The bevy moved onto the abbey grounds: Mr. Andvari in front, Pim and Adrastos flanking Geros, and Maveith—still weaponless—in the rear. Recruits and teachers scattered as the bevy moved across campus at a hasty pace. They trotted across the land bridge and Pim unharnessed Geros from the tipcart then unlashed the weapons strapped to his body. Mr. Andvari carried Penelopas down the exterior steps to the front doors of Panae Hall. Adrastos followed quickly behind carrying the wounded dog while Rarr ran at her hooves. Pim patted Geros on the hindquarter and the bear lumbered off as Pim dashed toward the abbey. Maveith grabbed up two bags of salt and walked to the far end of the monolith where the steps descended along the outside.
Ylli and Yolli sat in the cart.
Soon, Pim scampered back across campus with an old woman ambling behind. She wore an untucked, khaki linen shirt with ivory fabric buttons up the front. The shirt was secured at the waist with an ivory sash. The loose ends—dirty and stained like a dish rag—hung almost to her knees. The woman’s sleeves came to just below her elbows with wide, ivory cuffs. Her knickers were the same khaki-colored linen as her shirt and fastened just below the knee with a wide ivory cuff. Her forearms and calves were wrapped with straps of filthy, ivory fabric. She wore a large brimmed, bell-shaped bamboo hat and a heather haversack slung across her body. Ylli and Yolli watched as Pim and the old woman ran past them disappearing beyond the edge of the monolith.
Mr. Andvari delivered Penelopas to her room. Unlike Maveith, who only had blankets to sleep on, Penelopas had a wooden bed frame with a proper duck feather mattress. He laid her gently on the bed and pulled the covers over her cool skin. She didn’t move. The entire trip home Penelopas laid in the same position, her breath shallow but steady.
She’s cold, thought Mr. Andvari, but the room was still warm from the afternoon sun. The doors to the outer balcony were closed. Come on, Pim. Hurry up. Mr. Andvari hoofed down the hallway to the kitchen and came back with an armload of wood. He dumped the wood on the floor and left again. He returned a second time with kindling in one hand and a rock in the other. Mr. Andvari squatted and put the kindling against the wall in the fireplace. He dug into his satchel and brought out a piece of rope which he unraveled and shaped into a wild bird’s nest of tangles. He set the nest down and dug again into his satchel. Mr. Andvari had a piece of metal curved into a c-shape that just fit around his right hand pointer, middle and ring fingers. He held a piece of flint rock in his left hand and placed a piece of char cloth on the top next to the edge of the stone that was the thinnest. Mr. Andvari held the flint rock and then struck the metal against it in a single, long, downward movement. The rock sparked against the metal. He struck it four more times until a spark landed on the black char cloth and burned. Mr. Andvari quickly placed the char cloth into the rope nest and blew until a fire caught. He gently sat the nest in the middle of the fireplace, grabbed the kindling and fashioned it on top in a teepee. When the fire caught the kindling, he placed a few small sticks on the fire also in the shape of a teepee.
Pim walked into the room with the old woman behind him. She pushed Pim toward the fireplace and ran over to Penelopas. The woman dumped her haversack on the floor next to the bed and ran her hands beneath the covers.
“Not good,” said the woman. “She’s cold, Erlend.”
“I know.”
“The boy can stay. I’ll need help. You need to take care of that infernal wailing if I am to have my wits about me,” she ordered.
The howling of dog and Rarr pierced the halls. The movement down the stairs jarred the poor dog into searing pain so every time the dog cried out, Rarr mimicked it. It flip flopped between howling and whimpering. Between the dog and Rarr carrying on and Adrastos shouting for them both to calm down, Panae Hall sounded under attack. Mr. Andvari closed the door as he left Penelopas’s room and headed to the great hall. The dog lay in the corner near the balcony doors. Adrastos and Rarr surrounded it with Maveith standing behind them looking on.
“Give the poor beast some air,” Mr. Andvari said as he approached. He pulled Maveith back and tossed Rarr and Adrastos aside, kneeling down. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” he said, staring at Rarr and then turning to Adrastos.
Mr. Andvari unwrapped the dog’s blood-soaked bandage on its front paw. The leg was nearly severed through. Only a little muscle and tissue held it on. Adrastos gasped and turned away; Rarr just stared.
“I can’t save it,” said Mr. Andvari.
“You have to,” said Adrastos. “You have to try.”
“Adrastos,” said Mr. Andvari. “His leg is too gone. I cannot save it.”
“Don’t give up on him,” she pleaded.
“I am not giving up on him,” said Andvari. “Just his leg. If I don’t amputate his leg, he will die from infection. The only way I can save the dog is to take his leg.” Mr. Andvari turned to Rarr. He gently cradled Rarr’s face with his rough, heavy hands and looked him in the eyes. “Rarr? Do you understand?” The boy howled like a wolf and cried, smashing his fists into the stone floor.
“Die?”
“I’ll try to save him. But the leg has to go, okay?”
“Go!” screamed Rarr.
“Adrastos?”
“Do it,” said Adrastos blubbering. She rose, but Mr. Andvari grabbed her arm.
“I’m sorry, but I need you here.” Mr. Andvari looked at her sharply. He turned to Rarr. “Both stay.” He stood up and looked at Maveith. “You know how to build a fire?” he asked Maveith.
“Yes, sir. Of course,” said Maveith.
“Firewood is in the kitchen,” said Mr. Andvari. “Remember where that is?” Maveith nodded. “Good. I want a hot fire and I want it quick. Use dry wood. Dry as you can get.” Maveith nodded again. Mr. Andvari handed him the flint and steel he used to build Penelopas’s fire. “Go. Now. Fast.”
Maveith ran down the hall and returned with an armload of dry wood and kindling. He dumped it at the fireplace, bent down and worked. Soon, a fire was burning hot, creating good coals. Mr. Andvari grabbed a handaxe from the weapon supply cabinet and stuck the blade in the fire.
“Do you remember how we held the dog down before?” he asked. “That’s how we’re going to do it again. But this time, the dog will feel a lot of pain. You will have to use all your strength to hold him down but not hurt him.” Mr. Andvari went to a cabinet and grabbed some linens. He took one and held it by each end then laid the linen across the dog’s body. “Like this.”
Mr. Andvari got up and checked on the axe. It glowed red and orange, the heat coming off it made it look almost liquidy. He padded across the room quietly and knelt down. He delicately took the dog’s injured leg into his hand. It howled in pain.
“Now, hold him tight. He’s squirming,” Mr. Andvari commanded lovingly. They tightened down on the dog. “Good. That’s much better. Here we go.” Mr. Andvari stretched the leg out and laid it against the hard floor. Too rough, he decided. “Maveith! Run to the kitchen and get me a cutting board. Quick!” The dog continued to scream and pull. Adrastos and Rarr bawled in unison knowing their actions hurt the dog.
Maveith returned with a teak cutting board. Mr. Andvari raised the dog’s leg and Maveith slipped it underneath. He laid the leg on the board. By then the heat of the axe cooled off a bit so he handed it to Maveith.
“Go put this back in the fire for a bit,” he said.
“Really?” screamed Adrastos, emotionally exhausted.
“I am trying to save him. I know it’s hard. Just hang in there,” reassured Mr. Andvari.
The axe heated up again and Maveith pulled it out and brought it back. Mr. Andvari stretched the leg out again against the cutting board. The paw dangled like tree ornament. He aimed higher than the wound, but not too much, raised the axe and brought it down in a single, swift motion. The dog howled with Adrastos and Rarr echoing. The great hall was filled with pain and sorrow as yellow-orange light danced off the walls. Mr. Andvari pulled the leg up and inspected the cut.
“Are we done?” gasped Adrastos.
“Not yet,” said Mr. Andvari. “I need to cauterize the wound to keep it from festering.” He held the leg up and pressed the flat edge of the axe against it. The heat sizzled against dog’s leg burning the new wound closed. The dog howled more, then laid its head down and panted uncontrollably.
Mr. Andvari bandaged the wound, wrapped the dog in linens to keep it from struggling and to help calm it down. Mr. Andvari left the room for a little while and came back with a tray full of items he gathered. He asked Maveith to heat a sewing needle in the fire while he took out a flask of grain alcohol and poured into the dog’s facial wound. It howled and jumped, but Adrastos and Rarr held it down with the linens. He used his knife to cut away the damaged tissue then dumped more of the liquid on the wound. Maveith brought him the needled and he threaded sinew through the hole, then poured the grain alcohol on it, too. He sewed what flaps of skin he could back to the dog’s face. Any open wounds he cauterized with the hot axe blade. He bundled the dogs face with linens and then cut a line in the bandage so the dog could open its mouth.
“Take turns staying with it,” he said. I want one of you by its side all the time.”
Rarr pushed against Adrastos, nudging her over.
“I guess you want first watch,” she said between her sobs.
“Friend,” Rarr said over and over as he stroked its linen-wrapped body. “Friend. Friend. Friend.”
“He’s going to pant because he’s upset. Don’t worry,” Mr. Andvari instructed. “In a little while, be sure to bring him some water and see if he’ll drink it. You may have to get your hand wet and let him lick you.”
Pim walked into the room, glared at the sight of Adrastos and Rarr slobbering over the dog and shook his head. “Gaia wants to see you, Mr. Andvari.” The dwarf rose and walked into Penelopas’s room quietly, stopping at the wall of heat from the fireplace.
“It is hot in here,” he mentioned as he shut the door behind him. Gaia grabbed his hand and slid it under Penelopas’s blankets, placing his hand on her cold forearm.
“If it were too hot in here, I would have put out the fire,” Gaia said cooly. “Don’t talk about things you know nothing about. Just makes you look ignorant.” Pim looked at Mr. Andvari, puzzled and scared.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Mr. Andvari said, giving Pim a wink and a shrug.
Gaia collected her herbs, salves, and potions and placed them in her haversack. She looked over her glasses at Mr. Andvari as she wiped her hands on the ends of her stained sash.
“What really happened here?” she asked pointedly. “The boy,” she snarled, pointing at Pim, “told me she collapsed in the heat. This girl didn’t collapse from heat.”
“No ma’am, she did not. I was afraid to tell you. Didn’t want to put you in a position to have to lie for us. If it comes to that,” confessed Mr. Andvari.
“Yes, well, aren’t you a sweet thing and all, but you need to tell old Gaia the truth of it all and let me decide for myself,” she said, still peering over her glasses at the two of them as if they were children she was scolding.
“We were attacked by a band of dog fighters,” Mr. Andvari recounted. “It didn’t look good for us: one adult and six wards against a group of battle-tested adults.” He sighed.
“Go on,” Gaia said sweetly.
“It came down to swords—melee—then Penelopas took her hood down. I couldn’t see her eyes from where I was, but I could hear her voice. She was sirening a soliloquy.”
“Singing?” Gaia asked.
“That’s the interesting part. She spoke, but it didn’t exactly sound like her.”
“It did and it didn’t,” chimed in Pim. Mr. Andvari looked at Pim and nodded.
“A glowing army of orea appeared from every nook and cranny of the forest and chased the men off. We didn’t have to fight at all, thankfully.”
“She’s doesn’t seem a magos to me,” said Gaia, looking back at Penelopas. “That doesn’t fit.”
“No,” agreed Mr. Andvari. “More like a weaver.”
“What’s a weaver?” Pim asked.
“My sweet boy, a real weaver is rare,” said Gaia.
“Very rare” agreed Mr. Andvari.
“Weavers, well, they weave the magick of the world—magick and power in every living thing—to manipulate minds and control situations.”
“But not like a magos or wyzard or sorcerer,” Mr. Andavri said.
“No, indeed. A weaver performs—usually singing or playing music—to temporarily hypnotize minds, give allies strength or courage in battle, create hallucinations or mirages,
“Which is what she did on the road.” Mr. Andvari looked at Pim and cocked his head down.
“Perhaps,” said Gaia. “They can put fear and dread into enemies.” She paused in thought. “I’ve even heard of weavers who could heal.”
“Penelopas didn’t sing or play music,” added Pim. “So how can she have weaver powers.”
“And who are you to say who does and who does not have power, little man?” barked Gaia.
“She’s never exhibited any powers before,” Mr. Andvari said, defending Pim.
“And yet you are alive and relatively unharmed,” observed Gaia. “A conundrum for sure. What is her background?”
Mr. Andvari and Pim looked at each other and shrugged.
“It’s likely she’s unaware of her powers or what happened,” said Gaia. “She’ll be okay, I think, in a few days.” She handed Mr. Andvari a bundle of herbs tied together. I want you to make her a warm tea out of this and brush the tea on her skin every two hours until she wakes.”
“Every two hours,” repeated Pim.
“After that,” said Gaia, “I want her to drink a pot of this tea three times a day. Allow her to rest. When her skin feels warm to the touch she can get out of bed, but not until then,” commanded Gaia. “You hear me, boys?”
“Yes ma’am,” they said in unison.
“Good. Make sure there is a fire in the fireplace at all times until Penelopas tells you otherwise.”
“Can she eat?” asked Pim.
“Have you ever heard of someone living on air?” she snorted at Pim then smiled. “Get her to eat as soon as you can. I’ll check on her every day.”
“Will this cause us a problem?” asked Mr. Andvari. “With High Abbess Gudrun, I mean?”
“No. I’ll tell her Penelopas ate a bad fish and got food poisoning. That will satisfy her curiosity but not concern her enough to come and bother you.”
“It’s a lie,” said Pim.
“Are you a doctor?” said Gaia, perturbed. Pim shook his head. “I thought not. You leave the diagnosis to me and just do as I tell you, boy.” Pim nodded and left the room. Mr. Andvari escorted Gaia through Panae Hall and up along the exterior steps.
“Thank you, Gaia.”
“Something’s not right here, Erlend.” Her voice got very quiet. “A weaver’s not been heard of for a dragon’s age. No girl of her age should have that kind of ability, or power, or charm, or whatever it was. We need to know more about her.”
“Agreed,” said Mr. Andvari. Gaia went back to the abbey and he returned to Panae Hall, taking a seat at the table in the great hall next to Pim. Rarr still doted on the dog, petting and chanting “friend” incessantly. Adrastos knelt in the corner taking a nap.
“Rough day,” said Mr. Andvari. “I hope it wasn’t too much for the girls.” He stopped and looked around. “Where are the girls?” Mr. Andvari shouted. He looked at Pim and Maveith. They shrugged.
“Did you bring them in with you, Maveith?”
“Um, no,” Maveith said meekly.
“You left them outside?” Mr. Andvari said, frustrated.
“Well, why didn’t they come in on their own?” asked Pim.
“Because! With what they’ve been through, they’ve been taught to be obedient and quiet,” said Mr. Andvari. “Those girls, they only do what they are told. Nothing more. That’s how they survive.” He jumped up and headed out the front door and around the stairs, followed by Maveith and Pim.
Geros was gone. The girls sat in the abandoned tipcart on a few bags of remaining salt and the two chests. Mr. Andvari hopped into the cart between them. “Girls. I am so sorry. We didn’t mean to leave you out here.” He hugged them but they did not hug back. “Will you boys get the bags and trunks and bring them inside? Put them in the great hall.”
Mr. Andvari took Ylli and Yolli by the hand and lead them along the monolith, one on each side. The sun was going down quickly. Only a few rays of sunslight still streaked the sky, glistening off the southern steps. He led them to the side and helped them maneuver the staircase. Mr. Andari went first, stepping off the side of the monolith onto the first stone step. Ylli let go of Mr. Andari’s hand, but Yllo did not. Her hand was warm, unlike Penelopas’ lying cold inside. The girls stepped onto his step behind him. Mr Andari nudged forward then moved another stair. They followed. I’m glad they don’t speak, thought Mr. Andari. They can’t tell anyone about Penelopas and what she … did. What she did, he repeated in his mind. He sighed and continued down the steps, one by one until they reached the door and went inside. What she did.