Healer of Sakkara

Chapter 12 - Reunion

Galen shivered and hugged his knees to his chest. He was naked, huddled as close to the fire as he could get without burning, while his soggy clothes hung from a makeshift drying rack nearby.

The stranger was naked, too; but unlike Galen, he seemed uninhibited by his nudity, and went about gathering fuel and building the drying rack as if it were business as usual.

Galen kept his eyes on the flickering flames, and struggled to stay awake.

He failed, and startled at a touch, the stranger's hand hot as fire on his chilled skin.

"Are you unwell?" he asked. "You ought to be warming up by now but you're cold as ice."

Galen shrugged off the hand. "I'm fine," he said, hunching in on himself defensively. "My house burned down, my father is in jail, a whole town wants to kill me, I've been kidnapped, shot at, and almost drowned. But yes, I'm fine."

The stranger breathed a laugh. "I'm glad to see your spirit is intact, regardless. My name is Sevhalim, if you did not remember it, but most who know me call me Sev. I regret the way things have unfolded; if I had only played a cooler hand at your father's house, we might be safe at sea by now."

He looked up as the distant baying of hounds reached them on the crisp, pre-dawn air, carrying over from the river's far shore.

"We can't stay here long," he said. "There've been boats on the river already, and while I don't know if we are the hunter's quarry, I would not bet against it—especially with the send off we got from your friend."

Galen rested his forehead on his folded arms and shut his eyes. "Darek's not my friend."

Sev snorted. "No; that much is obvious, now. But that is what he led us to believe. We met him first at the town gates. It seemed we might not gain entry at all, given the unwelcoming atmosphere, but when we asked after you he was most obliging. Led us right to your father's house."

"No wonder you found me so quickly."

"Indeed. For a brief moment, I thought this would be easy; then our luck ran out and it's been hell since. After your father began hurling furniture and expelled us from his house, the townsfolk drove us back to our ship. From there, I sent word of a reward for information, and Darek offered his services again. By letter, he told us to wait at night near the large drain, claiming he could convince you to meet us there. I take it he did not 'convince' you with words?"

Galen didn't answer, and hugged his knees to his chest as he shivered again. He knew he should hate Darek for what he'd done, but at the moment his heart and mind felt as numb as the rest of him.

He'd started to drift again when Sev's hand settled on his brow. The heat of his touch felt so good that Galen leaned into it reflexively.

"This chill isn't natural," Sev said quietly. "You must tell me if you are injured in some way. I'm no medic, but I have a small talent for healing."

Galen meant to laugh, but it came out a sigh. "So do I, apparently."

Sev's hand moved from his brow to the back of his neck, and more shivers shook Galen's shoulders.

"What do you mean?" Sev asked.

"My friend was hurt," he whispered, keeping his eyes shut. "Harrald said I'd done it before, though I don't remember. And with everyone saying I had magic... I had to try."

"And you succeeded?" The other man's tone was quiet, almost careful, though laden with curiosity.

"Yes."

"Then you are p'yrha," Sev muttered. "You must be."

Galen shook his head, though the motion was so slight it might have gone unnoticed. "I don't know what that means."