The Girl with Red Hair and Sapphire Eyes Part 3

Xalay was laying on the medical table, listening to the words of the Paelana nurse, Sarandin. Lycius was losing his patience. His healer - his BEST healer, was refusing to give medical help to his best friend. What could she possibly be risking? "What are you talking about, Sarandin?" Xalay held out her hand, palm up and whispered, "Sarandin, stand up. There's no need for you to bow to me. We are but women, regardless of where we come from."

Sarandin looked into Xalay's eyes, "You haven't told him," she whispered. Xalay shook her head no. Sarandin mumbled to herself, "That makes sense. You wouldn't have." Lycius was now fed up, "EXPLAIN!" Sarandin rose and walked over to a cupboard pulling out a linen cloth, while unfolding it she began, "You're friend belongs to the Wai." Lycius growled, "I know that." Sarandin took a deep breath, "But what you don't know is that she's a prophet. She is bound by certain oaths; she cannot accept potions, or any kind of magic healing without forfeiting her position and her power. At best, I can clean her wounds, do natural remedy, and wrap them to stall the bleeding. The rest will be up to her."

Lycius looked at Xalay in disbelief, "That's impossible. How could you not tell me something like that, Xalay. That's a pretty big omission between friends as close as us." Sarandin quietly interjected, "Again, sorry to interrupt, but she wouldn't have told you, or any other for that matter. Wai prophets can't proclaim themselves, their gift must be proven and claimed by another."

Lycius shook his head in disbelief, "You still could have told me." Xalay who had been strangely quiet before scoffed, "just like you could have told me about the girls? Since this obviously isn't the first time." He sighed, "You weren't supposed to..." Xalay interjected, "find out?" He turned his back to her, "You weren't supposed to get hurt. This was never supposed to happen to you." Xalay continued, "I wasn't supposed to find out."

There was an awkward silence in the room. Sarandin covered Xalay with the linen cloth, and then began to work on individual wounds, cleaning and dressing them. "Lycius, I'm not judging you. This is something that I don't necessarily agree with, but I understand that men in your position, in this society, take part in it. I understand that. But please don't judge me for keeping my beliefs and my position to myself, considering you are guilty of the same thing." At that moment a large sigh exhaled from Xalay, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell back onto the table. Lycius turned, and ran to Xalay's side. "Sarandin, what's wrong with her?" Sarandin examined Xalay closely, opening her eyes and peering at the pupils, listening to her breathing, and setting her ear to Xalay's chest listening for a heart beat. It was weak. Sarandin looked up at Lycius, "She's lost a lot of blood. The best thing for her right now would be to rest. Give her body the chance to recooperate what its lost. In a few hours we should wake her and make her eat and drink."

Lycius' eyes narrowed while staring into Sarandin's black ones, "She's not going to die."

Through all of this Marcus had stood by the door listening quietly, observing. Now he stepped forward, approaching his friend. "Would you like me to take her to the guest room?" Lycius nodded.

Marcus walked over to the table, and gently lifted Xalay's motionless figure. He was surprised at how light her frame actually was, and couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with the loss of blood. The guest room Marcus had been referring to was just down the hallway, and quite close to Lycius' quarters. But he had a feeling Lycius' bed would stay empty tonight. He entered the room, and a maid servant with curly black hair and brown eyes named Candace was waiting. She pulled down the covers of the bed, and fluffed the pillows. Marcus laid her down. In the candlelight of the chandelier Xalay was a pale angel. Candace pulled the covers up and then turned her gaze to Marcus. "Is there anything I can get for you, sir?" Marcus mumbled, "A brandy." The maidservant bowed and left to get the drink.

Marcus sighed and whispered her name, "Xalay."

In the medical room, Sarandin was cleaning up the bloodied mess left behind. Lycius walked up to her and put his hand on her arm. She stopped abruptly not ever being able to remember a time when he had touched her. She slowly turned her head to her master. Lycius' face was serious and set like stone, "How did you know about her?" Sarandin responded without hesitance, "You have me on your staff because I am the best. How can I be the best if I don't know the history of the people who frequent your compound? I've investigated all of the major players of your staff including your officers, and I extended that net to your close friends. And today was the day it became a necessary thing."

Lycius responded, "How did you know she was Wai when I never mentioned it?" Sarandin said, "The mark on her back. I have known Wai followers before. When I saw the mark on her back and the color of the center stone, I knew she was a prophet. I did the rest of my research from that."

Lycius looked into her black eyes earnestly, "Tell me what you know." Sarandin sighed, "I've told you most of everything I've uncovered on her already. The remaining pieces lie with her actual position as prophet. Most are not deemed prophets until after they come of age at 17. Most are not given the mark until they come of age at 17. Xalay was different. From the age of 7 she begged her mother to allow her to get the mark." Lycius interrupted, "The mark is the tattoo on her back right?" Sarandin nodded, "Yes. Once the tattoo is placed, the leading priest prays over the individual and blesses them. Within 30 days the center stone of the tattoo will change color. Depending what the color is that is the symbol of the gift or the position the person has been given in the Wai. Prophets are rare. What is even more rare is that the prophet color appeared on your friend's back within moments of the tattoo's completion."

"What does that mean," asked Lycius. Your friend possesses a lot of power. She is capable of healing abilities herself. Some of the stories I've heard is that she simply walked through a crowd of people that were waiting to be prayed for to get healing. And without a single word said, she healed them all.

Lycius walked into Xalay's room, nodded at Marcus and then sat on the edge of the bed looking at Xalay. He bent over her, whispering into her ear, "I knew there was something about you. And yet you would never tell me what it was." He kissed her on the forehead. Lycius looked up at Marcus, "So me a favor, Marcus. Have a couple of the men follow Sarandin, discreetly. No one else is to know." Marcus replied, "Alright." Lycius looked back down at Xalay and said, "Now, go home to your wife. I'll stay with Xalay tonight." Marcus nodded and left the room.

Now they were alone. He took off his outer jacket, and long pants. Dressed in a sleeveless shirt and baggy white knee length trousers, he climbed onto the bed next to her, carefully lifted her head, and cradled it in his arm. He laid down, and closed his eyes. Candace quietly crept into the room, blew out the candles, and turned off the chandelier's gas lamps. She left the room and made her way back to her own quarters.

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