Not Princess Material

Chapter 27

***

Piper paced the small clearing, stopping now and then to stare in the direction of the road. "Where are they?"

"They'll be back."

She glanced at Edwin where he leaned against a log around the fire, his legs stretched out in front of him. He was healing but his back still hurt and he'd been in no shape to fight alongside the knights despite his protests to the contrary. Tannon ordered him to remain behind, protect the camp and Piper.

Sounds attracted their attention and they turned in time to see the men limping into the clearing. Edwin rose, eyes wide. "Shit, this isn't good. Piper, fetch water. We'll need something for bandages."

"All right, I've got it!" She rushed off and began rummaging through her bag, pulling out several skirts. She returned to fire and looked around at the returning men, covered in blood, some helping the others along, carrying others. "I need a knife." Someone held one out, she took it and began cutting the skirts into strips for bandages.

"Piper, give me that, go fetch some water."

With a nod, she handed the skirts to Edwin, grabbed a bucket and ran to the small stream nearby. He took a seat on the log he'd been leaning against and took over cutting them into strips.

Edwin glanced at Robin as he limped over and took a seat nearby. "Are you all right?"

"Worse than some, better than others. Took a sword jab to the thigh. Bastard decided to add a twist of the blade before I could dispatch him." He glanced around at their crippled band. "We lost a few, got off easier than I expected. I thought he'd wipe us all out. Tannon had Garek keeping an eye on the throne room the moment he saw Arthur slip out with Codey he sent a signal and we got out of there, ran like we were giving up, retreating. Probably saved our lives."

Edwin was nodding as Piper returned, setting the bucket of water down beside him. "I'll start with those who are the worst off." She grabbed several of the strips Edwin had cut, tossing them to hang over her shoulder and picked up the bucket.

They watched her go, moving across the clearing, checking on the men as she went. "That's a hell of a woman you married," Robbie commented.

Edwin smirked at him. "It is, why do you think I married her?"

"You are a lucky man."

"Thank you." The smirk left his face. "How many did you lose?"

He glanced around before answering. "Seven and with the injuries who knows if we'll lose more before the night is over."

They both watched Piper moving among the injured men, her soft voice carrying to them on the night breeze as she spoke quietly to the injured men while cleaning and bandaging wounds. "Edwin," she called.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Can you please check my bag for my little sewing kit?"

"Yes." He rose and quickly dug through the bag, before going to her and handing over the little sewing kit.

"Thank you. Please heat the needle," she told him briskly while cleaning the wound of the young knight sitting on the ground against a rock in front of her. His wound was minor, a slice in his bicep. There were men with wounds much worse than his, that would need stiching if they were going to heal properly.

"Heat it?"

"It needs to be sterile or the wound might get infected," she explained, holding out the needle.

He stared from her to the needle. "How do you know these things?"

She smiled as she stood to move to the knight who needed stitching up, stopping to press the needle into his hand. "I assisted the doctor in Kingsley from time to time. He's a wise man, who spent time studying abroad, he learned a lot from healers in other countries."