Clouds of War (Totems Book 2) by Carol Vaughn

Author:Carol Vaughn [Vaughn, Carol]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Arianwyn/Rael

Between Lyselle and Hammurabi, camp was set up in short order. Arianwyn and Rael continued in a half stupor of exhaustion, moving when prodded, but otherwise unresponsive. It wasn’t until Hammurabi staggered that Rael showed some form of life.

“He’s injured,” he said, voice dull and tired. He turned his eyes to Lyselle. “Upper right leg, pierced.”

Lyselle hurried over to Hammurabi. “You’re certain?” she asked, pulling Hammurabi into a sitting position.

Rael nodded. “I’m sorry I did not speak up sooner,” he said. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against a tree. Arianwyn lay curled against his chest.

Lyselle waved his apology away. “Hammurabi should have said something,” she muttered.

“It’s nothing. We have work to do,” Hammurabi said. He did not resist, however, as Lyselle went to work on him. She soon found the puncture in his upper right leg. Using a knife, she opened the pant leg wider. Blood still seeped from the wound.

“You should have said something much sooner. We’ll have to cauterize it,” she said. She avoided looking at Hammurabi’s eyes. He simply nodded and gestured for her to do so. Lyselle set her knife in the fire before turning back to Hammurabi. “We’ll want to clean this, of course. Wouldn’t do for infection to set in,” she said, more to herself than anyone else. She cleaned the wound, then pulled out a piece of leather. “You’re going to need this,” she said, handing it to him. She pulled her knife from the fire, the edges only just gaining a faint red glow. She took a deep breath and glanced at Hammurabi. He put the leather between his teeth and nodded.

Lyselle pressed the blade to the wound. The smell of burnt flesh filled the clearing, the wound hissing as the hot blade made contact. Hammurabi groaned around the leather, muscles spasming in pain. Rael hissed in tandem with Hammurabi’s groan.

Lyselle pulled the knife away and checked the wound. The bleeding had slowed, but not stopped completely. She took a breath and pressed the knife to it again. She removed it and checked the wound. The bleeding had stopped. Lyselle let out her breath. She cleaned the wound again.

“There,” Hammurabi hissed, pointing. Lyselle followed his gesture. “Wrap the moss with the wound. It will help prevent infection.” Lyselle hurried over to a small embankment. She pulled the green moss in thick clumps from the ground. Putting it leaf side down, she wrapped Hammurabi’s wound.

They stayed the rest of that day and night in their camp, Lyselle taking on the burden of most of the work. The next morning, they set out early to gray and threatening skies. It rained that day and the next, leaving them sodden and irritable. Each wet day soon blended into the next. Arianwyn watched Hammurabi. He continued to worry at his injury. She frowned and nudged her horse forward next to him. “Could you please stop at an inn? You need rest in a proper bed,” Arianwyn begged.

“It would not be prudent,” Hammurabi responded, pulling his hand away from his injury.

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