Disclaimer: Nope! It's amazing how attached they are to their characters!
A Legend's Journey
Chapter 23
They walked and walked and walked. It wasn't necessary to rest the birds as often now because they were walking instead of running. But the pace was so much slower. Raine kept glancing back at Auron and almost felt despair. How would they ever get home in time? Not having to rest the birds as much or as long would help some, but was it enough?
She sighed and kept walking. Marin watched her, knowing her fears. When they finally did stop, it was as much for themselves as for the birds. Dan and Daisy were working in perfect unison as if they had been doing it all their lives. They knelt as he loosed the harness from them, the litter resting on the grass in the shade of a large tree.
Raine had gotten the supply packs and was trying to ease a little juice between Auron's lips. Her arm beneath his head, cradling him to her. She checked his bandages and added padding to them as she found evidence of fresh bleeding. As she finished, she just sat beside him, holding his hand, talking to him. There was still no sign that he heard but she didn't stop until Marin caught her eye.
Handing her a packet, he said, "Have a bit to eat and we'll go."
She looked at the food then back at him. The set of his mouth told her that he wouldn't move until she ate something. When the food was mostly finished, a bottle of juice appeared in front of her held by a large hand. She sighed and took it. She drank as much as she could hold, recapped it and handed it back.
Looking up into brown eyes, "Now?"
A small smile appeared, "Now."
A short whistle brought Dan and Daisy to them. Marin led them to the litter, each bird stepping carefully on either side of it. Marin gave the signal and they knelt while he refastened the harness to them and fitted the handles of the litter into their slots. Double-checking, he was satisfied that everything was secure before giving the signal to rise. They rose smoothly keeping the litter stable and level.
Marin led them to the road, replaced the supply packs, looked at the road ahead and sighed. They set off again.
Raine lost track of time. She just kept walking. When she glanced at Marin, she could see fatigue on his face. 'How are we going to do this?' she thought, then shook her head. 'We simply have to do it, that's all!'
Marin was having similar thoughts. He and Lady Raine had hardly had any rest for three days, they still had a very long way to go and the pace was much slower now. He glanced back at Sir Auron's still form on the litter. The set of his mouth was grim.
He glanced over at Lady Raine. Her face showed fatigue but fierce determination. 'If she doesn't get him there, it will be because she died trying,' he thought.
They kept walking, stopped now and then to check on Auron, Raine trying to get a little juice into him. At least the amount of new bleeding was minimal. That was encouraging. He simply couldn't lose any more. Marin wondered if The Guardian could really recover from the great amount he had already lost. He decided that he would just accept the fact that Sir Auron was still breathing and that his heart was still beating as good news.
The sun was sinking below the horizon before them and Marin started looking for a place for them to stop. When he saw a likely place, he said, "We'll stop here for a while." He began to lead the two Chocobo off the road and toward the trees he had noted.
Marin looked back at Raine, still standing in the road. "Lady Raine?" She didn't move. More sharply, "Raine!"
That got her attention. "Do we have to, Marin? We're moving so slowly..."
The birds knelt, he released the harness and the birds moved off to graze and rest. He quickly checked Sir Auron then went to Raine's side.
His hand on her elbow, he began steering her to the trees. "You know we have to wait for moonrise. We simply can't see the road in the darkness."
Then he said the magic words, "Sir Auron needs a break from the motion of riding, too. We have to conserve whatever energy he has."
Blue eyes shot to his with a sharp intake of breath. "Marin, I didn't think of that!! Oh, I might have caused him more injury..."
Her head dropped and she spoke softly. "Thank you, Marin. I can't thank you enough for what you're doing." Looking at the still form in the litter, intense sadness filled her eyes along with the sparkle of beginning tears. "I couldn't get him home without you. I wouldn't have survived that first night. It's only because of you that we've made it this far."
She looked into earnest brown eyes, "Auron was right about you, Marin. You are a very good man."
Always uncomfortable with compliments, Marin's gaze dropped and he looked for a diversion. "I'll get the food."
Raine spent hours just holding Auron's hand, talking to him, easing juice between his lips, constantly checking his bandages, his breathing.
At last she laid down beside the litter and dropped off to sleep, still holding his hand. Marin watched over them for a while until he too dozed off.
Sometime later, Marin was awakened by something soft brushing the side of his face. Coming awake quickly, he saw the bright, black eyes of a Chocobo inquisitively blinking at him mere inches from his face.
Dan? He sat up and looked around. Raine was still asleep beside Sir Auron's litter, Daisy standing near them. Then he realized that he could see. The moon was up.
He slowly turned and gave Dan a long, thoughtful look. Dan cooed softly.
"Okay, big guy. Thanks for the wake-up!" His hand gently patted yellow feathers.
He stood, stretched and turned to look at the big bird again. "Hmm." He reached out and rubbed the soft feathers once more.
Before waking Raine, he scooped a little water from a nearby stream and shaved as well as he could without being able to really see what he was doing. One thing that Sir Auron had impressed upon him was the importance of personal care and appearance even while in the field. He took everything Sir Auron taught him to heart. And, he admitted that it made him feel a whole lot fresher than he really was!
Returning his things to his smallpack, he knelt beside Lady Raine and gently touched her shoulder. She stirred, sighed and her eyes slowly opened. Then, remembering where they were, she sat up quickly, "Auron?! Marin, is -"
"Shhh. Shhh. He's fine. The moon is up; we can be on our way shortly."
"Shortly?"
"Yes. After you eat something."
He heard a sigh that he hoped was one of resignation and had to smile a little when he heard no further protest.
He handed her a packet of food and a bottle of juice. He checked on Sir Auron, finding no change that he could detect. He managed to get a little of the good juice into him, then ate his own food.
When everything was repacked, Dan and Daisy took their positions on either side of the litter and knelt while the harness was reattached and the litter secured between them.
They rose smoothly, Marin led them to the road and they started walking. Raine was aware that her feet were terribly sore but she said nothing. The white shoes were the sturdiest she had but she was afraid that they were not going to be adequate for her needs. Well, nothing to be done about it now. Just keep walking.
The sun rose behind them bringing a warmth to the air. They paused a moment while she checked on Auron, not wanting him to be too warm. She adjusted his red coat a bit and gave him a little more of Bana's juice. She removed her blue cloak and secured it under the pack that Daisy was carrying.
They walked on. Mid-morning. Noon. Stop briefly, check on Sir Auron, a little juice, and walk on.
Afternoon. Late afternoon. Dusk. Another stopping place. Another moonrise. Get up and walk.
By this day, Raine felt her mind was moving like molasses from sheer fatigue. Marin's face showed it, as well. How much further? They started out again.
The moon's light was just bright enough to follow the road, their tired minds not focusing on much else.
Too late, Marin caught movement out the corner of his eye. "Hold there, my friend!" A rudely dressed man, sword drawn blocked the way. Two others, one beside Raine, the third slightly behind the first stood with ugly grins on their faces.
Marin could have cursed himself a thousand different ways for his lapse. He accepted no excuse for his failure.
The first one slowly walked around them. "Now, what have we here? A pretty lady - - and what is this?" as he walked around to peer down at Auron on the litter.
Raine whipped around, her sword flashed out of its sheath, her voice shaking with rage, "You touch my husband and you're a dead man!"
The rogue's jaw dropped open in surprise as he stopped in his tracks. He wasn't real sure which man she was talking about, so he backed up a step or two, his eyes flicking back and forth between her and the man standing beside her.
"Now, now, little lady. Nothing to get upset about. Just put your little sword away and everything will be just fine."
Marin, seeing the set of her chin, knew that wasn't going to happen. The second and third highwaymen, watching their leader instead of him, gave him the opening he needed.
His sword whipped out and suddenly the three thugs found themselves on the defensive. The leader, seeing the look in the woman's eyes and seeing her companion ready to fight, knew when to call a retreat.
But, the second man, misunderstanding the leader's signal, lashed out with his sword, hitting Marin's left upper arm, slicing deeply into muscle, almost to the bone.
Marin's sword flashed in the pale light and had the rogue breathing his last on the ground in seconds.
Raine had engaged the second one and had him desperately trying to defend himself when the leader yelled at him. He disengaged and crashed into the brush behind the leader, leaving their cohort in the road.
Dan and Daisy had held their place but their restless feet and anxious faces betrayed their nervousness before this violent activity. Raine paused a second to reassure them, glanced at Auron and turned to Marin who was down on one knee at the edge of the road.
His arm was bleeding profusely, his eyes squeezed tight against the pain. "Oh, Marin. One moment!"
She quickly brought the pack containing the bandages and knelt beside him, easing his injured arm out of the jacket sleeve and put a bottle of juice in his right hand. He opened his eyes, looked at the bottle, then at her. "Turn about. Drink it!" The faintest of smiles touched his mouth.
She cleaned the wound and pressed it closed as best she could as she wrapped a secure bandage around it. Marin felt light-headed, slightly nauseous and his arm was screaming with blinding pain but he would say nothing of it.
She could see the relentless pain in his eyes and on his pale face which was covered with the sheen of a fine sweat. "I wish I had a potion to give you, Marin. I know that has to be terribly painful."
He gritted his teeth, willing the grayness to retreat from his eyes and the roar from his ears. He had to remain lucid and alert. He had to get Sir Auron and Raine safely back home.
She fastened the bottom part of his jacket which formed a natural sling in which to rest his arm. She looked at him with the trace of a smile and a slight shrug, "It works for Auron." And the faint smile returned to his own lips.
Raine stood and looked at the dead man laying in the road. 'They can tend to their own,' she thought. The thugs would have slit their throats without a second thought and she knew it. Time to be moving on. She didn't know how far the remaining two had gone.
"Let me get the birds down and you can ride Dan, Marin. He's a bit stronger than Daisy, I think."
His voice weak and raspy with strain, Marin said, "No. No, I - can walk. They have enough - to carry." He was trying to get himself to his feet but was on the verge of passing out.
"Nope. Change of command here. That is not a minor injury, time for me to take some responsibility for a change instead of leaving everything to you."
Not giving him time to respond, she signaled the birds who lowered themselves gently to the ground.
Marin could feel his body trying to deal with the horrific shock of the wound and knew he had to give it a while. He thought, 'Okay, I'll give myself a few minutes to recover from shock, then I'll be all right again.' So, reluctantly, leaning heavily on Raine, he got himself on Dan's back, hoping that he wasn't throwing off the delicate balance the birds had so beautifully maintained. A touch over six feet, Marin was not a small man.
Dan adjusted himself a little to the additional weight, resetting his big feet, then rose easily with Daisy when Raine gave the signal. Taking a deep breath, she took the reins in her hand and set off down the road. Maybe the sun would be up soon.
She checked back on Auron and Marin frequently while trying to keep an eye on the road and on the thick bushes and trees along side the road. She could hear little sounds now and then but couldn't identify them. Probably ordinary sounds but her nerves were taunt after the attack on them.
She blamed herself for Marin's injury. She had been the one insisting on the early departures. He had warned her of the dangers, but her overriding concern for Auron had driven her to ignore his warning. She would still do the same thing, but she felt incredibly bad that he had suffered because of her. That was a terrible wound he'd suffered.
Thinking these thoughts, she was caught off-guard when a rough hand shot out before her and grabbed the reins out of her hand. "Think you got away from us, did you, missy? Well, there's just you now, huh? All the better for us, eh, Jake?" A crude laugh spewed from his ugly mouth.
The two rogues thought they had an easy target in one small woman left helpless by two injured men. Busy leering at her, evil thoughts occupying their minds, Raine's sword suddenly flashed in the moonlight, slashing one on the side of his neck, sending him howling to the ground as blood rapidly flowed from the carotid artery.
The other one, sword in hand, reached out in a slash of his own catching Raine's torso drawing an anguished cry from her. What he didn't see was Marin slide from Dan's back, sword in hand, blind fury in his eyes.
Marin extracted full revenge on the remaining highwayman, leaving him where he dropped without a second look.
Raine was on her knees, bent over, hands holding her midriff, trying to breathe.
Marin knelt beside her, gasping in pain, barely able to breathe. "Raine? Raine! Let me see." He eased her over to the grass beside the road and her onto her back. The front of her shirt was covered in dripping red. He caught his breath.
Marin staggered to the birds and, with his right hand, he retrieved the supply pack from Daisy, found their dwindling supply of bandages and separated the halves of her torn shirt. The blade had sliced her from the left side of her waist, up across her ribs, stopped just beneath her left breast. The white of bone was visible and blood poured from the gash.
A rough, raspy whisper, "Just - wrap it, Marin. Don't - stand on manners - now." The pain made her breathing ragged and a sob escaped her throat.
Marin clamped his teeth together, willing his body to keep going and wrapped her wound the best he could with one hand. She just laid there for a few minutes, trying to get her breath and chase the red swirls from before her eyes.
"Can you help me up, Marin?" He could hardly hear her.
He reached his right arm around her and got her to a seated position. The effort had Marin's head buzzing. Pain and shock caused her head to reel. "I'll need just a minute," she gasped as another sob shook loose.
"You'll need - more than that." Marin's ears were roaring and the exertion caused grayness to again cloud his vision. His head was spinning.
Through gritted teeth, "No. Auron's - got - much worse - than this. I can do it," gasping.
"He's stronger - than you are, - too," said Marin's strained voice through ragged breathing.
She countered raggedly, "Just - bigger." Breathing was agonizing! "Okay. Can you - help me up?"
Marin got a grip around her as best he could with his right arm and raised her to her feet. She sagged against him with a strangled cry, trying to breathe, shaking like a leaf. A whisper, "Just a minute. Give me - just a minute... I can - do it. I can do it."
The two leaned on each other, holding each other up, wrestling with shock and pain. How would they ever make it home now?
Dan and Daisy were agitated, upset with the activity around them, but they held their position. Dan kept turning his head looking at the still man on the litter. Marin focused all of his resources and helped Raine closer to the birds, gave the signal to kneel and half-carried her to Daisy's side.
"Wait. She can't - carry me, Marin. I'll - be OK," she managed to get out.
"Right. If - Dan - could carry - me, she - can carry - you. On!"
Raine had never known such unrelenting pain. She could not stop the long groan that came from the depths of her soul. She dropped her head and whispered, "Just for a little while. Marin, is there any juice left?"
He managed to get aa bottle out of the pack and handed it to her.
"How much - is left?" Oh, talking was so hard!
"Six full - bottles. That - should be - enough. I'll get - some for - Sir Auron while we're - stopped." He managed to get a little juice into Sir Auron, then staggered to his feet, vision blurring.
Though not cold, the juice was cool enough to feel refreshing and it seemed to help chase away some of the uncontrollable shaking.
Marin reappeared at her side and she handed him the bottle which he recapped and put into the pouch. "Auron?" she asked softly.
"No change. Which is - good under - the circumstances. It can't - be much longer - now." The pain in his arm had turned into a relentless, blinding, all-encompassing power unto itself, every cell in his body trembling as his body fought to function in spite of the horrendous injury done to it.
Marin knew he couldn't ride Dan. Since Daisy was now carrying Raine, more of the load would shift to Dan. He was a tall, strongly built man and adding his weight might be too much. He would have to walk.
Signaling Dan and Daisy to rise, Marin took their reins in his good hand and started off down the road, spots dancing in his blurred vision, breathing hard and unevenly. The sun was rising behind him.
Though Daisy's movement was gentle, the long gash through the muscle and bone was agonizing. Finally Raine just leaned forward, laying against Daisy, unable to sit upright any longer.
Marin concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, completely unmindful of time or distance. One step after the other. One after the other. And another. The exhaustion, the pain was all-consuming but he kept walking, face set like stone, lips a thin, white line, willing himself to keep going. They would die on this road if he didn't.
Time had no meaning. The only thing that mattered was putting one foot in front of the other. One more step. Another. Another. Another. Just one more. Another. Another. And another.
He was past the point of being able to think but he gradually became aware of cooing and chirring from Dan and Daisy. Turning to look at them with blurry, unfocused eyes, he saw that their heads were up and their eyes were sharply focused at a point down the road before them.
Marin strained to see through the late afternoon sun in his eyes – and saw the walls of the town ahead. He'd never been so exhausted or in so much pain, but a huge smile crossed his very tired face. They had made it.
He looked at Raine, barely conscious, laying forward on Daisy. He wouldn't disturb her. They would be there soon and there would be plenty of helping hands.
Though it was more like stumbling, he kept walking, the birds were more than happy to oblige. They had experienced more on this one trip than either had in their entire lives and they would be very happy to return to the familiarity of their home corral!
Another hour passed before Marin entered the town gates. With his very last vestige of strength, he led the birds into the square, stopped near the outer door and leaned his back against the compound's walls. Exhaustion complete, he slowly slid down the wall to a sitting position on the ground.
Cries began to arise in the square as the little group was noticed and recognized. Carlon and Tanaka were the first ones to reach them, others close behind.
Shocked eyes took in the scene. Marin collapsed against the wall, blood covering his jacket front, one arm held in it, obviously badly wounded. Lady Raine mostly unconscious, laying on Daisy, blood staining the yellow feathers on the bird's side. In a litter between the two birds was Sir Auron, ashen, seeming more dead than alive.
A runner was sent for Julan as fast as his legs could carry him. Marin's eyes opened a crack and made out familiar faces around him. "Julan," was a croak from his throat.
Carlon knelt down before him. "He's on the way, Marin. He'll be here in a minute." Carlon looked at the birds awaiting a command. "Marin, how do you get the birds down together?"
Marin slowly raised his shaking right arm and gave the kneel signal. Both birds lowered themselves in perfect unison. Carlon's mouth was hanging open. "How...?" He shook his unbelieving head. There would be time for questions later.
Strong arms lifted Lady Raine from Daisy's strong back, which brought a sharp cry of anguished pain. The front of her clothing was dripping wet with red blood.
Carlon studied the harness assembly and figured out how to release it and free the litter from the straps securing it. Dan and Daisy watched the activity around them with interest but showed no signs of the distress that Carlon would have expected. 'What have they experienced on this trip?!'
Strong, willing arms carefully lifted the litter and were carrying it toward the villa when Julan arrived. He looked quickly at Sir Auron, made a quick check of the wounds of Lady Raine and Marin, and told Harlan, "Get Casen here as quickly as possible! Tell him there is an emergency here and to bring all his potions!"
Casen was another, younger Healer who lived on the other side of town. Harlan caught sight of Sten approaching on a Chocobo and relayed Julan's urgent instructions. Sten turned the bird and raced off.
Julan directed the men to take Sir Auron's litter to the bedroom, put Marin on the couch and Lady Raine on the bed beside Sir Auron. He quickly opened several potions and instructed Tanaka to get those into Marin immediately.
He turned and went into the bedroom. He shook his old head as he looked at the extent of Sir Auron's wounds. How had the man ever survived them?! He uncapped a series of potions and began easing them into his mouth.
Checking the heavy bandaging, he noted that there didn't appear to be any new bleeding, which was excellent, indeed.
Turning to check Lady Raine more thoroughly, he recognized a sword wound when he saw one. This one had gone through muscle, sinew, right down to bone. She would survive but it was a painful injury with much blood loss. Potions for her, pack the wound, then back to check on Marin.
Marin's wound was bad but survivable. The pain of it must have been horrendous and he too had much blood loss. One of the potions that had been administered would help with the pain. The rest would take longer. Recovery of the use of his arm would take time and painful therapy.
He stood and shook his head. "I don't know what the story is, but it is going to be amazing when it is told!"
Many heads nodded in agreement. Sten's bird all but skidded to a stop before the outer door. Casen hastily dismounted and hurried inside.
"Thank you for coming, Casen. We have our hands full here! Sir Auron has multiple, severe wounds, has had severe shock and massive blood loss and dehydration. Lady Raine has a sword wound from her side to the breastbone, ribs exposed, shock and much blood loss. Marin has severe exhaustion, dehydration, major blood loss and shock from a very serious sword wound on the upper arm almost down to the bone. If you'll start with Marin and Lady Raine, I'll begin working with Sir Auron."
Casen nodded and turned immediately to work. Nan and Calley acted as his assistants, helping as he instructed. Tanaka and the other men drifted out into the square outside the door to the compound.
The main question seemed to be: who would be so savage as to attack a small party carrying a gravely wounded man, a man who happened to be The Guardian himself?! Who would attack a woman with a sword?!
Carlon left the group to take the two magnificent birds back to their corral. Plenty of good feed and fresh cold water awaited them. They had obviously performed past anyone's expectation or imagination.
Carlon looked at the red stains on Daisy's side. How far had Marin and Lady Raine had to travel with those wounds? How had Marin even stayed on his feet?! After Daisy had had time to rest, he would try to cleanse the red from her feathers.
Sten checked on his boss, unconscious on the couch, Casen trying to clean and close the gaping wound that slashed his arm from near his shoulder to his elbow. He noticed that even though he had been in the field under extremely trying conditions, Marin's face had been freshly shaved that morning. He shook his head.
Today was only the sixth day. That meant that he had escorted Lady Raine from here to Cortland and had returned on foot with Sir Auron in a litter almost non-stop. Six days to travel that distance left very little time for sleep. Very little! His boss was indeed a worthy man.
He went to make a report to the Mayor and to check on the evening patrol. He knew they would be in order and on time, but he was expected to check so he would. He would do his best to fill in for Marin until he could return.
Bana brought an armful of containers of fresh juice for those working on Marin, Lady Raine and Sir Auron. Anya brought food and baked goods from her tent. Harlan offered strips of cloth if needed for bandaging. Tanaka kept himself available for any heavy lifting that might be required.
Julan had decided to leave Sir Auron on the litter for now. He didn't want to take any chance on reopening a wound and starting more bleeding. Sir Auron simply didn't have that much left!
Extra lamps were brought in and the two Healers worked late into the night. Finally, Marin and Lady Raine had had what treatment that could be done to that point. For the next twelve hours or so, it would be a matter of monitoring, administering potions and liquids.
The townspeople from the square worked out a schedule amongst themselves to see to those duties.
Casen then turned his full attention to assisting Julan with Sir Auron. Never had he seen a human survive such injuries! When he made that comment to Julan, Julan gave him a side-long glance, one eyebrow raised and said, "This is Sir Auron, Casen."
They worked slowly and carefully, trying their best to preserve what ground had been gained and to lose as little as possible.
Hours passed as they worked. Finally, in the very early hours of the morning, they had done all that could be done for the moment.
Casen told Julan to go home and rest. "I'll stay right here and will have you called if there is any change." Julan hated to admit that his age was getting to him, but he was extraordinarily exhausted. He nodded. This was going to be a long haul and he knew he would be of no use without getting some rest. Sten gave him a ride home and his bed felt very, very good.