The sound of glass shattering echoed in the room as the plates and cups dropped from the tray onto the ground.
"Opps…" Elwyn whispered as her face turned the same color as her hair, a deep chestnut red.
"Don't just stand there, pick it up!" Madame Alon hissed as she bunched her hands up into two tight fists and stomped on the stone ground.
"I'm..sorry" Elwyn bent down quickly and started to pick up the broken pieces as fast as she could. She noticed that every healer in the room had turned to look at her, some staring with their mouths open, others looking like it was no surprise.
Standing up awkwardly with the tray in her hands, Elwyn looked around uncertainly.
Now what?
"Go throw away the fine china that you just ruined so carelessly!" Madame Alon shouted this time, her face turning from pink to red, from red to purple.
Elwyn cringed at the sight of the main healer, Madame Alon was frustrated. Her hair was falling out of its grey bun on the top of her head, and the buttons on her white healer's dress were threatened to pop off, due to the huffing tantrum.
Elwyn blinked slowly as she exited the large healing room, filled with tables of medicine, utensils, bookshelves, and beds. The large wooden doors clicked loudly as it shut behind her.
Outside the room, Elwyn sighed defeated. This was her third time in missing up this week, she just wasn't meant to be a healer. The long empty hallway seemed dark and quiet, everyone was either away or in their rooms. For the long seven years that she's been here, Hadrian's Wall still seemed alluring and mysterious to her. Her home Rome, seemed so far away now, studying to become a healer was important to her mother, so she was sent to study here. The light torches flickered off the walls as she walked to her room, and a chilly breeze blew from the window.
Elwyn stopped at the window to get some fresh air, and set the tray down on the windowsill. The weather was misty and grey outside, matching her mood. A gentle breeze flew by, blowing her long red hair past her shoulders. Elywn closed her eyes and breathed in deep, she wished she was free.
When she opened her eyes again, a horse and rider was heading towards the wall from a distance. They were riding hard, and with a speed of urgently. Elwyn made her way out to the front gate, and swung open the large double doors that led to outside.
The wind was stronger now, she would fill it shiver all the way down to her spine as she stepped outside.
"Wake up! There's a rider coming towards the wall!" Elywn called up to the sleeping tower guard, who jolted awake with a flinch. The guard looked confusedly at her, and then turned his to the land outside the wall. There he saw, a rider headed towards them, riding closer and closer.
With a sudden urge of curiosity, Elwyn climbed the steps that led up to the tower and stood beside the guard, coming in time to see the rider halt.
"I bring word from Artorius!" The rider shouted up in a deep accented voice. Now that he was closer, Elywn could tell it was one of the Samaritan knights. He was dressed in armor, and blood stained the side of his face and his chest plate. She wasn't sure it was his blood or not, but he had recently been in battle.
"What news?" The guard tower shouted back, urgency in his voice.
"The woads have outnumbered us by many, making their way towards the wall. They'll be here before nightfall". The knight said back calmly, jumping off his horse and holding it by the reins.
Elwyn's eyes widened at the news. An attack coming here?
The guard nodded as he shoved Elwyn out of the way slightly and made his way to the bell. He pulled on it three times, sounding the attack signal. Off in the distance, Elwyn heard shouts and soldiers scurrying out as they readied their weapons and hurried to put on armor.
"I'll go tell Madame Alon to be ready" Elwyn said quickly, turning on her heals and heading back towards the healer's wing.
"Wait!" The guard shouted at her as he grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.
"Do what the knight tells you, you must ready the people". Elwyn took in what the guard said, and nodded her head slowly, then looked towards the knight, who was already inside the wall, waiting for her at the bottom of the tower.
Elwyn ran down the steps quickly, and he started off, walking towards the fort. Ewlyn picked up her white healer's dress, to avoid slipping on it, as she followed the knight.
"Where are we going?" She asked breathlessly, trying to keep up with his long strides.
"You are to warn the healer while I alert the people" The reply came swiftly, as they turned the corner into the main courtyard. Elywn watched his back as she walked, his hair had random pieces of braids in it, and he carried a long curved sword on his back.
Wow…
"Go" The knight said suddenly as they stopped in the courtyard, Elwyn nodded quickly and hurried to the healer's hall. She pushed the wooden doors open, and ran inside.
"Arthur sent word that woads are coming towards us, they'll be here by nightfall!"
Elwyn looked around the room only to see everyone was already scurrying around getting medical supplies together and pushing beds out of the way.
"We heard the bell." A healer said as she pasted Elwyn, carrying a handful of towels.
"Oh." Elwyn said disappointedly, for once she wanted to be useful and bring some news.
"Get out of the way child!" Madame Alon hissed as she also scurried by, baring a bucket of hot water.
"What can I do?" Elwyn suggested as she followed Madame around the room, wanting to be helpful.
"Go with the other healers and prepare the medicine and herbs. There will be many wounded soldiers". With that, Elwyn hurried towards the table where healers were already mixing potions and herbs. Elwyn found it hard to focus, with all the noise and urgently around her, an attack never came inside the wall before.
A loud shout outside was heard as a sudden crash rumbled the fortress. Pieces of dust and little stones fell from the ceiling, Elwyn dropped the bottle of herbs she was mixing to the ground, and cursed loudly.
More shouts and screams were heard outside as the battle started, and the noise unnerved her even more.
"Elwyn!", A healer whom she recognized as Althea shouted as she ran towards were Elwyn was and grabbed her shoulders, willing her to listen. " I need you to run out and bring in the injured soldiers with me".
With a nod, the young healers hurried outside of the fort to check for any soldiers that were in need. Elwyn could barely see where she was going when she stepped outside. Soldiers and knights ran everywhere, trying to defend the woads that were trying to climb over Hadrian's wall. A scream came from the atop the wall as a solider fell off and landed on the ground nearby. Blood streaked his face, and two arrows were embedded in his chest. His eyes were frozen open in terror, he was dead.
Elwyn gasped at the sight before her, she had never seen anyone die before. Her emerald eyes flashed in anger at the thought of someone taking a life so carelessly.
"Elwyn! Help me!" Althea called from nearby as she held an injured knight, trying to half drag him inside the fort.
Elwyn erased all thoughts of anger from her as she rushed over to Althea, taking hold of the knight's ankles, and lifting them slightly. The two carried and dragged him into the fort, as more healers rushed out to bring in others. The knight moaned feebly as he protested, his green eyes were glazed over, and sweat beaded his forehead, making his light brown curls stick to it.
" I…can..I can fight" He said weakly, trying to wiggle from them.
"Sssh, don't fight it." Althea soothed, pulling him inside the fort and dragged him in enough for Elwyn to shut the doors behind them.
The torches on the walls flickered with the breeze of the wind when the doors shut, and Elwyn stopped for a moment, breathing in deeply.
"Go, take him to the healer's room, I'm going back out". Althea laid the knight's head down carefully as she ran out the doors again, shutting them with a loud thud. Elwyn signed tiredly as she took hold of the knight's arms and dragged him towards the room.
Once inside, he was placed on a bed, and Madame Alon looked him over quickly.
"He has a dagger embedded in his lower chest, it needs to be removed. Two of his ribs are broken, and an arrow wound grazed his right shoulder. Other than that, just a few cuts and gashes. Clean him up."
Elwyn was left with the moaning knight as healers were busied with other soldiers. Elwyn racked her brain with what she was supposed to do as she closed her eyes tightly.
Take out the dagger, clean the wound. Ok.
Working at a face pace, she removed the chest plate that covered him, and tore off the white tunic underneath. There, in his lower stomach was a dagger, a woad dagger. Celtic designs covered it on the hilt, and blood gushed from where it protruded.
"This might hurt", she warned as she looked at the knight. He nodded, closing his eyes tightly; Elwyn felt a strong sense of sympathy towards him, he looked so young.
With a quick pull, the dagger was out, and she wrapped and bandaged it with herbs. The rest of the injuries required the same treatment and Elwyn checked for any more injuries or broken bones as she patted his legs down, everywhere else seemed normal. He probably had a slight concussion at most. Elwyn sang softly as she worked, it was an old song she'd learned from one of her sisters back home.
"With a sign, you turn away with a deepening heart, no more words to say.
You will find, that the world has changed forever…"
"What's your name?" He asked hoarsely, opening his eyes again, and lifting his head slightly to see her.
Elwyn smiled kindly as she walked back up to him and pushed him down gently. "Elwyn".
"Galahad".
"The trees are now turning from green to gold. And the sun is now
fading, I wish I could hold you closer".
Elwyn finished the sad song as she turned to the knight,
"Well Galahad, you're battle scars will be pretty impressive" Elwyn said kindly, trying to lightened the mood a bit as she tucked in the sheets around him.
He smiled slightly and closed his eyes "That song was beautiful", he whispered softly, falling into sleep.
Elwyn laughed slightly and smoothed his curls away from his forehead. "Sleep. Dream about home, Sir Knight".
Wow, that was the longest chapter yet, I think. Thank you for all the reviews! I looove getting them. It keeps me going. I also loved the idea of the knights training the girls, and girls swooning over them. It's something we would do if we had the chance, wouldn't we! That chapter was originally was suppose to be the first one, but I saved it for later. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.
Elwyn: pale brow (cause most redhead people are pale…lol)
Althea: healer
If you guys have ideas for more stories, suggestions are always appreciated. And as ElvenDestiny said, "a writer's worse critic is silence", so please review!
