Chương 24: Wolf's Bane (2)

The doctor felt bad for this enchanting girl. He had been practicing medicine for years and had thought himself numb to the heartbreak, but one look at her and his heart was affected. He had turned down payment originally, but A-Narah had insisted. She had pulled out the bag around her neck and took out some bank notes and pushed them into his hands before their party set out. All of the gaurds had also treated him politely and gave earnest bows to him. The guards were eternally grateful for what the doctor had done for their brother in arms.

The doctor was the only one for miles around, and they were very grateful that he had agreed to treating Elon. Without him, Elon wouldn't have even had a chance.

Before the party left the doctor pulled A-Narah aside to speak privately. "I know what you are."

A-Narah was scared stiff when she heard those words. But before she could back away the old doctor grabbed her arm.

"You don't need to be scared. I won't harm you." The doctor smiled, trying to put A-Narah at ease but she still felt nervous. The doctor moved closer to A-Narah and whispered in her ear so that no others could overhear.

"You should be more careful, even far away from civilization there will be those who are looking, or those willing to sell information for gains." A-Narah looked at the man trying to understand what he wanted.

"I have something special for you to take, it's not harmful," he reassured her. The doctor pressed a bag into her hands. "In here are three pills. They can help you disguise the color of your eyes. The affects are not permeant and only last three hours. I didn't have much time so I only have these three pills for you. Use them wisely."

A-Narah took the pouch and clutched it to her chest. "Thank you," she said with heartfelt sincerity. The doctor could have benefitted from harming her, but he hadn't. This person was a good person, and there weren't that many in the world. When he recognized her he could have easily of sent them on their way because interacting with them could only bring trouble, but he had treated Elon and had helped her.

But A-Narah was curious. Just who was this old doctor in the middle of nowhere? Her guards from one of the oldest and noblest families in the capital didn't even know anything about the bloodlines, but this inconspicuous doctor did. If she had the time, she would have looked into it more, but time is what they had the least of. As A-Narah got back into the carriage, she looked over her shoulder at the doctor's small, nondescript cottage. Someone who knew such things wouldn't be living here unless he had something himself to hide.

After the doctor had finished saying what he needed to the party didn't spend much time lingering, and hurried off to their new destination. It would take even longer for them to get to the cottage farm that A-Narah was supposed to go to, but they all agreed that saving Elon came first and foremost.

Lael didn't forget about their absent captain though, he found someone and paid them to ride on to the destination and give Ira the message. Hopefully, he would get it soon.

They spent no time dawdling. Before that had moved at a leisurely pace so that A-Narah would feel more comfort, but that was now all at an end. They went on tirelessly. They didn't stop for sleep, instead taking turns at resting. They only stopped when the horses absolutely needed it. They were all like machines, not even stopping to think.

A-Narah stayed inside the carriage to nurse Elon day and night. Her entire body was sore, and her hands had turned red and dry from constantly wiping him down. She also had to treat his shoulder and rebandage him every time it came time to change the poultice. As a sheltered girl she had been incredibly embarrassed the first time she had seen Elon's naked torso, but the severity of the situation made her toss her modesty to the side. Right now, she didn't have the privilege to worry about her lady like sensibilities.

Elon stayed unconscious most of the time, and trying to get him to drink water and eat was an ordeal. A-Narah found her clothes getting more of the light meal than Elon would swallow. He wasn't improving at all, but he had stabilized. The doctor really was a miracle worker. Now it was just a race against time, and if Elon could hold out.

Days went by just like this. The men and A-Narah were just running on fumes. Black circles were tattooed under their eyes. They looked like refugees. They hadn't been able to stop to bathe, so their hair was dripping in oils, and their bodies were covered in dirt and dust from the road. Elon was the most well-groomed one of them all.

When they started to reach the border of the desert, their pace sped up. Their eyes were slightly crazed and full of zeal as they saw the finish line to their goal. Soon…soon they would be there and get Elon the treatment he needed.

The land started to dry out. The dirt was turning yellow, and vegetation was disappearing. As they entered the desert their progress slowed. The horses weren't used to the moving sands and carriage couldn't move as fast over the soft sands.

When they stopped to discuss which direction they should head in A-Narah spoke up, "We should just continue going along the border. At some point we will see traces of a border tribe. None of us know this area well or how to navigate it. Even if there is a tribe on the other side of the hill, we shouldn't move toward it. If we enter the desert thinking that we will find a tribe in just a few miles more Elon is sure to die, and we just might too. We won't have water, food, and we can easily get lost. This isn't the time to gamble."

The guards all nodded. What she said made sense. They were not experts of the desert region, and it more likely that if they went in, they would all just die more quickly. Also, the animals that made habitats in the desert were a crafty and poisonous lot. One bit from them and it would mean their death. If they were lucky, they would be like Elon.