Chapter 5

The first thing Kayne did when Jesse entered the shack was give him a sharp rap on the forehead.

“What was that for?” Jesse demanded, jerking back and rubbing the sore area.

“Making sure your skull isn’t hollow,” Kayne grumbled, stooping back down to the rug where Parvel was lying. “Seems it ain’t, which means you’re not brainless. Just stupid.”

Jesse just grinned. The smile faded from his face as he glanced down at Parvel, whose eyes twitched slightly under his lids. “Are you going to give him the antidote?”

“Already did,” Kayne said. “I had the water boiling and ready.”

Jesse smiled to himself. That meant, no matter what Kayne said, he had believed Jesse would come back with the knob willow bark.

“It’s not working,” Rae pronounced, staring at Parvel’s still form.

“Not yet,” Silas countered. Jesse had soon realized that in addition to being a near-perfect aim with a longbow, Silas was by far the more patient of the two Youth Guard members.

Rae just grunted and went back to pacing, covering the same ground she had ever since they entered Kayne’s shack.

“It’ll work,” Kayne promised, nodding in satisfaction. “Faster than a lot of…. Confound it, girl, will you stop that pacing? This isn’t military school, you know.”

To Jesse’s surprise, Rae actually stopped, choosing instead to tap her foot against the table leg as she waited.

Looking at Parvel’s flushed, pained face, Jesse almost wished that he could pray to Parvel’s God. But even if He does exist, he thought bitterly, He certainly isn’t taking care of His own very well.

Jesse turned to Silas and asked a question that had been on his mind since the bridge. “Why did you have arrows with red shafts? In Mir, that’s the mark of a saard. It’s their color.”

“Parvel’s idea,” Silas said shortly. “We dyed them before leaving the capital. He’s from this district and is familiar with local legend.”

“Care to tell me how that knowledge was useful?”

Everyone jerked their heads down at the sound of Parvel’s weak voice. He opened his eyes, wincing as if even that small movement was painful, and blinked at the people staring at him.

“We’ll explain later,” Jesse said. “Can we get you anything?”

Parvel blinked at him. “Who are you? What’s your name?”

“Jesse.”

Parvel stared at him thoughtfully. “What’s wrong?” Jesse asked.

“Nothing,” Parvel said. “It’s just that…you remind me of someone I once knew. The same green eyes….” Then he shook his head, wincing at the pain it caused him. “May I have some water?”

Jesse dipped a metal cup into the bucket from the well and handed it to Parvel. He fumbled with it, spilling most of it on his sweat-soaked shirt, and downed the rest in one gulp. “Thank you. Now, tell me, what happened?”

He doesn’t know, Jesse realized. All he knows is that he woke up here, lying on the ground, with a paste smeared on his arm.

Kayne explained about the poisoned arrow and how Jesse had gotten the antidote. Jesse couldn’t help but feel a little proud at that part of the story.

“Thank you,” Parvel said simply, nodding at him. “You probably saved my life.”

Jesse coughed and looked down. “It was just lucky Rae and Silas came to the inn.”

“I’m sure luck had nothing to do with it,” Parvel said, a small smile appearing on his face. Jesse remembered what Rae had said about Parvel believing in God.

I don’t want to hear about it. The village priest said it was God’s will that his parents left. If that’s how God treats us, then I have no use for Him.

“This poison,” Jesse said, turning to Kayne. “How long before it wears off? When will he recover?”

Kayne shook his head. “No bothering about that, now. This boy needs his rest.” He started to pull Silas and Rae away from the sickbed.

Silas didn’t move. “We need to know.”

Something in his flat tone must have convinced Kayne. “This kind of poison is strange, that’s for sure,” Kayne said, refusing to look at Silas. “Antidote counters the poison, but it doesn’t get rid of it. Not all the way. Besides, I’ve never seen a case this bad. There’ll be more spells of fever as his body tries to get rid of the poison.”

“For how long?” Parvel asked.

“Best guess? A few weeks.”

Weeks?

Jesse was sure his expression mirrored the shock on Parvel’s face. “Very well, then,” he said heavily. “I would like to speak with Rae and Silas alone, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“’Course,” Kayne said, standing with effort, his old bones creaking. “Always love bein’ thrown out of my own home by complete strangers.”

“I’ll make more of the dispur poultice,” Jesse said, hurrying out to the kitchen. He reached for the cabinet, then paused. I wonder what they’re talking about. He could hear the rumble of low voices in the other room.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to listen to a little. He edged the curtain open a crack and peered in. Silas and Rae leaned over Parvel as he eased himself up, leaning heavily on his good arm.

“You cannot go on with two members,” Parvel reasoned. “Squads are supposed to have four.”

“We’ll wait for you,” Silas insisted.

“No,” Parvel said firmly.

Silas was not about to give up. “Parvel, you are our squad captain. We will not leave you behind.”

“And I’m telling you that someone knows we are here, and they clearly want us dead.”

Jesse shivered at the calm way in which he spoke. “Once the man with the crossbow realizes you are alive, he will be back,” Parvel continued.

“He won’t be back. Ever,” Silas countered simply. “I shot him.”

Parvel thought about this for a moment. “Members of the Rebellion never work alone. There could be others, and they have ways of finding those they want to kill. I will not see our mission fail before it has begun.”

There was silence for a moment. “He’s right,” Rae said at last. “We need to get away from here.” She stood and began to pace again, as if preparing for an attack. “As soon as possible.”

“Listen to me.” Parvel leaned toward them. “I will not have you playing games with death. There is a good chance you will die on this mission. That is why I refuse to rush into danger without thinking about what happens after. And neither should you.”

“Here he goes again,” Rae muttered.

“I don’t think this is a game, if that’s what you mean,” Silas said, his voice flat. “I know the danger.”

“You play the game simply by being alive, Silas. After all, we all die, some sooner than others. Without God, what happens after death? Are you content to step into a black void of nothingness, to fade out of existence?”

“Give it a rest, Parvel,” was all Rae said, waving him off. “You won’t convert me, not with all your sermons. You should have become a priest instead of joining the Guard.”

Interesting. Jesse had always been taught that religion was for the weak, the old, and children who did not know any better. Yet, here is a Youth Guard member, the strongest and bravest in the land, who believes in God.

“You must leave,” Parvel said, “but not alone.” His next words froze Jesse to the floor. “Take Jesse.”