Flame Song awoke to find herself in a soft bed with sunlight streaming in through a wide-open window. For a moment she entertained the fantasy that last night had been a dream, but then she raised her hand to her neck and found the two little puncture marks there. So, it hadn’t been a dream after all. She tried to sit up but when she did her head swam and she had to lie back down. She felt horribly weak. She hadn’t been lying there long when the door to the room opened and a young man she didn’t know stepped in. He looked rather hesitant, hovering in the doorway as if afraid to come into the room.

“Um… Flame Song?”

“Yes?” she said, surprised at how thin and weak her voice sounded.

“I… Drago said I should see if you’re all right. I guess you er, you lost a lot of blood, and he was worried.”

“He’s alive then?”

“Yes. It was a near thing, but we found him in time. I…” he still looked like he was ready to bolt from the room, “I’m a good healer. He said I should see if you needed any healing.”

“I think I could use something. I feel very weak. You can come in, I don’t bite.”

He edged a foot or so further into the room, then with a deep breath he walked almost normally the rest of the way over to her bed. Flame Song didn’t move. She didn’t want to faint, for one thing, and she didn’t want the healer to faint for another. He slowly put out his hand and placed it on her forehead. He closed his eyes and dropped into a healing trance. When he opened them again all the fear was gone from his manner. “What happened to you? I’ve never seen anybody so anemic and still alive!”

“I hope you won’t mind if I tell the story another time. Can you do anything to help?”

“Yes. We don’t have the means to do a transfusion, but I can encourage your own body to replace the blood faster. You’ll be weak for a few days, but you’ll recover much faster. And you need to eat a lot of iron-rich foods.”

“Yes, I know about that. This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve lost a lot of blood, though…” she stopped as the horrible memory of what had taken pace hit her again. “Though never quite like this,” she finished at last. She hadn’t really sorted out her feelings about last night. They were mixed, to say the least.

The healer didn’t ask any more questions. He put his hand on her head again and dropped back into his healing trance. She could feel a kind of warmth wash over her from the point where his hand touched her. It sank soothingly into her very bones. A long time later he removed his hand. He looked older suddenly, and more worn. “I’ve done what I can. For now you need rest. I’ll be back later with something for you to eat.”

She didn’t even manage to nod her assent before sleep again overtook her and she drifted off.

When she awoke again the sun was no longer shining directly in the window. Somebody had added a chair to the room and the young healer was sitting in it.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“A little bit better,” she responded.

“You hungry?”

“Yes!” she said, suddenly realizing that she was absolutely ravenous.

He smiled. “That’s a good sign. Wait a moment, I’ll get you something.” He got to his feet and hurried out of the room. Flame’s stomach growled audibly and she hoped that he would return quickly. She got her wish, for he soon came back with a tray balanced on one hand. She managed to sit up and he placed the tray on her lap and removed the cover with a little flourish. “I hope you like liver and greens,” he said.

“One of my favorite meals, though not really the greens part.” she responded, “but right now I could eat it raw, greens and all.” She didn’t waste any further time on conversation, but dug into her food. The young healer returned to his chair and watched her devouring her meal with a pleased expression on his face. When the last scrap was gone he took the tray away. He returned and asked if he could have another look at her. Flame Song assented, and the healer placed his hand on her forehead again. When he withdrew it he was smiling.

“Very good. You’re recovering nicely. You’ll need to avoid overexertion for the next week or so, but you should be out of bed soon. In fact if you like I can help you up and we’ll take a walk right now.”

“By all means! I want to be out of here as soon as possible.” She sat up again, threw back the blanket, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. With the healer standing at her side she carefully got to her feet. Her head still spun a bit, but she managed to stay upright. Leaning a bit on the healer she circled the room twice before returning to sit on the bed.

“I haven’t thanked you yet, so I would like to. Thank you very much.” She paused then said, “You know, I don’t even know your name?”

“Damien,” he replied with a smile. “And you are Flame Song, though you’re also not Flame Song. I didn’t believe there were two of you at first, it seemed to wild a story.”

“Damien…” a faint expression of pain crossed her face briefly. That name carried a baggage of memories for her, and few of them were good. She shook off the past and turned her attention to the rest of his statement. “So that’s why you were so nervous when you came in the first time! You looked like you thought I’d eat you, or something.”

He shrugged, looking a little bit chagrined. “That’s pretty much what I was thinking. I’ve seen a few people after the other Flame was finished with them and it wasn’t pretty.”

Flame Song was abruptly reminded that her husband was still a captive of her darker self. “Can I see Saint Drago?” she asked.

“I don’t see why not. He’s up and about, though still a bit unsteady on his feet. But I think you’re quite well enough to make the trip to his room.”

She got to her feet again, already feeling a bit stronger, and together they made their way down a corridor, around a corner, and to Saint Drago’s room.

He was lying on his bed, propped up on a stack of pillows. He smiled when he saw Flame and said, “Damien told me you seemed to be doing better. I’m glad you weren’t permanently harmed.”

Damien helped Flame to a chair near the bed. She sat down gratefully. “How are you? When I saw him stab you I thought you were dead!”

“Thanks to the healing skills of my followers I am fine. A bit weak still, but by tomorrow I should be my old self. And at least we got the information we were after. The spy spells have all been found and destroyed.”

“That’s good,” said Flame rather distractedly. Her attention was elsewhere. “How long before I can go after Aidan?”

“Which one?”

“Hmmm? Oh, my husband, of course! He’s still a prisoner as far as I know.”

“Well, I had wondered if you wanted revenge on the other Aidan for what he did to you. He very nearly killed you, you know.”

“I… I know. But I don’t want revenge. It wouldn’t do anyone any good. And…” she paused, trying to find the words for her feelings. “I think if he’s still feeling what he was feeling when he left here, he’s being punished enough. I think his conscience is waking up, and that isn’t a very easy experience.”

“You renew my faith in human nature, Flame Song,” said Saint Drago with a smile. “Although in your case ‘human’ isn’t exactly the right word.”

“Well thank you. But you haven’t answered my question. Ho soon can I go?”

“I think that is up to your physician,” said Drago, looking at Damien.

Damien shrugged his shoulders. “You’ll be mostly recovered by tomorrow, but I wouldn’t advise any long trips or heavy exertion for three or four more days after that at the very least.”

“I don’t want to wait that long! My husband is being held prisoner and anything could happen to him!”

Damien shook his head. “You can go tomorrow if you really feel that strongly, but be aware that you won’t be in the best condition when you arrive. I’d strongly advise that you at least wait a couple of days.”

Flame song scowled. That wasn’t what she’d wanted to hear. She knew Damien was right. Just walking down the hall had left her feeling weak, but she wanted to go now! She sighed. “I’ll wait two days.”

“I know how hard this is for you,” said Drago. “But I know too that you’re doing the wise thing. Go with my blessing.”