Storm Warning - Mercedes Lackey [97]
“I do not know you well, An‘desha,” he said, diffidently. “You are not of my faith, you do not swear by the Sunlord, and yet when the Voice of Flame possessed Solaris, Vkandis Himself laid the duty upon all of us to bring the breath of healing to any who needed it. ‘He who does good in the name of another god, does it for Vkandis,’ He said, ‘and he who does ill in the name of Vkandis does it for the darkest demons in hell. Let those of good will bring succor to one another, and dispense with the naming of Names.”’ Karal took a deep breath, and An’desha held his, every muscle tight, every nerve singing with tension. “Healing hurts to the spirit is something of what my training is about,” he continued. “My master Ulrich knows far, far more than I. There are many who were hurt in this way by the Black-robes that my master and others have later helped.”
He paused, and An’desha nodded, unable to speak. Karal took that as license to continue.
“I think that you are still in pain and fear, An‘desha,” he said, as somber as any shaman. “I cannot see you in pain and not offer to help. If it is your will, my master or I can try to help you.” He smiled shyly when An’desha did not immediately reject the offer or turn away. “I do not know if we can help you, but I know that we would try. This—healing does not require that you swear by Vkandis; it only requires that you be willing to have it done. Even if we can do nothing, perhaps we can give you the direction to help you heal yourself.”
For a moment, hardly more than the blink of an eye, young Karal was surrounded by a soft, golden glow—as if he sat in the midst of warm summer sunshine. But the waterfall was in shadow—
An‘desha blinked, as he realized that there was something more about this young stranger that he had sensed but had not understood. After his own brush with the Avatars, he had become far more sensitive to those the shaman would call “god-touched.” It did not even matter that the god in question was not his own Star-Eyed Lady. There was something about this Karal—a color, or a sense of Light about him—that was a great deal like the feeling he had when the Avatars were near, though it was much weaker. And now—this glow about him was clearly a confirmation of what he had felt. He had sensed similar Light about the Shin’a’in envoy, although he had been far too shy to approach her; she was sworn to the Goddess, marked so by her dark apparel, and he had not had the courage to speak with her after the way he had run off from his own Clan, so long ago. And this feeling Karal called up in him was also identical to the kind of feeling he had when he was around a Companion....
Whoever, whatever he is, he hasn’t made this offer frivolously, or because he wants to impress me. He has something that can help. And Firesong doesn’t understand me when I try to tell him what’s wrong with me....
If there is any hint of Falconsbane around me, surely someone like Karal or his master can banish it! And he talks as if he understands the horrible things I’ve been feeling and the terrible things I’ve almost done!
He flushed with embarrassment and ducked his head a little. “Yes,” he said softly. “Please. I don’t know why you have offered, but—”
Karal patted his hand, that he had unconsciously clenched into a fist on his knee. “I have offered because it is my—my job? I suppose that is right. It is something I must do, as flying is something that a bird must do. I think I know now why Herald Talia brought me to meet you; if it was not of her will, it might well have been of the will of Vkandis. She is a Priest, and He can work through her, if He chooses.”
“That may well be,” An’desha began. After everything I have seen, I am not about to say that there is anything a god may or may not do! “And—”
Bells from the Collegium marked the hour, chiming clearly over the sound of the waterfall, and the young man started as he counted them. He said a word that An’desha did not recognize, though he did recognize the tone of annoyance easily enough. “Of all the times—” He shrugged