Chapter Nineteen

 

The entire journey had taken about eight hours by the time the three boys vaulted into the healing facility. The healer was standing in the middle of lobby area and raised his arm to stop the them from rushing into Rory's room.

 

"I'm sorry boys, I'm so sorry," he said, his face grey with worry.

 

"Sorry about what?" Sayer screamed.

 

"The boy stopped breathing about two minutes ago. There was nothing I could do. I have sent for the Doyen."

 

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!" Talen yelled in anguish racing into Rory's room. Sayer and Hunter followed on his heels.

 

"Breath into his mouth Talen!" Hunter commanded. "Like kissing him except force your breath into him and let it go. Do it again and again. Breathe for him!"

 

"Pull his pants down, Sayer," Hunter continued.

 

Sayer asked no questions and reacted immediately. Hunter followed Dr. Harlow's instructions precisely for filling the needle, then he jabbed it into Rory's butt cheek and depressed the syringe. He thought he saw a momentary wince on Rory's face as Talen breathed into his best friend, a friend he wanted to kiss more than anyone in the world right now and he wanted the kiss to be returned.

 

"He's trying to hang on guys," Talen said between breaths. "He says he can't breathe and he doesn't want to go to the light. I don't know what he's talking about."

 

Talen went silent, his eyes lost focus as if he was in a trance. He quit breathing into Rory's mouth, pulled a chair up next to the bed, closed his eyes, held Rory's hand and immediately Rory's chest began to move, at first slowly then a rhythm began, shallow then deeper. His face turned from ashen to almost normal, eyes fluttered and a calm smile came over his face.

 

"What the shit is going on?" Sayer asked, looking at Hunter.

 

"I don't know? That stuff doesn't work that fast I know. It can take a day or more from when I have had to take it. And he has to take the pills, too."

 

Talen smiled serenely. "It can take a month," he said. "I'll be right here. I don't know what happened but we can talk like you guys and I can control. I'm his breath now. I'm his breath until he can do it on his own. Just leave me here with him. Don't let anyone break me from concentrating on his breathing, guys. He doesn't have to die and he doesn't want to."

 

"You think Talen can talk telepathically to Rory now?" Hunter thought at Sayer.

 

"I don't know but it sure looks like it and he can control too, it seems."

 

"You're damned right I can! And I can talk to you guys too so get your asses out of here and let me keep Rory alive. I bet the Doyen will be furious and I don't want him in here in that condition. Let me focus!" Talen ordered then turned his gaze lovingly on his best friend and closed his eyes again.

 

Sayer and Hunter left the room and wandered almost in a daze into the lobby area. The Healer was still there, shaking his head.

 

"He's going to be okay," Sayer announced. "You did a great job, sir. He started breathing again because he is with Talen. They have a strong bond. Just let them be alone, please."

 

The Healer wanted to go back in to confirm, but for some reason changed his mind. He looked relieved as he had apparently been informed by the Doyen of the vital importance of the boy he had tried to cure.

 

"No one has ever come back like that," he said. "But if it had to happen to someone, I guess this was the person who needed it most. The Doyen has been summoned. I should tell you that he was very angry that the three of you left."

 

"It's okay," Hunter said. "We will take whatever punishment he wants to keep Rory alive."

 

Within minutes, the door flew open and Doyen Parfell swooped into the room. He opened his mouth to speak but it was obvious he was speechless being overwhelmed with relief that the boys had returned, yet angry that they had left together in the first place.

 

"We have to keep all of this controlling and telepathy still secret if we can," Sayer thought to Hunter.

 

"Yeah if we can and keep him away from Talen too."

 

The Doyen just stared at them before finally organizing his thoughts for speech.

 

"He's going to be okay," Sayer said before Parfell could speak.

 

"What?!" the headmaster said angrily.

 

"He's going to be alright. We got the medicine. Rory stopped breathing but when Talen held his hand, he started again," Sayer responded.

 

The Doyen took a deep breath, blew it out and then sighed. "I don't know whether to be so furious I could banish all three of you or so grateful I could hug you," he said.

 

"I think we'd go with the hugs, Doyen," Hunter said with a weary smile.

 

"The Healer sent word to me that Rory had stopped breathing and you had not returned. I was on my way here when the second messenger arrived to say you were back and now you tell me he will be okay? What miracle did you perform?"

 

"It is a miracle, sir. It's more than the medicine we brought back. He wasn't breathing for over a minute, I guess, or more."

 

The healer nodded in agreement.

 

"But you know the bond between us is strong, sir. The strength of it between Sayer and me is equaled by Talen and Rory's. I gave the medicine to Rory as soon as we got here but it can take days to work. Talen breathed into Rory's mouth and held his hand. I think it was enough to make Rory fight to live. If Talen remains with Rory until the medicine begins to work, I think he will survive," Hunter said.

 

"Love can be the most powerful medicine," the Doyen said and embraced both of the boys.

 

Sayer and Hunter both blushed but they knew it was obvious that the bond they shared was fastened by love.

 

"So, what do we do now?" the Doyen asked.

 

"I think it would be best if Talen stayed with Rory at least until he is awake," Sayer said. "And with your permission, we would like to stay here in Lorenwood until the four of us are ready to return."

 

"All of you have been remarkable in the speed you have acquired your bolts, even the secret bolt of blocking. I suspect there are things that you are not telling me and I will honor my promise not to ride any of you. I am not sure that I would be able to now anyway. Where will you stay?"

 

"We'll stay with my mother," Sayer responded. "But I think we'll be here most of the time until we can talk to Rory."

 

"Please keep me informed as to his progress then," Parfell said. "I will return to the fen and announce the good news." Without asking to see Rory, the old man turned and left the building.

 

"That was easier than I thought," Hunter thought to Sayer.

 

"I think it was too easy. The Doyen will have his eyes and ears on us all the while we are here."

 

"I guess, but right now I don't care. Talen is control-riding Rory, breathing for him. That is going to be exhausting. I think he will soon agree that we all rotate until Rory is breathing on his own."

 

Sayer's mother, Jaynor, was overjoyed to have Sayer and Hunter staying for awhile. She was not happy about the circumstances but she so rarely got to see her son, any excuse short of tragedy was welcome. Once again, Hunter found himself in Sayer's brother's bed with Sayer in the other. Both boys had found peaceful relief from the trials of the Fen and Rory's brush with death. Neither of them had left Talen and Rory for more than a moment during the last two days so a night in a bed was welcome. Rory had begun breathing on his own about mid-day and was fully awake shortly before dusk.

 

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"You guys saved me," he had said softly when Talen had finished telling the tale of their journey to Hunter's parallel. "I love you guys."

 

"It's been the four of us since the day we met," Sayer said. "We weren't going to let that number change."

 

Sayer had taken just enough time away to explain the circumstances to his mother before returning to the healing facility. Within an hour, Jaynor arrived with her hearty stew for all of them, with crusty bread and drinks. Tonight, Rory was eager to take food, which was a definite sign of his improvement.

 

"You guys go back to Sayer's." Talen suggested. "Rory is doing well and I have told the healer that I will stay with him through the night."

 

"In other words," Hunter thought at Talen, "You want us to leave you two alone so you can breathe in his mouth again!"

 

"You're damned right and you guys could use some time for yourselves too," Talen grinned.

 

"What are you guys talking about?" Rory asked in thought.

 

"Pandor's shit!" Sayer exclaimed out loud. "You can telepath now, Rory?"

 

"Did I just do that?" Rory thought.

 

"Well can you ..." "Did you just ride what..." "Talen did you do that?" What am I thinking, Rory?"

 

"Whoa, whoa, hang on guys. One at time. I can ride you all and respond, I guess. I don't know how it happened."

 

At that moment, the door opened and a thin, tall elder stood in the doorway with Rory's mother. His hair was tangled, his clothes wrinkled; a long grey beard hung from his chin.

 

Sayer's eyes widened and then he bowed slightly. "You are welcome here, Elder Fellsmane."

 

Rory tried to lift himself from the bed but collapsed weakly back. Rory's mother rushed to his side, relieved that her son was going to survive. Talen bowed deeply although he did not know why.

 

"I'm Hunter. I have heard of you, sir," he said also bowing.

 

"I know of you all," the elder said softly, his words floating like music. He regarded the four young teens intently for a minute, collecting his thoughts. At length he spoke again. "You have done the impossible yet the impossible lies ahead. I ask that you join me when Rory is fit. Begin your journey to me as soon as possible. When the four of you leave this building together, you will know the way. You will not need the pathminder even though the journey is beyond the walls of Lorenwood."

 

"As you wish," Sayer responded, never questioning that when the time to find the old man came, they would not become lost.

 

"There is a book sir," Rory said weakly.

 

"Ah, then the lore may be confirmed," the old man sighed. "Please, bring it with you." He bowed to the boys, then turned and left.

 

Hunter had been so caught up in trying to save Rory and all of the chaos surrounding the entire experience, he never really thought to ask about Fellsmane.

 

"Who is that guy?" he asked Rory's mother in his normal blunt fashion.

 

"Please call me Alys," she responded. "Fellsmane is the last lore-master left. I know that Rory has told me of the lore classes you all have to take but no one possessed the knowledge or skills or secrets that Fellsmane has."

 

Alys looked at Rory with relief but with obvious worry as well. "When Rory was born, Fellsmane visited me shortly afterwards. I had never met him but, for some reason, I felt completely safe and protected with him. He told me he felt that Rory had the gift to be a great lore-master himself. How he could know this by visiting a baby, I don't know, but I believed him. After that first meeting, it seemed natural that he would check in on Rory and me. I was always pleased to have his company and help him with anything he needed from Lorenwood."

 

"Everyone has said that Rory would be a lore expert," Talen said. "Guess they are right."

 

"What the hell does knowing dusty old history have to do with what we are doing?" Sayer asked. He was not a big fan of lore classes.

 

"The past influences the future," Rory said softly. "And it appears we all have a part to fill in that future the way things are going."

 

"Definitely a future lore-master," Talen laughed. "Think it's time to let him regain his strength now."