Elfsorrow (lotr-1) by James Barclay

Author:James Barclay [Barclay, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sf_fantasy

Chapter 28

'Ow! Dammit!' shouted Darrick, jerking his leg at the sudden flare of pain. 'That hurt.'

'I'm really sorry, Darrick, but they won't be persuaded out with softly spoken words,' said Ilkar. 'Now keep still, you broke my concentration.'

'Feels like you broke my leg.'

'Well, I can leave them in there if you'd prefer,' said Ilkar, meeting the Lysternan's gaze in the firelight.

Darrick shook his head. 'What on earth possessed me to join you lot?'

'The glory and excitement,' said The Unknown.

'That'll be it.'

The Raven had stopped for the night before walking to the temple the following morning. They'd endured two days in the dense rainforest which had tested the nerve and patience of them all. Stultifying heat had been punctuated by torrential rain; and the close attentions of seemingly every bug that hopped, crawled, flew or burrowed had been utterly relentless. They'd been tracked by a pack of small wild dogs, had to move their fire pit when an army of ants had chosen their site for a route to somewhere, and had interrupted an enormous constrictor devouring a young adult monkey.

It was hard to gauge which had been the most unsettling event so Darrick didn't bother, concentrating instead on Ilkar and his ministrations. He knew what the mage was doing though he could see nothing: targeted needles of mana lancing into his legs to kill the burrowing insects and the eggs they laid. Every tiny wound was cauterised instantly and, with dozens from his ankles to his thighs, Darrick felt like he'd been showered with hot embers.

He felt a little aggrieved too. In the nightly checks that Ilkar insisted the mages carried out, whereas the others had largely escaped the tunnellers, having bites and blisters instead, he seemed to have been singled out. Unsurprisingly, Hirad found his discomfort a source of some amusement.

Rebraal, he'd noticed, had looked on with an expression of knowing mixed with distinct satisfaction. He'd concocted an insect repellent herb drink for them all but it only seemed to help the elves. And Thraun, for some reason. All the other humans needed magical intervention and the three mages were beginning to tire from the drain on their stamina.

'You are sure it's necessary?' said Darrick.

'Darrick, you have no idea what this country can do to you. How sick you will be if these insects' eggs hatch. They'll feed on you until they're big enough to burrow out. Rebraal has immunity. Wonder why they eat you? It's because you haven't.'

'What about the others, are they immune too?'

'No, but you're just a tastier target. At least you haven't got boils behind your knees like Hirad. Just keep using the herbs we give you and remember you won't have to be here for too much longer.'

Darrick knew Ilkar was right. He'd watched Denser and Erienne looking after cuts, blisters and bites under Ilkar's instruction and had his share of the herbs Rebraal made them eat, drink and spread on themselves. Rebraal took no healing save for Erienne's care of his shoulder. He belonged here.

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