Season 2: Episode 2 – The Poisoned Story

This series contains mature themes and is intended for adult listeners.

>Begin Porta Cor imprint.<

I was ordered to deliver Bryn her breakfast this morning after her regular server ended up sick. Sick from the drops I put in her drink last night, but it worked.

If the guards discover what I did, neither of us will live long enough to regret it.

She didn’t even recognize me until I was right in front of her, holding out the tray, and our eyes locked on each other.

She took the tray from me and smiled ever so slightly. She looked pale and thinner than I remembered.

At least I managed to bring her a couple of forms of sustenance today.

I’m on break right now, so let me continue recording my memory of our time in Che’el de Velg’lan.

After Awyr spoke with me, she walked me back to the suite where I would stay. She stopped outside the main door.

“I had you, Bryn, and Kylah sharing this suite, but given what I’ve just told you, I will move her.”

I raised my hand and shook my head. “No. Keep her here for now.”

Awyr looked at me intently. “Dahlfia, I’ve fought both of you in the arena. She’s a much better fighter than you are.”

I know she didn’t mean it as an insult, but it stung a little anyway.

“I don’t think it will come to that. Not with you here.” Awyr never lost a competitive fight to anyone, not even Kylah, who was a champion in her own right. “I think it’s better to keep her close so I can watch what she says, what she does, how she acts around Bryn. You could watch her comings and goings from here, I’m sure.”

Awyr smirked. “Of course. I will be close just in case, Dahlfia.”

I started to shrug it off, but she stopped me, putting her hands on my shoulders.

“These reports are pouring in from more than one source, Dahlfia. I’m serious. You need to be careful.”

“I will be.”

I opened the door to the suite and stepped inside.

Bryn sat on the couch and looked up at me when I entered. A healer was sitting near her, and Bryn had a small cup in her hand.

Her light blue eyes met mine, and I felt my eyes soften instinctively at her.

“Bryn.”

I moved over to sit next to her on the couch and took her hands in mine.

The healer slid over to another part of the couch, taking the drink from Bryn.

Bryn reached for me with both arms. Tears began to flood her face, and I embraced her as tightly as she needed.

“I’m here,” I told her as I held her. The healer must have given her something for the shock. Now the grief was free to come. I held her for about twenty minutes while she sobbed.

The healer had left the main room and disappeared into one of the other rooms in our suite. She reappeared as Bryn sat up and wiped her eyes with a cloth that I handed to her.

The healer stopped in front of me, “I have left some pills beside Bryn’s bedside for tonight before she sleeps. I also have some for Kylah. They should both stay hydrated. Kylah’s wounds have all been cleaned, dressed, and bound. She recovers, but please try to limit her movements.”

At that, Kylah came out of the bedroom with her torso heavily wrapped, along with several places along her right arm and one on her left shoulder. “Limit me, my ass,” she snarled. And she sat down in a chair across from us on the couch.

I nodded to the healer. “I will do my best. Thank you.”

The healer glanced once more toward Kylah before leaving, her expression carefully neutral, though I could not tell if it was caution or curiosity.

The healer said she’d be back in the morning to check on them and then left our suite.

Bryn smiled softly at Kylah. It was the first time they had seen each other since that awful afternoon. Kylah looked back for a moment but looked away quickly and stood up again as if restless.

“Kylah, you’re going to open your wounds again if you don’t settle down.” I urged.

Bryn watched her a moment and then whispered to me as Kylah moved off into the kitchen, “Leave her be. I cannot imagine what she’s gone through. She not only saw the slaughter of my family but her own as well.”

I bit my lower lip a little, and Bryn’s eyes narrowed. “There’s something you’re not telling me, Dahlfia.”

“We can discuss later.” I nodded to the kitchen area where Kylah was.

Bryn nodded back, looking worried. “You have enough to deal with right now,” I added.

“So much.” She agreed. “What is happening out there? Have you heard?”

Bryn was coming back. She was still shaken, and the days coming would be really hard on her, but her natural leadership instinct returned.

“Awyr said we’ve lost a good number of communities, but some are standing strong and still with us. All is not lost, and that is the important thing.”

I stood up, moved over to a table with a pitcher of water, poured Bryn a glass, handed it to her, and poured myself a glass. “I had her send word out to any of the communities that had not fallen to send their leadership here if not already. All the Councilors left on our side from Teithia are here, including some of the fallen communities. Council Myr arrived with us.”

“I don’t understand why Awyr would open up her community to us,” Bryn said, obviously bewildered.

I shrugged a little as I took a sip and then said, “She never liked Mallaidh. They had a falling-out years ago when Mallaidh left Che’el de Velg’lan. I don’t know the whole story.” Then I smiled, “But Awyr does like me. So, you’re welcome.” I bowed graciously.

Kylah came back through from the kitchen, “I’m going to check on Oswalt.” She didn’t even pause to look at us or wait for a response.

“Kylah, I….” I never got the rest of the warning out to tell her to rest before the door snapped shut with her exit.

I exhaled deeply.

“Dahlfia Dewr, tell me right now what is going on with Kylah,” Bryn demanded.

“Even when you’re trying to be firm, you sound polite.” I marveled at her.

“Stop making fun of me and tell me.” She pleaded.

“I’m not making fun of you. I’m complimenting you. I don’t know anyone who is genuinely so polite. It’s refreshing.” I sighed, “But yes, I need to tell you information that has surfaced about Kylah.”

I took another sip of water and sat back down next to her again. “Awyr has received reports that Kylah helped dump unwanted humans in Teithia.”

Bryn shrugged, “It is no secret that Kylah disliked humans being here from the start, and she told me of some of her activities. I’m not surprised.”

“She was also seen conversing with known Mallaidh supporters just before the fall.” I paused a moment to give her time to process, but a sharp knock on the door made Bryn jump a little.

I stood up and went to the door to find Awyr there, and I opened it, and she slid into the main room with us.

“I came here right away.” There was a sense of urgency, though her usual stoicism remained. “Velg’lan observers in Teithia are sending reports.”

Her gaze shifted from me to Bryn. “The reports claim that Kylah was placed in your household intentionally to ensure your family did not survive the attack.”

Bryn blurted out, “That’s impossible! I asked her myself to stay the night before.”

“But someone wants us to believe it,” I responded dryly.

Awyr looked from Bryn back to me and nodded, “They’re doing a very good job. The noise is deafening.”

Bryn exhaled deeply and looked up at the ceiling.

Later that afternoon, Kylah returned. Bryn was reviewing intelligence reports on Mallaidh’s movements in Teithia, and I was working through the structure of the new council she had proposed for our side, untangling the logistics of some of her requirements.

We both paused and looked up from our work, but Kylah did not look at us and kept walking toward her room.

Bryn called out after her, “Kylah, can you come here and sit by me, please?”

Kylah lingered in her open doorway for a moment before turning and coming back to the main room. Bryn put her papers on the table and motioned a space next to her on the couch for Kylah. I pretended to read and write on my papers.

“Oswalt is doing well,” Kylah said, sitting where Bryn indicated but keeping her distance. “He said to tell you all hello, and he’ll bring some reports of his own up to you this evening after he double-checks all the information.”

Bryn nodded and smiled gently, “Thank you. It’s good to know he’s also trying to pick up the pieces. I worry about him. He’s always been so emotional anyway. I appreciate you checking on him.”

Kylah shrugged off the thanks and looked anywhere but at Bryn.

“I want to talk to you about reports that are being received, as some of them pertain to you,” Bryn said calmly and clearly.

Kylah didn’t respond or look at Bryn still.

Bryn continued, “First, there are reports you were seen dumping humans in Teithia.” She paused and then took Kylah’s hand gently in hers. “You already tried to tell me the night before we fled that you were involved in something like that, so I’m not surprised or shocked. We were all confused in that world. I’m not saying you did or didn’t do anything like that, but if you did, I am also not condemning you.”

Kylah tried to brush Bryn’s hand off of her and stand up, but Bryn held steady – gentle but steady.

“I want you to listen to me fully, Kylah. You need to know what’s being said, whether it is true or not.” Kylah was still tense but remained seated.

“They said you were seen with Mallaidh supporters before the fall, but I clearly remember you talking to some on the streets when we walked into town one afternoon with Afanen. So again, I’m not shocked or saying you were a sympathizer with them or not.”

Bryn paused again. Her emotional cues in dealing with Kylah were so superior, one might suppose Bryn was Croen Glas instead of Croen Llwyd. If I had delivered this news in my own style, Kylah would have bolted rather than stayed.

“Finally, there are reports that you were sent to…” and I could tell it was hard for Bryn to speak these words out loud, “…kill my family.” Kylah started to jerk away again and succeeded this time, standing up with her back to Bryn and me, now facing the wall.

Bryn sat up on the edge of her seat as if to rise but didn’t. “Kylah, I know you would not do that. I know you would not do that to me, and I especially know you would not have done that to Afanen. I know you better than these reports know you.”

Kylah remained unmoving as the silence lingered.

“Kylah, I wanted you to be prepared, as Awyr mentioned, these reports are circulating not just in Teithia but here in Che’el de Velg’lan. I want you to be careful and stay with us as much as possible.”

Kylah remained frozen a minute more and said, “Okay,” before she strode off to her room and closed the door behind her.

Bryn sat back and looked as though she might cry again.

I got up and brought her over a rather strong drink, and she sipped it gratefully. “I know that was difficult for you, but it needed to be done.”

Bryn nodded, “And it needed to be done by me.”

At that moment, a knock came again at the door, and I opened it. Once again, it was Awyr. She stepped inside, and I closed the door behind her. “The reports are spreading faster than I can control. This liability will rot your new council before it even begins.”

>End Porta Cor imprint.<