Read Online Clearwater Dawn by Scott Fitzgerald Gray - Free Book Online

from across Brandishear and all the Ilmar by day, deserted now.
    Where Chriani dropped, the telltale red marks were slightly elongated, still wet against his fingers. Someone bleeding as they moved.
    He tried to judge which way the injured runner had come, had to half-guess as he took the corridor to the left, following the trace pattern where it scattered to the shadows. He was silent as he slipped through the cover of wide columns to either side of the hall, the gallery corridors lined with the busts of Chanist’s father, brother, and sister. His uncles and grandfathers who had been the Imperial regents before the prince’s crown had been reclaimed.
    He saw Barien’s body then.
    Where a pool of blood spread past the warrior where he’d fallen, Chriani recognized the cloak and riding gear even before he was close enough to recognize the features of the pale face. As he ran to drop on the slick-wet floor at Barien’s side, the sword rang out where it fell forgotten behind him. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe. He saw Barien’s chest slowly rise, heard ragged breath sounds echo wetly in the stillness.
    His heart in his throat, he managed to call the warrior’s name, a sudden flinch telling him that Barien had heard. But as the warrior’s arm came up, Chriani saw the wound. A twisted slash across shoulder and chest, hacking through leather and muscle and bone at once. A short blade, spiked and curved from the way the flesh had been torn. Chriani had to close his eyes, tried not to think.
    “You’re going to be all right,” Chriani whispered. “You need a healer,” he said. “I have to find…”
    And with a speed that belied his wounds, the warrior seized Chriani’s arm, held it in a grip like steel.
    “Princess…”
    Where he clutched at Chriani, Barien’s eyes were wide like a cat’s, staring past him.
    “Is she safe? Princess?”
    Chriani nodded, realized stupidly that Barien couldn’t see him.
    “She is safe. I was with her, then Ashlund came.”
    He struggled to pry the thick fingers from his arm, but he might as well have tried to bend horseshoes with his bare hands. Barien pulled him closer, a spray of blood where he coughed catching Chriani across the cheek.
    “You need a healer…” Chriani whispered, but the warrior held up a bloodstained hand to silence.
    “Seek the blade,” he murmured. “Follow by fourteen, your only proof. Keep it safe. Keep her safe.” And in his voice as he spoke, Chriani heard a sudden trace of strength. The same resolve as always, none of the fear that had threaded the words that had woken him. None of the fear Chriani felt now.
    “He owns Uissa.” Barien coughed wetly again. “I know not who else…”
    Chriani had never heard the name before but he took it in, felt it lock into memory. As Barien shuddered, Chriani saw his eyes focus suddenly. Staring up as if he could see him, the warrior’s face blurring where Chriani realized that his own eyes were wet.
    “Trust him not. Lauresa. Keep her…” Barien fought to catch his breath.
    “She is safe,” Chriani whispered. “I kept her safe. You’re going to be…”
    “Chanist…” the warrior breathed, staring blindly again.
    “I don’t know where the prince is. I think he’s safe, I don’t know what happened…”
    “A fool…” Barien retched again, fighting to breathe now. “A fool forgets there are always things worthy of fear…”
    Where Chriani touched it, the warrior’s forehead was cold.
    “Lauresa. Keep her safe…”
    And then, as if the effort of speaking the words had drained away the last of his will, Barien slumped slowly back.
    Chriani stared. Shook his head, mute. He pressed a finger to the warrior’s neck to feel for the life that should have been there, but Barien’s blood was still.
    On his arm, the thick fingers slowly loosened their cold grip.
    He didn’t remember standing. Didn’t remember grabbing up the sword again where it had fallen. He ran, not for the healer