Spears of Redriver

Part Twenty-Three - Spears of Redriver

 Carthus woke and repeatedly blinked, unaware of where he was. His eyes slightly burned as if he had been staring at the sun for too long, and everything seemed too bright. He remained on his back, swallowed by the comfort of the bed and covers, just glaring at the stone ceiling. A pulsing pain pinched at his chest, just near his heart, and he pulled back the covers to sit up.

"You are finally awake" a soft voice rang with familiarity. Carthus pushed himself up and squinted around the chamber. Several glowing orbs floated near the ceiling, illuminating the room, but to Carthus, it was too bright.

"Who are you?" he asked, finally catching sight of an elderly elven woman sitting by the window. Her gaze pierced right through him, and the strange stone that hung on a chain across her forehead seemed to dance in an array of changing colors.

"I am called Sidriel of Kelas, a master healer, and I belong to the order of the Great Stones," she replied smoothly, "and you are Carthus?"

"Carthus of Redriver," he placed a hand across the bandaging on his chest and shoulder, staring at her quizzically, "you healed me...I remember that much."

"Indeed, you were brought to me by two members of the Blue Guard who had found you dying in the streets" Sidriel replied.

"There was poison on the blade," Carthus said.

"Yes, and it was no easy task to draw it from your system," Sidriel replied, "and now, knowing who you are, it is easy to see why someone wanted to kill you...was it the Ordethi?"

"No..." the young Maad fell back onto the pillow trying to remember. Between the burning darkness and the cooling light of his fever dreams, one face stuck out from the rest of the shadowed figures, "that grin...I don't know who it was, I thought it was the Coren Swords, but I'm not sure anymore."

"Whoever it was will try again when they learn that you are alive" Sidriel sighed, stood, and walked across the room to the only door.

"Where are you going?" Carthus asked, sitting up again. Before throwing the covers off to get out of bed, he peeked under and realized that he was naked.

"I must see to it that my efforts to heal you are not in vain, you will have guards stationed outside the door...your clothes are there in the chest, although I wouldn't recommend getting out of bed just yet, I know you won't listen" Sidriel opened the door and stepped out.

"Thank you," Carthus said quickly as she closed the door. He threw his covers off and climbed out of bed, wincing from the pain in his chest. It was almost hard to breathe, but he moved slowly and lifted the lid of the storage box at the foot of the bed. Once he was in his underclothes, he pulled on his layered pteruge skirt and crossed the room to sit on the chair by the window. He raised his leather breastplate before his face, still squinting, and glared at the hole the sword strangers sword had made.

"Coren Swords?" he asked himself. He let the breastplate fall to the floor and turned his gaze out of the window where the sun was setting on the horizon. The city of Morside was beautiful, even as the many colored domes reflected the brightness of the sunset and irritated his eyes, he couldn't look away. He realized that he was in a tower that overlooked much of the city from above. The palace of the king sat in the distance, like a giant silhouette with a glowing bronze dome atop it, and further still, he saw the dark streets of the gray quarter, where his nameless tavern sat in the shadow of the buildings around it.

A knock at the door turned Carthus around quickly. He frowned, wincing at both the pain in his chest and at being so jumpy. The door opened before he could say anything and Chars entered, closing the door gently. The sorcerer stared at the young Maad with raised brows and then smiled.

"How are you taking to the chambers? I imagine they are to your liking, at least better than that tavern..." Chars crossed the room and stopped by Carthus, looking out of the window.

"Where am I?" Carthus asked.

"At the Stone Citadel of course," Chars replied.

"Ahh, I should have guessed," Carthus smiled, "thank you for all this."

"You might be somewhat disoriented for the next few days; I hear they used a poisonous mixture called black hemlock on the sword! Very deadly, but luckily the blue cloaks brought you here with haste. No one besides our Sidriel would've been able to heal you," Chars said proudly, "no thanks needed, we are on the same side in keeping this city afloat in these troubling times."

"Nonetheless, thank you," Carthus said again.

"Find whoever was responsible for this...but don't let it distract you from the true task. The Ordethi are the real target here, and if we are to save the city, they must be found quickly" Chars said.

"I know," Carthus turned back to the window, "Ythara and Oro, do they know I was attacked?"

"Indeed, we alerted them, and they have taken precautions. They also reported that a certain Desen is following a promising lead...your people are an excellent example of your leadership, ever loyal," Chars faced the Maad, "I have drawn up the documents to have you and yours instated as a legal Mercenary Company, all that is left is for you to sign them."

"I'm ready" Carthus nodded.

"Good, I'll have them brought up before the sun sets," Chars smiled and turned to head for the door, "what will you call yourselves? I hear that some of your men have taken to the name Spears of Redriver."

"Spears of Redriver," Carthus said staring out of the window at the sprawling city, "Spears of Redriver will do just fine."