The Anialwch Connection
Chapter 17
Celyn watched as Kenyon mounted his equine. The men handed a limp Donte up to Kenyon. Kenyon scooted back and positioned Donte sitting in front of him. Slipping an arm under Donte’s and across his chest, Kenyon gently supported him.
“Celyn, get Donte’s equine and one more. He looked at the men. “Two of you can ride back double. You can pick up the mounts as we release them.”
Celyn mounted and took the lines of Donte’s mount. One of the men handed her the lines of another mount.
Kenyon kicked his equine into a run, taking a direct route to the colony of Nyumbani. Celyn followed, leading the spare equines. There was little time to think as she tried to keep up with Kenyon, but there was one thing that she couldn’t get out of her mind. Donte was in bad shape – so bad that he might die. He couldn’t die, though. He had to fulfill The Prophesy.
They rode until their equines were gasping for breath before Kenyon stopped. He only stopped long enough to change mounts, which was quite an undertaking. Celyn helped him get Donte on the other equine with him. There was a lot of blood – all over the saddle and Kenyon’s clothes. Donte couldn’t keep losing blood that way. Kenyon needed to stop.
But Kenyon didn’t stop until they arrived at a farm. There he got Donte into a wagon and continued with Celyn hanging on to him while Kenyon drove the team into Nyumbani. They went straight to the hospital. People were gathering around. They had probably never seen anyone drive a team of equines through the village that way.
When they got to the hospital, Kenyon began barking orders to everyone, getting Donte out of the wagon and into the hospital. They had a few doctors, but Kenyon asked for and would not settle for anyone but Tabia. No one argued with him and people were jumping to do everything he said. There were two obvious facts. They respected Kenyon and they adored Donte. A few of the nurses were actually crying. Their tears told Celyn that Donte was in even worse condition than she thought.
Tabia rushed Donte into surgery, but Kenyon didn’t wait. There was nothing more he could do. He stopped long enough to tell Celyn what he was doing.
“I’m going to get Dad. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay with him, no matter what. Stay right here in the hospital until I get back.”
As he left the room, a man came in. Kenyon pointed at Celyn. “See that nothing happens to her. I’m depending on you – Purlieu is depending on you.” He hurried out the door.
The man turned to Celyn and held out a hand. “I am Kafil. Tell me what has happened.”
Celyn explained Donte’s condition first and then how it happened. Kafil watched her face as she spoke. Finally, he sat and put his head in his hands. “I should not have asked him to come. This is my fault.”
Celyn felt sorry for him. Donte wouldn’t want anyone to feel this way. “It was no one’s fault – except the raiders, of course. It simply happened. Donte knew the risks involved. I’m sure he would rather it was him than anyone else.”
It seemed like a long time until Tabia returned. They did get the bleeding stopped, but he had lost a lot of blood. He needed blood, but they had none like his. His blood corpuscles were elongated – like that of the camelus.
Celyn caught her breath. Donte said the Anialwch had the blood of the camelus. “I think my blood is like his.”
Tabia looked doubtful. “I have never seen anything like his blood. Still, come and we will check.”
Tabia led Celyn to a little room and drew blood from her arm. After examining it, Tabia agreed that her blood was indeed like Donte’s. “But there won’t be enough, I’m afraid. Donte has a twin sister, doesn’t he?”
Celyn nodded. “I think she’s in Bergen right now. Kenyon went to get Quade.”
Tabia nodded. “I hope he can help, but unless we get blood soon, he may die.”
Celyn gave the maximum amount of blood. Tabia said that would help, and might keep him alive until they could get more blood. Kafil sent someone to intercept Kenyon and tell him that they needed blood like Donte’s. Quade would know where to get that.
When Celyn was allowed to see Donte, they had him strapped down to a bed on his back, with his head down and his feet up. His skin looked sallow and he had dark circles under his eyes. His lips were pale. He looked dead.
Even in his state of near death, Donte was still handsome. If his lips weren’t so well defined, it would have been difficult to determine where they ended and his face began. She always wondered what it would be like to kiss them. He looked different with his eyes closed. She stood over him, staring down at him. He was going to live, of course. He was supposed to exchange vows with her when she turned nineteen, and they were supposed to lead the colonies to freedom. He couldn’t die. He was destined to live.
She touched his bare shoulder. It was cold. “Donte?” He didn’t stir. She took his cold hand and held it in hers. “Donte, can you hear me?” He was deathly still. She slid a chair next to his bed and sat in it. Was he still alive? She watched his chest, barely able to detect any motion. There was nothing she could do now but wait. At least she had been able to give him blood.
Why had the man been aiming at Donte? Did the raiders know they had been there that night? But they hadn’t seen them. It was probably mere coincidence that Donte was the first one they shot; and yet, their attack had been brief; as if their mission had been accomplished – or they were detected and outnumbered.
She had been leaning against a rock, soaring over the camp when she spotted the man. He stood, lifting a bow strung with an arrow. Thinking that it might be a hunter, she flew higher to see what he was aiming at and saw Donte and Kenyon. The arrow arched and came down, striking Donte in the back.
She had lunged out of the vision and jumped up as a musket fired. The man fell from the rocks, but Kenyon was calling to her, pulling Donte behind a rock. More muskets were being fired as she ducked behind the rocks.
Kenyon had begun removing Donte’s shirt and telling people how to help. He sent her for bandages. They didn’t have any bandages, but she had a clean white woven robe in the bed roll behind her saddle. She had ripped it into strips as she ran back to Kenyon.
Then Donte got sick and she had wiped blood from his lips with one of the rags. His face was almost white and even his lips were pale, as they were now.
She felt a little light headed, so she sat in the chair and leaned her head back against the wall. Donte would live. He had to.
***
Akira was having her morning meal with Quade when someone pounded on their door. Emergencies were not an uncommon occurrence. While Quade answered the door, she went to his office to get his satchel. It didn’t look like it was going to be a quiet day off. When she returned, Quade was more agitated than she had ever seen him.
“It’s Donte. Kenyon is in Playa. Donte has been badly wounded in Nyumbani. We’ve got to go now.” He grabbed the bag and they hurried to the tram station. The tram hadn’t arrived yet, which was a good thing in a way. It gave Quade the time to plan ahead. He sent an urgent message to Donica, telling her that Donte might need blood and to meet them at the station in Libertad. As an afterthought, he sent a message to Beier, advising him of the situation.
Kenyon had been training with Quade and Akira to be a doctor. He was a natural. He was quick to learn and his temperament was much like Quade’s. He didn’t get distracted or panic. When they were in an emergency situation, he kept his head and remembered what he had been taught. If Kenyon said Donte was badly wounded, she had no doubt that it was a critical situation. He wouldn’t have come to get Quade unless he thought Donte needed more help than he was currently receiving – or that he might not live.
When the Playa tram arrived, Quade held it until the tram from Bergen arrived. Beier must have put things into action, because the tram from Bergen arrived over an hour ahead of schedule. Both Donica and Rianne were on the tram. Rianne had Andras with her, but Tavin and Petra had been left with Saskia. Donte probably wouldn’t like the idea of Andras and Rianne traveling to Nyumbani, but neither Quade nor Akira wanted to take on the task of telling her. Rianne would likely insist on going, and she couldn’t leave Andras behind, because she was still nursing him. Donica would probably help her with Andras.
The tram didn’t make any stops until it got to Playa that evening. Kenyon was waiting for them and a ship was ready to take them to Nyumbani.
“How is Donte?” Quade began questioning Kenyon as soon as they got off the tram.
Kenyon shook his head. “I don’t know. I came to get you as soon as Donte was in the hands of a doctor. He’s in bad shape – worse than I’ve ever seen. He lost a lot of blood.” He glanced at Rianne and lowered his voice. “I don’t know if he’s still alive.”
Quade grimaced, but said nothing.
On the ship, Kenyon explained what happened and what he had done to doctor Donte before he took him to the hospital. “I knew it wasn’t good to ride with him that way, but I knew he wasn’t going to live if I waited for someone to come to him. He vomited blood.”
Kenyon closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I talked him into going there and then I...let him get shot.” His voice broke.
A lump formed in Akira’s throat. She looked up at Quade. He looked like he, too, wanted to cry. Before either of them could get composed, Rianne stepped forward and hugged Kenyon.
“Don’t blame yourself, Kenyon. Donte wanted to go. He knew it was dangerous. There was nothing more you could have done. I’m glad you were there to help him.”
Kenyon hugged her, tears running down his cheeks. “He said he had a bad feeling about the trip.”
Quade put an arm around Kenyon’s shoulders. “It sounds to me like you did everything you possibly could. Donte is strong and you gave him a chance.”
They arrived in Nyumbani in the middle of the night and went straight to the hospital. Donte was still alive – barely. Akira watched Quade as he approached Donte. He looked down at Donte laying there so white and still. A single word escaped his lips in an agonized whisper. “Donte.”
Akira couldn’t imagine what it must be like to lose a son twice. Donte had already come back from the dead once for Quade. They had received the letter from Donte saying that he would be executed the next morning, yet he had escaped and come home. Here he was, back in Nyumbani at death’s door again years later.
Tabia immediately took Donica back to get blood. Rianne wanted to give blood, but Quade told her to wait. They might not need it. He probably meant that Donte might die anyway, but the way he said it, Rianne appeared to take it that he might get better. It was difficult to know what was on Rianne’s mind. Rianne was so composed all the time that reading her emotions was impossible.
Tabia said the arrow had gone through Donte’s back, barely missing his kidney, plunged through the edge of his liver before it creased his stomach. The injuries to his organs were not as threatening as the loss of blood. Donte had significant internal bleeding by the time he reached the hospital. Quade said that removing the arrow before the ride certainly prevented further damage. The ride didn’t do him any good, but there wasn’t a better solution. He would have died if Kenyon had left him there and gone for help. Both Quade and Tabia thought his chance of survival with the blood he received from Donica was much better since he had hung on so long already.
Akira and Quade slept in shifts, with someone watching Donte all the time. Rianne rarely left his side, dozing in the chair. Donica occasionally relieved Rianne of the responsibility of Andras. He was such a sweet happy baby, rarely fussing. He was probably a comfort to Rianne right now. Certainly, he was a positive distraction for both Rianne and Donica.
By morning, Donte’s color was better. He was improving. If he didn’t develop an infection, he would probably survive. That good news led to a lot of relieved expressions. Akira was surprised at the number of concerned visitors Donte had. Kenyon had told Donte that the people of Nyumbani adored him. It wasn’t that she doubted Kenyon’s claim; she was merely surprised by the magnitude. Where were all these people when Donte faced the possibility of execution and the reality of banishment? It reminded her of the fact that most of Lochfowk wanted to release the captives, but no one had lifted a voice in protest. Quade had once compared Lochfowk to Nyumbani. At the time she had been shocked, but she was learning more about why he was correct. It wasn’t a pretty picture.
***
Donica had tried to talk Rianne out of coming, but she had been determined. In a way, she couldn’t blame her. If Donte was dying, of course Rianne would want to be at his side. Even under the extreme situation, Rianne didn’t get hysterical. She was obviously apprehensive, but in control. In fact, it had been Rianne who had consoled Donica. Rianne’s composure was reassuring, though Donica had no idea how Rianne did it.
Quade, who normally remained composed in an emergency, had been visibly shaken. It was one thing to remain composed when he could do something; quite another to remain composed when he couldn’t. He knew that Donte’s life might depend on how quickly they could get to him.
When Donica first saw Donte, she thought he was dead. Maybe Quade did too, because the first thing he did was check his pulse. Rianne watched him with an anxious expression. Fortunately, Andras was asleep in her arms. Donte was still alive, but that could change in the absence of a heartbeat.
Like Quade, Akira was composed. Of course, she had no ties with Donte other than the fact that he was Quade’s son. Did nurses stay composed because they had been trained to do so, or were people who remained composed in an emergency simply drawn to medicine? Whatever the case, it was soothing to have people like them around when life got chaotic.
It was no surprise to Donica that the people of Nyumbani were fond of Donte. Everyone loved Donte. Kafil was visiting again when Adriaan arrived.
Quade extended a palm to him. “Commander Adriaan. What are you doing here on Purlieu?”
Adriaan gripped Quade’s arm. “I received confirmation of Donte as the ruler of Bergen. I questioned why it required a second vote. During the conversation with the cabinet, I discovered that an assassination attempt had been made on Donte. When I tried to contact other commanders, I discovered they were here in Nyumbani and Donte was not expected to live.”
He moved over to Donte and looked down at him. “How is he doing? I brought a doctor from the Moeder. We have a shuttle near the dock.”
Quade explained Donte’s condition. “Of course, any help is appreciated, but I think it is best not to move him right now. We have given him blood. That has been the biggest challenge.”
Adriaan nodded. “I can see how that would be an issue. If he is improving, we should probably wait and see.” His gaze lifted to Quade. “I understand we have a problem with some rebels.”
Quade explained the circumstances. His expression indicated he was confused by Adriaan’s interest in the situation.
When he finished explaining, Adriaan nodded. “I am considering an air strike.”
Kafil and Kenyon looked at each other, obviously alarmed. Kafil turned to Adriaan.
“We could not permit that.”
Kenyon and Quade looked at Kafil with surprised expressions.
Adriaan’s cool gaze landed on Kafil. “It is not your decision, but mine. Do you represent Halisi?”
Kafil’s dark skin flushed a rosy color. “No...Monomi…I…She is not available at the moment.”
Adriaan’s brows lifted. His gaze touched each of the others. “Why not? Everyone else found the time.”
Kenyon was the one who brought sanity to the situation. “With all due respect, Monomi, Donte is concerned that there may be women and children living with the raiders.”
Adriaan looked at Kenyon. “It is a good argument against an air strike and I will take it into consideration.” His gaze returned to Donte. “I want to send a strong signal. Anyone who threatens him will answer to me.” His gaze lifted to Kafil and his voice hardened. “This is the second attempt on his life. I will not tolerate such disrespect of my commanders.”
Quade spoke. “Monomi, I assure you that everyone in this room has the greatest respect for Donte.”
Adriaan riveted his gaze on Quade, but he didn’t flinch. Finally, Adriaan smiled. “All right Quade. Donte’s enemies are out there in the rocks. Thank you for putting it into perspective for me.”
Donica looked down, suppressing a smile. Quade’s response reminded her of Donte. It wasn’t totally a product of Donte learning from his father. They both had the same kind of temperament. They were kind and thoughtful, but capable of defending themselves and others when pushed.
Adriaan stood for a moment, looking down at Donte. “When he awakens, I want to talk to him.” He shook his head. “We must do a better job of protecting him.” He looked at Celyn. “And her. Our freedom depends on it.”
He turned from Donte and reached a hand out to Kenyon. “I have heard many good things about you. How did I let you slip through my ranks?”
Kenyon shrugged. “I was young and inexperienced.”
Adriaan nodded. “Possibly.” His gaze shifted to Kafil. “If you will take me to see her, I would like to discuss this situation with Halisi.”
Donica watched as they left the room. Hopefully Halisi would get the lecture she deserved for refusing to let Donte see his son. Of course, if Adriaan was going to lecture her, it would be about the situation of the raiders – rebels, as he called them. Donica had a feeling that things were about to get much better now that Donte had been confirmed as ruler. She would like to have seen Beier’s face when they told him. He might have other people believing that he supported Donte, but she didn’t believe it. Beier wanted to be ruler. She was certain that he had widened the rift between Donte and Pieter, seeding doubts about Donte’s intent. Indirectly, he had caused the assassination attempt on Donte. She didn’t believe Beier wanted that to happen. He liked Donte and he wouldn’t want any harm to come to him, but he would have benefited from his death. Some things Beier had said indicated he didn’t believe in The Prophesy. Neither did Chait, but he had never tried to pit Pieter against Donte. Rianne had cautioned Beier about saying things to Pieter that might start trouble between them. She didn’t think it was Beier’s intent to undermine Donte. Rianne said Beier admired and respected Donte. That might be true enough, but that didn’t mean that he would turn down the position of second if Donte offered it. He hadn’t, but all that was between Beier and Donte.
Adriaan stopped beside Rianne on his way out and leaned down. “This is the newest addition?”
Rianne turned Andras around so that Adriaan could look at him. Adrianne grinned. “He looks like his daddy.” He straightened and sobered. With one last look at Donte, he squeezed Rianne’s shoulder. “He will recover and be better than ever.”
Without further comment, he left the room.
Soft Science Fiction
