Quest for the Silver Cleric Chapter 12 - A fight by firelight.

The brush and small trees that lined the canyon entrance were on fire, giving me enough light to see the devastating effect Olorin’s spell had caused. The remaining goblins turned from their pursuit of Tesmi, Aeneas and the villagers, and focused their attention on our little band.

“Come on! We better get there and press our advantage!” I shouted.

Olwe had pulled out a bow, and fired several arrows as we closed the distance. At the same time, Orien threw a couple of small daggers, downing two of the onrushing goblins. A thunderclap from Olorin’s work knocked a half-dozen of the goblins to the ground, but by then I really couldn’t worry about the others, as I came into fighting distance myself. I readied my staff and my own fight began.

The next half-hour was a blur of striking goblins and trying to avoid being hit back. Finally, my luck must have run out, because a large goblin hit me with a club on my side and back, and down I went, struggling for breath. I figured I was a goner, but Tesmi came up and hacked the goblin’s head off with a single stroke. She picked me up like I weighed nothing and got me out of the fray.

She put me down, and asked, “Are you well enough? They still need my help.”

“Go. I’ll be fine,” I managed.

She raised her large axe to the heavens, gave a yell, and then jumped back into the fighting. I swore she was smiling as she fought.

After she left, I tried to analyze my injuries. In the games, we blithely talked about taking damage, losing “hit points” or the like, but the reality was, of course, much different. I was in a lot of pain, having trouble breathing, and it was possible I had internal injuries that, since I didn’t think there was anything like surgery in this place, could prove to be quite serious.

Not having any better ideas, I decided to pray. I closed my eyes, tried to ignore the pain, and focused myself on putting my attention heavenward.

What happened next was simply amazing, even better than how I felt after healing Aeneas’ arm.

This time, rather than just having a sense of love washing over me, I had a vision of my being a small child running through a grassy field. I realized I was a girl, but it was less important than who I was running toward. He was large, and strong, and loved me in a way my real father never could. I jumped into his arms, and he swung me around until I was dizzy.

Then he said one word, a word that reverberated in my heart.

“Daughter.”

I woke with tears on my face.

The sun was rising, so I realized must have been in that vision state for the entire night. I also realized I must have been moved, because I was now inside some kind of hut.

I sat up, and felt my side. “I’m … healed?”

At the sound of my voice, Aeneas came into the room. “Lady?”

“I’m okay. I’m assuming the good guys won?”

“We did, thanks to your plan. Once the last of the goblins were slain or had fled, we came back to where Tesmi had left you. You were ... glowing.”

“I was ... I was communing with God. It was … fantastic.”

“I’m just glad you’re all right. We’re helping the villagers. I thought that would be what you’d want.”

“It was indeed. Help me up, I want to see.”

With his help, I got up and we walked out and into the morning sunshine. The villagers were busy rebuilding and my companions were helping, each in their own unique way. Tesmi had a couple of goblin corpses, one on each shoulder, and she threw them into a pit that had been dug. Olorin and Aerina were tending to the wounded villagers, although, fortunately, there weren’t too many of those by the look of things. Aeneas’ crew was helping rebuild the town, having cut down some trees on the outskirts to help make new shelters for the people.

At first I didn’t see Orien, but then I saw him come into the village square with a horse-drawn cart, and shouting. Several people stopped working, came to the cart and helped unload it. As they did, I could see it held not only items that the goblins must have taken, but a supply of food as well.

I went up to the cart, and he must have read my expression, for he said, “Just providing a little something for these people. It would have been a bleak winter without such things.”

“Bless you, Orien,” I said.

“My pleasure, Lady. But come, take your share of the spoils.”

“I ... I couldn’t do that.”

Aeneas said, “Lady, you’ve earned a share, if not more. At the very least take a shield and helm, in case you have the urge to charge headlong into battle again.”

“Okay, I know when I’m beat,” I said, laughing. “But nothing for me until the villagers have each had a chance to help themselves, and then your crew, Aeneas.”

“As you wish, my lady,” Aeneas said.

We left the majority for the villagers, but we made sure the crew got a full share each. Once that was done, each of my companions took a couple items. Orien took a couple of daggers to replace the ones he had thrown. Tesmi took a wicked looking long sword. Aeneas helped himself to the club the goblin had used on me, saying, “At least it will be less likely to cause you grief in my hands, Lady.”

The oddest thing was Aerina taking the mace from the tomb, but I passed it off as being a difference in culture between her people and mine, and let it go.

Aeneas found me a small shield and a helm that would fit me, although I told him I had no intention of getting into any more battles.

He just smiled at me, “Indulge me this, Lady.”

I found I couldn’t resist his request.

We then worked for most of the day helping the villagers rebuild. Aeneas said, “We need to go on our way, Lady. We have no more than a couple of days at best before the current switches. And we do have a deadline to meet.”

“You’re right, Aeneas. Gather the others and we’ll go.”

He smiled, “You’ve been so busy, you wouldn’t have noticed, but they are already prepared, Lady.”

I held up my hands in surrender, “Okay, Okay.”

I made my goodbyes to the villagers, and they said stuff like “Your deeds will live on in song, Lady,” to which I just waved and blushed.

Finally, I boarded the ship.

The last push to the capital of the Empire was on us.