Chapter 62: Raiding Party 6
Chapter 62
Reskeme heart skipped a beat his long legs eatig the distance across the open field, behind him the thunder of the falls cut off the sound of his squads pursuing steps. Ahead of him, the retreating Darva disappeared into the trees dragging their fallen companion in a desperate attempt to escape. he wearily watched his route, the rain made his footing treacherous especially as he jogged headlong at the darva.
Dusty came up on reskemes a right his long legs propelling him forward, Carley passed him on his left, reskeme pushed pumped his legs harder forward, well the ruse was up his squadmates must have gotten tired of waiting, stalling at a jog for the darva to escape wasting going to work.
One enemy warrior turned from the fleeing darva squad, it howled a long menacing note and ran for them. Reskeme breathed evenly his legs pumping at an uncomfortable pace across the wet grass, the warrior would be on them in seconds its powerful frame carrying it forward with terrifying speed.
Reskeme gripped his naginata tightly, he watched as dusty crouched and lunged as the darva warrior came in range. The darvan warrior darted to the side avoiding the sharp steel by inches before slamming into dustys shield arm sending him tumbling before leaping ontop of him its sharp claws deflected by dustys shield. Reskeme arrived late but Carley was immediatey there and stabbed at the darvan warrior atop dusty. The warrior scrambled off its prone target, backing away bearing its teeth.
Feeling a welling rage not his own reskeme swung down in a chop at the darvan warrior's head, the warrior stepped aside getting showered in mud from his blade hitting the soft ground. The darvas claws ignited shimmering red hissing as the wet ground boiled. Stumbling back Reskeme fell on his butt, Scramling back he floundered to avoid the advancing darvas slashing claws.
Carley slammed into the Darvan warriors side her shield first, as if coming out of nowhere, Reskeme clambers to his way to his feet, sliding in the thick mud. The darvan warriors rolled ending on top of Carley's smaller frame, The Darvan warrior clamped down on Carleys shield shaking its head wildly from side to side.
Reskeme threw his naginata, The spear flew across the ten steps between them and deflected upwards glancing off the darvas leather and steel armour sparking before spinning into the grass. Reskeme reach for his throwing knives, Carley screamed" get it off me, it burns." smoke rose from her leather chest plate as the Darvan claws tried to tear through her shield and her leather armour apart.
Reskemes frantically pulled two knives free from his sheaths and channel mana, the runes lit up glowing a vibrant dark green. He threw the first knife planting his feet and whipping the knife in his left hand at the neck of the darvan warrior. The knife flew end over end and stuck into Carleys outstretched shield beside the Darvan warrior's snarling wolf-like face.
Bursting into flames the front of the shield shimmered, scrambling away the warrior on its back retreating from the flames. flinging his right arm forward reskeme sent his other knife at the warrior, the knife flew end over end and pitifully buried itself firmly into the dirt at the warrior's feet. Dusty staggered in front of reskeme swaying before he stumbles towards the Darvan warrior his sword in the lead.
The Darvan warrior's fur on the right side of its face smoked from reskemes fire, His heart raced to glance towards Carley he could see her shield hissing in the mud. The Darvan warrior snarled at all three of them once more before it lowered its ears turned and limped towards the trees.
Reskeme veins burned as he channels all the mana he could, a rune formed in the air in front of the retreating warrior. Focusing he created a second rune beneath the first. The Darvan warrior kept glancing back at them as it half jogged half ran away.
The darvan warrior tumbled to the side yipping in pain as the top half of its right ear seared off by the thin line of mana. Reskeme pulls one of his javelins from its sheath judging the distance at 40 steps and only getting farther. He hesitated, holding the weapon he wonders why he should attack this warrior all it was trying to do was escape, he felt for the warrior its rage and sorrow chilled him to the bone.
The darvan warrior would live today he decided, If reskeme met that particular warrior again in the future he decided to avoid it. After all, he could respect the warrior for trying to save its friends. He glances at his squad, Carley was glancing from him to the Darvan warrior frowning.
Reskeme feeling guilty said "I would not have hit it even if I tried, that was 40 steps or more." Carley smirked, she said," I don't doubt that for a second, l have seen you practice you couldn't his the Fort wall if you were standing ten steps away."
Dusty Burst out laughing, reskeme slumped to the rough ground he said, "that warrior kicked our butts, dusty tried to stand but his face blanched and he fell back on the soft ground clutching his side. Carley held up her cloak showing long tears in the fabric revealing her torn leather chest piece.
Carley said, "help me with my chest plate," she winced as she removed her blood-stained cloak. Reskeme walked over watching as blood trickled down her chest, reskeme said, "I'm sorry" Carley replied, "the wound isn't bad, if it tore open my stomach I wouldn't be talking so casually." Reskeme said, " I meant your leather chest plate, it looks completely ruined, that's gonna be worse than the injury." He shuddered, a chest plate like that probably costs 10 silver, Carley groaned, she said, "dammit, soo much for saving for a new sword."
Reskeme said, "is it really that expensive? the army bought my armour," Carley frowned at him she said, "even you are not that dense, the average soldier will serve for a year before they can buy a chest piece three years to 5 for a breastplate, it was Kellar who bought your armour." Crossing his arms reskeme said," that old geezer? Why would he do something like that?" Carley laughed," I'm sure it's because he likes you." Scoffing reskeme said," he sure doesn't show it, he keeps trying to kill me."
Dusty said," she is right, the army doesn't buy its soldiers a full set of soft leather armour like that for its regular front line soldiers, the average soldier that's conscripted will be given a gambison spear and shield." Reskeme Dusty and Carley sat under a tall pine tree sitting on the dry needle covered roots. The patter of rain off the trees drumming an oddly soothing cadence.
Reskeme pulled off the leather clasps holding the leather breastpiece gently, slick covering his hands. He pulled the front and back plate away lifting the ruined armour over her head. Her padding underneath the chest plate and shirt was removed as well revealing the bare torso and three shallow wounds across her lower abdomen. Dusty Groaned standing he walk over and look down at the wounds before he pulled his bag open reaching for something.
Dusty pulled out a leather pouch with dried leaves and a flask with some long strips of cloth tightly wrapped around it. Carley said," let me help you with that it's not bad." Dusty glared down at her, he put one hand firmly on her shoulder and said," you won't be saying that after the adrenalin fades, the cuts are long and jagged."
Dusty said," damnit, I forgot to restock my herbs, we only have herbs for one poultice." Reskeme said," there is a lot of leaves and bushes all around us, why don't you use them?" Dusty stared at him mouth agape, Carley laughed and groaned her face turning pale, unable to stop laughing even through the pain. Dusty said," come over here and let me educate you on cleaning wounds, it's just embarrassing how dense you are sometimes."
Reskeme shrugged his shoulders unapologetic, Dusty uncorked the flask, he said," this is sterilizing alcohol, its 80% alcohol, you only use it to soak your linnen wraps if you don't have a pot and water to boil them." Reskeme said," why do I need to boil the strips of cloth?" Reskeme grasped the cloth smudging the fabric with his bloodstained hand." Dusty said, "Don't touch, your hands are filthy, if we use that to cover the wound she could get an infection."
Reskeme wiped off the small bit of mud and blood remaining on his wet coat cleaning it, He said," there all better it's clean," Dusty sighed, he said," its a good thing I'm here too, or Carley would become infected by your moronic behaviour." Carley scowled at dusty, She said," I'm still here, it's not like I would let him tend to my injuries in such an unsanitary fashion."
Dusty said," keep an eye on the edge of the forest, you are bringing the level of intelligence under this tree down by half just by talking." Reskeme stammered, "How am I supposed to know you can't just use any plant, I have never been taught that." Carley said," stop wagging your lips! I don't just undress of anyone, get on with it dusty." Dusty said," sorry Sergent, He cleaned his hands of dirt and blood with water before dumping some of the alcohol over his mostly clean hands.
he poured some alcohol on one thick cotton patch and cleaned all the blood from around the wound, He pulled out a long curved needle with thread, Dusty said," try not to move I don't want to stab u unnecessarily. with one hand he pulled together the parted flesh and began sewing the wound closed, Reskeme wonder why he needed to do that but decided against asking dusty looked extremely focused.
pulling the flesh together with his left hand and pushing the needle through He tied off the first stitch pulling the thin line tight knotting the stitch, he repeated the process five times sealing the first wound shut. the second wound was larger Reskeme counted 7 this time each neatly tied, and the third only took 2. Dusty tied off the last stitch knotting the thread, before wiping all of the wounds again and placing another thick cotton patch over the stitches.
Dusty pulled Carley to a sitting position and wrapped the long fabric around her torso before pulling it tight over the cotton pad. Reskeme watched fascinated only glancing up at the tree line once the entire process. Carley leaned back sighing relieved, she said," that is always extremely unpleasant, I like the mage healers much more."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone