chapter 11:

The next morning, Kara woke up at dawn, surprised that she had slept without any fear. She had had nightmares, but this time they had lost their grip. She no longer felt it was real. She was a bystander to her own subconscious, watching as it played out a reality she struggled with. She knew if was her discussion with General Kirigan the previous day which had drained the poison she was nursing within herself. She would have to find a way to thank him.

She dropped by the canteen tent for a quick breakfast but was invited over to a table by a group of first army soldiers. She listened to their banter and excitement as they imagined their arrival in the capital as heroes. For most, this would be their first visit to Os Alta. After teasing her kindly and thanking her for taking care of them, one of them asked, " We saw you being dragged away by the Darkling to his tent yesterday. You're not in any trouble are you Dama Kara?". She swallowed the last of her rye bread and shook her head, " I had a slight lecture concerning avoiding his stallion's hooves but nothing else".
Two of the soldiers exchanged glances, " You disappeared in his tent for several hours. Giving you an earful for being careless cannot have taken that long." Another soldier with a hooked nose snickered " sounds like the general took a liking to you and wanted you to check his pulse". One or two around the table chuckled at the innuendo. Kara's cheeks flushed, " If you really want to know, we only discussed healing procedures following the prince's recovery. Unlike your clearly gritty understatements, he was a perfect gentleman".
The soldier with the hooked nose didn't catch on, " I'd love to also talk about healing procedures with you lady. Want to come to MY tent to talk it over?". She rose quickly from the bench she was sitting on and one of the soldiers, who had been worried about her, rose a hand to make peace, " Don't listen to him Dama Kara. We just wondered why the Darkling would need to see our first army head-healer". She breathed in sharply, seething. This was exactly what she had wanted to avoid when she had agreed to stay to rest in the general's tent.

She looked over the group. Some were still chuckling and joking about her spending " quality time" with the general, while others were trying to make them stop. She stared at the soldier with the hooked nose and coldly said, " Listen very carefully, my discussions with the general were purely professional. If I hear any whispers that it was anything else, I will hold this lot as accountable for the gossip. Pray I do not have to heal any of you in the next few days if that happens. I'll care for you, but I could always make your stay unpleasant". The group was quieter and some looked down at their tea, sheepish. The soldier with the hooked nose had grown pale, " I was only joking". Kara readjusted her satchel on her shoulder, " I have to go. I have some of your comrades to tend to. I won't spend another moment being degraded for no reason. Good day gentlemen". As she left, she saw one of the older soldiers cuff the man with the hooked nose behind the head, calling him an idiot. Let them do justice between themselves she thought. She only hoped that their whispers would not spread to the rest of the First Army.

The army had set out again. A long line of wagons groaned their way down the main dirt path after crossing the river, their wheels damp and dripping. The horses splashed their way across. The men on foot had to remove their socks and boots and replace them onto wet feet on the other bank of the river. They would stop by the city of Ryevost in the evening for provisions before making it to the capital the next day. Artyom led the wagon of the infirmary on as Seraphine and Yurii held on to their previous crates, making sure their material would arrive safely. Kara zigzagged between the wagons, making sure the soldiers who were wounded to their legs did not drench their bandages in the river. Her knowledge in hygiene told her a wet wound could fester under the heat of the sun. After that, Kara was finally able to check on the soldier she had missed the previous day. His arm was on the mend and he was looking forward to having leave to see his family, along with all the other wounded soldiers.

Once they stopped for a cold lunch, Kara made her way to general Biryukov, who was sitting with a few of his colonels and captains. He caught her silhouette a few feet away and excused himself from his men. He waved her over to a quiet spot near the trees where the horses where grazing. " Dama Kara, I was wondering when you would comply to report to me". The general was angry she could tell. Thrice now she had gone to General Kirigan rather than her own general. She swallowed nervously, " You have every right to be angry with me. I should have reported to you earlier".
He growled, " That's right. I should be aware of what my head-healer is up to. You are in the army Kara. You have to make do with your hierarchy. What do you think I look like versus my Grisha counterpart? You report to ME!". Kara stood in a military stance with her hands in her back but with her eyes low. She deserved the scolding. " Now tell me, what were you up to last night with general Kirigan? And do not lie to me! Discussing " healing procedures" is unlike the Darkling". Kara knew her general would not accept anything but the truth. She said, " I merely followed your instructions Sir". The general stopped pacing and raised an eyebrow, " Oh? Do tell what instructions you were following".
She shuffled nervously, " I've been plagued with nightmares ever since I started out in your army a year ago. I almost got trampled by the Darkling's stallion yesterday. I was so tired I didn't see him coming. The general summoned me to his tent and I got told off for being careless". General Biryukov looked pleased and scornful all at once, " He was well in his right to give you a talking-to. What were you thinking standing in his way?! That horse is a nasty piece of work!". He looked Kara over, making sure she was not withholding any information, " Have you at least been getting some sleep? please don't make me get Seraphine to drug you so that you do". Kara raised her hands to make peace, " Yes I have general. I feel better and am on my way to being fully rested". She did not mention that she had sleep well for the first time in months in the Darkling's tent.

General Biryukov seemed to take her word for it and nodded. Now that Kara looked over to her General she saw that his posture was tense. His arms were kept slightly backwards pulling his back arched and his jawline was locked tight, a vein very apparent in his neck. Kara looked around to check no one was looking at them. The soldiers were finishing up their lunch and prepping themselves for a few hours of marching until dusk. No one had come to claim the horses just yet. Kara stepped forward closer to her general, " General is your back hurting again?". He looked like he was about to bite, indignant at being found weak. She waited for the backlash but it did not come. He sighed, " I've been stiff for the past two days. I was hoping it would disappear on its own." Kara nodded and presented her hands palms up, " may I?". The general winced and looked around before jerking his head in the direction of the forest. Kara sighed but following her general deeper into the woods. What was it with men not wanting to lose face? Once they were hidden away behind the trees, the general let Kara examine him. she felt his neck with the tip of her fingers and felt him grimace as she moved down to his shoulders." Have you been preoccupied by anything of late, General?". She continued to examine him, moving to his back, feeling along his spine through his uniform. He held back a curse as she pressed on a few sensitive spots, " The prince has had the brilliant idea of organizing a hearing with our Sovereign, King Nikolai, upon our arrival. Apparently he is so grateful he and his cousin are alive that he wants to boast on your medical genius, to his father". Kara was massaging a portion of his back as he winced and cursed, " Why should that be an issue? It would be a quick hearing, since the king probably has a full agenda". General Biryukov snorted loudly, " I forget you have no notion of politics". Kara moved to pull gently back on one of his arms.

"There is animosity between the Darkling and the king has to tolerate the presence of Grisha to secure the country but dislikes them at best. The prince naively believes he is doing you a great favor, but his father will use the opportunity to rub it in the Darkling's face that a Otkazat'sya healer, not a Grisha, saved his offspring. It's going to make things harder for us First Army to keep things cool with the Second Army if he takes too much pleasure in knocking General Kirigan down a peg. Not that I wouldn't enjoy the show. Our shadow summoner could show a little more humility". Kara switched her attention to his other arm, " I could call in sick if you think we should avoid the confrontation. Or I could move south with the rest of the army to the Shu han border. You could say my time cannot be spared". The general shook his head,
" And provoke the wrath of a young prince? No, we cannot avoid the hearing with the king." Kara let go of her general and he rolled his shoulders back, noting an improvement in his stiffness. Kara was worried. She had never meddled in political affairs and she could see now why her general was nervous.

" Could you prepare the meeting with General Kirigan? You could agree on defending our joined efforts with the Second Army infirmary. It would leave less wiggle room for the king to cause any damage". The general grunted, " I don't much like having to play nice with the Grisha general but you're probably right. How is your relation with the second army healer, Ania? Can we count on your solidarity if we are summoned together before the king?". Kara thought for a moment, " We are not friends but we have a mutual respect for one another". The general nodded, " You might have to make a friend out of her. If things work out well during that hearing, Ania may well be named the head healer of the Second Army infirmary in replacement of their deceased head healer". Kara nodded, " I can talk to her at some point today if necessary". " Good", replied the General. He started to make his way out of the forest, " We have to move if we want to get to Ryevost before nightfall." Kara caught up to her general, " General, if it is possible to keep my visit to the Darkling yesterday under the false pretense of a discussion of medical procedures? I would appreciate keeping face rather then everyone know I am weak with lack of sleep". The general kept a quick pace as they almost arrived level with the rest of the army. " I'll do so if you promise me it's the last time you visit him without my prior approval". Kara wanted to protest. She had hoped to be able to renew her experience of an uninterrupted slumber as offered by the Darkling. However she could not do so without having to tell her General the true reason she had spend a few hours in the Grisha General's tent. So she agreed, " Yes, General. thank you". He nodded and he called out loudly, " Alright Soldiers! We set out in five minutes! finish up whatever you are doing and we march on without pause to Ryevost!".