Chapter 10... Overprotective much?
Me and the Wolf Boss starred at each other for a moment after Shen left. Sharing looks of shock and confusion.
"Well that was easy" I said slightly dazed by the peacocks willingness to accept me.
"Yeah, guess you and me are working together." Wolf Boss replied a grin forming on his lips.
"I just realized something." I said
"What?" he asked
"We are going to be working together and I don't even know your real name yet."
"It's Danny but you can call me Dan too if you like, and you?"
"Ileana."
"So, Ileana do you think you are feeling up to meeting my pack?" he asked
"Oh sure..." I said nervously
"Don't worry they don't bite...much." he said
"How comforting" I said sarcastically as we walked outside.
When we walked out most of the pack (about 100 wolves, keep in mind that many were lost in the battle with the Dragon Warrior) just dropped what they were doing and kinda stared at us (mostly me) in awe. (I assumed they like Shen have never seen anyone start recovering this soon after a wound) The Wolf Boss made a gesture and they all started coming towards us. "This is Ileana, the warrior who helped us defeat our rival clan the Gen-su." They all looked pleased. "I want you all to treat her as one of the pack and make her feel welcome." Wolf Boss stated "She is going to be working with us from now on."
All the wolves howled in approval and I nervously hid slightly behind Danny aka Wolf Boss. I wasn't one who liked to be in the spotlight for long. A friendly looking wolf approached us and I eased up a bit.
"Yes, Pung?" asked the Wolf Boss expectantly
"Since she will be staying with us for quite some time, I thought maybe I could show her around the camp to make her feel less anxious." Pung said
"That sounds like a great Idea It will give me a chance to get my barrings." I said
"Ok, then lets get started." he said as he took my hand and lead me through the camp."
Danny nodded to us giving his permission to go ahead. After we left the Wolf Boss slowly turned around only to find Shen starring back at him with those beady red eyes that felt like they could pierce your soul.
"Come with me." Shen stated plainly
Oh no this can't be good, thought the Wolf Boss. Shen led him to his tent and after what seemed like forever he finally spoke "The Gen-su clan (The one that attacked us) must be taken care of, send a squadron of 12 of your best men and attack tonight under the cover of darkness."
"Also take this" Shen said as he handed Wolf Boss an official looking document
"This details their unconditional surrender to me, force them to sign it, if they refuse kill them." Shen ordered
"Yes sir." The Wolf Boss replied grimly as he left Shen to his devices.
Meanwhile as I'm getting the tour...
"So Pung before we get started where is my gang?" I asked
"We put them to work standing guard and watching over the camp, I'll take you to them."
"Thanks" I said as we walked way over to the outskirts of the camp.
After a few minutes I see my gang near a few trees out about 100 feet away from the camp. They don't notice me right away so to catch their attention I say "Miss me guys!" in my usual overly loud fashion.
Pung chuckled as the Fung almost fell down from the shock of suddenly hearing my voice. They all looked up and ran excitedly over to me. They all started looking me over and Gah-ri gave me a bear hug which would have made most people wince in my condition but I held it in.
"Its so nice to see you again Ileana, are you alright they said you had been wounded?" Asked Fung
"I'm fine Fung, you know I'm tough." I said almost boasting "I can handle a few arrows."
"Arrows?" Gah-ri asked worriedly
"Are you sure should be out walking around like this" Fung questioned concerned
"I told you I'm fine its nothing to get worked up over" I slightly giggled at Fung's overly concerned attitude.
The Wolf Boss smiled at me as he came over to us but I could tell something was bothering him.
"What's the matter." I asked him plainly
He was dazed for a moment, was he really that obvious?
"Nothings the matter." he lied
"I just thought you should know that me and about 12 of my men are going to be counterattacking the Gen-su, the clan you fought a few days ago."
"Sounds risky, would you like me to come along?" I asked concerned
"I don't think that's such a good idea, your still wounded." he replied
"Ok, if your sure you guys will be alright." I said
"I am." he replied but he knew that that was a lie, he was just as worried as I was about this attack.
"Let's get back to the tour it is going to be dark soon" Pung suggested
"Ok." I said as he grabbed my hand again leaving my Gang and letting them get back to keeping watch.
My thoughts as I walk around the camp with Pung are on everything else but what he is telling me. My hearing was dulled by the thoughts now overpowering my mind. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about this mission the Wolf Boss was going on. And if you knew me at all you would know that when I get a bad feeling about something it usually ends up being right. I tried to shrug off the feeling though maybe I was just overreacting.
I was slowly pulled out of my thoughts when Pung said something that caught my attention.
"Your gang is so loyal to you, I could tell they where generally concerned about you." Pung said
"Yeah, they may be criminals but they have good hearts." I replied
"It reminds me of how our pack used to be." he said
"Used to, you guys still seemed pretty tight to me." I said shocked
"Yes, and we are, but I just wish we had the time to express it like you do with your gang, It seems anymore that are pack hardly has the time to talk with one another and sort out our... problems."
"Problems?" I asked
"Well, you see, most of the gang is only loyal to the Wolf Boss they feel like Shen betrayed them." He said sadly
"Well Shen did betray them, he almost killed your leader! Not to mention the majority of your pack!" I said louder than I intended
"That right, but how did you know that?" He asked partly relieved that he wouldn't have to explain that part to me.
"I saw the whole thing go down, Shen tell him to fire at the enemy even though it would kill many of his own pack, saw him refuse and pay the price for it." I said with a hint of anger to my voice.
"So, you where there?" he asked bewildered
"Yep" I lied, though I did have a front row seat in the theater.
"Well you are just one mystery after another aren't you." he commented
"Yep that sounds like me." I laughed
5 hours later...
It was dark by this time and saw the Wolf Boss and his men leaving, this made me all the more anxious. I sat down just outside my tent I warmed myself by the small fire I had made... lost in thought. I looked around to make sure no one was looking and peered under my bandages at my wound...still not healed but improving... I knew that my healing powers hadn't fully come back yet but right now I wasn't worried about me. I can heal other people too, make them better...but right now that power of mine is gone...if someone gets hurt I can't use my powers to help them. But if it comes to it, I always have a plan B just in case.
Next morning 5am...
Still no sign of the Wolf Boss and his men, something was defiantly wrong and the rest of the pack where starting to get worried too. I had been sitting here outside my tent since 2am hoping and praying that I'd see them come out of forest and into the camp any second but tormentingly enough they never did.
About two more hours passed and I was starting to lose hope... Then that's when I heard it. The sounds of labored breathing and hollers of pain as the wolf boss came out from the thick foliage and slowly made his way to the camp. He was carrying one of his comrades on his back and 4 of his men who where walking behind him where helping the other two wounded men by supporting them on either side to help them walk. The rest of the men followed some limping and some just overwhelmed with exhaustion. I immediately got up and ran towards them along with several other members of the pack. We all help carry the wounded into camp as quickly and carefully as possible.
Pung came on to the scene as soon as he seen them come in apparently he was the packs only healer which explained is good bedside manner.(Pung was the one who tried to patch me up and he was able to help some with my arrow wounds by merely bandaging them but had I been anyone else I probably wouldn't have survived, I didn't have the heart to tell him that though) Wolf Boss carefully set the half conscious wolf he was carrying on a stretcher like device . While the other two wounded leaned against their comrades as the made their way to the medical tent. Pung looked over the wolf on the stretcher carefully, he was by far the worst wounded of all of them. He had a deep gash on his leg that was at least 6 inches long and had a piece of blood stained fabric wrapped around his leg likely in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He also had a deep claw mark on his chest which had ripped at the shirt he was wearing. Otherwise he was cut and bruised on almost every inch of his body. Pung looked at the wolf sadly and said, "his wounds are even beyond my healing I'm not sure there is much I can do to help him."
"But I can help him." I suddenly said
"I'm a very skilled healer, bring him into the medical tent with the others and hurry the more blood he loses the less likely I'll be able to save him!" I said in a commanding tone
A other wolfs complied as they quickly yet carefully carried him on the stretcher. "You'll be alright" I said reassuringly to the wolf on the stretcher as I ran beside them.
On the outside I looked calm and collected as the wounded wolf was being rushed into the medical tent but inside I was a raging inferno ready to make those heartless Gen-su clan have a taste of their own medicine, but this wolf's life was way more important than petty revenge right now. So I swallowed my rage and focused on the task at hand.
I admit at times it was hard to keep my composer as I led the wolves to the tent followed by a very worried Wolf Boss. But when we where in the tent I cleared my mind and directed the wolves to set the wounded soldier on an empty table and immediately assessed the damage closer, finding that not only was there a bleeding gash on his leg but it was also broken in several places. Before I could begin to work, the wolf became suddenly awake and aware of his predicament, so he did what any normal person would do, he panicked! He tried to get up but I was quick to stop him, much like Wolf Boss did with me. His head was still raised though starring in horror at his wounds, I gently coaxed him back down.
"Tell it to me straight how bad is it, will you have to you know...cut it off?"The wolf said with still a hint of fear in his voice.(Back in those times an injury like this could get infected easily because they didn't keep the wound cleaned properly and without powerful antibiotics sometimes they would have to cut the limb off)
"What's your name?" I asked
"Koa." He said
"Koa, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen." I said bravely and reassuringly.
"You." I said to a random wolf "Get alcohol and gauze." "And you over there get some bamboo for a splint."
The wolves quickly went to work one rushing outside and the other quickly going to a medical supply box and coming to me with the alcohol and gauze.
"Ok this is going to sting." I said as I applied the alcohol soaked gauze to his gash.
He winced and gritted his teeth as the pain set in then quickly calmed down after it subsided. Most of the wolves brave enough to stay in the tent(including the Wolf Boss) just stood still watching me in case I would need help. Worried looks were stuck on all their faces.
"You there get me something to sew with, he's gonna need stitches."
Soon the wolf came back with some thread and a hooked needle.
"Ok Koa, I'm going to use pressure points to numb your leg now, get ready."
He just nodded weakly and I quickly pressed on the points and he lost all feeling in his leg. I used the needle to stitch the gash as carefully yet as quickly as possible to minimize the bleeding. Every once in a while dabbing the blood with a piece of gauze I ripped off. Finally after what seemed like an eternity I finished my stitching.
"Now I'm going to reset your leg, you wont feel it much though since I numbed it." I said
"Ok." he said almost trembling.
"1,2,3!" I counted
Then I pulled hard on the leg and the sound was so awful that it made the Wolf Boss cringe. I felt his leg to make sure that now everything was in place. It was.
"Ok, now the hard part, I need to unumb your leg now, when I do it is really going to hurt so brace yourself." "Oh and bite on this." I said handing him a stick "It might help with the pain."
"ok." He said really terrified now.
"You ready." I asked
"As I'll ever be." He replied nervously
"Ok, 1,2,3!"
I swear the wolf's muffled scream could be heard throughout the entire camp, but after a few minutes he calmed down enough for me to finish the job. The wolf was back with the bamboo for the splint by now and I was able to fashion a pretty sturdy one given my limited equipment. I finished by wrapping gauze around his stitches and cleaning/patching up his remaining cuts. By this time he was sound asleep, passed out from pain and exhaustion.
"He is patched up as good as he can get, he should be fine." I said proudly
The wolves in the tent just stared in amazement, they never seen someone so good with medicine before.
"I would suggest making him some crutches so he can get around, I have some business to take care of I'm sure you can handle the rest." I said somewhat darkly and plainly as I left the tent the Wolf Boss following me out. I interrupted him before he could say anything...
"He could have died."I said quietly
The Wolf Boss just starred at me not sure what to say.
"HE COULD HAVE DIED!" I growled in anger, rage overwhelming me.
"I WILL NOT LET THIS STAND!"
The Wolf Boss just kept standing there not sure what to do about my sudden outburst.
I snatched Shen's surrender document which was secured on the Wolf Boss's belt.
"I got a paper to get signed." I said darkly
"But you cant...not alone...your wounded still and you can't possibility fight the whole army on your own." The Wolf Boss tied to reason with me
"WATCH ME!" I yelled as I ran in the direction of our rival's camp.