Falon was running hard.
Harder than he’d ever run.
Life threatening situations
Will do that to people.
His brother, Barin
Was just ahead. Running
Just as hard.
They both wanted to live

There was a wizard
Behind them.
They had something he wanted.
He had crows
Blacker than night itself
And fearsome goblins
Armed with bows and arrows
Shooting through the trees

Where were their friends?
Falon wondered, still running.
Lor and Kay, brothers also.
Argon, their sister’s husband
And little Owen, barely
Considered the age of a man.
Falon’s best friend, just younger
And much smaller

Arrows whizzed past, too close
Then Falon stumbled
Fell to his knees
A burning pain in his side
Hot and cold at the same time
He closed his eyes
He didn’t want to see
“Brother,” he whispered

Barin turned.
Just in time to see Falon collapse
“No!” he exclaimed
He looked about, frantically
But saw no goblins
Where had they gone?
He dragged Falon into a thicket.
To hide.
 

“For goodness sake, Falon,”
Barin whispered hoarsely.
“It’s hardly more than a graze
Not worth crying over.”
“I’m burning and freezing
All over, Barin, it’s not right.”
“Quiet or you’ll really have
Something to cry over.”

Falon shivered as Barin
Bandaged the wound tight.
I’ve had hurts worse than this
Falon thought, but he had
Never had so much pain from them.
Barin might not believe him
But something was most
Dreadfully wrong

“I don’t care if you’re
Hot or cold or both.”
Barin said, hauling Falon up
“Your legs work just fine.”
Falon stumbled after Barin
Still shivering, burning
Lor knows what to do
Doesn’t he?

They reached Lor and Kay’s house.
Not a whisper of danger behind them
“Where are the goblins?”
Falon asked, leaning against
The doorframe as Barin
Knocked, frantic and hard.
“Don’t know, not here.”
And Kay opened the door

Owen threw his arms
Around Falon as soon as
He walked in the door.
Falon cried out and
Would have fallen but
Owen held him gently
Lowering him down to the floor.
“He’s hurt,” Barin said

Lor took a peek at
Falon’s arrow wound.
One quick look, then he
Wrapped it back up.
“Goblins?” he asked Barin
Barin nodded “The Wizard’s.”
“It’s poisoned” Lor said
“Worst poison there is.”

Barin looked so dismayed that
Falon was more worried about
His brother than himself.
“No!” Barin cried “No.”
“It was a fool-proof plan”
Argon said reproachfully.
“Get in, get out,
No detection. What happened?”

Barin sat heavily beside
His younger brother and Falon
Leaned wearily against him.
Falon wanted his mother
He was so scared.
But Barin was the best he had.
“How long does he have?”
Barin asked Lor

“Days at best
Weeks at worst, I suppose”
Lor said as Owen sat
On Falon’s other side.
“It’s a slow-working poison.
Causes horrible pain and
Gradually weakens the body.
Only the goblins use it”

“Antidote?” Barin asked.
“So rare it’s almost
Not worth trying,” Lor replied.
“Not worth trying?”
Barin roared, “I’ll die looking
For it if I must!”
“Don’t, Barin” Falon said
Sitting up slowly

“We got the Book,” Barin said
“You can take it to the King
You don’t need us for that
And we can look for the antidote.”
“Splitting the group will
Weaken our chance
We have to get the Book to the King”
Lor said, jumping up

“It will split the Wizard’s forces too”
Kay told his brother from his seat by the fire.
Lor rounded on him
“Whose side are you on?”
He snarled.
“Calm down, Lor
If we split up further
Groups of two or even just one-“

“The Wizard won’t know who to follow”
Owen jumped in excitedly
Then looked dismayed at how
Outspoken he’d been.
But Kay smiled and nodded.
Turning back to his brother he said
“Don’t you see?
It’s the best plan we’ve had”

“All because Falon went
And got himself shot”
Argon said, starting to like the idea.
“Now enough talk” Barin said
“Tell me how to find the antidote.”
Lor sighed, resigned. “Kay knows better than I.”
“I’ve seen it,” Kay said
“I’ll take you”

They stayed that night.
A snatch of rest
Before travels started.
Falon slept fitfully between Owen and Barin.
Constantly waking to a cold pain
Spreading through his body.
“Does it hurt so?” Owen asked quietly.
“Yes.”

Lor went North with the Book.
Argon went West, they’d meet later
And take the Book to the King.
Kay and Owen went East
Then doubled back
To join Barin and Falon
Who were headed South
To the city of Cara

It was said that along the Great River
There lived a witch who,
For the right price,
Could give you anything.
Kay knew this, had bargained with her before
But it would be a steep price
The thing you loved most
A very steep price indeed

After that first day the poison spread more slowly
Falon grew numb to the cold and ache.
Over the first few days
The wound itself seemed to be healing
But Kay said the poison was already there.
The wound may get better
But Falon wouldn’t
Not without a bit of witchy magic

Then four days into the journey
It picked up speed again.
Falon woke one morning
To a burning in his arms and legs.
He lay there, dismayed.
“Barin?” he whispered
“I don’t think I can get up.”
Barin cursed

Kay and Barin got him on his feet.
With support Falon could stagger around
Stiffly and with great pain.
They carried on
Much slower than before
But they had to keep moving.
The Wizard’s goblins
Might catch up

“You should have left me”
Falon told his brother that night.
“Continued on with the Book
Taken it to the King.”
“Couldn’t” Barin said “You’re my little brother.”
“What’s that got to do with it?”
Barin didn’t have an answer for him
Till the next day

“What are you doing?” Kay cried the next afternoon
“You’re supposed to be scouting!”
Barin just continued to rush past
“You wanted to know why I wouldn’t leave you.”
Falon looked up, exhausted.
“No matter how annoying the youngest can be
The eldest would do anything to keep ‘em.”

It was raining when they finally reached Cara.
Kay let them stay the night
In a moldy little inn.
Owen scowled at the flea-infested bed
But Falon collapsed in a corner
And was immediately asleep.
Barin sighed and spread his cloak
Over the shivering form

“Let me handle the bargaining”
Kay said the next morning.
They were on their way to the witch’s house.
Falon wouldn't accept help
He stumbled along
Owen hovering at his side.
Barin finally went ahead
Too distraught to keep pace

Falon felt as though he were in a fog
A hot, burning fog that wouldn't lift
His limbs felt heavy
It was all he could do
To keep walking
Pins and needles
Swords and spears
Always in pain

Far to the North
Lor and Argon had made it to the King
Had placed the Book in his hands.
Their courage had been commended
A reward offered
But they were in a hurry
To join their friends.
They could not

The goblins were waiting for them
Just beyond the borders.
Lor and Argon were vastly outnumbered
Capture was inevitable.
And escape was impossible.
So they were taken to Castle Terror.
There they sat
In the deepest of the Deep Dungeons

The Wizard called an audience.
He was fearsome
In a robe of flames
His face shrouded by a cloak of black smoke.
He towered over Lor and Argon
And he sentenced them to death
For stealing the Book.
No man has ever changed the Wizard’s mind

The witch’s hut
On the banks of the Great River
Was even more decrepit looking
Than the inn, if that was possible
And the witch herself
Looked like pond scum
Wet, moldy, and half-rotted
Owen didn’t trust her

Falon didn’t know any of this.
He’d finally collapsed
Upon stopping at the witch’s door step.
Barin couldn’t wake him
And had to carry him in.
The witch laughed
She remembered Kay
She knew what Falon needed

Kay had failed before
To give up the thing he loved most
And had lost a friend because of it.
The price would be Falon’s to pay.
Perhaps Barin’s.
Kay wasn't sure how the witch’s system worked
But Falon could very well die
Before the bargaining finished

But the bargaining never finished.
In fact
It never began.
The witch just looked at Kay
Almost sadly, he thought
And told him
“Your price has been paid
One brother for another’s”

Kay stared at her
As she turned then to Barin.
“Here” she held out a small pink flower.
“Steam it in a tea
Pour it down his throat if need be
But he’ll need to drink it all
Then he’ll be fine
Now shoo!”

“Kay?” Owen had come up beside him
“Barin wants to get back before nightfall.”
Kay turned to him, still stunned
“She took him.
She took my brother
He’s dead.”
Owen just stared at him
“What?”

Kay left them there
On the banks of the Great River.
He left them
The witch’s laughter still ringing in his ears.
For two nights he wandered
He knew not where
Till at last he came to his senses.
But he didn't return

Owen was torn.
He wanted to follow Kay
But Falon was still sick
Barin still needed help.
Two friends.
How could he decide?
Barin decided for him
“Come on, Owen.”

“Let’s make a fire, lad” Barin said.
He seemed calmer with the antidote in his hands.
They’d come back to the inn
Which was so dank the innkeeper never
Bothered with fires.
But Barin started one up
A sputtering little thing
And set the teapot on

Not that he actually had a teapot
But soon there was water boiling
And the flower had been ground up
Dumped in and stirred.
Falon was still out cold
They had to hold his nose.
Owen poured it down his throat
But nothing happened

Everything was cold
And hazy
There was nothing
But pain
It was blue
Then red
Then pink
And Falon awoke

“Barin?” Came Falon’s hoarse voice.
“No. It’s Owen. Barin’s gone out.”
“Is it night? Where are we?”
“It’s just after noon. In Cara.”
“Why is it dark? Owen, what’s wrong with me?!”
“Oh, Falon.” He felt Owen’s hand near his eyes
But he saw nothing.
He was blind

Barin wept over him when he came back.
He cried as Falon had not known in almost ten years.
They told Falon of Kay
And made him a staff.
He gradually grew used to moving about
And he gradually grew stronger
But still there was an ache
That never went away

So they left the city of Cara
And traveled to the King.
They learned of what happened
To Lor and Argon with the Wizard.
The King had used the Book
The Wizard had been destroyed.
And the goblins had fled.
Peace was restored

They lived happily enough.
Barin married and started his family.
He gave Falon a room downstairs
Till sweet, little Lara came along
And took Falon home as her husband.
Owen stayed with Argon’s widow
Till she and her children could care for themselves
Then he set off in search of Kay

He followed tales
Of a half-wild man.
Up and down the Great River
Till at last Owen found him
Huddled in the witch’s ruined house
For the witch was long gone.
Kay sat there among the old potions, hoping
To bring his brother back

“Kay?” Owen whispered.
“Where is he?” Came the cracked and dry reply.
“She took him
I can’t find him.”
“He’s gone, Kay
But you’re still here.”
“I don’t want to be.”
“Just come, Kay. It’s time to go home”

Hazy and blue
Was Kay’s world now.
One brother for another’s
One pain for another’s.
Falon’s world was black
But tinged with rainbows
For while he couldn’t see
He felt

Barin was blissful
And yellow gold.
Owen’s world was red
Neither hot nor cold.
Happy with Falon
Sad with Kay.
For they had lived
Despite it all