The cursed towers 224

Every part of his body was crushed and broken and it seemed a miracle that he lived Trembling and weeping still, Tomas knelt and laid his thin little hands on the bloodied head, and slowly each cut and stab-wound healed over The captain did not regain consciousness and Tomas was visibly harrowed by the effort to heal him The little boy shook and retched, trying to catch his breath Johanna knelt behind him and supported his frail body, giving him some restorative potion to drink At last some of his strength seemed to return to him "He be strong," the little boy said, slumped over, his shoulders still heaving "He will recover, though I had to take much o' his vitality for the healing." "And too much o' your own," Johanna scolded "Ye will kill yourself in trying to save others Ye must have a care for yourself." Tomas stared around at all the torn and bloodied bodies and said with a break in his voice, "I can feel their pain, I can feel it!" Suddenly a flock of nisses swooped down, buzzing around the healers' heads like hornets, scolding them in their high-pitched voices Most had never seen a nisse before and they stared at the rainbow-winged little faeries in wonder, half afraid Then Lilanthe emerged from the trees, her green dress torn and blood-stained, her narrow face smeared with dirt The healers stared at her, drawing back a little, but Johanna knew her and started forward with a cry "What has happened?" she begged "Was the Righ ambushed? How did they ken where the Graycloaks rode?" Lilanthe said somberly, "The Righ was betrayed Come, Tomas, the Keybearer will be glad indeed to see ye, I ken The Righ is sorely hurt He needs your powers desperately." Johanna exclaimed in consternation and seized the little boy by the hand as he struggled to touch another of the thousands of bodies littered through the trees "Come, laddiekin, ye canna touch them all We shall what we can for them and once we ken who are quick and who are dead, we shall bring ye back, I promise." Tomas was too weak to walk and so Dillon carried him on his back, leaving Parian and Anntoin to watch over Duncan They followed Lilanthe up the road, unable to control their cries of shock and dismay as they saw the extent of the carnage They found Meghan stooping over the still form of Lachlan Her face was ravaged, her eyes red-rimmed The donbeag was huddled into her neck, crooning miserably, but for once the old witch paid him no heed She was trying to staunch the wound in the Righ's breast, but there was little she could She saw Tomas and her black eyes lit up with hope "Thank Ea!" she cried "Oh, Tomas, my lad, can ye save him? His back and wing is broken, and his head He is close to death indeed." Dillon set the little boy down Tomas could not stand unaided, his sticklike legs folding beneath him He drew a trembling breath and looked up at Meghan "I no' ken," he said, "but I will try." He leaned over and placed his hands on the Righ's forehead For a long moment nothing happened and then the lips of the bloody wound at Lachlan's breast began to knit together The little boy frowned and made a grunting noise, and his hands began to shake The broken arc of the wing slowly wove back together; the bruising on Lachlan's temple sank and faded, the jagged cut in its heart slowly congealing Tomas breathed harshly, swaying Suddenly he went limp and fell sideways "Is he dead?" Dillon cried as Johanna screamed and scrambled to the little boy's side Jed whined and