Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's apprentice John Flanagan does. I only own my characters.
Kyle
A small white-grey horse came out the borders of a forest. The horse was covered in dust and dirt and its head drooped in front of it out of tiredness. The horse was small and looked far more like a pony than an actual horse. The rider sat on their horse, bent over and resting on the horse's neck. The rider was all in brown, they had a brown mottled cloak flowing over the top of them hiding all of them from view. At their side was a bow and on their back was a quiver of twenty one arrows.
The person had their arms wrapped around the horse's neck and they held their hands so that they didn't fall off. The persons hands started to loosen and their entire body started to slip of the saddle of the horse. They fell from the saddle and hit the ground but the rider made no effort to ease his descent, instead they let them self land with a thud. The crumpled heap let out a groan and tried to get up but collapsed with the effort.
The horse looked round at its rider and walked over to him. It collapsed its legs and sat next to the rider knocking them with its nose. The rider didn't react, instead let themselves be pushed about by their horse.
The horse knocked its rider again this time on the head.
"Go away Sky" Kyle said pushing his horse's head away from him. Again Sky pushed his nose into Kyle's head glad that he had got a response from his master. Kyle knocked him away again wishing that his horse would leave him to rest. He hadn't had sleep for days and he felt weak from lack of food.
The thoughts of what had happened three days ago were still fresh in his mind. He stood up and then quickly leant on Sky as everything spun around him. He put his foot in the stirrup and hauled himself up onto Sky ignoring the nausea that washed over him. He felt completely weak after pulling himself up onto Sky. "Redmont" Kyle croaked. He had to get to Redmont and tell Halt and Will. He had to tell them so that they could help.
He forced his eyes to stay open and to not let himself fall asleep. Kyle didn't register anything that was going on around him. He had one thing in his mind and that was to lead his horse to Redmont.
"Come on not much further." He said this more to encourage himself than to encourage his horse. He patted Sky on the neck and dug his heals into Sky's stomach and Sky sped up. "We are nearly there"
It took them another hour to get to Redmont. Sky rode up the hill and stopped at the top.
"Come on boy we need to keep going. You can rest soon, you have done great all I need is a little bit more" Kyle said. Sky rode down the hill. Kyle could see the forest from under the cowl of his cloak. He turned Sky in that direction ignoring the stares he got from people. He knew he looked a mess but he needed to get to the cabin he needed to tell someone who could help.
They got to a small clearing in the woods and Kyle slid of Sky. He went over to the stables with Sky following obediently behind. As they walked into the stables Bolt nickered a greeting to Sky. Kyle fed and watered his horse and then staggered out of the stables. He made his way to the cabin, leaning on everything he could to keep him balanced and up right. He climbed up the steps and stumbled on one of them, stopping himself falling by putting his hands out to the door.
He was leaning on the wall of the cabin when the door creaked open.
"Mark who is it?" he heard a young familiar voice question. Kyle felt his arms beginning to slip and everything was slowly turning black. The last thing he registered was Mark supporting him and then he was unconscious.
Mark
"When will mum and dad be back?" Arianna asked for the second time.
"They have only just gone out" Mark said reading a sheet of paper.
"I am bored" Arianna said trying to get Mark to look up.
"Are you" was all he said.
"Yes" Arianna glared at Mark when she heard him mutter 'then do something'.
"What can I do?"
"I don't know Arianna. What do you want to do?" Mark said looking up from what he was reading.
"I don't know." Mark bit back his anger and annoyance.
"Well go play with Ebony then" Mark said getting back to his reading. A few minutes passed and all you could hear was the soft pad of Ebony's paws padding on the wooden floor. Arianna looked at Mark who paid her no attention.
"What time is it?" she asked. Mark sighed and threw the piece of paper in the air.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" he said looking at the girl who had now become like his second sister. She smiled back at him and nodded. Mark got up from his chair and went and sat down with her. "What do you want to do?"
"Could we play hide and seek?" she asked.
"No"
"Why not, it would be fun."
"Maybe for you but the last time I played that with you I fell out a tree" Mark said stroking Ebony.
"Please" Arianna pleaded.
"No"
"Please"
"No"
"Please."
Mark sighed, "Fine you hide. 1. 2. 3. 4." Mark smiled when he heard Arianna knock over a mop. "5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10." Mark got up from the floor and went and picked the mop up. He knew exactly where she had gone. If she had knocked the mop over then she was heading for her room and there were not many places she could hide in there. Unless she knocked it over purposefully he thought. He stopped what he was doing when he heard Bolt and another horse. He stood still and waited. He heard footsteps and then a thud on the door as someone stopped themselves falling. He walked over to the door and picked up his bow. He opened the door and was shocked to see Kyle.
"Mark who is it?" Arianna said walking out of her room. He quickly dropped his bow and caught Kyle who was starting to fall.
"Arianna get me a bowl of water and a cloth." Mark placed Kyle on the sofa. Arianna ran over with a bowl of water and passed it to Mark.
"Thanks" Mark said. He pulled back the hood of Kyle's cloak and was shocked. Kyle's face was a mix of blood and dirt. There was a slash on Kyle's right cheek from what Mark assumed was a blade and there was also a cut above his left eye, it looked like he had been hit in the head. Mark got the cloth and held it on Kyle's cheek which was still pumping out blood. Kyle's hair was red and stuck to his head.
"Can I help?" Arianna asked.
"Get me another cloth and then put your hand where mine is." Arianna rushed into the cupboard and got another cloth along with some towels and a blanket. She passed the things to Mark and then placed her hand on his. Mark took his hand away and then started cleaning Kyle's face.
"We need a doctor" Mark said to himself.
"But hasn't my dad taught you first aid?" Arianna asked concerned.
"Yes but im not great with it" Mark said.
"I will go to the village"
"No I can't let you go out on your own." Mark put his head in his hands. He couldn't let Arianna go to the village on her own and he couldn't leave her here. At the same time he couldn't leave Kyle on his own this badly injured. "Keep your hand there and apply pressure" Mark said picking up his bow and quiver of arrows, he then ran out the door and got Bolt. Mark rode as fast as he could to the village and stopped outside a small house. Like every other house in the village (except for the Inn) it only had one floor. Above the door of the small house there was a sign nailed to the wall that said Physicians. The writing was rough and jagged and it had been carved into the wood instead of being painted on. Mark knocked on the door and waited. Every second felt like a year.
"Hurry up" he muttered under his breath. Every second Mark spent here was a second longer that his friend was in pain and discomfort. The door opened to reveal a small old man. He had grey hair which was thinning on the top. He was thin and bony. "What can I do for you Ranger sir" he said.
"My friend, he is hurt I need you to come quickly." Mark pointed to the forest.
"Ok let me just grab my things" he croaked disappearing into the house. He came back out with a leather bag over his shoulders. He went around the back of his house and came back with a horse which he got on easily for a man of his age. They both rode back to the cabin. They quickly put their horses in the stable and rushed into the house. Arianna was next to Kyle holding the cloth to his face and she moved when the doctor came over. The man opened up the bag and pulled out several bandages, cloths and a lot of other things.
"How long has he been like this?" the man asked whilst cleaning up Kyle's face.
"I'm not sure, he arrived at the door about ten minutes ago and passed out" Mark said looking at his friend. "Is there anything I can help with?"
"Yes get me a clean bowl of water." Mark did as he was told and got some fresh water. He handed it to the man and then watched in silence. Mark looked at Arianna who looked slightly pale. He walked over to her and put a comforting arm around her. She hugged him tightly and looked away from Kyle. The doctor went into his bag again and pulled out a small tub of salve. He put some of the salve onto both of the cuts on Kyle's face and then stitched up the slash on Kyle's cheek. After he had done that he checked Kyle's chest and stomach. There were no broken bones but the left side of Kyle's stomach was badly bruised.
"I have done all I can. He has bad bruising on his stomach but apart from that and his face he is fine. You need to let him rest. He is dehydrated so when he wakes up he needs to drink something but he probably won't wake up for a while, he is exhausted. If he seems to be getting worse come and tell me" the doctor said packing his things.
"Thank you" Mark said "Should I move him into one of the rooms"
"That would probably be best but make sure you keep an eye on him." The doctor left leaving Mark and Arianna in the house. Mark looked at Arianna, some colour had gone back into her face but she still looked slightly unwell. He went outside and filled a bucket with water. He put it on the table and then helped Arianna clean her hands, he then cleaned his own hands which were stained red like Arianna's and looked down at his clothes. There were a few stains of blood on his left shoulder and Arianna had some blood on her sleeves. They both changed into some clean clothes and then slowly got Kyle into Mark's room and on his bed.
"Do you think he will be alright?" Arianna asked. Mark smiled at her.
"He will be fine. He's stronger than you think." Arianna smiled, "Do you feel better?"
"Yes, I just didn't like seeing Kyle like that" Arianna said looking at Kyle.
"I'm sorry that I had to leave you on your own."
"I don't mind, he needed a doctor and you couldn't leave him alone." Arianna hugged Mark. "What are you going to say to mum and dad?" As if on que Mark heard the door to the cabin squeak open. Arianna got up ran out of the bedroom. A few seconds later she had brought Will and Alyss into the room. Will looked concerned and confused whilst Alyss just looked concerned. They spent the next couple of minutes explaining what had happened and Mark told them what the doctor had said.
That night Mark slept on the sofa whilst Kyle was in his bed.
Did you like it? Please tell me your thoughts on it and who feels sorry for Kyle, I do. Anyway please review, favourite and follow as it makes me happy. Good bye for now.