Chapter Three

Something burned inside Alphus's chest. It woke him, and he felt he had been asleep for a long time, but he did not know how long. The pain of it made him wish for sleep again. He felt his whole body shaking, but not from his own movement. The floor, or whatever he was lying on, was moving underneath him. He heard a rumbling sound. But everything came after the pain. He felt it inside him, moving and expanding and bubbling, trying to get out.

When Alphus woke again the pain was still there. But he heard voices now--ones he did not recognize. Something carried him. When he opened his eyes, everything was dark. The pain was worse now. Every breath pushed it deeper inside him, this crumpled knot that burned as it unraveled. Alphus tried to remember what had happened, but his thoughts ran away from him. He felt small and weak and utterly inconsequential. Not worth remembering. Sleep pulled him down again, desperate this time, and he welcomed it, but it did not last. A new pain greeted him in his chest, this time cold and piercing, and it too spread quickly, but after it came a numbness over everything. It erased his body, and he felt nothing, just his own loose and helpless thoughts echoing through an empty void. He wondered if he was dead, and part of him wished that he was.

Light pushed against Alphus's eyelids. He felt his heartbeat in the veins in his forehead, throbbing between skin and bone.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes were long white curtains before an open doorway, glowing in the sunlight. It was too bright for him to look for more than a moment, and he covered his eyes with his hand while they adjusted. He was in a bed--a very soft and real bed. The edges stretched out farther than his arms and legs could reach. He had never slept in such a bed before. A thick but light blanket covered him, and he pulled it away. White bandages covered the upper half of his chest, underneath his soft bedclothes.

He tried to remember exactly what had happened at the Academy--the last thing he could remember before waking up. They had brought him out to the gate, and he remembered seeing the Naephra there, gray and fierce. He had never seen one before in person, and he thought there was a certain ugliness to them, even the female ones, that he could not describe. More than just the lifeless color of their skin, there was something slightly wrong about their appearance; their eyes were too large, or their ears too narrow.

And then everything had happened at once. He remembered the noise, terrible and close, and the feeling that he was being torn in two. One of the Naephra had fallen, and somehow Anise was there.

"Do you like my bed?"

The voice had come from the far corner of the room. A woman stood by the window, and the sun cast a yellow glow over her hair. She wore a long blue dress which rustled against the floor as she walked over to the side of the bed.

Alphus waited for her to continue speaking, but then remembered that she had asked him a question.

"Yes," he said, in a hoarse voice. At hearing this, the woman took a large pitcher from a table at the foot of the bed. She looked around for a moment, unable to find a cup, and finally handed Alphus the vase to drink from. The cold water felt wonderful on his throat. As he drank, he examined the rest of the rather large chamber, to keep from staring at the woman. Tall doorways lined the wall beside the bed, and through the curtains he saw that they led to a balcony. Great thick books filled shelves along the walls, and an ornate table with tall white chairs stood at the exact center of the room. Alphus had never seen white chairs before.

"How do you feel?" the woman asked.

It seemed strange to Alphus at first, to be asked that question, until he remembered what had happened. His brush with death already seemed far-off. He briefly wondered if it had been a dream, but of course he knew better. Questions flooded his mind, and again he forgot what the woman had said to him. He kept drinking from the pitcher until it was empty, and she took it and placed it back on the table. Each movement she made was delicate and precise. Her dress rippled over her long legs as she walked.

"Do you feel any pain?" the woman asked.

"No, I don't think so," Alphus answered.

The woman stared at him for a while, and he stared back. She was older than him, but he could not tell how old. Her face held a look of both keen interest and disbelief.

"Where am I?" Alphus said.

"Well, this is my bedroom," she said, and she smiled. "Which is inside the Fenriven Maiden's Guild in Laenguir. Ah, I'm so sorry, I saved your life and I don't even know your name! Who are you?"

"Alphus Priory."

"Alphus! Welcome to the Noble City, Alphus Priory. I'm Cartha Adalyan." She held out her hand and he shook it. "I'm sure you must have a thousand questions. But are you hungry?"

"Not really," he said. Alphus was indeed hungry, but he did not want to eat. The longer he was awake, the more he remembered from the incident at the Academy, and the more pressing his desire for answers became.

"You should be hungry. You've been asleep for a whole day." As she spoke, Cartha leaned close over Alphus's body and ran her fingers over his bandaged torso, tracing back and forth methodically. "Can you feel anything here?"

Had he not been looking, Alphus would not have know she was feeling him. He was uncomfortable enough already.

"Not really," he said.

"Hm, that's probably normal. Don't take those bandages off until I say you can, understood?"

Alphus just nodded.

"You know, It gets so stuffy here in the city; I'm slightly envious of you, living out in the countryside. Riding horses; hunting; Travelers from the settlements."

"That's true. You never know who might show up," Alphus said.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure I'm just overwhelming you right now. You really should rest more. It's just that this is quite a breakthrough, you see. You do see that, don't you?"

"What do you mean?" Alphus said.

Cartha sighed, then smiled. "You're cured. The woodsore is gone."

"People have survived woodsore before."

"Yes, if the affected area is amputated, or they had very limited exposure, obviously. This is different, Alphus. You are cured now. Woodsore will no longer affect you."

"At all?" Alphus said.

"You need to rest. Your condition is improving, but you need rest. And you need to eat something. I will send over a meal for you shortly. Eat it slowly, but try to finish it all."

"All right," Alphus said. He could already feel a wave of exhaustion coming over him, although he did not know if it was Cartha or his injuries that brought it on.

Cartha leaned in close to his face and patted his shoulder lightly.

"You may be alive, but your life didn't get any easier, I'm afraid. Relax while you still can." Cartha got up and straightened a wrinkle out of her dress. "And you could at least thank me."

"Thank you," Alphus said.

"That's better," Cartha answered, and turned toward the door, her dress swishing over the floor.

"Wait," Alphus said. "What happened to the others?"

"Who?" Cartha said.

"The ones who were with me at the Academy, when they attacked."

"Oh oh oh, right, Bannon did mention that. You'll have to ask him."

"He's alive?" Alphus said.

"Of course. He's the one who brought you here. When I gave the Captain his treatment two months ago, neither of us knew if it would work. But then he survived the attack. I suppose you could say I saved his life, too, but with you, it was much more impressive. Not many can say they took a bolt of woodsy to the chest and lived!"

"I need to talk to him," he said. He tried to make his words sound strong.

"You can't let yourself get worked up about this. Bannon and I will have it all taken care of. You only need to lie back and rest for now."

"I'll rest when I know if my friends are still alive," Alphus said. "Either show me to the Captain or I'll find him myself."

"Fine, fine, just calm yourself, and I will take you to him. Let me get your clothes."

Cartha opened a trunk near the bed and removed Alphus's Academy garb. She brushed dirt of off his shirt with her hand and held it out to him with his pants. Next she took out his boots and placed them on the floor by the bed. He pulled the shirt on over his head. Cartha smiled at him, then turned away as he finished dressing.

"Follow me, then," Cartha said, and led him out of the chamber, into a wide hallway. "You've never been inside a maiden's guild, have you?" she asked. Alphus of course shook his head no. Even for someone who had not spent most of his life at the Exemplar Academy, a maiden's guild was a notoriously exclusive place. He wondered why Cartha would even ask that question.

"Fenriven's is one of the oldest guilds in the country," she continued. "Third oldest, in fact. But widely considered to be the most prestigious." The hallway turned a corner, then led them out onto a walkway along the walls of a large open courtyard. A large indoor garden took up most of the ground floor two stories below, fed by a immense windows in the vaunted ceiling overhead. Alphus had never seen so much glass.

At the staircase in the corner of the atrium they passed a group of girls coming up, all staring at Alphus.

"Hello ladies," Cartha said.

The girls greeted her, calling her "madam," and then were gone. Other than their curious looks, they did not address Alphus.

"Very prestigious," she continued. "Founded by my great, great grandfather--yes, a man. Hard to believe, I'm sure. This is the atrium. Some very rare specimens represented here: arabicea, flounot, galankita." Cartha pointed each one out to Alphus as they navigated through the long rows of greenery to the far wall. She then ushered him through a large doorway into another tall, open room, this one filled with bookshelves. Alphus could not fathom the cost of such a collection--thousands of individual volumes.

"He'll be over here," Cartha said, and he followed her through the aisles to a large table where Captain Crofley sat with a young woman, poring over the pages of a great thick book and one slightly smaller volume. Each of their pages were filled with strange sigils and crests Alphus had never seen before. Beside the book was a dark-colored shirt, unfolded on the table.

"Good afternoon, Captain," Cartha said. She smiled at the woman seated beside Bannon, who got up quickly and left them.

"Alphus!" Bannon said, not bothering to answer Cartha when he saw him. "How do you feel?" The Captain smiled, and it was a different smile than what Alphus had seen on him in a long time; it was relaxed and genuine and instantly put him at ease.

"Well I thought I was dead, so pretty good I think," he answered.

"I'm glad. After what happened,if we had lost you, too--I suppose we were fortunate."

"Sir, what happened?"

"Sit down, cadet," Bannon said, and Alphus did so. "I see you have already met Madam Adalyan. We are trying to keep all this confidential for now, but obviously she will be privy to everything. We're together in this. Is that understood?"

"What do you mean?" Alphus asked. "Are we at war?"

"No, thank goodness," said Cartha.

"Not yet," Bannon said. "The Academy is locked down--no one in or out, and no outgoing messages. Squires Dorran and Nash were with us at the gate; they were the only human witnesses, and they obviously don't know you survived."

"And Belamire and Anise?"

"Jonus is dead, Alphus. The woodsore hit him hard--much harder than you--and he passed on the way here."

Alphus was shocked. During all his time at the Academy, he had never expected Lieutenant Belamire to die. It felt odd, but the news didn't affect him as much as he would have thought. He was simply gone.

"Anise made off on horseback. Not much we could do about that. In any case, if she tells anyone, I doubt they would believe her."

"You won't try to find her?" Alphus asked.

"Letting her go is more than she deserves," Cartha said. "This all happened because of her."

"But not her alone. I was with her in the Thornwood. Would you have tried to save her, too, if the Naephra bolted her?"

"Your concern is wasted on her, Alphus," Bannon said. "I understand you were close, but Anise knows what she did. You must accept it as well. I don't suspect either of us will see her again."

Alphus knew that he would not get an answer to his question, but in a way Bannon was right. Anise had done something she regretted, but could not undo, and if she were wise, she would not show her face to him ever again. Still, it was a small solace to know that she was not dead, at least presently.

"I still don't understand why you would keep this a secret," Alphus said. He couldn't prevent the anger rising in his voice. "You should be giving this to everyone!"

"We don't have any more," Cartha said. She reached back behind her neck and unclasped her necklace. The long chain held a small vial, which had been hidden below the neck of her dress. She set the glass pendant down on the table. The lamplight showed a black substance inside, full nearly to the clasp. "Sivra. That's what the Naephra called it, in their old writings. We found a deposit in one of the settlements. That's what cured you."

"What is it?" Alphus asked.

"Highly toxic is what it is," Cartha answered. "Burns through your skin if you're not careful. When the miners in Orreck found it one of the poor saps nearly lost a hand. But it also completely absorbs and eliminates woodsore."

"Believe me, Alphus, I would like nothing more than to share this news with everyone. And we will. But we only have a small window of time to act. If the Naephra invade the Eastlands, they could cut us off from getting more sivra. That's why we have to move quickly."

"And then what? What happens once the Naephra find out we have a cure for woodsore? Do they already know?"

"Not likely," Cartha said. "We know they've been keeping an eye on the settlements in the Eastlands ever since the war ended, but that's not surprising. And no one besides us knows that you've been cured. Once they find out, we have to assume the worst, and prepare for that."

"We?" Alphus said. "What would you need me for?"

"You'll have to show the Council that the cure worked. You're our proof," Cartha said. "When they find out we can prevent woodsore, they can help us get more sivra."

Of course, we won't tell anyone what you did. You'll be innocent. It'll look better to the Council that way. Probably best not to mention your friend, either," Cartha said.

"I'm sorry, I just want to go back to the Academy," Alphus said. "Nash and Dorran won't tell anyone what they saw--no one has to know that I was bolted, right?"

"Don't be a coward!" Bannon said. The anger in his voice surprised Alphus. He had always known the Captain to keep himself cool. "You broke the treaty. You deserved what they did to you. Jonus should have been the one to live, not you. So if you want your life to be more than just a lucky mistake, then you'll do exactly what I say. Is that clear?"

Alphus forced himself to meet Crofley's gaze. His shame was a palpable sensation in his throat. "I only went into the Thornwood to save Anise. I thought it's what a knight would do."

"You think it matters why you did anything? At all?" Bannon said. "You made a mistake, and Jonus died because of it. It's not your job to think of what a knight would do--it's your job to do as you're told."

"Yes, sir," Alphus answered. It was all he could say. He felt that everything he had done in his life had been reduced to nothing--just a string of tasks before his eventual failure. And Anise, the one other person who could share his blame, had gone off unpunished. He hoped that she never found out that he had survived. Guilt would be the least she deserved. And despite all her arguments and protests, he really had trusted her, he thought, as much as he could.

"Don't trouble him so much, Bannon," Cartha said. "This is a great opportunity for you, cadet. Historians will write about this. The first man cured of woodsore! It's historic."

"I suppose," Alphus said.

"Let's leave the Captain to his work," Cartha said. "You'll need to rest more. And eat. I haven't forgotten that."

Cartha put her hands on Alphus's shoulders and guided him back towards the library door. The touch surprised him, both in how gentle it was and how welcome.

"Do you think I deserved to die?" Alphus asked, once they had exited into the courtyard.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't care. We're all going to die one day, whether we deserve it or not. You were just a bit unlucky. And stupid." Cartha smiled as she spoke, and although it wasn't what he had wanted to hear, Alphus felt strangely comforted by her flippant attitude. He did not want to be coddled, but he did not want to overwhelm himself with guilt, either.

"But, I will also say that your Captain has been in the Thornwood many more times than you have, during the war. And the way I see it, if it's wrong now, it was wrong then."

Alphus didn't say anything to that. "Of course it was wrong," he thought. "But it was necessary. Bannon was a hero for what he did during the war. He had followed orders. I did the opposite." It had certainly felt wrong when he did it. And it had not done him or Anise any good--although he did not like admitting it, she had been the one to save him.

The guild was quieter than the Academy, and Alphus was thankful for that. Even though he had only been awake a short time, he felt exhausted. He wondered what was going on back home. The cadets would be afraid, he thought. He knew he should be afraid too, but instead he felt strangely calm--comforted by the fact that whatever happened to him now was beyond his control.

They reached Cartha's room again. There was food waiting on one of the tables, plated luxuriously. Just the scent of it made Alphus begin to smile.

"Thank you, again," Alphus said.

"Rest up tonight," Cartha said. "Tomorrow morning, you meet the Council."

The balcony off Alphus's room looked out to the East over the wide plains, grasses glistening in the first streaks of sunrise. Below him, the city of Laenguir stretched out to the circling wall, like a bowl filled to the brim. To the north, the Council chamberhouse rose in the exact center of the city with its massive bronze-gold dome. Alphus had awoken with the dawn from a tenuous sleep. He had long ago taught himself to get up with the light, and he was glad he did. From the balcony he was surprised to find that he could smell the fresh green scent of the gardens surrounding the Fenriven grounds. He tried to empty his mind of thoughts, focusing solely on categorizing and finding the scent of each flower and plant drifting up from below. He listened to songbirds, singing short, cheerful city songs, not like the stark, keening cries of the hawks and crows that dotted the sky over the academy.

He felt at peace here, Alphus realized. But peace did not last, he knew, in any form. He had known peace before, a long time ago, and his thoughts carried him there. His mother was brushing his hair and singing--the words and melody long since vanished, but the tone of her voice remaining, written in the first pages of his mind. And that was all. The sun was bright in his eyes, and he went inside to dress.

"I now call to order Discretionary Session number eleven; there are ten remaining in the current term. The session has been proposed by honorable guildmistress Adalyan, and sponsored by myself, Councilor Dailan."

The very old woman read from the procedural slowly, but with no apparent interest in it. She sat at the center seat of a long curving desk at the back of the circular room. Three other council members sat to her left and three to her right. Alphus had heard of the Council, of course, and he knew what an honor it was to be granted a meeting with them in full session. He was nervous. Cartha sat beside him at their table--apart from the Council, there was no one else in the chamber. Rows of empty benches filed back to the double doors behind them.

Dailan read the name of each Council member, starting from her far right, and each answered "Aye."

"Councilor Dathros of the Guard," she began. "Councilor Jenet of Guild Hecseres, Councilor Rook of the Guard, Councilor Sand of the Guard, Councilor Barden of Guild Hecseres, Councilor Tam of Guild Fenriven, and Councilor Sophir of Guild Hecseres."

The three men of the Guard wore over-sized pauldrons of what looked like silver, and an odd neck-piece of the same material which covered the top of the chest. Alphus had never seen this kind of attire before--too large and bulky to serve any practical purpose. A gaudy reflection of actual battle armor, which contrasted the stark expressions on their faces. The women of the Guilds wore robes in rich, dark purples and blues, and their hair fell past their shoulders, pure white. The men were old, and the women even older. Dailan must have been over sixty, Alphus guessed, possibly much older. Among all the council members, Alphus detected the distinct impression that they did not want to be here. He felt out of place--both the youngest and the least important person in the room. Even Cartha had told him to remain silent and heed her instructions. For her part, Cartha seemed out of place, too, with her short, sunny hair and pleasant smile and grass green dress. She exuded an easy confidence, sitting casually in her blocky chair, hands clasped together and resting on the table.

Dailan continued. "I have sponsored mistress Adalyan's address today in faith of what she assures to me is a new imperative in the state's defense and security, with special regard to the Naephra. In light of this, she has requested that this meeting be held without record or audience. Cartha, you have the floor."

"Thank you Councilor," Cartha said, as she stood. "Honored council members, the world has been against us for some time now. Nature has never worked in our favor. We have scraped our lives from the rocks and shallow streams and bitter grasses, while the Naephra live in their green paradise, growing stronger and bolder each day. I am sure you have all been informed of the recent, tragic attack at the Exemplar Academy, which resulted in the mournful death of knight Lieutenant Jonus Belamire. The Naephra have decided to press their advantage again. And why shouldn't they? They are animals. Predators. And we are their prey."

Cartha gestured for Alphus to stand, and he felt the gaze of each of the council members piercing him.

"Just two days ago, Alphus Priory was bolted by one of the Naephran attackers. Within hours, the woodsore had taken hold in his heart and lungs. My friend Captain Crofley, who had also survived the attack, brought him to Fenriven."

Cartha turned to Alphus. "Here we go," she whispered. She undid each button down the front of his shirt, revealing the bandages over his chest. She pulled the shirtsleeves from his arms, and with a small knife she sliced effortlessly through the bandages.

A sprawling black stain marked the expanse of Alphus's chest and abdomen, like a tattoo of the night sky. It shocked him. He had seen similar scars before, on veterans, but never like this. Here, there seemed to be more scar than skin.

"You'll notice that Alphus is alive," Cartha said. The Council looked on, their expressions having changed from apathy to sudden interest.

"Come here, boy," Dailan said, and there was surprise in her voice. Alphus looked to her briefly and saw her frown, but she did not seem dissatisfied--only curious. He approached the desk, and the council members all leaned towards him together. He might have smirked at seeing their confused faces, if he were not so surprised himself. He had not expected a scar, much less one so monstrous. All the front of his body, from his shoulders down to near his waist, was covered in black. The skin was rougher there, and rippled in places, and thickened.

"How--" Councilor Dathros began, but he did not finish his thought.

"You may examine him," Cartha said. "You'll find that by any logic he should be well dead. And the reason he is alive is the reason I am here." She paused, and there was a giddy smile on her face. "I have cured him."

"Councilor Dailan, I will not listen to this charlatan," said Barden. "There have been countless reports of cures--all fakes. The Hecseres have searched for a cure for decades. You favor the Fenrivens too much."

"I did not cede the floor," Cartha said. Her smile was gone now, and there was a force in her voice. "Council members, what would I have to gain from announcing a false cure? I would be shunned when the truth came out. Councilor Dathros, I believe the other members will trust your evaluation. Please, look closely."

Dathros stood and came around the desk, stopping directly in front of Alphus. He was surprisingly tall, and he leaned down in an awkward half-crouch to examine the scar. His fingers scraped over Alphus's skin, eyes furrowed and focusing. Alphus tried not to look him in the eye until at last the man seemed satisfied and returned to his seat.

"The black is not a deformity," Dathros said. "And it was not made by ink or paint. When a bolt of woodsore heals over, if it heals over, it leaves the skin black, just such as this. His heart would have been immediately affected, which is certain death, although I have seen it take days to...fully conclude."

"I agree with Councilor Dathros's evaluation," Dailan said. "The wounds sustained by the young man should have been fatal indeed, and in light of mistress Adalyan's medical and scientific expertise, I suggest that the council recognize her work as a potential for action. There are still many questions, I'm sure. The floor is now open for discussion. Councilor Jenet, you may comment."

"I, as much as anyone here, I'm sure, would like to believe in the efficacy of mistress Adalyan's claims. We have all heard the stories of pantry remedies and wards, and men who survived days and weeks in the wood unscathed. But how are we to know the practical effects of Adalyan's as-yet secret method if all she has to show for it is this one subject? Therefore I propose this action: let Cartha replicate her success with other trial subjects. Then and only then may we move forward with any strategic action."

Cartha answered: "As for the efficacy of my methods, Alphus was not, in fact, my first success. Captain Crofley sustained similar wounds at the Academy and survived, thanks to a preemptive treatment I had given him two weeks before. The treatment is preventative as well as curative. He will allow you to examine him as well, if it pleases you."

"Then let us do so," Jenet said.

"Your concern is noted, Councilor," Dailan said. "But for now let us proceed with discussion. Councilor Rook, you may go ahead."

Alphus noticed that the discussion was moving past him, so he took the opportunity to put his shirt back on. But before he could return to his seat, the Councilor spoke to him.

"Cadet," he said. Alphus turned to face him, a dark-haired man with deep-set eyes, younger than the others. "I want to know what you think of the treatment. What was it like? How did it feel?"

"I don't remember very much, sir," Alphus answered. "It was all very painful, but I don't remember where I was, or what happened after the attack."

"Then I would like to know exactly what this treatment entails, mistress Adalyan," Rook said. "How did you accomplish what the other guilds have been attempting for years?"

"I would like to add, if I may," said Councilor Tam. "That I knew nothing of this cure, nor, I suspect, did anyone else associated with Fenriven. "And I question Adalyan's decision to keep this project a secret."

"I was never searching for a cure at all," Cartha said. "Honestly, I expected someone else to find one. I only wanted to know more about our enemy. During the war, we were lucky enough to recover many Naephran documents, some very old. It was while translating these that I discovered references to a strange substance that they called 'earth's blood.' 'Sivra' was their word for it. The Naephra believed that it killed anyone who touched it. But the truly interesting part was where they thought it came from. They believe that sivra is the result of a curse laid on them by us. By humans.

"Of course, I did not believe that, but I had never heard of a substance like sivra before. And something else written about it made me curious. From what I could translate, they wrote: 'It is a curse to our life, and our wood. It drives us out, as it drives out anima.' 'Anima' is the Naephran word for spirit, or life, or breath. Strangely, It's also the word they use for woodsore. Did you know that? I thought if I could find this sivra, we may be able to use it against the Naephra, and perhaps it would drive out woodsore as well."

Alphus watched Cartha closely as she spoke. She had taken on a different manner since entering the Council Chamber--she seldom smiled, and she spoke carefully and with great intensity. Although he did not know her well, she seemed different from the woman he had met. Before the meeting, he had not expected the individual members to treat her with such skepticism. She had accomplished a miracle, and yet they were hesitant just to listen to her. Dailan seemed to be the most interested, he noticed, yet she too seemed distant.

"That is all very impressive, Cartha," Councilor Sophir said, although she did not sound impressed at all. "And I commend your efforts and your scholarship, but you raise more questions than you have answered. This sivra substance may be more dangerous than you realize, despite whatever other beneficial properties it may have. Have the Captain or this boy suffered any other effects after your treatment?"

"None that I can discern," said Cartha.

"That you can discern?"

"Yes," Cartha said.

"And where exactly did you find this substance?" Councilor Sand asked.

"There's a mining settlement in the Eastlands. They--" Cartha paused for a moment. She took out her necklace and ran her fingers over the pendant that held the sivra. "I expected you all to have doubts. I couldn't believe this myself, at first. I was shocked when Alphus woke up. But he survived. And now it's up to us to use this. We're at war again. Blood has been spilled, and we either fight back, or lose. You can't sit here under your dome forever."

"Mistress Adalyan," Dailan said.

"Do you really think we have a choice about this?" Cartha continued. "You should be thanking me. This is the chance we've been waiting for. We can save thousands of lives. Or would you rather do nothing?"

"That is enough," Jenet said. "We will contact you if we have further questions."

"This meeting is not adjourned," Dailan said. "We will hear from every member. Mistress Adalyan, hold your comments, please."

"You think us cowards, Cartha?" Sophir said. "Our boldness is tempered by our responsibility. We know that war is on our doorstep again. We have not been hiding under our dome, as you say--there are contingencies and plans already made that you are not aware of."

"Adalyan is right. We cannot repeat our losses in the War of Thorns," said Dathros. "We must capitalize on any advantage, no matter how slight, and this is not slight. A workable prevention for woodsore would be a deciding factor in a coordinated, surprise offensive."

"Take her witch's cure if it helps you sleep easier, Dathros, but do not orchestrate military campaigns based on hearsay," Councilor Barden said.

"Councilors, please, this meeting is purely informational. I would discourage any conjectures at this time," Dailan said. "Does anyone else have something to add?"

"Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of ample time," Sophir said. "While mistress Adalyan's discovery does have a humanitarian use, its greatest value is tactical. Even if her treatment is only partially effective, it still benefits us. I propose a new meeting to create a plan for utilization."

"I agree, on the condition that mistress Adalyan provide samples and documentation for her proposed treatment for evaluation by the Guilds, as well as access to her subjects," said Jenet.

"That will not be possible," Cartha said. "You can examine Alphus and Crofley, but I only have enough sivra left for one treatment. I can't share until I get more, and for that, I need help."

"You absolutely can share, and you will," Jenet said.

"Then I choose not to. It would prove nothing. You've already seen the evidence."

"Proposals can only be made by members of the Councilor," Dailan said. Cartha ignored her.

"Sivra can only be found in former Naephran territory," she said. "There is a source in Orreck, in the Eastlands, just west of the border. Reclaimed Thornwood land. Captain Crofley can leave and return here in four days. All I ask is a small escort of Laenguir Guard to assist him."

"This meeting has gone out of order," Dailan said.

"Do nothing if you wish. But the Naephra have already struck, and farther in than they ever did before. Ask yourselves what you want to happen if they strike again. When they strike again. You know where to find me," Cartha said. She turned towards the doors, and Alphus realized that he should follow her.

"This meeting is not adjourned!" Jenet said. Alphus heard the other Councilors begin to argue, but Cartha walked quickly, and they left the room, leaving the voices muffled behind the thick doors. The guards in the antechamber said nothing to them as they exited.

Outside, the sun was bright--much harsher than the dim interior of the Council chamber. Cartha stopped and let herself lean against the outer wall, eyes closed, breaths coming quickly. Alphus felt he should say something to her, but did not know what that should be. He did not question her apparent exhaustion--just watching her speak had made him nervous as well.

"Did you know they would react like that?" he asked.

"I thought they might," she said. "Did I sound alright?"

Alphus did not want to give complete approval. He still did not fully understand why she was so devoted to secrecy. But he also felt the Council's reaction had been unreasonable, mostly because they doubted what he knew more intimately than anyone: that the cure was a success. He owed his life to it, and to Cartha, and he did not want anyone else to be denied the privilege he had been given.

"You seemed very confident," he said.

"Good," Cartha said. "That's good. Now you see what I have to deal with." She smiled. "Jenet has always disliked me. I'm not worried about that. I think I sparked something with Dathros though. He might be willing to help us."

Alphus nodded, and the two began their walk back to Fenriven.

"You did great," Cartha said. The compliment took Alphus by surprise. "You weren't too embarrassed, were you?"

"No," Alphus said.

"I told you it would be easy. Small price to pay to be brought back from the dead."

It was strange, hearing the voices of so many girls, Alphus thought. He sat at the trunk of a tree in the Fenriven atrium, just listening. The guild students spoke quietly, but now and then he heard an outburst of laughter as they passed. Most were likely headed to the mess hall for lunch, and apart from an occasional glance, they paid no attention to him. He knew enough not to stare, but he couldn't help admiring the sheen in their hair, and even their simple uniform--the women at the Academy did not wear dresses. Their hair did not reflect sunlight.

He wondered what would have happened had Anise joined one of the guilds, instead of the Academy. Would she hate it any less than she had grown to hate the Academy? Even for all she had done, Alphus found that he could not keep up his anger towards her. He had often wondered if he loved her. Each time, he pushed the thought away. It wouldn't matter if he did, and in fact it would only be worse for him, he reasoned. Anise was no one's to pine over. Yet still he thought of her--imagined her sitting near him, complaining, or teasing him. He did not think about where she was, or what she was doing. He wouldn't let himself. But, for now, he was content to picture her there, shaking dirt from her boot.

"Still tired, cadet?"

Alphus looked up to see the Captain standing over him. He got up quickly. "No sir," he said.

"It's alright, Alphus," Bannon said, and he smiled. "I know how you must be feeling. I'm always out of place when I visit here."

Alphus nodded.

"But you've already done your part. Cartha told me about the meeting. I would have liked to see the Council's faces when she told them about you."

"Why weren't you there?" Alphus asked.

"You may as well know," Bannon said. "In the library here is a record of Naephran symbols and sigils. I was trying to compare markings on the gear of the dead Naephra from the attack--find out anything I could about them. But the sigil they wore didn't match anything recorded."

"What was the sigil?"

"The left hand over the inverted peak. Doesn't match any of the Naephran families we know of, or any other groups. It could mean the group that attacked the Academy was unaffiliated with any of their royalties. Or it could mean that our records are out of date, which they are. But that's not what I came to tell you. I'm afraid you'll have to stay here a while."

"I thought once we told the Council, I could go back to the Academy," Alphus said.

"You will do what I say, cadet," Bannon said. "The Council wishes to keep you here for observation. It's best if we allow them that."

Alphus did not like the idea of staying at the Guild, being examined. He felt as if the Council expected him to die at any moment. Or wanted him to. "What will you do?" he asked.

"Cartha secured support from Councilors Dathros and Sophir. We'll be taking a team out to Orreck to bring back sivra."

Alphus was surprised to hear it. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow at dawn."

"I'll go with you," Alphus said.

"Do not go against me on this. We agreed that you would follow my orders."

Alphus knew that he had to convince Bannon quickly--once he set into a decision, he would not back out of it. But he had seen the Captain swayed by careful logic before.

"I'm not going against you, sir. I want to help you. I'll be useless here. You must expect to run into Naephra, or you wouldn't need the Guard escort. I can face the Naephra."

"I appreciate your willingness, Alphus. But this is not an Academy assignment."

"If we don't get more sivra, the Academy won't matter anymore," Alphus said. His own words surprised him. He hadn't planned on joining this assignment. He hadn't expected it actually happen, either. But now he felt he had to.

"Why do you want to do this?" Crofley asked. "You'll be safe here. Once we return, you'll be able to return to the Academy."

"I have to go. If I don't, it'll be like I was brought back for nothing. I want to do something, not just live through it. I have to know that I did something. Put yourself in my position, Captain. You would want the same thing."