the combination of the added strength and lower body temperature would give Coren the help he needed to beat the disease invading his body.
She nodded at last, without lifting her eyes from her son's face. ''It's worth a try."
Kelene and Lymira grabbed two blankets from the pallets and together dashed from the tent to the river. They were back in a few minutes, lugging the wet blankets between them, and they wrapped the cool fabric over and around their little brother.
He moaned once before lapsing into a restless sleep.
Ever so carefully Gabria laid her fingers on Coren's head and trickled some of her own considerable strength through her fingertips into the boy's body. Athlone and Lymira watched and waited, while Kelene kept her hands pressed flat to Coren's arm, her eyes closed as if concentrating on something only she could hear.
The spell seemed to work at first. Coren's breathing slowed and the fiery red in his cheeks faded to a dull flush. Kelene opened her eyes, looked up at Gabria, and smiled. Then her smile slipped. "His heart is beating faster," Kelene whispered.
Gabria, leaning closer, saw it was true. Coren's pulse pounded in his neck; he began to struggle to breathe.
"Mother, stop!" Kelene cried at once. "Stop! He can't take it."
Gabria yanked her fingers away and stared in dismay at her son. His pulse slowed down to normal, but the deadly red flush crept back into his face. When she touched him again, his skin was fiery hot.
"I'm sorry," Kelene said, on the verge of tears. "His body couldn't tolerate the added strength. It was making his heart work too hard."
Lymira looked at her older sister with some surprise. "How did you know that?"
she asked quietly, but Kelene only glanced at her distracted parents and shook her head.
A bitter silence filled the chief’s tent. The family stared at one another in a confusion of anxiety and dismay. No one knew what to say in the face of their disappointment. They understood what had to be done next---no matter how desperately they wanted to avoid it---but no one was ready to make the first move.
Gabria's own mind felt paralyzed. "I won't take him down there," she whispered finally.
"We have to," said Athlone. The hard truth trembled on the edge of his voice.
Gabria shuddered as if shaking off his words. "No!"
"Gabria, there is no choice. We tried, but we can't stop his fever. Now we have to keep the disease from spreading."
"It already has!" she hissed as she grasped Coren's hand in her own.
The chieftain blinked hard and nodded toward their daughters. "Do you want it to go farther?"
Gabria said nothing while she grappled with her fears. She knew Athlone was right, but she also knew that, so far, not one person had recovered from this disease.
Every instinct in her screamed not to abandon her little boy to the council tent.
Her chin lifted. "Then I will take him," she said quietly, "and I will stay with him."
Lymira gasped with dismay. Kelene looked wildly at their father to stop Gabria.
But he only looked from Coren's feverish face to Gabria's set expression.
"It has been two days since you set up the hospital. There are over forty sick people by now and more coming every day. The healers are being overwhelmed," she said, her voice soft and full of resignation. "They need help. If I go, I can give Coren and Tam the attention they need and do what I can to aid the healers."
"You won't be able to come back here right away," Athlone reminded her.
"Mother, you can't go'" Lymira cried. Tears trickled down her fair face, and her eyes were enormous in the dim light.
Gabria touched her cheek. "I'll be all right. Just pray to Amara to watch over Coren." She scooped the boy into her arms and stood up, her features fixed with a grim determination. The chieftain picked off her golden cloak from a loop on the tent pole, draped it over her shoulders, and pushed aside the flap.
Gabria gave her daughters a smile of love and encouragement and, with Athlone at
She nodded at last, without lifting her eyes from her son's face. ''It's worth a try."
Kelene and Lymira grabbed two blankets from the pallets and together dashed from the tent to the river. They were back in a few minutes, lugging the wet blankets between them, and they wrapped the cool fabric over and around their little brother.
He moaned once before lapsing into a restless sleep.
Ever so carefully Gabria laid her fingers on Coren's head and trickled some of her own considerable strength through her fingertips into the boy's body. Athlone and Lymira watched and waited, while Kelene kept her hands pressed flat to Coren's arm, her eyes closed as if concentrating on something only she could hear.
The spell seemed to work at first. Coren's breathing slowed and the fiery red in his cheeks faded to a dull flush. Kelene opened her eyes, looked up at Gabria, and smiled. Then her smile slipped. "His heart is beating faster," Kelene whispered.
Gabria, leaning closer, saw it was true. Coren's pulse pounded in his neck; he began to struggle to breathe.
"Mother, stop!" Kelene cried at once. "Stop! He can't take it."
Gabria yanked her fingers away and stared in dismay at her son. His pulse slowed down to normal, but the deadly red flush crept back into his face. When she touched him again, his skin was fiery hot.
"I'm sorry," Kelene said, on the verge of tears. "His body couldn't tolerate the added strength. It was making his heart work too hard."
Lymira looked at her older sister with some surprise. "How did you know that?"
she asked quietly, but Kelene only glanced at her distracted parents and shook her head.
A bitter silence filled the chief’s tent. The family stared at one another in a confusion of anxiety and dismay. No one knew what to say in the face of their disappointment. They understood what had to be done next---no matter how desperately they wanted to avoid it---but no one was ready to make the first move.
Gabria's own mind felt paralyzed. "I won't take him down there," she whispered finally.
"We have to," said Athlone. The hard truth trembled on the edge of his voice.
Gabria shuddered as if shaking off his words. "No!"
"Gabria, there is no choice. We tried, but we can't stop his fever. Now we have to keep the disease from spreading."
"It already has!" she hissed as she grasped Coren's hand in her own.
The chieftain blinked hard and nodded toward their daughters. "Do you want it to go farther?"
Gabria said nothing while she grappled with her fears. She knew Athlone was right, but she also knew that, so far, not one person had recovered from this disease.
Every instinct in her screamed not to abandon her little boy to the council tent.
Her chin lifted. "Then I will take him," she said quietly, "and I will stay with him."
Lymira gasped with dismay. Kelene looked wildly at their father to stop Gabria.
But he only looked from Coren's feverish face to Gabria's set expression.
"It has been two days since you set up the hospital. There are over forty sick people by now and more coming every day. The healers are being overwhelmed," she said, her voice soft and full of resignation. "They need help. If I go, I can give Coren and Tam the attention they need and do what I can to aid the healers."
"You won't be able to come back here right away," Athlone reminded her.
"Mother, you can't go'" Lymira cried. Tears trickled down her fair face, and her eyes were enormous in the dim light.
Gabria touched her cheek. "I'll be all right. Just pray to Amara to watch over Coren." She scooped the boy into her arms and stood up, her features fixed with a grim determination. The chieftain picked off her golden cloak from a loop on the tent pole, draped it over her shoulders, and pushed aside the flap.
Gabria gave her daughters a smile of love and encouragement and, with Athlone at
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