CHAPTER 9 : WOUNDS

Then I heard a gunshot. 'Wap' dropped the girl in the brown dress, and someone from the house shot at them and struck the brown dressed girl in the back. "Something like a shotgun!" Heikelos exclaimed.

"Butezda!!!" Heikelos cried out. and grabbed the black and blue dressed girl out to where I had Elizabeth.

"Yes, Heikelos? Elizabeth's badly wounded"

My side also aching...

Heikelos turned to the black and blue dressed girl and frankly asked her, "What's your name?"

"Anna," she replied quivering.

Right, let's go Heikelos tells Anna to hop on his back, and I sling Elizabeth over my good shoulder.

We walk with them like this over the land and towards the trees by the river, where it seemed very quiet and moist.

It was probably by 4am when we reached the trees. Heikelos said he had a carriage stashed around the trees somewhere but the horses are missing. He probably stole it earlier the evening/day. 'Or what has he been up to?', I wondered.

We looked around for the horses and found them grazing on the land just outside the trees.

We had a funny while trying to catch the horses. Eventually, by 6 am, we were locking them into the carriage.

I wanted to move Elizabeth into the carriage, but there was a dead woman and a boy inside. Rotting with flies and stench.

I looked at Heikelos, Anna also looked at Heikelos. "Heikelos, what have you done?" Heikelos quivered the gallows, she mentioned you exiled by the barbecue...I had to do something."

"Oh," I said. We looted her and chucked her on the ground with the boy also.

Then myself climbed with Elizabeth and Anna into the carriage. "Heikelos grabbed me and said "uhuh" you, me, the girl, Anna..." "uhuh I like Anna." "We sit upfront."

Heikelos looked at Anna, "Anna be a dear and care to Elizabeth, Elizabeth it is right? (looking at me now) Elizabeth's ill and be a dear and lock the door will you?"

Anna quickly locked the door and nodded at Heikelos eagerly.

"Right! Let's go," Heikelos said.

Heikelos and I got up, saddled the carriage, and "eeeeya!" With slaps of the reins, we left. The sun is barely rising.

We rode for a while and ended up making camp a while away we the sun set.

Anna unpacking some of the the carriages stuff and Heikelos's supplies said out of the blue to us. "I fear, Elizabeth isn't going to make it. We need to get her proper medical treatment here somewhere fast, or else the cold will come..."

I looked at Heikelos and back at Anna and then went to Elizabeth.

Heikelos just stared at Anna and started a conversation. Anna had a serious tone of voice. Heikelos suggested that they go for a stroll, just him and her is what he suggests...

I went to Elizabeth, she was in a white night gown but there were more dresses in the carriage storage compartment. And I picked out the nicest one for her.

She opened her eyes. "Pa?" was all she could say. I responded, concerned. "No, Butezda, your husband." She opened her eyes wide and sat upright instantly, coughing. "Husband!"

"Urg," the moans and groans followed. "What happened?" she asked.

"Well, I honestly don't know. They tried to kill me. Heikelos showed up just in time. He overheard you two were in danger. We showed up where I dropped you off and found you the way you are now. Stabbed."

I lifted my shirt she looked at me, confused and puzzled. I said, "They stabbed me, too."

And showed her my stab wound.

Her eyes softened, and she sighed. "What have we, 'cough, cough' gotten ourselves into?"

"I've known Pierre for 3 years and 6 months now, he seemed like he would never doing anything to hurt me, I honestly considered him for potential partner, how he could just stab Pa for gold in desperation after hearing about my day with you." She looked at me in an upward manner. It made me feel very charming.

I thought, 'hmm me?' and smiled at her.

"Well lovely lady, we better get you all wrapped up and treated for Anna is concerned for your health and, as am I."

I undressed her and started treating her wounds.

There was some clean alcohol under the rider's seat, and I tore off some of the nightgown to treat the wounds. They weren't that bad. It looked like she had 3 deep wounds out of the 28 cuts. "There you go," I said. "Who's your mummy, and who's your ma?" I kissed her on her head. "Feel any better?"

She coughed, which concerned me. "Much better, thank you. Just a little faint fleeted." She tried to laugh politely but stopped and held her hand on her side. Obviously in pain or shock. "Look!" she said. I looked at her notion "a spider!" I grabbed the spider immediately away from her sight and set it out freely and gently at her attention (honestly, I'd never do that, but in the presence of love, a man will do anything to please his lady)

I suggested she also camp outside with us. And gave her my jacket to wear again.

I treated my own side also and felt the need to add some herbs from the plants nearby. I did that for her and for me and I could feel that the puss was closing quickly and that we'd only have scabs in a short while from redressing the wounds.

It was late, and Heikelos and Anna had returned like best friends, chatting away about each other's pasts.

I was busy making a fire and preparing food for us. Elizabeth just laid back in the jacket with her torso lifted against a box, breathing heavily, observing me preparing the food and perhaps listening to Anna's chatter with Heikelos, who just kept on responding, "ya, I know, hm hm, very intrigued."

The sky was dark that night, and I eventually cuddled Elizabeth for more bodily comfort holding her in the jacket with her head resting on my arm. I was certain that she would be in better health the next morning. Heikelos and Anna also crawled to each other like a cat and mouse game until Heikelos held her too.

What a pleasant evening, peaceful and joyful, serious and calm.