Back Home (Edited) Book 4 of the Guardians Saga

CH 7.2 Different Marks

Once they finished their meal, Cale said, "Alex, why don't you come with me to check on those two casualties that you helped?"

"I guess. Rile can clean up for once." Alex grinned at Rile and handed him her plate.

"I am wounded, wounded, I tell you," Rile joked, dramatically placing a hand on his chest. "I clean up all the time."

"Then one more time won't matter," Cale told him, and ushered Alex out of the tent.

They walked to the infirmary tent. It was clear by its size and the red stripes embroidered along the linen entrance. However, the woven goat's hair fabric covered the rest of the walls and roof like the other tents. They entered and looked down the long lines of bedrolls to find the Rofe the healer arguing with one of the Agama whose mark Alex had eradicated.

"I feel fine and I'm leaving," the Agama said. He saw Alex and hissed at her. "Stay away from me. I know what's inside you."

"And I know what's inside you," Alex replied calmly, "and it's not all sweetness and light, buttercup."

The Agama looked shocked for a moment before snarling back, "My mark is gone. Yours isn't."

"I wasn't talking about your mark, honeybun," Alex countered without missing a beat, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

Rofe stepped forward then with a frown on his face and addressed the Agama sternly. "On second thought, you are dismissed, Kaven."

Kaven shot Alex a murderous look at Alex, which she returned with a bland one. He stalked out of the large healer's tent, past the other bedrolls.

If blandness is good enough for Headwife Oba, it's good enough for me.

Rofe tapped his fingers in an echo of Cale's nervous claw clacking. "What was that about?"

Alex shrugged. "It's more theological than physical. I don't want to talk about it."

The healer clasped his hands together and placed them beneath his muzzle. "But the other patient isn't doing well either. He still needs to have his mark removed."

Alex groaned in frustration. "Great."

"Alex," Cale said, tapping his claws together. "Can we please talk about it? I can help with both physical and spiritual issues."

Alex shrunk into herself, rubbing her temples. "Which is why I don't want to talk about it. It's easier for me to take on another Agama's hatred than yours. Onward!" She shook herself off and turned away from Cale.

Rofe took them down the line of bedrolls to the other injured Agama. "This is Teleios."

Teleios lay in his bedding, eyes shut, but his fist pressed against his chest. Now and then he would spasm and roll to his side, moaning before lying still once more.

"He has been doing this since we brought him in from the sunning area." Rofe knelt and patted the Agama before gently exposing the Agama's chest. "The spot grows colder and larger. Please, Guardian Alex."

The pale spot on the greenish hide was now a dead-white color and sent out ugly tendrils over his chest.

Alex knelt beside him. "Poor Teleios. Cale, will you restrain him? He won't like this. Do you want me to call Rile instead?"

"I can do it," Cale said.

Alex looked up at his offended tone. "I didn't mean to cast aspersions to your ability. I thought that maybe you would be better off doing healer-ish type things rather than brute force."