The Tangle of Blood

Chapter Seventeen: Shifts in Power

In a dingy, dimly lit room in the back of Foxale Tavern, the only tavern in the village, Rosalyn leaned against the front of the a table, looking out into a small crowd of people.

From behind the table, a chair screeched as Celestina pushed it back to rise. Danny and Eliza sat still in their seats on her right. On her left, a balding man sat, his round spectacles resting on his long, crooked nose.

"Most of you know me. My name is Celestina Byrnes, Leischcuran of Evenara Castle. This is Cedric Tallmun, Leischuran of Evenara Village, of course." The chaos of the taproom could be heard in the closet-sized room, but the inhabitants remained silent, their attention on Celestina.

"An inevitable war is upon us, and we need to be ready for lies ahead. We need medics, trained medics. The wage is not substantial." Her eyes scanned the room. It should be sufficient enough to support you, but if you look for a position of great means, this is not that."

A man in his late twenties pushed his chair back noisily and left the room.

Unaffected, Celestina continued. War, this type of war, will be a nasty business. Many people will die. Your friends, your family will die. People will be carried to you with holes in their chests or abdomens, their very bowels falling out of them. They'll have arrows sticking out of their backs. They'll lose limbs. They'll need limbs removed to live." Rosalyn watched the faces in the crowd, some went pale with the words, other green with disgust. "There will be infection, and a lot of it. Nasty business, war. We need you if you can handle it and are willing, but if you cannot, there is no place for you here."

A young girl with bouncing blonde hair and wide eyes, and rose. With an apologetic glance at Celestina, she left the room.

"We'll meet from the seventh hour to noontime daily," Curan Tallmun added. "Outside of these hours and when you've not been summoned, your time is yours to work and do as you please. In time of war, this will be your only priority."

Celestina nodded. "If you have no objections to the terms, you may sign your name to the list and report to the East Gate tomorrow morning. We'll be using an empty war room in the east wing. Thank you."

As Rosalyn walked back to the castle with Danny, she eyed him thoughtfully. "Danny, when you told me you wanted to be a healer, and I did this for you, I didn't mean to sign you up for a war."

"Well, I am little to no good with a sword or a bow, ya ken. I would not be helping the Queen or my kingdom with either in my hand, but I can help in this way."

He stopped on the stair stair above her and Rosalyn smiled up at him. "You can and you should be given the chance to serve your kingdom in any way that you can."

"Aye. I know what happened to Queen Rane. I know 'tis not something I'm meant to be privy to, and I've told no one, but she is my Queen." He fisted a hand over his heart then motioned to the village below, and continued, "Their Queen. We've as much of a duty to protect her and our kingdom as even you, Miss Everhart."

She watched as color flooded his face and into his ears. "I mean you no disrespect."

"Oh, aye." She grinned before starting back up the stairs to the castle. "And you are perfectly right."

Rosalyn left him under the Tree of Draioch and made her way to Guard's Hall.

She opened the great wooden doors to find Rane and her council, Trevyn, and her brother waiting. "Sorry, I was held up in the village," Rosalyn said as she made her way to her seat.