The Maze - Tor's Quest Book 2

Chapter 2

The agony in Sam's scream was unmistakable and the response was immediate. Even before the air was once again filled with silence, a large hole had appeared in the side of the hill and the eager explorers lit torches, preparing to enter. Tor walked up to Brin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We may need you in there."

Brin did not look up. "And she needs me here."

Tor walked away, knowing arguing would be pointless. Ellen would take good care of Sam and Brin would only get in the way, but he could see it would be impossible to remove him from her side. Taking a torch from Patrick, he led the way through the hole. The tunnel was narrow and low, forcing the men to walk with their backs bent. Ban suggested he remain behind, but Grimmel reminded him that they were both needed to obtain the next clue, so he had to suffer the indignity of crawling on his hands and knees.

"How did you bring yourself to do that?" Dal asked Brin, wiping the remains of vomit from the side of his mouth.

Brin ignored him, looking at Ellen. The arrow needed to be removed quickly, but he was not prepared to try until Sam had been given a sedative. His hope had been to hit directly into her muscle, where the arrow could be removed from the soft flesh relatively easily. Unfortunately his manipulation of the arrow had embedded it too close to bone and pulling it out would be difficult. On top of that, it was dangerously close to an artery, which he would have to avoid cutting at all costs. Not only would the extraction leave a gaping wound that would bleed profusely, but her body may not be able to cope with the additional pain. There was a risk her heart would give out. He needed her unconscious.

Ellen had the potion ready within a minute, but time went slowly for Brin as he watched Sam struggle to breathe through the pain, making it seem more like an hour. Ellen asked him to lift Sam's head slightly and together they managed to tip the sedative down her throat, both sighing with relief when she swallowed it.

The relief was short lived. As soon as her body started to absorb the mixture, it reacted badly. Violent convulsions overwhelmed her and she began to froth at the mouth.

"What is happening?" Dal yelled as he dived onto her legs, holding them still. Ellen held down her uninjured arm while Brin lay across her body, desperately trying not to be thrown off. The convulsions subsided and they began to relax their grip on her.

"She must be having an allergic reaction," Ellen panted, quickly grabbing Sam's flaying arm as a second round of convulsions gripped her.

"She is embedding the arrow deeper into herself with each movement. We have to get it out. Now." Brin stared at Ellen, who nodded. They both knew Sam was still awake enough for the procedure to kill her, but there was no alternative. "Liselle, get over here," he shouted.

Liselle, who had been watching her husband disappear into the tunnel, rushed over. She took over from Brin, keeping Sam's body as still as possible, while the elf positioned himself ready for the extraction. As soon as there was a temporary lull in her convulsions, he warned the others that he was ready then pulled hard on the shaft. Sam screamed loudly, then fainted.

The arrow shifted slightly, but did not come out. The blood flow increased making it harder for Brin to get a good grip on the projectile. On the third attempt, the arrow came free and blood spurted out, covering them all. Brin and Ellen worked quickly, Brin applying pressure to the wound while Ellen sang a healing enchantment. When the blood finally stopped flowing, Sam was deathly pale; she had lost far too much of the sanguine fluid. Brin laid his head on her chest. She was breathing very shallowly, but her heart was still beating strongly. He collapsed beside her, overcome with relief.