They rode quickly into the night, pushing the horses and much as they could, without killing the animals. On Evy's urging, they finally took a break. It had to be sometime around mid-night. Evy practically fell off her horse, and Rick was sleeping, sitting up, on his. One of the young Med-jai took the limp Emily as Ardeth climbed down, as his legs turned to jelly under his weight. He fell to his knees with a grunt, and Evy came running to his side.
"You ok, old friend?" she said, dropping to one knee next to him.
"I am just a little weak." He said with a sigh, "I have not given myself the proper rest I need."
"Then you sleep, one of us can carry Emily while you do…"
"No. I will take her, where is she?" he said looking around.
"One of your men took her, I think he laid her on a blanket just over…there." She pointed.
"I must go to her…," he said, standing, his legs still weak. Evy sighed at his relentless attitude. She stood as well, placing an arm around his waist, in effort to keep him from falling. She led him to where Emily lay, unconscious, on a blanket. He dropped to his knees once more, and she went down with him. Evy checked the woman over, she had lost some more blood, and it was soaked through the bandages and her shirt.
"We have to change these." She said, eyeing Ardeth. He nodded and pulled out a dagger and cut some more off his outfit. Evy carefully folded back Emily's shirt, making sure not to reveal too much of the woman, and started to take the bandages off. Ardeth called for some water, and a half-asleep Rick brought a canteen to them. Evy poured some of the water on Emily's side, washing away the blood, which she then cleaned up with one of the strips of Ardeth's robe. When she was done, she had Ardeth prop her up a little, so that Evy could wrap the strips on linen around the girl's mid-section. When she was done, she pulled the shirt down and gently laid Emily on her back. Ardeth propped up her head and sat with her. running a hand over her hair softly. He did not see the looks Evy and Rick, or the 2 Med-jai warriors's exchanged. The fearless Med-jai Chieftain had suddenly reduced to a human. Worrying about one he loved. He never looked so old to Evy then he did that night, holding the life-less body of the girl, bathed in the light of the full moon.
They all sat in silence for a while. Eating some small bits of food. A half an hour later they started off again, one of the warriors informing the O'Connell's that it would take them another 4 hours to reach the city of the Med-jai. Rick and Evy both dozed off after a while, sleeping as well as they could on the backs of galloping horses. And as for Ardeth Bay, he simply rode along, quiet, holding Emily in his arms.
~~
In the early morning, as the small group rode up to the Med-jai City, only few were up, mainly a large group of woman and a few warriors. Both Evy and Rick were so tired, that they were unable to make out much of the city. They watched on silent as Ardeth handed Emily to a warrior, who then waited until he got off his horse, and with weak legs, took Emily back into his arms, carrying her into a large tent. The large group of woman followed him.
Some of the warriors took all the horses and led them away. Leaving Rick and Evy alone in the dark. A small woman with a lantern in her hand walked up to the O'Connells, motioning them to follow her. she led them to a simi-large tent. Next to what looked like a really large tent. She showed them the bed, and that was all they needed. She went, leaving the lantern and the O'Connells. Evy and Rick fell onto the bed, sleep taking over, and they never even turned down the sheets.
~~
In the large medical tent, Ardeth stood to the side and watched as the woman in his tribe worked on Emily. They pulled out balms and potions, rubbing some into her wound, rubbing others onto the bandages that were to go over the wound. A small old woman came up and grabbed Ardeth's hand, making him jump.
"You go," she said in Arabic, "Go to your tent and go to sleep. There is nothing more you can do for her now."
Ardeth let out a weak sound in protest, but the woman led him to the tent door, and pushed him into the night. He sighed and yawned, realizing then how tired he was. He stumbled across the makeshift city, and into his large tent in the middle of it all. He had no need to light any lanterns, he knew his way to his bed. Somehow, he managed to get all his weapons off his body, leaving them in a pile on the floor. He didn't remember pulling his boots off, but he did. Flopping down on the bed, the tears of exhaustion came to his eyes, and he let them flow freely. His gentle sobs filled the air, until he fell into a deep sleep. A few tears still rolling out the corners of his eyes.
"You ok, old friend?" she said, dropping to one knee next to him.
"I am just a little weak." He said with a sigh, "I have not given myself the proper rest I need."
"Then you sleep, one of us can carry Emily while you do…"
"No. I will take her, where is she?" he said looking around.
"One of your men took her, I think he laid her on a blanket just over…there." She pointed.
"I must go to her…," he said, standing, his legs still weak. Evy sighed at his relentless attitude. She stood as well, placing an arm around his waist, in effort to keep him from falling. She led him to where Emily lay, unconscious, on a blanket. He dropped to his knees once more, and she went down with him. Evy checked the woman over, she had lost some more blood, and it was soaked through the bandages and her shirt.
"We have to change these." She said, eyeing Ardeth. He nodded and pulled out a dagger and cut some more off his outfit. Evy carefully folded back Emily's shirt, making sure not to reveal too much of the woman, and started to take the bandages off. Ardeth called for some water, and a half-asleep Rick brought a canteen to them. Evy poured some of the water on Emily's side, washing away the blood, which she then cleaned up with one of the strips of Ardeth's robe. When she was done, she had Ardeth prop her up a little, so that Evy could wrap the strips on linen around the girl's mid-section. When she was done, she pulled the shirt down and gently laid Emily on her back. Ardeth propped up her head and sat with her. running a hand over her hair softly. He did not see the looks Evy and Rick, or the 2 Med-jai warriors's exchanged. The fearless Med-jai Chieftain had suddenly reduced to a human. Worrying about one he loved. He never looked so old to Evy then he did that night, holding the life-less body of the girl, bathed in the light of the full moon.
They all sat in silence for a while. Eating some small bits of food. A half an hour later they started off again, one of the warriors informing the O'Connell's that it would take them another 4 hours to reach the city of the Med-jai. Rick and Evy both dozed off after a while, sleeping as well as they could on the backs of galloping horses. And as for Ardeth Bay, he simply rode along, quiet, holding Emily in his arms.
~~
In the early morning, as the small group rode up to the Med-jai City, only few were up, mainly a large group of woman and a few warriors. Both Evy and Rick were so tired, that they were unable to make out much of the city. They watched on silent as Ardeth handed Emily to a warrior, who then waited until he got off his horse, and with weak legs, took Emily back into his arms, carrying her into a large tent. The large group of woman followed him.
Some of the warriors took all the horses and led them away. Leaving Rick and Evy alone in the dark. A small woman with a lantern in her hand walked up to the O'Connells, motioning them to follow her. she led them to a simi-large tent. Next to what looked like a really large tent. She showed them the bed, and that was all they needed. She went, leaving the lantern and the O'Connells. Evy and Rick fell onto the bed, sleep taking over, and they never even turned down the sheets.
~~
In the large medical tent, Ardeth stood to the side and watched as the woman in his tribe worked on Emily. They pulled out balms and potions, rubbing some into her wound, rubbing others onto the bandages that were to go over the wound. A small old woman came up and grabbed Ardeth's hand, making him jump.
"You go," she said in Arabic, "Go to your tent and go to sleep. There is nothing more you can do for her now."
Ardeth let out a weak sound in protest, but the woman led him to the tent door, and pushed him into the night. He sighed and yawned, realizing then how tired he was. He stumbled across the makeshift city, and into his large tent in the middle of it all. He had no need to light any lanterns, he knew his way to his bed. Somehow, he managed to get all his weapons off his body, leaving them in a pile on the floor. He didn't remember pulling his boots off, but he did. Flopping down on the bed, the tears of exhaustion came to his eyes, and he let them flow freely. His gentle sobs filled the air, until he fell into a deep sleep. A few tears still rolling out the corners of his eyes.