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Anawyn ran her fingers over her forearm again. “That’s amazing!” She massaged the flesh from her wrist to her elbow in fascination. “It doesn’t even hurt now. Do you have any other spells as useful as that potion? I doubt we’ll get a second chance at this, and I’d like to take all of our assets into account by nightfall.”“Uh-huh,” Winnia agreed noncommittally, slipping the emptied vial into her satchel. Four healing elixirs left, only one of which was good for bones. It should have taken a few hours for that one to mend the elf’s arm – Raekar had taken the most potent of his stash with him when they first disembarked – not a few seconds. “Look, since you’re better, shouldn’t we be moving on? The lower decks are crammed with corpses that could come after us at any time.”
Anawyn looked from her arm to Winia and blinked. “Do you mean the drowned men? Don’t worry. They won’t be up before dark. Necromancy is too difficult a discipline to work while the earth eclipses hell.”
Winia fidgeted nervously, wishing she’d paid more attention to her parish’s priest before Raekar had taken her away. As it was, she couldn’t remember a sermon that hadn’t been about her curse…if he’d even ever ranted about anything else when she was near.
“I see,” Winia said instead of admitting that she didn’t. “Then perhaps we should make our move now? While that Vessadial’s magic is at its weakest?”
They were in the deck cabin of Raekar’s ship. Winia had refused to go below; Anawyn had refused to leave. With the ghoul, her two votes outweighed Winia’s.
Elik stirred at the other end of the cabin. “Your companions tried that, and didn’t fare too well.”
Winia’s brow furrowed. “Yes, but I’d be with you – you dwell there. We’d be sneaking in, in essence.”
The elf and ghoul glanced at each other. “With Zaere’s elite running about unleashed, it isn’t safe there for anyone,” Anawyn said. “Even those of us who should belong. I’m not going back without an escort.”
Winia sucked in a frustrated breath. “Then we should be in the woods, rounding up any of the others who might still be hiding there!” Again, the indecipherable glance. Finally angry, Winia snapped, “Or maybe you could tell me what your plan is.”
Anawyn shrank back, wide eyed. “Of course,” she said, a little too quickly. “What do you want know?”
Winia hesitated, startled at the sudden change. Elik laughed at the expression on her face.
“I’m sorry,” the ghoul rasped, “but this is going to take a while, isn’t it?” He strode to the cabin door and opened it with his good arm. Healing potions did nothing for dead flesh, and his other remained a splintered mess. “I’m going below decks to prepare for this evening. Anawyn’s never had to explain anything before: everyone on this godforsaken island either takes her orders, or gives them. But we do have a plan, and even if you have some adornments to add to it, you won’t be coming up with a better one.” He chuckled and stepped out onto the deck. The door swung shut behind him.
Winia turned back to the elf. Anawyn wouldn’t meet her gaze, and her face was flushed up to her ears. The silence lengthened.
“Anawyn,” Winia asked with a sigh, “What is your plan?”
The elf looked up – hesitantly – and began to explain. Winia listened intently, prodding occasionally for further explanations and offering suggestions where she could. All of them were accepted with an almost painful enthusiasm. By the time they were done, Anawyn had recovered from her hesitancy and Winia had more than just the upcoming assault to think about. She shoved those thoughts aside.
Later. Time enough for that later – whatever the elf’s past had been like, it was her ability to deal with the future that mattered. Winia’s contributions had changed the plan significantly…but Elik had been right, and at it’s core it remained the same. As much as Winia was frightened by what they were going to attempt, what Anawyn was going to do, she hadn’t had a better idea for evening the odds.
Now, all that was left was to wait.
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