Ygg’s bark in the vicinity of the gate to Aescalon looked like it had been hit by flood. No, that wasn’t right. It looked like it had been blasted by a titan’s firehose. The ground itself had been blasted away, the bark beneath it rent by the force of the blast from the gate. The smaller trees clinging to Ygg in front of the gate had been uprooted, most of them lay on their side. Bushes and lesser vegetation in the path of the blast had been smashed. The curtain wall I’d had built about the entrance to the First Bore had toppled, the massive blocks overturned like children’s blocks. The cottages for the customs guards had also fallen – I hadn’t envisioned having to withstand a blow of that nature when I’d had them built.
Lieutenant Givran and two other guards were trying to help a fourth member of their detail – Idolfe – trapped beneath a block. Evidently he was still alive, and in considerable pain. Moving towards them, I lifted the block he was trapped under with matris, let it fall a couple paces away.
If anything, Idolfe’s cries increased in volume. His legs had been smashed by the block. Givran saw me approach, drew his dagger, and I stopped him with a gesture.
“But he’s smashed too bad! He’ll bleed to death anyway!”
“No, he won’t,” I told Givran, already blocking the outflow of blood, healing the man with necris. I also blocked Idolfe’s pain, and sent him unconscious. There was no reason he had to experience any more of that. “I’m here while there’s life in his body, and there’s nothing else demanding my immediate attention. Idolfe will live, he will walk again, he’ll even be well enough to stand duty in a few days when I’m done.”
“Thank you, my lord!” A still-youngish woman I didn’t know – evidently Idolfe’s wife – kneeling next to him said. The customs posts on Ygg were family postings now – it meant I got a better quality of customs guard.
I continued healing Idolfe, “You and he are welcome, goodwife. Givran, I’ll get workmen up here to begin repairing the damage soon as I can, but it’s possible there’s a blockage in the path between here and Treemount. Meanwhile make yourselves as comfortable as you can. If necessary, I’ll bring more food myself, and the usual water protocol applies. I don’t know if there will be the usual traffic when the Scourging abates, but I am unaware of any reason there can’t be. Normal tolls apply. Warn the incoming traffic that there may be blockages, but we’ll be working on getting them cleared. Send one of your other men to check that the Bore is clear – don’t allow anyone entry until you know it is. There’s no reason they can’t wait here a day or two if need be.”
“Yes, sir! Did you see the party waiting up by the Gate?” It wasn’t unusual for departing merchants to be camping here above the First Bore, waiting for the Scourging to abate. For that matter, there might be others lower down on the tree.
I ignored the question for the time being. I had noticed them, but the damage here had been more pressing than soothing panicky merchants. “If your man can get to the post at the Second Bore, have him discuss the situation with Sergeant Ulmstad. We don’t want a cart stuck in any of the bores blocking the workmen.” The small, hand-wheeled carts that were in use because there were no useful beasts of burden could be backed up, but it was awkward and time consuming. Finding – or creating – such a beast was a much-delayed project of mine, but there were only so many hours in the day, even for me. I’d probably have to create a new splinter dedicated to that project – but creating a durable splinter was itself a not inconsiderable project.
“Understood, my lord. Keep the carts out of the way of the workmen. Anything else?”
“Find Idolfe a place where he can rest. I’ve repaired his body now, but he’ll need rest and food to be up for duty. He can walk, but I want him to rest for three days and have heavy meals including extra meat for seven. He isn’t to do any work more strenuous than eating or dressing himself during those three days. After three days, he should be able to return to normal duty, but nothing involving heavy extended labor until after the next Scourging.”
“As you wish, sir. The rest of us will get to work recovering what we can. Once he’s back, we’ll put him on toll duty.” Toll duty itself was light enough; the heavy work was in maintenance and daily living.
To his wife, “Goodwife, I want you to see to it your husband has a bath and clean clothes today, however difficult it may be. I understand your home is destroyed, but get the dirt off him and dress him as cleanly as you can. Try not to disturb such wounds as remain; open wounds are one way diseases enter the body.” I’d been teaching about personal hygiene for ten years now, but it was an uphill battle against cultural inertia. Fortunately for Idolfe, the customs guards and my personal fief were the epicenter of my efforts, and milady wife supported them wholeheartedly even if our children still protested on occasion. Crude soap had become one of the staples of our household, and I’d expect the post here to have a sufficient supply.
“Yes, milord.”
“Good. Now I’ll go see to the merchant camp.”
Copyright 2025 Dan Melson. All Rights Reserved.
Leave a Reply