I gradually became aware of voices, though I couldn't resolve them into words right away, and I felt a terrible pain in my head and chest. As I became more cognizant of my surroundings, I noticed I was lying on something cold and hard and damp, though my head seemed to rest on something softer. I felt a hand stroking my head gently, and after a moment, I recognized Avani's voice, sounding strange and shaky. I realized where I was, then, and that my head was lying on her lap as she cast a healing spell on me. I opened my eyes, and heard her exclaim with evident relief, "He's coming around!"

Dylas's voice came from above and behind her, saying, "See? I told you, he's tougher than you gave him credit."

"What... what happened?" I groaned. "I feel terrible."

"That'll keep until later," Dylas said, coming over and crouching down next to me, peering into my face. "His eyes look fine, Avani. He must be even more hard-headed than you."

I felt droplets of water land on my face and brushed them away, only to discover my cheeks were wet. As I looked up, scowling, for the source of the drops, I realized that they were tears falling from Avani's eyes as she silently wept. "Hey," I said, trying to sound natural, "No drowning your patients."

"I'm sorry... I couldn't help myself," she said weakly, wiping her eyes with her arm. "I was just so frightened when I saw you lying unconscious and bleeding, and it's such a relief that you're okay."

"What's considered 'okay' must have changed somewhat since my time," I groaned, closing my eyes again. I felt her quiver slightly with a repressed laugh, then she continued healing me.

When she stopped, I sat up, still groggy but much improved. She looked drained, probably from the effort of healing me as well as from combat. She still had tears in her eyes, suddenly reminding me with a pang of other tear-filled eyes from long ago. I never could bear it when women cried, yet I seemed doomed to be the cause of their tears time and time again.

************

I looked around me, and seeing that the clone of Terrable was gone, again asked what happened. Before either of them could fill me in, though, Arthur appeared in the doorway to the chamber, Forte standing behind him. We looked at him in surprise, and he explained that after Avani's report the night before, he'd decided to follow us, to see for himself what was going on, and that Forte had insisted on accompanying him as his guard.

Avani filled him in on the confrontation with Ethelberd, and Arthur looked grave. "I see. I hadn't realized just how serious the situation had become. I'll inform the capitol at once... but for now, I've been ordered to find you and bring you back to Selphia, to assist with our defenses there until reinforcements arrive—which, knowing how things work at the palace, will likely take some time." He paced for a few minutes, his brow furrowed in thought. "But if I bring you back now as ordered, we may lose track of Ethelberd. He already has the advantage in terms of time and planning. And we desperately need those rune spheres."

Avani stood before Arthur, saying, "Is the town safe right now, Arthur?"

"Oh yes, Forte has been doing a splendid job," he assured her, and Forte smiled a half-smile at his praise.

"Then I'll continue the chase!" she exclaimed, a look of steely determination in her eyes. "If I can keep them running, that will buy time for the reinforcements to arrive, won't it? And besides—I promised Venti that I'd recover the spheres. I... I miss her. I want to goof around with her again, argue with her, tell her silly jokes and funny stories. I... want to see her smile again. So please, Arthur, let me go."

Arthur smiled, and said, "That's exactly what I'd hoped you'd say. You never disappoint, Avani. We need more information on what the Sechs are up to, and you are the warrior best suited for this task. I know I can rely on you. Therefore, I ask you—as your prince, and as your friend—to accept this task."

Avani grinned as she replied, "Just leave it to me! I won't let them get away with this."

"That's the spirit! I would think they're making their way towards the border. The only land route across the border in this region is via the Maya Road, over Mount Maya. That's dangerous terrain, so please proceed with caution. And... don't push yourself too hard, Avani. I advise you to break camp and return to town to rest up and re-equip yourselves for the journey. Assuming that your companions intend to continue with you, that is?" He looked at us inquiringly.

"She couldn't leave me behind if she tried," Dylas said grimly, glaring at her as if she had indeed already done so.

"I could use a good night's sleep, as I'm a little tired," I mused, and Avani gave an exasperated snort at my understatement. "But certainly I'll go along—this has been a rather entertaining diversion," I said with a smile.

Arthur shot me a keen look, then nodded his head. "Then I'll see you all back in town after you break camp. Please inform me when you are ready to depart, Avani." And with that, he cast an Escape spell, and he and Forte vanished in a flash of light.

Avani stood, lost in thought for a few minutes, until Dylas suggested we return to camp and then back to town. She started a little at his voice, then replied, "Yes, let's. Leon, can you walk? Do you need help?"

"I think I can manage walking—it's fighting that I'm not at all sure about," I replied, gingerly prodding my throbbing head.

"You aren't completely healed yet—I had all but drained my resources when Arthur interrupted us," she replied. "Let's get back to town, and we'll get you fixed up." Using the warp point, which did indeed return us to the cave mouth, we returned to camp without any difficulty, the two of them matching their pace to my own halting steps. We packed up, and Avani cast Escape to return us all to her rooms in the castle.

************

Depositing her gear, Avani gently but firmly pushed me towards her bed, telling me to lie down and rest. I began to protest, but a resurgence of pain convinced me otherwise. So I lay down on her bed and rested while she and Dylas unpacked our bags, sorting equipment and clothing into piles that needed washing or repairs and putting foodstuffs and medicines away. She fed Baldur and sent him back to the stable with an affectionate pat, then she went to discuss laundering and mending needs with Volkanon while Dylas cooked up a curry with rice from what he could find in her kitchen.

When she returned, she insisted on feeding me herself. She sat on the bed, cradling my head in her lap as she fed me bites of the curry and rice until I was full. Dylas pulled a chair up to the bed, watching us as he ate. In between bites, he filled me in on what had happened—I remembered spearing the dragon but not much after that. He said that the dragon had knocked me flying after my blow had critically injured the dragon, so they'd quickly finished him off and rushed over to where I lay.

"You were hurt pretty badly," he said, scowling at the memory. "You'd hit the back of your head against one of those big metal columns, and you were unconscious and bleeding heavily when we reached you. Avani was scared to death she wouldn't be able to heal you quickly enough, that you'd bleed to death first. She had to cast several healing spells on you before you woke up."

"So I guess I owe you my life, then, eh?" I said, looking up at her with a smile. I was surprised when she shook her head, but she seemed to have choked up at Dylas's recounting of the end of the battle, and tears again filled her eyes as she silently returned my gaze.

"Well, you see," Dylas said slowly, looking away, "you saved her life, and nearly at the cost of your own. He was about to skewer her with that damned horn of his, when you rushed in and got him first. I couldn't have reached him in time, and I'm not sure I could have turned him aside on my own anyway. But you did it." Then he turned to me again with an odd look in his eyes, and said, "Thanks, Leon, for saving her. Again."

************

After finishing her own meal, Avani had recovered enough energy to resume healing me. She again sat on the bed with my head on her lap, and gently cupping my face in her hands, she began the incantation. It took a few repetitions before I finally felt more or less like myself again. I stood up and gingerly felt the back of my head, discovering that although my wounds were closed and healed, my hair was matted with dried blood. I examined my chest for the first time since waking back in the cavern, and was surprised to see that not only my armor had been slashed open, but the shirt beneath it had been torn as well. I could still see faint traces of a wound across my chest, and assumed from the blood soaked into my shirt and smeared down my stomach that I'd had a pretty good wound there, too. For the first time, too, I noticed the large blood stain on Avani's clothing where my head had rested on her lap. It appeared Dylas's description had not been an exaggeration.

"Well," I said after I finished my examination, "it looks like I was a bit of a mess." Avani made an oddly strangled sound, as if she was trying to both laugh and cry at the same time. She came up to me and placed her hands on my shoulders, leaning her head tiredly against my chest as she cast one final healing spell. When I glanced down again, the last traces of my wounds had vanished. I looked up and caught Dylas watching us with a pained look in his eyes. He saw me looking at him and turned away without a word.

************

Afterwards, Avani was once again drained and exhausted, and she declared that she needed a good, long soak in a hot bath—and that we did, too. We walked over to the inn together, stopping for clean clothing first.

Dylas assisted me with washing up before entering the soaking tub, gently washing the dried blood from my hair and my back, which apparently had also been injured when I had hit that column. Then he sat nearby while we soaked in the large pool of hot water—in case I felt dizzy, he said. It was delightful to just sit and soak my tired, aching muscles, and from the relaxed look on his face, I suspected Dylas felt the same.

We sat soaking in the pool for some time, until we heard sounds of Avani finishing her bath over on the ladies' side. Then we dressed and waited for her in the lobby of the hotel, sipping cold drinks until she joined us a few minutes later, and we headed back to the castle.

I had planned to gather up my things and return to my room at the inn, but Avani stopped me. "No way, Leon. I don't want you climbing up all those stairs alone. For tonight at least, you'll sleep here. You can have the sofa or the chaise in the study—whichever you prefer—but you're staying here," she said firmly.

"There's no need for that, Avani," I assured her. "I'm perfectly fine now. Don't underestimate your skills as a healer. Besides," I added as she opened her mouth to protest. "As charming as your daybed is, I'll be far more comfortable in my own bed. And I have some translations that I need to work on, too, now that I'm back in town." She wavered, and I continued with a smile, saying, "Furthermore, I'm sure Dylas will be delighted to keep you company tonight, and I'm equally sure the two of you could use some... 'private time' anyway. I promise I'll send word to you if anything happens."

With a sigh, she reluctantly agreed, asking me to just be sure to take it easy. "You can leave your equipment here if you want," she added. "I have plenty of room to store it for you. You'll be getting better stuff soon, anyway." I took her up on her offer, grabbed the rest of my things, and said good night as I stepped out the back door into her gardens. When I looked back, they were standing in the doorway, Dylas behind her with his arms wrapped around her. They waved, and as I waved back, he leaned down to nuzzle her neck, then scooped her up in his arms and closed the door behind them.

I returned to my solitary room, with only my foxes for company.