AN: a super short chapter just so you all know I'm not dead. Please review!
"Where are we?" I ask.
"Only a few miles from the kingdom. We could not go as far as we wanted to without stabiling you first."
His hand skirts down my wrist and interlaces my fingers with his. "Just think, a few more days and we won't have to worry about the kingdom anymore." his brings my hand up to his lips.
It is a wonderful thought. I will never have to hide my sorcery again. No Sir James. All we have to do is get away.
I absentmindably try to change positions, causing a spasm of pain to shoot throughout my body. Tears spill from my tightly shut eyes as I wait for the egony to wear off. It does no such thing.
I whimper like a dying animal and Scott is right there to comfort me. At least try to, anyway. He strokes my cheekbone with gentle fingertips. Shushing quietly.
I do not know if it is his comfort or the pain that finally puts me to sleep. But somehow, my pain fades away from the absent part of my mind, and I have few moments of peace, in a world completely my own.
The peace does not last for long though. Soon I am being jostled. I awake immediately, panicked. Scott is by my side again. "Eveything is alright, Jean, the healing salve is prepared." he holds a small pot of steaming green liquid and a cloth. He offers me the cloth, "to bite down on, I am afraid this will hurt."
With much hassle he helps me to a leaning position. I shove the cloth into my mouth as he unwrap the bandages. The stomach churns and I let out my first scream. It is, of course, muffled by the cotton in my mouth. The pain is unbearable. My fists are so tightly clenched that my fingers cramp up, but that is the least of my pain.
When the pain is more then I have ever experienced I reach up to stop him. He grabs my wrists, "I am so sorry, but you cannot stop me. The worst is almost over." He then calls in Jubilation, who practically lays on top of me to keep me still.
Finally the last blood-stained cloth is removed and I am given a little break to let the pain mellow a tad. I catch my breath as Scott masages my shoulders gently, "the worst is over, My love, the salve should be cool enough to apply now. Jubilation can you get fresh bandages?"
Jubilation gets off of me and exits the tent. I hear some thing splashing, then a warm liquid is poured over my head. At first it burns, and I flinch. Then the pains begins to dwindle, and I let out a sigh of relief.
I have no sense of time in the tent. Scott and Jubilation both come in periodically. Scott mostly. Occasionally he swaps out the bandages for clean ones, or reapplies the healing salve. After a few doses, I am able to sit up and eat without it coming back up. And by what I figure must be the tenth application, I am able to stand and walk, Scott as support.
It is very good timing too, because When night falls that evening is when the King's army attacks.