Ties of Blood (21 page)

As Eloen fell back she saw William standing in the doorway of the coach sword in hand. Eloen had little time to worry about the prince as she had her own worries as three men still pressed her hard and the blood from her cut was starting to run into her eyes. She tried to block the incoming attacks but her arms were tired and each blow that came in seamed to take longer to recover from until her sword was knocked from her hand.

Eloen fell to her knees and looked up at the man standing in front of her. She was so tired and pain raced over her entire body. She saw as he raised his sword and refusing to give in jumped at the man grabbing him weakly around the stomach. She felt the hilt of his sword smash into her head and the blood as it began to roll down her back from the new wound. Falling back Eloen tried to keep her eyes open but they wouldn’t heed her commands anymore. She wanted to fight but all that awaited her was darkness.

CHAPTER XXI

As she regained consciousness her head was throbbing. She wasn’t sure what was going on. Didn’t she die? The light streaming on her face and stinging her eyes told her otherwise. Her eyes were having trouble focusing so she rubbed at the vigorously and tried to sit up. As soon as she moved her head began to spin and she felt the contents of her stomach bubbling inside her threating to make its way to the surface.

“What happened?” Eloen asked weakly.

“You took a nasty blow to the head. Thankfully the young dunce of prince was able to get to you in time.” Eloen hear Darryl say from beside her.

“Is….is everyone ok?” She asked fearing the worse. She wasn’t sure if she could handle losing anyone else.

“As you know, the two soldiers are dead. Ballard took a nasty cut to his arm I’m not a doctor and I did everything for it that I could but he needs a real doctor. I only got a few cuts nothing worth mentioning.” Darryl said slowly, letting her soak everything in.

“Brenda….. How is Brenda?” Eloen asked her voice coming out in gasps.

“The little spitfire is good though she is worried about you. She did great you should be proud of your little stray. She got one of your attackers in the thigh letting the prince finish him off. The two work good as a pair. William did his part as well protecting Brenda. Another came after them while they were protecting your body and the prince took a nice cut to his face. Nothing life threating but it will scar. He was fretting over it I kept telling him will just make the girls love him more but he didn’t like my answer.” Darryl said laughing slightly.

Eloen breathed a sigh of relief. They didn’t come out unscathed but they had survived for the most part. She felt bad for the two soldiers she hadn’t even taken the time to learn their names but they had fought well and died to protect them in the end. She hoped their bodies had received the proper rights in the very least.

“Where are we at?”

“Same place we were last night, next to the woods. Ballard is the worst off though he is claiming he is fine so the prince has him locked away in the coach. Now that you’re awake I think we can leave. I wouldn’t advise you ride your horse in your state but if we can talk the prince into riding a horse we can put you in the carriage and hopefully reach Copperstone in time to get Ballard looked at.” Darryl said his voice betraying his worry for the larger warrior.

After a few moments Eloen tried to stand again this time she managed to get to her feet without the world revolving around her but she still felt weak and her stomach was not agreeing with the movement. Slowly with Darryl supporting her Eloen made her way to the Coach. Half way to her destination she her Brenda call out to her but Eloen dared not turn her head too look least she lose what little balance she had.

The little girl ran past her and hurried to the door of the coach opening it for them. Her face was one of relief. Eloen tried to give her a smile but even that slight movement of her face sent shockwaves of pain through her body.

Inside the coach she found Ballard laying propped up long ways on one of the benches. About half from his hand to his elbow was wrapped heavily in red cloth and was so saturated with blood it was literally dripping forming a small puddle on the floor of the coach. Ballard give her a weak smile that she did her best to return when she took her spot on the opposite bench.

As soon as she was positioned Darryl darted from the coach. Her body ached and for the first time she was thankful that the prince had brought a coach with them especially one with such heavy cushions.

It didn’t take long before Brenda made her way inside the coach carrying two large canteens of water. “I was put in charge of you until we get to town. So no moving.” She declared proudly. “Do you want anything to drink?” Brenda followed up quickly holding one of the canteens out in front of her.

Eloen took the offered water coughing as she had to work to drink it down and try even harder to keep it down. The coach gave a small lurch sending a spike of pain through her head. As she groaned Brenda’s face looked slightly worried. Eloen gave the girl a weak smile and winked. The movement didn’t remove all the worry from the child’s face but it did seem to let her relax a little.

Time passed extremely slowly in the carriage. She tried her best to sleep but it was impossible with the way the carriage bumped and rocked as it moved across the rocky ground. The pain was slowly fading but her head still felt like the world was moving around her. She knew that her wound could have been fatal but she believed the worst of it to be over. Ballard’s wound on the other hand was bad, far worse than Darryl had let on. She couldn’t see how deep the wound was but from the blood that had amassed it must have been deep. She was worried for her friend. William had said they were close but the prince wasn’t the most reliable when it came to information. Close could be a few hours away or a few days away.

Anytime she let out even the slightest sound Brenda was next to her side with a rag and a smile on her face willing to help out any way she could. Eloen was surprised at how well Brenda was handling herself. At her age she still cried whenever she scraped her knee. Eloen figured it had to do with the difference in their lives they led. Eloen while she had been tomboyish as a child was still pampered and preened. Brenda on the other hand was raised by a single father in a poor country and left to fend for her own when he died. That would force anyone to grow up well before they should have to. As she lay their watching the determined little girl Eloen promised herself to do her best to make sure Brenda got at least some of her childhood back if it was possible.

Once the bulk of her pain subsided Eloen drifted in and out of sleep. It was impossible for her to tell how long she had been asleep when she woke but since she still felt tired she doubted that she had slept very long. With little to do Eloen spent her time studying her surroundings taking care not to spend too much time staring at Ballard’s blood soaked bandages. Instead she focused on the grain of the wood trying to make out pitchers in it.

As she stared at the ceiling letting her eyes focus in and out trying to make out animals in the woods grain it reminded her of her youth. She had spent hours sitting in her aunt’s audience chamber doing the same thing as her aunt listened to the problems of her citizens. Eloen had always hated having to sit and look down on people, making ruling on their lives. She had joined the army to escape that even if just for a time but things seemed to have come full circle. It didn’t look like she would just be sitting listening to the worries of a small duchy but those of a kingdom. The prince was right about one thing sometimes you can’t escape your fate.

Due to her inability to stay awake for any amount of time Eloen had no clue how long they had been traveling when they finally stopped. When the door opened a host of people came in lifting both her and Ballard up and carrying them out. She didn’t know who they were but she didn’t have the strength in her body to resist. She could only hope they were friendly and that the others were ok.

She was taken to a large room with a vaulted ceiling. The bed felt like one of the most comfortable things she had even laid down on, it was almost as if she was laying on a cloud. She was worried about Ballard. He hadn’t looked so good when they had carried him from the coach. His face had been pale and he had made only a small groan when he was first lifted. She wanted to go check on her friend but her head still could not take her standing for long periods of time.

When William finally appeared in her room she could have yelled for joy. He walked slowly over to her bed his face stony and unreadable. The fact he acted so sober worried her but even if it was bad news it was better than just worrying endlessly.

“How is it?” Eloen asked slightly afraid of the answer.

“The doctor said you will be fine. I may take a few days for you to be able to walk around without assistance but the damage is not permanent.” William replied his voice stale and monotone.

Eloen tried to sit p and hit William but her strength failed her and she fell forward. William acted quickly and caught her before she fell off the bed. “Not what I meant.” Eloen gasped as the prince helped her settled back onto the bed.

Looking up into Williams eyes she could tell he was worried, though she wasn’t sure if it was about her or the news he carried. “Ballard will live.” William sad hesitantly.

“But, you actions and tone scream there is more. What aren’t you telling me?” Eloen snarled at the man, her patience at its end.

William took a deep breath and stood from his seat and began pacing back and forth next to her bed. “The doctor had to take his arm. The blow he took damaged it too bad and we were too slow in reaching care. The meat had started to foul. I am sorry there was nothing else that could have been done.”

Ballard had lost his left arm. That would make it impossible for him to swing that massive sword of his anymore, but he was skilled enough with a one handed sword it wouldn’t affect his ability much. The big question was how much of a blow to his mind the loss of an arm would be? She had seen some men who took it in stride and others who wallowed in self-pity for the rest of their lives. She believed Ballard was stronger than that but only time would tell for sure.

“That’s what you were worried about telling me. So he lost an arm, it’s better than losing his life.” Eloen said letting herself relax into the pillows on her bed. “How is he taking it?”

“So far he seems to be taking it well. He has asked about you constantly and is not happy at all that the doctor has refused to let him leave his bed to check on you. On that note your daughter is also in an uproar that she has been barred from your room, but the doctor said you needed rest more than anything right now so we have left you to your own devises. If that was wrong I apologize but I can’t have my future queen dying.” The prince said his voice returning to its haughty tone and flashing her one of his fake smiles that she had grown to know so well.

Eloen returned his smile though just like his it was forced. “I won’t hold it against you, but I am more than up for taking in a few visitors as long as they know how to behave themselves.”

William gave her a smile leaned over and kissed her softly on the forehead. As he leaned back she gave him a genuine smile. For all his bluff he was a good guy though he was often infuriating. She still had no real feelings of love for the man but at least there was friendship. Most royal marriages didn’t even have that. In fact most of the time there was only mild indifference or open hatred between the two.

The prince left shortly and as she had wished the Darryl and Brenda soon visited her room. Darryl made a show of thinking Ballard was milking his little injury, while Brenda spent most of her time fawning over her. It was heartwarming to have such close people in her life.

It took two days before the doctor cleared her to leave her bed and as soon as he did she made her way straight to Ballard’s room. She found the large man stuck in his bed his face none too happy. His left arm was gone below the elbow. Thankfully she couldn’t see the wound itself as the area was wrapped in a thick layer of cloth.

“Still lying in bed. I figured you would be up and running by now.” Eloen said jokingly.

Ballard rolled his eyes and shook his head. “If only I could. Each time I try to get out of bed one of the maids runs to the doctor and they force to stay here. He said once my wound has completely healed and there is no more worry of infection I can get up until then it looks like I’m stuck in this comfortable prison.” Ballard replied in disgust.

Eloen laughed at her friend it was just like Ballard to get mad over having to take a few days idle. He was the kind of man who would demand to run in a foot race with a broken leg. “Take it easy and follow the doctor’s orders. That’s an order understand soldier?” Eloen said still laughing.

“Yes captain.” Ballard said a small amount of laughter tinging his own voice.

EPILOGUE

Eloen looked out of the balcony of the mansion. Tomorrow she and the prince would be leaving along with a contingent of the baron’s soldiers to make the rounds to the nearby nobles to relay the news of their marriage and if possible garner favor for the possible upcoming war.