The Arbiter's Knight by Elizabeth Dugan

Author:Elizabeth Dugan [Dugan, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-08-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

Eben had been faithfully working with the physicians to help Venn, but she had never seen anyone in a state like his. It was far beyond her own skill, which left her essentially as an errand runner for the more experienced healers or left to sit with Venn to make sure his condition remained stable.

She had spent hours sitting beside him. He still wasn’t lucid. No matter what they did, his mind didn’t seem to connect with his body. His eyes would open periodically, but that was all. He spoke occasionally, but it was rare, usually only a word or two at a time and was more like someone talking in his sleep. He called out for his father a few times, which only made her pity him even more.

Since she wasn’t able to do much, sitting beside him and watching over him was enough for her. It had been mid-afternoon when Venn and Lystra had been brought back to the castle, it was night now and still, he showed little sign of change for the better. He at least had occasional periods where he appeared to be sleeping naturally, though it seemed as though he was plagued by constant nightmares. Otherwise, he was contorted in pain, no matter what they did.

At least if he was sleeping, she didn’t have to hear him scream; once he had opened his eyes and nearly seemed awake, but he screamed in pain and relapsed into convulsing the next moment. It had happened within the first hour of her presence in the infirmary and it was a sound she would not soon forget.

She had been told to take a small break, hours into her duties, and when she returned, she heard Lady Andraste had come and gone. Venn had seemed closer to lucidity after that, at least periodically, so she wondered what Lady Andraste had done differently than the other healers, or if there was simply more she could do for Venn because she was more powerful.

His improvement gave her hope, even though it was miniscule. There were even a few moments where he seemed to lock eyes with her briefly after Lady Andraste’s visit. His mind seemed to be returning to itself, rather than to some nightmarish dream or simple pain. His eyes were the only signifier of such improvement.

It was a few hours away from dawn when she realized she was dozing off in the chair. She tried to shake herself awake multiple times, but she couldn’t help how sleepy she felt.

“Go back to your quarters and rest,” the head physician ordered. “You’ll be of more use to us when you’ve had a good night’s sleep.”

“But what about all of you?” Eben asked. “Shouldn’t I stay so one of you can sleep?”

“We have already let some of our staff rest because of your attentiveness. Now, it is your turn. Go on.” The old woman’s tone was gentle, but there was no mistaking the underlying firmness.

Eben did as she was told. On her way back to her quarters, she stopped by Lystra’s door.

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