Andrew Ardwin tried to focus on the patient in front of him, even as the noise of battle rang around his tent. The sounds of swords clashing against shields, horses whinnying in terror, dogs growling at the intruders, and men screaming in pain made him almost wince.
The boy in front of him, whose job had been to simply water the horses, cried out as Andrew stitched the wound closed.
"It's alright, Michael, you will be alright," Andrew told the lad, placing a cool rag on the boy's forehead.
He was interrupted as there was a loud sound of cloth being shredded and the tent was torn to pieces.
Andrew could now see the camp in the dim morning light. Fires burned the empty tents of his companions, swords and shields lay upon the ground, his companions all knelt in a line, and the attackers, all wearing dark red uniforms, stood menacingly around them. To his surprise, there were no bodies on the ground and none of his companions were missing.
"You are a doctor?" One of the intruders asked, his form hidden in the shadows.
Andrew kept his hand on Michael's forehead, forcing his voice to stay steady, "I am."
There was a murmur in a language Andrew did not know, then two of the uniformed men stepped forward and grabbed his arms.
"What are you doing?" Andrew struggled. "You can't take me away from my patient!"
"The boy is not important. You will come with us."
Andrew twisted away from one man's grip and then jabbed the second man in the throat, freeing himself. "My patient is important and I will not leave him when he needs help," he said as he backed away toward Michael.
"You have a greater job to do this evening," the man said, stepping forward far enough for Andrew to fully see him.
Pale, gleaming blue eyes shone from under shaggy blond hair and thick black boots added an extra inch to the man's already impressive height. He loomed over Andrew and Michael, his sword bare in one hand.
"This is your choice, doctor. You will come with us peacefully and your companions will be taken care of until you finish your job. Once you do what is needed, you all will go free. If you do not come with us, then we will kill all of your companions and you will still help us, or we will kill you as well. What is your decision?"
Andrew turned back to Michael, placing a hand on the boy's wrist and feeling his pulse. After a moment, he spoke over his shoulder to the warrior. "Let us do this quickly. My patient will need to be carried on a litter. I do not need his wound to reopen while he is walking or riding."
With a nod, the warrior ordered his men to do so, before retreating back into the shadows.
After several minutes, they all set out along a well-worn dirt trail, Andrew near the front beside the blond-haired warrior.
"What do you need me for?" Andrew asked, looking through his bag.
"You will know once we get there," the man replied.
"It would be for the benefit of everyone if I know what to expect. I will have more time to prepare, to think about solutions!"
After a moment, the blond-haired man sighed. "My general is ill. He was wounded during a hunting trip several weeks ago, but seemed to heal easily. Then, three days ago, he suddenly collapsed. Our doctors have done all we can, but, whatever this is, it is beyond us. I have heard that your people are skilled in the art of medicine and so came to you."
"Then why attack us!"
"Your sentinels mistook our silent movement as a sneak attack and did not give us time to explain."
Andrew was silent for a moment and then shook his head, focusing on his task, "What type of wound was it?"
"An arrow wound. It pierced his side, right below the ribs. We were able to remove the arrow and bandage the wound."
"Was there an infection?"
"No. I had my doctors watch it carefully. He is the best general in our forces and I would not wish to lose him."
They reached a clearing with a solid rock wall on one said and the warrior held up one hand to halt the company. After a moment, he stepped forward, to a large boulder near the wall, and lifted, his arms straining. The boulder rolled aside and revealed a tunnel that led straight into the stone wall.
"Quickly now. It is not good to linger here."
Andrew was the first to head through, dragged by the warrior, and he looked around in shock at the place they entered.
High stone walls surrounded a beautiful cove. A waterfall fell into a wide river, weeping willows drooped their branches into the water, wooden huts stood at different levels around the area, and hundreds of people milled around the porch of the largest house.
Andrew was pulled past the people, who all stepped back as they approached, and shoved into the house.
He could immediately see the fur bed in the center of the room with several people standing around it.
"Hurry, doctor. He doesn't have much time."
As Andrew drew closer, he realized he could smell something. Something unpleasant. It was the smell of decay and death. This man on the bed was already close to death and Andrew hoped he would be able to save him.
Pushing past the people around the bed, he removed the bandages covering the wound and poked at it, wincing at the puss that oozed out.
Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then an hour. Andrew looked in every single one of his books, checked all of his herbs, and tried everything he could think of to save the man, but in the end, he realized it was hopeless. He turned to where the blond warrior stood and signaled for him to come.
"Well? How is he?"
Andrew shook his head, "I can't do anything more for him. The arrow must have nicked one of the organs and, my best guess is, it is now infected. I'm sorry, but I can't help him."
The blond warrior looked at the man on the bed, his body going still. "You will save him."
"I can't! I don't have the knowledge, or the tools, to do that!"
With a low growl, the man turned on Andrew, his dagger pressing into the doctor's chin. "You will save him, or I will cut your companions down!"
"And if he dies anyway?"
"Then you had better say your prayers, doctor," the warrior spat.
Andrew looked into the blue eyes, trying to find any hint of mercy within them.
Instead, he saw fear. Pure fear that seemed to consume the warrior.
"This man isn't just a general, is he?" he asked, looking over to the dying man. "Why would you be so scared of losing him, unless he is something more than that."
For the first time since Andrew had arrived, one of the other men spoke, placing a hand on the warriors shoulder. "I am physician Aldous, and you are correct, doctor, he is not just our general. He is our leader and Dietrich's father."
Andrew looked at the blond warrior, Dietrich as he now knew him, and sighed.
"I know you are scared to lose him. Everyone is scared to lose the people they love and trust. But, you cannot threaten the lives of my companions, for something that is impossible!"
Dietrich stepped closer, fear turning to fury, "You will do as I say, doctor!"
"Dietrich," a tired voice cut in and they all turned toward the bed. The man's eyes were open now, bright blue like his son's, and he was looking at all of them. Andrew was surprised to see the calmness in the man's face and he stepped back slightly.
"You will let them go," the man sighed.
"But, he can help you!" Dietrich shouted.
All it took was a look from the elderly man to silence his son. "You will do what is right, Champion," he said to Dietrich.
"You are the Champion, father!"
"I am no longer able to carry the title. Now, release the men you captured, give them provisions, and then return to take your place as the new Champion."
Dietrich gripped his father's hand, dropping to his knees beside the bed, and whispering in the language Andrew had heard earlier.
After a moment, the older man smiled and gripped his son's hand tightly.
"Go and do what you must."
With those words, his eyes closed and his breathing slowed to almost nothing, though Andrew could tell he was still clinging on to life.
"You must hurry Dietrich!" Aldous gasped. "You must finish this task and return before he takes his last breath."
Andrew could see Dietrich did not want to leave, but after a second, he bowed to the room and led Andrew from the chamber.
"Retrieve the doctor's companions and bring them outside the wall Provide horses and a litter for the wounded one. I will bring the supplies. Hurry!" he ordered one of the people outside.
Andrew stayed quite as he followed the warrior throughout the camp, gathering supplies that had been destroyed in the attack.
When they were finished, Dietrich led Andrew to the tunnel leading to the exit and stopped.
"I must finish the task my father set for me. Travel safely, doctor."
"I wish you well, Dietrich. I am only sorry I could not help him."
The warrior did not reply, instead he turned and marched away, leaving Andrew at the wall.
Okay, this was a bit of a long one! I hope it all makes sense and that you enjoyed it! The words were randomly generated for me and they were Interrupt, Tunnel, Organ, and Unpleasant. Quite an interesting group!
Have an amazing day!
This image is not mine. I found it on Pinterest.