A Dangerous Cloud…
Except for a slight dizziness, Will wasn't feeling any effects from his fight with Horace as Alyss led him outside; that is, not yet.
Leading him to the fig tree, Alyss lowered him to the ground carefully. Leaning back against it gratefully, Will sighed.
"Alyss, where are Jen and George?"
"They went to the creek with Hannah just before you came in. I stayed to wait for you."
"Thanks Alyss."
Then he remembered what Alyss's surprising intervention had caused him to forget.
"Alyss! My drawing! H-Horace tore it!"
Before she could stop him, he jumped up as if to run back and find the drawing. Or continue the fight. But, as he stood up, a lance of pain shot through his head at the sudden jolt.
"Ahh!" He grimaced and stumbled back against the tree.
"Will! Don't move; just lie down there in the shade. I'm going to get Anne from the infirmary."
Sitting up violently caused another lance of pain to pierce his head.
"N-no! Don't get Anne! She'll tell the Baron. I-I don't want him to know."
He tried to resist the pain; he really didn't want the Baron to know. Somehow, he felt it would be a disgrace if Arald found out. As if he was a weakling. A crybaby.
"Will, you need some help. You can hardly stand. I'm getting Anne, like it or not."
"Please!"
The tone in which he uttered the plea caused Alyss to pause.
"Why Will? Why can't he know?" She said exasperatedly.
Will took a deep breath.
"Becausehe'llthinkI'mweakandhewon'tletmegotobattleschool!" shouted the hapless boy. Alyss's eyes softened; she walked back to Will, kneeling in front of him.
"Will, I understand. But that's no reason to refuse help; it only makes things worse."
Feeling his resolve melt, Will gave one more mental struggle. Besides the Baron, he didn't want to show weakness to Alyss. But, as valiantly as he struggled, the pain was overwhelming, and he was starting to see little spots everywhere.
"What if I just go find Hannah?"
That did the trick.
"Alright; go ahead. Bring cool water from the creek for me?"
"Of course." Smiling in relief, Alyss stood and sprinted lightly away. Even at ten years old, the girl was tall for her age, and she was soon out of sight.
Laying back in the shade, the pain in Will's head became increasingly unbearable. He didn't know it, but he'd concussed his head when he initially jumped Horace, taking them both to the ground, and banging his head against the corner of the hefty wooden table in the process. His other injuries weren't as serious, but they still hurt terribly; especially his rapidly swelling jaw, which had taken two full-on blows from Horace. Though he fought valiantly, the darkness surged in around him, and he fell headlong into the bottomless abyss of blackness. It engulfed him, tossed him, and tumbled him every which way. He suddenly landed, hard.
But I thought this pit was bottomless? But who am I to think anyway? I thought Horace would never find the Knight. Apparently I'm not supposed to think…
The mists cleared from his mind's eye, and a surreal cloud sailed above him, pouring cool wetness down on his feverish forehead. The cloud handed him a part of itself, putting the fluffy wad under his nose, tickling it. It smelled spicy and warm…the cloud spread it on the fiery bump on Will's head; it felt cool and soothing on the bump, while a sense of warmth and comfort surged through his body, and the hammers working the fiery forge subsided slowly.
Will tried to talk, but no sound came out; what, exactly, he was going to say, he didn't know. But the cloud had other ideas. He didn't see how, but the cloud morphed into a dark blobby shape, taller and thinner than the cloud had been; gradually, Will realized that it looked vaguely like a cloak. Taking his hand, it lead him up into the sky, wrapping part of itself around him, and carrying him somewhere. Eventually, it laid him down on a soft, but firm, surface. Then, Will slipped back into dark oblivion.
Gasping and panting, Alyss felt as if she would collapse if she ran one more step. NO! She had to keep going! Will needed her. Who could tell how badly he was injured? What if he was concussed? She pushed herself harder.
The walk to the creek was a good ten minutes, with several small hills on the way. As Alyss was running, and not walking, the trip was torturous.
After this, I promise I'll run every day! I had no idea I was so out of shape…
As she came within sight of the creek, Alyss saw Jenny turn and see her; Jenny shouted and ran over to where Hannah and George were looking for pebbles, and both in turn saw Alyss running frantically toward them. Hannah gathered up her ample skirts and ran to meet Alyss.
"What's the matter? Why are you running Alyss?"
"Will! It's Will!" She gasped.
"Will and Horace got in a really bad fight, and Will is all beat up, and he can hardly walk, and he won't let me get Anne, and…"
"Hold on Alyss! Will fought Horace? That can't be good. Alyss, stay here and catch your breath, then gather up our things and bring George and Jenny back. Where did you leave him?"
"He's leaning up against the fig tree; let me go back with you! I'm fine, I need to help Will!"
"No! You're in no shape to run back. Don't argue with me!"
Her stern gaze softened a moment.
"I know you're very close to Will; but you've already done very well to help him. No sense in exhausting yourself. Then I'd have to take care of you instead."
That did it.
"Yes, your right. I'll stay."
Then George had an idea.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'll go back with Hannah. I'm a good runner! Jenny is slower than me, and Hannah said you can't go Alyss…"
"Yes, yes, that's a good idea. No need to go on about it. Now, no time to loose! Let's go George."
With that, they ran off. George hadn't been lying when he said he was a good runner. Being thin and lanky didn't particularly lend to the gracefulness of it, but no doubt about it, he was fast. He soon outstripped Hannah, and was out of sight.
As soon as Alyss had run off, and Will slipped into unconsciousness, a dark figure which had been watching the whole scene, fight and all, emerged out of the shadows. Halt the Ranger hurried over to Will, opened his canteen, and poured a little bit of water over the swelling on Will's head. Then, he took out a small pack from his cloak, and unrolled it. He gently wiped the bump dry, and then opened a sachet from the pack, and pulled a pinch of leaves from it. He held them under Will's nose a moment, for him to inhale the scent. Warmweed. Opening a jar, he spread some medicinal ointment made from the same onto Will's head, and opened Will's tunic to apply some to the bruise on his side. Warmweed may be a dangerous drug, but it also had potent healing properties. This was what Will had delusionally perceived as a fluffy cloud ministering to him. That was when Will slightly opened his eyes, while still unconscious, causing his vision to morph the cloud into a cloak. Halt removed his cloak, wrapped the boy in it, and carried him into the ward building.
Despite himself, Horace was slowly cooling down, and realizing what he'd done.
"I-I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to hurt him so badly."
It's his own fault, how dare he talk to you like that!
What makes you better than him? You're wardmates. Orphans.
But I actually know my name. I'm not a scrawny brat.
"No! I shouldn't have hit him so hard. Maybe he deserved some of it; but I provoked him!"
You sound like George.
"Shut up! Why oh why do I have to get so mad!"
His pacing brought him to the window. He could just see Will, slumped against the tree.
"Where's Alyss go?"
Mildly concerned, he looked around…which was when he saw Halt.
"Oh no! I hope he didn't see anything." Muttered Horace. Then, he stopped cold. Halt was taking Will over to the building!
Halt simply strode in, took in the room at a glance, and turned his dark eyes on Horace.
"Got a mattress anywhere boy?"
Horace simply gawped at him for a moment.
"U-um, y-yes s-sir."
Halt didn't answer, glaring as if to say: "well?" Eventually, Horace figured what the man wanted and ran off to an adjoining room, and shortly returned lugging a small, springy straw mattress after him. He heaved it onto the table when Halt simply nodded to it. He lowered Will onto it, after retrieving his cloak and donning it. Halt made as if to leave, but turned back and strode over to Horace, who stepped back nervously.
"If I were you." He spoke so quietly that Horace had to lean forward to catch the words.
"I would pick on boys my own size."
Which, I might add, is ironic; because Horace was nearly eye to eye with the surprisingly short Ranger. Though, Halt qualifying as a boy is debatable. Turing, Halt strode briskly away. Horace glanced at Will, then went to the window…Halt was nowhere in sight.
That man gives me chills…
Edit: as usual, I noticed several BIG mistakes after I published, so I fixed em. Hopefully before anyone saw them...
A/N Only one more, and maybe an epilogue. Anyone who can guess the reference to book one in this chap gets coffee points! Oh no I didn't! I just changed it from brownie to coffee points! ;) There's also one in chap three; hint: it's when Horace is talking to Alyss. Now, push the blue button! Make it PURPLE! PURPLE FTW!