Shadow of the Father by Kyell Gold

Author:Kyell Gold [Gold, Kyell]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter 14:

Sinch in despair

By the time Sinch and Min got to the second floor, a short, thin fox had emerged into the small hallway. He was pushing his arms into a tunic that was the only piece of clothing he wore, but he’d clearly taken in the situation. “In there,” he said, gesturing to the door nearest them. “There’s a mat.”

Sinch opened the door into a tiny, musty room. To the left, a low sleeping-mat sat against the wall. Under the window, a worn leather case and a pile of cotton rags sat on a set of shelves. While Min set Valix down on the mat, the fox walked to the shelves. He handed Sinch two of the cotton rags.

“Get her clothes off. It’s a wound, right? She’s not vomiting blood? I definitely smell blood.” His nose wrinkled.

Sinch shook his head. “She was stabbed. In the back.”

“Good. Take those, press them to the wound to staunch the bleeding. I’ll take a look. Not sure how much else there will be for us to do except make her comfortable.” He sighed. “I’m no chirurgeon,” he said, almost under his breath.

“Will we need one?” Sinch knelt beside Valix, working at her clothes.

The nurse talked over Sinch’s head, to Min. “I’ll know more in a few minutes. There’s one a few blocks from here. I don’t know if we can wake him up.”

“If he is needed, I’ll go,” Min said.

The room was quiet except for the sound of Valix’s clothes tearing as Sinch tried to get them off quickly. Light flared from a candle, and then the nurse knelt beside Sinch and said, “Very well. Let me have a look.” He handed Sinch the candle, lifting the now-red cotton from the wound. “Hold it there. Don’t let the wax drip.”

Sinch held the candle as steadily as he could while the fox examined Valix’s bare back. He pushed the fur aside gently, directing Sinch to bring the candle closer. Valix moaned as the fox probed at the wound.

“Your fingers are clean, right?” Sinch said nervously. The fox looked at him briefly, almost directly over the fox’s head as he peered down into the wound. The nurse probed with his claws, sniffed them, watched the flow of blood for another moment, then replaced the cotton rag and took the candle. “Hold that there,” he instructed, as he stood.

“Will we need the chirurgeon?” Sinch asked, his voice shaking.

“He wouldn’t get here in time.” The fox’s voice was tired.

Sinch’s heart pounded. He curled his tail more tightly around his legs. “So she’s…” His voice broke into a squeak. He pressed on the cotton cloth.

“Maybe.” The fox brought a small pot out that smelled strongly of pennyroyal. “Let me rub this on the wound. Then… if she makes it through the night…”

Sinch didn’t ask him to finish. He lifted the cotton and let the fox’s fingers spread salve on the wound and fur below. He felt like the bleeding had subsided, and when the fox gave him a clean cotton rag to press to it, he thought the red didn’t spread as quickly as it had.

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