Sword Bearer (Return of the Dragons 1)

She bit her lip, looking embarrassed. “They’re really waiting for you. All of them. And Woltan’s worried you may be weak still.”

“Just give me one minute,” I said, sounding angrier than I’d intended.

“Okay,” she said, biting her lip again, and walked out the door.

I stood up. Unsteady on my feet, I wobbled slightly. The world turned around me.

Great, now I was going to pass out. That would definitely change Kara’s mind about me.

She found me braced against the wall, and helped me stand up straight. I felt energy flow into me again. I couldn’t help scowling — I wanted to push her away, but I needed her. Without her I was afraid I’d fall on my face, make a fool of myself in front of her once again.

“You’re still weak,” Kara said. “You’ve gone through two tests of manhood in less than that many days: first the portal with me, now this proving of the blood here in the old city. That’s enough to exhaust anyone.”

I thought it wasn’t worth pointing out that it was actually three tests, if you counted my sparring with my blademaster. Where was Giancarlo? Suddenly, I missed him fiercely, rubbing my side where Giancarlo had hit me with the flat of his blade. I could have talked to him about Kara. He would have known what to do.

“You must be sore as well as tired.”

I nodded. It wasn’t just my body that hurt, but I didn’t want to talk about that. She could feel it anyhow, I knew that. Maybe I should have appreciated that she was changing the subject and not trying to embarrass me any more. But it still hurt, to keep all the feelings in.

“We still have to go. You’ve slept for a whole day, and sleep will do you no more good now. You need to eat and drink.”

As if ready to agree with her, my stomach growled.

Kara smiled. “I heard that. Sometimes I lose all touch with my body. I think I’m only spirit, aura and essence. But we have to remember, it’s our physical body that feeds the spirit, until the spirit is freed and leaves us forever.”

She smiled again, and pulled at my hand.

I let her lead me away.

Chapter X

We walked down a stone hall and out through a door, out into the open. The sun shone down on us, and it felt good on my face. My skin felt not exactly smooth, but the swelling was gone, for the first time I could remember. Maybe it was the green clay, the running, or the sun that shone down on me, but for once my face felt wonderful under this northern sun.

I had known for ages that it was the same sun that rose in every part of the world.

Now I knew it felt different, depending on where you were.

I had barely traveled before, no farther than Montepulcino and Firenze, but now I was here in this ancient city that had been forgotten by the other peoples of the world.

But not apparently, by the dark lord.

I shivered in the sun, looking down at the magical stone pavement, wondered at the swirling eddies of green and gold. There was so much power here.

But why had the keiler called me Herr?

“Anders! Kara!”

I looked up.

Kalle was walking up to meet us. He came up and greeted me with a slap on the back. I smiled.

How could I feel so bad when I had such kind companions?

“You slept a long time, Anders.”

“I had some strange dreams. I’m tired of sleeping, if that makes sense.”

“I bet you’re hungry,” he said.