Reading Minds

Chapter 7: Visiting the Patient

Chapter 7

The soldiers' barracks was a stone, rectangular building with two floors. The bottom floor had the lavatories and an open space, where trainees and foot soldiers slept on bunk beds. The top floor was sectioned off into individual rooms for the knights.

Waves of people were walking through the first floor trying to get dry, yell at anyone available to fetch first aid kits, or find an empty bunk to collapse in.

Max walked closely behind Riftan to the end of the room. Her hand covered her mouth when she saw a soldier applying a green paste to his buddy's third degree burn on the shoulder.

"Nice work, Madame! I saw you call down that lightning!" the soldier with the injured shoulder said. He was sitting down on a bottom bunk and his shirt was scrunched in a ball on his lap. "No wonder you're the Dragonslayer's wife!"

"D-does it hurt?" Max said, concerned.

"Stop looking at naked men," Riftan pulled her along.

He looks like he's in pain, Max fretted.

"He will be when I'm done with him," Riftan said.

They came upon Yuri seated on a chair next to Garow, who laid in bed.

"It was fun, wasn't it?" Yuri was chatting to Garow. "I hope Sir Hebaron lets us pick our weapons again next time. Haha, did you see how far you flew off Thierry?"

"Higher than the chicken we catapulted last week," Garow nodded. His right arm was bandaged and attached to a splint.

"Only a sprain," Ruth sighed, as he rolled up the leftover bandages. He was sitting on the opposite side of Garow. "You're young. I won't have to waste magic on you. On to the next victim." He eyed Max critically. "If only I had the opportunity to relax while others' were working themselves to death."

"I w-want to help. T-tell me what I can do!" Max said.

"There's no one to help. Look, he's completely fine," Riftan glared at Garow.

"Lady Calypse, give him two weeks!" Yuri beamed. "Hey, what if I tied one of my arms behind my back and we started sparring together? Who do you think will win?" he turned to Garow.

"Me, of course," Garow said. "I'm five months older than you."

I'm glad Garow is alright, Max held her hands against her chest.

"What about me?" Riftan said. "You never asked how I was doing."

"T-thank you for saving me," Max said. One day, I want to be a great wizard like Ruth. I want to save everyone with magic, too.

Riftan glared at Ruth.

Ruth looked from Riftan to Max.

"Double the amount of amulets I need for the west wall security. Hand them over tomorrow," Riftan told Ruth.

"I'll have to stay up all night to finish that quote!" Ruth said.

"So?" Riftan said nastily.

"What am I supposed to do in this situation?" Ruth flared up. The utensils in his first aid basket shook as he stood up and raged at Riftan. "I can't control what your wife is thinking. Have you ever thought my craftsmanship might become poor if I don't take care of myself?"

Riftan picked at his ear.

Ruth honed his sights on Max and squinted, as if she were the root of all his problems. He went over to another bed to treat the next patient.

"We saw the boy. Now we need to talk," Riftan said to Max.

Max quailed under his stern gaze. She hadn't known Riftan for long, but his body language was now similar to her old sharp-tongued tutor, who had tried to fix her stuttering. Riftan was going to tell her how stupid she had been and divorce her. She tried to be more confident. Riftan would look down at her even more if she looked down on herself, but Max couldn't hide her true self anymore. She wished she was more regal like her little sister, Roselia. Rose wouldn't be trembling in a situation like this.

"F*#k, I am upset with you, but—. F#8k," Riftan struggled to express what he meant.

"Do you need a room for a private conversation?" Obaron the old knight wriggled his eyebrows. He was laying in the bunk beside Garow. "Uslin has the cleanest bed among us."

"Let's go upstairs," Riftan tugged on Max's hand.

Max began to resist before she remembered that the spell was about to expire. She had checked a watch ten minutes after she had fled from the library yesterday to get away from Riftan. She only had to wait a quarter hour and then he wouldn't be able to read her mind anymore.

"Then I'd better interrogate you quickly," Riftan said.

It was too bad for Max. She hadn't realized yet that Ruth had lied to her about the spell's expiration date.

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Author's Note:  Last chapter for the mind reading series is next!