Arriana's Return

Arriana's Return - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

She laid the pale Arriana on the ground and started removing layers of clothing to address the wound.

"What happened?" Caleb stared down at the almost lifeless body.

"There was a fight. She was fighting off one of the assassins and was stabbed in the side." Arion looked at the young girl who gasped for air.

"A fight? What assassins? Why was there a fight?" Mary cried.

"In the woods there were barred up wagons filled with animals and people who were going to be executed. Arriana would not leave them. We were fine until one of the men stabbed Arriana. Can you help her Caleb?" Arion looked into the scared man's eyes.

"I don't know. Give me the knife, Scott."

He knelt beside Mary and wiped at the blood trying to find the puncture. He felt around her waist and back for any sign of where she was injured.

"Here! It's right here!" Mary shouted.

She removed the towel to a gushing hole in Arriana's side. Reaching for the towels, Caleb put pressure to the gaping wound to slow the bleeding.

"I need thread, a needle, and more towels."

Mary scrambled to her feet and ran to find the supplies. Caleb kept pressure on the wound. Mary eventually returned with all of the needed things to fix Arriana.

"Okay, heat the needle in a fire and put it into boiling water. I need it as sterilized as it can be."

Mary nodded and began boiling water while Scott grabbed a pan to heat the instrument up.

"Tear some towels into strips and soak them in the boiling water."

After a few minutes he moved the blood soaked towels and wiped the best he could. He returned them to a bucket and watched as the water turned the same crimson red as his hands. Looking at the deep, gash in her side he took a deep breath and slowly breathed out. The blood continued to run down her side as he stared.

"Don't wait. Do something!"

Caleb nodded and took the needle that was in the boiling water. His fingers burned as he grasped it and threaded it before piercing Arriana's skin.

"Mary, keep wiping. I need the blood cleared so I can see the wound."

He placed his hands over the gap that remained in Arriana's side as he stitched the hole. As he concentrated his body began to glow a brilliant, sky blue. The longer he concentrated the brighter the glow became. It built up in his body until it shot up into the sky, lighting up the night. He absorbed the light back through his head, to his shoulders, down his arms and out his hands into Arriana. The blue light drained from Caleb and enveloped her. As everyone watched in horror the once lively girl's ashen face let out the last breath of air and her chest stopped rising and falling. She was dead.