A/N As some of you may have already noticed I write most of my stories with heavy dialog. I don't know why but I love writing character dialog. Hopefully it's not too bad… Ari
The older women set to too work making a fire as the younger woman examined the wound. The skin around the gash was an angry red and black. It was also still oozing thick blood. She smelled it briefly and winced. "He's been poisoned. The wound itself is very superficial, but the toxin is potent. I know what it is; my father used it to kill the rats that came into the barn at night. It's usually a quick death, stopping the muscles and heart instantly, but I don't know how well it works on larger animals. His men must have thought him dead from the initial paralysis; the cold probably didn't help either. He must be strong to be able to fight it. Laia he needs herbs to fight the poison and infection. I need water mint, cassia, wormwood, and willow bark. Also bring some fresh water from the river, please, so I can properly clean the wound."
"Yes My Lady." The older woman nodded. "Lady Perna," she paused for a moment. "Be careful when I'm gone, you don't know anything about this man." When Laia arrived, Perna set to work making a paste from the herbs and applied it to the wound on the man's leg. She just hoped she counted the poison fast enough. Some of the poison must have already traveled though his system, but maybe she could still save him.
After she was done she gave him a look over. He was a knight, the armor could tell her that. She wondered at who the man before her may be. He was dressed in one of the finest garments she'd ever seen. His shirt was a deep garnet color and embroider on the front was a fiery golden lion. She lightly traced the thread that shimmered in the firelight and seemed to dance. The fabric felt soft and velvety as she ran it though her fingers. Maybe he was a lieutenant, or possibly even a captain in the Narnian army? She took off his armor and clothing, and then scooted him closer to the fire. She rubbed his arms and legs hoping they'd respond and were not completely paralyzed from the poison. She then placed her head to his chest to make sure his heart was still beating. His body shuttered as it warmed up adding hope that the man before her would recover.
Several days passed and the man was still unconscious. Perna feared that maybe he would never wake, the wound was healing cleanly but he was still very still. Most of the poison was out of his system, her concoction of herbs prevented it from being absorbed any further, but his body was still very weak. One morning as Lady Perna was adding a fresh dressing to the wound, his eyes fluttered open.
"Waahaaateerr…" the sound came like a gust of wind. His voice was weak but noticeable. She promptly looked up and saw the young man's dark eyes open. She drew a cup of broth from a pot and put it too his lips. He drank greedily as the warm liquid slid down his throat.
"Drink slowly, you're very ill," Perna said to him but his eyes didn't focus. He probably did hear anything she said. She looked in his eyes.
"Yohooo haave eiiiiight eyeeessss." He stuttered to her as his eye lids fell back down. His body was still feverish. She sighed and went back to tending to the wound on his leg. Some heat from his fever had dissipated, and the ugly black skin around the cut now looked a healthier pink. Perna tried not to think about the man, but he was so handsome. His eyes, they were a warm honeyed brown color. They seemed to hold a deep mystery as well as kindness. The door opened to the hut and it brought Perna out of her revelry.
"Is he still here?" Laia scolded as she set a basket of food down on the floor.
"He's still feverish. He only just woke for a brief moment," Perna replied innocently.
"He brings a bad vapor to us here. The sooner he leaves the better."
"We don't even know who he is. He's very mysterious."
"He's a stranger to us. Your father placed us here for your protection. What if his friends come looking for him? You could be in great danger." The young man moaned a twisted in his sleep. Perna rushed to his side and wiped the sweat from his brow and tucked him back under the blankets.
"I wonder what he dreams about. I bet as a knight he's seen great far off lands, maybe even the ocean I've heard about."
"If you want to hear battle stories maybe you should talk more to your betrothed when he comes to visit. Don't forget my dear child, he is a general and holds great power. Your father made you a fine match."
"He is a fine man, with his shoulders that can plow four fields in one day and eyes that gleam with the stars in the sky. I should be grateful for the match my father made." Her vioce was cold. "Once we find a new land to cultivate he will make a fine husband. I just fear we'll never be able to find new lands, and this pillaging is getting dangerous. I always worry Gaine will not return back." Perna sighed and looked at Laia. "A woman can still dream. I'm destined to become a farmer's wife, but just once I want to see the ocean to the east, and the deserts to the south. At the very least hear tales from people who've actually seen it."
"My dear lady, you were born a farmer's daughter and you love the farmer's life. Your father may have owned most of our lands but were all played our part in cultivating them. I still remember you as a barefooted babe running though the orchards and picking the wild heather that grew around the groves."
"That was long ago when were could still grow fruits, before the droughts." Laia placed her hand on Perna's back. "I'm going for a walk." Perna walked out of the small hut she shared with her nurse maid and went down the lake. The sky was a dull and dreary. Gray clouds gathered in the south threatening rain. Oh, how she missed rain. If only it rained back home, she wouldn't be at the edge of a country that she was told hated her and her people. A ray of light in the west told her the sun was setting. It was getting close to the winter solstice. The days were so short and their work for the season would be done. Perna closed her eyes and could almost feel the warmth of the fire in her father's house. She used to sit by it every night as play with her dolls as her mother cooked mouthwatering winter delights to celebrate the return of the sun. A cold drop of rain fell on her shoulder and before she knew it, the rain started pouring.
"Lady Perna," she heard her nurse maid call. "My child you'll catch you death out here, it's so cold. Come in. The gentleman is stirring again. You should give him some cool water." Gentleman? Maybe Laia was warming to the idea of having the knight around?
The knight started to wake for longer periods of time, though he still wasn't lucid enough to realize what was going on. In delirium he called Perna "Susan" and told her he "wasn't getting up to clean the badger today". Then there was "I need to get safe sisters out of the ocean." None of his ramblings made sense to Perna. Only a couple times did his eyes focus on hers, and when they did it was a brief look of udder confusion.
Perna was preparing some soup in the firepit when Laia ran into the hut with fear etched over her weathered features. "My lady your father is riding up as we speak. We need to hide the gentleman." Perna frantically grabbed a pile of rags and sewing she was working on and dumped it into the corner. She then pulled the knight into the pile and buried him under it. For good measure she threw a couple of rugs on top to try and hid his armor and sword. The door opened as Perna kicked the chain mail under a cupboard.
"My dear daughter, why are you out of breath?" her father asked. Edmund perked up as he heard the new voice and peaked out from a hole under the pile of rags he was under. The man looked old and tired. His blue eyes seemed drawn and wrinkles creased across his brew. There were also lines from where he imagined the old man used to smile. But he didn't seem to smile anymore. His face looked like a shadow of a man who used to be happy.
"Father what do I owe this pleasure?" She walked over and kissed her father on his cheek. He held her close for a moment. "I was tidying up and you caught me by surprise that's all."
"I miss seeing your face, look at how skinny you've gotten. You're becoming nothing but a bag of bones, if your mother was here she'd be so upset to see you like this. It's a good thing I brought you some more food." Perna looked down at her dress that used to fit her last year now seemed to hang off her like it was a size to big.
"We get by here father as is everyone else. I realize these are hard time for us all. I will not accept more than my share of the rations unless I can find the food for myself. I've got a hazel and pear trees just outside so, come spring, I'll be able to put some more meat on my bones."
"I wish I could come here with good news but unfortunately the Narnians found out about our latest raid and we weren't able to gather more food. But your mother did make you a honey cake for the solstice tomorrow. I'm sorry you will not be able to join us, but this year it will not be a festive event."
"It's alright Father…"
"Please my dear maybe you should sit down." Perna nodded and slid out a chair. "My Perna, my dear Perna." The old man sighed.
"What is it Father? Please, just tell me. I'm not a child anymore you don't have to shield me from bad thoughts."
"Your betrothed was killed in the battle. The Narnians found out about our raids and Gaine wouldn't stand down. The King of Narnia himself killed Gaine." Perna's looked down at the ground speechless and moisture pooled into the sides of her eyes. She quickly wiped it away and took a deep breath. Though she barely knew her betrothed, the time she spent with him was sweet, fleeting, but sweet.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I will mourn for him."
"Now you know why you must stay hidden for your protection. If those Narnians found you here they'd kill you too. They destroyed our ways, they stole our rains, and there's not one of those talking beast that wouldn't try to kill us all."
"Are you sure all Narnians are bad Father?" Perna asked trying to sound naïve as she remembered the man lying under the rag pile. Could he really be as evil as he was made out to be? He looked so innocent.
"I've not met one that was kind."
"Maybe they're not as bad as we think? Suddenly the old man looked furious.
"I don't want to hear those words coming out of your mouth child. Those beasts killed your betrothed and all you can say is we should be kind to them. I won't have such language coming from my own daughter's mouth." The old man stood up so quickly that his chair toppled over.
"Peace Father, peace. It was merely a hypothetical question. Sit down before you overexert your self."
"Oh my darling, I need to return back to camp before night falls."
"Won't you stay for some soup I just started making it?" As much as Perna wanted her father to leave so she could tend to the knight, she missed her father, and his visits were becoming fewer and fewer. He kissed her on the cheek and gathered his coat.
"I wish I could, but our people need my guidance. I'll be back before the next full moon. We can talk more than." Perna pulled her father into a strong embrace before she led him out of her hut. "I love you very much Perna."
"I love you too Father, stay safe." Perna sighed as her father rode out of sight. She sniffled loudly and the sniffles turned into to sobs. Her betrothed was dead and she missed her father so much her heart ached in her chest.
"There, there child," Laia came to her side to comfort Perna.
"Gaine was our biggest hope for our people, with him gone what will we do? I… I…" Her thoughts turned to the knight in the corner. His sword was behind the door and in an instant she grabbed it and ripped the rags off the young man. "You," she growled slightly surprised to see the knight awake and seemingly lucid. She pointed the sword towards his chest, but her hand shook violently. His eyes flashed fear at first, and then comprehension. "You know who killed my betrothed don't you?"
"My lady," he replied in a weak voice. Edmund paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. The woman was holding his own sword to his chest. While he knew she probably wouldn't kill him, he still wanted to choose his words carefully just in case. He also knew he couldn't lie to her. It was his own hand that had killed Gaine, and he couldn't tell her that. But withholding information from her, that was a different story, especially if it kept him alive. "I know who killed your fiancé." Perna edged the sword closer to his chest but Edmund didn't flinch. "Your father spoke the truth My Lady. General Gaine was killed by the King of Narnia."
"How do I know you didn't kill him?" Tears were now pouring down her pale face. It was a direct question and Edmund closed his eyes and sighed internally. He decided to let her make the decision for herself.
"Do I look like a King?" Perna dropped the sword and fell to her knees. Edmund did the only thing he knew how to do when he saw a woman cry. What he do when he Susan or Lucy cried, he pulled her in close to his chest and held her close until she stopped shaking. "It'll be alright," he tried to sooth.
A/N Just for fun does anyone know the difference between poison and venom?