Engraved - The Hunted Warrior

Chapter 25.2 - Freedom or Death

Alam rode hard all the way back to the temple and threw himself from the saddle. Without tethering Mist he burst in through the back door and rushed into the room where Tajar lay covered by a thin blanket.

"Alam is that you?" Iwan called out from another room in the building.

"Yes," said Alam as he carefully extracted the mulberries from the waterskin and knelt before Tajar. They were still in perfect condition - firm and unbruised. Hope filled his chest. He lifted Tajar's head.

"What?" Tajar mumbled.

"Shh," said Alam. "You have to eat these berries. They will heal you."

"Berries?"

"Just open your mouth and eat. It's only five berries." Alam pried his mouth open slightly and inserted the first berry. Tajar obligingly ate it. He popped the next couple in as Iwan walked in the room.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Healing him." Alam placed the final berries in Tajar's mouth.

"With mulberries?"

"Yes. He will recover now."

"He was already recovering."

"What do you mean?" asked Alam confused.

"After you left this morning he seemed to shake off the worst of the fever. He opened his eyes and even ate a little. He was still confused, but he is going to survive. You can feel for yourself that the fever is lifting."

Alam put his hand to Tajar's forehead. It was indeed cooler.

Why didn't I notice before?

"I don't understand," he murmured. Butterflies swarmed into his stomach.

Hannah appeared at the doorway behind Iwan.

"Why were you feeding him mulberries? Is that a cure for fever in your clan?"

"No," Alam said perplexed.

She told me he was dying. And I believed her without doubt.

"Oh no. What if I've poisoned him?"

"Mulberries aren't poisonous," reassured Hannah. "I'm sure he will be fine."

"No!" insisted Alam in sheer panic. "I was given them by a woman in the woods who told me he was dying and that I had to feed them to him or he would die!"

"You believed a stranger in the woods?" said Iwan in shock. He and Hannah rushed to Tajar. They lifted his eyelids and checked his mouth.

"She isn't a complete stranger," he muttered as if it was an excuse. "We met her once before when she gave us our weapons." Even as he spoke he heard how foolish the words sounded. She was a stranger, there was no doubt about it. "I've poisoned him." Alam sunk to his knees. Fear pooled in his stomach. He felt like throwing up.

Iwan and Hannah looked grim.

Why would she do this?

Why kill Tajar? She gave him the bow. She didn't really GIVE it to him, more like tricked us both into taking the weapons in exchange for doing some  future service. And even when she gave the berries to supposedly save his life she said in the same breath that she would fade if Tajar died.

"Fade." What does that mean?

Hannah and Iwan continued to lift Tajar's eyelids, checked inside his mouth and listened to his chest.

"His face is regaining colour!" Alam pointed excitedly. He jumped back up. Within seconds Tajar's face went from the pale hue it had been the past couple of days to his normal ruddy complexion. He opened his eyes and took in a deep breath. He stared around the room in confusion. Hannah and Iwan moved back wide eyed.