Now that I had survived the storm I felt very alone. It was quiet and still, terrifyingly lonely. I raised an arm and took in the rocky hill rising in front of me, I needed to get up to the top of it and hide from the?—
A horse breathedbehind me and a voice said, “Och nae, Princess, this is the dumbest thing I hae ever seen ye do!”
I rolled over to see him and sobbed. “I know, I thought I was going to die.”
He leaned forward on his horse.
“I am here, I winna let ye die.”
“Did you kill him, really?”
“Aye, yer family’s long nightmare has ended. I am a hero.” Then he said, “I am verra glad ye are here, I canna move m’arms verra well and I dinna ken how I was goin’ tae get from m’horse.”
“Oh, yes, okay, good.”
I jumped to my feet. “What do you need?”
“Take m’sword,” he said as he slumped to the side and slid to the ground with a loud and frightening thud.
43
ALEXANDRIA
1308 - TO AN INN IN OBAN
Oh no, oh no, oh no — I repeated over and over as I crouched over him and pushed his shoulder so he was on his back. “Where are you hurt?”
He muttered, “In all the places.”
“Dammit.” I unclipped his chin strap and shoved off his helmet. “Where’s your vessel? We need to get you to the hospital.”
Pocket.
I felt his hips for his pant pockets, realizing there was hot dampness on his right hip. “What’s going on there, you’re bleeding?”
He raised his head and looked that direction. “Shot, tis not… Tis just flesh deep.”
“Good, that’s good, but still will need a bandage. Your shoulder though, there’s blood.”
He raised his head again. “Twas a blade, ye ken, could hae been much worse.”
“You didn’t tell us any of this when you told us to go on without you…”
“Och nae, tis true, but tis fine, I am right behind ye. Ye should hae gone.”
There were a few bags lying in the dirt, accidentally left by our troops. There might be a bandage, but first I needed to get us out of here. I unsnapped his tactical vest and unzipped the front and shoved it aside, realizing there was velcro on his shoulders, I peeled that up and got it all splayed out so he was free.
“Thank God I didn’t, Torin. You just fell off your horse and you can’t get into your own pockets!”
I patted all over his chest and waist. “Where is it? I don’t feel it!”
He said, “There, at the waist.”
I felt.
“I don’t feel it, Torin, where is it?” I unbuttoned his coat and felt all along the fabric, finding the opening of the pocket. I dove my hand in and fished around. “Could it have gone into the lining?” I felt the bottom of the pocket for a hole, nothing, well sewn and sturdy and it had been the inside of the coat, it would have been near impossible for it to fall out.
I slid my hand all around up and down the coat anyway. “I need to roll you on your side, check your back…” I ran my hand over every square inch of his chest, back and sides. And then, panicking, began checking through his pant pockets and every square inch of his pants, legs and glutes. “It’s not here.”
