Aelethia's Hope. Leandra Martin
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last standing Qismah. Alek dragged his sword beside him, which made a thin trail in the sand, keeping him balanced and preventing him from teetering.
The carnage in the desert was considerable, and he was certainly glad it was over. When he reached the rest of his party, only then did he feel it permissible to sink to his knees in the sand from pain and exhaustion. He dropped his sword to the sand and covered his shoulder with his good hand. He bowed his head, trying to get back a steady heartbeat and full lungs of air. He calmed his racing heart, and when it was back to a normal rhythm, he lifted his hand from his shoulder and assessed his wound. He knew the tendon had been severed because he could no longer move his arm in any motion that required his shoulder muscles. The blood was still flowing, and the heat, already making his clothes cling to him, made the blood thick and sticky. He covered the wound again.
Alek noticed for the first time that the sand was burning his legs, but he didn’t have the strength to stand up again, so he just let them burn. Najwa and Tallyn approached him and knelt down in front of him. Alek looked up at them. Tallyn pulled his hand away from his wound. He surveyed the damage and nodded to Najwa.
“We need to find a place to settle in for the night. The wounded men can do no more today.”
Alek was concerned. “How many others are wounded?”
“Raanan has a broken wrist, and Raine has a considerable slash on his left side. We have stanched the bleeding, but he may have internal damage. We need to tend to the wounded, then get to the capital as quickly as we can. They will need medical attention.”
“I thought elves had healing powers.”
“Cai is putting together some medicinal salves with what we have brought, and it will stop the bleeding and keep an infection from setting in, but the sooner we get you both to a physician the better. I will not go back to Eston without you. Elf or no elf, His Majesty would be very put out if I allowed you to perish.”
Alek smiled wearily at that but was more worried about his men than himself. “Take care of the men. I’ll be alright.”
“Your shoulder tendon has been severed. You will not be able to move it for weeks. The sooner we get a physician to look at you, the better chance you will have of getting better quicker. I will apply the salve and wrap it as best I can, but you need attention that Cai and I are not skilled enough to give.” He looked at Najwa. “Unless there is a tribe near here that has a medicine man.”
“No. No more tribes til city. Last of the enemy near here lying in sand. No more trouble we have tonight.”
“Very well.” Alek was too tired to argue anymore.
They helped him to his feet and carried him back to his horse, which had been rounded up by the men who were not severely wounded. One of the men approached with a cloth and a water bladder and poured cool water over the wound to wash it. After it was as clean as it would get, free of sand and grit, Cai came forward with an awful smelling salve and proceeded to rub it on his wound. Alek inhaled a ragged breath as the pain from the injury flared under the salve and the elf’s touch. He swooned a bit; the man with the water bladder held it to his lips telling him to drink. Alek took a long pull, letting the cool water dribble down his chin. He was getting weak and woozy now and too much water would only give him a stomach ache on top of everything else. He took another small sip, sloshing it around his mouth to at least fight off the dryness.
After Cai had finished rubbing the salve thickly, he wrapped up the shoulder and arm as tightly as possible so that there was minimal movement. They lifted him into his saddle. Alek wrapped the reins tightly around his good hand so that he could remain upright in his saddle. He was still very light headed and bleary eyed. His hands had been washed as best as they could but bits of sand still clung to the dried crustiness that the little bit of water couldn’t penetrate. They didn’t want to use too much for cleaning; they still had a way to go to shelter.
Someone retrieved his sword from where it lay and slid it into the scabbard at his side. He hadn’t even realized he had dropped it. Everyone mounted their horses and rode slowly across the sandy expanse, following Najwa to whatever shelter he could find.
There was a small ridge of rocky hills about a mile up, and there was some grass along the inside seam of them, with a small spring in which to more thoroughly clean the wounds and to water the horses and refill the bladders. There was some shade, and they could make a small fire and be hidden from any lingering enemies or scavengers that might see the smoke in the open. It took them an hour and a half to reach the place Najwa talked about, and the sun was just starting to sink into the horizon. Just like the other nights in the desert, the cooler temperatures came when the sun disappeared, and they had to use the thin blankets they had with them and the small fire to keep warm. The wounded were huddled together closer for added warmth as the able bodies made camp and food. By the time Alek was finished with his meager meal, the sun had set completely, and the darkness engulfed them on the open plain. The stars were so bright in the enveloping darkness, and he was grateful to have them watching over him.
His body was tired and weak, his wound was taking its toll, and he started to become extremely drowsy. By the time the men had the food cleared away and the supplies packed again, Alek was falling asleep. He laid his head back against his saddle, which he was using as a pillow, and pulled the blanket further up to his chin. He shifted a few times to get comfortable, but his body didn’t seem to care; it was done for the day. He was asleep within ten minutes, and he slept hard, thinking only of Dain on the other side of the world and the war that would soon consume him. He wasn’t concerned with Dain’s maturity now. He knew that the old Dain was gone for good, and the new king had finally emerged. He hoped that he would survive this war if only to show the people of Azlyn that they had a king to be proud of, a king for a lifetime of service to them. He wanted Dain’s people to be proud, and if he survived this war and won, he knew it would be time for him to retire. Dain wouldn’t need him to look after his soul anymore; he’d have Melenthia by his side. Alek could finally feel confident that Dain would be okay. He also thought of Melenthia and the terrible burden she would endure. He hoped she would prevail and make Dain the man that he was destined to always be, a king married to a worthy queen, happily ever after.
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