In Rough Shape

In the palace courtyard, Fifer and Dev were limp and unresponsive. Florence, keeping up her no-nonsense warrior facade, did what she could to make them comfortable. Then she rifled through Fifer’s robe and component vest pockets, looking for the healing kit. She found it but also found the empty cube that had stored an obliterate component and the paper on which Thisbe had written instructions.

After applying whatever first aid she could to the young warriors, Florence glanced over at where the dragons lay. The one she’d just helped slay was stuck with several sharp objects, like its face was a pincushion. But the other’s head was blown clean away, and the ground near it was marked by a huge hole. Fifer must have used the obliterate spell there. But what had possessed Thisbe to give it to her? Florence was glad Fifer had had it, but she’d told Thisbe under no uncertain terms that the magic was for Thisbe’s use only—no one else had been trained on such a dangerous spell. It could have been a disastrous situation.

Not that it wasn’t, under the current circumstances. As Florence continued to treat Fifer and Dev, she worried over the letter from Thisbe explaining the obliterate spell. If Thisbe had gone to join the Revinir’s cause, why would she leave one of these monstrously dangerous components with Fifer? It was like giving the enemy ammunition to come after her. And it looked like Thisbe hadn’t given the component to Fifer directly because of the detailed note. It seemed more likely that she’d left it for her right before she’d decided to sneak off. That didn’t seem like something a person would do if they were turning their back on their people—giving them such a powerful spell that could be used against her. It didn’t make sense. Maybe Seth had been right—that the twins had been in on something much bigger than anybody had figured out yet.

“Come on, Fifer,” Florence muttered under her breath as she gave her another dose of a magical healing concoction she’d found. She was trying hard not to break down. The warrior trainer wiped a tear from her eyes and kept up her commanding exterior because it made it easier to cope. But here they were again. Another leader was down. Near death. How often would this happen? It was horrifying. And if there was anything Florence could do to save Fifer, she’d do it. “Wake up, Fifer. Listen… you did everything right. Please don’t leave us. We need you desperately to stay alive. Please… Simber needs you. I need you. All of Artimé needs you.” She sat back and stared at the spot where her leg should be.

Florence turned to Dev for a follow-up dose of medicine. Fifer had said his name earlier, or the warrior trainer might not have realized who he was. She hadn’t known there was anyone else here—Fifer hadn’t mentioned Dev in her send communications. In fact, she’d plainly said once that she was alone. Had he just arrived? Why was his back covered with healing burns? They weren’t from today’s battle. Everything was a puzzle for now.

She kept them both alive. When the two seemed stable and there was nothing else Florence could do for them, the warrior scooted along the ground in search of her leg. She’d never repaired her own body before because it was always better to have someone else’s trained eye to place a body part just right. But now she didn’t really have a choice—she wanted her leg attached in case something else threatened them.

She found it in the yard not far from where Fifer had brought her back to life. After magically repairing the cracks, Florence maneuvered herself into the proper position to attach the leg to the rest of her body. When she was finished, she got up and tested it. There were a few blades of grass that had gotten trapped during the sealing process and they stuck out of her leg now. And it was a tiny bit crooked—which was why it would have been nice to have Octavia there to catch that mistake. But she walked around on it. Other than a minor limp, she was in good shape.

Now that Florence was back in one piece, she took stock of her location. The four dead dragons were a big eyesore, and so was the broken-down palace. She stomped out the few smoldering fires that luckily hadn’t spread through the orchard. Florence could just barely see the village beyond the trees. She spotted the river in the back of the property and remembered how important it was for humans to drink, so she filled the two teenagers’ canteens for them. Then she rummaged through Fifer’s vest pockets again and pulled out a send spell so she could contact Maiven. But it was one that had already been used. And it was from Thisbe.

Florence read it.

Fife,

Things will have to happen soon. Alert the troops.

Thiz

PS We’re heading to Dragonsmarche today to announce our partnership. Don’t reply.

This message added to Florence’s confusion about what was really happening. Her suspicions about the twins grew. But there was something more urgent about this. “If this is recent, and the Revinir and Thisbe are heading to Dragonsmarche,” Florence reasoned, “we want some eyes on them.”

She found an unused send spell and wrote:

Maiven,

I’m not sure how much time has passed since I went down, but I’m back up again. All four red dragons are dead. Fifer and Dev are both seriously injured and unconscious. If they don’t wake up soon… that could spell trouble. Where are you? Can you send Aaron with more medical supplies? And send someone to Dragonsmarche and the castle to keep an eye on things there. Sounds like Thisbe and the Revinir are making their pact in the public square.

Florence

She sent it off, noting it went to the north as she expected, which meant Maiven was still in the direction of the cavelands. Then she picked up Thisbe’s note and send spell again and studied them, looking for clues to what was truly going on here. Fifer was somehow in on this, that much was clear—she was aiding Thisbe in this horrible takeover. But was it possible that they’d both turned away from Artimé? Or had Seth’s hunch actually been accurate, that they were somehow plotting together against the Revinir? Either way, it was reckless, and it undermined the safety and future of Artimé. And Florence was beginning to get very worried.