IP: 2.28.12.27
Posted on September 17, 2013 at 06:55:38 PM by amber
She placed one hand carefully on his shoulder as he clambered to his feet, trying and failing to stead him a little. He swayed alarmingly and lurched off to the left, forcing Amber to place one hand on each shoulder to correct his direction. This wasn’t good. Deciding that he wasn’t going to make it to the trees without a little extra assistance, she took hold of one of his arms and draped it across her shoulders, holding it in place with one hand and wrapping her other arm firmly around his waist. Amber was not particularly large or strong, but she lacked the dainty feminine frame and her bone structure was sturdy enough to bear at least part of his weight. After a few minutes of staggering around, the pair made it to the edge of the wooded area. Grass mixed with sand underfoot, and Amber was forced to push Graeling’s head down to stop him from colliding with a low branch. The sounds of the battle were still raw and loud, but being amongst the trees felt a lot safer than being out in the open. Graeling didn’t make it more than a few yards into the woodland before he broke away from her, stumbling against a tree. She started after him, but froze as his slightly garbled words reached her ears. What should she say? That she trespassed into his mind and forced her own thoughts there? That she could, on a whim, witness his close memories and read his private thoughts? Before she had a chance to think of something, he wobbled and fell face-first onto the sandy soil. Amber’s heart leapt to her throat, and she forgot her dilemma and crossed the short distance between them. Dropping to her knees, she took hold of his shoulders, rolled him onto his back and gave him a little shake. Nothing. Out for the count. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if Reyna hadn’t arrived at that moment. The enormous python glided out from under the undergrowth with surprising grace for a creature so large, and slithered along the length of Graeling, her thick body brushing against his sides. Her tongue flickered in and out, scenting his arm. ‘He still smells of fish,’ she mused a little snobbishly. ‘Could at least wash before he comes down to my nasal level.’ Her comment jerked Amber into action. She told the snake to stay with Graeling and dashed back out onto the beach, where the battle had turned to the Shamanites’ favour. The Manekhtites which hadn’t already been captured were fleeing for the woods, with the exception of one or two very brave (or very stupid) ones which were attempting to charge the royal cavalry. Amber wasn’t worried about the defecting Manekhtites running into Graeling; nobody was going to mess with a twenty-three foot long reticulated python. She scanned the scene with searching eyes and swiftly found what she was looking for: a cluster of royal guards for whom the battle was already over, and who had been tasked with cuffing the Manekhtites and tending the wounded. Amber sprinted for the nearest one. Somebody had already arrived on the scene with bandages and litters for the injured. The two guards who followed her commandeered one of the latter and helped her shift Graeling onto it, eying the snake warily. Amber walked behind them as they carried him carefully through the woods, speaking only to scold Reyna for hissing delightedly at the guard who was obviously ophidiophobic. They took him, not back home, but to the castle. The senior guard had quizzed Amber on her medical knowledge while they were setting up the litter, and had determined that Graeling was better off in the castle infirmary than with her first aid kit. Amber wasn’t sure whether to feel humiliated or relieved. The infirmary was full to bursting when they reached it; every bed was occupied, and blankets had been lain on the floor to accommodate the extras. One of the healers, a harassed-looking woman with a pink face and strained expression, directed the guards to a slightly quieter corner of the room and they gently placed Graeling onto a pile of furs on the floor. When the woman tried to send Amber home, she refused – but did, begrudgingly and after some persuading, agree to send Reyna away. The snake would only be a trip hazard for the nurses rushing around, and having a large predator in a room was unsettling for the patients. The magical healers were preoccupied with the emergency cases, so Graeling was attended to by an ordinary nurse who cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Amber, who was sat beside Graeling’s head with her back to the wall, watched carefully and made a mental note of how it was done. By the time twilight rolled over the castle, the ward had quietened and most of the patients had drifted into uneasy sleep. Amber folded her arms and leant back against the wall, watching the sky darken out of the window. * * * |
Replies:
- ----take what the water gave me // - By Graeling September 21, 2013 at 11:44:57 AM
- dancing in the moonlight. - By amber October 1, 2013 at 07:04:26 PM
- ----take what the water gave me // - By Graeling October 14, 2013 at 05:07:13 AM
- dancing in the moonlight. - By amber October 16, 2013 at 00:41:33 AM
- ----take what the water gave me // - By Graeling October 14, 2013 at 05:07:13 AM
- dancing in the moonlight. - By amber October 1, 2013 at 07:04:26 PM
Post a reply:
<--
-->