Let Hylland have a look at you and your son, then we can talk in an orderly manner.’

Eldric waved the idea aside. ‘There’s too much to be done, Isloman,’ he protested. ‘We can’t be idling in our beds like sick children.’

Isloman retreated. Eldric was far too exhausted to be reasoned with and after his own recent behaviour he was well content to leave the matter to someone else amp;mdashanyone else.

The someone else proved to be the Queen. Arriving at the castle, Eldric, scarcely able to stand once he had climbed down from his horse, had proposed an immediate discussion, and Isloman’s earlier conversa-tion with him began to be repeated.

Very quickly, voices began to be raised, and the Queen took him aside firmly. ‘You set a poor example, publicly arguing with Commander Yatsu, Lord Eldric,’ she said quietly but with great force. ‘You’ll put yourself in the hands of healer Hylland immediately, and do exactly what he says.’

Eldric looked at her defiantly.

The Queen’s eyes widened and her jaw set. ‘Would you argue with me, Lord?’ she said.

Chastened, Eldric departed with Hylland.

When he had gone, Sylvriss turned to Dacu, ‘What news of the King?’ she asked.

The Goraidin shook his head. ‘None, Majesty, so far. I’ve left men on the road, and Commander Yatsu’s sent such reinforcements as we dare, but… ’ He faltered. He had no words of comfort for his Queen. Both Eldric and Jaldaric had been too shocked by their desperate flight from the City to give any indication of the fate of the King, and from what he had seen of the damaged City in the distance, who could tell what might have happened there?

Sylvriss lowered her gaze. ‘Thank you, Goraidin,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ll be in my room. Please let me know if he’s sighted. I’d like to ride out and greet him.’

There was an uneasy silence in the room after the Queen had left. Yatsu cut through it. ‘We’ve all got as many questions as Lord Eldric,’ he said. ‘And we’re all worried about the King. However, conjecture will get us nowhere. We’ve done all that can be done for the time being.’ He lifted a hand before anyone could speak. ‘I know, I know. It’s not much comfort, but it’s all we’ve got. We’ve waited before and we’ll wait again. I can’t imagine it’s ever going to get any easier. In the mean-time, those of you who’ve got duties, get back to them. Those of you who haven’t… ’ He shrugged. ‘Wait as best you can.’

Belonging to the latter group, Isloman returned to the battlements and spent some time leaning with his arms on the cool stone and gazing into the distance as if that alone might speed the King on his way. But the valley was deserted and still, the only movement visible being that of the shadows of the clouds drifting silently by. Everything seemed to be waiting. After a while he abandoned his post and returned to the room in which Hawklan had been placed.

He found Hylland there, sitting in a low chair and staring thoughtfully out of the window. He turned as Isloman entered.

‘How are Eldric and Jaldaric?’ Isloman asked.

‘Sound asleep,’ Hylland replied.

Isloman nodded. As he did so he caught the flicker of the man’s gaze rapidly and intuitively appraising his whole presence. It was a healer’s trick and it reminded him of Hawklan.

‘You’re better,’ Hylland said.

Isloman smiled. ‘Is that a question or just another statement for my information?’ he asked.

Hylland returned the smile and stood up. ‘You’re better,’ he said conclusively, moving over to the bed where Hawklan lay. ‘Which is more than we can say for your friend here.’

Isloman looked concerned, but Hylland made an effort at a reassuring look. ‘No,’ he said. ‘He’s no worse. But he’s no better, and that’s almost as bad.’

‘What do you mean?’ Isloman asked.

Hylland’s thin face became pensive. ‘If he just lies there long enough, Isloman, his body will simply deteriorate through plain lack of use. I’ve seen it happen. To be honest, I’m surprised he’s still in such good physical condition. Something inside him must be fighting to keep him whole. It’s a very good sign, but… ’

‘But you don’t know what to do?’ Isloman finished his remark.

Hylland nodded. ‘I’ve no idea,’ he said. Isloman looked at the seemingly fragile little man and saw why he had become Eldric’s most respected healer. His mind was both worldly and as simple and open as a child’s. He would face anything and try to see it for what it was. To admit his ignorance cost him nothing. Hawklan would value him.

‘Hawklan would tell you not to fret, but to follow your heart,’ he offered.

Hylland looked at him, then hitching himself on to the bed he took Hawklan’s hand. ‘I don’t think I can,’ he said, after a moment.

Isloman sat down on the bed opposite him. Hylland digressed. ‘Hawklan impressed the men,’ he said. ‘And they’re not easily impressed by any means. Particularly the Goraidin.’ He tightened his grip on Hawklan’s hand. ‘But I don’t need their opinions. Even unconscious, I can tell he’s an exceptional healer.’

He turned to Isloman, his face almost bewildered. ‘You say follow my heart, but I can’t. He’s protecting me, Isloman. He’s the hurt one, yet he’s protecting me.’

Isloman’s frowned.

‘To help him, I must enter his pain,’ Hylland said softly. ‘But can I face the pain that left such a man thus? Even now he feels my fear and he… won’t let me help him.’ He nodded and repeated himself softly as if to confirm this revelation. ‘Won’t let me help him.’

After a long silence he stood up and walked back over to the window. To Isloman it seemed that the little man was easier in his mind. ‘I understand,’ he said. ‘Or at least I think I do. It sounds like something Hawklan would do.’ Their earlier conversation returned to him. ‘You said before that we might all be able to help. What did you mean?’ The healer did not reply. Isloman raised his voice. ‘Hylland, we can’t stand by and do nothing.’

By way of response, Hylland threw open the win-dow. The everyday sounds of the castle’s activities drifted into the room. In the purposeful tone that Isloman recognized quite clearly, Hylland said, ‘If he’s enough wit left to be concerned for me, then he might be able to hear and understand what’s going on around him.’ He turned and looked at Isloman. ‘Let’s lure him back to life, Orthlundyn. Back to the present. I’ll get some of Varak’s big lads to help carry him. You can ride him round on that horse of his. He can sit at our meals. He can sit at our talks. We can let him know that he’s not frozen at the palace gate, facing whatever horror Dan-Tor launched at him. We can let him know that he survived and is here.’

He turned round and spoke to Hawklan directly. ‘You can rest assured, young man, that Dan-Tor won’t be lying fretting about your encounter. He’ll be moving on to other matters now.’

Hylland’s vigorous confidence in his robust suggestions for ‘luring’ Hawklan back to life overcame any reserva-tions that Isloman might have had.

Indeed, after his initial surprise, he warmed to the idea. At least it was something positive that he could do, and after all, hadn’t Hawklan survived their pounding journey from Vakloss without coming to any harm?

Accordingly he spent the remainder of that day, and much of the next, seated on Serian, holding Hawklan in front of him like a tired child. He gave the horse its head and as they rode quietly along winding stony pathways, he talked to Hawklan incessantly. Gavor came with them, soaring magnificently through the cool mountain air, now high above them, a tiny dot among the towering crags, now below, a black shadow arcing over the green valleys along the strange unseen pathways that only he could feel.