“Who else would it be?” Jala asked with a shrug.
“Someone that doesn’t bloody well know how to fly well.” Valor suggested dryly.
“It’s Shade, and others.” Dray spoke up quietly and Zoelyn felt him move closer to her, almost within touch, but not quite. Even though her control of her powers had improved drastically she still took care that no one got too close to her, and Dray knew the boundaries well.
Valor glanced over his shoulder toward the main house and then back to Jala. “Would you mind telling Wisp to keep Legacy inside with her until we know who else is on that ship?” he asked quietly and his hand dropped to his belt for a sword that wasn’t there.
“You were playing stable hand all morning love. That doesn’t require a weapon.” Jala reminded him and smiled faintly. “I sent her the message and she has agreed that he won’t even look out a window until we tell her things are well.”
The ship door slid open as she finished speaking and all three of them fell silent as they watched a large man step down and then half drag Shade from the ship behind him.
“Shade!” Jala cried in alarm. She started to rush toward him, but Valor caught her wrist and gave her a shake of his head.
“Grim.” Zoelyn gasped as the larger man turned and she got a clear look at his face. He was thinner than she remembered, but she had no doubt it was him. He was wearing the uniform of a High Marshall of Arovan, and his expression matched his nickname well.
He turned and looked at her, but there was no sign of recognition on his face until he found Valor beside her. “He passed out right after landing. Do you have someplace we can put him to rest?” Caleb asked Valor without bothering with so much as a greeting.
“Grim.” Valor echoed Zoelyn with equal disbelief in his tone and Jala stepped forward with a quick nod only to pause once more as a goblin clambered from the ship and wrapped its arms around Shade’s leg.
“His pet.” Caleb explained with a sigh and shifted Shade in his arms to an easier position. “Look he isn’t in a good way, and I’m going to assume you are the High Lady Merrodin.” He continued as his eyes settled on Jala. “He was coming here for healing from you, and I’d appreciate it if you perhaps start on that soon.”
“What happened to him?” Jala demanded and Caleb’s expression darkened a bit.
“You sent him blindly into a Blight hive to negotiate peace for you and you are confused why he comes back injured?” Caleb asked in an incredulous voice.
“But it’s Shade.” Jala objected as she moved toward Shade once more with obvious concern on her face. “Shade can dance through rain drops without getting wet.” She continued, but her voice faltered when she noticed his missing eye.
“It was a torrential rain and he was soaked to the skin. Can you help him?” Caleb pressed with annoyance clear in his voice.
“Those are old wounds. They are already healed. I can repair whatever is damaged recently, but the only way to fix his eye would be to…” Jala’s voice trailed off and she blanched at what she was about to say.
“Get a clean bed, a sterile knife, and keep him unconscious long enough to make it a fresh wound.” Caleb finished for her with a sharp nod. “Fine Lady Merrodin. You see to the first two and I’ll see to the last. If I make it a fresh wound can you truly return his eye? He says you can, but that is a difficult matter to heal.” Caleb spoke calmly as if they were discussing the weather rather than carving flesh from someone’s eye socket.
“I can.” Jala agreed hesitantly as she stared at Caleb for a moment and then turned to look at Valor with a questioning expression.
“His name is Caleb Faulklin. I will vouch for him. He was the High Marshall of Amdany for several years and I’ve known him for longer than that.” Zoelyn said before Valor could so much as open his mouth.
Caleb turned and looked at her with confusion and it was obvious he didn’t recognize her at all. Zoelyn supposed that was fair though. When she had known him she had been so thin she seemed to be starving, and dressed in rags with hair the color of snow. Much had changed since those days. She smiled sadly at him and bowed her head in respect.
“I thought you had died at Amdany and you have no idea how relieved I am to see you alive. It means Arovan still has hope.” Zoelyn said softly and bowed her head more deeply. “I am so sorry about Nel. I loved her like a sister.” She continued.
“Zoey?” Caleb gasped and his eyes went wide. His grip on Shade slackened in his shock and he had to scramble to keep from dropping him. “By the bloody Aspects Zoey what happened to you and why are you here?” Caleb demanded as he moved quickly toward her dragging Shade beside him. All thoughts of healing and Jala were apparently forgotten for the moment.
“So I take it you two know each other.” Jala observed dryly.
“His wife Evanell trained under Dominic. She was living in the village when I arrived there, but she hadn’t yet married Grim. I got to know Grim rather well while he was trying to talk her into marriage.” Zoelyn explained as the tears that had been threatening to spill earlier now filled her eyes. “There were so few people in that village that treated me well that I treasure each one of them that did, and Grim and Nel always treated me kindly while they were there.” Zoey continued and then paused and shook her head at Caleb with sigh. “I haven’t seen you in years and when I do everything is hell.”