23 Wolf's Bane (1)

The shared experience of facing a possible death that came from a battle could bring comrades closer, linking them with an unbreakable bond of trust. That day, A-Narah had been tied to such a bond. A-Narah had originally been just the noble lady the guards were to protect, and then little by little became the little lady they were so fond of, but now she was like their baby sister. She was family.

A-Narah could feel the slight change, and she was glad. She had lost one family to gain another. She now had five new big brothers by her side, and they would stay by her for the rest of her life. At least, that's what one would hope for, but such wonderful thoughts are not always able to come to fruition.

That night, Elon's destroyed back showed signs of infection. He was burning with fever and delirious. The wounds were raised and swollen. Elon kept moaning in pain, unable to stay conscious. When they tried speaking to him, he threw his head from side to side, moving too much that he would break open their hasty stiches. Blood continuedly gushed out of his wounds, his breathing becoming hard and laborious.

As the night continued on the group became increasingly concerned with Elon's condition. His fever was soaring higher, and his breathing had started to slow. His heart beat straining to pump blood. After the battle they had wanted to rest and tend their wounds, but Elon's fate was becoming uncertain. Their fear that he might just die that night pushed all of them to move their exhausted bodies.

They carefully stuffed Elon into the carriage. A-Narah followed, ready to take on the foreign role of nursing him. All she knew of nursing was when maids would take care of her when she had come down with a cold. She was frantic as she moved around the carriage trying to figure out what should be done.

When she saw his shaking body, she buried him in all of their blankets in an effort to warm him. But soon the blankets became soaked. Throwing them off, she got a clean cloth to wipe the uncomfortable sticky sweat away. She didn't dare to come close to his wounds or try to rebandage them. She was terrified that she would make it worse and end up being the one to send him to the underworld.

The party galloped through the night. Never stopping for long in any village they came across, until they found a small rundown town that had a doctor.

It was long past midnight when Lael went up to the Doctor's home and banged on the door. He continued banging, hammering his fist into the sturdy door until a light came upstairs. From outside, stomping footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. When the footsteps stopped, the door slammed open and a bleary-eyed old man wearing a night gown came out.

"Well who is it? What do you want?" he asked with irritation.

"Sir its and emergency. Please take a look at my comrade. His wound is infected," Lael blurted quickly, his words rushing together.

"Do you know what time it is? You come pounding on my door, with no curtsey for the occupants, and now expect me to do you a favor. You can wait until morning, at a decent hour. Then I might give your friend a look. But right now, I need my sleep, and even a mountain of gold can't move me," the doctor spat and then moved to slam the door.

But before the door could close Lael blocked it with his hand. "Sir, I'm begging you. You are the only doctor in miles. My friend might not last the night. I beg for your mercy. Please, help."

"No." The feeble doctor stubbornly tried to pull the door shut, but couldn't make it budge an inch. Just as Lael was truly feeling hopeless at ever getting this doctor to agree, a lovely voice came from the carriage, "If a mountain of gold won't move him, then a person can…Lael"

Lael thought on her words and then a light seemed to dawn. "Yes, my Lady. Sorry about this Doc." Lael let go of the door, but before it could be closed he picked up the doctor and threw him over his shoulder, proceeding to carry him to the carriage.

"Put me down you brute! I will call the authorities! Just wait until you spend the rest of your days in jail!" The doctor shouted as flung his arms and legs, kicking and hitting Lael. Leal just ignored the beating he was getting. Treating it as if it was only a delicate tickle. He then threw the doctor into the carriage with A-Narah and Elon, shutting the door behind him.

"Oh, and Lael go retrieve the doctor's case, he will be in need of it. My guess is that it shouldn't be too far from the door," A-Narah called to Lael, who was blocking the doctor so the doctor couldn't escape.

"Right away my Lady," and Lael hurried off to do as A-Narah bid, Uri taking his place.

The doctor looked around the dim interior of the carriage. It wasn't overly large, but it was of the best quality. The seats were well padded and covered with rich velvet. The wood was hand carved by an expert and well-polished. It could be seen that only a family of extreme wealth could afford the commission of this carriage. Knowing that someone powerful stood behind this ill-mannered lot stated the doctor's animosity substantially.

After taking in the details of the interior the doctor took notice of Elon. To even the most hardhearted observer, Elon's injuries would make them flinch and feel the urge to vomit.

A-Narah had done all she dared to do, and Elon continued to suffer endlessly. The site of him made torture seem far kinder. When the doctor saw Elon's horrendous wounds his instincts kicked in. He was wholly focused on Elon and his injuries.

"Can he be saved?"

Startled the doctor turned around to find the source of the voice. Sitting behind him was a person he had overlooked. He couldn't see the girl clearly, but based on the way she spoke he could deduce that she was the owner of the carriage.

"I don't know yet. For cases like these only time will tell. An infected wound can have rotten flesh cut away and a poultice placed to stem further infection, medicine can also be given to lower the fever, but, ultimately, it is up to the patient to battle through it." The doctor slowly removed the bandages to get a better look. "But this is a very deep puncture wound which will make getting rid of the infection harder. What did this?"

"It was a wolf attack. He saved my life."

For a long time, the doctor didn't reply. He just had his head down, observing the wounds.

"Great Lady, I can help but then it will all be up to the gods and him." The doctor really didn't feel hopeful, if it was by chance one of those poisoned wolves then his chance would be nearly zero. Poisoned wolves migrated over mountains from the desert. Most of the animals who could survive in the desert there carried some type of poison, and the only people who knew the cures were those of the desert tribes, but they would never go out of their way to lend a hand to an easterner.

Lael came back with the doctor's bag. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see the cranky old doctor now so calm and serious. He attributed the change to A-Narah. Thinking that their little girl really was good at taming wild things.

With his tools now with him the doctor began properly treating Elon. Elon groaned in agony as his festering wound was touched. Hearing the deep-seated pain that Elon was experiencing, A-Narah began clenching her fists in worry, cutting her skin with her trimmed nails. Never in her life had she felt so…powerless.

When the doctor finished stitching up and rebandaging Elon, he fed him some fever reducing medicine. "Your friend is very strong. It is surprising that he has survived this long. From the black markings beginning to show on his shoulder it would be my guess that he has been poisoned with wolf's bane. The poison comes from a plant that grows in the northern mountains, but there is a species of wolves whose bite carry an even more deadly version of it." His head bowed forward, refusing to face A-Narah when he delivered his news. "No doctor in Middle Kingdom can save him. There is…no cure." Not being able to face her when he gave this blow, he was a spineless coward.

"Then what can be done?" A-Narah cried. She refused to believe that Elon would die.

The doctor closed his eyes, seeming to be making some decision. He opened his mouth, then hesitated. Finally, he looked at the girl and met her golden eyes. A look of surprise flashed across his face which soon vanished, looking at her he made is decision. "There might be one way. But to try this would be a gamble, and I am not positive that even if you made it that it would work."

"What is it? We will do anything!"

With a troubled sigh he continued, "There are a special few people in some of the desert tribes that are said to have an immunity to all poisons. The wolves originated from the desert, so they might have a way to cure your friend. Your only hope will be having one of their doctors treat him."

"That's great then!" A-Narah exclaimed. Her eyes shining with new found hope.

"My Lady," the doctor cautioned, "it is unlikely that a doctor from the desert would treat him, and even if you did find one, he would end up treating a dead body. As I said this is an extremely deadly poison and it is lucky that he has survived this long. His likelihood of surviving the journey is practically zero."

A-Narah felt a great weight fall back on her. So, Elon would die then? She couldn't except this! Even if it was just the smallest of chances, the tiniest of possibilities, she had to try. Elon was her brother.

A-Narah looked at Elon and stroked back his matted hair, "We will go," she decided softly.

"What?" the doctor asked not having heard her.

"We will travel to the desert. We must try even if it is hopeless."

The doctor sighed at this display. He had seen many like this over the years, unwilling to accept fate, but he knew of none that ever succeeded in changing it. All they did was instill themselves with false hope and delay their inventible heartbreak. It was a waste of time, but he also knew that hope gave the survivors some solace. They would know that they had done all that they could before the end.

"I will give you medicine and a prescription that will last you your journey. With these and some divine luck maybe he will survive to make it."

A-Narah grabbed the doctor's hands in hers and with deep sincerity said, "Thank you. Thank you." She hadn't even realized that the tears she had been holding back were now streaming down her cheeks.