can save him. Still, I intend to try.” Laethan responded without lifting his eyes from his work.
“But he’s one of Vindrake’s men. I can sense the bondmark even though he’s unconscious. Why are you wasting your time with him?”
Brian cleared his throat, but neither man acknowledged him.
“It’s your job to kill men,” Laethan retorted. “It’s my job to save them, and that’s what I’m trying to do. Where is your mercy? You know this young boy had no choice in taking the bloodbond. He can’t help what he’s become.”
“I resent that remark,” Graely growled. “I don’t kill for the sake of it—we fight to protect the lives of our people against Vindrake. This boy may not have had a choice in the matter, but he can’t change what he’s become either. We’ve found no solution for the Water Clan prisoners we’ve captured in the past. There’s no way to reverse Vindrake’s bond of fealty, so we must keep them bound at all times. If we let them go, they simply return to attack us again. What will you do with him if you save his life?”
Laethan locked eyes with him in a lethal stare. “You’re the clan leader. It’s your job to determine what happens to him if he lives. I refuse to let this boy die without attempting everything in my power to save him. I took an oath, and I’ll not back down.”
“Excuse me—” Brian touched Graely’s elbow, but Graely jerked it away.
“Are there not some of our own warriors who need your attention, Laethan? I don’t understand how you can bear being so close to his bondmark, anyway.”
“I wouldn’t worry so much, Graely. Your wish will come true soon enough. This boy will undoubtedly die from blood loss despite my best efforts.”
Brian forced his way between them. “I’ll help him. The boy doesn’t bother me at all, and neither does the blood.”
Laethan shot a grateful smile Brian’s direction. “Thank you. Remind me of your name again. I know we met briefly at the council meeting several moons ago.”
“I’m Brian—Wesley’s father.”
“Graely, go render aid to one of my assistants. Or attend to your own warriors and leave me to my duty.” Without sparing a glance, Laethan dismissed Graely, who muttered something unintelligible as he stomped away.
“This boy reminds me of my own son. Not Wesley—I have an older son. His face looks very similar, though my son is clean-shaven and not as muscular. His hair is dark and curly like this, just like my wife.” Brian endeavored to clear the eerie thought from his mind. It was disturbing to picture his own son with such a grievous injury. “What can I do to help you?”
“I’m trying to staunch the flow of blood from this wound, but nothing seems to be working. I’ve already seared the injury with a hot iron, but the blood still flows.” He grimaced as if the memory of the procedure was painful. “Thankfully, he passed out again right after the burning, but it didn’t work. As soon as I release the pressure the bleeding starts again. His breathing is slowing as well, so I fear he doesn’t have much time left in this world.”
Brian nodded, replacing Laethan’s hand with his own and bearing down on the bloody cloth covering the wound. “I’ll stand here and keep pressure on it as long as I need to. If the boy dies, he won’t be alone. I can’t sense this bloodbond thing you guys were talking about, so it doesn’t bother me at all.”
As Laethan left him to his task, Brian reached with his left hand to push aside the hair covering the boy’s face, his breath catching at the startling resemblance to his own son. He noticed heat radiating from the boy’s skin and wondered if he was developing a fever. Or perhaps people in this realm had higher core body temperatures.
One second he was pushing on the wound and testing his forehead with his hand, and the next moment he watched the boy fall away from his hands to a grey linoleum floor at his feet. Crying out, he dropped
“But he’s one of Vindrake’s men. I can sense the bondmark even though he’s unconscious. Why are you wasting your time with him?”
Brian cleared his throat, but neither man acknowledged him.
“It’s your job to kill men,” Laethan retorted. “It’s my job to save them, and that’s what I’m trying to do. Where is your mercy? You know this young boy had no choice in taking the bloodbond. He can’t help what he’s become.”
“I resent that remark,” Graely growled. “I don’t kill for the sake of it—we fight to protect the lives of our people against Vindrake. This boy may not have had a choice in the matter, but he can’t change what he’s become either. We’ve found no solution for the Water Clan prisoners we’ve captured in the past. There’s no way to reverse Vindrake’s bond of fealty, so we must keep them bound at all times. If we let them go, they simply return to attack us again. What will you do with him if you save his life?”
Laethan locked eyes with him in a lethal stare. “You’re the clan leader. It’s your job to determine what happens to him if he lives. I refuse to let this boy die without attempting everything in my power to save him. I took an oath, and I’ll not back down.”
“Excuse me—” Brian touched Graely’s elbow, but Graely jerked it away.
“Are there not some of our own warriors who need your attention, Laethan? I don’t understand how you can bear being so close to his bondmark, anyway.”
“I wouldn’t worry so much, Graely. Your wish will come true soon enough. This boy will undoubtedly die from blood loss despite my best efforts.”
Brian forced his way between them. “I’ll help him. The boy doesn’t bother me at all, and neither does the blood.”
Laethan shot a grateful smile Brian’s direction. “Thank you. Remind me of your name again. I know we met briefly at the council meeting several moons ago.”
“I’m Brian—Wesley’s father.”
“Graely, go render aid to one of my assistants. Or attend to your own warriors and leave me to my duty.” Without sparing a glance, Laethan dismissed Graely, who muttered something unintelligible as he stomped away.
“This boy reminds me of my own son. Not Wesley—I have an older son. His face looks very similar, though my son is clean-shaven and not as muscular. His hair is dark and curly like this, just like my wife.” Brian endeavored to clear the eerie thought from his mind. It was disturbing to picture his own son with such a grievous injury. “What can I do to help you?”
“I’m trying to staunch the flow of blood from this wound, but nothing seems to be working. I’ve already seared the injury with a hot iron, but the blood still flows.” He grimaced as if the memory of the procedure was painful. “Thankfully, he passed out again right after the burning, but it didn’t work. As soon as I release the pressure the bleeding starts again. His breathing is slowing as well, so I fear he doesn’t have much time left in this world.”
Brian nodded, replacing Laethan’s hand with his own and bearing down on the bloody cloth covering the wound. “I’ll stand here and keep pressure on it as long as I need to. If the boy dies, he won’t be alone. I can’t sense this bloodbond thing you guys were talking about, so it doesn’t bother me at all.”
As Laethan left him to his task, Brian reached with his left hand to push aside the hair covering the boy’s face, his breath catching at the startling resemblance to his own son. He noticed heat radiating from the boy’s skin and wondered if he was developing a fever. Or perhaps people in this realm had higher core body temperatures.
One second he was pushing on the wound and testing his forehead with his hand, and the next moment he watched the boy fall away from his hands to a grey linoleum floor at his feet. Crying out, he dropped
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