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It was early evening Imalia finally finished with her last patient. Tamasa was preparing the evening meal and Mayin was down by the lake watching her husband work on the boat again, so Alidra was playing chase with her friends on the Green when Imalia emerged from the Shrine. Her shoulders were slumped and she was walking even more slowly than the previous day. Alidra broke away from the game and ran to tell Tamasa.

She was almost at the door when a shriek from near the lake caught everyone’s attention.

“What in the world!” Tamasa hurried out of the house and ran towards the lake. She wasn’t the only one. Alidra hurried after her mother then screeched to a halt and stared uncomprehendingly at the wreckage of the small jetty and how lake shore which was several meters closer to the village than usual.

Mayin was kneeling in the water wailing loudly.

Tamasa hurried over to her.

“Mayin? What’s wrong?”

“Kivat! Kivat was swept into the water!” She broke down sobbing again.

Alidra stared at the lake, the water was churning oddly and it was a moment before she spotted her uncle struggling to stay afloat, which was wrong because he was a good swimmer and he seemed to be getting further away from shore. After a moment she realised something else.

“He’s bleeding!”

“What!” Tamasa followed her gaze and swore a couple of times. “I don’t like the look of that current either.” She pulled her tunic over her head and tossed it to one of the other villagers, grabbed a rope from one of the intact boats , tied it around her waist and pushed the other end into Mayin’s hand. “Pull us out once I grab him. She waded out into the lake and swam towards Kivat with strong, confident strokes.

She reached him easily enough and he clung to her as she started back towards shore. Mayin began pulling them in as she’d been told and the other villagers rushed to help her, so they got back to shore quickly. Denri helped his wife pull Kivat from the water and the source of the bleeding became obvious. A large piece of wood from the jetty had impaled his thigh. He was also coughing up water though at least he was breathing.

“You’ll need to pad that piece of wood so it doesn’t move and make the injury worse.” Imalia had caught up with them while Tamasa was in the lake. “Then get him inside. And I’ll need someone to help me by pulling the wood out when I say.”

“My house is closest.” Lidri pointed to the cozy little crook cottage he shared with his wife and son.

“Thank you!” Imalia said as Denri and Mayit carried Kivat inside.

Alidra looked over at her mother who was watching Imalia with a worried expression She didn’t say anything but Imalia clearly knew what she was thinking because she paused and squeezed her hand.

“I have to do this,” she said. “He’ll bleed to death as soon as the wood is removed if I don’t. We don’t have enough available healers to send someone else in time.”

“Oh, I know,” Tamasa said waspishly. “I just wish you hadn’t pushed yourself so hard earlier.”

Imalia smiled at her. “I’ll be fine,” she insisted. She headed in to the house after Denri and Mayit.

Tamasa scowled after her then turned to the other bystanders.

“Did anyone see what happened?”

“Kivat had just finished testing his repair on his boat,” one of the women – Rinia – said. “He was on the jetty when a huge wave came out of nowhere, smashed it and the boat into pieces and swept him away.”

“A wave that big on a lake?” Tamasa stared at the water incredulously. “What could cause that when the weather is so fine?”

“A landslide maybe?” Sina said.

“Possibly,” Tamasa said. “But there’s been no rain.” Her scowl deepened. “I don’t like this.”

“I don’t either.” Lilat had come up while they were talking. She was scowling almost as much as Tamasa. “There’s no way this should have happened. I’ll look into it.”

“Good.” Tamasa turned her attention back to the door of Lidri’s cottage. “I hope Imalia will have enough energy to deal with Kivat’s injury. It will be bad for both of them if she can’t.”

“We can only pray,” Lilat said.

Tamasa nodded unhappily and wrapped an arm around Alidra’s shoulder. She’d closed her eyes and was murmering to herself as were the other villagers.

“Tam!” Denri appeared in the doorway. “Lilat! You’d better get in here.”

Tamasa opened her eyes and cursed softly. “That doesn’t sound good.” Both women hurried towards the door with Alidra in tow.

Inside Kivat was seated in a chair. The wooden stave that had impaled his leg was lying in a small puddle of blood beside him. He was conscious and not bleeding but there was still an open wound on his leg and Imalia was crumpled on the floor beside him, shivering violently.

Tamasa took the whole scene in and rushed to Imalia’s side. “Does anyone know if she managed the spells against infection and lockjaw before she collapsed?”

“I think so,” Mayin said in a subdued tone “She was trying to heal the wound itself when it happened.”

Alidra saw Tamasa exchange a quick glance with Denri at that. Only when he gave a subtle nod did Tamasa give a relieved sigh. “That’s one good thing then.”

Lilat turned to Lidri as Tamasa knelt by Imalia’s side. “Can Kivat stay here until his leg has healed somewhat. He’s not in immediate danger but since Imalia couldn’t fully heal his injury moving him could reopen it. I’ll request another healer from Keralyn but I know this pestilence has overstretched them already so it may not be possible.”

Lidri nodded. “Of course!” he said. “As long as he doesn’t mind helping mend my nets while he’s immobile.”

“What about Mage Imalia,” Kivat said. “Will she be okay? She was in the middle of a spell and then just collapsed.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “She’s overstressed her magic.” She looked around Lidri’s small house and frowned. “We’ll take her back to Tamasa and Denri’s. They have more room and we’re already imposing on Lidri enough.”

Denri scooped Imalia into his arms hurrying out the door with Tamasa not far behind him.

Alidra started after them but hesitated as Lilat cleared her throat.

“I’ll will go and see what can be done for Imalia if anything, then contact Keralyn about what has happened,” Lilat said. “But first I want to bind your leg to keep it stable. It wouldn’t do to waste Imalia’s work by having you accidentally restart the bleeding.” She produced a bandage from her robes and set to work.

“Why do you carry bandages?” Mayin asked. “Not that I’m ungrateful.“

“I always do. It’s a combat mage thing,” Lilat said. “I never got out of the habit after I lost my magic.”

“It’s a good habit,” Kivat said. “But surely combat mages have the best healers?”

“Well yes, but we often had to stabilise a colleague long enough to get them to the healer.” She finished tying the bandage and rose to her feet. “Try not to move it too much.” She smiled at Alidra who was still lurking by the door. “Let’s go and see how Imalia is.”

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