Palenon
Whistles blew and the filth-covered boy looked around, panicked. He looked at the unconscious merchant, face-down at his feet and the purse in his hand before dashing down the alley. Quickly leaping up on some crates piled in the alley, the alley-rat scaled the short wall. Guards shouted from several streets over as the alley-rat leapt from the wall to a window sill and the up to the roof on the other side of the alley. Scampering across the roofs, he leapt from roof to roof, heading towards the slums at the edge of the city.
By the time the guards reached the alley where the assault had taken place, the alley-rat was gone and the merchant had drowned in the puddle of filth he lay in.
—-
A piece of trash slid across the narrow gap between the shanties. After a moment, it straightened up and tapped cautiously on one of the doors. An narrow opening slid aside and a pair of eyes looked out. “What?” asked a husky voice.
“Let me in. I got it.” said a boy’s voice.
The voice behind the door grunted and the door opened ever so slightly. The boy slipped in quickly and the door closed behind him. “This way” said the hulking brute of a man as he walked towards the back of the shanty. The boy followed closely as the brute walked confidently through the back wall. A brief shimmer washed over the boy and he cringed at the magical probe.
The brute reached back and bodily picked up the boy, depositing him on a chute. “Watch the landing” he said as he let go. The boy started sliding and immediately tried to scrabble his way back, to no avail. The brute chuckled as he went back to the door, while the boy slid down the chute into the darkness below. He landed at the bottom with a thud, but quickly sprang to his feet and looked around in the darkness.
Suddenly light flared around him as three bullseye lanterns were unshielded, pinning him in their light. “Palenon,” said a silky, feminine voice, “how nice of you to come here.”
“Yes, mistress” stammered the boy. “I obey your every word.” He knelt in the light, looking at the ground.
“Indeed. And what did I say? I said no killing. And yet, there is a dead merchant in an alley. How do you explain that?” The silky voice had steel in it now.
Palenon’s eyes grew, but he didn’t dare raise his head. “Mistress? He was alive when I left. But the guards were closing in so I ran as fast as I could.” His voice cracked with panic.
“Ah. I see. And that excuses it, I suppose?” The voice was all steel now.
“Mistress, please. Accidents happen. I didn’t mean it. I got what you wanted though. It’s right here.” He extended the pouch that he had stolen.
“Really? I don’t recall asking for a dead man. I asked for a bauble, not a corpse, Palenon.” Steps closed from the darkness and Palenon raised his eyes enough to see a pair of black, spiked boots standing in front of him. He raised the hand holding the pouch so it was over his head.
Needle-sharp nails gently caressed Palenon’s arm and he shivered as they trailed up his arm before plucking the pouch from his grasp. Quickly, he pulled his arm down and rubbed it, trying to wipe out the sensation of the nails.
“Hmm. This is a nice bauble, Palenon. Very nice. It’s too bad though. You have been useful in the past, but I don’t see our ‘association’ being profitable for me.” She reached down and cupped his chin in her nails, forcing him to lift his head. As he met her slitted eyes, she whispered “Good bye Palenon. We won’t meet again.” With that, he blacked out.
—-
The young man lifted his shovel again as the rain continued to pour down. Most of the dirt, not much better than thin mud in reality, slid off his shovel and he tossed the rest onto the pile next to him. Rain mixed with mud and sluiced down the man’s bare back. A guard in armor walked up behind the man. “Come on, Palenon. Move it. We ain’t got all day.” He shoved the man in the back, making him sprawl on his stomach in the mud. “We got to get this ditch cleared today. The duke don’t want to delay the irrigation any more.” The guard stepped down and hauled the man out of the mud and pushed him back towards the fallen shovel. Palenon picked up the shovel and stepped back into the ditch. Around him, other prisoners worked in various ditches clearing mud and debris washed in by the torrential rains.
Several hours later, the prisoners filed back to the tents that served as their shelter. Cold, wet, and shivering they were handed blankets and herded into their tents for the night. A mage walked around the tents, placing wards on each tent that ensured the occupants couldn’t leave, but also remained dry and warm.
—-
The sun beat down on a young man who was bent over in a field, planting stalks of corn in the clinging mud. A guard walked slowly behind him, following him as he worked his way down the field. The guard sweated in his armor, but he preferred that to the intense sunburn that the prisoners around him suffered from.
After three weeks of torrential rains, the dukedom had burned under clear, dry skies for a week. The ground still hadn’t dried out and guards and prisoners alike suffered from fever, heatstroke, and severe sunburn. Minor clerics treated the guards, but the prisoners were at the mercy of chirurgeons and their non-magical remedies. Thus far only one prisoner had died during the planting season, washed into a mud pit during the rains, but all the prisoners suffered from broken blisters, strained muscles, and broken bones. Major injuries were treated immediately, but minor injuries were left alone to heal on their own.
Hours later, the sun set and the prisoners were walked back to their tents. Chirurgeons walked among the prisoners applying salves and herbs to sunburned backs, arms, and legs. Prisoners were given iced juices and fruit before being herded into their tents. Mages walked the tents, sealing them against insects as well as escape.
—-
Three lines of prisoners trudged up the road towards the keep, flanked by guards. Once in the courtyard, all thirty prisoners were lined up and unchained. Duke Ardosrion stood on a balcony overlooking the courtyard. When all the prisoners were unchained he raised his hands to get everyones attention. With everyone looking at him, he smiled. “Another year of service is completed.” He paused.
“As you know, it is my custom that at the completion of each year of service those that have completed their indenture shall be freed and granted the honor of dining with me. This year is a banner year it seems. Twenty-nine of you have completed your indentures.” The Duke proceded to read the name of every worker except Palenon. At the completion of the list, the Duke simply said “Guards, you may remove the prisoner back to the prisoner quarters.”
Two guards walked up to Palenon and extended their hands to him. Palenon looked up at them and saw the sorrow and sympathy in their eyes as he grasped their hands and pulled himself up. He stood quietly as they clasped his wristed in chains and then followed them as they walked him out of the keep. One of the guards walking next to Palenon looked over at him. “Palenon, how many years has it been for you?”
Palenon looked at the guard. “Too many. I don’t remember what year it is anymore, but I was eight when I was arrested.”
The guard looked startled. “When was that? What did you do?”
Palenon looked at his feet as they walked away from the keep. “I was poor, an alley-rat. I worked for a woman that I only knew as ‘Mistress’ and one year I broke a promise to her. I had stolen something for her, but accidentally killed the person I stole it from.”
The guard looked at his partner. “Ardcil, you’ve been here a long time. Any idea how long it’s been for Palenon?”
The other guard just kept walking. “It’s been sixteen years for him. I should know. I found the man he killed. Probably wasn’t intentional, but it doesn’t matter. The merchant he robbed drowned in the muck of an alley in Yaron. Wasn’t intentional, but he caused it in any case.”
The first guard stopped for a second. “Sixteen years? Damn.” He quickstepped to catch up. “Any idea how much longer you got Palenon?”
Palenon kept walking without looking at the guard. “It doesn’t matter. I was told I would die in prison.”
The first guard whistled and they all kept walking.
—-
The night was humid and oppressive as Palenon lay on his pallet in the prisoner camp. Most of the prisoners were asleep, but some of them were talking softly to each other. More than half the prisoners had been freed this year, which meant that it was actually possible to get a modicum of isolation if they wanted to. Palenon lay in a quiet corner of the camp, as far from the other prisoners as possible. Despite the isolation and relative quiet, he couldn’t sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, two visions assailed him. One was a vision of his former ‘Mistress’, slitted eyes glowing in the dark, laughing at him. It had haunted him ever since he was arrested. The second showed up five years later. This second vision always seemed to chase the first away, but it was even more disturbing. A young copper-haired girl wreathed in the elements would appear and simply walk through ‘Mistress’, shattering the vision. This second vision always left him breathless. Together, these visions kept him awake more nights than not. Only complete exhaustion afforded him any sleep.
Tonight was no different. Mistress’ eyes glowed in the night, laughing at him, as the sensation of her nails climbed up his arms. He shivered at the remembered sensation and curled into a ball. After several minutes, the copper-haired girl appeared and, shaking her head, walked straight towards Mistress’ eyes. As she walked she seemed to age as well, until she was a young woman wreathed in the elements and raw power. Finally, she passed between Mistress’ eyes and they shattered in a burst of light. Palenon shuddered and twisted in agony before sitting upright in a soundless scream. Finally the visions released him and he gasped for breath. Looking around, he saw the sun begin to peak over the distant hills. Groaning, he levered himself up and started to stretch his tortured muscles.
The second vision still made no sense to him after eleven years of seeing it. He understood the vision of Mistress’ eyes. They were a special torture from her to those that displeased her. The second vision was a mystery. He had never seen anyone like her and she radiated power and strength like a bonfire radiated light and heat. Palenon was still stretching and thinking about the woman when the whistles started blowing and the guards opened the camp gate. Slowly, Palenon walked through the gate and lined up at the cook’s table for a meager breakfast before the start of another long, back-breaking day of bridge work.
—-
The storm had moved faster than expected and the bridge crew was caught unawares as the storm crashed over them with unexpected ferocity. The first sign of trouble was a powerful gust of wind and literally blew two prisoners off the bridge onto the rocks below. Then rain slashed across the guards and prisoners, washing a guard into the river. The guard sank like a stone and didn’t surface. Quickly, guards started pulling prisoners off the bridge to keep them from being blown or washed away. Less than half the prisoners had been pulled to safety when the rain turned to hail and screams of panic turned to cries of pain and sheer terror. Palenon clung to the leeward side of the bridge, thankful for a tiny overhang that sheltered him from the worst of the hail. He counted two, then four, then seven bodies plummet past him to smash into the rocks or disappear into the raging river. After what seemed like an eternity the hail stopped, but the rain returned. Accompanying the rain, lightning flashed and thunder echoed up and down the ravine. Shivering, Palenon started to regret hiding under the overhang now as a torrent of water flowed around it and down his back. He peered around the overhang, trying to see if anyone was around, but couldn’t see anything moving on or near the bridge.
“Help! Anyone! Help!” he cried, but the pounding rain and thunder drowned him out.
For over an hour, he kept calling out to no avail. Finally, just as his voice started to give out, he heard a voice from the near bank crying in pain. Straining his eyes, he couldn’t make out who it was until a flash of lightning illuminated a guard writhing on the ground. The brief flash didn’t allow Palenon the time to see anything else.
Gritting his teeth, Palenon grasped the rope that held him to the bridge and wrapped it around his forearm. Slowly he pulled himself up the side of the bridge to the road. The rain slowed as Palenon staggered towards the near bank. Twice he slipped on hailstones the size of his fist and once he tripped over a prisoner that had been pounded to a pulp by the hail, but he finally made it off the bridge. By the time he found the injured guard, the rain stopped and the clouds had thinned enough for the sun to filter through.
The scene that unfolded around Palenon was horrifying. All around him, there were prisoners lying tangled together in clumps. Guards were sprawled on the ground covered in hailstones or buried under toppled trees. Quickly, Palenon checked the bodies he could find, but they were all dead. Finally, he turned his attention to the whimpering just over the edge of the ravine. It took him a few minutes before he found a relatively safe path to the guard. He tied his rope to a fallen tree and carefully made his way to the guard. She was twisted with one leg bent completely under her and the other twisted backwards around the knee. Her face was battered and bruised by the hail as well.
Palenon climbed until he was below her and then managed to whisper in her ear. “Hold still. This is going to hurt, a lot, but I’m going to try to get you out of here.” Her only reply was a sobbing whimper as he unwrapped the rope from himself and threaded it around her chest before securing himself again. Then, ever so carefully, he inched the two of them back up the side of the ravine. It took two hours and more than a few bumps before they were are the top again. Palenon gently laid the guard on the ground and, after making sure she was still alive, he started scrounging. He found four long, sturdy branches that had been shattered by the hail and dragged them back to the unconscious guard. Then he stumbled back to where the temporary camp was supposed to be. The scene was much the same there. He found no one alive, but he managed to find three tents that were mostly whole and several packs which he filled with food and what supplies he could find. Then he staggered back to the bridge. The sun was almost gone by the time he got back, but there was enough light for him to erect a small shelter and build a fire that would keep them warm through the night. By the light of the fire, he gathered sticks and branches for the fire as well as a few thicker ones that he could use to splint the guard’s legs. Then, taking the four branches he had found earlier, he contructed a travois and dragged the guard onto it. She groaned and sobbed in pain when he did this, but he didn’t see how he could move her otherwise.
Palenon awoke to the smell of smoke and the sun shining directly in his eyes. He got up with a start and quickly looked around. The scene was no better after a night of sleep. A quick check of the guard told him that she was still alive. With a groan, he scoured the dead guards for a chain shirt and some boots that fit. Then he packed up the makeshift camp and strapped on the packs before looking at the travois he has built. Taking the rope and he tied it to the end of the travois near the guard’s head. Then he wrapped it around one shoulder, then his waist, and then his other shoulder before finally tying off on the other side of the guards head. With a grunt, he stood up and grimaced with pain as the ropes bit into his shoulders.
The nearest town was a day away under the best conditions and these were not the best of conditions. Palenon staggered down the road in the direction of the town. Fortunately, it would take him in the opposite direction of the work camp. By the time the sun was setting, Palenon’s shoulders were on fire and he knew that his feet were blistered. He estimated that they had covered no more than a quarter of the distance to town. With a grunt, he lowered the travois and shucked off his packs. Then he set about the task of setting up camp. The only good news was that there was plenty of firewood thanks to the storm. Before going to sleep, he made sure that his patient had drunk some water. He checked her injuries again and noticed that the swelling of her face had gone done enough that he could make out her eyelids. This also revealed that her eyes were completely ruined, most likely beaten by the hail. The next four days passed with agonizing slowness, though he found no new injuries.
The morning of the sixth day, Palenon woke to the sound of the guard groaning in pain. He quickly picked up the canteen that he had saved for her and knelt next to her. “Here. Drink some water.” he said as he put the canteen to her cracked lips. She greedily drank the entire canteen. “What happened?” she croaked.
“You’re awake?” said Palenon. “That’s good.”
“What happened? Why can’t I move? Why can’t I see?” she asked insistently.
“First things first. Do you remember the storm?” asked Palenon.
“Yeah. Freak storm. Lots of rain and hail. I tried getting under cover but I stumbled and fell. That’s the last thing I remember.”
“Well, that brings us to your other questions.” said Palenon. “You’ve probably broken your hips and one knee. You might have broken ribs. I think one of your wrists is broken and your eyes are ruined. Totally. I’m sorry. I’ve probably given you more injuries just by moving you, but it was that or leave you to die, dangling in the ravine, and I couldn’t do that and live with myself.”
The guard closed her eyelids and the tension in her face drained away. Palenon touched her shoulder. “Hey, don’t die on me now. We’re almost at a town.”
The guard sobbed and coughed, groaning with the pain that it caused her. “For what it’s worth, thank you for trying to save me.” A brief grin crossed her face. “I don’t think I know you though. Your voice isn’t that familiar.”
Palenon smiled. “It’s nothing really. I’m no one important.”
“I would disagree with that. Right now, you’re very important to me. I can’t walk, I can’t see, and I have no idea where we are. I owe you everything right now.” she said. “I’m Indrian.”
Palenon looked at the ground. “That’s a very nice name. You can call me Tachin.”
“Tachin. Were you one of the new guards?” she asked.
Palenon’s heart contracted with fear. For a moment, he almost confessed to her that he wasn’t a guard, but instead he simply nodded and said “Yeah. This was my first assignment.”
She chuckled softly. “Welcome to the Guard. Serve and protect and maybe, just maybe, get pounded into a pulp by a freak storm.”
Palenon could help but laugh. “Yeah. But at least we’re alive. No one else from the bridge survived and the work camp was completely destroyed also. I didn’t know what else to do so I started dragging you towards the nearest town. That was five days ago. I figure we’re almost there.”
“Well, Tachin, let’s get a move on.” she said.
Palenon chuckled as he gathered up the remains of the camp. He fed the last crumbs of food to Indrian before discarding the last pack at the side of the road. “Indrian, this might hurt, but it’s time to go. I’m going to lift you up now.”
“Don’t worry about it, hero. It can’t be worse than what we’ve been through so far.” she chuckled.
Again, Palenon’s chest contracted as she said ‘hero’. “I’m no hero, Indrian. Trust me. Now, on the count of three. Ready?”
“Yes, I’m ready. On three.” she said.
“One…” Palenon said as he lifted the travois up. Indrian groaned at the movement.
“I thought you said on three?” she groaned.
“Why wait?” he chuckled. “Time to go. The ride isn’t too smooth though.” With that, he started down the road again.
The sun was just past noon when Palenon staggered around a hill to the sight of a town. An hour later, he stumbled to his knees and the town gate and was immediately swarmed by guards. He vaguely heard someone call for chirurgeons and clerics as he was untied from the travois.
—-
Palenon woke several times over the next day. Each time, someone quickly came to him to soothe his aches and pains. When he woke up the following morning, he was refreshed and felt none of the strains and pains that plagued him for the past week. As he sat up in bed, a young man in rough woolen robes walked in. “It is with great joy that I see you so well, my friend” he said.
Palenon blinked several times before he fully understood. “Thanks for taking care of me, friend.” he said carefully. “Where am I?”
The young man smiled at Palenon. “I offer sincere thanks that the gods sought fit to deliver you to the Sanctuary of Saint Kanir. The Sanctuary is within the town of Biqam.”
Palenon nodded. “And Indrian? Is she well?”
The young man’s face fell. “The young woman you brought in is recovering, though it will be many years before she is whole again.”
Palenon’s face brightened. “She will be whole again? She’ll see?”
“Kanir willing, she will be whole again. Whether she truly sees again or not is up to her. The injuries that she sustained were truly grievous, but great thanks to you for saving her. The gods will smile upon you for the great gift you have given her.”
Palenon started to stand, but the young man placed a hand on his shoulder to restrain him. “Just a moment, my good friend. Please allow me to ensure your health and then you may be on your way.” He placed a hand on Palenon’s forehead and whispered a soft prayer. A moment later, he looked at Palenon and lifted his hand. “You are well, friend, but your heart is dark with secrets. You will have to speak these secrets before you are fully well. But now is not the time. You may leave when you feel ready to. You will always be welcome in the houses of Saint Kanir. Peace be with you, friend Palenon.” The young man turned and walked out.
Palenon sat on the bed, stunned at the young man’s words. After a few minutes, he got up and checked the hall outside his room. Seeing no one around, he headed in the same direction that the young cleric went. It took several minutes before he found himself in the main entrance. Several guards were standing at the entrance. When he walked and saw them, he froze. One of them saw him, motioned to the others and headed towards him. Panic washed over him as the guards approached.
The first guard extended his hand. “Tachin?”
Palenon nodded and took the guard’s hand. He didn’t dare speak, fearing that his panic would show itself.
“We wanted to thank you. I don’t know how you survived, but saving another guard in the bargain is miraculous. The captain here wanted us to escort you to see him when you were well enough.”
Palenon gulped and nodded again. “Well, the cleric said I could leave, so now is as good a time as any.”
As they walked out of the Sanctuary, Palenon felt fear creep over him. The guards were joking around as they escorted him to the barracks, but to Palenon it felt like they were escorting him to his own funeral. Finally, they reached the barracks. One of the guards knocked on the captain’s door before opening it for Palenon. “Sir, Tachin is here as you requested.” The captain looked up and waved Palenon in.
“Tachin. Yes. Very good of you to come. I understand it was quite the ordeal during the storm and then on the journey here.”
“Yes sir. It was.” Palenon said carefully.
“When you collapsed at the gate and we discovered that you were guards, we sent a detachment to the work camp. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any survivors. From the looks of it, a dragon’s lair would’ve been a nicer place to be. I just wanted to thank you for saving Indrian. You couldn’t have known that she would survive, let alone that she grew up here.” said the captain.
He handed Palenon a small pouch. “Take this as thanks. You have no idea what it means that my daughter is home safe. When you feel up to it, talk to the quartermaster and he will set you up with whatever you need to get back to your unit.”
Palenon gulped. “You’re…thank…you’re too generous sir. Anyone would’ve done what I did.”
“Maybe, son. But you happened to be the one that did it this time. You deserve more, but this is all I can provide. Gods be with you.” said the captain as he sat down and rubbed his neck.
Palenon recognized it as a dismissal and left the office. That night he slept soundly for the first time in sixteen years in a real bed. Early the next morning, he visited the quartermaster and, with bulging saddlebags, left Biqam behind as fast as propriety allowed.
