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Disclaimer: All of these characters are Tamora Pierce's, not mine!
Jon and Duke Baird looked up from their patient at her frightened and flustered husband. He was disheveled and looking worse than either man had ever seen him.
"Come help," said the King. "We'll tell you as we work."
George obliged, kneeling down beside the body of his wife. He inspected the wound carefully. He had experience in healing from his mother and his many personal injuries from his former life as the King of Thieves.
"Poisoned arrow?" he asked, already knowing the answer. When the other two men nodded, he let out a deep sigh. "We need to counteract this immediately. Alanna told me yesterday. She's with child."
Jon's eyes widened. "I knew something was up!" he said quietly. "She was acting sort of distant and happy this morning."
"She said she wanted to go riding today because she wouldn't be able to much longer, what with the extra weight of the baby and all," George said. "I should have come along. I was too busy getting reacquainted with old friends."
Duke Baird gently reminded the two fearful men to get back to work.
"I'll go back to my quarters and get some supplies," the healer told them. "Try to stop the blood flow if you can. She can't afford to lose much more blood than she's already lost."
The two men got to work. They were silent as they each used their Gift and tried to hold together the broken skin. Each man was thinking about the possibility of losing Alanna. Both of them had loved her for years. Neither could ever bear to live without her.
George was worrying only about the lives of his wife and unborn child. Jon, however, was mourning the love he knew now would never be his. He had children of his own, but somehow he had thought that as long as she didn't have children, there was still a chance between them. Thayet was a beautiful woman and a good Queen, but he would never love her as he loved Alanna. His marriage had been for the good of the kingdom. He still regretted that fight in the desert years ago, when she had left him forever. He would give anything to take George's place as her husband!
Jon snapped back into reality from his daydream as George gave a cry.
"Use more of your Gift!" Alanna's husband exclaimed. "The poison's spreadin'!"
Jon could see the anxiety on the older man's face as he used his Gift to try and save the lives of his wife and child. George didn't have much healing magic, but he used every spare drop he could find in himself. Jon got to work helping him. They tried to draw out the poison, using the strength of their magic, but only managed to get a drop or two out. They fought until they had no more strength, and then collapsed in exhaustion.
Duke Baird entered the stables, his arms full of bandages and herbs, to find the two men lying unconscious on the floor. He quickly grabbed a water bucket and threw the contents over them. They stirred and sat up.
"Oh no!" George cried. "We've left her alone for too long!" He hurried to try and use his healing magic on his wife, but the Duke stopped him.
"You've already used too much magic," the healer said gently. "You can't help her anymore without killing yourself. We're going to take her to the healers' quarters. There isn't much more we can do here. Jon, if you want to run ahead and tell them we're coming."
"Say no more," said the King as he ran in the direction of the rooms where the palace healers cared for their patients.
Duke Baird wrapped a thick bandage around Alanna's shoulder, trying to stop the blood flow for a while. Then he and George gathered her up gingerly and carried her towards the room Jon had just run to.
Disclaimer: All of these characters are Tamora Pierce's, not mine!
Jon and Duke Baird looked up from their patient at her frightened and flustered husband. He was disheveled and looking worse than either man had ever seen him.
"Come help," said the King. "We'll tell you as we work."
George obliged, kneeling down beside the body of his wife. He inspected the wound carefully. He had experience in healing from his mother and his many personal injuries from his former life as the King of Thieves.
"Poisoned arrow?" he asked, already knowing the answer. When the other two men nodded, he let out a deep sigh. "We need to counteract this immediately. Alanna told me yesterday. She's with child."
Jon's eyes widened. "I knew something was up!" he said quietly. "She was acting sort of distant and happy this morning."
"She said she wanted to go riding today because she wouldn't be able to much longer, what with the extra weight of the baby and all," George said. "I should have come along. I was too busy getting reacquainted with old friends."
Duke Baird gently reminded the two fearful men to get back to work.
"I'll go back to my quarters and get some supplies," the healer told them. "Try to stop the blood flow if you can. She can't afford to lose much more blood than she's already lost."
The two men got to work. They were silent as they each used their Gift and tried to hold together the broken skin. Each man was thinking about the possibility of losing Alanna. Both of them had loved her for years. Neither could ever bear to live without her.
George was worrying only about the lives of his wife and unborn child. Jon, however, was mourning the love he knew now would never be his. He had children of his own, but somehow he had thought that as long as she didn't have children, there was still a chance between them. Thayet was a beautiful woman and a good Queen, but he would never love her as he loved Alanna. His marriage had been for the good of the kingdom. He still regretted that fight in the desert years ago, when she had left him forever. He would give anything to take George's place as her husband!
Jon snapped back into reality from his daydream as George gave a cry.
"Use more of your Gift!" Alanna's husband exclaimed. "The poison's spreadin'!"
Jon could see the anxiety on the older man's face as he used his Gift to try and save the lives of his wife and child. George didn't have much healing magic, but he used every spare drop he could find in himself. Jon got to work helping him. They tried to draw out the poison, using the strength of their magic, but only managed to get a drop or two out. They fought until they had no more strength, and then collapsed in exhaustion.
Duke Baird entered the stables, his arms full of bandages and herbs, to find the two men lying unconscious on the floor. He quickly grabbed a water bucket and threw the contents over them. They stirred and sat up.
"Oh no!" George cried. "We've left her alone for too long!" He hurried to try and use his healing magic on his wife, but the Duke stopped him.
"You've already used too much magic," the healer said gently. "You can't help her anymore without killing yourself. We're going to take her to the healers' quarters. There isn't much more we can do here. Jon, if you want to run ahead and tell them we're coming."
"Say no more," said the King as he ran in the direction of the rooms where the palace healers cared for their patients.
Duke Baird wrapped a thick bandage around Alanna's shoulder, trying to stop the blood flow for a while. Then he and George gathered her up gingerly and carried her towards the room Jon had just run to.
