Spears of Redriver

Part Sixty-Seven - I Am Still Here

"Get him on the table, quickly!" Jeden commanded as several Spears ran to help Enleif bring Carthus inside. The common room was now bustling, men and women ran around gathering weapons and strapping on their armor. Carthus let himself be pulled up onto a table, where his friend quickly eyed him over, digging in his belt pouch.

"You are a healer, can you help him?" Enleif asked frantically.

"Let's see...hold him up here" Jeden replied. Enleif kept Cathus sitting upright as the young Maad glanced over the arrows in his chest and back.

"Well?" the Nord questioned again.

"Quiet please!" Jeden kept at it, "help me remove his armor, carefully...not to disturb the arrows". They proceeded to undo the clasps and buckles before ever so slowly removing the leathers, just sliding them far enough down the arrow shafts to see underneath. Enleif held the Maad up while Jeden cut away the shirt under the armor.

"Round up the guard, do it quickly!" Oro was shouting commands through the common room.

"We must be here to protect this place," Ythara said to the large Maad.

"Agreed! I want sentries posted everywhere! I want Desen found and brought back here quickly...with all his men...the Rytari may come back in force" Oro replied sternly.

Carthus was fully awake but could not pay attention as the searing pain burned into his mind. He drifted in and out of focus.

"It doesn't seem like the arrows hit anything vital and the wounds are fresh..." Jeden finally said.

"So you can heal him?" Enleif asked again.

"Yes, if the wounds were old and rotting, it would be more difficult. Barkeep, bring clean water and rags...alcohol and something for him to bite down on!" Jeden called out to the old man who simply nodded and leaped to action.

"Keep him up and awake," Jeden said. He began digging in his belt pouch and pulling out herbs and small vials of different liquids. He raised a vial as if in deep thought and then quickly hid it back in the pouch.

Carthus drifted out of focus for a moment and then blinked as his eyes met the faceless shadow standing beside the Nord. It glared at him with pity, a longing pity, that seemed to call at him, to pull at him. Carthus felt drowsy and blinked hard, trying to dispell the feeling, trying to stay awake. His eyes began to drift and close.

"Hey!" Enleif patted Carthus on the cheek, "you with me, huh? Stay here Master Carthus...your story is not yet over!". Carthus blinked and was suddenly back in the moment looking up at the Nord.

"I am still here..." he replied weakly and forced a smile.

"Here ya go masters," the barkeep returned with a large bowl of clean water in his hands, rags draped over his shoulder, and a bottle tucked under his arm. He set everything down on another table next to them and pulled a dagger from behind the bar.

"Here we go, barkeep, hold him upright...you, press down when I tell you" Jeden commanded. He did not wait for a response and took hold of an arrow as soon as the barkeep held Carthus up. With one strong pull, he yanked the arrow from Carthus' back. It came out clean as a start of pain ignited everything within the Maad commander. His eyes opened with a groan as he bit down on the handle of the dagger, fully awake.

"Hold the wound tightly, or he will bleed out!" Jeden shouted, but the Nord was already there with a clean rag, soaking the white fibers with fresh red. Jeden pulled the cork off of a small vial and swirled it in hand, letting the liquid breathe. Then he grabbed some dried herb in the other hand, "get the rag off, and pour some alcohol on the wound".

"Ready?" Enleif nodded and pulled his hand away. Blood flood freely but the Nord was quick to grab the bottle. Carthus winced as the sting of the drink filled his back. He glanced back over his shoulder, watching Jeden crush and sprinkle the dry herbs over the gash. As he finished, he poured the liquid from the vial over it, washing Carthus in a cool gale, then set the glass down.

"This will burn old friend," Jeden said, lifting both hands over the open wound. Carthus looked away just as his hands began to glow lightly. There was a burning sensation quickly replacing the coolness of the tincture and Carthus gritted his teeth on the handle of the dagger. It was all gone in a moment.

"He is passing out again!" Enleif slapped Carthus on the cheek lightly, "stay with us!".

"Keep him awake, we still have to do the second arrow" Jeden poured some of the alcohol over his hand and then rubbed them together before grabbing a rag.

"I am still here!" Carthus said sternly, with more strength in his voice.